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  • Audit report indicts six FCT area councils of over N100b financial infractions

    Audit report indicts six FCT area councils of over N100b financial infractions

    • Reps panel issues summons

    A report by the Auditor-General for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils, submitted to the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee, has indicted the six Area Councils of Abaji, Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali over various financial infractions running into over N100 billion.

    The audit report for the year ended 31 December 2021, submitted to the Committee, revealed widespread cases of unremitted tax and VAT deductions, failure to update Fixed Asset Registers, and expenditures yet to be properly accounted for across the councils.

    According to the report, the six Area Councils recorded outstanding liabilities amounting to N7.6 billion as of 31 December 2021.

    The liabilities comprised unremitted pension deductions, unremitted Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE), unpaid capital project obligations, unremitted Value Added Tax (VAT), and withholding taxes due to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), FCT Inland Revenue Service, Pension Fund Administrators, and contractors.

    A breakdown of the unremitted liabilities showed that Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) had outstanding obligations of N2.19 billion, followed by Bwari Area Council with N1.49 billion and Kwali Area Council with N1.46 billion.

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    The report added that Gwagwalada Area Council recorded N1.01 billion, Kuje Area Council N892.2 million, while Abaji Area Council accounted for N593.8 million, bringing the total to N7.65 billion.

    The Auditor-General also faulted the councils for failure to properly maintain and update their Fixed Asset Registers.

    The report cited Gwagwalada Area Council, where non-current assets valued at N336 million were not adequately maintained or updated, creating room for asset losses without trace.

    The report noted that this weakness was common across the other Area Councils.

    Furthermore, the audit raised concerns over expenditure totalling N24.8 billion incurred by the six councils in 2021 on personnel, overheads and capital projects. Despite an 89 per cent increase in total expenditure amounting to N11.7 billion when compared to 2020, the councils have not accounted for how 37 per cent of the expenditure purportedly allocated to capital projects was utilised.

    A breakdown of the expenditure showed that Abuja Municipal Area Council spent  N5.03 billion, Gwagwalada Area Council N4.66 billion, Kuje Area Council N3.85 billion, Kwali Area Council N3.84 billion, Bwari Area Council N3.74 billion and Abaji Area Council N3.71 billion, bringing the total expenditure to N24.87 billion.

    Audit findings for the year 2022 and part of 2023 also identify multiple infractions of financial regulations such as understatement of actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), unauthorised assets disposal, non-disclosure of statutory revenue and non-remittance of withholding tax to appropriate authorities.

    Reacting to the report, Chairman of the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, confirmed that the audit report had been formally received by the Committee.

    He disclosed that three separate letters had been issued to the chairmen of the six Area Councils and their respective Finance Directors, summoning them to appear before the Committee to respond to the audit queries.

    Rep. Salam warned that the summoned chairmen and their Finance Directors had been given a final opportunity to appear on Wednesday 11th February, 2026, adding that failure to honour the invitation would compel the House to invoke its constitutional powers to order their arrest and ensure compliance.

    Salam added that the Area Councils were also indicted for failure to audit and submit their financial accounts for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, contrary to statutory requirements.

    He stressed that public funds must be managed with transparency and prudence, warning that any official found culpable would be held responsible in accordance with the law.

  • 2,000 doctors shut out of housemanship yearly, MDCN tells Senate

    2,000 doctors shut out of housemanship yearly, MDCN tells Senate

    About 2,000 newly qualified medical doctors in Nigeria are unable to secure housemanship placements every year due to limited capacity in the existing centralised system, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has told the Senate.

    The Registrar of the Council, Dr. Fatimah Kyari, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while defending the MDCN’s 2026 budget before the Senate Committee on Health.

    Kyari explained that although about 6,000 medical doctors graduate annually from accredited medical schools across the country, the current Centralised Housemanship System can only absorb 4,000, leaving a shortfall of 2,000 every year.

    “A total of about 6,000 medical doctors are produced annually from the various medical schools, while the Centralised Housemanship System in operation has capacity for 4,000 medical doctors,” she said.

