Author: David Great

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Abdulhamid Isah on Wednesday before the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court over an alleged $63,590 fraud. Mr. Isah is facing a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences and stealing and retaining proceeds of criminal conduct. The defendant, arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu, pleaded not guilty to all the counts. The EFCC prosecutor, Nwandu Ukoha, told the court that the defendant had, sometime in October 2022, obtained $63,590 through false pretences. Mr. Ukoha said the defendant also stole the amount belonging to one Chinedu Ugokwe. He informed the…

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has been included to Forbes’ list of the 100 Most Powerful Women. The prominent Nigerian economist is ranked 87th in Forbes’ 20th annual list, beating South African entrepreneur Mpumi Madisa, who is ranked 88th. Tanzanian President Samia Hassan debuts on the list at 93rd, with Nigerian media magnate and philanthropist Mo Abudu at 98th. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission for Impactful Policy and Budget, tops the list, followed by Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in third place. Osimhen…

A Tehran court has ordered the United States government to pay nearly $50 billion in damages for assassinating a top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, nearly four years ago, the judiciary said on Wednesday. Then-US president Donald Trump ordered a drone strike near Baghdad airport that killed Soleimani, 62, and his Iraqi lieutenant Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on January 3, 2020. Days later, Iran retaliated by firing missiles at bases in Iraq housing American and other coalition troops. No US personnel were killed but Washington said dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries. The judiciary’s Mizan Online news agency said that a Tehran court had…

The death toll from the unintentional bombing of Tudun Biri in Kaduna State’s Igabi Local Government Area has risen to 120, according to Amnesty International experts who visited the affected areas. This comes as survivors of the Kaduna village bombing on Sunday night claim the Nigerian Army blasted them twice. Chronicle NG reported on Monday an air strike intended to flush out terrorists had on Sunday night accidentally hit civilians during a Maulud Nabiy celebration at Tudun Biri community in Kaduna State. Amnesty International’s Country Director, Isah Sanusi, claimed the organization’s workers were on the ground in the impacted towns…

The arraignment of a businessman, Chief Cletus Ibeto, before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja for an alleged N4.8 billion fraud was, again, stalled on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, due to his absence in court. Ibeto along with Ibeto Energy Development Company and Odoh Holdings Ltd, were to be arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on 10-count charges bordering on allegations of obtaining by false pretences, fraudulent conversion of property, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and deception to the tune of N4.8bn. Count one reads: “That Chief Cletus Ibeto, Ibeto Energy…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his side are going to win a record fourth straight Premier League title this season. City have slipped to third, three points off leaders Arsenal, after draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham. Guardiola’s side have conceded eight goals in those games and thrown away leads in each, but are still favourites with the bookmakers for the title. “My feeling today is we’re going to win the Premier League,” said Guardiola. “If we play at the levels that we showed against Liverpool and Tottenham, we’re going to win it again. “People don’t believe it already…

The Supreme Court has fined prominent lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) N40 million for filing what the it describes as a frivolous and vexatious motion. Ozekhome who serves as counsel for former House of Reps deputy speaker Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, had filed the motion  concerning the 2019 Imo State governorship election. The Supreme Court dismissed Iheodioha’s application seeking to remove Hope Uzodimma from office as Imo State governor. Reading the lead judgment on Tuesday, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, held that the application lacked merit, and was frivolous and vexatious. Justice Abubakar said the court lacked jurisdiction to…

By Owei Lakemfa The guns boomed on Saturday, November 1, 2023. Not in the forests where terrorists, bandits or ‘unknown gunmen’ operate. They boomed right in the heart of Abuja, and, of all places, at the annual convention of the National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS. What was at stake was the presidency of NANS. Not surprisingly, three factional presidents have announced their emergence. One of them, Lucky Emonefe, stands out like a sore thumb. First, he is aged between 42 and 48 years old in association with an average age of 22. So, he is old enough to be…

President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, the Kremlin announced, as Moscow courts allies abroad despite being isolated over the Ukraine conflict. Putin has limited his international travel since deploying troops to Ukraine, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an international arrest warrant for Putin on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. “President Putin will go on a working visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia tomorrow,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday. He said the Russian leader would discuss bilateral relations, the conflict between Israel and Hamas,…

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook the Philippine capital Manila on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, sending people rushing out of buildings and briefly halting train services in the city. The strong earthquake struck off the country’s main island of Luzon at 4:23 pm (0823 GMT) at a depth of 77 kilometres (48 miles), about 94 kilometres southwest of Manila, the USGS said. Videos shared on social media showed commuters sitting squashed together on a train platform and people in the Senate exiting the building after the tremor stopped. Patrolman Mark Dacayanan said his police station on Lubang island, less…