Power supply has been restored In Imo State following the truce reached between the state government, Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress over the industrial action in the state.

The state witnessed a total blackout for six days while the industrial action lasted.

Flights were also barred from coming and going out of the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri following the industrial action.

The state government, NLC and TUC in a joint statement said that a Tripartite committee has been constituted to resolve the grey issue leading to the industrial disharmony.

The statement also stated that no civil servant would be punished, owing to the industrial action.
News men who monitored the development observed that businesses that hitherto shut down had reopened.

Those who operated for half-days are now in full operation.

Also, flights are allowed in and out of the Sam Mbakwe Airport Owerri.

Civil servants have begun going to work as the state secretariat witnessed the presence of many workers on Monday.

A trader said “We are happy electricity supply has been restored after six complete days of blackouts. We can operate in full. We were counting losses because the cost of running on generators every day was too much. We couldn’t cope, there were many outages.”

Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Communications, Collins Ughalaa, said that the State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, is open to any agreement that would guarantee lasting industrial harmony.

The Imo State University, Owerri has suspended one of its lecturers, Desmond Izunwanne, for allegedly slapping female students who arrived at a class session behind schedule and in non-departmental uniform.

The spokesperson for the University, Ralph Njokuobi, in a statement in Owerri, the state capital, said the lecturer’s action was “barbaric and unbecoming.”

Njokuobi said at a management meeting, the university approved the immediate suspension of the lecturer till further notice.

The university’s spokesperson also announced that a three-man disciplinary committee was constituted to “unravel the immediate and remote causes that led to his uncouth behaviour.”

The statement read, “It has come to the notice of the Management of the Imo State University that the viral video circulating around the globe about the indecorous actions of a lecturer of the university, Dr Desmond lzunwanne of the Physiology Department, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of the Imo State University, Owerri, against four students of the university.
“Management viewed the action of the lecturer as barbaric and unbecoming of such a person occupying that position.

“At the end of the management meeting held on Tuesday 2 May 2023, management approved the suspension of the lecturer, Dr Desmond lzunwanne, till further notice and has set up a three-man disciplinary committee to unravel the immediate and remote causes that led to his uncouth behaviour.

The former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Prof Onje Gye-Wado, who was kidnapped last Thursday night, has been freed after N4m ransom.

It was gathered that The Professor of law was kidnapped in his country home, Rinza, near Wamba, the headquarters of Wamba local government area.

His kidnappers placed a ransom of N70m but the family bargained from N2m to N3.5m and finally negotiated close to N4m before he was released.

“They collected the ransom near Mada Hills Secondary School in Akwanga with N200 recharge card. Then he was released near Angwan chiyawa close to those hills between Akwanga and Nasarawa Eggon,” a family source said.
It was gathered Gye-Wado was taken back to the palace of the paramount ruler of Wamba, Oriye Rindre, Justice Lawal Musa Nagogo after his release.

A former National Union of Journalists (NUJ) chairman and ex-Commissioner of information, Mr Dogo Shammah, confirmed the release of Prof Gye-Wado.

At least Eighteen persons have been burnt to death in an auto crash along the Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway.

The accident involved a Mercedes Benz tipper and an 18-seater commuter bus, police authorities in the South-East state said.

A statement from the Enugu State Police Command spokesman Daniel Ndukwe said the tipper loaded with bags of cement was plying against traffic from Enugu City when it had a head-on collision with the bus loaded with passengers coming from Aba, Abia State.

Both vehicles burst into flames and all the occupants burned beyond recognition, except the driver of the tipper who was found alive and has been admitted to a hospital.

The bodies of the victims have been evacuated while investigations have commenced into the accident, the police spokesman added.

Jigawa State Judicial Service Commission has ordered an Upper Shari’a Court judge, to proceed on compulsory retirement over alleged official misconduct.

The commission has also appointed four senior staff of the service, to various positions.

A statement to this effect was signed by the Director, Publicity and Protocol of the state judiciary, Mr Abbas Rufa’i, on Saturday.
The decision according to the statement was made during the 170th meeting of the state Judicial Service Commission held in Dutse, Jigawa state on Thursday.