    “As a way of accommodating the 6,000 at once yearly, there is a need to include state and privately owned hospitals in the Centralised Housemanship System,” Kyari added.

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    She stressed that expanding the scheme to cover state and private hospitals would not only ensure placement for all graduates but also help address the worsening brain drain in the health sector.

    According to her, the inability of young doctors to secure timely housemanship positions often pushes many to seek opportunities outside the country.

    Kyari also lamented poor funding of the council, revealing that no capital funds were released to MDCN from the N1.2 billion appropriated for capital projects in the 2025 fiscal year.

    She said that of the N100 million approved for overhead costs, only N37.5 million was released.

    However, she noted that the council received N13.859 billion out of the N16.8 billion earmarked for personnel costs in the same fiscal year.

    In his response, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Banigo (Rivers West), assured the registrar that the committee would work to ensure adequate funding for the council to enable it carry out its statutory responsibilities effectively.

  • Nigeria, Niger agree on terms to eradicate regional insurgency

    Nigeria, Niger agree on terms to eradicate regional insurgency

    The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, yesterday, expressed the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to strengthening regional trade facilitation, safeguarding transit cargo, and enhancing cross-border security cooperation with neighbouring countries, particularly the Republic of Niger.

     Adeniyi made this disclosure yesterday, during a high-level bilateral meeting between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Niger Republic Customs Administration, led by its Director-General, Muhammadu Yaqouba, at the Customs House, Maitama, Abuja.

    The bilateral engagement is aimed at improving cooperation on the movement of transit goods destined for Niger through Nigeria, enhancing information sharing, addressing security challenges along shared borders, reducing delays along key transit corridors, and ensuring that legitimate trade contributes optimally to economic growth in both countries.

    Speaking at the meeting, the Comptroller -General congratulated the Director-General of Niger Republic Customs on his appointment, noting that both administrations share a long history of professional collaboration built through years of engagement at World Customs Organisation (WCO) platforms and bilateral initiatives on modern customs administration.

    According to him, “Cooperation between the two Customs services is shaped not only by shared borders but also by international obligations, particularly Nigeria’s responsibilities under Articles 124 to 132 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantee landlocked countries access to the sea.”

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    CGC Adeniyi acknowledged the operational challenges faced by landlocked nations, explaining that dependence on neighbouring countries’ ports and infrastructure often increases transaction costs and affects competitiveness.

    “The Nigeria Customs Service has, over the years, remained committed to facilitating trade for our landlocked neighbours, including the Republic of Niger. This commitment will be sustained, irrespective of political differences, because trade, security and regional stability are interconnected,” Adeniyi said.

    Addressing concerns around transit bottlenecks, the Comptroller-General disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved the provision of safe corridors and safe passage to ease the movement of loaded trucks awaiting clearance.

    He assured that cargoes transiting through Nigeria, particularly those from Apapa Ports and Nigerian airports destined for neighbouring countries, would continue to be processed and moved within 48 hours, without compromising national security or economic interests.

    Adeniyi further revealed that strict measures have been put in place to prevent diversion of transit cargo, warning that economic operators who violate transit regulations would face stiff sanctions.

    “Non-compliance by a few operators creates non-tariff barriers and undermines trust. We are determined to ensure compliance, streamline documentation, and remove avoidable bottlenecks along major corridors such as Illela–Sokoto–Kamba–Niger Republic, as well as routes linking Apapa ports and airports to neighbouring countries,” he stated.

    He described the engagement as the beginning of a renewed phase of cooperation, stressing that sustained follow-up actions would help redefine operational modalities, reduce costs, increase trade volumes and make the corridor more attractive to transport operators.

    Earlier, the Director-General of the Niger Republic Customs Administration, Muhammadu Yaqouba, described the visit as a working engagement between two professional Customs administrations bound by shared responsibilities.

    He thanked the Nigeria Customs Service for the warm reception accorded to him and his delegation, noting that the hospitality reflected the longstanding fraternity between both countries and their Customs institutions.

