Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, controversial Islamic scholar, has warned that foreign jihadists would come into the country should bandits be declared terrorists, saying the development would come at a price. He also called on clergymen to talk to Yoruba rights activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, and the Indigenous People of Biafra just as he does to bandits. Gumi, who is known to have access to bandits, had once asked the federal government to grant them blanket amnesty. Commenting on the recent calls to declare bandits as terrorists,…

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Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State governor, has urged traditional rulers in the state to be mindful of what they say and the people they honour with chieftaincy titles not to bring the royal institution into disrepute. The governor gave the charge yesterday, at the inauguration of the Akarigbo and paramount ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, as Chairman, Ogun State Council of Obas, held at the Obas’ Complex Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. Abiodun said as embodiment of royalty, traditional rulers should not engage in activities that would jeopardise the revered institution. He stressed…

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President Muhammadu Buhari has officially launched the Nigeria central bank digital currency (CBDC), the eNaira, on Monday. Buhari launched the eNaira at the State House in Nigeria’s capital Abuja after a previous plan to unveil the digital currency on October 1 was put on hold. “We have become the first country in Africa and one of the first in the world to introduce a digital currency to our citizens,” Buhari said at the official launch. Nigeria is one of the five countries in the world to develop an official digital…

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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…

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  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…

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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…

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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.…

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