News & Announcements

The Police command in Lagos State says two police officers arrested with ASP Dambri Vandi, over the alleged killing of Mrs. Omobolale Raheem would be released today (Tuesday) as they were not involved in the crime.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, while giving an update on the killing.

NAN reports that the police in Lagos, on Christmas Day, arrested an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dambri Vandi, and two other officers attached to Ajiwe police station in the Ajah area for allegedly killing one Mrs. Omobolale Raheem, a lawyer, same day.

Hundeyin said they were taken into protective custody immediately and were later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation.

He said that the two police officers arrested with the ASP were detained for interrogation and testimonies.

“The two Policemen arrested with ASP, who killed the lawyer will be released today (Tuesday) after giving their testimonies to the command.

“They were arrested because they saw what happened. They were not the ones who allegedly killed the woman.

“They have given their stories on what happened and the CP has ordered that they should be released while investigations continue,” he said.

On the update about the similar killing of one Gafaru Buraimoh on Dec 7, by a police officer from the same Ajiwe police station, Hundeyin said that the officer was still in detention, yet to be charged to court.

The image maker said the police officer was yet to be arraigned because his dismissal order has not been released.

“There are indeed consequences. The officer is still in detention at the SCID. His investigation is being wrapped up.

“Once his dismissal order comes out, he will be charged to court immediately,” he said.

Hundeyin said that there was nothing wrong with the spot or area where the killings took place, but the officers, who killed would be held responsible for their actions.

He noted that when the first incident occurred on Dec. 7, the commissioner of police, Abiodun Alabi, changed the DPO of the station after the incident.

“This has become one too many, especially, bearing in mind that a similar incident occurred at the same location less than three weeks ago.

“The condemnable incident is against the standard operating procedure (SOP) and rules of engagement of the Force, and to say the least is embarrassing.

“Beyond this incident, the Nigeria Police Force will carry out a reappraisal of its rules of engagement, to put an end to such avoidable ugly incidents,” Hundeyin said.

The spokesman appealed to residents of the State to remain calm as the Command was already in touch with the Nigerian Bar Association and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that justice totally prevailed.

The Senate Has Passed The 2022 Supplementary Budget of N819.5 Billion.

At plenary on Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Finance recommended that the upper legislative chamber approved the supplementary budget, which is for the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, FCT, and Works.

President Muhammadu Buhari sought the passage of a supplementary budget to be financed through additional domestic borrowing.

The supplementary budget is to be funded by additional borrowing and will increase the budget deficit to N8.17 trillion.

A breakdown of the Supplementary Budget shows that the Ministry of Agriculture is to get N69 billion, the Ministry of Water Resources N15.5 billion, the Federal Capital Territory N30 billion, and the Ministry of Works and Housing N704 billion.

An elder statesman and billionaire businessman, Aminu Alhassan Dantata, says he no longer enjoys life and hopes to die soon in good faith.

Dantata said he has travelled to all the states in Nigeria and has made a lot of friends from his youthful age, but could hardly identify 10 that are still alive.

The 91-year-old man said this when he received the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Kashim Shettima, at his residence in Kano on Tuesday.

He said he is the only one left in his family, adding that he hopes people he has offended would forgive him.

“I have travelled to all the states in Nigeria and I have done things with people across all states, many were friends but sadly, of all the people I know, I hardly can call out 10 that are still alive.

“Honestly, as I am right now, I am just waiting for my time. I no longer enjoy life anymore. I hope I depart this world in good faith.

“I hope I did not offend anyone in life. If I offended anyone, I hope they find it in their hearts to forgive me. If anybody has offended me, I have forgiven them.

“I am now the only one left in my family living with grandchildren,” Dantata stated.

The business mogul, who thanked Shettima and his entourage for the visit, prayed for sustainable peace and harmony in the country.

“May God not leave us with our efforts alone, we pray for his continued guidance and protection,” he added.

On his part, Shettima said the purpose of the visit was to reach out to elder statesmen on the ongoing project in the North ahead of the 2023 general election.

The World has been hit with the loss of Brazil football legend who has been confirmed dead at age 82.

The football legend had been battling Colon Cancer over the years and this year 2022 hasn’t been that good for Pele who has been in and out of the hospital.

