Vreporters

Month: February 2024

  • Suspected Cultist Burnt Alive Over Alleged Murder of Final Year Student

    Suspected Cultist Burnt Alive Over Alleged Murder of Final Year Student

    A suspected cultist was burnt alive yesterday by a mob in Uyo, Akwa state capital for alleged involvement in Sunday morning killing of Daniel Okon, a final year Computer Science student of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO).

    The suspect who suffered the jungle justice along with three gang members who escaped the lynching were accused as masterminds of the door-to-door robbery on residents in the varsity town of Idak Okpo, Itam, in Itu Local Government Area (LGA) which left the final year student shot dead.

    Okon, said to hail from Oron LGA, was spending the weekend with his girlfriend in his 13, Ikpa Lane apartment when the hoodlums invaded the area early Sunday.

    His neighbor, Sifon Ekere, narrated, “When the hoodlums shouted on him (the deceased student) to open his door, he refused. I think it was because of his girlfriend who came that Saturday night to spend the night that made him refused to open.

    “The criminals broke into his apartment and shot him on the stomach. He struggled and fled into the thick night with the gunshots and collapsed at the back yard. The robbers took his phone as they left the scene.

    “The deceased’s landlord, Mr. Archibong Ebong’s apartment and others other tenants were also robbed. Whereabouts of the girlfriend of the deceased arrested by the Police, who responded to distressed calls about two hours late, is yet unknown.

    “The life of the final year student could have been saved, but for late arrival of the tricyclist who took the victim first to nearby UNIUYO clinic, where medics rejected him as eventually died of loss of much blood at the referral Anua General Hospital, Nwaniba, Uyothe.”

    However, new Commissioner of Police (CP), Akwa Ibom Command, Mr.Waheed Ayilara, has vowed to comb hideouts across the state to fish out all criminal elements and ensure peace in the state.

    CP Ayilara prevailed on “All criminals and collaborators in the state to pack your bags and relocate. It is not going to be business as usual. We shall take the battle to your hideouts and deny you freedom of action anywhere in the state.”

    Meanwhile, the state Director of of the Department of State Services DSS, Dr. Doyin Adetuberu, says the Command has raided several criminal flashpoints and arrested many suspects soon to face court trial.

    Adetuberu while hosting visiting new Executive Council of the Akwa Ibom State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Uyo, alleged the suspects were arrested for crimes including cultism, kidnapping, murder and armed robbery in various locations in the state.

    He recalled that since January when he took over the Command, several flashpoints in Uyo, the state capital and other crime prone areas outside the metropolis have been raided, leading to the arrest of the soon to be prosecuted suspects.

  • $6.2m: EX-SGF Accuses Emefiele-led CBN of Documents Forgery

    Former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said on Tuesday that $6.2m was released from the Central Bank of Nigeria in February 2023 using a forged document.

    Mustapha stated this when he appeared as the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing fraud trial of the immediate-past CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had alleged that on February 8, 2023, Emefiele connived with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to obtain $6.2m from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/.

    The anti-graft agency also alleged that Emefiele, in January 2023, forged a document titled: “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS,” dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.

    Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), on Tuesday, Mustapha noted that neither the documents came from the president nor his office.

    He also denied receiving any amount from the said money.

    Mustapha said, “All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents it was claimed that Buhari signed. From the face value of this document, having served for five years and seven months as SGF, this document did not emanate from the president for the following reasons.

    “A correspondence that has the seal of the Nigerian president does not carry a reference number. The seal is the authority.

    “Secondly, I have looked at it and read, that FEC decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.

    “Thirdly, I am the custodian of FEC, the president will not refer executives’ conclusions to me.

    “Also, in all the five years and seven months, I have never heard of the terms special appropriation provision referred to. The terms known to me, my lord, are appropriation as provided by the appropriation act normally passed by the national assembly and when the government file drafts it brings supplementary appropriation.

    “In all the correspondences I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard’. I am his subordinate, my correspondences do not carry that.
    And lastly, looking at the signature, it is a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature. I will leave that to the experts.”