“The Commission collectively resolved for compulsory retirement of Alkali Safiyanu Muhammad’ for allegedly committing the offence when a litigant appeared before him at an Upper Shari’a Court in Birnin Kudu.

The Commission, however, strongly warned its staff to shun all forms of corruption and bribery, in order to sanitise the Judiciary in the state.

It, therefore, added that the commission re-affirmed its determination to deal with any staff found wanting in the discharge of his/her official assignment.

Furthermore, the Commission resolved to appoint Mr Aliyu Muhammed as Deputy Chief Registrar II Shari’a Court of Appeal and Mr Abdulrashid Alhassan as Chief Inspector, Shari’a Court of Appeal.

Others included Muhammad Lawan as Zonal Deputy Chief Inspector, Shari’a Court of Appeal and Muhammad Adamu as Zonal Deputy Chief Inspector, Shari’a Court of Appeal

Meanwhile, in line with the law that established the Commission and its mandate, the Jigawa State Shari’a Court Judges Association (JISSJA), commended the Commission for the achievement and assured the organisaion of their support and cooperation.

Africa’s drive to transform its agriculture and become a food basket continues to receive strong global support, with development partners agreeing to commit more than $50 billion to the plan, barely two months after its launch.

Development partners have agreed to commit more than 50 billion dollars to Africa’s drive to transform its agricultural sector and become a breadbasket.

In a statement issued on African Development Bank’s website, the global support came barely two months after the program’s inauguration.

According to the statement, political leaders on the continent have resolved to work tirelessly with international partners on compacts that will transform agriculture across the continent.

It said the leaders resolved this at the recent Dakar 2 Food Summit, organised by the Senegalese Government and the African Development Bank.

It listed donors of the fund to include Germany, which plans to contribute 14.34 billion dollars, and the United States, which intends to provide five billion dollars.

“The AfDB aims to contribute 10 billion dollars over five years, while the Islamic Development Bank intends to provide seven billion dollars.

“The European Union, the European Investment Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the West African Development Bank are parts of the donors.

“Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; the French Development Agency, AFD; Ireland; the Netherlands; Switzerland and the United Kingdom also pledged their donations,” it stated.

The statement noted that the leaders agreed to allocate at least 10 per cent of public expenditure to increase agriculture funding during the Dakar meeting.

It said they also resolved to deploy robust production packages to boost productivity and increase resilience to achieve food security and self-sufficiency.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that African heads of state and government endorsed the outcomes of the just concluded African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“The leaders described the Dakar 2 Food Summit as important and timely to address rising food prices, disruption in the global food supply, and worsening of food insecurity in Africa.

“And they called for global support to implement the outcomes immediately.”

The presiding pastor of House on the Rock Abuja, Pastor Uche Aigbe, has tendered an unreserved apology to his congregation and the entire Nigerians for mounting the pulpit with an unloaded AK-47.

A remorseful Aigbe, in a video posted on the church’s social media page, showed the pastor in last Sunday’s service saying he was disappointed in himself for not considering the consequences of bringing the firearm to illustrate a passage in the Scripture before taking the decision.

The report described how the preacher caused a stir when he mounted the pulpit with the rifle to address the congregation on ‘Guarding the Faith.’

The viral video clip of him brandishing an AK-47 on the altar generated mixed reactions from Nigerians, with some people calling for his arrest by security agencies.

Aigbe addressed his congregation midway through the Sunday Service that the traumatic experience he had in the last one week had given him a lot of concerns.

While apologising for the embarrassment his action had caused the church, he admitted guilt for not giving his decision to mount the pulpit with a firearm a second thought.

He said, “This morning, I stand before you with a deep sense of sobriety and contrition as I humbly address the event of last Sunday at the second service which most of us were a part of, where I used an unloaded firearm to illustrate some texts from the Bible regarding the good fight of faith.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested Chidozie Nwachi for swindling an American citizen, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, of $200,000.

The EFCC also disclosed Nwachi had deceived Sayers with marriage.

