Author: Chronicle Editor

In a bid to forestall their arrest and detention over alleged civil matters, a Lagos business woman Modupe Elabanjo, alongside two other people Akinola Oloruntoba and Makinde Jimoh have dragged, the Assistant Inspector General of Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Ikoyi, Alagbon, Lagos before a Lagos high court. Though the police claimed that the suit is a ploy to frustrate investigation into alleged, conspiracy, forgery, perjury, obtaining money by false pretence, contained in a petition written against the applicants by a Lagos lawyer, Barrister Kola Shodiya. Joined as co-defendants are police officer Adeoye Bolaji, Deputy Commissioner of Police FCID,…

A Federal High Court in Lagos Monday discharged Abdullahi Babalele, son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, of a two-count charge of laundering $140,000. Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke threw out the charge file by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the ground of wrong venue. He held that the charge against the defendant ought not to have beeen filed in Lagos when the alleged offence was said to have been committed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Justice Aneke relied on the Supreme Court’s decision in a case between the EFCC and Mohammed Dele Belgore on territorial jurisdiction. Babalele…

Adjourns plenary till 26th January, 2021 The National Assembly on Monday passed the 2021 budget raising the Appropriation Bill presented by President Muhammadu Buhari from N13.082 trillion to N13.588 trillion. The increase of N505 billion from the proposed figures presented by the executive would be considered by President Buhari before assenting to it. It would be recalled that President Buhari had submitted a N13.082 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on October 8th, 2020. The passage of the budget in the Senate was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Committee on Appropriations on the…

The Senate on Monday approved the sum of N453.2 billion as annual budget to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the 2020 fiscal year. This was just as the upper chamber approved a recommendation by the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta for an extension of the budget implementation timeline to 31st March, 2021. The approval followed consideration of a report by the Committee on Niger Delta. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP – Delta North), in his presentation, said out of the total sum approved, N27,389,000,000 is for Personnel Costs; N13,937,244,107 for Overhead…

The chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Epe branch, Barrister Ademola Abiodun Koko, alongside his wife Dr (Mrs) Tolulope Olubowale Koko and two children Mr Adeleke Joshua Koko, Miss Temiloluwa Elizabeth Koko have slammed €15,000 suit on British Airways over an alleged breach of contract. In a statement of claim filed before a Federal high court in Lagos by Barrister Abiodun Koko, for himself and other plaintiffs, he averred that they were travelling to United States to celebrate the 50th birthday of his wife sometimes in May 2019. The plaintiffs noted that in pursuance of their intention to travel, they…

By Garba Shehu The safe return of all 344 boys kidnapped from the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina State would be celebrated in any decent part of the world where empathy overrides cheap politics. And for a good cause. The outpouring of sighs, cries of relief and joy over the return of the boys reverberated beyond their immediate families. As the news spread far and wide, the global community is cheering the boys’ reunion with their families. This moment is a watershed for Nigeria. It holds out hope that Nigerian citizens can feel safe wherever they are. It…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the Federal Government to halt all flights to and from the United Kingdom as a second wave of the pandemic strengthened. The 2019 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate on Sunday explained that Nigeria took a harder-than-necessary hit during the first wave of coronavirus because the Federal Government failed to act quickly. In a series of tweets, he explained that Nigeria’s health sector is not sufficiently prepared to handle the second wave. Atiku urged the Nigerian government to take necessary precautions due to the volume of air traffic between Nigeria and UK airports. Atiku’s…

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State on Sunday shared N100million to 704 small and medium entrepreneurs as part of ongoing measures to boost businesses, stimulate the local economy and fight poverty. The distribution took place on Damboa road where 304 persons in small businesses received N50,000 each and at Kulo Gumna at which 400 more also benefited N50,000 each. A total of N35.2 million was handed to entrepreneurs in Sunday’s exercise. N75 million was earlier distributed to Kolanut sellers, N20 million to traders around Dandal and another N24 million to traders operating around customs roundabout in Maiduguri. Each of the…

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has dismissed four senior police officers and demoted two others for alleged misconduct and acts unbecoming of public officers. The commission’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, announced this yesterday in a statement in Abuja. The statement said the commission would also reprimand four officers for various offences. Ani said the decision was reached on Friday at the 10th plenary meeting of the commission, presided over by its Chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, a former Inspector General of Police (IGP). According to Ani, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) was dismissed for discreditable…

The rapid spread of a new variant of coronavirus has been blamed for the introduction of strict tier four mixing rules for millions of people, harsher restrictions on mixing at Christmas in England, Scotland and Wales, and other countries placing the UK on a travel ban. So how has it gone from being non-existent to the most common form of the virus in parts of England in a matter of months? The government’s advisers on new infections have “moderate” confidence that it is more able to transmit than other variants. All the work is at an early stage, contains huge…