  • President Tinubu Confers National Honors on Super Eagles (Video)

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has coffered national honours on all members of the Super Eagles squad that won the silver medal at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

    Mr President also granted a plot of land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and a flat to each of them for their feat at the just concluded competition.

  • IPPIS: ASUU Raises Fresh Alarm Over Mode of Salaries Payment

    IPPIS: ASUU Raises Fresh Alarm Over Mode of Salaries Payment

    Punch Newspaper

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has said the Federal Government is still using the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System to pay lecturers salaries.

    National President, ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview, complained that the FG had yet to implement its promise to remove tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System platform, adding that the February salary was paid through IPPIS.

    In December 2023, the FG announced that tertiary institutions including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education had been exempted from the platform.

    The IPPIS unveiled in 2006, is a government initiative aimed at streamlining payroll for government ministries, departments, and agencies.

    It was later extended to universities and colleges but was vehemently rejected by the workers who embarked on a protracted strike in 2020, and 2021,

    They complained of several irregularities associated with IPPIS.

    Osodeke added that none of the union’s demands had been fulfilled.


    In September 2023, the government announced an upward review of the salaries of tertiary institution workers by 35 per cent and backdated to January 2023.

    It also promised to pay four months’ salaries out of the seven and half months withheld salaries during the 2022 national strike.

    Some other demands of ASUU, including payment of Earned Academic Allowance, and the unprogressive renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement had at various times led to incessant strikes in the government-owned universities.

    He maintained that there had been no official communication from FG, adding that everything was at a standstill.

    Speaking on whether ASUU would embark on a strike to agitate their demands, Osodeke said, “Our member will decide, that is the reason we have been going on strike, even for salary review, yet, nothing has been done. Our February salary was paid with IPPIS, so nothing has been done or implemented. The government should do the needful and implement all the agreements they had with us.”

    Osodeke also said that ASUU would soon make known its decision through a press release.

  • Naira Reaches all-time Low at Official Market

    Naira Reaches all-time Low at Official Market

    The naira fell to a new all-time-low of N1,534/$ on the official Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market on Monday.

    This indicates a loss of 3.93 per cent fall or N58 from the N1,476.13/$ the national currency closed last week Friday, according to FMDQ Exchange, a platform that publishes official foreign exchange trading in the country.

    Monday’s official rate became the worst official exchange rate since the Central Bank of Nigeria floated the national currency in June 2023.

    However, at the parallel market on Monday, the naira traded between the rate of N1,480 and N1,490. It appears the local currency has been trading higher at the parallel market in recent times especially since the FMDQ reviewed the methodology it uses to calculate the official exchange rate.

    The change in the methodology for the calculation of the official exchange rate had led to the depreciation of the naira from over 900/dollar to over 1,400/dollar.

    Sometime in December, the naira closed above the N1000/$ on the official window. On December 8, the naira first fell to an all-time low of N1,099.05/$. On December 28, 2023, it closed at N1043.09/$, and N1035.12/$ on January 3, 2024. On January 9, 2024, it closed at N1089.51/$ and N1082.32/$ on January 10, 2024. It had also fallen to an all-time-low of N1348.63/$ on January 30, 2024, when the FMDQ reviewed its methodology for the calculation of the official exchange rate.


    Meanwhile, dollar sales by banks dropped by 56.58 per cent to $253.77 million on Friday from the peak of $584.53 million on Monday, the first trading day after the CBN ordered banks to sell excess dollars in the official FX market.

    Cumulatively, commercial banks sold a total of $1.97bn in one week.

    Currency traders in Abuja, also known as Bureau De Change operators, quoted the buying rate of the greenback at N1,480 and the selling price at N1,503, leaving a profit margin of N23.

    Mallam Yahu, a BDC operator in Wuse, said, “We currently buy between the rate of N1,480 and N1,490, and we sell at N1,500 and N1,503.”

    Another seller, simply identified as Yahaya Abdul, however said he could not buy beyond the rate of N1,460.

