News & Announcements

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, announced on Tuesday that the Board has finished its inquiries into the case of Mmesoma Ejikeme, a candidate for the 2023 UTME who was suspected of inflating her score fraudulently.

This information was revealed by Oloyede in a transcript that was delivered to our journalist from Windhoek, Namibia.

He said, “The truth is that JAMB has concluded the investigation on Nmesoma’s score falsification matter. She was not the only one caught, just that others have chosen not to go out”, Oloyede said.

“Presently, there is an industry faking results and unfortunately they cannot penetrate JAMB system, reasons being that (our) system is foolproofed and we will prove it any time. It is unfortunate that parents and some of the candidates that are being fooled are not aware that they are only being fooled.

“There is internal evidence to show that the change in Ejikeme’s scores was done with her collaboration. There are certain features pertaining to her that only her knows unless she makes it available to somebody else. They couldn’t have increased her scores on her behalf.”

The Registrar claimed that he had already discussed Nmesoma’s case with a former minister of education, Oby Ezekwesili, and informed her that it was a sophisticated fraud.

“We improved on our facilities this year, so Ejikeme and her collaborators are still living in the past. I spoke with Mrs Ezekwesili on the matter and I told her that it is a high-level scam and I told her that it was a careless forgery.

“This is because we are no longer using some of the things they used in changing those results since 2021. We used that pattern in 2021 and you saw what happened and many of such individuals were caught as well and they were treated accordingly,” he stated.

President Bola Tinubu presented 17 sets of exhibits in support of his eligibility to run in the February 25 presidential election on Tuesday.

Through a group of attorneys led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Tinubu, who insisted he was the legitimate winner of the presidential election, submitted certified copies of bundles of documentary evidence to the Presidential Election Petition Court, or PEPC, in Abuja.

He presented the proof in support of the petition PDP candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar filed to have his election victory declared invalid.

A letter dated February 3, 2003, from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to the Consul General of the American Embassy in Nigeria, requesting his criminal history, was one of the exhibits President Tinubu presented to the court.

In addition, the US Embassy informed the NPF in a response that there was no criminal case against him as of February 4, 2003.

Along with his travel logs from 2012 to 2021, which the Nigerian Immigration Service certified on July 3, 2023, President Tinubu also presented a bundle of documents in court on Tuesday, including the report of the Committee on the Location of the Federal Capital Territory, or FCT.

In addition, President Tinubu submitted Forms EC8A from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which represented the voting results for the presidential election in Kano State, as well as Forms EC8D(A), which are a summary of the voting results from every state in the union.

Also admitted in evidence by the court was the certified true copy of an Originating Summons marked: SC/CV/354/2023, which the Attorneys-General of six PDP controlled states- Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto- filed at the Supreme Court on February 28 to void the outcome of the presidential election.

Certified copies of six newspaper publications were the last piece of evidence the president presented to prove his election victory.

While Atiku and the PDP vehemently contested the admissibility of all the exhibits, INEC and the All Progressives Congress, APC, through their respective legal teams led by Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, and Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, did not object to the submission of all the documents.

The petitioners stated that in their final written response, they will provide the justifications for their reservations.

In the meanwhile, despite the objection, the five-member court panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani accepted all of the documents into evidence and designated them as Exhibits RA 1 to RA 17.

You may recall that on March 1, INEC declared Tinubu of the ruling APC the winner of the presidential election, beating out 17 other contenders who ran for the position.

At the main entrance of the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria in Kaduna State, soldiers are allegedly responsible for attacking one of the demonstrators.

Newsmen learned that the demonstrators on Monday brought placards to air their complaints about the failure to pay their 2019 minimum wage arrears while shouting songs of unity.

The demonstrators demanded, among other things, the payment of their special allowance to ease the loss of fuel subsidy. They also expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of enrollment in the IPPIS system and complete promotion arrears for 2020, 2021, and 2022.

It was discovered that one of the protestors was allegedly assaulted by the military sent out to drive them from the protest site during the demonstration, which began about 8.30am.

An unidentified protester told Newsmen that the purpose of the demonstration was to inform management and the federal government of how employees at DICON were being treated.

“This is because we discovered that all agencies under the Ministry of Defence have been enrolled on IPPIS, only DICON workers have not been captured. But you can see how our member was beaten and another taken into custody by soldiers,” the protester said.

Another protester, who did not want his name published for fear of retaliation, pleaded on the federal government to step in and order the management to comply with its demands and to cease persecuting employees who complained about their treatment and denial of rights.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, DICON, Musa Yakubu, in a text message responding to our correspondent’s demand for a reaction, said he was not on the ground but was following up on the situation.

