News & Announcements

The Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) board chairman, Mrs. Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie from Delta State, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday. She is President Muhammadu Buhari’s special assistant for new media.

Chief Samuel Ogbuku, who will serve as managing director for the remaining two years of his predecessor’s time in office, was also confirmed by the Senate.

In addition, the Upper Chamber has approved Charles Ogunmola of Ondo State in the South West for the position of Executive Director, Projects, and Major-General Charles Airhiavbere of Edo State in the South-South for the position of Executive Director, Finance.

Following the presentation and discussion of the report of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs by the Acting Chairman, Senator Buius Amos, APC, Gombe South, the Senate confirmed the Chairman and other board members.

However, due to their non-appearance for the Committee’s screening, the Senate withdrew its approval of the former deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Egberanwen Odubu, a state representative from Edo State’s south, and engineer Anthony Okanne from Imo State’s south east.

The following state representatives were also confirmed: Dimgba Erugba (State Representative, Abia, South-East); Dr. Emem Wilcos Wills, State Representative, Akwa Ibom, South-South; Elder Dimaro Denyabofa, State Representative, Bayelsa State, South-South; Hon. Orok Duke, State Representative, Cross River, South-South; South-East; and Hon. Gbenga Edema, State Representative, Ondo State, South – West.

Others were  Elekwachi Dinkpa, State Representative, Rivers State, South-South;  Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Abubakar, ( Zonal Representative, Nasarawa State, North-Central; Alhaji Sule Iko Sadeeq Sani Sami (Zonal Representative, Kebbi State, North-West; and Professor Tahir Mamman, SAN, (Zonal Representative, Adamawa State, North-East.

Recall that on November 25, President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to the Senate requesting that Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie, a Delta resident and his special assistant for new media, be confirmed to serve as chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission,NDDC.

In a letter to Senator Ahmad Lawan, President Buhari stated that the correspondent had acted in compliance with Section 2(2)A of the NDDC Act, Cap. N 86, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

On the Senate floor during plenary, Lawan read the letter.

“Dear Distinguished Senate President, confirmation of appointments of Chairman and members of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

“In accordance with the provisions of Section 2(2)A of the NDDC Act, Cap N86, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, I hereby present the underlisted 15 names of nominees as Chairman and members of the NDDC for confirmation by the Senate.

“Copies of their Curriculum Vitae are attached herewith.

“While I hope the request would receive the usual expeditious consideration, and confirmation of the Senate, Please accept the Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.” the letter read.

According to Buhari in the letter, Chief Samuel Ogbuku would serve as the Managing Director for a term of two years to complete the term of his predecessor in office. Bayelsa State, South-South while Major General Charles Airhiavbere, retd is  the Executive Director, Finance and Charles Ogunmola, Executive Director Project, Ondo, South-West.

Other members of the NDDC board as forwarded to the Senate are Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu as State Representative, Edo State, South -South; Dimgba Erugba (State Representative, Abia, South-East); Dr. Emem Wilcos Wills, State Representative, Akwa Ibom, South -South; Elder Dimaro Denyabofa,  State Representative, Bayelsa State, South -South;  Hon. Orok Duke, State Representative, Cross River, South-South;  Engineer Anthony Okanne,  State Representative, Imo State, South-East and Hon. Gbenga Edema,  State Representative, Ondo State, South – West.

The start of registration for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from January 24 to February 14, 2023, has been approved by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The Board also decided to have an optional mock UTME on March 16, 2023.

This was said in a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the board’s head of public affairs and protocol.

The registration for Direct Entry (DE) application materials is not included on the board, according to Benjamin, because DE registration will start on February 20 and end on April 20, 2023.

Additionally, he stated that the board fixed April 29, 2023, for the conduct of the 2023 UTME, and is anticipated to end on May 12, 2023, after taking into account its other commitments.

“Candidates are to note that they would be required to pay the sum of N1000 service charge for CBT centres for the conduct of mock examination at the point of registration.