    According to him, the visit was necessitated by two major challenges, including the prolonged blockage of trucks transiting from the Republic of Benin to Niger Republic, as well as prevailing security concerns across the region.

    “We face common security challenges, particularly terrorism and banditry, and we believe that engagements like this provide an opportunity to find lasting solutions through cooperation and coordination,” Yaqouba said.

    He disclosed that Niger Republic has intensified efforts since 2024 to tackle terrorism, including the launch of Operation Saran Kasa, a coordinated initiative involving all national security agencies, which has recorded notable success.

    As part of the operation, he said scanners have been deployed to inspect all goods entering Niger Republic, stressing that Customs administrations have a critical role to play in combating terrorism, arms trafficking and cross-border criminality.

    The Director-General recalled previous bilateral meetings, including the last engagement held in April 2023, expressing confidence that both administrations would continue to work together to meet shared obligations and deliver tangible outcomes for their countries.

    Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Major-General Garba Laka, congratulated the Director-General of Niger Republic Customs on his appointment and extended condolences to the Government and people of Niger over the recent terrorist attack near Niamey Airport.

    He described the incident as painful, condemning the attack and sympathising with the families of soldiers who lost their lives, while reaffirming the shared resolve of Nigeria and Niger to prevent a recurrence.

    Major-General Laka stressed that Nigeria and Niger share more than borders, describing the two countries as one people with deep historical, cultural and familial ties, particularly in border communities where families live and trade across both countries.

    “Insecurity in any part of the Sahel affects all of us. Arms trafficking, drug smuggling and the concealment of ammunition in cargo vehicles remain major threats that require coordinated and sustained action,” he said.

    He disclosed that the Government of Nigeria places high priority on Niger-related matters, including trade, energy supply and security, noting that requests from Niger, particularly on petroleum products and gas, receive prompt attention at the highest level.

    The Major-General advocated the revival of bilateral security frameworks such as cross-border right-of-pursuit arrangements, stressing that such mechanisms are essential for effectively combating terrorism and organised crime.

    He called for joint Nigeria–Niger operations and sustained inter-agency collaboration, expressing confidence that the outcomes of the meeting would be translated into concrete actions.

  • 60-year-old jailed two years for stealing power bank, chin-chin

    60-year-old jailed two years for stealing power bank, chin-chin

    A 60-year-old woman, Mrs Sade Akindeji, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for burglary and stealing in Ondo town, Ondo State.

    Mrs Akindeji was convicted by the Oke Eda Division of the Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure after she was found guilty of a two-count charge brought against her by the Ondo State Amotekun Corps.

    The prosecutor, D.S. Monster-Shagba had told the court that the offences were committed on June 29, 2025, at about 10 am at Road 2, Ope-Oluwa Street, Ondo.

    He said the defendant broke into the residence of one Stella Akinmolayan by removing the padlock and stole a black sewing machine head, a power bank valued at N220,000 and a bowl of chin-chin.

    The prosecutor added that the convict later handed over the stolen items to another woman who sold them to one Mrs Alonge, where the sewing machine and power bank were eventually recovered.

    Monster-Shagba said the offences contravened Sections 383 and 390(6) of the Criminal Law of Ondo State, 2006.

    Three witnesses, including the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), testified for the prosecution, while the defendant testified in her own defence.

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    Akindeji admitted entering the complainant’s house and taking the sewing machine but claimed she intended to return it.

    In his judgment, Magistrate Damilola Sekoni held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, relying on the testimonies of witnesses and the defendant’s admission.

    “The defendant admitted breaking into the complainant’s house and removing the items. No relationship existed between the defendant and the complainant that could justify her possession of the items,” the magistrate said.

    He described her defence as contradictory, noting that it was illogical to claim to have borrowed an item that was later sold.

    The court sentenced her to two years’ imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine on the first count and two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on the second count.

    It added that the sentences are to run concurrently.

