Full Names of 15 Terrorism Sponsors Released By FG
Following the directive of the Federal Government, the Nigerian Sanctions Committee on Monday, March 18, revealed the identities of 15 entities including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change firms that have been sanctioned over alleged terrorism financing. The nine individuals under sanctions are 1. Tukur Mamu 2. Yusuf Ghazali 3. Muhammad Sani 4. Abubakar Muhammad 5. Sallamudeen Hassan 6. Adamu Ishak 7. Hassana-Oyiza Isah 8. Abdulkareem Musa, 9. Umar Abdullahi The six BDCs and firms are 10. West and East Africa General Trading Company Limited 11. Settings Bureau De Change Limited 12. G. Side General Enterprises 13. Desert Exchange Ventures Limited 14. Eagle Square General Trading Company Limited 15. Alfa Exchange BDC.
Blackout Hits Parts Of Nigeria As Power Stations Collapse
Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Kogi State, are currently experiencing power outages due to the collapse of a power station. The two areas earlier mentioned are under the coverage of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC). On Tuesday, the AEDC informed its customers in Zamani Estate, Abacha Road Mararaba, Ruga Juli and other parts of Abuja that a technical fault on 33kv feeder k6 from AT9 Karu Transmission Station was responsible for the power outage. “The management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc wishes to notify its esteemed customers that there is currently a technical fault on 33kv feeder k6 from AT9 Karu Transmission Station, managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria. “The areas affected in Abuja are: Zamani Estate, Abacha Road Mararaba, Ruga Juli, Old Karu Road, Glory Estate, and environs,” the Disco said in a statement. The AEDC disclosed that the TCN maintenance crew was working to ensure the supply of electricity to these areas was restored soon, regretting any inconvenience caused. Earlier, the TCN had announced its maintenance crew would carry out planned maintenance on its TR3 45MVA and TR2 60MVA power transformers in its 132/33kV Okene Transmission Substation. The maintenance was scheduled to run from Tuesday to Wednesday, from 10 am to 03pm on each day.
FG Releases List Of Those Responsible For Terrorism Financing In Nigeria
The Federal Government has released a list of 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators and firms, involved in terrorism financing. The details of the development were revealed by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and made available on Tuesday night. The document, entitled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024,” disclosed that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024, where specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanction following their involvement in terrorism financing. “The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions List,” the document read in part. Among the individuals named on the document is a Kaduna-based publisher, Tukur Mamu, who is currently being tried by the Federal Government for allegedly aiding the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022. According to the document, Mamu “participated in the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransome payments over the sum of $200,000 US in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.” The document also said one of the individuals is “the suspected attacker of the St. Francis Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State on June 5, 2022 and the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja on July 5, 2022.” Another was described as “a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, the group is associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. “The subject was trained and served under Muktar Belmokhtar, aka One Eyed Out, led Al-Murabtoun Katibat of AQIM in Algeria and Mali.” The NFIU said the individual “specialises in designing terrorist clandestine communication code and he is also Improvised Explosive Device expert. “The subject was also a gate keeper to ANSARU leader, Mohammed Usman aka Khalid Al-Bamawi. Equally, he was a courier and travel guide to AQIM Katibat in the desert of Algeria and Mali. He is into carpentry. Subject fled Kuje correctional centre on July 5, 2022. He is currently at large.” Another was identified as “a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province Okene.” The agency said the individual “came into limelight in 2012 as North Central wing of Boko Haram. “The group is suspected of the attacks carried out around Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone, including the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.” Another was described as “a financial courier to ISWAP Okene. She is responsible for the disbursement of funds to the widows/wives of the terrorist fighters of the group.” According to the document, another of the individuals “in 2015, transferred N60m to terrorism convicts.” He was also said to have “received a sum of N189m between 2016 and 2018.” The same person is said to “own entities and business reported in the UAE court judgment as facilitating the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.” Another individual was said to have “received a total of N57m from between 2014 and 2017.” Another was said to have “had a total inflow of N61.4 bn and a total outflow of N51.7bn from his accounts.”