According to Sayers, she disclosed being suicidal after being defrauded.

She said, “I was accustomed to transferring money to him and further felt I had no choice since I had just married him, even though I did not feel confident in my choice to have married him.
“I have been suicidal on and off when I realized he was a fraud, as I was drowning financially and facing bankruptcy.”

The EFCC, in a statement, said it recovered a Toyota Venza, a Lexus ES300, wristwatches, two iPhones, two MacBooks, an international passport and many bank cards from Nwachi.

Part of the statement read, “Nwachi’s ploy of defrauding his ‘wife’ was the offer of a phony contract by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja.

“He allegedly made Sayers finance the execution of the contract until the petitioner contacted the ministry with the contract papers and discovered that they were fake.”

According to the EFCC, Nwachi would be charged to court once the investigation is completed

More than 8,000 residents in Lagos have benefitted from a free medical outreach programme sponsored by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

Dr Oreoluwa Finnih, Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Health, said this in a statement signed by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, Director, Public Affairs, in the state Ministry of Health, in Lagos.

Finnih said the free medical programme organised at the behest of the governor was to improve access to quality and efficient health care delivery at the grassroots.

According to her, it is also to achieve universal health coverage, particularly in communities with less significant health coverage.

Finnih said that 30,000 people residing in rural, riverine and hard-to-reach communities would be reached with free basic health care services during the pilot phase of the ongoing programme which started in 2022.

According to her, medical services offered during the outreaches include blood pressure check, blood sugar check, eye care services, breast and cervical cancer screening, vaccination and immunisation services.

Others are free consultation and medication, health education and counseling services, among others.

She noted that the free medical outreach services would increase access to health services and complement existing basic health care services at communities visited.

Finnih added that the free medical outreach programme would improve the health seeking behaviour of the citizens.

She said this would enhance early detection and diagnosis of diseases and ensure a healthy population.

Finnih listed areas visited as Oshodi-Isolo, Mushin, Alaba-Rago in Ojo, Oyingbo market in Mainland; riverine communities including Ibeshe in Amuwo-Odofin, Badagry, Eti-Osa and Epe.

“So far, we have seen over 8,000 people and we look forward to seeing double that number.

“We are looking at seeing by the end of this outreach between 25,000 to 30,000 people both on Lagos Mainland, Island, riverine communities, hard-to-reach areas, slums, markets and worship centres,” she said

At least one person has been confirmed dead in multiple crashes on Kara Bridge outward the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

About seven vehicles including a container-laden truck were involved in the multiple accidents that have paralysed movement and left motorists and travellers on the ever-busy road stranded in nerve-racking gridlock.

Already, first responders including officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) have arrived the scene.

The FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun State, Ahmed Umar, told Channels Television that a traffic hawker was killed in the unfortunate accidents, adding that emergency responders are still rescuing those injured.

Umar attributed the cause of the accidents to brakes failure by the truck whose driver rammed into the vehicles in front of him from behind.

Similarly, a spokesperson for LASEMA told our correspondent that rescue efforts are ongoing at the scene of the accidents.

The situation, coupled with the repair works ongoing on the narrowed road, has caused intense traffic along the axis with scores of motorists struggling to find their way out of Lagos

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced the reduction of transportation fare in the state by 50 per cent.

He made the announcement while addressing journalists at the Lagos House in the Marina area of the state.

According to the governor, the price reduction in all state public transportation on the road, and waterways system would take effect next week.

He noted that the BRT buses, first and last-mile buses have been directed to charge 50 percent of the current fare to reduce the hardship of the naira swap on residents.

“To further support Lagosians to weather these stormy days, I hereby announce the following measures: A 50% cut in fares on all our BRT buses, LAGRIDE taxi-scheme, First Mile and Last Mile buses, and Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY),” the governor said.

“This will take effect from tomorrow for the next seven days. We will push out more Cowrie Cards to enable more Lagosians to get onboard our services.”

The governor also stated palliative items will be distributed to residents as of tomorrow through religious leaders, non-governmental organisations, to assist those affected by the current situation.

