News Update

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has rejected the tax reform bills, sponsored by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the bills will destroy the north. In an interview with BBC Hausa service, the governor expressed displeasure over how the bills enjoyed speedy and smooth passage to the current phase when other bills had spent several years to scale through.

Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso has advised Nigerians against leaving the country (Japa). He assured that the apex bank is building an economy where everybody and businesses can thrive. Speaking at an event in Lagos State, he said “it is not a good idea to japa at this stage”.

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The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to 109 alleged foreign hackers accused of attempting to defraud Nigerians, setting the bail at a total of N1 billion. Trial Justice Ekerete Akpan ordered the defendants, who were previously remanded in prison custody, to produce five sureties, each required to provide a sum of N200 million.

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The Foundation for Investigative Journalism, FIJ, on Friday night announced that its founder, Fisayo Soyombo, has been released from detention by the Nigerian Army. Soyombo and others were arrested for oil bunkering and have been in the custody of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt for three days.

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 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has reappointed Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its Director-General for a second term. The General Council of the WTO stated in a post on X that the reappointment will take effect on September 1, 2025.

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Pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, who was arrested in Finland for alleged terrorism-related activities, will spend Christmas in detention as the country’s legal system does not permit bail. A Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, Mikko Laaksonen, disclosed this on Friday.

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 The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended a notorious trans-border arms dealer and recovered a cache of weapons, including 17 rifles, ammunition, and equipment used for arms fabrication. Five suspects, identified as Adamu Noma, Matthew Audu, Andrew Poyi, Aminu Sani, and Aminu Talha, were arrested during the operation conducted on November 18 by the Intelligence Response Team.

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 Two suspected phone thieves were set ablaze by an angry mob on Friday in Plateau State. The incident occurred in the early hours of the day in the Kabong community of Jos North Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses reported that the suspects attacked passersby and road users with weapons, and allegedly robbed them of phones and other valuables.

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 The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has reportedly carried out a significant reshuffle within its hierarchy.

This was made known on Saturday by Zagazola Makama, a Lake Chad Basin counterterrorism and insurgency expert, in a post on his X handle.

Makama has disclosed that more than 30 fighters have volunteered to become suicide bombers among the ISWAP members.

The development is said to be potentially linked to the recent surge in attacks on military locations across the Lake Chad region.

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Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has called for prayers to the myriad of security challenges bedeviling the nation.

He also prayed that God will touch the heart of the bad eggs in the society to change from their evil ways and become ambassadors of peace.

Gowon made the call while speaking at the opening of a maiden edition of a three-day Interdenominational Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival organised by the Plateau State Government.

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Former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

During his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, Chidoka disclosed that he submitted his resignation letter to his ward in Anambra.

He stated that his decision to leave PDP is motivated by his intention to concentrate on his non-profit organization, Athena Centre.

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The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, says the Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC, has not yet begun bulk sales, stating that essential processes are still being finalized.

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, made this known in a statement on Friday.

According to him, the products the refinery currently sells originate from the Dangote Refinery and it include applicable fees by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.

from dailypost