The hospital taking charge of the Brazilian health condition confirmed earlier that there were signs of progression in the sickness.

Following the announcement, Pele’s daughter had to confirm that the former football player won’t be coming home for Christmas.

The news has been so bad that he was announced dead earlier but later the rumors were debunked as he was still on life support.

The life support was later removed with no sign of any improvement in the condition after so many attempts and efforts.

During the Christmas period all of Pele’s family members consisting of his children spent the day with him in what was a goodbye.

The Family had their moments with their father who knew what was coming after a long fight which has seen him struggle with life.

Pele made history during his playing days as one of the players who won the FIFA World Cup on three occasions.

He scored over 1, 282 goals both for club and country during his active career playing on the pitch.

His record goals were put up for debate with Guinness World Records cutting it down to 1,279 goals.

Meanwhile, the RSSSF record his goals as 778 which is far less than the original figures based on the manner of games he had more of his goal scored.

Pele will forever remain an icon in football with his name written boldly in the book of records where it remains.

The United States government has announced a project that will strengthen the forensic and chemical analysis capacity of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, as well as its intelligence gathering and prosecution capabilities.

The latest support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) comes on the heels of an award of N500 million grant to fund selected projects in the Agency by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa).

According to an official letter announcing the U.S. project grant to the NDLEA, the award followed requests by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen.

Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) CON, OFR during a series of meetings with top U.S. officials both in Abuja and in Washington DC.

The letter noted that the project will be implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria.

Aside from the support for the forensic and chemical analysis capacity of the Agency, the U.S. government also said the project will further support NDLEA efforts to conduct intelligence-led investigations through diverse resources as well as legal books and an e-library for prosecution and other legal needs of the Agency.

“Through all this, the NDLEA will be better equipped to prosecute cases with reliable evidence, using improved collection, handling, and custodial procedures.

We appreciate our strong and continued working relationship and believe this project will be an important step in advancing our shared goal of a united, peaceful, and stable Nigeria”, the letter added.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away at the age of 95.

The Vatican in Rome announced on Saturday said that the 95-year-old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died this morning at 9:34 AM in his residence at the Vatican’s Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.

The nonagenarian Pope Emeritus until his death, was down with an illness.

The statement announcing his passing reads: “The Holy See Press Office announced that the Pope Emeritus died at 9:34 AM on Saturday morning in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, which the 95-year-old Pope emeritus had chosen as his residence after resigning from the Petrine ministry in 2013.

“With sorrow, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 AM in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.

As of Monday morning, 2 January 2023, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can bid farewell.”

According to reports, Omobolanle Raheem, the female lawyer who lost her life on Christmas Day in the Ajah neighborhood of Lagos after being shot with an AK 47 service rifle, was expecting twins.

This was disclosed by her grieving mother, Mrs. Salami, yesterday during a visit from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police. This is similar to how late Bolanle’s widower, Gbenga Raheem, described how he watched her gasp for breath until she passed away, on arriving at the third hospital she was rushed to. “She recalled in tears how she hawked oranges to train her in school.”

Additionally, IGP Alkali Baba has been instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari to take action against the murderous police officer.

This comes shortly after Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said that he will be in charge of the prosecution in the trial of the murderous cop.

The late Bolanle’s mother revealed that her daughter was pregnant when the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, paid a condolence visit to the grieving family.

She sobbed, “I won’t see my lawyer again,” unable to control her sobs. She was removed from my possession. She was expecting twins. She left behind a five-year-old baby when she passed away in all her splendour.

She said, “On Monday, my granddaughter came to me and asked, ‘Grandma, Iju Ishaga, I saw you yesterday crying, was it because of my mummy?'” while sobbing. I affirmed it. When she returned, she informed me that “Pastor Jerry declared that God cannot accomplish what He cannot do.” Grandma, stop sobbing, she said as she kissed my cheek.

“Just like that, she was taken away from me. Oluwagbenga (referring to the deceased’s husband), you won’t see your love.

“It is not easy. A child that I have been training since childhood. I suffered over her. I hawked oranges; there is nothing I did not do.”

The asset recovery panel set up by the Osun State Government has directed the immediate past governor of the state, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, and his wife, Sherifat, to return official vehicles in their possession.