  • Super Eagles Head Coach Speaks On AFCON Finals With Ivory Coast

    Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has admitted the Elephants of Ivory Coast were the better side following the former’s loss in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    Sebastien Haller scored a dramatic late winner as hosts Ivory Coast fought back to beat Victor Osimhen’s Nigeria 2-1 in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final and complete the most remarkable of major tournament turnarounds by claiming their third continental title.

    But speaking after the match, Peseiro, who was leading Nigeria to its first final since 2013, admitted that the hosts were better on the night.

    “Ivory Coast were better than us today,” Peseiro admitted in a post-match interview. “I am sad, my team is sad, but for me they did the maximum, each one. Sometimes you want to do something but you cannot do it.”

    Sunday’s win was an incredible achievement for an Ivory Coast side that was on the brink of elimination in the group stage after losing 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea on January 22.

    That was their heaviest-ever home defeat and the Ivorians then parted company with coach Jean-Louis Gasset, replacing him with Fae, a teammate of Drogba’s in 2006.

    They then began a remarkable turnaround which saw them oust holders Senegal on penalties, beat Mali with a last-gasp goal in extra time, and edge out DR Congo with a Haller goal in the last four.

    Their supporters packed out the stadium to its 60,000 capacity, with many fans having to watch from vantage points on stairways.

    Anyone wanting to dampen the excitement levels might have pointed out that Cup of Nations finals tend to be low-scoring affairs.

    There were just 10 goals scored in the last 11 finals, five of which were decided on penalties after a 0-0 stalemate.

    Indeed, Ivory Coast’s four previous final appearances had all ended goalless before going to penalties, two of which they had won.

  • Super Eagles Player Named AFCON Best Player

    Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong was named the best player of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations following his commanding display for Nigeria at the tournament, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

    Ekong scored three goals at the tournament, including one in the final, which unfortunately wasn’t enough to guide Nigeria to a fourth AFCON title.

    The defender rose high in the 37th minute to head Nigeria in front from a corner kick, but the Eagles were undone by two second half goals from Frank Kessie and Sebastien Haller which won the Ivorians their third title after wins in 1992 and 2015.

    Ekong, 31, only missed a game during the tournament. His first goal at the tournament was a penalty which earned Nigeria a 1-0 win over the hosts in the group stages, while he also added another one from the spot against South Africa in the semi-finals, before scoring again during the shootout in that game.

    Meanwhile, South Africa goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, was named the best goalkeeper of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, ahead of Super Eagles keeper Stanley Nwabali.

    Williams, who kept five clean sheets and conceded three goals, beat the Nigerian keeper, who let in two goals in the final and three altogether in the tournament with four clean sheets as well.

    Despite being knocked out in the round of 16, no other player could upstage Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue for the highest goal scorer award, as the five goals he scored during the group stages were enough to hand him the title.

    The 34-year-old, who plays as a defender for Intercity in the third-tier of Spanish football, won the hearts of followers of the game following his goal-scoring form in Ivory Coast.

    His five goals came in just two games, scoring a hat-trick in their second group game against Guinea-Bissau, becoming the first player in 16 years to do that at the AFCON and the only hat-trick hero at this edition. He then scored twice in the shock 4-0 humiliation of hosts Ivory Coast as the Ecuatoguineans topped Group A.

  • Access Holdings Confirms Death of CEO, Wife, Son in U.S. Helicopter Crash

    Access Holdings has confirmed the death of its Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Herbert Wigwe.

    Wigwe died in a helicopter crash on Friday with his wife, son, and a former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.

    The bank in a statement on Sunday signed by the Company’s Group Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, confirmed the unfortunate incident.

    “It is with deep sadness that the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) announces the passing of Dr. Herbert Wigwe, CFR, the Company’s founding Group Chief Executive Officer and former Group Managing Director of its flagship subsidiary Access Bank Plc (‘the Bank’). Dr. Wigwe died alongside his wife and son on Friday, February 9, 2024 in a helicopter accident in the United States of America.”

