Category: News

  • Uromi Robbery Attack: Edo Police Confirms Recovery of N34.5 Million, Four Vehicles (Photos)

    The Edo State Police Command on Friday confirmed the recovery of N34.5 million and four of the vehicles used in the multiple bank robberies that took place in Uromi on Thursday.

    In a press release, Spokesperson of the Command, Bello Kontongs, stated that motorcycles, bags containing some items and one Union Bank ATM card were also recovered.

    The statement said, “Today 25/02/2022 at about 07:30, operatives of the Edo State Police Command in conjunction with local vigilantes accompanied by John Odijie, the Oniha of Ubiaja led by the DPO Ubiaja acting on credible information that some vehicles suspected to have been used by armed Robbers in Uromi Bank Robbery operations on Thursday were seen hidden in Oruen Quarters Bush of Ubiaja in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.

    “On receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ubiaja mobilised his men who during the bank robbery operations, blocked all the routes from in and out of Uromi town.

    Together with the team, they immediately went to the location and recovered the following vehicles and other items.

    “Recovered are a red Camry car with registration number EZA 105 KJA, an ash Camry Car with registration number KWL 19 DU, ash corolla car with registration number UBJ 734 SZ, a Lexus 330 car with registration number AAA 973 FL, and two motorcycles. Two small bags containing women items, one Union Bank ATM and N34,510,000.00 were also recovered.

    “Meanwhile the Edo State Commissioner, Philip Aliyu Ogbadu, while sympathising with the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident promised not to relent until all those behind the attack are brought to face the full wrath of the law.”

    Below is the video of the attacks on Thursday by Daredevil Armed Robbers.

  • NATO Deploys Response Force To Twart Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has decided to deploy the NATO Response Force to thwart Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced in a press conference on Friday

    “What we see now is a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine,” Mr Stoltenberg said in a press conference on Friday, warning that Russian forces are moving towards Kyiv.

    “We are deploying elements of the NATO Response Force…to further strengthen our posture and to respond quickly to any contingency,” he added.

    It is the first time that the NATO Response Force (NRF), made up of 40,000 troops, has been activated for collective defence. The personnel will be deployed to the eastern flank of the alliance, according to Mr Stoltenberg. 

    However, its troops will not go into Ukraine, which is not a member of the organisation. 

    United States President Joe Biden had clarified that U.S. troops had been deployed to eastern Europe to help strengthen NATO countries anxious about Russia’s hostile actions, and they will not be fighting in Ukraine.

    In a full statement on its website, NATO urged Russia to cease its military assault and withdraw all its forces from Ukraine. It described the invasion of Ukraine as “brutal and wholly unprovoked and unjustified.”

  • Russia Invasion: Manchester United Cancels Sponsorship Deal With Russian Airline

    Russia Invasion: Manchester United Cancels Sponsorship Deal With Russian Airline

    Manchester United on Friday ended its sponsorship deal with Russian airline Aeroflot amid Russia’s ongoing hostilities against Ukraine. 

    United said their decision was due to Russian invasion of Ukraine, while sympathising with those affected by the crisis. 

    “In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights. “We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected,” United said in a statement on their website on Friday. In 2013, United put pen to paper with Aeroflot as their official carrier. However, United used a charter airline Titan Airways for their Champions League last-16 away leg against Atletico Madrid earlier this week. 

    This comes as one of several sanctions targeted at Russia by Western countries for the invasion of Ukraine.

    Earlier on Friday, the Executive Committee of UEFA moved the final of the 2022 Champions League from St Petersburg to Paris. 

    Members of the British parliament are also proposing to ban Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich from ownership of his club Chelsea FC. 

  • Don’t Consider Joining NATO, Russia Warns Sweden, Finland

    Don’t Consider Joining NATO, Russia Warns Sweden, Finland

    Russia has said that it would have to respond if Sweden and Finland decides to join NATO.

    Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova held a press conference on Friday and reflected on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the intentions of Russia going forward.

    “Finland and Sweden should not base their security damaging the security of other countries,” Ms Zakharova said.

    “Clearly [the] accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO, which is first and foremost a military alliance, would have serious military-political repercussions that would demand a response from our country”

    Russia’s comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the country was receiving support from both nations.