Church loses bid to stop conduct of elections, examinations on Saturdays
A Member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church of Nigeria, Ugochukwu Uchenwa, Wednesday, loses bid seeking the prohibition of the conduct of elections and examinations on Saturdays in Nigeria. Justice James Kolawole Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit instituted against the Federal Government for being frivolous, vexatious, irritating and baseless. According to the plaintiff, Saturday is its Sabbath day of worship and that fundamental rights of its members are being brutally breached by the conduct of elections and examinations on Saturdays. Specifically the plaintiff, through his counsel, Benjamin Amaefina, sought order of the Court to prohibit the FG from further conducting elections and examinations on the Sabbath day so as to stop disruption of their rights to worship. Consequently, he prayed the court to declare the fixing of elections and examinations on Saturdays as unconstitutional. In the alternative, the plaintiff asked the court to order the defendants to allow him and other members of his church to vote or take examinations on any other day of the week including Sundays. Listed as defendants in the suit are President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Minister of Internal Affairs, Joint Admission and Matriculation Examinations (JAMB), National Examination Council (NECO), West African Examination Council, (WAEC) and the National Business and Technical Examination Board. Delivering his judgement, Justice Omotoso held that the fundamental rights being claimed by the church were not at large and cannot be curtailed by government policy. Besides, the Judge held that the Seventh Day Adventist Church is in the minority in Nigeria and cannot impose its doctrine on the majority of other religious denominations in the country.
Zenith Bank Appoints First Female GMD/CEO
Zenith Bank has named Adaora Umeoji as its first female Group Managing Director/Chief Executive. Her appointment, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria, takes effect from June 1, 2024, according to the bank. “She takes over from Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose five-year term expires on May 31, 2024, after a very successful tenure. Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji is the first female GMD/CEO since the inception of the bank, and her appointment is consistent with the bank’s executive transition tradition, succession plan, and strategy of grooming leaders from within,” Zenith Bank said in a Tuesday statement. Before her latest appointment, Umeoji had been serving as the bank’s Deputy Managing Director since October 28, 2016. She has about 30 years of cognate banking experience with 26 of them spent working with Zenith Bank. “She is an alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School where she attended the Advanced Management Program (AMP) and an alumnus of Columbia Business School with a Certificate in the Global Banking Program,” the bank statement further read. “She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Jos, a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, and a First-Class Honours in Law from Baze University, Abuja. She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom, a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar, and also has a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA.”
Popular Nollywood producer, Andy Best is dead
Nollywood producer, Ikechukwu Nnadi, popularly known as Andy Best, is reportedly dead. Nnadi, who was said to be battling with a prolonged ailment, was confirmed dead at a private clinic in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Tuesday. Confirming the death of the movie producer, the convener of the Best of Nollywood awards, Mr Seun Oloketuyi, wrote in an Instagram post that Nnadi is late. “Andy Best, a top Nollywood producer and marketer, is dead. “He died in an Owerri hospital today,” he wrote. Until his death, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Andy Best Production and was behind the production of famous movies, including Lion of Africa, White Poison, My Father’s Cup, and many more. He hailed from Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. Meanwhile, his remains have been deposited at the Aladinma Mortuary in Owerri.
