Author: Vincent Osuwo

Aviation workers across Nigeria plan to organise a nationwide protest on August 21, 2024, in response to the Federal Government’s continuing withdrawal of 50% of key aviation agencies’ internally produced revenue. The unions made the news in a letter headed “Save Aviation From Collapse” and distributed to journalists on Thursday, August 14, 2024. The affected agencies are the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau. The letter stated, “All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT, and NSIB, joined by…

The Kano State Police Command has detained two suspects in connection with the theft of the Bachirawa Police Station sign in the state’s Ungogo Local Government Area.  SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, a spokeswoman for the state police command, announced this on Facebook on Wednesday, adding that the suspects were apprehended with the assistance of nearby neighbours. His message written in Hausa, translated to English, read, “The person who stole Bachirawa Police Station (sign post) and the person who collected it are working hand-in-hand. Residents of the neighbourhood have brought up a new sign post. “We are grateful to the people of…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cried out against the huge power bills paid by universities in the country, estimated at N275bn annually, following the recent increase in electricity tariffs. Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the National President of ASUU, has advocated for per-unit billing after the university’s power cost increased by 300 percent, reaching N21.480 billion monthly. In April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced a 300 percent increase in the electricity tariff paid by Band A users, from N68/KWh to N225/KWh. Band A includes universities, which provide clients with at least 20 hours of electricity per…

The Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, are currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged mismanagement of the N90bn 2024 Hajj subsidy. In a document sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday, the anti-graft agency said, “A total of SR314,098 was recovered,” from the NAHCON chairman and other ranking officials. The EFCC stated that its investigation revealed that from the N90bn Hajj subsidy, Arabi fraudulently overpaid himself and others the necessary operational cost. The 2024 Hajj operations costs for the Chairman/CEO,…

The Finnish government has informed Nigeria that the judicial proceedings against Simon Ekpa, a controversial member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, will be completed shortly. Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave this promise at a news event in Abuja on Tuesday. Ekpa, who lives in Finland, leads the IPOB faction known as Autopilot, which has been advocating for the establishment of an independent state of Biafra, which would include Nigeria’s South East and parts of the South-South regions. He is also accused of playing a significant role in inciting violence in Nigeria, particularly through the implementation…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has refuted claims that the Commission donated N50 billion to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, from its recovery account. Several publication outfits reported that the EFCC donated the huge sum to the NELFUND. However, in a statement signed by Dele Oyewale, Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, on Wednesday, the Commission mentioned that “the said fund was not a donation by the Commission but part of the recovered proceeds of crime remitted to the government.” The Commission added that it is outside its jurisdiction “to determine where the government commits recovered…

Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has withdrawn the Counter Subversion Bill and other related draft legislation due to overwhelming public outcry.  Musa Krishi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, revealed the decision in a press statement on Wednesday, citing lengthy consultations with numerous stakeholders and a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s current situation. The Counter Subversion Bill, which was introduced on July 23, 2024, has aroused public debate and raised worries about its potential influence on civil rights. The statement read, “In response to the voices and concerns of the people, the Speaker…

Controversial Nigerian journalist and blogger Kemi Olunloyo has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a monumental failure. In a statement on X on Wednesday, Kemi alleged that Tinubu “has completely destroyed Nigeria.” Speaking as a “dissatisfied citizen,” Kemi urged the President to step down before the expiration of his tenure in office. “Everything about Tinubu’s government is going wrong; that’s why I’m asking him to step down,” she said. “Even Joe Biden stepped down. You heard his address why he stepped down. For the sake of America. To protect America, but Tinubu is not protecting Nigeria. He wants the power,…

A Libyan driver was caught on Tuesday in the Bishr region of Libya for attempting to smuggle six undocumented female migrants from Nigeria. The arrest took place during a normal police patrol, which intercepted the vehicle and detained the driver. According to Migrant Rescue Watch, a migrant-monitoring NGO, the driver claimed that the women were family members in order to avoid imprisonment. Rescued teenage girls trafficked to Ghana arrive Nigeria However, officials detected the ploy and arrested both the driver and the women. The suspects implicated have been transported to the Bishr Police Department in the country for additional legal…

Fisayo Soyombo, the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), on Wednesday submitted himself to the police at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCC) in Abuja after being declared wanted. The journalist arrived at the centre at 9:00 a.m., escorted by his lawyer. Fisayo, who was in high spirits, stated in a statement on X on Wednesday that if no one hears from him, it means he has been imprisoned by Nigerian police. Fisayo is an investigative journalist known for investigative reports and undercover and has exposed systemic, societal injustice, rot, and corruption in the public sector,…