“This is to prevent a situation where candidates would indicate their interest to sit the mock UTME leading the various centres to commit human and material resources only for them to stay away on the day of the examination.

“With the new arrangement, candidates indicate their interest by paying for the mock at the point of UTME registration, therefore, precluding the centres from incurring any loss whether candidates turn up or not.

“The board advises all candidates, who desire to register for the 2023 UTME to immediately embark on the creation of their respective profiles (creation of profile code) ahead of the formal commencement of the registration exercise to avoid being caught up in any ensuing bottleneck,” he stated.

Mrs. Aderemi Fagbemi-Olaleye, the wife of the embattled Managing Director of Optical Cancer Care Foundation, Dr. Femi Olaleye, yesterday, said that her husband was suffering from sex addiction.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Fagbemi-Olaleye testified before an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court.

She was led in evidence by Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins.

The defendant is charged with defiling his wife’s niece, aged 16 years.

The witness told the court that her husband checked into a rehabilitation centre, Grace Cottage Clinic, Ilupeju, Lagos State after he was granted administrative bail, following her reporting the alleged defilement at Anthony Police Station, Lagos State.

According to the witness, a psychologist, Dr. Ogunnubi, who attended to the defendant at the centre, called and confirmed that the defendant was suffering from sex addiction.

“Dr. Ogunnubi reached out and told me that Femi was diagnosed with sexual addiction and that if care was not taken, he might, one day, sleep with our daughter.

The witness, in her evidence-in-chief, also told the court that her 10-year-old daughter told her that she saw her father undressing the allegedly defiled niece but she could not tell her ( the witness) because she did not want to make her sad.

The witness, an economist and entrepreneur, told the court that she had been married to the defendant for 11 years, adding that the union produced two children, aged 10 and seven.

According to her, the allegedly defiled teenager had been living with her since December 2019, in their family’s residence at Maryland, Lagos State.

The Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has said that its embattled Director-General, Doyin Okupe has paid a N13m fine following his conviction by a Federal High Court Abuja on Monday.

The PCC Media Officer, Diran Onifade made this known in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital ahead of the party’s rally in the state on Tuesday.

He said as the party that respects the rule of law, its officials will obey court judgments promptly.

Onifade, however, said appealing the judgment is a personal decision of Okupe and that the PCC cannot influence that.

Earlier on Monday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu found Okupe guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.

Delivering the judgment,  held that the action of Okupe, who is the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), violated the Money Laundering Act.

While stating that the Act provides that no individual or organization shall receive any sum above N5 million and N10 million respectively without passing through a financial institution, the judge held that “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution”.

According to Justice Ojukwu, the NSA is not a financial institution, adding that even if the president was said to have authorized the funds, he did not say that the money must be paid in cash in violation of money laundering.

Consequently, the court held that the first defendant, Okupe was guilty in counts 34, 35, 36, and 59.

The Judge, however, found the defendants not guilty in counts 1 to 33 on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish the charge of money laundering and criminal breach of trust and corruption against the NSA.

In counts 34 to 59 upon which Okupe was convicted, he was accused of receiving various sums ranging from N10 million on different occasions from 2012 to 2015 when he was SSA to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The court sentenced Okupe to two years imprisonment on count 34 with an option of a fine.

The 85 year old Ambassador Shehu Malami who was the chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum’s Board of Trustees (ACF) passed away on Monday, December 19, 2022.

His passing away was announced by The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF. It was reported that he passed away in Cairo, Egypt.

In 1937, Ambassador Shehu Malami was born in Sokoto as a Prince of the Sultanate dynasty.

Sokoto, Bida, and Katsina were the locations of his early education.

He also attended various UK colleges for academic study.

He graduated from the Middle Temple with a law degree. Amb was hired by Sultan Saddiq Abubakar III.

He was originally employed by the BBC as a foreign broadcaster.

