A frontline governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has dared the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, over the temporary ban he placed on political rallies in the State.

He vowed that his faction of the party will resist any attempt to rubbish the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Ize-Iyamu made the challenge on Thursday in Benin, during an emergency press briefing held by a faction of the party in the state to address issues arising from Wednesday’s Abuja High Court ruling which suspended Oshiomhole as Chairman of the party.

The former governorship candidate of the PDP, said so long Obaseki has continued to hold rallies in the state, their faction of the party would also go ahead to hold rallies.

“We want to put a notice to the Governor that we are not under captivity in Edo State. We cannot be oppressed, we cannot be intimated.

“Sometimes ago out of desperation, the state government announced that they have banned rally in Edo State. Where that authority came from, we were not told.

“I believe he thinks that as a Governor, he can by fiat makes decrees, but we need to make him know that in civilian dispensation, there are rules and procedures.

“We don’t understand where the authority came from, to ban rally. But the funny thing is that, the same rally the government ban, I am sure you are aware that in the past one week, the same law the government made, it has flouted. He had held a rally at Iruwa, and only yesterday, he held one at Uroukpota Hall in Benin,” he said.

Ize-Iyamu said that the Governor could not be holding rallies and prohibit them from holding rallies.

“So we want to put him on notice that we will begin to hold rallies, and we are waiting for him as an Emperor of Edo State, to put us in jail. As long as he has no respect for what himself had decreed, we too will do what he is doing,” he said.

Fifteen corps members absconded the service while two corps members died during year in Jigawa, the state NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, has said.

The NYSC Jigawa Coordinator disclosed this during the Passing Out Parade (POP) ceremony for 1,521 Batch ‘A’ 2019 corps members in Dutse on Thursday.

According to him, the 15 absconded corps members would be mobilised and would repeat the service year another time.

The state coordinator said that the two corps members lost their lives while on transit during the festive period.

Muhammad said of the 1,521 corps members, four excelled themselves by undertaking personal community development services which effectively improved their host communities.

“They will receive state honours award and commendation letters. While others are excelling, 15 corps members have absconded the service year,” he said.

Ibrahim, however, urged the outgone corp members to be worthy ambassadors of the NYSC scheme and shun all evil influences which had fast become the bane of the society.

“You should also avoid vices which undermine your position as leaders of tomorrow,” the state coordinator said.

Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State congratulated the NYSC officials and their employers for the competent handling of the corps members, saying “your commitment and favour led to the conduct of the exercise which has come to a successful end.”

After much debate and heated reactions from Nigerians, the Senate on Thursday, March 5, approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s $22.7 billion loan request.

The decision of the upper chamber, read out by Senate President Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, sparked a lot of uproars in the house.

One of those who reacted to the approval of the request by President Buhari was Enyinnaya Abaribe, the minority leader, who was against accepting all the recommendations of the loan at once.

The Lagos State Government has announced that the PWD level crossing will be temporarily closed from 6:00 pm on Saturday, to 6:00 am on Sunday, for the laying of tracks as part of the ongoing railway modernisation project.

According to a statement from the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, motorists intending to use the PWD level crossing during the period are advised to make a diversion to Ashade Underpass, by Idimongoro to join Ikeja Along or climb Airport Bridge by Ikeja General Hospital to link Oshodi Motorway to access their various destinations.

The release also advised all road users to comply with the traffic signals as well as obey traffic management officers to ease the traffic situation and minimise the inconvenience likely to result from the construction work.

While soliciting for the support and cooperation of all Lagosians during the Nigerian Railway Modernisation Project, the Lagos State Government reiterated its determination to provide a seamless multi-modal transport system that will meet the transportation need of its large population.

Odion Jude Ighalo found the back of the net twice on Thursday night as Manchester United marched into the Emirates FA Cup sixth round, after securing a commanding 3-0 victory over Derby County and club legend Wayne Rooney at Pride Park Stadium.

Ighalo scored in the 41st-minute and sealed United’s passage to the Quarter Final of the FA Cup in the 70th-minute after Luke Shaw opened the scoring in the 33rd-minute of the encounter.

United are now expected to battle Norwich City later this month, as the Reds maintain the pursuit of a 13th success in the historic competition.

Rooney started for Derby and captained the side he joined in January, playing in a deep-lying midfield role that he flirted with during the latter stages of his Old Trafford career. As you would expect, his name was loudly cheered by the several thousand United fans in the away end, in recognition of a Reds career in which he solidified his position as a bona fide great of the club.

The Manchester United former club captain arguably produced the first moment of quality, on 18 minutes, when his in-swinging free-kick was brilliantly saved by Sergio Romero after Shaw was booked for a foul.