  • Blood, tears as suspected herdsmen overrun Benue market

    Blood, tears as suspected herdsmen overrun Benue market

    Tuesday’s bloody attack on a market in Abande community, Mbaikyor Ward, Turan, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, which resulted in the killing of no fewer than 17 people, burning of houses and destruction of property worth more than N500 million, did not come as a surprise to many members of the community.

    Lawrence Akerigba, a member of the community told The Nation that security reports to that effect were passed to all the security agencies in Kwande Local Government Area.

    Akerigba said: “We got information that suspected heavily armed herdsmen were camped in Kashimbila, Taraba State, preparing to launch an attack on Abande on market day.”

    “We shared the information on our community Whatsapp group and immediately informed the police office in Abande.”

    He said in the whole of Abande, there were only three policemen while the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) killed by the suspected herdsmen was the officer in charge.

    “There are now only two policemen remaining, policing a community of over one million people,” he added.

    According to Akerigba, the suspected armed men stormed Abande on market day while buying and selling was going on at about 3 pm.

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    “They stormed the Abande Market and shot at traders indiscriminately.

    “There was chaos. People were gunned down—children, women, everyone in sight. It was like a horror film.”

    He said in the melee that ensued, people ran in different directions, and some sustained injuries.

    “The invaders broke into stores in the market and brazenly carted away a lot of foodstuffs and forcibly collected cash from traders.”

    “They looted shops and collected cash from poor traders, because it was on market day.

    “They collected more than N100 million, because there is no bank in the area.”

    On the casualty figures, Akerigba said 17 persons were confirmed dead following the violent attack.

    By 11:55 pm local time, some of the victims’ bodies were conveyed to Jato Aka by personnel of the Mobile Police Force stationed in the area.

    He said: “Among the deceased were Iornunbe  Agba, Chia Kile, Terseer Shenge, Mker Ugbe, Emmanuel Agba, Ortswen Gbinde and  a Mobile Police officer (the unit commander), who was on duty at the time of the incident. So many others are missing.”

    The Nation investigation revealed that Abande is a settlement close to Anwase, also in Kwande Local Government area, where more than 28 people were brutally murdered on Christmas Day in 2024.

    The Nation also gathered that since the beginning of the year, people were being attacked by suspected bandits on a daily basis.

    The Nation findings revealed that the attacks might not be unconnected with solid mineral deposits in the area, which shares international border with Southern Cameron.

    Lawrence Akerigba lamented that neither the Benue State Government nor the Federal Government was doing enough to protect the community.

    “Bandits are being protected as they roam free with AK 47, destroying our sources of livelihood.

    “Our farms, economic trees and houses have been destroyed. Our children and wives are raped.

    “We are on international border with Cameroon, yet no state or federal government presence in our area.”

    The Cameroonian government has constructed a road to Jonwater, the last village bordering Nigeria, with security agents stationed there.

    Lawrence Akerigba calls on the Federal Government to do what Cameron has done for its people so that the lives of Kwande people would safe.

    The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has dispatched a Deputy Commissioner of Police with additional tactical squad to reinforce and secure Kwande communities.

    The Nation learnt some of the wounded were in the hospital receiving treatments while others had moved into the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps.

    Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has also directed security agencies to moved into rural communities and protect lives and property.

  • Two clerics arrested for allegedly torturing minors with heated cutlass

    Two clerics arrested for allegedly torturing minors with heated cutlass

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ondo State has apprehended two Islamic clerics for allegedly assaulting two minors in Owo, Owo Local Government Area of the state.

    The suspects, identified as Adebodun Muideen (30) of Al-Balaagul-Mubeen Arabic and Islamic Centre, and Oladejo Musiliu (35) of Abdullah Arabic and Islamic Centre, were arrested following a report of child abuse.

    Confirming the arrest of the two suspects in a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC in the state, Daniel Aidamenbor, said the arrests were made on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, after a complaint was lodged by a child rights advocacy organisation, Kids and Teens Resource Centre.

