Author: David Great

A Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed January 25 for ruling on Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s application, seeking an order setting aside the Nov. 4 interim forfeiture order on 40 landed properties linked to him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date on Thursday after Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, who appeared for Ekweremadu, and the EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, argued their case for and against the application. Justice Ekwo had on Nov. 4, granted the anti-graft agency’s ex-parte motion, seeking an interim order of forfeiture of some property of Ekweremadu, who was former…

Nigeria expects oil production to rise to 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) by the first quarter of next year, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said on Thursday. Oil production hit 1.185 million (bpd) in November, figures from the country’s petroleum regulator showed, after output fell to less than 1 million in August, the lowest in years due to increased crude oil theft and vandalism of pipelines, forcing some companies to curtail or stop production. Nigeria lost N16.25trn to crude oil theft in 11 years – NEITI Oil production stood at 1.014 million barrels in October.

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has supported the National Assembly’s resolve to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend the implementation of its cash withdrawal limit policy. The group’s spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja. Suleiman said that “CNG unequivocally backed the National Assembly’s resolve to compel the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to suspend the policy.” The House of Representatives had on last Thursday, asked the CBN to suspend the policy. The Senate also on Wednesday issued a fresh order to the CBN over the cash withdrawal limit policy,…

Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, remanded Ali Bello, a nephew to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, and one Dauda Sulaiman in prison pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions. They were remanded upon arraignment by EFCC alongside one Abdulsalami Hudu, Cashier of Kogi State House Administration (now at large) on a 10-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering Bello and Sulaiman are accused of fraudulently withdrawing a sum of N10, 270,556,800 (Ten Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand Eight Hundred Naira), from the Kogi State treasury, which they…

A passenger train from Kaduna to Abuja has crushed a middle-aged woman to death on the rail track around the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory. The incident occurred at about 10 am on Thursday after the victim’s car was rammed into by the incoming train. An eyewitness said that the incident occurred about five minutes to the Kubwa Train Station, while the woman who was driving in her private vehicle attempted to cross the rail line as the train was approaching on high speed. The remains of the victim have been evacuated by security personnel while the damaged…

Tesla boss Elon Musk disclosed another $3.6 billion in stock sales on Wednesday, taking his total near $40 billion this year and frustrating investors as the company’s shares wallow at two-year lows. A US securities filing showed he unloaded 22 million shares in the world’s most valuable carmaker over three days from Monday to Wednesday. The sale is the second big chunk of stock he has cashed out since his $44 billion purchase of Twitter in October. It isn’t clear if the sales are related to the Twitter acquisition, but they are annoying investors who are upset by a perception…

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers state has set aside a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the primaries that produced all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Rivers state in next year’s general elections. A faction of the APC loyal to a former governorship aspirant in the party, Magnus Abe had challenged their exclusion from the party congresses in the State. The plaintiffs: George Orlu, Henry Wali & 3 Ors approached the high court asking it to nullify the delegate congresses viz-a-viz all the primaries of the APC including State Houses of Assembly elections, House of…

Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, Ademola Seriki, is dead at the age of 62, his children and family sources have confirmed. Seriki died on Thursday, December 15, 2022, in Madrid, Spain, his children said in a letter on Thursday. “It is with heavy hearts and profound gratitude to Almighty Allah that we announce the loss of our much loved and admired patriarch, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, His Excellency, Ambassador Ademola Rasaq Atanda Seriki (CON) on December 15th, 2022. “He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in Madrid, Spain,” the letter said. Born on November 30, 1959, as…

Russia on Wednesday said no “Christmas ceasefire” was on the cards after nearly 10 months of devastating war in Ukraine, even as the release of dozens more prisoners including an American showed that some contacts between the two sides remain. Russia and Ukraine are not currently engaged in talks to end the fighting, which is raging in the east and south and reached Kyiv again on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions more displaced and cities reduced to rubble since Russia invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24. “There is no calm on the front line,” Ukrainian…

France were pushed all the way by World Cup wild cards Morocco before the holders sealed a place in Sunday’s final against Argentina. The first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final refused to buckle despite suffering the early blows of losing key defender Nayef Aguerd to injury after he was named in the starting line-up, and then going behind to Theo Hernandez’s scrambled fifth minute goal. France, for all Morocco’s endeavour and spirit, were more clinical and substitute Kolo Muani ensured they will defend their crown against Argentina and Lionel Messi at Lusail Stadium on Sunday when he…