DSS kills kidnapper of popular Hausa singer Rarara’s mother, recovers N26.5m

By Doris Isreal Ijeoma Department of State Services operatives have killed one and arrested another of the kidnappers of Hajiya Hauwa’u Adamu, mother of popular Kano-based Hausa singer, Dauda Rarara. Gunmen had broken into the residence of Rara’s mother in Kahutu village in Danja Local Government Area of Kano State and abducted her on Friday, June 28, 2024. She, however, regained freedom after spending 20 days in captivity. A highly placed source in the secret service told Daily Trust that N26.5 million was also recovered in a covert operation. The source said the Kano command’s tactical team, based on reliable intelligence, busted a gang of five bandits in Makarfi bush where they were sharing the ransom. “One Hamisu Tukur, is currently in custody with gunshot injuries, while Bature was killed,” the source said

Police release prankster, Zfancy on bail

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the release of a skit maker and prankster, Zion Ubani, better known as Zfancy. Recall that the NPF-National Cybercrime Centre had on Thursday, July 4, arrested Zfancy in Abuja over prank videos accusing him of heinous crimes, including rape. However, the Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in an update on Wednesday, said the skit maker was released on bail. In a statement, Adejobi said the young man was released to the executives of the Practitioners of Content Creation, Skit-Making and Influencers Guild of Nigeria, PCCSIGN. According to him, the delegation was led to the Force Headquarters by Tokoni Peter Igoin, Special Assistant to the President on ICT Development and Digital Innovation. “The videos were later found to be scripted. “He has been warned to avoid pranks that could cause public unrest. “While encouraging positive creativity amongst the youthful populace, the NPF urges content creators to responsibly use social media and avoid spreading misinformation that may incite public disorder,” Adejobi said.

Kidnapped  Zamfara Catholic priest in Zamfara released after two weeks

The Parish Priest of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, Gusau, Zamfara State, Mikah Suleiman has regained his freedom from bandits who kidnapped him two weeks ago. Suleiman’s release was announced in a statement on Sunday, July 7, 2024, by the Director of Communications, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Pascal Salifu. The statement read, “We are overjoyed to announce the safe release of Fr Mikah Suleiman, who was kidnapped on 22/06/2024. ‘We extend our heartfelt gratitude to God for His protection and to everyone who offered prayers and support during this challenging time. “Our thanks also go to the authorities and all involved in securing Fr Mikah’s release. He is currently receiving the necessary care and support.” Salifu urged people to “continue to keep him in your prayers as he begins his recovery.” The state Police Public Relations Officer, Yazid Abubakar confirmed the priest’s abduction on Saturday, saying, “Yes, the incident happened early hour of today, the Reverend Father was kidnapped in his residence. We were not informed when the incident happened but what I gathered was that the man stays alone not in the church. “We have deployed our tactical squad to go after the kidnappers with the aim of rescuing the victim unhurt.” More so, the acting Chancellor of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Nuhu Iliya had urged the Christian faithful to pray for the “quick and safe release” of the priest. “We equally commend him to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, for his speedy release from the hands of his abductors,” Iliya said.

INEC to Release Details of Ondo Gubernatorial Candidates Ahead of Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to disclose the personal particulars of candidates and their running mates contending in the Ondo State governorship election. The release is scheduled for Saturday, May 25, 2024. Sam Olumekun, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, affirmed that the publication of candidates’ personal details is a consequential step following the conclusion of party primaries. Olumekun clarified that seventeen political parties had adhered to the deadline by successfully submitting their candidates’ nomination forms for the Ondo State gubernatorial race before May 20, 2024. Notably, the dedicated portal for submissions automatically closed at 6:00 pm on the specified date. This forthcoming action is in accordance with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, delineated as item 4 on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election. INEC will prominently display copies of Form EC9, alongside all academic credentials and other pertinent documents submitted by each candidate. These displays will be accessible at the INEC state headquarters in Akure and the 18 local government offices across the state. Olumekun urged Nigerians to meticulously examine the documents provided. He clarified that any aspirant who participated in their party primaries and harbors reasonable suspicions regarding the accuracy of information provided by a candidate or running mate, has the prerogative to challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court. This recourse is stipulated in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.