    Aidamenbor revealed that the report was initiated after a class teacher observed multiple injuries on the bodies of the children.

    He noted that preliminary investigations revealed that the victims, whose parents reside in Osun State, had been placed in the care of the clerics to study the Qur’an and other Islamic practices while also attending conventional schools.

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    Aidamenbor added that one of the boys allegedly brought home a mobile phone he could not properly account for, leading to the implication of the second child.

    He noted that the suspects reportedly subjected the minors to severe punishments, resulting in serious injuries.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed that the children, whose parents are in Osun State, gave the children to the Alfas to learn the Quran and other Islamic practices while still attending conventional schools.

    “One of the victims brought home a Vivo Android phone, which he could not explain how he got it convincingly. During their findings, the other boy was implicated in the act.

    “In reprimanding them, a heated cutlass was used on their back and buttocks thereby inflicting deep wounds on them.

    “The act is a total violation of the Child Rights Act and the Ondo State Child Protection Law,” Aidamenbor added.

    He further explained that the clerics, who have since made confessional statements, would be formally charged and prosecuted for offences bordering on assault and child abuse.

    Meanwhile, the State Commandant, Oluyemi Joshua Ibiloye, has warned religious institutions, parents and guardians against violent forms of discipline, stressing that any act of abuse against children constitutes a criminal offence under Nigerian law.

    He, however, lauded the executive director of Kids and Teens Resource Centre for promptly reporting the case and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of child abuse to security agencies.

  • Police bust syndicate behind nude photo blackmail in Lagos

    Police bust syndicate behind nude photo blackmail in Lagos

    The Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos has apprehended three suspects over an alleged cyber blackmail and extortion scheme involving threats to release nude photographs of a victim unless ransom was paid.

    The unit’s spokesperson, DSP Ovie Ewhubare, confirmed this in a statement yesterday.

    He said the suspects, two males and a female, were apprehended after a petition was filed by a complainant, who reported being repeatedly threatened by unknown individuals demanding money.

    “The complainant received several phone calls in which the callers threatened to release her nude photographs to the public if she failed to pay them.

    “Acting out of fear and emotional distress, she transferred money to the suspects.

    “The situation escalated when the suspects demanded an additional N10 million, prompting her to formally petition the police,” he said

    Ewhubare said that upon receipt of the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Mr Kayode Ojapinwa, ordered the immediate deployment of operatives to investigate the matter.

    “The investigation led to the arrest of the three suspects.

    “Investigations revealed that one of the suspects gained unlawful access to the complainant’s mobile device and fraudulently transferred her nude photographs to his own device.

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    “Further findings indicated that he conspired with the other suspects and other accomplices currently at large to demand and receive money from the complainant in several tranches,” he said.

    According to him, the suspects are currently in police custody and are expected to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

    The image maker said investigations were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and to recover all proceeds of the alleged crime.

    The spokesperson said CP Ojapinwa reaffirmed the PSFU’s commitment to tackling cybercrime and urged the public to protect their personal data.

    “Ojapinwa reiterates the Unit’s commitment to combating cyber-enabled crimes and protecting citizens from exploitation.

    “He also advised the public to safeguard their personal data, exercise caution when using digital devices, and promptly report any form of harassment or cybercrime to the police,” Ewhubare said.

  • Appeal Court upholds N2.5b judgment against ABU over unlawful sack of 110 staff

    Appeal Court upholds N2.5b judgment against ABU over unlawful sack of 110 staff

    • Threatens sanction if CBN fails to promptly release funds

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the N2.5 billion judgment given on November 30, 2015 by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) against the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria over its unlawful disengagement of 110 staff in 1996.

    The appellate court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to promptly release the judgment sum to the staff, whose unlawful disengagement was voided in the November 30, 2015 judgment of the NICN, failing which its (the bank’s) principal officers shall be subjected to the court’s disciplinary powers.

    A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal made the pronouncements in two unanimous judgments delivered yesterday by Justice Okon Abang, who wrote the lead judgments in both appeals.

