The Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, are currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the alleged mismanagement of the N90bn 2024 Hajj subsidy, The PUNCH learnt on Wednesday. In a document sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday, the anti-graft agency said, “A total of SR314,098 was recovered,” from the NAHCON chairman and other ranking officials. The EFCC said its investigation revealed that from the N90bn Hajj subsidy, Arabi, fraudulently overpaid himself and others the necessary operational cost. Also according to the document, the…
Author: UZDO Media
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, called on Nigerians to rally around President Bola Tinubu as he works to address the country’s socio-political, economic, and security challenges. Shettima spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of a book titled ‘Navigating the Politics of Universal Education Policies in Nigeria’ authored by Prof Modupe Adelabu, a retired professor of Educational Administration at the Department of Educational Management at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Shettima assured Nigerians that the benefits of the tough measures being implemented would soon be evident. The Vice President emphasised that the focus should not be on lamenting…
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on Thursday, described as ridiculous and unreasonable the insinuation by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, that he (Ganduje) hired miscreants masquerading as protesters to break into the state high court and steal some ‘sensitive documents’ relating to his (Ganduje’s) corruption trial. The Yusuf-led state government filed at least two corruption charges against Ganduje, including one in which the ex-governor, his wife, Hafsat, son, Umar and others were accused of $413,000 and N1.38bn bribery. In a statement on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Ganduje said Yusuf’s…
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced that Nigerians can access at least eleven different initiatives established by the Federal Government. These key initiatives span various sectors, including education, transportation, business, housing, and skills acquisition, among others. Idris made this disclosure in a Wednesday noon post on X, using the hashtag #HMMohammedIdris. He also shared a two-minute and 52-second video on his page. He posted, “Nigerians have at least eleven different initiatives created by the federal government to apply and register for These eleven key initiatives cover areas like education, transportation, business, housing, and skills acquisition, among…
The Ekiti State Police Command said it had arraigned a 20-year-old cattle rearer, Mohamadu Bello, before an Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly destroying farm produce valued at N3.8m belonging to four individuals. The police prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, told the court on Thursday that the defendant committed the offence on August 10 at Ido Ile Ekiti. Adejare alleged that “the defendant, who is a cattle rearer, maliciously damaged the farm produce valued at N300,000 belonging to one Awiye Olusola. The defendant also maliciously damaged the farm produce valued at N2.8m belonging to one Oni Samson. “The defendant maliciously…
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says it is shameful Nigeria with over 200 million population is still generating 5,000 megawatts. Adelabu stated this while receiving members of the Civil-Military Committee on Energy Security, in his office on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, on Thursday, the minister expressed displeasure over the rate at which power infrastructure is being vandalised across the nation.He said vandals destroy national assets and deprive the government of the capacity to provide stable and affordable electricity to homes, industries, and all critical sectors of the economy. He said the past…
The Edo State Special Task Force on Anti-cultism on Thursday said it had arrested 11 suspected members of different cult groups in the state, vowing to win the cult war. Speaking at a press briefing on the activities of the task force made up of eight security outfits and four ministries, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said the suspects were arrested in several parts of the state by the crack team of the task force. While calling on cult members to renounce their membership, he warned that no political, religious, ethnic, or social standing would protect anyone…
Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, the Chinese firm that got a court injunction to ground three presidential jets belonging to the Federal Government in Europe, has initiated plans to seize other Nigerian assets in the United Kingdom, United States of America and in six other countries, The PUNCH has learnt. The PUNCH also learnt that the company had instituted legal proceedings in about eight jurisdictions globally, regarding the dispute. The other countries include Belgium, Canada, France, Singapore and the British Virgin Islands, documents relating to the case, which were obtained by our correspondent, were revealed on Thursday. This comes…
The National Emergency Management Agency has said that 27 states have been impacted by floods, with a total of 227,494 persons affected and 32,837 houses damaged. NEMA disclosed this on Thursday, adding that 16,488 hectares of farmland with crops were also damaged. The agency’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja by NEMA’s spokesperson, Ezekiel Manzo. Umar said, “NEMA shall continue with public sensitisation as well as grassroots awareness through advocacies and workshops on solid waste management to raise public consciousness on the clearance of blocked drainages and waterways. “So far, based on statistics from…
President Bola Tinubu and the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Mbasogo, on Wednesday, in Malabo signed an agreement on the Gulf of Guinea Pipeline Project, further affirming the partnership for mutual development. “The agreement covered legislative and regulatory measures for the gas pipeline, establishment and operation, transit of natural gas, ownership of the gas pipeline, and general principles,” a statement signed by Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday read. The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu and President Mbasogo sign agreement on the gas pipeline for the Gulf of Guinea.’ In his remarks at the event, Tinubu, who is on a…