He held a number of high-ranking positions during the course of his lengthy public service career, which spanned several decades, including those of Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of South Africa,

He was also the chairman of the panel that assesses applicants for the Nigeria National Merit Award, a director at the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank, the chairman of the Union Bank of Nigeria, and the chairman of PZ Industries.

The ACF went on further to extend their sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and also prayed that Allah, SWA, overlook his transgressions and have pity on his soul.

The e-recruitment portal for adhoc workers for the 2023 Population and Housing Census will close on December 28, according to the National Population Commission (NPC).

This was said by Mr. Chidi Ezeoke, the Federal Commissioner who represents Anambra State in the Commission, on Monday in Awka at the start of a 10-day Zonal Level Training of Principal Trainers.

Ezeoke stated that the deadline was extended to December 28 to allow for more applicants and encouraged qualified people to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Earlier, we announced that the recruitment portal will be closed on Dec.10. But after the board met, they decided to extend it to Dec. 28, to allow more people to register and apply,” he said.

He claimed that the facilitators, who would instruct the supervisors and enumerators at the state level, needed the training.

The preparation of the second level trainers for a standardized census training and an adequate explanation of the concept and terminology for the exercise were among the objectives of the training, according to Ezeoke.

“The training will also provide clear guidelines for the field enumeration procedures for the census, robust instructions on use of census data collection and applications as well as first-hand guides for field operations.

“This training is put together to enhance the technical and managerial capacity as well as skills of the participants to teach other field functionaries for the success of the census,” Ezeoke said.

Dr. Joachim Ulasi, the NPC’s Anambra State Director, stated in his remarks that there were 252 total participants in the exercise, including 227 trainees, 25 facilitators, and Zonal Coordinators.

“There are two training centres in Southeast – Anambra and Ebonyi states. While Ebonyi is hosting participants from Ebonyi and Enugu states, Anambra is the centre for participants from Abia, Imo and Anambra states,” he added.

David Oluchkwu was given a four-month prison sentence by the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offenses (Mobile) Court in Bolade, Oshodi, Lagos for impersonating a LASTMA inspector and extorting money from unwary drivers, primarily commercial bus drivers in the state.

On December 14, 2022, LASTMA agents caught Oluchkwu, a 27-year-old man, in the act when they were in the Lekki neighborhood of Lagos.

The suspect was then charged by LASTMA with “Conduct likely to cause breach of peace and Impersonation” on two counts before the court where he was found guilty.

Oluchkwu, who hailed from ‘Ukpu’ in Anambra State, confessed further to be making an average of N40,000 daily from the illegal traffic business.

“Any motorists I caught driving against traffic (One-way) paid a minimum of N50,000 while other traffic violators were charged with different fines,” he stated.

Oluchkwu pleaded “Guilty” to the two-count accusation brought against him, and the Magistrate Adesanya Ademola sentenced him to a 4-month jail term without the option of a fine, according to the Director of the LASTMA Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq.

Due to the seriousness of the crimes committed, Magistrate Adesanya emphasized that the prison sentence should be four months without the option of a fine.

Both of the charges brought against the convict—Breach of Peace and Impersonation—were in violation of Sections 168 (D) and 78 of the Lagos State Criminal Law (2015), according to the prosecutor, Barrister Agbaje Oladotun.

Bolaji Oreagba, the general manager of LASTMA, responded to the verdict by calling it a positive development and said that it will serve as a deterrent to others who continue to defraud innocent members of the public out of their money.

According to Oreagba “Our surveillance and intelligence unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society on the roads.”

However, he urged drivers, especially commercial bus operators, to rigorously abide by the provisions of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018 to avoid being pulled over and facing further legal action.

Remember that Oreagba stated that the suspect was apprehended by a Lastma patrol squad while they were in charge of observing and regulating traffic near the Lekki axis.

The Agency’s preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested suspect was a member of a criminal gang that had been extorting large sums of money from innocent drivers who had been stopped for a variety of traffic violations across the state, including failure to wear a seatbelt, obstructions, illegal overtaking, and driving the wrong way.