The Federal Fire Service has announced that rescue efforts at the scene of the four-story building that collapsed at Dape in Life Camp, Abuja, will pick back up on Tuesday at 8 a.m.

At the accident site, Mr. Emeribe David, a Superintendent of Fire, told the News Agency of Nigeria that all the concerned agencies had agreed to resume the rescue effort on Tuesday morning.

According to NAN, the building, which was reportedly a hotel that was under construction, fell on Monday at 4 p.m., trapping an unknown number of laborers.

The fire department received a distress call at around 4 o’clock, according to David, who led the team of firefighters to the scene. It took them around 15 minutes to arrive.

He claimed that his crew collaborated with other organizations in efforts to rescue those who were entangled in the rubble.

He named some of the organizations, including the Federal Road Safety Corps, National Emergency Management Agency, and security organizations.

“Immediately the Fire Service received the call, we were deployed to the scene with a fire truck and ambulance crew to see what we can salvage.

“We do not know the number of people that were trapped, but we will figure that out when we continue the operations in the morning,” he said.

Dr. Abass Idris, the Director-General of FEMA, had informed press that nine people had been saved as of 7:44 p.m.

The authorities participating in the operation shuttered the location around 10 pm, according to a NAN correspondent who was present, and security personnel were sent in to secure the area.

Johnmary Maduakolam, a lawyer, has threatened to file a lawsuit against Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s registrar, and the board’s management if they do not offer an apology to Mmesoma Ejikeme, a student from Anambra who JAMB claims intentionally inflated her 2023 UTME score.

Our correspondent came across a letter from the lawyer addressed to Oloyede in which it was said that Mmesoma was unable to fabricate her own results. In addition, he charged that JAMB failed to safeguard the girl’s identity.

He said, “I am Chief Johnmary Akachukwu Maduakolam, a legal practitioner and the President of Johnmary Akachukwu Maduakolam Initiative for Education which is a pet project with a special interest in education and holistic development of the young person.

“I am shocked to read from the media a circular issued by one Mr Fabian Benjamin on behalf of JAMB, accusing one Ms. Mmesoma Ejikeme, a minor and a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School Nnewi, Anambra State of faking JAMB scores to curry favour from unsuspecting philanthropists. By that publication, JAMB, under your watch, defamed the poor girl, exposed her to public opprobrium, and most especially failed to discharge its duty to the girl child under the Child’s Right Act.”

Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, has renounced the new National Assembly leadership that was announced on Tuesday by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Representatives, and Godswill Akpabio, president of the Senate.

At a vital gathering of the National Working Committee and APC governors at the party secretariat, Adamu dismissed the story as a “rumor,” claiming the party has not formally announced the presiding officers.

His response follows news that Opeyemi Bamidele, a legislator from Ekiti Central, had been chosen by Akpabio to serve as the 10th Senate Majority Leader.

Deputy Majority Leader Dave Umahi of Ebonyi South, Chief Whip Ali Ndume of Borno South, and Deputy Whip Lola Ashiru of Kwara South were also named by the Senate President.

“I am just hearing as a rumour now from the online media that there have been some announcements in the Senate and House of Representatives. The national headquarters of the party of the NWC has not given any such information or communicated about the choice of offices. Until we formally resolve and communicate with them in writing which is the norm and practice, it is not our intention to break away from traditions. So whatever announcement is done either the President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is not from this secretariat.

“We are going to formally inform you that we are going to have a caucus. For quite a time, there has been no caucus in place. The caucus has been reconstituted according to the constitution of APC. And we will be discussing that with you as governors, you know your states more than we know it. Even if we come from the same state, the leadership is in you as governors,” Adamu said.

The APC chairman went on to say that the party will release a formal statement after the formula for distributing the major offices has been decided.

The two-term governor of Nasarawa State also took use of the occasion to inform the other governors about the audit of the party’s accounts for the previous year, which the NWC plans to present before the National Executive Committee meeting in seven days.

He said, “You will get an update on the National Election in the national assembly sharing of powers particularly the leadership of the chambers. The election of the principal officers of the Senate by the Senate President and Deputy Senate President. The election of the speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives have been determined and announced and their responsibilities.

“The remaining offices to be determined by the two chambers is yet to be done. I had a courtesy call on Saturday from the President of the Senate and his deputy.

“Along with the caucus, the National Advisory Council will give you the list that has been prepared and make sure that every state is represented. And we will give you the knowledge of it and advice. You will also be given the benefits of all the detailed accounts from April 2022 to April 2023. The PCC account has been audited and it has been submitted to the INEC by the party. We will hear your advice and then see how we can ensure that we comply with the provisions of the constitution of the party.”