    The first judgment was on the appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/476/2023 filed against the November 30, 2015 judgment by the ABU, the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

    The second judgment was on the appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1064/2022 filed by the CBN against the garnishee order absolute made by the NICN on January 27, 2022 ordering the apex bank to pay the N2.5b judgment sum to the disengaged staff, led by Joseph Ekundayo, from ABU’s funds in the bank’s custody.

    In his lead judgment in the appeal by the ABU, the FME and the AGF, Justice Abang agreed with the arguments by the lawyer to the disengaged staff, Adegbiyega Kolade, and resolved the three issues identified for determination against the appellants.

    Justice Abang held that the appeal filed by the appellants in 2023 against a judgment delivered in 2015 was an afterthought and that as against their contention, the trial court did not deny them the right to fair hearing.

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    He said: “Having resolved the three issues formulated by the appellants against them, this appeal is devoid of merit. It is accordingly dismissed.”

    Justice Abang proceeded to award N5million cost against the appellants and in favour of the 110 disengaged staff.

    The NICN had, in the November 30, 2015 judgment, voided the disengagement of the 110 staff by the ABU, ordered it to reinstate them and pay them all their salary and other entitlements calculated to be over N2.5 billion.

    In its second judgment yesterday, the Court of Appeal frowned at the role the CBN played in the bid by the original judgment debtors – the ABU, the FME and the AGF – to frustrate efforts by the disengaged staff to execute the judgment.

    Justice Abang resolved the two issues, identified for the determination of the appeal, against the CBN.

    He faulted the CBN’s argument that the NICN lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the garnishee proceeding and make the garnishee order absolute.

    Justice Abang held that the NICN has the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the garnishee proceeding because it was a consequential or incidental proceeding to give effect to the November 30, 2015 judgment, given in the substantive suit that was over an employment dispute.

    He noted that the judgment creditors (the disengaged staff) had no single claim against the CBN in the garnishee proceeding to have warranted its argument that the Federal High Court was the proper venue for the hearing of the garnishee proceeding.

    Justice Abang wondered why the CBN chose to waste public funds in engaging a lawyer to file the appeal when it has the funds to pay the judgment sum after the trial court made the garnishee order nisi absolute.

    He said: “The CBN ought to have released that money to the judgment creditors when the judgment was not set aside or stayed. Why is CBN holding the brief for the judgment debtors?

    “The conduct of the CBN in this case is reckless and condemnable to the extreme. There is no reason for the CBN to have filed this appeal. Its conduct is oppressive.

    “It is not the duty of the garnishee to play the role of an advocate for the judgment debtors by shielding them from the effect of the judgment,” he said.

    Justice Abang also criticised CBN’s lawyer, Senator Ita Enang, for accepting the brief when he ought to have advised his client to comply with the order for it to release the judgment sum to the judgment creditors.

    He added: “Counsel ought to have advised the appellant on the futility of filing this appeal or withdraw his services if his client insisted on proceeding with the appeal.

    “Since 2018 when the order nisi was made, the CBN has held on to the money and has been trading with it at the expense of the judgment creditors. This is man’s inhumanity to man.”

    Justice Abang said it was wrong for the CBN to support efforts by the original judgment debtors – ABU, the FME and the AGF – to prevent the judgment creditors from reaping the fruit of their labour and subject them to inhuman treatment.

    He also faulted CBN’s argument that being a public officer, the judgment creditors ought to have first sought and obtained the consent of the AGF before commencing the garnishee proceeding against it.

    Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of the CBN versus Interstella Communications Limited, Justice Abang held that if the AGF is a party to the original suit, the prior consent of the AGF is not required before a garnishee proceeding could be commenced to enforce the judgment in that suit.

    He dismissed the appeal and ordered the CBN to release the judgment sum to the judgment creditors without delay.

    Justice Abang added that the failure by the CBN to release the money without delay shall attract disciplinary action against principal officers of the apex bank.

    He proceeded to award a cost of N5 million against the CBN and in favour of the disengaged staff of the ABU.

