News & Announcements

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, has indicated that food will be provided to disadvantaged Lagosians who are suffering greatly as a result of the present naira and fuel shortages.

This was stated by Sanwo-Olu on Saturday during a live conference on the crises causing mayhem all over the nation.

Speaking, the governor stated that his administration is putting great effort into offering palliative measures to reduce the load on poor Lagosians.

“We have also since commenced the distribution of food packs, to the most vulnerable citizens, the people most impacted by this disruption in the supply of cash. 

“We will continue to highlight more vulnerable groups within our distribution channels who would benefit from the palliatives,” he added.

In response to the potential for fare increases, Sanwo-Olu stated that they are in talks with private transport companies to regulate fares in light of the challenging situation that Lagosians have found themselves in.

However, he asked them to maintain their composure until the palliatives are implemented.

However, he asked them to maintain their composure until the palliatives are implemented.

Two cousins, Damilola Famoriyo, 34, and Akinbayo Abiodun, 31, were detained by Ogun State Police Command officers for robbery and murder.

Amos Chuckwuka, a biker, was killed in eight actions by the accused before they were captured.

According to reports, the thieves took his tricycle before leaving his corpse near the Agoro riverbed in Ijebu-Ode.

This was revealed in a statement on Saturday by SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state’s police public relations officer.

According to Oyeyemi, the suspects were detained on December 13, 2022, as a result of intelligence that police officers assigned to the Obalende divisional headquarters in Ijebu-Ode had received.

According to the PPRO, a trike rider’s body was later discovered and identified as such.

He said, “upon the information, the DPO Obalende division, SP Murphy Salami, led his detectives to the scene, where it was discovered that the deceased was macheted to death after which his tricycle was taken away.

“The DPO, there and then detailed his crack team to embark on technical and Forensic Investigation of the incident in order to unravel those behind the devilish act.

“Their efforts yielded positive results on February 9, 2023, when one of the suspects, Damilola Famoriyo, who resides at a new site, Awosan Fakale Ikorodu, Lagos was arrested with the deceased’s phone.

“His arrest led to the apprehension of his accomplice, who is also his cousin, Akinbayo Emmanuel Abiodun of Road 1, Block A, Maya Ikorodu Lagos State.

“On interrogation, the two suspects confessed to the commission of the crime.

“In their statements, they confessed to being a two-man syndicate who specialized in snatching motorcycles and tricycles.

 “They confessed further that they always carry out their robbery operation in Ijebu-Ode and its environs.

“According to them, on December 13, 2022, they lured the victim Amos Oyemechi Chuckwuka to carry their farm products from the Agoro area to the town, and they agreed on a price.

“But on getting to Agoro/Ikangba road, they stopped him and snatched the tricycle from him.

 “It was when the deceased tried to struggle with them that they macheted him to death and dragged his corpse to the riverbank where they dumped him.

“They informed the police further that they have snatched up to eight tricycles in the Ijebu-Ode area, and that their standby buyers are residing at Ikorodu in Lagos State.”

The victim’s two phones and the cutlass the suspects allegedly used to kill the victim have been found, according to the police.

However, according to the PPRO, Frank Mba, Commissioner of Police, has ordered that the suspects be sent to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a covert investigation.

Festus Keyamo, a senior Nigerian lawyer and minister of state for labor and employment, claimed on Friday that Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, had duped Nigerians with the introduction of the new naira design.

He claimed Emefiele misled Nigerians when he declared the CBN would conduct a currency swap and instead took their money.

Keyamo, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television, words were, “There was a grand deception. You said it was currency swap, what you are doing is currency confiscation, it’s not swap. Swap is that I bring N1,000, you give N1,000. I bring 5,000, you give me N5,000 of the new notes.

“But you said all of us should deposit all our money. At that time we deposited all our money, the new notes were not available. I think that is where we also got it wrong as citizens. We should have insisted on the availability of the new notes before we deposited the old notes.

“What happens to financial freedom; you have confiscated my money, you have denied me the right over my money. That was the grand deception they sold to everybody.”

Despite the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), having good intentions with the redesign of the naira, Keyamo claimed that the idea was poorly advised.

Zainab Kassim, a former Special Assistant to the President in the First Lady’s Office, has filed a lawsuit against Aisha Buhari, the President’s wife, seeking the enforcement of her fundamental rights and seeking N100m in damages from her and other defendants.

The Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services are the other respondents in the matter.

