Author: Naija Daily News

Photo: Okowa in the cooler A former Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for allegedly misappropriating the state finances, including the 13% derivation fund. Prominent citizens of the state said Okowa mismanaged over N1.3 trillion, with very little or nothing to show for it. It was gathered that his arrest was based on petitions and weighty allegations against the former governor. Okowa, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in 2023, has been widely accused by the state’s leaders and indigene of mismanaging the finances…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has admitted that the commission made errors during the Edo State governorship election. He assured Nigerians that these mistakes would not be repeated in the upcoming Ondo State governorship election scheduled for November 16. The INEC boss made the remarks during a visit to the INEC state headquarters in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Monday. Prof. Yakubu discussed the lessons learned from the recent Edo election and other previous polls. The main issues, he said were logistics and the management of election results.…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Federal Government has promised to protect every Nigerian resident in Libya, following the recent ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against the Libyan Football Association. The statement came amidst fears and reports that Nigerians in the North African country were being subjected to maltreatment and mass deportations by Libyan authorities. But the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has assured that Nigerians living in the country have nothing to fear, restating its determination to protect them. The statement by Eche Abu-Obe, the spokesperson for the ministry, said Nigerians in Libya are going…

Security deployments have been made across many towns and cities in the United States of America as citizens go to the poll tomorrow to choose a new president amidst fear of violence and widespread civil unrest. Feelers from the world’s oldest democracy indicated that Republican candidate, President Donald Trump is prepping his supporters for violent reactions if he loses the election, an action would could be worse than the failed January 2021 Capitol coup. He has hinted that the country could get ‘bloody and messy’ if he is declared winner on Tuesday, 5 November. Naija Daily News gathered that security…

By Deborah Nnamdi The Nigeria Army has declared 44 soldiers posted to fight Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in Borno State wanted for desertion. The soldiers were declared as deserters bound to face dire consequences if found. The Army authorities have also frozen the bank accounts of the affected personnel. The affected soldiers were reportedly deployed from various units and formations to 403 Amphibious Brigade in Baga community, Borno State. 403 AMPH BDE is under the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Sector 3, Nigeria. While the wanted soldiers were expected to report at the unit no later than October 31,…

Photo: Hathiramani Ranesh, MD, Dana Group A Federal High Court in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, has ordered the arrest of Dana Airlines Managing Director, Hathiramani Ranesh for failing to appear in the court for trial. Ranesh and others at large are accused of committing a felony between September and December 2018, within the premises of DANA Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina. They allegedly conspired to remove, convert and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the…

Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91. Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family,…

By Oghenekevwe Kofi, Ericsson LM, Lagos In the face of Nigeria’s economic growth and diversification, one sector stands out as a catalyst for financial inclusion and economic transformation: digital finance. With millions of Nigerians previously underserved by traditional banks, mobile payments and fintech services are reshaping the nation’s economic landscape. They are expanding access to financial tools, bolstering old businesses and stimulating new business growth. In a country where mobile phone penetration is high, digital finance is playing a critical role in bridging the gap between the banked and unbanked populations. The Importance of Financial Inclusion in Nigeria Mr Wale…

As the pricing face-off between the management of Dangote Refinery and petroleum products marketers in the country rages, the company has announced that it is selling petrol at a reduced rate of N960 per litre for supply via ships and N990 per litre for supply via trucks. This was disclosed by Anthony Chiejina, the refinery’s spokesperson, on Sunday. The announcement follows a dispute between Dangote and fuel marketers, with marketers claiming that imported petrol is priced lower than the refinery’s output. Responding to these claims, Chiejina clarified that the 650,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery adjusted its pricing after the…

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has exonerated former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen of charges that led to his removal from office in 2019. The Appeal court also ordered the Federal Government to immediately unfreeze Onnoghen’s account with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited. On January 25, 2019, just 29 days before the presidential election, former President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Onnoghen as Chief Justice and appointed Justice Tanko Muhammad, the next most senior Supreme Court judge, to lead the judiciary. Onnoghen’s suspension came shortly after he announced the inauguration of judges to oversee election petition tribunals. This action provoked significant reactions, with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemning it as a coup against the judiciary. Subsequently, Onnoghen was convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on six counts of corruption brought against him by the Federal Government. He was accused of making a false declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau. Six years after his conviction, a six-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Mohammed Bello, acquitted the former CJN. This followed a settlement between him and the Federal Government. President Bola Tinubu, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince  Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, urged the appellate court to halt the proceedings on three separate appeals filed by Onnoghen challenging his removal, conviction, and asset seizure. As per the terms of the settlement dated October 24, the appellate court has directed the federal government to immediately unfreeze Onnoghen’s account with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited. >>>>More to follow