News & Announcements

The Chief Magistrate Court in Yaba, Lagos State, has granted bail to Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti.

The court also ordered the Nigerian police to finish their investigation into the alleged assault of a policeman in 48 hours and allow Kuti to go home.

The Police Prosecutor, S.A Adebese had prayed that the Court remand the defendant for 21 days pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Counsel to the defendant, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, however, begged the court not to remand his client, stating that he was not aware of the remand application.

Four members of staff of ZEFA Microfinance Bank have been arrested after one of them allegedly pushed 50-year-old Vivian Omo, the wife of their debtor, which led to her death.

The suspects, whose bank is situated at the Abule Ijoko Lemode area of the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State reportedly went to the house of their debtor and started packing his belongings.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.

Oyeyemi explained that the four suspects have been arrested by men of the state police command.

The PPRO said the suspects, Badmus Olalekan, Ajibade Oludare, Eniola Aduragbemi and Femi Oloko, were arrested on Wednesday.

He said, “Trouble started when the bank staffers visited the home of the deceased to ask for the payment of a loan taken from the bank by the deceased’s husband but they were told that the man was not at home.

“Not satisfied with the woman’s explanation about the whereabouts of her husband, the bank staffers decided to pack all the electronics in the house to their office, a step that was resisted by the deceased.

“While the deceased was struggling with the bank’s workers, one of them pushed her and she fell and was unconscious.

“She was then rushed to hospital for medical attention but was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.

“The report was quickly lodged at Agbado Divisional Headquarters by the daughter of the deceased, consequence upon which the DPO Agbado Division, CSP Awoniyi Adekunle, quickly led his detectives to the scene where four members of staff of the bank namely: Badmus Olalekan, Ajibade Oludare, Eniola Aduragbemi and Femi Oloko were arrested.

“The corpse has been deposited at the Ifo General Hospital morgue for autopsy.”

The PPRO, however, said the state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Oladimeji, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the Homicide Section of the state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
                 

As the news of popular veteran actor, Saint Obi’s death continues to shock Nigerian, fans have continued to express sadness over the actor who reportedly died after a prolonged illness.

The 57-year-old Imo-born thespian reportedly died on May 7 after battling with an undisclosed ailment.

Fans and families have continued to pay their last respect to the veteran actor with the hashtag #RIP Saint Obi and #Obinna Nwafor, on Twitter.

Sharing a picture taken with the veteran actor, Nigerian author and social media influencer, Reno Omokri, said, “signing a copy of my book, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts To God, for Obinna Nwafor, better known as Saint Obi, in my office at Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Wednesday, July 30, 2014.

“The gentlest and most noble Nollywood actor I ever met. No airs about him; very down to earth.

Unusually modest and made every effort to make those around him feel comfortable.

“In short, the specimen of gentlemanliness. May God bless him. May God bless his family. May God bless Nigeria. In Yeshua’s Name.”Nigerian politician and a former Presidential aspirant, Ahmed Garba, wrote, “RIP Saint Obi. You filled our screens with your talent for decades. We will miss you. May God rest your soul in peace.”

Revealing his encounter with Saint Obi, Mr Sanusi Dantata, said “I remember meeting Obinna Nwafor (Saint Obi) on a flight to London in 1999.

He was together with Liz Benson. “He was so nice to my siblings and I. 24 years later, I can still remember how jovial he was and how happy he made us feel. RIP Legend.”

Saint Obi, was a Nigerian actor, film producer and film director, popular for his roles in State of Emergency; Candle Light; Sakobi; Goodbye Tomorrow; Heart of Gold; Festival of Fire; Executive Crime; and Last Party, amongst others.

Obi majored in Theatre Arts at the University of Jos and ventured into acting in 1996 via a Peugeot television commercial.

He had starred in over 60 movies. In 2001, Obi produced his first movie, titled, Take Me to Maama, where he starred as Jerry, alongside Ebi Sam, the late Rachel Oniga, Nse Abel and the late Enebeli Elebuwa

China has sentenced a 78-year-old United States citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court statement said Monday.

John Shing-wan Leung, an American passport holder and Hong Kong permanent resident, “was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life”, said the statement from the Intermediate People’s Court in the eastern city of Suzhou.

Suzhou authorities “took compulsory measures according to the law” against 78-year-old Leung in April 2021, it said, without specifying when he had been taken into custody.

The US embassy in Beijing did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment.

The court statement provided no further details on the charges, and closed door trials are routine in China for sensitive cases.

Such heavy sentences are relatively rare for foreign citizens in China.

The jailing is likely to further damage relations with Washington, which are already severely strained.

– Revised anti-espionage law –

In April, China approved an amendment to its anti-espionage law, broadening its scope by widening the definition of spying and banning the transfer of any data related to what the authorities define as national security.

The same month authorities formally charged a prominent Chinese journalist with spying, more than a year after he was detained while having lunch with a Japanese diplomat, a media rights group said.