    They are reported to have been en route to Boulder City, Nevada from from Palm Springs, California, on Friday night when the helicopter conveying them crashed at about 10 pm, near a small town in California’s Mojave Desert.

    A total of six people were in the helicopter that crashed near the California-Nevada border. No one survived the crash.

    What exactly led to the crash of the Airbus Helicopters EC-130 remains unclear.

    Full OPress Rel

    ACCESS HOLDINGS PLC ANNOUNCES THE PASSING OF ITS GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DR. HERBERT WIGWE, CFR

    It is with deep sadness that the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) announces the passing of Dr. Herbert Wigwe, CFR, the Company’s founding Group Chiief Executive Officer and former Group Managing Director of its flagship subsidiary Access Bank Plc (‘the Bank’). Dr. Wigwe died alongside his wife and son on Friday, February 9, 2024 in a helicopter accident in the United States of America.

    The entire Access Family mourns the loss of Herbert, Doreen and Chizi. We extend our deep and sincere sympathies to his family and loved ones. Dr. Wigwe was a key driving force and a larger-than-life personality who brought his remarkable passion, energy, and experience to the transformation of the Access franchise since joining the Bank in 2002. Commenting on the passage of Dr. Wigwe, Mr. Abubakar Jimoh, Chairman of Access Holdings said:

    “The Access Family has suffered a major loss with the passing of Dr. Wigwe who was a great friend and fine gentleman. He had a prodigious intellect, admirable personal qualities, and vast business experience which he brought to bear on the Access Family and for which we owe him a debt of gratitude.

    “In line with the Company’s policy, the Board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer even as we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr. Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence.”

  • Access Holdings Reacts To Reported Death of CEO, Herbert Wigwe

    Access Holdings Plc has on Saturday revealed that it lacks specific information regarding the crash of a helicopter, believed to be carrying, Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank Chief Executive Officer, CEO, his wife, son and three other passengers, in a Southern California desert.

    Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba, his son, and Ogunbanjo all died in a helicopter crash on Friday night close to a border city between Nevada when it was en route to Las Vegas.

    The U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday confirmed the helicopter crash in California near Las Vegas.

    But, in a statement released to Vanguard, Access Holdings confirmed receiving numerous inquiries regarding the crash of an airplane in the USA but insisted it lacked specific information on whether the company’s CEO was involved.

    “We have received numerous inquiries concerning an airplane crash in the USA”

    Access Holdings however noted it is collaborating with the US authorities on the incident, promising prompt updates on the situation.

    “Presently, we lack specific information; however, we are actively collaborating with US authorities who will furnish updates”
    “Your understanding and support are valued, and we commit to keeping you informed promptly as we receive updates on the situation,” the statement reads.

    Corporate Nigerians have continued to mourn the demise of Herbert Wigwe, describing his death as a great loss to the banking sector and Nigeria as well as the shareholders community.

  • Kwara Female Final Year Student Commits Suicide

    A female final year student at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Rashidat Shittu, has reportedly committed suicide over her poor academic status.

    Vanguard Correspondent reliably gathered from her colleagues that the deceased committed suicide ahead of their upcoming exams by drinking “sniper.”

    Shittu was said to have been pronounced dead on arrival at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH.

    Vanguard reliably gathered that she was earlier rushed to the school clinic before she was later referred to UITH.

    Vanguard Correspondent also gathered from a staff member who was part of the medical team that attended to her at UITH that she was brought in dead.

    “Her colleagues said she was having issues with her academic status in school. She later informed her colleagues that she started feeling pain after she drank the sniper.” a staff member at UITH who craved anonymity.

    A resident who also witnessed her Janazah at the Muslim cemetery in Osere, Ilorin, told our correspondent that the deceased has been buried at the facility by family members and staff of the Student Affairs unit of KWASU.

    In a text message, KWASU Director of University Relations, Mrs Saeedat Aliyu, said, “I haven’t been able to reach the officer in charge. I’ll revert as soon as I do. “