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       The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Benin Zonal Office, today October 8, 2019 secured the conviction of a Bureau de Change operator, Bashir Munkaila before Justice A.A.Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State. Munkaila was convicted on one count charge of intent to defraud contrary to section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 20 06 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. The charge reads: "That you Bashir Munkaila being a Bureau de Change operator on or about the 8th day of May 2018 in Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court with intent to defraud, did obtain from Adamu Haruna the sum of €13,000 (thirteen thousand Euros under the false pretense that there was a customer in your shop who needed sixteen thousand Euros (€16,000)) at N430 to a Euro, a representation you knew to be false and thereby comitted an offence contrary to section 1(1)(b) of the Advanc

      Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, fixed November 26, 2019 for the adoption of final written addresses in the trial of former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Olisa Metuh. “The first and second defendants shall file and serve their final written addresses within 21 days and upon service, the prosecution shall within 21 d ays thereafter file and serve it's written address," the judge stated. Justice Abang further pronounced that upon service by prosecution, the defence shall be at liberty to file reply on points of law. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Metuh alongside his company Destra Investment Limited on seven-count charges, bordering on money laundering to the tune of N400million, which he received from the Office of the National Security Adviser, under Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) in 2014, in the lead up to the 2015 general elections. The

        *PRESS RELEASE* *MORE BOKO HARAM SUSPECTS ARRESTED AND THEIR VICTIMS RESCUED AS A COMBINED TEAM OF NIGERIAN ARMY TROOPS AND CHADIAN DEFENCE FORCES CONDUCT JOINT OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH EAST* As Troops intensify clearance operations within Operation LAFIYA DOLE Theatre, troops of 7 Division Garrison in conjunction with troops of Sector 1 Operation LAFIYA DOLE and elements of Nigerian Army Super Camp 4 while conducting clearance operation along GONI GAMBOMI, KADAMARI, MELIM, GONDORI and JANTILU in KAGA LGA of BORNO State rescued 15 persons who were apparently displaced by criminal insurgents. Among them were 8 adult males, one adult female and 6 children. Preliminary investigation reveals that they spent 3 days wondering in the bush trying to link up with any community where they could find succour. They were promptly evacuated and the adult females and children were handed over to NYSC IDP Camp while the adult males were handed over to 7 Military Intelligence Brigade for pr

      The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt’s Zonal office on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 arraigned Diamond Brown before Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on one count charge bordering on retention of proceeds of crime contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering and (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and punishable under the same Act. The charge read:"That  you, Diamond Brown, on or about the 14th day of June, 2016, at Port Harcourt within the Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, directly retained the sum of Four Hundred Thousand (N400,000.00) Naira only in your Fidelity bank account number 6238228734 on behalf of Abrah Oghenerueme Marcus, which sum you knew or reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of a crime and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering and (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and punishable under the same

     2020 BUDGET SPEECH: Budget of Sustaining Growth and Job Creation Delivered By: His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria At the Joint Session of the National Assembly, Abuja Tuesday, October 8, 2019 PROTOCOLS 1. I will start by asking you to pardon my voice. As you can hear, I have a cold as a result of working hard to meet your deadline! 2. I am delighted to present the 2020 Federal Budget Proposals to this Joint Session of the National Assembly, being my first budget presentation to this 9th National Assembly. 3. Before presenting the Budget, let me thank all of you Distinguished and Honourable Members of the National Assembly, for your avowed commitment to cooperate with the Executive to accelerate the pace of our socio-economic development and enhance the welfare of our people. 4. I will also once again thank all Nigerians, who have demonstrated confidence in our ability to deliver on our socio-economic development agenda, by re

       The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, on Thursday, October 8, 2019, re-arraigned one Abdullahi Babalele before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $140,000.00. Babalele, a son-in-law to a former Vice President and People’s Democratic Party( PDP) candidate in the 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, allegedly persuaded one Bashir Mohammed, a Bureau De Change( BDC) operator, to make a cash payment of the sum of $140,000 without going through any financial institution, an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act. One of the counts reads: “That you, Abdullahi Babalele, on or about the 20th day of February, 2019 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, procured Basir Mohammed to make a cash payment of the su