5th Day Truce: More Gaza Hostages, Palestinian Inmates Freed

Another 12 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have returned to Israel via Egypt, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday evening. This occured as the temporary truce in the Gaza war appeared to hold amid reports of an exchange of fire between the two sides. According to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latest group of freed hostages comprises 10 Israelis and two Thai nationals. Among the Israeli nationals are senior female citizens – one in her 80s and a 17-year-old teenager, who was released together with her mother. One of the releases hostages also holds German citizenship, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on X, formerly Twitter. This puts the total number of hostages released from Gaza since the beginning of a breakthrough truce agreement between Israel and the Palestinian extremist organisation Hamas on Friday at 81, including 61 Israeli nationals. In return for the group released from Gaza on Tuesday, 30 Palestinian prisoners were released from different Israeli jails on Tuesday evening, according to the Israeli prison authority. Among them were 15 women, some of them minors, and 15 male minors, the youngest being 14 years old. In total, 180 Palestinian prisoners have been released from Israeli prisons since the beginning of the temporary ceasefire negotiated by Qatar and Egypt last week. In return, Hamas has released a total of 81 hostages, including 61 Israelis. One male Israeli, who also has Russian citizenship, was released on Monday evening as a gesture of goodwill to Russia, with no Palestinians being released in return. Some 240 people had been abducted into the Gaza Strip amid the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on southern Israel by Hamas and other militant groups. The pause in fighting, which came into effect on Friday morning and was initially set to last four days, has been extended by another two days under the previously negotiated conditions. It is unclear whether it can be extended further. The agreement has also facilitated the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. In spite of the ongoing truce, an exchange of fire between Israel and Hamas was reported in the north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, according to the Israel army. Israeli soldiers were reportedly shot at and returned fire. In addition, a total of three explosive devices exploded next to soldiers at two locations. This meant that the framework of the ceasefire had been “violated,” the IDF said. According to the army, several soldiers sustained slight injuries. The soldiers were at the locations agreed upon as part of the ceasefire. Hamas confirmed a confrontation with the Israeli army. The group charged that Israel had violated the truce in the north of the Gaza Strip. However, Hamas emphasised that it would continue to feel bound to the agreement as long as Israel also felt committed. Hamas called on mediators Qatar and Egypt to put pressure on Israel to respect the ceasefire. Netanyahu meanwhile reiterated Israel’s commitment to continue its military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas once the truce agreement runs out. In an interview with German broadcaster Welt TV published on Tuesday, the premier did not comment on for how long the deal could be extended. “We agreed that women and children as well as the foreign hostages would be released first,” Netanyahu said in the interview, which was conducted in English and later translated by Welt TV into German. “After that has happened, we will continue the fighting,” he added. Hamas, who took power in Gaza by force in 2007, had committed the worst murders, Netanyahu said, referring to the brutal Oct. 7 attacks committed by Hamas fighters and other groups from Gaza on Israeli border communities in which some 1,200 people were killed. “We have absolutely no choice but to destroy Hamas,” Netanyahu said in view of the massacre. Israel would continue to do everything in its power to spare civilians in the Gaza Strip as much as possible, he said. However, according to Hamas, almost 15,000 people have already been killed and around 36,000 injured amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza triggered by the Oct. 7 attacks. A further 7,000 inhabitants of the densely populated coastal area are considered missing. The numbers cannot currently be independently verified.

