PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 EFCC Arrests 17 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Abuja   Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 1, 2024, arrested seventeen suspected internet fraudsters.   They were arrested in the Gwagwalada axis of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja in a sting operation, following credible intelligence on their alleged involvement in internet fraud.    Items recovered from them  are four cars, 22 phones and two laptops.   They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

 Alleged N35m Fraud: Court Sets Aside Bail Granted Bizman, Ericbona Ushie, Over Grandstanding Video Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has set aside the bail earlier granted one Ericbona Ushie, a businessman and politician who is standing trial for an alleged N35 million fraud, and adjourned till June 20, 2024 for the defence to refute video evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in which he was seen grandstanding in the comfort of his house, instead of being in custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service. The EFCC had on February 12, 2024 arraigned the Cross River State-born politician on 13 –count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining under false pretense, use of false documents, forgery, and possession of fraudulent documents to the tune of N35,397,000( (Thirty-five Million Three Hundred and Ninety-seven Thousand Naira)   One of the counts reads: "Ericbona Eliom Ushie, sometime in 2023, in Lagos, with...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE  PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES TOP FASHION DESIGNER, FOLAKE AKINDELE, ON 50TH BIRTHDAY  President Bola Tinubu congratulates Ms. Folake Akindele on the occasion of her 50th birthday. Ms. Akindele is the founder and creative director of Tiffany Amber, a pioneering fashion house established in 1998. Through its unique fusion of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary style, the brand has not only redefined African fashion but has also promoted the rich tapestry of Nigeria's heritage to the world. President Tinubu celebrates the top fashion designer, extolling her commitment to the craft, resilience, creativity, and peerless contributions to the fashion industry. The President also congratulates Tiffany Amber Nigeria as it marks its 25th anniversary while wishing its founder, Ms. Akindele, many more prosperous years in her endeavour to keep African fashion on the map. Chief Ajuri Ngelale  Special Adviser to the President  (Media & ...

 KEY SUCCESSES RECORDED BY TROOPS OF OPERATION SAFE HAVEN IN TWO MONTHS   Gentlemen of the press. We invite you all here today to brief you on the key successes recorded  by  Operation SAFE HAVEN within the last two months of its operation. The success recorded against the criminal elements and enemies of peace are highlighted to capture the major breakthrough among other numerous achievements of security agencies. I am glad to inform you that the capacity of personnel has been boosted as promised by the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff during their operational assessment of the security situation on the Plateau and environs as well as the Inspector General of Police. The deployment of more personnel and critical enablers as well as  technology and the ongoing Operations HAKORIN DAMISA IV are targeted at flushing out non-state actors in Operation SAFE HAVEN Joint Operations Area. We have dominated the entire landscape and frustrated the activit...

 Public Alert No. 10/2024. Alert on the sale of falsified mislabelled Paracetamol Injection circulating in Nigeria #NafdacALERTS Read more 🔗https://bit.ly/3T56LCi NAFDAC is informing the public of the sale of a falsified Paracetamol Injection mislabelled as  Paracetamol Injection 300mg/2ml I.M I.V Aminoglycoside Antibacterial. The product was discovered during a surveillance activity carried out by the Agency in FCT, Abuja. The falsified product was sampled for laboratory analysis, and the result showed that the product contained only paracetamol. Paracetamol Injection is an analgesic and antipyretic used to treat mild to moderate pain and to reduce fever. It is not an Aminoglycoside Antibacterial as labelled on the product. Aminoglycosides are a class of antibiotics used to treat serious infections caused by bacteria that are difficult to treat. The genuine Paracetamol Injection 300mg/2ml I.M I.V is manufactured by Shandong Shenglu Pharm. Co. Ltd, China, and marketed by Sifa...

  Citing Non-observance of Guidelines, CBN Revokes Licenses of 4,173 BDCs (PRESS RELEASE) The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in exercise of the powers conferred on it under the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020, Act No. 5, and the Revised Operational Guidelines for Bureaux De Change 2015 (the Guidelines), has revoked the licenses of 4,173 Bureaux De Change Operators. The list of affected BDC operators is available on the Bank’s website (www.cbn.gov.ng). The affected institutions failed to observe at least one of the following regulatory provisions:   Payment of all necessary fees, including licence renewal, within the stipulated period in line with the Guidelines.   Rendition of returns in line with the Guidelines.   Compliance with guidelines, directives and circulars of the CBN, particularly Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Counter-Proliferation Financing (CPF) regulations. The CBN is revising the reg...