The first lady allegedly severely assaulted, dehumanized, and abused Kassim at the presidential villa with the assistance of DSS and police officers in exchange for deleting her social media posts, according to Kassim, who claimed that some Department of State Service officers acting under Aisha’s orders allegedly kidnapped her and took her there.

She requested that the court declare her arrest and imprisonment to be unlawful in the lawsuit with the case number FHC/ABJ/OS/202/2023. A judge has not yet been assigned to the case.

The first lady’s spokeswoman, Mr. Aliyu Abdullahi, could not be reached for comment. Additionally, as of the time this complaint was filed, he has not responded to a message given to him on the situation.

The Presidency declared on Friday that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), has no plans to prolong his term past May 29, 2023, or to appoint an interim administration.

A statement signed on Friday by Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu read, “Let us clearly, specifically, and emphatically state that there is absolutely no truth to the claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is working towards an interim government or even worse, the truncation of democracy.”

The statement with a heading, ‘Stop the joke about interim government, elections will hold.’

Shehu said, “The President looks forward to handing over the reins of power to his elected successor. This will happen on May 29, 2023, as the Constitution requires.

“What should be made crystal clear to the doubters and the speculators and the untruth-tellers is that in no way was the naira swap ‘engineered’ to keep the President in office beyond May 29. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

The president made this statement in response to assertions made by several governors who were elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress that Buhari’s insistence on the new currency policy will cause anarchy and require the installation of an interim government.

The governors of Kaduna and Kano states, Nasir El-Rufai & Abdullahi Ganduje, respectively, stated in separate interviews that the approach would bring about additional crises that would obstruct elections and usher in an interim administration.

They also claimed that the new naira policy, which had caused riots and scattered protests around the country, was an attempt to harm the APC’s standing and undermine Bola Tinubu’s aspirations for the presidency.

In his 7am broadcast on Thursday, the President declared that only old

The notion of an interim government was “far off the mark,” the presidency claimed in response to the accusations.

“Those who peddle it stand to gain nothing at all but the creation of panic and the incitement of the public against the Federal Government.

“It is another dangerous dimension by people who are afraid that they may lose their elections,” it added.

According to the presidency, with the current turn of events, there is a lot of pressure on everyone, including the party, its elected officials, candidates, and law enforcement agencies.

“It is precisely because the President is concerned with this problem that he opened several avenues for consultation with leaders and groups across the country, culminating in his broadcast to the nation on Thursday morning.

“In line with the speech, his clear and unequivocal directive is that the problem of cash supply must be addressed without delay.

“While this is being done, there is no need to panic. We need to work together as leaders, as a people, and as one nation.

“When panic hits, people go into overdrive. Shouting helps no one because no one can listen,” Shehu added.

The presidency guaranteed Nigerians that the elections would take place on February 25.

The president further stated that Tinubu, the APC nominee, will continue to be Buhari’s preferred replacement.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control destroyed fake medicines and expired goods valued at N326,833,592.80 that were taken from pharmacies and other commercial establishments throughout the states in the country’s North Central geopolitical zone.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, termed the act of certain Nigerians selling such chemicals to other citizens as the gravest assault on human life while speaking during the destruction exercise on Thursday in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.

Adeyeye said the products were confiscated from makers, importers, and distributors in order to protect the health of all of the country’s residents. Adeyeye was represented at the exercise by Francis Ononiwu, Director, NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement.

The NAFDAC DG’s words were, “It is important to note that the importation, distribution and sales of fake and unsafe products represents a grave onslaught on human life.

“Today, we are witnessing the destruction of various categories of regulated products with estimated street value of N326,833,592.80. These products include medicines, foods, cosmetics, either confiscated or voluntarily handed over by complaint companies, non-governmental organisations or trade unions.

“The destruction of these products will prevent their re-introduction into the distribution chain.”

Adeyeye requested the support and collaboration of the general people to aid them in any way possible to rid the country of bogus drugs and products while promising that NAFDAC was doing everything in its power to ensure that only safe medicines and wholesome products are sold to the citizenry.

Shabba Mohammed, the NAFDAC Director for the North Central Zone, thanked the zone’s stakeholders and security organizations for their assistance earlier in his statement and gave them the assurance that the organization would continue to impose punishments on lawbreakers.

Mohammed advised zone people to always collaborate with agency staff and not view them as opponents while warning consumers to always check date marks, appropriate addresses, and NAFDAC numbers on pharmaceuticals and other commodities.

In order to assist the millions of people devastated by the earthquake that has killed more than 42,000 people in Turkey and Syria, the United Nations has urged member nations to donate $1 billion.

