Author: David Great

Hamas on Thursday released eight Israeli hostages in Gaza under a last-minute extension of a truce deal, and Israel freed 30 Palestinian prisoners as negotiators sought to renew the pause in fighting again. Israel identified two women who were released first on Thursday as 21-year-old Mia Schem, among those seized at a dance party that Hamas militants attacked on October 7, and 40-year-old Amit Soussana. Photos released by the Israeli prime minister’s office showed Ms Schem, who also holds French nationality, embracing her mother and brother after they were reunited at Hatzerim military base in Israel. The Palestinian militant group…

The Ilorin Division of the Kwara State High Court sitting has sentenced a traditional ruler and two others to life imprisonment for conspiracy and kidnapping. The convicts are the Sarkin Fulani of Kwara, Usman Adamu, his brother, and Gidaddo Idris. They were tried and convicted of kidnapping Abubakar Ahmad in 2022, collecting N1 million as ransom before releasing him. Mr Ahmad was held hostage for 20 days. The director of public prosecution (DPP), Idowu Ayoola, Messrs Adamu and Idris for conspiracy to kidnap and kidnap. In her judgment, Justice Adenike Akinpelu held that evidence adduced by the prosecution proved that…

Senate majority leader Opeyemi Bamidele says the N9.9 trillion recurrent expenditure of the N27.5 trillion 2024 budget is too high, as it constitutes 43 percent of the budget. Mr. Bamidele said this at the opening of the debate on general principles of the budget at plenary in Abuja on Thursday. He said the total fiscal operations of President Bola Tinubu’s government would result in a N9.8 trillion deficit, representing 3.88 percent of the estimated GDP, saying that this was above the three percent threshold set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007. Mr Bamidele listed budget highlights as an oil price…

The officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in collaboration with security agencies, on Thursday, uncovered an alleged illegal oil refining warehouse in Mabushi, Abuja. The warehouse, located opposite the Mobile Filling Station along Ahmadu Bello Way, Mabushi, was thereafter demolished by the Department of Development Control, FCTA. The director of the department, Mukhtar Galadima, said that the refining warehouse was discovered during the ongoing city cleaning exercise. Mr Galadima said the warehouse, covering about three to four plots of land designated for commercial purposes, had been converted to illegal operations where oil like diesel and other petroleum products…

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, withdrew the money laundering charge preferred against Olasupo Shasore, SAN, following a directive by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. EFCC’s counsel, Bala Sanga, informed Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, upon resumed hearing, that his office notified him as prosecuting lawyer that there was a letter from the AGF requesting the anti-graft agency to withdraw the charge. Mr Sanga, who said the letter would be brought to court, prayed the court to stand down the matter to await…

An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday sentenced a 45-year-old native doctor, Michael Oyewole, to 12 months imprisonment for killing his neighbour’s cow. The convict, who resides at Araromi Alakaloko Olomore area in Abeokuta, Ogun State, pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy, theft and wilfully and unlawfully killing of a cow. However, Magistrate O.O. Odumosu held that the prosecution had proven his case beyond reasonable doubt that the convict was guilty of the offence. She sentenced Oyewole to 12 calendar months imprisonment with an option of a fine of N10,000 for the stealing and six months for willingly and unlawfully…

A 39-year-old man, Mahmud Danladi, was arraigned on Thursday in a Kaduna chief magistrates’ court for allegedly stealing a car worth N6.8 million. Mr Danladi, who resides at Gobarau Street, along Yakowa Way in Kaduna, is facing one count charge of stealing. The Prosecutor, Inspector. Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at Millennium City Kaduna, on Nov. 15. According to Mr Leo, on the same date at about 5:00p.m, the defendant dubiously made away with the complainant’s Rav 4 Toyota car valued at N6.8m from where it was parked. He stated that the defendant tried…

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have dropped by two spots in the latest FIFA ranking to place 42nd in the world. In the ranking table on the website of the world football governing body, on Thursday, the Super Eagles dropped 16.04 points to rank 1474.44 points as against 1490.48 in October. However, the Super Eagles’ drop did not affect the team’s placement on the continent as it still remained the 6th team on the continent behind Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt respectively. The drop in ranking came after the Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw in their…

Kwara State Commissioner for Social Development, Opeyemi Afolashade, said the ministry evacuated 88 mentally challenged persons and beggars from the streets of Ilorin. The commissioner told journalists on Thursday in Ilorin that the exercise was after the general evacuation carried out by the ministry within the state capital. She said the evacuation, held between November 24 and 30, was between Post Office/Taiwo-Isale, Tipper garage, Challenge/Unity road and Challenge/GRA axis. Mrs Afolashade said the evacuated persons were taken to one of the ministry’s rehabilitation homes for treatment, prosecution and possible repatriation. She, however, described begging and roaming on the streets by…

A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, told Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, how the inability of a defunct commercial bank (Diamond Bank) to disburse sums of money prompted the airlifting of N1.219billion cash to former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose for the governorship election in the state. Fayose is facing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside his firm, Spotless Investment Limited, following their alleged involvement in N6.9 billion money laundering. When prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, SAN, asked him to shed light on the…