Author: Chronicle Editor

Justice Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, threw out the application of Patrick Are, second defendant in the trial of former director-general of National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Emeka Mba, and four others for alleged N2.9billion fraud. In throwing out the application in a trial-within-trial, in which Are sought the rejection of the testimony of Abubakar Madaki, a prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the judge stated there was no reason why the testimony should not be admitted in evidence, since the applicant failed the test of burden of proof in…

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday adjourned the trial of former Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Winifred Oyo-Ita till December 3, 2020 on the propriety or otherwise of the order freezing, the accounts belonging to the fourth, fifth and sixth defendants, secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) in a different court. The freeze order obtained by EFCC from Justice Mojisola Giwa-Ogubanjo of a Federal High Court, Abuja became contentious issue following objections to it by Oyo-Ita’s team, which felt it constituted abuse of court process. A.C Ananukwa and Chitoo Veronica Nbanor,…

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja appreciated Nigerians and Organized Labour for restraint, understanding and patience as the country tackles myriad economic challenges, assuring that the Federal Government is working hard to ameliorate the situation. Speaking at a virtually held event at the State House to unveil National Gas Expansion Programme and National Auto-gas Roll-out Initiative, President Buhari said: “Let me now express my deep appreciation to Nigerians for their patience, and Organized Labour for its maturity and patriotism as we collectively navigate these global economic and other challenges.’’ The President urged Nigerians to embrace the use of gas as…

Senate President says people with nothing to add be shown the way out The Senate has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to as a matter of urgency, initiate a transitionary process of phasing out the current over-stayed security chiefs and replacing them with new ones with new ideas and solutions. The call on the President was made on Tuesday during plenary amidst the upper chamber’s resolutions, sequel to the consideration of a motion, “Beheading of 67 Farmers in Borno by Boko Haram Insurgents: Need for Urgent Decisive Action.” The motion was sponsored by Senator Kashim Shettima (APC – Borno Central). The…

The Gombe Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday November 30, 2020 arraigned the immediate past Director General of the Bauchi Geographic Information Service (BAGIS), Baba Abubakar Suleiman and one Yusuf Abubakar before Justice A.M. Sambo of State High Court 3, Bauchi, on a Seven count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretence. Sulaiman and his accomplice allegedly abused their office and illegally took possession of a plot of land allocated to one Kamal Ibrahim Sabo. Sabo had sometime in 2018, applied and secured allocation of a plot of land from the…

Our hearts go to families, loved ones of those killed Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo says the Buhari administration will not relent but will do all it takes, including putting news ideas on the table in order to secure the country. Prof. Osinbajo was on a one-day official visit to Nasarawa State today and was accosted by reporters on his arrival in Lafia after he was received by Governor Abdullahi A. Sule. Below is the verbatim report of the Vice President’s response to the media: As the President said, these group of people have acted insanely in such a dastardly manner,…

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) on Tuesday condemned the apparent surreptitious blocking of three websites associated with #EndSARS protests in Nigeria, describing the action as a brazen and unjustifiable violation of the right to freedom of expression of the operators of the websites and other Nigerians who get information from the platforms. The websites, www.feministcoalition2020.com, www.endsars.com, and www.radioisiaq.com, became inaccessible from Nigeria over the past few days but have remained accessible from other countries, a clear indication that they are being blocked only in Nigeria. In a statement in Lagos, MRA contended that the blocking of the websites was illegal and a clear violation…

A mother in Sweden has been arrested on suspicion of locking her son inside their apartment for close to 30 years, leaving him undernourished and with almost no teeth, police and media reports said Tuesday. “The mother is suspected of illegal deprivation of liberty and causing bodily harm,” Stockholm police spokesman Ola Osterling told AFP. He said the man had been “locked up for a very long time” in the apartment in the southern Stockholm suburb of Haninge, but would not comment on reports in dailies Expressen and Aftonbladet that he had been held for almost 30 years. Maradona’s Doctor Under…

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Yakubu who was confirmed during plenary in Abuja was reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari for another five-year term in office. The Nomination of Professor Mahmood Yakubu is CONFIRMED as Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission {@inecnigeria} — The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) December 1, 2020 President Buhari had written the Senate on 21 October, 2020, according to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan. The letter which was read on plenary reads: “In accordance with the provision of Section 154(1) of…

Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced one Dr. Bassey Goddy Usen to 14 years imprisonment without an option of fine. Usen, a medical doctor and managing director, Ceephass Diagnostic Clinic/Surgery was prosecuted by the Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), on a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N5 million. One of the charges read, “That you, Bassey Goddy Usen, the Managing Director of Ceephass Diagnostic Clinic/Surgery on or about the 18th April, 2017 in Uyo, within the jurisdiction of this honourable…