Author: Chronicle Editor

The Nigeria Police has recovered more than N111 million from electoral officials alleged to have been bribed by Rivers state government to rig the December 10, 2016 legislative rerun elections in the state. A panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police which presented its report in Abuja on Tuesday said the money was recovered from 23 suspects allegedly bribed to rig the polls. The chairman of the panel, DCP Damian Okoro disclosed that, ”the sum total of N111.3 million was recovered from 23 electoral officials out of N360m. He said that some got N15 million each while three senior…

The destructive Boko Haram insurgency group is currently plagued by financial difficulties, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, has said. Feltman stated this while briefing the Security Council on the UN Secretary-General’s Fourth Report on the threat the group poses to international peace and security efforts to “check and roll it back” on Tuesday The UN envoy also noted that Boko Haram was under intense military pressure, but warned against undermining its capacity to launch fatal attacks. “ISIL-affiliate Boko Haram is attempting to spread its influence and commit terrorist acts beyond Nigeria. “And Boko Haram remains a serious…

Vice President Mike Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote to confirm the deeply controversial nomination of billionaire heiress Betsy DeVos as the next secretary of education. The confirmation means President Donald Trump will now have five of his 15 cabinet members in place more then two weeks into his administration, along with the CIA director and US ambassador to the United Nations, which are cabinet-rank positions. The chamber deadlocked at 50-50, with two Republicans breaking ranks to oppose DeVos, a champion of using taxpayer monies to help fund privately run schools. “The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes…

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed that it had received the letter from President Muhammadu Buhari extending his vacation in the UK. Senate spokesperson, Sen. Aliyu Sabi gave the confirmation on Tuesday while briefing members of the Senate Press Corps. Sabi said that but for the suspension of plenary for budget consideration at committees’ level, the Senate would have read the letter from President Buhari. Sabi said that the Senate usually reads all correspondences after resumption of plenary but only felt it was necessary to confirm that the letter from Mr President had been received. “As you are aware the senate…

Justice Maikaita Bako of the Katsina State High Court today February 7, 2017 adjourned for ruling on an application brought before him by the former governor of Katsina State Ibrahim Shehu Shema and three others challenging jurisdiction of the court and competency of the N11billion criminal charge of abuse of office brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The application was brought before the court at the last adjourned date through their counsel, Joseph Daudu SAN. However, the prosecution brought a counter affidavit through its counsel J.S Okutepa SAN and the case was adjourned to today…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday February 7, 2017 arraigned a lawyer, Nze Chidi Duru, before Justice Peter Affen of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 4-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust to the tune of N16.2million. Duru, a former vice chairman of First Guarantee Pension Limited, was said to have been entrusted with the said sum being part payment of thirty percent equity shares of First Guarantee Pension Limited sold to Novare Holdings Proprietary Limited. According to the petitioner, the accused diverted the money to pay for land…

India will overtake the United States as the world’s second-largest economy by 2050 according to a newly published report. Experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) claimed emerging economies such as India, China, Brazil and Russia will boom at the expense of the advanced G7 nations such as the United States, Britain, France and Germany. The report, ‘The long view: how will the global economic order change by 2050?’, compares 32 countries by ranking their GDP and Purchasing Power Parity, which assesses the standard of living in each country and what people can buy on an average wage. Experts claimed the world’s economy…

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday received the Certificate of Admission of the State as one of the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) in the world pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, saying that it was a starting point and a positive partnership that would help the State address the challenges of urban planning, transport gridlock, environment and modern infrastructure. Governor Ambode, who spoke at the presentation of the certificate held at the Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, said the development was not only historic in the annals of the State but a confirmation that the efforts to build a globally…

Nigeria’s acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has lauded the Nigeria Police Force for its handling of protests which took place nationwide on 6 February 2017, stating that ‘recession will soon be history’. In a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday 7 February, he said Ministers were going across the country to interface with citizens in different states. “I commend the Inspector General and his officers for handling the protests with professionalism and respect for the rights of citizens. “We are committed to a continuous engagement with our people to explain government policies, receive advice and criticism. “Cabinet Ministers…

Nigerian troops on Tuesday saved the life of a young woman strapped with explosives and killed another suicide bomber, apparently primed by Boko Haram Islamic extremists to attack the northeastern city of Maiduguri, police said. Soldiers on guard duty spotted the two moving toward a large gas station and ordered them to halt, according to police spokesman Victor Isuku. When they continued to advance, soldiers shot and killed one of the women, AP reports. The second then surrendered. Both women were wearing jackets laden with explosives but the soldiers were able to disarm them, Isuku said. Witnesses told police the…