    “Discussed with [Finnish President Sauli Niinistö] countering the aggressor. Informed about our defense, insidious shelling of Kyiv,” Mr Zelensky tweeted on Friday.

    “Grateful to [Finland] for allocating $50 million [in] aid. It’s an effective contribution to the anti-war coalition. We keep working. We need to increase sanctions and [Ukraine] defense support,” he added.

    Later, Mr Zelensky tweeted “Sweden provides military, technical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Grateful to [Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson] for her effective support. Building an anti-Putin coalition together.”

    Both Finland and Sweden had condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. 

  • Kano Governor’s Son, Abdulazeez Ganduje Threatens Legal Action Against Father Over Failure To Pay N82 Million For Executed Contract

    Daily Nigerian

    Abdulazeez Ganduje, the eldest son of the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has threatened legal action against the government of his father for failure to pay the sum of N82 million to his company, Global Firm Nigeria Limited, being final payment of a contract he executed.

    DAILY NIGERIAN exclusively gathered that on February 13, 2020, Mr Ganduje approved contract for “CONVERSION OF MARIRI REHABILITATION CENTER TO IDP GIRLS SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE” to his son’s company at the cost of N189,913,590.54.

    On May 7, 2021, the company was paid N94,556,795.27 through referral payment from the state Ministry of Local Government, representing 50 percent of the contract sum, leaving the balance of 50 percent.

    After a downward review the contract by the ministry to the tune of N177,619,259.36, another contract for the the supply of computers and furniture for the administrative block and entrepreneurship items at the cost of 12,294,331.23 was awarded to the company to cover the deficit.

    But to Abdulazeez’s dismay, his father refused to approve the final payment of N82,662,464.04, despite allegedly executing the project, writing to the ministries concerned and involvement of some associates of the governor.

    Insiders told DAILY NIGERIAN that the governor’s refusal to approve the payment might not be unconnected with Abdulazeez’s September 2021 petition to the EFCC against his mother, Hafsat Ganduje, in a bungled multi-million naira land deal he (Abdulaziz) facilitated.

    In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Education and seen by DAILY NIGERIAN, Abdulazeez’s solicitors demanded payment of N82,662,464.04 within seven days or take legal action.

    When contacted, the governor’s son confirmed his resolve to take legal action over the issue, but said his father refused to approve the payment over his (Abdulaziz) refusal to give kickback in cash to Ganduje Foundation.

    “I’m a very peaceful person. I did my best and explored all peaceful options to get the payment of my money, about N83 million, to no avail.

    “I have not been paid either because of the petition I wrote against Goggo (his mother) or my refusal to give part of the money to Ganduje Foundation as kickback.

    “I said I would not give cash, but donate materials to the foundation. But they insisted that I must donate money to the foundation and I swear to God that I will not.

    “This is the money that I worked hard for. I executed the project diligently at the Mariri IDP centre. I have been waiting patiently to receive this money but there is no sign of paying it to me,” Abdulazeez told DAILY NIGERIAN.

    The state commissioner for Information Mohammed Garba did not respond to DAILY NIGERIAN inquiry on the matter.

    Mr Ganduje was previously exposed in a kick-back collection scandal in October 2018 when DAILY NIGERIAN published a series of videos showing the governor collecting money from a government contractor.

    The executive secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Sadiq Radda, on Thursday said Mr Ganduje has several questions to answer regarding corruption cases against him.

    “You can see in Kano, Ganduje has many cases to answer while in office, he will answer more out of office and sadly for the first time in Nigeria a son is taking his mother to the EFCC,” Mr Radda said.

  • INEC Speaks On Newly Signed Electoral Amendment Bill

    INEC Speaks On Newly Signed Electoral Amendment Bill

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the 2022 Electoral Amendment Bill signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday will help ensure a free, fair and credible future elections.

    The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Festus Okoye, said its position would be officially made known after the INEC extraordinary meeting scheduled for Saturday.

    “Given the tight timelines contained in the new law, the commission fully appreciates the importance of proceeding with their implementation in earnest.

    “Consequently, an extraordinary meeting of the commission is scheduled for tomorrow (February 26). Thereafter, a statement will be issued on the way forward,” Mr Okoye said.

    He described the signing of the bill as historic, being the fourth time since the restoration of democracy in 1999 that it would be repealed and re-enacted.

