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  ICPC Arrests Woman Offering New Naira Notes for Sale The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has today, 1st of February 2023, arrested a woman, Omoseyin Oluwadarasimi Esther, with the Twitter handle of Lala, offering new naira notes for sale on social media. The arrest was as a result of intelligence received which led the ICPC operatives to seek out and promptly arrest the suspect. Omoseyin Oluwadarasimi Esther, a social media “serial entrepreneur” who deals in skincare, sales of fuel, facilitation of foreign travels through visa acquisitions, and other businesses, seized the opportunity of the scarcity of the new naira notes to openly market the new notes. It is believed she is in collusion with key elements in the financial services sector diverting the newly released notes away from banking halls and payment channels into a “ black market” She is currently in ICPC detention and is helping the Commission with its findings on the criminal ...

CBN Shouldn’t Extend Naira Swap Deadline – Atiku The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday, asked the Central Bank of Nigeria not to grant a further extension after February 10 deadline for naira swap. This, he said, had become imperative to ensure the purpose and objective of initiating the redesigning of the currency are not destroyed. In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday from his campaign office, Atiku urged the CBN to immediately review the measures it has put in place for ensuring the seamless circulation of the new naira notes. “The additional ten days will enable our people in the rural areas and ordinary people across the country to take the naira in their possession into the banks. It will also enable the CBN to further circulate the new currency notes among banks so that people can have easy access. “Within these ten days, I urge the CBN to initiate measures that will alleviate the problems being encountered by the people in ex...

ISWAP Distributes Old Naira Notes To Passengers On Borno Highway Suspected members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) have distributed huge amounts of old notes to scores of commuters in the Lake Chad Basin ahead of the deadline of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cashless policy, sources have said. Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred after Mairari village, along the Maiduguri/Monguno highway on Saturday in Guzamala LGA of Borno State. A source told the Daily Trust in Maiduguri that the ISWAP members were dressed in military camouflage and drove two gun trucks. A resident, Bakura Ibrahim, said the insurgents positioned themselves under a tree and stood by the roadside with bags of old naira notes. “We left Monguno at about 12 noon. As we approached Mairari, there were no existing checkpoints in the area; we were apprehensive. “They stopped us and asked if we were going to Maiduguri, then they started giving each person 100,000 old naira notes, but...

Buhari Government Not Officially Aware Of Anyone Working Against Tinubu, Information Minister Reacts To Governor El-Rufai’s Allegation  Nigerian Government has said it is not aware of any persons in the Presidential Villa working against the ambition of the ruling All Progressives Congress candidate in the February presidential election, Bola Tinubu. Information minister, Lai Mohammed, said this while addressing State House correspondents at a briefing after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday. Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai had said some saboteurs in Aso Villa were working against Tinubu because their candidate did not win the party presidential primaries. Mohammed restated the President’s position that his administration will only focus on ensuring a free fair and credible elections and not favour or cause anyone to be at a disadvantage. El-Rufai during an interview on Channels TV on Wednesday said the continued payment of fuel subsidy and the recent Naira redesign ...

Nigeria’s Judicial System Pathetic, Sides With Crooks –El-Rufai The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Elrufai, has described the Nigerian judiciary system as a “pathetic system” that sides more with the crooks than the innocents. Mr Elrufai said this during an interview on Sunrise Daily on Channels TV on Wednesday. He noted that the government of Kaduna State has not been able to convict people that stole state funds because courts are making it difficult to convict people. “In Kaduna State, the corruption perception is much lower than in other states. We have taken measures. We have made examples of people in public service. We have sacked those that were found to be fiddling with public funds. We are prosecuting them, we have not convicted anybody because the judicial system is just pathetic—is too slow and in my view often on the side of the crooks rather than on the side of the government or the innocents,” he said. He added that one of the biggest mistakes Nigeria made was setting u...

OCHA Brigade Arrest Ten for Extortion, Illegal Revenue Collection in Onitsha. Operatives of Operation Clean And Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, has arrested ten persons suspected to engage in extortion and illegal revenue collection in different parts of Onitsha Metropolis.  Their arrest followed the order by the Managing Director of OCHA Brigade, Comrade Celestine Anere after receiving complaints from transporters, unions and associations on the extortion activities of the suspects.  Confirming the arrest, the Public Relations Officer of the agency, Mr. Anthony Agbaefune said the arrests were in line with the plan of the state government to rid the state of touting activities. The arrested persons are feanyi Ugbo, Amechi Anioke, Agu Ekor, Peter Joseph, Chidozie Okafor, Ifeanyi Ibeabuchi, Nzube Nwaego, Dr. Makandu Eze, Nnamdi Ifechukwu, Chika Okafor and Chika Okafor.  They, individually, pleaded for mercy, promising to turn a new leaf. More photos below. 

 SANWO-OLU DELIVERS, OPENS 18.7KM SIX-LANE ELEKO-EPE EXPRESSWAY • Governor upgrades rural road 40 years after, flags off project’s expansion to Abraham Adesanya Roundabout First phase of the reconstruction and upgrading of the Eti Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway has now been completed and delivered, with the infrastructure formally opened to vehicular traffic. Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu was on Wednesday, accompanied by joyful residents to commission the 18.75-kilometre long stretch from Eleko to Epe T-Junction, turning a two-lane rural roadway to a six-lane rigid concrete carriageway. The construction feat marked a significant improvement in the effort to redevelop the rural road, built over 40 years ago. Before reconstruction, the infrastructure was in decrepit shape due to upsurge in average daily traffic volumes, subjecting road users to delay and hardship.   The road upgrade to six lanes, with street lights installation and dedicated tracks for trailers, has...

