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 Two Internet Fraudsters Bag Jail Terms in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Command on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 secured the conviction and sentence of two internet fraudsters: Okonofi Paul and Ogumbe Elvis Wogor before Justice I. Mohammed of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court sitting in  Gwagwalada. They were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charges bordering on internet fraud. Paul’s  charge reads, “that you Okonofi Paul sometimes in 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court committed the offence of cheating by personation when you pretended to be one Keanu Reeves a citizen of the United States of America and a Hollywood actor via Instagram social media account and as a result obtained the sum of $1500 (One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars) from unsuspecting victims and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code Act, ...

 Gombe Court Jails  Two Fraudsters for N7.9m Fraud   Justice Abdulhamid Yakubu of the Gombe State High Court sitting in Gombe, Gombe State on  Thursday, April 18, 2024 convicted and sentenced the duo of Adamu Usman and Emmanuel Joseph to  jail for employment and Automated Teller Machine, ATM,  fraud to the tune of N7,990,490.00k (Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand, Four Hundred and NinetyNaira) only.   They were separately arraigned on one-count charge by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Commission.   The charge against Adamu Usman  reads: That you Adamu Usman and Abdulwahab Adamu Magaji between January / December 2023 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did  obtain the aggregate sum of  Seven Million and Eight Hundred Thousand naira  (N7,800,000)  only  from one Hajiya Hauwa Ali which you claimed was payment for offer of an employment at Ministry of Health Gombe State and...

 EFCC Arraigns One for Alleged N12.2m Land Fraud in Jos The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned  one Adeagbo Dooshima Claire before Justice G.M.Kamyal  of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State. She was arraigned on  Wednesday,  April 17, 2024  on two- count  charges of cheating and obtaining by false pretence by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Commission .    One of the charge reads "that you, Adeagbo Dooshima Claire and Caroline Lawal (Still at large) sometime in may 2021 at Jos, Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, fraudulently obtained the aggregate sum of N12,250,000 (Twelve Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from one Kenechukwu Agubuisi which you claimed was payment for a landed property situated at Favfei, Rayfield Jos, Plateau State and covered by Right of Occupancy No. PL.30415  and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 307 of the Penal...

 Police Arrests 11 Suspects In Kwara Over Illegal Arms Possessions, Others Kwara state Police command has arrested eleven(11) suspects over alleged Kidnapping, Homicide, Armed robbery , and llegal possession of fire arms . Parading the suspects at the Police Headquarters in Ilorin ,the state Commisssioner of Police ,Victor Olaiya said the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state. According to him the successes recorded was as a result of deligence, and hard work of the officers and men of the command . Mr Olaiya said during interrogation all the suspect admitted committing the crimes. He explained that the suspects have led investigators  to their hideout where incriminating exhibits including fire arms and criminal charms were recovered. The commissioner noted that all the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded for prosecution. Mr Olaiya said the command will continue to collaborate with sister security agencies to ensure crimi...

 STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU CALLS FOR STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS IN MANUFACTURING SECTOR, SAYS NIGERIA'S INVESTMENT CLIMATE BOLSTERED BY REFORMS  President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria's investment climate has been bolstered by critical new reforms, with an array of opportunities across sectors for investors. Speaking during the presentation of a letter of credence by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, Vice-Admiral Kim Pan Kyu, at the State House, on Friday, the President said Nigeria is a huge market for Korean products, particularly for Korean goods manufactured and produced in Nigeria, while emphasizing that Nigerian goods will be of great benefit to the Korean market. Highlighting the favourable economic outlook of the country, President Tinubu invited more South Korean companies to leverage these opportunities by establishing production bases in Nigeria.   ''I am glad that you have a very good knowledge of Nigeria and appreciate the role ...

Rapper NBA YoungBoy arrested on drug and weapons charges  NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, has been taken into custody in Utah and faces a multitude of charges‼️ The rapper was arrested and booked on several counts, including: - Patterns of unlawful activity - Procuring or attempting to procure dr*gs - Identity fraud - Forgery - Possession of controlled substances - Possession of a dangerous weapon The specific details surrounding his arrest and the allegations against him are still emerging. However, it's clear that NBA YoungBoy is facing a serious legal situation with potentially severe consequences. The charges against him suggest a range of alleged criminal activities, from drug-related offenses to identity fraud and weapons possession. The "patterns of unlawful activity" charge implies a potentially larger-scale investigation into his actions. As the situation unfolds, fans and the wider hip-hop community are closely watching to see how the legal pr...

 Obi visits religious centres for charity work, not campaigns – Spokesman The campaign organisation of Labour Party Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, on Friday, faulted media speculations that his frequent visits to churches and mosques were an act of religious politics deployed to boost his political profile ahead of the 2027 election. The former Anambra governor came under heavy criticism last month during the Ramadan season when he was spotted visiting some mosques to celebrate Iftar with the Muslim faithful. Iftar is the meal eaten after sunset during Ramadan to break the day’s fast. But the Chief Spokesman of his campaign organisation, Yunusa Tanko, thinks otherwise. In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, Tanko reiterated that Obi’s acts of philanthropy and altruism transcend the complex institution of politics and religion. He also condemned the ‘malicious and unsubstantiated allegation’, saying it is being orchestrated to blackmail the LP presidential candidate. “We ar...

 Public support for Nigerian chasing chess marathon record Tunde Onakoya wants to break the current chess marathon record of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate is attempting to play chess nonstop for 58 hours in New York City’s Times Square to break the global record for the longest chess marathon. Tunde Onakoya, 29, hopes to raise $1 million for children's education across Africa. He is playing against Shawn Martinez, an American chess champion, in line with Guinness World Record guidelines that any attempt to break the record must be made by two players who would play continuously for the entire duration. Onakoya had played chess for 42 hours by 10:00 am GMT on Friday.