Dong Yuyu, a senior columnist at the Communist Party newspaper Guangming Daily, was detained in February 2022 along with the diplomat at a Beijing restaurant, according to a statement issued by his family and seen by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The diplomat was released after a few hours of questioning, the Japanese foreign ministry said last year.

In February a Japanese man was sentenced to 12 years in prison in China for espionage, according to Kyodo News.

Several high profile cases of foreigners being detained have damaged ties between China and Western countries over the last few years.

In 2019, Chinese-born Australian writer Yang Jun was arrested on allegations of spying.

Australia called last week for another one of its nationals — jailed journalist Cheng Lei — to be reunited with her family after 1,000 days in detention.

She was accused of “supplying state secrets overseas”.

Days after the arrest in Canada of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in 2018, China detained two Canadians — former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor.

Beijing was accused of using the two men in a bout of “hostage diplomacy” to pressure Ottawa into releasing Meng.

The Canadian pair were set free hours after a deal was struck to release Meng. 

The list claiming to be the official selection list for the 75 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy is fraudulent, according to a statement made on Monday.

Major Victor Olukoya, the Academy’s public relations officer, stated in a statement released in Kaduna that “The attention of the NDA has been drawn to a fake list that has gone viral on some social media and other microblogging platforms, claiming to be the official selection list for the 75 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

“We wish to clarify that the list is not only fake but also the work of fraudsters, whose aim may be to fleece unsuspecting law-abiding members of the public of their resources.”

He issued a warning to the general public advising them to stay away from this bogus publication and the creators of this fake list.

Anyone interacting with them, in his opinion, does so at their own peril, as their major goal is to deceive and swindle members of the public.

He mentioned that the academy’s selection procedure for its 75 Regular Course participants is demanding, in-depth, and continuing.

“When completed, the authentic list will be officially published by the academy in some national newspapers and on the NDA official website: www.nda.edu.ng,” he said.

The Lagos State Police Command reaffirmed on Monday that Seun Kuti, an Afrobeat singer, will be brought before a judge for arraignment for attacking a police officer while on duty in Lagos on Saturday as seen in a widely circulated video.

The musician who turned himself in on Monday was handcuffed, detained, and would spend the night in detention, according to Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer.

“Seun Kuti is still in our custody; he’ll be arraigned once investigation is concluded,” Hundeyin confirmed the development to our correspondent in a telephone interview.

Seun, the youngest child of the late Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti, turned himself in on Monday morning at the State Criminal Investigation Department, often known as Panti, in Yaba, Lagos State.

Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Femi Akinyemi, an attorney with Falana and Falana Chambers, were with him.

The musician was paraded by police officials at the SCID in Lagos while wearing handcuffs, as seen in a video and photos published by the police.

When a video of the musician punching a police officer on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State went viral on Saturday, problems started to arise.

In response to a question regarding the apologies and monetary tip, the Police Public Relations Officer, Hundeyin, acknowledged the apology and the N12,000 offer by Seun Kuti in a phone call with our correspondent on Monday.

Hundeyin said, “Although investigation is still ongoing,  your correspondence is correct. Seun Kuti apologised to the officer on Saturday, and gave him N12,000 to repair his damaged vehicle, after the officer followed him to his house in Ikeja after the altercation.

“Fortunately, the policeman had earlier reported the incident at the Area F Police Command, and deposited the N12,000 with the command, before the video of the assault went viral on social media.”

Olumide-Fusika, who went to the police station with Seun, criticized the police for allegedly putting his client on trial in the media.

The SAN complained that “Mr Seun Kuti was handcuffed and his photograph taken in the open by the Lagos PPRO, Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, who coordinated the parade and apparently shared the photograph of his parade in the media.

“Mr Kuti is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved by the state. Therefore, the decision of the police to subject him to the media parade violates Section 9 of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, which has prohibited any form of parade of criminal suspects in Nigeria in Lagos State.

“The police are supposed to enforce the law but prefer to disrespect and break it so casually and randomly. A police institution that has no respect for the law it exists to enforce is not a good example to alleged lawbreakers.

“The decision of the police to handcuff Mr Kuti is equally illegal as it constitutes a violation of Section 5 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

“After handcuffing him, the police then drove him in a long convoy of heavily-armed personnel from Ikeja to Panti Lagos, where he was again displayed for viewing to the men and officers of that police formation, and is currently held.

“We await the next move of the police on the misdemeanor alleged against Mr Seun Kuti.”

Ademoye Adewale, a cotton candy vendor who sold snacks to Chrisland Schools Opebi students at Agege Stadium in Lagos during the school’s recent sporting events, informed the coroner appointed to determine Whitney Adeniran’s cause of death on Monday that the autopsy performed by the Lagos State Government was incorrect.

He asserted that contrary to what the autopsy report claimed, Whitney did not pass away from electrocution.

At the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Ogba, Adewale said that he creates Shawarma, Candy Floss, Popcorn, and Barbecue upon request. He made this claim in front of Magistrate Olanike Fajana.