According to Mr. Oreagba “the suspect was apprehended after our patrol team sighted him fully kitted with a Lastma uniform on a black jean collecting money from different commercial bus drivers who were illegally dropping and picking passengers under the Lekki bridge”

“It is disheartening for some unscrupulous elements impersonating as LASTMA officials and extorting money from innocent motorists thereby denting the good image of the Agency before the public.”

Oreagba advised drivers to be aware of phony officials who approached them and demanded money, claiming that the agency had a cashless policy and that anyone caught breaking the law would be issued a “Referral Notice” and sent to court.

However, he issued a warning to such impersonators not to carry out such unlawful activities as more surveillance workers have been stationed in key areas to look for those who extort innocent motorists while posing as representatives of the agency.

The convict with no any fixed address however, appealed to the government to temper justice with mercy.

The number of fatalities associated with the cholera outbreak in the Ekureku community in the Abi Local Government Area of Cross River has increased from 20 on Saturday to 51 on Monday.

This was said by the clan chief of the neighborhood, Chief Bernard Egbe, when he met Sen. Sandy Onor, a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had come to the neighborhood to sympathize with the residents.

The clan leader, who called the situation regrettable, noted that many afflicted people were seeking care at various medical facilities nearby.

Four of the patients receiving care, he added, were in critical condition.

He said that they had assistance from the WHO, UNICEF, and some state government representatives.

The PDP candidate for governor advised the people to hold onto hope despite saying that he understood their suffering.

He promised that if elected, he would make sure that the state’s residents had access to clean drinking water.

He gave cash to each of the 10 devastated communities in the Ekureku community as a palliative.

The state administration is in control of the issue, according to Dr. Janet Ekpeyong, director-general of the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, who stated this on Sunday.

She claimed that both human and material resources had been used by the government to stop the disease’s spread.

“The state Government has deployed a response team together with representatives from the World Health Organization, the Nigerian Red Cross and Wash Programme.

“The combined team have all intervened accordingly and helped to save lives and prevent further spread of the disease,” she stated.

In a distant community in the state’s Odukpani Local Government Area, there has reportedly been another outbreak of the disease.

This was revealed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday by Dr. Iwara Iwara, the permanent secretary of the state ministry of health.

Iwara claimed that the epidemic was discovered on Sunday evening and that the government sent personnel and supplies to the region.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted Doyin Okupe, director-general of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council, for money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Okupe in 2019 on a 59-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million.

He was arraigned before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu alongside two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.

Special Forces (SF) under the 271 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Detachment, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, have rescued 7 Chinese expatriates earlier kidnapped and held hostage by terrorists.

NAF Spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said in a press release on Saturday that the rescue operation was carried out in the early hours of 17 December 2022.

He said the rescued Chinese victims are believed to have been kidnapped in June 2022 by terrorists while working on a mining site in Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana Ward of Shiroro Local Government, Niger State.

The DOPRI said: “The Combat Search and Rescue operation, which consisted of 35 Special Forces was conducted in the cover of night at Kanfani Doka and Gwaska general Areas leading to the terrorists abandoning their enclaves, weapons and kidnapped Chinese victims while fleeing for their lives due to the superior fire power of the special forces.

“After the successful operations, the 7 Chinese victims were flown to the 271 NAF Detachment Medical Centre for evaluation were 2 of the victims were stabilized.

Subsequently, the 7 victims were flown to the NAF Base Medical Hospital, Kaduna for further medical investigations.

“The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has since congratulated the Commander of the 271 NAF Detachment, Birnin Gwari and his men for their continued determination and commitment, even in the face of danger, as they make an inroad into the final fringes of terrorists’ enclaves in Kaduna State and the Northwest in general.

“According to the CAS, “I am very proud of what our Special Forces in Birnin Gwari and elsewhere have continued to achieve and I remain confident that we will soon free all areas of terrorists and their activities”.

“Air Marshal Amao also enjoined Nigerians to continue to support the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies by providing useful information that will lead to the arrest of criminal elements and those supporting them.”