      Yesterday, A new mental health campaign has been launched to help people who are living with mental health problems. Public Health England, in partnership with the NHS, have launched  # EveryMindMatters  to help people take simple steps to look after their mental health, improve their mental wellbeing and support others. Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have supported this campaign by helping to voice this special film, made to r aise awareness of the campaign. As part of the campaign the “One You” website and a series of apps have been launched as a platform to help people create a personalised action plan and a set of self care actions to deal with stress, improve sleep and feel in control.One more photo below.

     Earlier today, Nigerian rapper, Sky B was confirmed dead in Owerri, Imo State. The rave of 2007 was reportedly found unconscious at his residence on the morning of today at his residence in Owerri, Imo State. According to Instablog9ja, he was pronounced dead at Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Imo State. The cause of death was said to be a heart attack. You might remember him as the rapper who dropped the 2007 hit, 'I'm Calling' and other hits like 'You Promised Not To Go' 'Pray For Me' and 'Here I Am.' Rip to him.More photos below.

      Rwanda’s Mara Group launched two smartphones on Monday, describing them as the first “Made in Africa” models and giving a boost to the country’s ambitions to become a regional technology hub. The Mara X and Mara Z will use Google’s Android operating system and cost 175,750 Rwandan francs ($190) and 120,250 Rwandan francs ($130) respectively. They will compete with Samsung, whose cheapest smartphone costs 50,000 Rwandan francs ($54), and non-branded phones at 35,000 Rwandan francs ($37). Mara Group CEO Ashish Thakkar said it was targeting customers willing to pay more for quality. “This is the first smartphone manufacturer in Africa,” Thakkar told Reuters after touring the company alongside Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.   Companies assemble smartphones in Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria and South Africa, but import the components, he said. “We are actually the first who are doing manufacturing. We are making the motherboards, we are making the sub-boards during the entire process,” he

      According to the state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, who paraded the suspects, they were members of the XXXXX Confraternity, who were returning from an initiation at Awo-Omamma in the Oru East Local Government Area of the state. He listed the suspects as Chinasa Nkwocha, 19; Chukwudi Ebendu, 25; Kelechi Anyaegbu, 33; Ikenna Amadi, 22; Chidiebube Emecheta, 26; Chibueze U negbu, 23; Chiebube Anyanwu, 27; and Joseph Okereke, 26. Ladodo stated that one locally-made gun, one live cartridge, one machete and a wrap of substance suspected to be Indian hemp were recovered from the suspects. The Anti-Cultism Unit of the command had been charged to deal with issues of cultism. “While on a stop and search duty on the Ogbaku/Onishta Road, Owerri, operatives of the Police Mobile Force, Squadron 18, Owerri, stopped one commuter bus with number plate ACA 22 WZ conveying 18 male persons suspected to be cultists. “On a thorough search, one locally-made short gun, one live cartridge

     Nigerian man, Emeka proposes to his girlfriend on her sick bed after she had an accident that got her bedridden. Indeed love conquers all.Congratulation to both of them.One more photo below.

       The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, October 7, 2019 arraigned two brothers, Solomon and Godspower Nwachukwu before Justice I. U. Bello of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Bwari, Abuja, on separate one-count amended charge, bordering on cyber crime and obtaining money under false pretence. Prosecution counsel, Maryam Aminu Ahmed, had prayed the court to amend the charge, dated Septe mber 27, 2019. The charge against Godspower reads: “That you, Gospower Nwachukwu sometime in April 2016 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honorable court fraudulently induced one Matthew Scott, a citizen of United States of America to deliver the sum of $1,900 (One Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars) to you through bitcoin online payment and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 (Abuja) and punishable under Section 322 of the same law.” The charge against Solomon rea