ONE WORD

Ikeja – Lt. -Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd) told an Ikeja High Court that he cannot recall how much he earned as salary as former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff(COAS). Bamaiyi told the court while being being cross-examined by Fred Ajudua, a lawyer, former Lagos socialite and an alleged serial fraudster before Justice Josephine Oyefeso of an Ikeja High Court. Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi Ajudua is standing trial for allegedly defrauding the retired General of 8.4million dollars. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajudua cross-examined Bamaiyi because his counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN) was not in court. Bamaiyi told the court that he served in the Nigerian Army for 34 years after he was commissioned as a second Lieutenant on July 5, 1968. He said that he served as the Chief of Army Staff from Nov. 17, 1993 to May 29, 1999. The former COAS testified that he was arraigned in court on Nov. 23, 1999 alongside late CP James Danbaba and Col. J. B Y

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has fixed April 30, 2019, to deliver judgment in a $55 million debt recovery suit filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria against Agip Oil Company Ltd. The court reserved its judgment after the counsel representing both parties had respectively adopted their final addresses before the court. This suit, filed since 2016 is one among other suits by the Federal Government, seeking to recover almost $12 billion in missing crude oil revenue from some international oil companies. There are similar lawsuits pending against Total E&P Nigeria Plc and Chevron Nigeria Limited by the Federal Government. In the suit, the Federal Government accused Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited of under-declaring the volume of crude oil it shipped out of the country between January 2011 and December 2014. According to the Federal Government, the oil giant short-changed it to the tune of $55m. The government is praying the court to compel the oil firm to pa

The U.S Embassy in Nigeria says its Abuja office and Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Friday in recognition of the work-free day declared by the Federal Government. The embassy said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. The Federal Government has declared Friday, Feb. 22 as a Work-Free Day to enable Nigerians to prepare for the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly Elections on Saturday, Feb 23. “In recognition of this declaration and to encourage all our Nigerian employees to exercise their right to vote, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos will be closed. “No consular services will be available. If you already have a regular visa or ACS appointment for that date, you will be contacted for rescheduling,” the embassy stated. Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/02/us-embassy-in-nigeria-announces-closure.html

According to a report by Punch Metro, a group of masked gunmen, on Wednesday, kidnapped 10 passengers and the driver of a white Toyota Sienna SUV travelling to Port Harcourt from Abua in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State. It was gathered that the passengers were accosted by their abductors at the Rumuekpe junction along the East-West Road in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Punch Metro that the gunmen came out from a nearby bush, shot into the air and took away the 10 passengers in the vehicle and the driver. He said, “Some young men, early this morning, came out of the bush with guns at the Rumuekpe junction along the East-West Road in the Emohua Local Government Area and blocked a Toyota Sienna SUV conveying 10 passengers. “They fired some gunshots into the air before kidnapping all the passengers in the vehicle as well as the driver. The victims were taken into the bush, while the ve

A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has sentenced a former Managing Director of the defunct Integrated Microfinance Bank Ltd, Simon Akinteye to four years in prison, over a $166.9m dollars fraud. The court sentenced the convict on the eight-count charge preferred against him by the office of Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federal Ministry of Justice. The sentence is to run concurrently. The court, however, gave him an option of fine of N2m on each of the counts, adding that same shall be computed cumulatively. Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had convicted Akinteye on Feb. 4, after finding him guilty of all eight counts bordering on reckless granting of loans without collateral, preferred against him. Meanwhile, the court had on same Feb. 4, discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, Gabriel Adepoju, who was accused of withdrawing a total sum of N22 million from the bank and diverting same to a limited liability company, Gad Press Limited. The court had then

German police confirmed Thursday that a Manchester City fan is in a critical condition following an alleged assault after the Premier League club’s Champions League match against Schalke. Man City fans Police in Gelsenkirchen say a 32-year-old male City fan was allegedly punched at Schalke’s Veltins Arena, near the away fans section, and suffered a “massive traumatic brain injury” after falling. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where his condition is described as “critical”. Local police are investigating a clash between two Schalke and two City fans, which led to the injury, and have called for witnesses. City issued a statement on their website on Thursday saying they were “aware of an alleged assault after the match”. “The club are working with Greater Manchester Police and German Police to ascertain more information,” it said. “Club staff have remained in Germany to support the family of an injured City fan who is currently in a critical condition in hospital.”

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, says he is not under any pressure and has not considered resigning even though there have been calls in some quarters seeking his resignation. Professor Yakubu made this known on Thursday, at a press briefing at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He said, “I see no reason to even contemplate resigning”. The INEC Chairman said he remains the Chief Electoral Officer of the Nation, stressing that he is confident that the polls will be conducted successfully. “I am not under any pressure… The last time I checked and that is the situation as we speak,  I am the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Nigeria, and constitutionally the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federal Republic and Returning Officer for the presidential elections”. Professor Yakubu said his status has not changed, hence he is proceeding on the basis of the powers which he draws fr