    He added that the act contained many progressive provisions that would facilitate the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.

    “The nation now has the Electoral Act 2022 which replaces the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

    “Together with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the new act constitutes the principal law to govern the conduct of future elections, including the 2023 General Elections.”

    (NAN)

  • Russia ‘Considers’ Talk With Ukraine

    Russia ‘Considers’ Talk With Ukraine

    Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia is ready to send a delegation to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, for talks with Ukraine, Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti reported, which Ukraine said it is “considering.”

    “As you know, today the President of Ukraine [Volodymyr] Zelensky announced his readiness to discuss the neutral status of Ukraine,” Peskov said, according to RIA.

    “Initially, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the purpose of the operation was to help the LPR and the DPR [Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, separatist statelets in eastern Ukraine recently recognized by Russia as independent], including through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. And this, in fact, is an integral component of neutral status.”

    Putin has called for the “denazification” of Ukraine, language that has been roundly condemned internationally, especially considering that Zelensky is Jewish.

    Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych told CNN on Friday that the Ukrainian government is “considering the proposal” to hold talks with the Russian delegation in Minsk.

    In a separate video message issued soon afternoon on Friday, Zelensky called for direct talks with Putin.

    This comes with Ukraine under significant pressure, as Russian forces appear to be closing in on Kyiv. They have entered the Obolon district in the north of the city, just a few miles from its centre, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.

    Zelensky has not directly proposed neutral status but has signalled a willingness to discuss it while insisting his country be provided security guarantees.

    In a video message Thursday, Zelensky said, “Today we heard from Moscow what they want to talk. They want to talk about Ukraine’s neutral status. I asked all the partners of the state if they are with us. They are with us, but they are not ready to take us into an alliance with them.”

    “We are not afraid to talk with Russia, we are not afraid to talk about everything, about security guarantees for our country. We are not afraid to talk about neutral status,” Zelensky added.

  • Court Convicts Kidnap Kingpin, Evans, Two Others

    Ikeja High Court on Friday convicted notorious Kidnapper, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike aka Evans, alongside two others for conspiracy and kidnapping of a businessman, Donatus Duru.

    The other two convicts are are Uche Amadi and Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu.

    The three men were found guilty of a two-count charge by after diligence examination of the case by Justice Hakeem Oshodi .

    According to Justice Oshodi, the prosecution succeeded in proving the charge against the three convicts beyond reasonable doubt.

    He, however, discharged and acquitted one Ogechi Uchechukw and two former soldiers, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba, saying the evidence against them was not sufficient enough.

    Justice Oshodi is, however, yet to sentence the convicts as proceeds are still ongoing.
    Evans is facing similar charges before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo and Justice Adedayo Akintoye of the same court.

  • President Buhari Signs Electoral Act Amendment Bill Into Law

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday assented electoral act amendment bill into law.

    Buhari signed the bill  at the Council Chamber of the Aso Villa, Abuja on Friday afternoon.

    This come amidst much public criticism following Mr Buhari’s refusal to assent the bill into law at previous occasions coupled with the latest dillydally.

    The Senate had sent a reworked bill to the president on January 31 after he rejected the previous version passed by the National Assembly.

     In the last two weeks, civil society and opposition parties have accused Mr Buhari of withholding his assent to the bill. They alleged he was buying time to frustrate the emplacement of a veritable law to guide Nigeria’s future elections.

  • ‘If I Die, Na Marlian Music and Naira Marley Kill Me’, Distraught Mohbad Cries Out (Video)

    Nigerian music artist, Mohbad, has called out his boss, Naira Marley and other members of the record label over alleged threat to his life.

    Distraught Mohbad cried out in an Instagram live video saying : “I don’t know why this people have been hating on me, they have been doing bad bad things on me, I went mad because of this issue now they are trying to kill me.”

    “Everybody in the whole world please help me, if I die just know it was Marlian Music and Naira Marley that  killed me,” he said.

    Shortly after, another Instagram live video revealed that the artist was taken to a hospital at Chevron drive, Lagos where he was crying out saying, “please help me, I don’t want to die.”

    The reason for his outburst is yet to be confirmed, but it comes after the artist and his colleague, Zinolesky, were arrested by NDLEA officers for alleged possession of cannabis and and another psychotropic drug Molly on February 24.

    He was later released by the anti-narcotics agency.