WHO Releases $16m To Tackle Cholera, Says Director-General

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released 16 million dollars from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies to tackle cholera. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said this during an online news conference. Ghebreyesus said that the organisation was providing essential supplies, coordinating the on the ground response with partners, supporting countries to detect, prevent and treat cholera, and informing people how to protect themselves. “To support this work, we have appealed for 160 million dollars, and we have released more than 16 million dollars from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies. “But the real solution to cholera lies in ensuring everyone has access to safe water and sanitation, which is an internationally recognized human right,” he said. According to him, in the previous week, WHO published new data showing that cases reported in 2022 were more than double those in 2021. He said that the preliminary data for 2023 suggested was likely to be even worse. “So far, 28 countries have reported cases in 2023 compared with 16 during the same period in 2022. “The countries with the most concerning outbreaks right now are Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq and Sudan. “Significant progress has been made in countries in Southern Africa, including Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, but these countries remain at risk as the rainy season approaches,” Ghebreyesus said. According to him, the worst affected countries and communities are poor, without access to safe drinking water or toilets. He said that they also face shortages of oral cholera vaccine and other supplies, as well as overstretched health workers, who are dealing with multiple disease outbreaks and other health emergencies. On COVID-19, Ghebreyesus said that as the northern hemisphere winter approaches, the organisation continued to see concerning trends. He said that among the relatively few countries that report them, both hospitalisations and ICU admissions have increased in the past 28 days, particularly in the Americas and Europe. WHO boss said that meanwhile, vaccination levels among the most at-risk groups remained worryingly low. “Two-thirds of the world’s population has received a complete primary series, but only one-third has received an additional, or “booster” dose. “COVID-19 may no longer be the acute crisis it was two years ago, but that does not mean we can ignore it,” he said. According to him, countries invested so much in building their systems to respond to COVID-19. He urged countries to sustain those systems, to ensure people can be protected, tested and treated for COVID-19 and other infectious threats. “That means sustaining systems for collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures and coordination,” he said.

7 years after, CBN publishes consolidated financial statements

The financial statement comes two weeks after ex-CEO of Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria’s Jim Obazee was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as special investigator to look into the books of the Apex Bank.Godwin Emefiele was suspended by President Tinubu with Folashodun Shonubi appointed as acting Governor.  After a seven-year hiatus, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has published its financial report for the year ended December 31, 2022. After a seven-year hiatus, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has broken its silence, revealing consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2022. This marks the first financial report published by the CBN since 2015. The long-awaited financial statement emerges in the wake of recent developments, which is notably as former CEO of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Jim Obazee’s assumption of the role of special investigator, appointed by President Bola Tinubu. Obazee’s task is to meticulously examine the financial records of the CBN. This move follows the suspension of Godwin Emefiele, with Folashodun Shonubi stepping in as the acting Governor. Spanning the years 2016 to 2022, the Consolidated Financial Statements have finally seen the light of day. These statements disclose a net profit of N65.63 billion for this period. Furthermore, the CBN extended a substantial N23.18 trillion loan to the Federal Government through the Ways and Means mechanism. Within the same timeframe, the bank’s group performance has been impressive, showcasing a commendable profit of N103.85 billion during the identical period. “The financial results for the year demonstrate a substantial achievement. Both the group and the bank independently reported profits of N103,854 million and N65,626 million, respectively. (Comparatively, the figures for 2021 were N75,125 million and N31,044 million),” the official report articulates. The stipulations of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2011 dictate that 20 percent of the bank’s net income will be allocated to retained earnings. The remaining balance will be disbursed to the federal government of Nigeria. In compliance with the CBN Act 2007, the bank’s annual report should be released within a span of two months following the closure of each fiscal year. “The mandate states that the Bank shall provide a certified copy of its annual accounts, audited by a qualified Auditor, to both the National Assembly and the President within this stipulated time frame,” the report highlights. Delving into the expenses, the CBN incurred a total of N888.3 billion in operating costs. A meticulous breakdown discloses that N346.2 billion resulted from foreign exchange revaluation losses. Additionally, N155.5 billion was expended on rebate allowances from the RT 200 and Naira4Dollar initiatives. These policies were strategically crafted to attract foreign exchange inflows. “Rebate expenses encompass the financial outlay associated with the RT200 and Naira 4 Dollar schemes. These initiatives were introduced by the Bank to amplify foreign currency inflow, diversify the channels of FX inflow, elevate non-oil exports, ensure the stability and longevity of FX inflows, and provide support for companies oriented towards exports, facilitating their expansion of export activities and capabilities,” elucidates the comprehensive report.