 Wider alert on contaminated J&J cough syrup 'likely' - WHO The U.N. health body said it puts out global medical product alerts to "encourage diligence" by national authorities. The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email. Nigeria's regulator recalled a batch of Benylin syrup last Wednesday, having found a high level of diethylene glycol in the product during routine testing. Diethylene glycol has been linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Cameroon since 2022, though there is no evidence that these incidents are linked with the new recalls. The U.N. health body said it puts out global medical product alerts to "encourage diligence" by national authorities and was likely to do so in this instance, "subject to confirmation of certain details from parties".

 Abiodun Donates 25 Patrol Vehicles To Police ...calls for use of technology to tackle banditry, terrorism  .. Ogun remains most peaceful State in Nigeria-IGP Ogun State Government on Thursday, donated 25 patrol vehicles to the state police command just as it acquired surveillance drones to monitor criminal activities in all parts of the state. Governor Dapo Abiodun donated the vehicles in the presence of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, at the Arcade Ground, Governor's Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, even as he called on the force to include technology in it's crime fighting efforts. He said acquiring the drones was one of the proactive steps his administration has taken in collaboration with Lagos and Oyo states to effectively monitor activities on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to ensure prompt response in emergency situations. The drones, the governor noted, would be operated by trained personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Department of Stata Serv...

 MESSRS LEONARDO OF ITALY AFFIRM TIMELY DELIVERY OF M-346 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT The Vice President of Messrs Leonardo, Mr Claudio Sabatino has assured the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Mashal Hasan Abubakar, of his Company’s unwavering commitment to the timely delivery of the M-346 fighter aircraft beginning with the first batch of 6 expected in Nigeria before the end of Year 2024.  Mr Sabatino stated this when he paid a visit to Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Headquarters on Wednesday, 17 April 2024. While thanking the CAS for the warm reception accorded him and his entourage, Mr Sabatino also stated that further engagement between the NAF and his Company would be necessary to conclude other aspects of the project such as the commencement of pilots and engineering training. Speaking further, Mr Claudio assured the CAS that when finally completed, the maintenance of the aircraft fleet would not constitute a challenge as there is a binding agreement for Leonardo’s maintenance support for ...

Over 20 Lord's Chosen Members Dead In Car Accident In Imo. Over 20 Members of The Lord's Chosen Church has reportedly d!ed  in an auto crash in Owerri in Imo state on Friday April 19th 2024. The accident which saw over 20 members of the church d!e instantly happened at the Orogwe end of Owerri - Onitsha expressway. According to reports, the Chosen members were heading to Owerri for the Church's City Wide crusade, taking place this weekend when their luxurious bus  collided with a Tipper. Their general overseer, Lazarus Muoka had earlier arrived the state enroute Sam Mbakwe cargo airport Owerri and was received by the Senior members of the church. 😢😭.  One more photo below. 

 NIGERIAN ARMY TROOPS THWART KIDNAP ATTEMPT, NEUTRALIZE TERRORISTS, NAB CATTLE RUSTLING SYNDICATE In a series of successful operations, Nigerian Army troops deployed for counter-terrorism counter-insurgency operations in the North East and North Central have demonstrated their unwavering commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of citizens and maintaining peace and security in the regions. On Thursday, 18 April 2024, troops responding to a distress call, swiftly foiled a kidnap attempt on Mr Musa Arewa by three armed kidnappers in Lankaviri community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State. The kidnappers, having rigorously tortured their victim, were intercepted by the  troops, as they attempted to smuggle him into a nearby bush. The suspected kidnappers were arrested, and three locally fabricated guns were recovered from them.  In another jointly coordinated effort with hunters and other security agencies, the troops conducted a fighting patrol to...

 U.S vetoes Palestine’s request for full UN membership The Security Council on Thursday rejected Palestine’s request for UN membership, with the United States casting a veto. In a vote of 12 in favour to one against, with two abstentions, the Council did not adopt a draft resolution that would have recommended the General Assembly to hold a vote with the broader UN membership to allow Palestine to join as a full UN Member State. The draft resolution is among the shortest in the Council’s history: “The Security Council, having examined the application of the State of Palestine for admission to the United Nations (S/2011/592), recommends to the General Assembly that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations.” For a draft resolution to pass, the Council must have at least nine members in favour and none of its permanent members – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States – using their veto power. Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Palestine had submi...

 Customs adjust FX rate for import duties to N1,147/$     The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has again adjusted the foreign exchange (FX) rate for duties to N1,147.02 per dollar. This represents a 7.3 percent decrease compared to N1,238.1/$ displayed on April 18. The rate adopted by customs was observed on Friday.  It fell below the official foreign exchange rate, which closed at N1,154/$ on April 18 at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM). The drop in the FX rate for customs tariffs and duties is coming amid the Central Bank of Nigeria‘s (CBN) effort to stabilise the naira. On April 17, the naira appreciated to N1,050 at the parallel section of the FX market, from the N1,100/$ traded on April 15. Meanwhile, on April 16, President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the national single window (NSW) project to boost trade in Nigeria. NSW is an electronic portal linking all agencies and players in import and export processes to an integrated platform. Speaking on...

 Ex-Oyo gov, Olunloyo debunks death rumour, says I’m alive An elder statesman and former governor of old Oyo State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo, has broken his silence about the rumour of his death, saying he is alive. Olunloyo who spoke with Newsmen correspondent who visited his Molete residence in Ibadan, the state capital on Friday said he was hale and hearty. Earlier, the rumour of the death of the elder statesman was reported by some news platforms .  However, Olunloyo, while speaking said, “I’m still here, not yet gone.”. More photos below.