Author: Chronicle Editor

Nigeria will blocks flights from countries that do not allow Nigerian flights to land due to coronavirus restrictions, Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said on Thursday. “The principle of reciprocity will be applied,” Sirika told reporters. “If you ban us from coming to your country, the same will apply the other way.” A spokesman for the minister said Sirika was referring to landing rights for aircraft, and not the nationals of the countries. The director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority said that authorities were still drafting the list, but added that the European Union was among those barring Nigerians.…

Nigeria’s gross revenues rose to 676.41 billion naira in July from 653.35 billion naira in June due to higher crude oil sales and tax receipts, accountant general Ahmed Idris said. The price of oil, Nigeria’s main export, fell sharply early this year as the coronavirus outbreak hit demand, cutting government revenues, weakening the naira and creating a large financing gap for the country. The global oil benchmark Brent has since recovered from a 21-year low below $16 in April. OPEC member Nigeria relies on crude oil sales for two-thirds of government revenue. The government said oil revenues with sales tax…

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has been arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. Mr Bannon and three others defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the “We Build the Wall” campaign, which raised $25m (£19m), the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said. Mr Bannon received more than $1m, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses, it alleged. In court, he entered a not guilty plea. Mr Bannon, who has been released on bail, was a key architect of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory.…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 476 confirmed new coronavirus cases in the country on Thursday. The 476 cases announced by the Centre for Disease Control takes the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 50,964. The NCDC also announced the discharge of 476 patients from isolation centers across the country with seven new deaths reported. Lagos state, the epicentre of the virus in Nigeria reported 235 new confirmed cases taking the total number of confirmed cases in Lagos alone to 17327. Nigeria passes 50,000 coronavirus cases Federal Capital Territory reported 44 new cases, Kaduna recorded 41…

Governors commend FG’s support to States’ COVID-19 response capacity The Federal Government has approved the sum of N13.3 billion for the take-off of Community Policing initiative in Nigeria as part of measures to consolidate efforts aimed at containing the security situation in the country. Accordingly, the National Economic Council (NEC) at its virtual meeting on Thursday (the 6th in 2020), chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with state governors, FCT Minister, CBN Governor and some federal cabinet officials in attendance, resolved that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, with two other governors, meet with the Secretary to the Government…

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has reacted to the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA’s decision to withdraw its invitation to him to attend the 2020 Annual General Conference following protests by some lawyers. The NBA confirmed the withdrawal of the invitation extended to El-Rufai in a tweet on Thursday. “The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association at its ongoing meeting resolves that the invitation to the Kaduna State Governor, H.E. Nasir El-Rufai, by the 2020 Annual General Conference Planning committee be withdrawn and decision communicated to the Governor.” Malam Nasir @elrufai accepted the invitation of the NBA to…

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state won’t be speaking again at the annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Executive Committee of the body has declared. The NBA withdrew the invitation following vociferous protests by some lawyers, citing his alleged violation of human rights and failure to stop the Southern Kaduna killings. The NBA announced the withdrawal in a tweet on Thursday via its official Twitter account. It said: “The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association at its ongoing meeting resolves that the invitation to the Kaduna State Governor, H.E. Nasir El-Rufai, by the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt zonal office on Thursday secured the conviction of two Lebanese, Chamseddine Waell Mohammed and Dina Jihad Khali who both pleaded guilty to separate one count charge of money laundering. The offences run contrary to Section 2 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 2 (5) of the same Act. Both defendants were sentenced to two years imprisonment by Justice I.  M. Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The first charge read: “That you Chamseddine Waell Mohammed on the 1st…

Operatives of the Port Harcourt zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have arrested four students of the University of Port Harcourt for their alleged involvement in internet fraud. The quartet, who allegedly defrauded 15 victims of $111,500( One Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Five Hundred United States Dollars) are: Prince Hyacinth; Rex Emadifie Oghene, Odili Ifeayi and Uduak Samuel Williams. They were picked up on Thursday, August 20, 2020 from their hideout at Chibiak Avenue, Elenpranwo, Ada George, Port Harcourt. Upon their arrest, the following items were recovered: one Tecno Spark 4 belonging to Prince Hyacinth; one…

The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) rejects out rightly the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 that was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari recently. CAN said by  implications, the President has repealed the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 (1). “The law, to say the least is unacceptable, ungodly, reprehensible and an ill-wind that blows no one any good. It is a time bomb waiting to explode,” CAN said. CAN noted that, “We recall that during the first term of the President, there was a public hearing conducted by the National Assembly on the Non- Governmental…