News Archives

World Bank condemns N2.9tn petrol subsidy

Oct 26, 2021 topnews

The World Bank has decried the continued spending by the Nigerian government on petrol subsidy, which it said is on track to gobble up N2.9tn this year. Its Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, who spoke on Monday at a panel session during the 27th National Economic Summit, said the country could channel the money being spent on subsidy to primary healthcare, basic education and rural roads. “This year, Nigeria is on track to spend N2.9tn on PMS subsidy, which is more than it spends on health,” he said. Also…

Former Senate President Anyim questioned over alleged diversion of funds

Oct 25, 2021 topnews

Interrogation of a former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, in a case of alleged corruption and diversion of public funds, was yesterday commenced by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Anyim arrived at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Jabi, Abuja, at about 3:00 p.m. and was grilled by a team of operatives. A source familiar with the case revealed that it is tied to the corruption and money laundering case involving former Aviation Minister and serving senator, Stella Oduah. Rehabilitation funds worth N780 million were allegedly…

36 speakers to Buhari: Declare bandits terrorists

Oct 25, 2021 topnews

At a Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in Katsina State yesterday, the 36 House of Assembly speakers called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits as terrorists and enemies of the nation. The call of the Conference of Speakers is coming a day after Katsina Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, reiterated the earlier call of his Kaduna counterpart, Nasir el-Rufai and the National Assembly for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the nation’s security and declare bandits as terrorists. Chairman of the Conference, who…

UK, Malaysia-bound drugs seized, owners arrested in Lagos, Kano, others

Oct 25, 2021 topnews

2,060 kilogrammes of assorted drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, tramadol and rohypnol has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. The drugs were reportedly seized in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Kano, Kaduna and Plateau states. The agency said two consignments of heroin weighing 4.40kg and 550 grams were intercepted on October 6 and 15, respectively, at the cargo shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. A statement on Sunday by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the first was seized at the…

Defamation: Minister sues former world boxing champion, Bash Ali

Oct 25, 2021 topnews

Former world cruiserweight boxing champion, Bash Alli, has been sued by the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, over alleged defamation of character and disruptive comments. At the weekend, Alli released a video wherein he accused the minister of extorting ‘millions of naira’ from him as part of the process to organise a world boxing title fight for him as allegedly directed by President Muhammadu Buhari. Reacting to the video, yesterday, Dare, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Multimedia, Toyin Ibitoye, described Alli’s claims as defamatory, false and unsubstantiated.…

Oyo Jailbreak: Wakili, Shodipe, 392 other inmates at large

Oct 25, 2021Oct 25, 2021 topnews

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, yesterday, vowed to pursue and recapture all inmates, who escaped from the Abolongo Custodial Centre of the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS, in Oyo State on Friday night, during a jailbreak after a vicious attack on the facility by yet to be identified gunmen. The minister gave the assurance during a visit to the facility in Oyo, Oyo State, saying: “The spate of attacks on our custodial facilities, the last of which occurred here, on Friday night, calls for serious concern. “First in our society…

FIRSTBANK PARTNERS NIBSS TO DRIVE DIGITAL PAYMENT CONVENIENCE WITH NIGERIA QUICK RESPONSE (NQR)

Oct 24, 2021 topnews

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services organisation has announced its partnership with Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System plc (NIBSS) on its recently launched Nigeria Quick Response (NQR) Payment Solution. The NQR is an innovative payment option implemented for all financial service providers and designed to promote quick and fast transactions by scanning the code on one’s mobile device. Also, the initiative reduces cost(s) for merchants and banks in delivering instant value for person to business (P2B) and person to person (P2P) transactions by simply scanning…

Nigerian Elite steal $3.6billion crude oil yearly -Mele Kyari

Oct 23, 2021 topnews

At the 17th All Nigeria Editors Conference 2021 organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari has revealed that a few Nigerian elites may be stealing yearly about 42.25 million barrels of the nation’s crude oil worth $3.6billion at the prevailing price of $85 per barrel. Last year, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said the country lost 42.25 million barrels of crude oil to theft in 2019. Kyari, blamed highly placed Nigerians for…

Kidnappers turn against each other over custody of fleeing victim

Oct 23, 2021 topnews

Two kidnap syndicates recently turned against each other in a forest in Galadimawa Town, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, over an attempt by both camps to take custody of a female victim who escaped from one of the gang’s den. At the end of the bloody fight, 11 members of both warring gangs were killed, while the victim, identified as Binta Abusafyan, managed to escape unhurt in the process. She reported the incident at the Force Investigation Bureau- Intelligence Response Team, FIB-IRT, Ragachigun base in Kaduna. She explained…

NCC warns against new virus targeting bank details

Oct 23, 2021 topnews

The Nigerian Communications Commission has warned that there is a new, high-risk and damaging malware, called ‘Flubot’, targeting Android devices with fake security updates and application installations. According to the commission, a malware is a generic word used to describe a virus or software, designed specially to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorised access to a device. In a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Ikechukwu Adinde, it said it was acting on information received from the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team. The NCC said, “The ngCERT affirmed that Flubot…