Author: Vincent Osuwo

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday rejected a fresh application filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to be released on bail, pending the determination of the treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him. The court, in a verdict issued by trial Justice Binta Nyako, stated that it did not want to exercise its discretion in favour of the defendant, whom it claimed had jumped the bail it had previously granted him. Justice Nyako stated that after the defendant fled the country, those who bore surety for him…

Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been assigned by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to assume interim duties following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.  “In accordance with Article 131 of the constitution, Mokhber is in charge of leading the executive branch,” said Khamenei in a statement, adding that Mokhber will be required to work with the heads of legislative and judicial branches to prepare for presidential elections “within a maximum period of 50 days.”. Chronicle NG reports that Raisi was confirmed dead on Monday after his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the country.…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have agreed to attend the ”negotiation” meeting of the Tripartite Committee on the Minimum Wage slated for Tuesday. The Vice President of the TUC, Mr. Etim Okon, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja. Chronicle NG reports that the NLC and the TUC walked out of the negotiation meeting as the Federal Government proposed N48,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the country. “The proposal falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations,” the unions said. The…

Operatives of the Nigerian Army have shut down Banex Plaza, a shopping complex located in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja, following attacks on some soldiers over the weekend. This was confirmed by a trader at the nearby Emab Plaza, Mr. Somto, who confirmed this to our correspondent via phone call on Monday. “Yes, Banex is locked down. We are not affected by it, though. Some men of the Army are  here,” he said. Another shop owner, who talked to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, verified the development and stated that traders are still in talks with the…

The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority has written to Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority, alleging that Air Peace has allegedly broken some aviation safety laws.  The development happened just three months after the Nigerian carrier launched the Lagos-London route. Two necessary occurrence reports on Air Peace were purportedly sent to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. The UK CAA, in turn, referred the concerns to the NCAA. The CAA’s letter of complaint to the NCAA was titled ‘United Kingdom SAFA Ramp Inspection Report with reference number: CAA-UK, -2024-0217’ and ‘NATS Management System Safety Report.’ The NCAA has also contacted Air Peace…

South Africa’s Constitutional Court declared on Monday that former President Jacob Zuma is ineligible to be elected to the National Assembly in next week’s general election.  The Supreme Court dismissed Zuma’s appeal against an election commission finding that a previous contempt conviction barred him from becoming an MP. Zuma was forbidden from running for office by the electoral commission last month after being found in contempt of court. According to the BBC, the commission stated that the constitution prohibited people from holding public office if they had been convicted of a felony and sentenced to more than 12 months in…

President Bola Tinubu has expressed his condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash. Officials and state media announced Monday that they died on Sunday after a chopper carrying them crashed in the mountains near the Azerbaijan border due to poor weather. When Raisi went missing on Sunday afternoon, rescue personnel were already looking for her. On Monday morning, relief workers discovered the missing chopper and recognised the president’s and his passengers’ bodies, according to State TV.…

Prof. Usman Yusuf, a member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has taken Nigerians back into “multidimensional poverty.” Yusuf, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), stated this during an interview with Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. According to him, Tinubu’s policies have impoverished Nigerians and pushed millions of children out of school because of the inability of their parents to pay their fees. Yusuf mentioned that “the last year has been a year of nothing but deception, destitution, and hopelessness. “From next week, they will start telling us their propaganda.…

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, announced on Monday five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash. “I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” stated Khamenei in an official statement a day after the deaths of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province. Following the death of the president, Khamenei, who wields ultimate power and has the final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, has previously sought to reassure Iranians, stating there would be no disturbance to state…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested four members of a drug gang that runs a cocaine cartel from India to Lagos, together with a sports utility vehicle and two houses that had already been tied to them and were sealed for forfeiture to the federal government.  This happened as a couple, Kazeem Owoalade and Rashidat Owoalade, both cartel members, were declared wanted by the NDLEA in connection with the cocaine trade. This was made known by Femi Babafemi, the spokesman of the NDLEA, who said: “Two other members of the syndicate, Imran Olal,ekan, and Ishola Olalekan, were arrested…