According to the post-mortem findings, Whitney died from asphyxia and electrocution, the state authorities had previously reported.

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital provided the report, which was dated March 1, 2023.

The 12-year-old student apparently collapsed and passed away on February 9 at the Agege Stadium during the school’s interhouse competitions.

Adewale said the coroner at the case’s resumed hearing on Monday that the school administration had prevented him from selling Shawarma and Candy Floss at the pool on the day of the incident.

The witness, who was subjected to cross-examination by the late person’s family attorney, Mr. Femi Falana SAN, claimed to be an independent seller at Agege Stadium, where he had registered in order to operate his business.

Adewale informed Magistrate Fajana that he had registered his company in February 2013 and had been regularly present at the stadium. When Chrisland School came to inspect the stadium, they noticed him and took a liking to him.

Adewale claimed that at all of the events where he had sold snacks, he had never had a machine electrocute him.

He claimed that he did not see the deceased when she fell, but that he did witness students and teachers swarming around the student on the ground.

“When I went to check what was happening, I saw teachers and pupils surrounding her and I asked what happened, they said she slumped,” he explained.

He added, “To the best of my observation, the deceased did not die of electrocution. There was no naked wire, the autopsy was erroneous and from where the deceased was, it was 5cm from where my machine was and it was unplugged.

“I don’t know if the deceased died of electrocution. Other organisations have conducted tests and there was nothing like electrocution”.

The case was again postponed to May 22 so that the hearing may continue.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his desire for more young Nigerians to emulate Chef Hilda Bassey Effiong, often known as Hilda Baci.

This was expressed by Buhari in his congratulations to Hilda, who set a new record for the longest cooking session, entered the Guinness Book of Records, and brought attention to Nigeria on a global scale.

He praised the 27-year-old chef for transforming her ability and passion into a job, which had a positive ripple impact on the economy. She currently leads the globe in resiliency, tenacity, and consistency in the kitchen and manages a restaurant in Lagos.

Femi Adesina who signed the statement noted that; “The President notes the antecedents of the restaurateur, who dazzled at the Jollof Face-off Competition, 2021, preparing mouth-watering dishes that won the choice prize, and settled an age-long rivalry with Ghana on which African country should own the trademark for cooking better jollof- rice.

“President Buhari believes Hilda Baci’s drive and ambition have brought more interest and insight into the uniqueness of Nigerian food, as another cultural icon, with huge tourism benefits, hoping more young people will follow in her footsteps.

“The President thanks the sponsors of Hilda Baci Cook-a-thon, government officials, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, celebrities from the bubbling music and movie industry, and fans of the chef for all the support that has brought glory to the country. President Buhari wishes Hilda Baci more grace for a prosperous career.”

Zainab Ibrahim, who was trying to break up a disagreement between her kids Inusa and Usman, passed away in the process.

Although the exact reason for the altercation was unknown, Inusa is rumored to have accidentally macheted her mother on the left hand.

The event took place on Saturday in Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory’s Kpaduma II neighborhood of Asokoro.

Zainab was transported to a private hospital, where she passed away, according to a local resident who went by the name Saliu Shehu.

He said, “The two brothers are of the same parents. They were engaging in a serious fight. Their mother came in and tried to separate them. Inusa, however, left and went to bring a machete with which he intended to use on his brother in the process, he mistakenly cut his mother on her left hand. She was taken to a private hospital where she died.”

When contacted, Josephine Adeh, the FCT command’s spokesman, stated that Inusa was at large and that the case was still under investigation.

She said, “We received a distress call and rushed to the scene. The mother was taken to the hospital where she was confirmed dead. Usman is in custody while Inusa is at large. An investigation is, however, ongoing on the matter.”

Following the Federal Government’s refusal to accede to its requests, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors issued a five-day warning strike.

The strike, according to the resident doctors, would start at 8 am on May 17 and terminate at 8 am on May 22.

This was the conclusion reached following the virtual, six and a half-hour long National Executive Council meeting on Monday.

On April 29, 2023, NARD gave the Federal Government a two-week deadline to comply with its requests or risk industrial unrest.

On May 13, 2023, a Saturday, the ultimatum was lifted.

The Consolidated Medical Salary Structure must be immediately increased by 200 percent of the existing gross physician salary, according to the doctors.

The doctors also demand that the measure that would require recent medical and dental graduates to serve a five-year mandatory military service in Nigeria before receiving full licenses to practice medicine and dentistry be immediately withdrawn.

In addition, they demand that CONMESS be put into effect right away, that the Medical resident Training Act be domesticated, and that all state governments and private tertiary health institutions that conduct any kind of resident training examine the hazard allowance.

The strike affected both emergency and clinical procedures at the hospitals, according to NARD President Dr. Emeka Orji, who spoke to The PUNCH.

Despite the administration being given an ultimatum that expired on May 13, according to Dr. Orji, the government refused to bargain with the doctors about their requests.