The Marafan Yamman Zazzau, Alhaji Mustapha Adamu, was issued a suspension order by the Zazzau Emirate Council on Tuesday for allegedly beating a purported homosexual in the historic city of Zaria in Kaduna State.

Abdullahi Aliyu, the Council’s information and communications officer, said in a statement that the title holder had been suspended indefinitely with immediate effect.

In the statement, Aliyu claimed that the suspension was brought about by Marafan Yamman Zazzau taking the law into his own hands by publicly beating Yusuf Yahaya (SABO) of Unguwan Magajiya Zaria City with a cane for sixty strokes.

In accordance with the statement, Zazzau Emirate would not tolerate any behavior that contravened local laws and orders from any traditional title holder.

It instructed traditional title holders to never interpret the law themselves but to always report cases to the appropriate authorities for proper adjudication.

The emirate reassured the populace that it would not tolerate any injustice committed against its subject by traditional title holders.

Speaking to reporters immediately after his suspension, Mustapha Adamu, who was the Ubaidullah Marafan Yamman Zazzau prior to his suspension, claimed that Yusuf Yahaya (SABO) received 60 lashes as punishment for having sex with a “small boy” behind his house.

Additionally, he expressed shock at the rash action made by the Emirate council to suspend him.

He continued, “Instead of the suspension order slammed on me, I expected the emirate council to refer me to the constituted authority for violating the Laws.”

In order to defend his actions, he pointed out that the offender was “his son” and that he was within his rights to correct him when he “goes wrong.”

However, the Ubaidullah Marafan Yamman Zazzau said that some emirate council members were stoking the fire.

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, the grandson of Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro, has died, his mother announced on social media.

He was 19.

Actress Drena De Niro, Robert De Niro’s daughter, wrote about the loss of her son in a post on Instagram on Sunday.

“You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life,” the caption read in part. “I don’t know how to live without you but I’ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you.”

She tagged her son’s father, artist Carlos Rodriguez, who goes by Carlos Mare, in the post.
“Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy,” she wrote.

“Words aren’t enough to express the joy he gave us or the loss we now endure with our families and friends,” Mare responded in a comment on the post. “He is Godschild now.”

No cause of death was shared.

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez was also an actor. He appeared, along with his mother, in the 2018 film “A Star Is Born,” starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. His other acting credits include “The Collection” in 2005 and Cabaret Maxime in 2018 according to IMDB.

Samson Kennedy and Wilfred Emmanuel, both University of Benin, Edo State students, have been detained, according to the Edo State Police Command, after the bruised body of their colleague Francis Aniude was found in the Ekosodin River in the Ekosodin community, close to the Ugbowo campus of the university.

The suspects are assisting the command in the continuing investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death, according to SP Chidi Nwabuzor, the state police public relations officer, who confirmed the development to Newsmen.

Aniude was allegedly encouraged to go swimming in the river by the suspects on June 29, according to a student who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of being victimized.

The student added, “After the deceased got drowned, the duo ran back to the Ekosodin community to seek the help of the community and vigilance members but the deceased died before help could come his way.

“The corpse was recovered from the river on July 1 by local divers. The two students were arrested following the discovery of blood on the deceased’s lips and peeled skin around his neck region which raised suspicion amongst family members and relatives who are demanding an autopsy.”

Nwabuzor said the case was reported at the Ugbowo Police Station, adding that the Divisional Police Officer and his men led a team of local divers to the scene of the incident.

“Luckily enough, they were able to recover the body. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations.

“Two persons were arrested because they went together to swim in that river when the ugly incident occurred. Arresting them is very important so that we can know what made them leave their hostel and go to that river at that time and what happened right there in the river,” Nwabuzor said.

The National Security Adviser and the acting Inspector General of Police were instructed by President Bola Tinubu on Monday to work together and fulfill their mandates.

Assuring the President and Nigerians that the security agencies would succeed in safeguarding the nation and establishing peace and stability, NSA Mallam Nuhu Ribadu said as much.

Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Tinubu had his first private meeting with the NSA, the Service Chiefs, and the acting IGP.

The President instructed them to operate as a team and fulfill their mandate, according to Mallam Ribadu, the NSA, who briefed state house reporters after the meeting.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, he said, “We’re here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, Nigeria and Nigerians.

“We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country.

“We’re going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability and let’s get our lives back.

“He gave us the assurance that he’s with us hundred percent. He told us that we must work as a team and that there’s work to be done; he’ll expect us to deliver and we’re grateful for the opportunity. That’s why we are here.”

Asked what will be the starting point of the new security heads, Mallam said, “Where we are today and you can see already things are improving in our country.

“If you see the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down, it will continue to go down. We’ll secure this place.

“Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have and they are not going to fail you, they’ll certainly deliver.”