Students Loan Repayment: NANS Proposes Five Years plan
Nigeria student’s body, the National Association of Nigerian Students, has urged the federal government to extend the repayment plan for the proposed students loan to five years after post-NYSC instead of the initial two years post-NYSC plan. The body maintained that less than 10 per cent of graduates get absorbed into the labour market within two years post-NYSC, adding that it becomes unrealistic to expect beneficiaries of the loan scheme to begin repayment two years after the completion of the National Youth Service Corps. NANS President Lucky Emonele, made the proposal on Monday at a public hearing on the repeal and re-enactment of 2024 Students Loans Access to Higher Education Bill 2024 in Abuja. Whioe commending President Bola Tinubu for responding to the request of NANS, by including its leadership as representatives of the students on the loan board, Emonele also commended the decision to repeal the Act to address grey areas that could hinder the success of the student loan scheme. According to him, the proposed repayment period of two years post-NYSC for the loan was not realistic, saying that less than 10 per cent of Nigerian graduates get absorbed into the labour force upon completion of their NYSC. The NANS President, therefore, proposed a minimum of five years repayment duration, given the challenges of unemployment after graduation. While calling for the provision of study grants for Nigerian students in the Act seeking to establish the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, Emonele also appealed that the provision of a loan scheme should not be a further reason for an arbitrary increment of school fees by the management of tertiary institutions. He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to pass a resolution that prohibits public tertiary institutions from increasing school fees in the next 10 years, saying it was the only way to sustain the act when enacted. According to him, there is also a need to make provision for grants for students to enable them to complete or further their studies. This, he said, would encourage more students to enroll in school and alleviate the burden that may be placed on the loans. “If the Federal Government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, could earmark N683bn for public tertiary institutions in 2024, without requesting for payback from beneficiary institutions, Nigerian students should not be treated any differently.” The public hearing was organised by the Senate Committee on Education and TETFUND and the House of Representatives Committee on Student Loan, Scholarship, and Higher Education Financing. In his words, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, commended President Bola Tinubu for his passion and commitment to the education sector, stating that the President does not want any child of school age to be out of school, given his passion for education. The minister said the public hearing would provide an opportunity to make further input to improve the bill for the good of Nigerian students.
Veteran actor, Amaechi Muonagor Seeks financial support for kidney transplant
Veteran Nollywood actor, Amaechi Muonagor has called on Nigerians to assist him financially to carry out a kidney transplant in India. In a video circulating on social media, the popular actor was seen laying on a bed, pleading for help. His Nollywood colleague Kingsley Orji, who was seated next to him, made an appeal on his behalf. Orji revealed that Amaechi Muonagor left the teaching hospital some days ago due to financial constraints. He stated that the illness had affected his speech and urged fans and well-wishers to contribute for a transplant surgery. “It has not been easy. He has been in this condition for months now. He wants to go for a kidney transplant. What we want is for you to help us for him to travel to India,” Orji said. “He just came back from the ICU in Nnewi teaching hospital a couple of days ago. He was responding to treatment but not very well. “We decided to bring him home because there was no money but it is not advisable. He barely talks well. Please, he needs your help.” Recall in November 2023, Amaechi Muonagor had cried out for help after revealing that he was battling paralysis which has affected half of his first leg.
How sex tape scandal made me lose N400m endorsement deal – Oxlade
Afro-pop singer Ikuforiji Olaitan, popularly known as Oxlade, has revealed that he lost endorsement deals worth over N400 million after his sex tape got leaked. Recall that Oxlade’s sex tape with an unidentified lady was leaked from Snapchat in February 2022. Speaking in the latest episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence Podcast, Oxlade disclosed that he was been blackmailed with the video before it got leaked. He explained that he felt relieved when the sex tape got leaked because he was tired of the blackmailer using it to extort money from him. He, however, admitted that the scandal affected his family and his mental health as well as his brand.
Terrorists Launch Fresh Attack On Kaduna Community
Terrorists, on Saturday, launched a fresh attack on the Dogon-noma community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The attack is coming barely three days after one person was killed, and eight women were kidnapped in the Banono Angwaku community of the same local government. A former chairman of the local government, Cafra Caino, confirmed the fresh attack to our correspondent on Saturday. According to him, the attackers invaded the village around 5.45am on Saturday in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately. Caino said, “We are yet to get the number of casualties because the locals ran for their lives at the time the assailants invaded the community. “The community had, some time in 2019, come under heavy attack where 74 people were killed and the community recently has been experiencing attacks.”