    Other members of the court’s panel – Justices Adebukola Banjoko and Eberechi Wike – agreed with the lead judgments in both appeals.

  • Tinubu plays Father of the Day at Matawalle’s children’s wedding

    Tinubu plays Father of the Day at Matawalle’s children’s wedding

    • Ceremony at National Mosque draws top dignitaries, foreign leader
    • Imam urges Muslims to prepare spiritually for Ramadan

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday played the role of the Father of the Day at the wedding fatiha of 10 children of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, held at the National Mosque, Abuja.

    The brief but well-attended ceremony attracted a distinguished gathering of high-ranking dignitaries, including serving and former governors, members of the National Assembly and heads of key government agencies.

    Also in attendance was the President of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, President Carlos Vila Nova, lending support in a show of diplomatic goodwill and personal solidarity.

    The event began with Jumat prayers, after which the presiding Imam of the National Mosque, Prof. Zakariyya Lukman, delivered a sermon centred on spiritual and physical preparation ahead of the Ramadan fast.

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    In his supplication, Prof. Zakariyah said: “We pray to Almighty Allah to give our President, who is representing all, the father of all the brides and the grooms, good health.

    “We also ask Allah to grant our President long life, prosperity and success during his presidency. We pray that his tenure will bring hope to the hopeless.”

    He urged worshippers to embrace repentance, seek forgiveness and align their conduct with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the holy month approaches.

    Proceedings later shifted to the solemnisation of the wedding fatiha involving five grooms and five brides, marking the union of ten of the minister’s children.

    The Minister married five of his sons and five of his daughters out to their pairs.

    The sons and their new brides are: Abdulahi Bello Matawalle and Fatima Sumaila Mera; Fahad Bello Matawalle and Maimuna Buhari Bello Maikusa; Bello Bello Matawalle and Huseina Maiwada Gwamna; Surajo Bello Matawalle and Yasmin Saheed.

    The daughters and their grooms are Safiya Bello Matawalle and Yahuza Shehu Danfulani; Fareeda Bello Matawalle and Ibrahim Sahibi Salim; Nana Firdausi Bello Matawalle and Hon Nasiru Muazu; Aisha Bello Matawalle and Ibrahim Muktar.

    President Tinubu received the brides on behalf of the Matawalle family, symbolically welcoming them into the household.

    Special prayers were offered for the continued success of President Tinubu’s administration, as well as for peace, stability and prosperity across Nigeria.

  • Ondo landlady allegedly poisons tenant’s three-year-old son

    Ondo landlady allegedly poisons tenant’s three-year-old son

    A landlady identified as Nafisat Leteef has been arrested for allegedly poisoning his tenant’s three-year-old son in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Mrs Lateef, 40, was nabbed following complaints by the mother of the child, Rofiyat Musibau, 32, to operatives of the Odigbo Police Division on Tuesday.

    According to a statement released to journalists in Akure yesterday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the suspect, who is the complainant’s landlady, allegedly gave the toddler, identified as Abdulrasheed, a liquid substance.

    Abayomi explained that the substance suspected to be poisonous, was given to the boy as a result of a misunderstanding between the two women, who both lived at Omifon in Odigbo Local Government Area.

    He disclosed that the investigation into the case revealed that the child started vomiting shortly after consuming the substance and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he received medical treatment.

    “The act was reportedly carried out following a misunderstanding between the complainant and the suspect, who is the complainant’s landlady.

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    “Shortly after consuming the substance, the child began vomiting and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he received medical attention.

    “Police detectives, during a swift and intelligence-led operation, arrested the suspect. In the course of investigation, the detectives also recovered the liquid substance,” he said.

    Abayomi added that the suspect is now in police custody and has allegedly made useful statements, stressing that further investigation was ongoing on the case.

    “The case will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation,” he said.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Adebowale Lawal, called on the residents of the state to avoid escalating landlord-tenant disputes, noting that such disagreements often lead to poor co-existence and, in some cases, criminal acts.