He further explained that the state government has suspended the road construction along Buba Maruwa, Ijegun-Egba to ease fuel dispatch across the state. And appeal to residents not to take advantage of the economic challenge to perpetrate crime in the state.

Two men have been arrested by the kano police command who paraded themselves as journalists, for allegedly defrauding a rice trader of N33,000.

The 30-year-old suspects, Mujahid Kabir and Abba Imam, were alleged to have, on February 2, 2023, generated a fake bank transfer alert of N33,000 to buy a bag of rice at a Plaza at Sharada Quarters, Kano Municipal Local Government Area, Kano State

The state police spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who disclosed this in a statement “On 2nd February 2023 at about 1700hrs, a report was received from the Manager of a Plaza at Sharada Quarters, Kano Municipal LGA, Kano State that, two people went to their Plaza, purchased a bag of rice at N33,000 and generated a fake bank transfer alert to them.

“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command CP Mamman Dauda, psc(+) raised and instructed a team of detectives led by SP Abdulrahim Adamu, Divisional Police Officer, Sharada Division to arrest the culprits.

“On preliminary investigation, the suspects confessed to having gone to Vision FM Radio station Kano, stole two personnel Identity Cards and made fake copies bearing their names and photographs. They further confessed to having gone to the said plaza at Sharada Quarters, bought a bag of rice and made a fake transaction with the cashier.

“The Commissioner of Police directed the case to be transferred to the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for discreet investigation. Suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.”

The CP advised residents to be wary of fraudsters and scammers, secure their bank details and report suspicious transactions to their banks

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained the Rivers State Government from arresting any opposing member of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

Justice A.T Ibrahim issued the order against the Police and Department of State Services, following a motion ex parte filed by some members of the PDP in the state.

Justice Ibrahim ordered the Rivers State Government and other respondents to maintain the status quo until the determination of the suit.

The appellants in the suit are former National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, Senator Lee Maeba, Dr Abiye Sekibo, Senator Geroge Sekibo, Celestine Omehia, Austin Opara, among others.

They accused the Rivers State government of harassing and intimidating their supporters.
Recall that a group, the Atiku Support Organization had alleged that 30 of its members were arrested in the GRA axis of Port Harcourt while in a meeting to prepare for the proposed campaign visit of the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to Rivers State.

Our correspondent reports that a few days later the police through its spokesperson in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko said operatives raided criminal hideouts and arrested 32 suspected cultists in two different locations.

Over 20 of those arrested were later arraigned in a Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt presided over by Chief Magistrate Collins Ali.

The court after refusing bail applications by the defence counsel directed that the suspects be remanded in the Correctional Centre, before adjourning the proceedings to March 22, 2023, for bail consideration.

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State has remanded a 20-year-old man, Josiah Godwin, at the Olokuta Correctional Centre, for allegedly killing his boss, Savior Joseph, in Imafon Community, in the Akure South Local Government Area of the state.

Godwin, who was said to be an apprentice of the deceased, after allegedly killing his master, dumped his corpse in a well in the community.

It was learnt that policemen who were alerted to the incident, arrested Godwin and arraigned him before the court on two-count of conspiracy and murder.

During the arraignment, the prosecutor, Inspector Folasade Adeyemi, told the court that the defendant’s offences contravened Sections 269 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37 Volume 1 Laws of Ondo State, Nigeria, 2006.
The prosecutor also prayed the court to remand the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending the issuance of legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The counsel to the defendant, Friday Adeoye, did not object to the remand application issued by the prosecutor.

In her ruling, the magistrate, Idowu Mayowa, granted the application and adjourned the case till March 17, 2023.

Gunmen have reportedly attacked army troops and killed four officers in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Information gathered that the incident which happened along Kwale road is currently creating tension as the army personnel was said to have invaded the community.

A community source told our correspondent that the hoodlums ambushed the army personnel and killed three on the spot, while others who sustained injuries were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre.
He said, “The hoodlums ambushed the army personnel and killed three officers on the spot, others were rushed to Federal Medical Center, Asaba.

“One of the injured officers just died in FMC because he had lost much blood.