The directive was announced on Friday in a statement by Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke.

According to the statement, Tokunbo Salami, the chairman of the asset recovery panel, said the directive also applies to former appointees of the state.

Oyetola is said to have 11 vehicles in his possession, while his wife has “several” brands of government vehicles in her possession.

Salami added that there is no law in the state that authorizes any elected or appointed officials to leave with state vehicles after the completion of their tenure.

The statement reads, “The Assets Recovery Panel of the Osun State Government has directed former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, his wife, Hajia Kafayat Oyetola, and other former appointees to immediately return assorted vehicles valued at N2.9 billion presently illegally in their possession.

“Due diligence has been conducted and the committee has concluded that the affected past officials should return government vehicles in their possession.

“This is the first batch of vehicles to be retrieved. We will soon come up with the second batch.

“All affected officials should return the vehicles in their possession immediately to avoid coercive procedures for recovery of state assets.

“In the list of affected officials, Governor Oyetola alone has 11 vehicles ranging from Lexus Jeep, Toyota Prado jeeps and assorted models of costly vehicles. The wife, Mrs Kafayat, also has in her possession several brands of government vehicles which were taken away against provisions of the law.”

The panel also directed Benedict Alabi, the former deputy governor; Charles Akinola, former chief of staff; and Abdullahi Binuyo, former deputy chief of staff, to return the official vehicles in their possession.

Other affected persons include those who served as special advisers, local government caretakers, board chairpersons, commissioners, and secretaries to the state government.

“The former Deputy Governor has more than seven government vehicles in his custody contrary to the provisions of the law.

“A serving Senator, Oriolowo, is also directed to return to the Osun State Agricultural Development Programme five machines, namely a motor grader, bulldozer, and soil compactor machine, among others.

“All affected ex-officials are to urgently comply with the above request or risk enforcement procedures,” the statement added.

Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe has sacked the country’s armed forces minister and appointed a new chief of staff as part of a major military reshuffle announced on state television.

The presidential decrees, announced late Thursday, specify no reasons for the reshuffle, but the changes come as the small West African country faces a growing threat from jihadist groups.

Since November 2021, Togo has suffered at least five attacks, including two deadly ones in the far north of the country, which is plagued by jihadist incursions from across the border in Burkina Faso.

“Marguerite Essossimna Gnakade is relieved of her duties as armed forces minister”, the first presidential decree stated, saying she has been “called to other duties”.

No replacement will be named as the armed forces will be answerable directly to the presidency, under the orders of Gnassingbe, as was the case from 2007 to 2020, another decree stated.

Colonel Tassounti Djato, former chief of staff of the Air Force is promoted to general and “appointed chief of general staff of the Togolese Armed Forces”, replacing General Dadja Maganawe, who had occupied the job since late 2020.

West African nations Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are plagued by jihadist insurgencies, and neighbouring coastal states such as Benin, Ghana, Togo, and Ivory Coast have long been concerned about the violence spilling into their territories.

In mid-July, “unidentified armed individuals” carried out a bloody attack in Togo, according to the army, which reported “several dead and a few wounded”.

Local media reported that between 15 and 20 civilians were killed.

Last month, local media reported a deadly attack on armed forces in the far north, which AFP was unable to confirm. The authorities refused to comment on the matter.

Zambian rights activists Saturday hailed as a “huge milestone” a decision to scrap two British colonial-era laws: the death penalty and making criticism of the country’s leader a punishable offence.

President Hakainde Hichilema, whose party was in opposition for over two decades, had promised that he would scrap the laws if elected to the top job.

“President Hakainde Hichilema has assented to the penal code of 2022 abolishing the imposition of the death penalty and the offence of criminal defamation of the president, which has been on the Zambian statute books since (the) pre-independence era,” presidential spokesman Anthony Bwalya said in a statement on Friday.

Human rights activist Brebner Changala said the decision was a “huge milestone in the removal of colonial laws that do not fit in the democratic dispensation of the country”.

The executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue Caroline Katotobwe said Zambians would now speak freely.

“As stakeholders we are elated that this repressive law is finally done away with. Thus, allowing citizens to freely express their views without fear of prosecution as was the case in the past,” she said.

Zambia gained independence from British rule in 1964. The southern African nation is home to 18 million people.