News

Emefiele Gets Leave To Serve DSS DG Bail Order

Justice Nicholas Oweibo has granted the suspended Central Bank governor CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele leave to serve the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi the order of court admitting him to bail and directing his remand in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

Justice Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Lagos granted the order Tuesday after an ex-parte application moved by Emefiele’s counsel, Mrs. Ogonnaya Sonuga.

The court on July 25, 2023, granted Emefiele N20 million bail and directed the Correctional Ikoyi Centreto remand him after he was arraigned of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by the Department of State Services.

Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the charge, and the DSS re-arrested him shortly in the court’s premises.

Emefiele, In his July 28 ex-parte application, asked for an order granting leave to him to serve the office and person of the Director General Department of State Services Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi with the Ruling/Order of Court obtained on the 25 day of July, 2023 “admitting the defendant/Applicant to bail and directing his remand in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service by substituted means to wit: by publishing same in Three (3) National Daily Newspapers circulating within the jurisdiction of the court and which said service will be deemed as good and proper service on the Prosecutor/Complainant herein”- Daily Trust Newspaper. – Punch Newspaper. -Thisday Newspaper.

“And for such orders and further orders as this Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case”.

Justice Oweibo, accordingly, granted the prayers.

In a 15-paragraph Affidavit in Support of the application deposed to by Adeogun Ayodele Samuel from the law firm of Victor Opara, SAN, he said the court had on July 25 ordered that he be remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Service pending the perfection of his bail.

The deponent stated that despite the order granting bail to him the DSS re-arrested and whisked him away from the premises of the court.

“That by the actions exhibited by the Department of State Services on the 25th of July 2023 it will be practically impossible to serve the DSS personally.”

News

Bauchi SSG resigns, Gov Mohammed announces replacement

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Bauchi State, Mr Ibrahim Kashim has resigned with immediate effect.

The State Governor, Bala Mohammed has accepted the resignation and announced Mr Aminu Gamawa as his replacement.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Mukhtar Gidado, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity in Bauchi on Friday.

Until replacing Kashim as SSG, it was gathered that Gamawa was the Chief of Staff, Government House. He was directed by the Governor to take over as SSG with immediate effect in an acting capacity.

“Governor Bala Mohammed has accepted the resignation of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Ibrahim Kashim with immediate effect .

“The Chief of Staff, Government House, Bauchi, Mr Aminu Gamawa, has been directed to take over from him in an acting capacity.

“Governor Mohammed, on behalf of the government and the people of Bauchi State, thanked him for the services he rendered to the State and wished him well in his future endeavors,” the statement reads

News

U.S. returnee arrested at Lagos airport for duping 139 Australians

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a suspected online fraudster known as Osang Otukpa for allegedly duping 139 Australians to the tune of eight million Australian dollars.

Otukpa was arrested by EFCC operatives in a stakeout at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, after arriving from the United States of America on December 6.

“Otukpa goes by five aliases, namely: Ford Thompson, Oscar Donald Tyler, Michael Haye, Jose Vitto and Kristin Davidson.

“He scammed his victims by luring them on social media to invest in his rogue cryptocurrency investment platform, Liquid Asset Group (LAG).

“The proceeds of the alleged crimes were routed to his bank accounts through a global cryptocurrency exchange platform,” a statement by EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale on Friday in Abuja reads.

Oyewale said that the suspect would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

News

Ex-kogi Deputy Speaker is dead

The immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon Enema Paul, is dead.

He died of an undisclosed illness in Abuja at a private hospital in the early hours of Saturday.

Before his death, Hon Paul was the member representing Okura State Constituency in the current 8th Assembly in Kogi State.

Hon Paul stepped down as Kogi State Deputy Speaker on health grounds, and he was later replaced by the member representing Ibaji State Constituency, Hon. Comfort Ojoma Nwuchiola.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Aliyu Umar Yusuf, has commiserated with the family of the former Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Enema Paul, whose demise was announced early Saturday.

This is contained in a press statement signed and made available to journalists in Lokoja by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Yabagi Mohammed.

He described the deceased Assembly member as a friend, temperate, humble, team-playing, committed lawmaker, and public servant.

According to Rt Hon Umar, the former Deputy Speaker was a man who exemplified commitment to the unity of the state, having demonstrated a genuine desire to enhance pro-people legislation for overall development.

He noted that the late Enema Paul was also a devoted Christian who saw beyond religion and whose godliness and commitment to family values were unquestionable.

The Speaker prayed to God to grant the immediate family and members of the current and immediate past Assembly the fortitude to bear the huge loss.