Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, Monday, alleged that the truth concerning the Lagos pipeline explosion has been hidden.

According to NNPC, the explosion occurred around 9 a.m on Sunday after a truck hit some gas cylinders in a gas processing plant.

The gas plant was located near the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s System 2B pipeline’s right of way.

It was also reported that no fewer than 17 persons have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured after the explosion rocked the Abule-Ado area, near the International Trade Fair Complex, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos.

More than 50 buildings in the area were affected by the explosion, as hundreds of residents were rendered homeless.

However, Fani-Kayode said the massive destruction witnessed in Abule Ado could not have been caused by the explosion of a gas pipeline as explained by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC).

What happened in Lagos yesterday was tragic. So much destruction &loss of life. Sad. They say it was caused by the explosion of a gas pipeline but I doubt that.Such massive &widespread destruction cannot be caused by a pipeline explosion.There is more to this than meets the eye.

— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) March 16, 2020

Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial and Non-Bank Financial Institutions

The Guide to Bank Charges issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) provides a basis for the application of charges on various products and services offered by Banks and other regulated institutions under it's purview. The guide which was first released in 2004, was revised in 2013 and 2017 in the light of market developments, such as new innovations in products and / or channels and new industry participants.

In the same vein, the CBN hereby issues a revised "Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial & Non-Bank Financial Institutions" in response to further evolution in the financial industry over the last few years.

The new Guide includes, amongst others:

• Downward review of charges for electronic banking transactions;

• Review of other bank charges to align with market developments; and

• Inclusion of new sections on accountability / Responsibility and a Sanction Regime to directly address instances of excess, unapproved and/or arbitrary charges.

The revised Guide to charges by Banks, other Financial and Non-bank Financial Institutions takes effect on Jan 1, 2020.

The charges captured below is of 2 types but they're the same charges.

Electronic funds transfer has 2 channels, (1) Internet banking and (2) Users Electronic Device.

• Electronic Funds Transfer (on customer’s Electronic Device)

1. Below N5,000 – N10

2. N5,001 - N50,000 – N25

3. Above N50,000 – N50

• Electronic Funds Transfer

1. Below N5,000 – N10

2. N5,001 - N50,000 – N25

3. Above N50,000 – N50
   

Source: CBN New Revised Charges For Financial and Non-Bank Financial Institutions

A 39-year old housewife, Mrs. Nkechi Agbor, has been arrested by detectives attached to Area C Police Command, Lekki, Lagos for allegedly hiring assassins to eliminate her millionaire husband, Godstime, in order to inherit his property.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Badore Estate, Lekki area of Lagos, where they reside.

Mrs. Nkechi landed in the mess after she discovered that her husband was rich, had properties and she started planning on how to inherit them. The mother of two felt her only option was to eliminate her husband and she reportedly paid assassins the sum of N500,000 in order to kill her husband.

However, it leaked after one of the hired assassins, Festus Onyebuchi, was apprehended and he named her as the person who contracted him to kill her husband. The suspect, Festus, was arrested while trying to break into Mr. Godstime Agbor’s apartment at Badore Estate to not only kill him but also to steal from the house before he was caught in the act.

During investigation, it was discovered that one of those who she hired for the botched assassination was an electrician, simply identified as Chibuzor, who usually worked for Mr. Godstime Agbor.
Festus in his confession said he was contracted by Mrs. Nkechi to kill her husband with the agreement to pay him 500,000 Naira.

“I involved a friend of mine, Mike, and we both went there and hid inside a tricycle waiting for Mr. Godstime, who we were told always opens the gate himself whenever he gets back from work. But on that day, it was his daughter that opened the gate. We went back the next day, it was still his daughter that opened the gate again.”
“On the third day, it was Mr. Godstime that opened the gate and the plan was to rush to stab him in the neck, heart side of the chest and rib.
Mike, who was supposed to kill him, went to urinate and by the time he got back, Mr. Godstime had gone inside and shut the gate. So, out of frustration we went back home.”
“Thereafter, i decided to go to Mr. Godstime’s house alone to steal instead. As i jumped into his compound through the fence, somebody raised alarm which attracted members of a vigilante group in the area, who apprehended me.”
“I regret my actions and i hope i will be given a second chance” he said.

Mrs. Nkechi has reportedly confessed to sending hired assassin to eliminate her husband and her reason was to inherit her husband’s properties.
Police sources said that Nkechi and the other suspects will be charged to Court after the conclusion of investigations.

Lecturers, under the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, on Sunday kicked against the deductions made from their February salary due to their enrollment in the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System.

The lecturers noted that the Federal Government did not consider the peculiarities of tertiary institutions in the IPPIS.

The union added that their members’ February salary “did not include the Peculiar Earned Academic Allowance” and their colleagues on sabbatical leave were also not paid.

The COEASU National President, Nuhu Ogirima, in a statement in Abuja, lamented that the lecturers’ pension and the “imposed obnoxious tax deductions were effected on gross earnings of staff, which included non-taxable allowances, as against the basic salary on which such deductions ought to be effected.”

Ogirima said, “It is evident that the peculiarities of the Colleges of Education subsector, despite the stakeholders’ meetings with IPPIS office, prior to its implementation, have not been reflected.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the February salary paid by the Federal Government did not include the Peculiar Earned Academic Allowance. Also not paid are staff on sabbatical leave. In addition, indiscriminate deductions were effected on all staff salary, for the National Housing Fund, a voluntary scheme to which most staff did not subscribe.

“The union views this as a serious breach of trust and therefore considers the Federal Government’s betrayal as unacceptable. We therefore state that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation should, as a matter of urgent concern, take steps to ameliorate this situation.”