Coco Samba loaded with viagra; likely to damage penis: Health Ministry.  Health authorities in Sierra Leone and Ghana have issued cautionary alerts that the fitness of the herbal mixture, Coco Samba, manufactured by the Bullion Go-neat Global Ltd, Ogun State, Nigeria cannot be guaranteed in terms of safety and quality.  In a press release dated February 20, the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone agreed with the Food and Drug Authority of Ghana that the mixture contains dangerous levels of Sildenafil Citrate, confirming previous suspicions on the negative side effects of consuming the mixture which includes complicated health issues and damage to the penis. “The said product confirmed that each bottle of Coco Samba contains heavy dose (193 mg) of Sildenafil Citrate as an adulterant as compared to the usual prescribed dose of 50-100 mg,” the release signed by the registrar of the board, James Komeh, read. “Please be aware that overdose of Sildenafil Citrate has the tendency to cause...

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW FGN POWER COMPANY MANAGEMENT TEAM In recognition of the critical role of power supply in driving enterprise and industrial development, and as a part of comprehensive efforts to reform the power sector and ensure energy security for all Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new members of the management team of the FGN Power Company Limited.  (1) Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - Kenny Osebi Anuwe (reappointed) (2) Company Secretary/Legal Advisor - Prof Mamman Lawal (reappointed) (3) Chief Technical Officer (CTO) - Ebenezer Olawale Fapohunda (4) Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) - Babatunde Daramola Oniru (5) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) - Julius Oyekola Olabiyi The President anticipates that with the full constitution of the management team, the FGN Power Company Limited will work assiduously to realize the core objectives of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) in close collaborati...

 Protest erupts in Jos prison over hardship, reduction in food ration Prison inmates at the Correctional Centre in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Friday protested increased hardship in the cramped facility. The inmates also expressed displeasure over the plan by prison officials to reduce their food ration. It was gathered that the protest erupted after the inmates got a wind of the plan to reduce their daily food ration which most of them considered inadequate. During the protest, the inmates refused to take orders from the custodial officials  and also shunned breakfast.

Why Nigeria needs to be decentralised – Soyinka Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, says Nigeria needs to be decentralised for citizens to reap the benefits more. Soyinka stated this on Thursday while delivering the PUNCH Newspapers’ 50th-anniversary lecture at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos. The lecture is part of the weeklong activities marking the 50th anniversary of the PUNCH newspapers. Soyinka whose lecture was titled, ‘Recovering the Narrative’, said the country should toe the path of breaking up if that would help the country to tackle its challenges. The Nobel laureate said decentralisation would allow governance to get closer to the people, adding that it was high time leaders stopped taking Nigerians for a ride. He noted that while Nigerian politicians know the importance of restructuring, they change after being elected into office. He said, “What do you mean by restructuring? Well, I don’t even like the word restructuring. I use, I prefer expr...

 Naira crisis: FG may demand $10bn compensation from Binance The Federal Government may demand over $10bn from Binance as a penalty amid moves to salvage the value of the naira. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a Friday morning interview with the BBC. Onanuga alleged that Binance profited substantially from its “illegal transactions” in Nigeria while the nation suffered heavy losses. He also argued that the company is neither registered in Nigeria nor has any presence in the country, adding that some users leveraged the platform to arbitrarily determine dollar-naira rates which saw a sharp decline in the value of the naira. Giving further clarification to our correspondent on the matter, Onanuga stated, “I said compensation is being discussed and a fine is being contemplated. I used the word ‘May’. “ The Presidential Spokesperson affirmed that the cryptocurrency exchange platform is cooperating with the Nigerian government...

 Telecoms subscribers to NCC: Extend deadline for barring unlinked lines by 30 days The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has asked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to extend the deadline for blocking unlinked subscribers to March 31, 2024. The NCC had directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of unlinked subscribers from February 2024. The directive, effective February 28, 2024, is expected to affect over 42 million inactive phone numbers, and 3 million active lines. Unlinked lines are subscriber identity module (SIM) cards not yet linked with the national identification number (NIN). Speaking in an interview with Technology Times on Thursday, Deolu Ogunbanjo, president of NATCOMS, said the initiative of the NCC to capture Nigerians is a step in the right direction due to security reasons. He said the policy is a great way for the country to develop its database. “But beyond that is the fact that NCC or the erstwhile minister has ...

Nigerian singer, Ahmed Ololade, also known as Asake, has come under strong criticism for dressing like a priest in his new music video, ‘Only Me’. The singer, his backup singers and dancers dressed like priests performing a mass in a catholic church for his new music video. However, many Nigerians have expressed disdain over Asake’s choice of props, stressing that his action was disrespectful to the Christian religion. Watch video and more photos below. 