Wike withdraws approval for the use of the Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium as venue for the presidential campaign of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State.  Read letter to PCC. More photos below.   

Court  Adjourns Fayose’s Alleged N6.9bn Fraud Trial Till March 20 Justice Chukujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, adjourned further hearing in the trial of a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, over an alleged N6.9bn fraud, till March 20, 2023. The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had, on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, re-arraigned Fayose and  Spotless Investment Limited on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and stealing to the tune of N6.9bn ( Six Billion Nine Hundred Naira). The defendants had first been arraigned on October 22, 2018 before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun. When asked about his experience at the EFCC by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, at the resumed sitting today, Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence, said: “I turned myself in at the EFCC. “ I came in from the United...

PRESS RELEASE  In response, kindly quote: AAA.003/CPRD/NHQ/ABJ/VOL/02/1 Date: February 01, 2023 Head of News.  2023 ELECTION: NSCDC LAUNCHES N-ALERT TO TACKLE GENDER BASED VIOLENCE The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has launched a Nigerian Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System (N-Alerts) to aid report of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) before, during and after the general election. The alert system was launched by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen on Wednesday at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja. The event, which marked the 3rd Annual Forum of Women, Peace and Security Sector Reference Group, was themed, “the Role of Female Security Personnel in 2023 General Elections”. NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, said that the new technology will also be used in reporting criminal acts that would likely enact during the elections.   Audi said that the level of proactive preparedness by security agen...

Gunmen attack INEC office, police station, residential building in Anambra Gunmen early Wednesday morning attacked the office of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area, ANAMBRA PEOPLE reports. A source said the hoodlums burnt the commission’s headquarters in the area, using improvised explosive devise (IED). The gunmen also attacked a Police Station in Nnobi, in the same local government area, and a residential building inside the station, where they killed a boy, and injured a girl. The level of damage in the police station was however not ascertained as at the time of going to press. The state police command’s spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incidents in a press statement. He said the attack happened at about 1:45 am on Wednesday, confirming that the attackers came in huge number, and we’re ferried to the scenes of the incidents in four Toyota Sienna vehicles. He added that the command has made heavy deployment o...

I want to fight Fury, Welder — Joshua British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua says he will like to fight both Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder before the end of 2023. The former two-time unified heavyweight champion is in the rebuilding phase of his career, after losing three out of his last five fights, including two to Oleksandr Usyk. The boxer is also considering a training camp move to the United States for a change of scenery. His promoter, Eddie Hearn is planning a ring return for Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) with a date of April 1. The likely opponent is durable contender Jermaine Franklin. “It won’t be hard to find an opponent to fight me,” Joshua told IFL TV. Should Joshua get through his return fight, he wants to jump straight to the top of the division once again with a big fight. “(Fury) or (Deontay) Wilder in 2023. Both of them will be a good night and a hard night’s work. But yeah, 2023 is (Fury or Wilder – or potentially both.”  Fans back Joshua to return to winning ways Joshua ...

PRESIDENT BUHARI GREETS VETERAN ‘FIREMAN,’ ELDER AJOSE AT 70 For spending a greater part of his life battling fire accidents and reducing the misery of untold number of people, President Muhammadu Buhari celebrates Elder (Prince) Ajose Adedayo Aderemi, JP, who turns 70 February 2, 2023.   Till he retired as Director of Fire Service, Lagos State, Elder Ajose was committed to his calling as a firefighter, building himself professionally and academically, and bringing succor to many.   The President salutes Elder Ajose for charting a course of service to the public after obtaining a B.SC (Hons) in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, following it up with certificates in Fire Basic Training, Advance Certificate Fire Academy Federal Fire Service, Certificate in Fire Prevention and Handling Emergency in Moreton in Marsh, United Kingdom, International Fire Exchange in Chicago Illinois Fire  Academy, US, New Jersey Fire Academy. US, among many others, and using t...

Beyonce announced her world tour on social media.  She shared this photo above on her social media with the caption  "RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR 2023". Below are even dates of the world tour and country she will perform in. More photos below. 

 PRESS RELEASE MODERN POLICING: IGP LAUNCHES ‘SMARTFORCE’ DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR DIGITALIZATION OF PERSONNEL RECORDS Commences Training of Officers for Decentralized Upload of Personnel Data The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, NEAPS, fdc, CFR, has launched the ‘IGP-SmartForce Database Management Centre’ today Wednesday 1st February, 2023, for Personnel Records Digitalization and Biometric Capturing of all officers of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that all officers have their details captured and stored for record purposes and to ease administrative bottlenecks, create ease in tracking postings/transfers, and issue Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Cards for personnel identification. The SmartForce with Storage Servers domiciled in the Nigeria Police Force National Command and Control Centre (NPF-C4i) facilities and SmartForce office, Office of the Force Secretary in the Force Headquarters, Abuja, is aimed at integrating the Force in...