The COEASU added that it was preparing to convene its Expanded National Executive Council meeting to deliberate on further action on IPPIS and other issues.

Source: Punch

The Enugu Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has recovered several gadgets and exotic cars from 20 suspected internet fraudsters arrested in the state.

The arrest and recovery, which were effected between March 5 and 11, 2020 at Republic/Bricks Estates and Premier layout respectively, was sequel to intelligence reports and surveillance carried out on them.

Reports reaching the Commission had indicated that the suspects who were obviously living above their means were engaged in numerous fraudulent online activities.

Some of the items recovered from them believed to be proceeds of their illegal activities include several mobile phones, two apple laptops, three HP laptops, white Toyota Venza, Toyota Avalon, Black Lexus ES350, Lexus GX470 SUV, two Toyota Corolla cars, Range Rover, Dodge Charger with other incriminating items.

The suspects are currently undergoing interrogation, with devices recovered from them being subjected to forensic analysis, as they will soon be arraigned in court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Office Thursday March 12, 2020 raided the popular Club Road/Hamdalla Hotel in Kaduna known for Bureaux de Change, BDC operations.

The operation was a directive from the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu to monitor the activities of BDCs in Kaduna and its environs in an effort to prevent sabotaging the Federal Government’s efforts to stabilize the naira to the dollar.

The BDC operators were also warned against hoarding, as it amounted to an act of sabotage, with a further warning that any individual or group caught involved in such illegal and illicit financial transactions will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The security strategy employed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, is really working following the arrest of notorious robbers who specialized in robbing innocent people of their valuables in Ipaja area of Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the Police operatives from Ipaja Division led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO CSP Tokumbo Aboniwonda, foiled the robbery operation and then apprehended two notorious armed bandits in the process.

The robbers namely Asisis Toheeb, 23 and Daramola Afolabi, 22, were arrested at Baruwa area of Ipaja, Lagos, where they invaded and started robbery operation at about 5am before they were apprehended while three others managed to escape and now at large.

The suspects reportedly left their residence at Ilepo area of Oke-Odo and went to Baruwa area with three other members of the gang.

However, they were very unlucky as the Police operatives were still working and they had robbed some victims that early morning.

It was gathered that some of the victims raised alarm which attracted the Police officers on routine monitoring in the area. The suspects were then apprehended by the Police and detained at the Station for interrogation.
This was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, who said that the suspects were in Police custody for investigation.

During interrogation before they were handed over to the Police, Toheeb said that he hails from Oyo State but lived in Ogun State before he came to Lagos to reside around Ilepo area of Oke-Odo, where he became an electrician before he later joined the four man robbery gang comprising Sodiq, Segun, Tobi and Daramola.

On the other hand, Daramola Afolabi said that he hails from Abeokuta, Ogun State but lives in Lagos before he joined the gang as one of the gang members, Sodiq, refused to give him money but asked him to follow him in order to know how he made money he was asking for.

Daramola then left his house around Ilepo area of Oke-Odo and went to meet the gang for an operation that early morning and he was eventually caught in the act.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, said that the suspects will be charged to Court after the conclusion of investigations while the Police was making every efforts to arrest the three other members of the gang now at large.

Source PM Express

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kano zonal office, on March 12, 2019 arraigned one Umar Abdurrahman Gwani before Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano on a five-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence and money laundering.

He was accused of obtaining the sum of N72,495,000 (Seventy Two Million, Four Hundred and Ninety-five Thousand Naira)only from one Kabiru Dahiru under the guise that the money was for investment into Gold business.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Alhaji Umar Abdurrahman Gwani (trading under the name and style of Umar Gwani Abdurrahman Enterprices) on or about the 11th of August, 2017 at Kano within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, fraudulently obtained the sum of N40,000,000 (Forty Million Naira) only from one Alhaji Kabiru Suleiman Dahiru under the false pretence that the sum was an investment into Gold business, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to the five counts.

In view of his plea, counsel for the EFCC, Cosmos Ugwu asked the court for a trial date.

Defence counsel, however, informed the court that the defendant had earlier been granted bail by the order of the same court and so urged the court to allow him continue with his bail.

Justice Allagoa acceded to his request, and adjourned until May 6 and 7, 2020 for commencement of trial.

Hajia Hauwa Oziohu Bello, the mother of Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, is dead.

Hajia Hauwa, the matriarch of Alhaji Bello Ipemida Ochi’s family died on Sunday after a brief illness at the age of 101.

Announcing her passage on behalf of the family on Sunday, Governor Bello described her as a leader and strong pillar, who was a mother to all.

“With total submission to the will of Allah, on behalf of the family of Alhaji Bello Ipemida Ochi, We regret to announce the passing away of our matriarch, Hajia Hauwau Oziohu Bello, who answered the call of Allah this (Sunday) evening after a brief illness.

“We are relieved that her passing was peaceful and painless. Her funeral will be held today at her resident in Nagazi, Okene local government area of Kogi state in accordance with Islamic rites.

“Until her death, she was aged 101 and survived by children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and many adopted children,” the governor said.

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has mourned victims of the Abule Ado, Lagos explosion which claimed 17 lives.

Buhari, on his verified Twitter page on Sunday said he received with sadness the news of the explosion in Lagos, which caused loss of lives and property.

He sympathised with families of the deceased and those who lost properties.

I received with sadness the news of the explosion in Lagos, which caused loss of lives and property. While the NNPC makes efforts to determine the cause of the incident, I send my deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and the Government and people of Lagos State.

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) March 15, 2020

“I received with sadness the news of the explosion in Lagos, which caused loss of lives and property.

“While the NNPC makes efforts to determine the cause of the incident, I send my deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and the Government and people of Lagos State,” he tweeted.