  Yoruba actor Sisi Quadri dies at 44 A Nollywood actor, Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji. popularly known as Sisi Quadri is reportedly dead. Oyebamiji’s death was announced by some of his colleagues in the Yoruba movie industry. Announcing his death, Nollywood actress, Abiola Bayo wrote on her verified Instagram handle, “You will be greatly missed, Sisi Quadri. May your soul rest in perfect peace”. According to another source: Sisi Quadri is dead.  The famous Yoruba actor, who is well known for his craft is reportedly dead. Sources close to the deceased revealed that he died this afternoon at the Hospital after a brief illness. Details will follow shortly. May God grant him rest. This is so sad 😭😭😭😭

  SSANU, NASU threaten strike over withheld salaries The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions have threatened to disrupt industrial peace in universities should the government fail to release the withheld salaries of members. The salaries were seized by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari during their strike in 2022. The unions, in a joint letter signed on Friday by the President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim and General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, questioned the rationale with which the government released four months withheld salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities but failed to release the withheld salaries of non-academic staff. The unions noted that they would no longer be able to assure the government of industrial peace in universities should the amounts owed by the government are not released. Earlier, the uni...

 Aiyedatiwa orders arrest of attackers of opposition supporters during Tinubu’s visit The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Friday, ordered security agencies in the state to investigate and arrest those who allegedly destroyed the billboards of some state governorship aspirants and attacked members of the All Progressives Congress during the visit of President Bola Tinubu to the state. Tinubu visited the family of late former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye,  in Owo. He also visited the National lader of pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure on Wednesday. During the visit of the President, both the Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation and the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation accused the supporters of the governor  of destroying their posters and bill boards. Denying the governor’s involvement in the said attack, his Chief Press Secretary,  Ebenezer Adeniyan, condemned the act and ...

Imo undergraduate stabs FUTO student to death Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have arrested a 21-year-old  student of the Imo State University, Francis Marvelous, for allegedly stabbing to death, a final-year student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Marvelous Kingsley. A statement issued in Owerri, the state capital on Friday by the command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, disclosed that the FUTO student was killed on Thursday night following an altercation with the suspect. Okoye said the IMSU undergraduate was arrested by the operatives of the command following a distress call. He revealed that the suspect would be arraigned at the conclusion of the investigation by the command. Okoye dispelled the speculation making the rounds that the FUTO undergraduate was stabbed to death by a Fulani herdsman. The statement read, “Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have arrested an alleged 300-level student of Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri named Francis Mar...

 Abiodun To Receive Silverbird Man of the Year Award On Sunday Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, will on Sunday, 3 March, receive the 2023 Silverbird 'Man of the Year' award. Prince Abiodun emerged the 2023 Silverbird Man of the Year award, beating four other nominees after a rigorous voting process. A statement signed by Jacob Akinyemi-Johnson, Chief Creative Officer/Chairman Editorial Board of Silverbird Group, said Governor Abiodun won over 70 percent of the votes sent in by Nigerians. He said: "We are once again congratulating you on your emergence as the Silverbird Man of the Year, 2023. "We make bold to inform you that you secured over 70% of the votes sent in by the Nigerian people due to the fantastic job you are doing as the Governor of the Gateway State. "As we earlier informed you in our congratulatory letter, the grand event for the official presentation of the awards comes up on March 3rd, 2024 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos...

 INDIA'S RICHEST MAN BRINGING RIHANNA AND 1,200 GUESTS TO SON'S WEDDING BASH It could be the biggest party this small west Indian city has ever seen. As billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani prepares for the wedding of his son this summer, he's expecting billionaires from around the world, heads of state, and Hollywood and Bollywood royalty to attend a three-day bash in the family's hometown, starting Friday. The nearly 1,200-person guest list includes Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sunder Pichai and Ivanka Trump; Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla; legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar; and Bollywood celebrities such as Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Salman Khan, Arijit Singh and Diljeet Dosanjh. They'll be entertained by pop superstar Rihanna, magician David Blaine and famous Bollywood singers. The party is in Jamnagar, a city of around 600,000 in a near-desert part of Gujarat state. It's the family's hometown, and ...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE  PRESIDENT TINUBU CELEBRATES PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE ON HIS BIRTHDAY President Bola Tinubu celebrates the grace of stewardship and leadership upon the life of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, as he marks his birthday on March 2, 2024.  The President congratulates Pastor Adeboye on hitting another milestone and joins the Body of Christ in thanksgiving for the General Overseer's remarkable life of impact that transcends cultures and borders.  President Tinubu thanks the Lord's own servant for his regular prayers for the country and his wise counsel, noting his patriotic zeal and manifest determination to see Nigeria succeed.  The President prays for the continual well-being of the General Overseer and his wife, in addition to many more years in the service of God Almighty. Chief Ajuri Ngelale  Special Adviser to the President  (Media & Publicity)  March 1, 2024

 I won’t celebrate my 67th birthday – K1 De Ultimate The Mayegun of Yorubaland, Fuji music icon, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has explained his 67th birthday will not be business as usual due to the challenging economy facing Nigeria. K1 announced the cancellation of his annual carnival celebration in a statement on his Instagram page. K1 De Ultimate, whose birthday is on March 3rd, traditionally hosts a grand celebration that attracts friends, associates and fans from across the globe. However, this year, the musician expressed concern over hardship in the country, emphasising the pressing need to address the basic needs of the less fortunate in society. The statement reads: “To the glory of God Almighty, I shall be turning 67 years on this planet earth on 3rd of March 2024. “A joyous day for me, that many of my friends and associates across the globe usually joined with me and my family to celebrate. “My fans both home and abroad always make the b...