“Today the United Nations is launching a $1 billion humanitarian appeal for the people of Türkiye suffering from the most destructive earthquakes to hit the country in a century,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

He said that 5.2 million people were in need of the money to help with relief efforts for food security, safety, protection, education, water, and shelter.

According to him, “Türkiye is home to the largest number of refugees in the world and has shown enormous generosity to its Syrian neighbours for years.

“Now is the time for the world to support the people of Türkiye just as they have stood in solidarity with others seeking assistance.

“People are suffering and there’s no time to lose.

“The international community should fund this critical effort in response to one of the biggest natural disasters of our times.”

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked south-eastern Turkey on February 6 was followed by a second, more significant 7.6-magnitude earthquake within a few hours.

In addition to the thousands of persons still missing, more than 42,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria, leaving the area in general in ruins.

The UN’s request comes as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced a fundraising increase of more than three times for its emergency appeals for Turkey and Syria.

At Beirut International Airport, IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain announced to media that the organization would enhance its emergency financing for the two nations to 650 million Swiss francs (215 million dollars), including 200 million for Syria and 450 million for Turkey.

He claimed that the current situation, which is a continuation of Syria’s 12-year civil war, would extend into the foreseeable future and that people will be affected by it for a longer period of time.

Earlier, Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, expressed gratitude to the “brotherly and friendly” nations that supported the Syrian people in the wake of the tragic earthquake.

He claimed that Syria has not had an earthquake in over 250 years and that it was unprepared for them.

“The war, which drained resources and weakened capabilities, gave the Syrian society the experience to deal with the earthquake,” he added.

Despite the slim possibilities of discovering survivors, Turkish and foreign rescue crews kept working.

There is unrest along Isheri-Igando, on Friday due to demonstrators blocking the road in response to commercial transport workers’ rejection of old naira notes.

It was discovered that the protest had initially begun in Igando in the early morning hours and had been put down by police officers from Igando Division.

Yet another demonstration broke up at the Oko Filling end of the road, where the demonstrators lit bonfires on the pavement and kept commercial bus drivers from getting to work.

It was seen as they hauled people out of the buses and tricycles that were circling the axis.

As a result, the axis is currently congested with traffic.

Some commuters were seen walking to their destinations, leaving others stranded.

The old naira notes are still considered legal cash in Jigawa State up until the Supreme Court’s decision, according to the state government.

This was mentioned in a statement released late on Thursday by Ibrahim Mamsa, the state commissioner for information, youth sports, and culture.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), has stated that only the N200 old note is still valid until April 10 while the N500 and N1000 notes are no longer accepted.

The statement read, “The Jigawa State Government wishes to inform members of the Public that, it has come to its notice some individuals and corporate bodies are rejecting the now-old N200, N500 and N1000 notes. The Jigawa State Government is concerned about the conduct of such individuals and corporate bodies.

“As a law-abiding government, there are suits by various state governments of which Jigawa State is among before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The court has issued an order restraining the Federal Government of Nigeria, either by itself or acting through the Central Bank of Nigeria and/or commercial banks, ministries, parastatals, organisations or through any person or persons (natural and artificial) howsoever, from suspending or determining or ending on February 10, 2023 the time frame within which the now older versions of the 200, 500 and 1000 denominations of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“Jigawa State Government respects the rights of its people and those rejecting the now-old currencies are enjoined to desist from disobeying the law and causing hardship to the people of Jigawa State. Jigawa State Government will not hesitate to use section 287(1) of the Constitution (as amended) and other extant laws to enforce the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” the statement added.

The state government asked citizens to contact the closest competent authorities in the state if any trader or business organization declines to recognize the old N200, N500, and N1000 notes as legal tender.

The wife of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has admitted that she begged Hajia Nana Shettima, her husband’s running partner, for N2 million on Wednesday.

Oluremi made this statement to refute the notion held by some that the family’s affluence and the reason her husband was well-liked was due to money.

Oluremi, a former Lagos Senator, said this on Thursday, during a town hall meeting with People Living With Disabilities in Abuja.

“When they say he has the money of the world, I just wonder. Mrs Shettima knows that I begged her just to give me N2m yesterday,” she said.

She claimed that Tinubu’s fame was due to his charity rather than his wealth.

Oluremi stated, “Asiwaju’s secret is not about money, contrary to what people think, he is a very compassionate man and very generous. There is nothing he can’t give.”

“I remember after he finished as governor, we used to have this staff at home; if you needed anything, he would say go and meet so and so―that is who he is.

“The people you see in rallies are not after money. They believe someone can give them hope in these trying times.”