 Court Jails Three BDC Operators Three Years in Kano Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, convicted and sentenced three illegal bureau de change operators to three years imprisonment for operating without a requisite licence.   The convicts: Umar Ibrahim Muhammad, Abubakar Yakubu Garba and Muhammad Tijjani were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count   separate charges of illegal dealing in foreign currency without an appropriate licence. The lone-count charge reads: “That you Ibrahim Muhammad, sometime in February 2024 in Kano within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did engage in a financial operation of bureau de change without a valid licence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 (5) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020 and punishable under Section 57 (5) (B) of the same Act.” They all pleaded “guilty” to the charge read to them in English and interpre...

 EFCC Arrests 13 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Kano Operatives of the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested thirteen (13) suspected internet fraudsters in Badawa area of Kano metropolis, Kano State. The suspects were arrested following intelligence signalling a syndicate of suspected internet fraudsters perpetrating cyber- related crimes where they were arrested. In the course of the arrest, several incriminating items were recovered from the suspects. They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

 How I lured, killed seven women through dating App, ritual suspect confesses The prime suspect, Adebayo Azeez, involved in the murder of 35-year-old Adijat Solomon, has narrated how he and seven others now in police net connived to lure their victims, especially women through a hook up platform called “Mychat” to a ritual den in Igbo-Olomi area of Atan-Ota. The run away suspect, who was arrested paraded alongside two others by the Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, at the Police Officers’ Mess, Abeokuta, on Thursday, said that he was able to lure at least seven women to their untimely death through the social media platform. Recall that two self- acclaimed prophets of a white garment church and five others were arrested by the police for allegedly killing and dismembering Adijat Solomon in Igbo-Olomi area of the state. The suspects are Moses Abidemi Oluwo Samuel Monday; Prophet Peter Oluwalese; Akinwunmi Ifatosin; Prophet Jamiu Yusuf; Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneto...

 TROOPS OVERRUN BOKO HARAM/ ISWAP STRONGHOLD IN TIMBUKTU  TRIANGLE, RECOVER MRAP, GUN TRUCK, CACHE OF AMMUNITION                                                         Nigerian Army Troops in conjunction with hybrid force and element of Civilian Joint Task Force in an offensive operation conducted on Wednesday 28 February 2024, successfully overran Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Terrorists' stronghold in Timbuktu triangle in the Lake Chad Region, recovering a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, gun truck mounted with an anti-aircraft gun and a cache of arms and ammunition, after a fierce battle with the insurgents. During the operation, insurgents attacked own troops with Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED), Mortar, Gun trucks and motorbikes, but fell under the overwhelming superior fi...

 Police Stray Bullet Kills Man Sending Money Via PoS To Wife There was tension in Igueomo community on the Benin-Agbor Road after a stray bullet allegedly fired from a police gun killed a man in the area. It was gathered that the incident happened on Wednesday evening when the deceased, said to be a Hausa man went to a POS operator to transfer N4000 to his wife in his village. City & Crime learnt that some hoodlums had issues with the police and the operatives stormed the area to arrest them and in the process of chasing the boys, they fired gun shots at the fleeing boys but the bullet hit the victim who was running for safety and he died on the spot. A source told our correspondent that the deceased, after transferring N4000 to the wife,  heard of the commotion in the area and decided to run to a safer place, only to be hit by the stray bullet. He said the youths in the area came out in large numbers, blocked the road in protest against the killing of the deceased. He sai...

 Constitution amendment: First draft ready in August 2025 – Kalu Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu has said that the first draft report of the ongoing review of the 1999 constitution would be ready in August 202.   He equally said the final clean copy for the presidential assent after the voting on the expected issues of concern by the two chambers of the National Assembly would be out in August, 2025. Kalu dropped the hints at a press conference by the House Committee on Constitution Review on Thursday. It could be recalled that the committee on its inauguration, Monday, in Abuja, gave a 24-month timeline for the conclusion of the exercise. At the press conference, Kalu who doubles as the chairman of the committee said: “We are pushing to ensure that in our activities, that in no distant time, the first draft of the work we are trying to do in the constitution will be ready. “This will be subject to approval of the work done by the subcomm...