Ighalo can't stop scoring for @ManUtd 🙌🇳🇬🙌#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/hf05VrqqQO

— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 5, 2020

Another opportunity followed soon after, this time for Juan Mata, who spun on an incisive ball from Bruno Fernandes and dispatched a lot shot that was claimed by Rams goalkeeper Kelle Roos.

United began to assert some authority and, after Ighalo registered another shot on target, the Reds deservedly took the lead on 33 minutes via the left foot of Shaw, whose shot bounced off the surface and flew into the top corner of the net via a marginal deflection off Jesse Lingard.

Luke Shaw then became the provider in the 41st minute as his driven pass found Ighalo inside the box and the Nigerian loan signing did well to evade two markers, before finishing low into the bottom corner.

Derby’s hopes of a comeback were already faint, but they were well and truly extinguished on 70 minutes when Ighalo scored his second goal of the night to make it 3-0 to United. The Nigerian latched onto a pass from Mata and although his first shot was saved, he duly made sure with a second effort on the rebound that soared into the roof of the net.

A Nigerian man who returned from France has been quarantined in Lagos over Coronavirus after he developed headache and respiratory symptom.

Lagos Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this on Thursday while giving update on Coronavirus in the country.

Abayomi said the Nigerian, who had been isolated in Yaba, travelled to France seven days ago and just returned to Lagos three days ago.

According to him, the man developed severe headache and respiratory symptom at a private hospital and was referred to the government for advice.

He said the state government decided to isolate him because he had a history of travelling to France, one of the Coronavirus hit countries.

The commissioner said test sample had been collected and that the result of the test would be out tonight to ascertain if he was positive or negative to Coronavirus.

However, Abayomi, said the index case, an Italian was seriously responding to treatment at the isolation centre, as his clinical situation was stable.

He stated that the Italian was in high spirit, but that he required psycho-social support as he was getting depressed for being in isolation alone, adding that the patient was in touch with his family and friends in Italy.

Abayomi, however, said the level of viral load in his body had gone down and that if that continued, in the next few days, he might be discharged if he tested negative to the disease.

He said government would not just release him immediately he tested negative to the disease, but would still keep him and run a second test in few days to ascertained he was completely free of the disease before letting him go back to his country.

On the people who alighted from the Turkish Airline on arrival in Lagos, he said government had been able to trace 13 of the remaining 15 contacts, leaving only two that had not been reached, saying that if at the end of today, they could not be reached, he would release their names to the media declaring them wanted.

The Lagos State Government on Thursday night revealed that three Coronavirus suspects are currently being quarantined at its facility in Yaba, Lagos.

Earlier on Thursday, A Nigerian man who returned from France was quarantined in Lagos over Coronavirus after he developed headache and respiratory symptoms.

However, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, in a tweet late Thursday night said two new suspected cases were being attended to and that they had been isolated at the containment facility in Yaba.

He said the two came from England and China.

Breaking! #COVID19Lagos
We now have 3 suspected cases under isolation in our containment facility in Yaba. One from France, one from England and one from China. Their samples have been taken and results are been expected #ForAGreaterLagos @jidesanwoolu @drobafemihamzat @SegsDr pic.twitter.com/xhR8I9sjvx

— Prof. Akin Abayomi (@ProfAkinAbayomi) March 5, 2020

The commissioner added that it was now three cases altogether. He said the samples of the two persons had been taken for tests to ascertain if they have Coronavirus or not.

“Breaking! #COVID19Lagos: We now have 3 suspected cases under isolation in our containment facility in Yaba. One from France, one from England and one from China. Their samples have been taken and results are being expected,” he wrote on his twitter handle.”

Earlier, Abayomi said a Nigerian, who had been isolated in Yaba, travelled to France seven days ago and just returned to Lagos three days ago.

According to him, the man developed severe headache and respiratory symptom at a private hospital and was referred to the government for advice.

He said the state government decided to isolate him because he had a history of travelling to France, one of the Coronavirus hit countries.

The commissioner said test samples had been collected and that the result of the test would be out tonight to ascertain if he was positive or negative to Coronavirus.

However, Abayomi, said the index case, an Italian was seriously responding to treatment at the isolation centre, as his clinical situation was stable.

He stated that the Italian was in high spirit, but that he required psycho-social support as he was getting depressed for being in isolation alone, adding that the patient was in touch with his family and friends in Italy.

Abayomi, however, said the level of viral load in his body had gone down and that if that continued, in the next few days, he might be discharged if he tested negative to the disease.

He said government would not just release him immediately he tested negative to the disease, but would still keep him and run a second test in few days to ascertained he was completely free of the disease before letting him go back to his country.

On the people who alighted from the Turkish Airline on arrival in Lagos, he said government had been able to trace 13 of the remaining 15 contacts, leaving only two that had not been reached, saying that if at the end of today, they could not be reached, he would release their names to the media declaring them wanted.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi zonal office, on March 5, 2020, arraigned one Gbaa Benjamin on a one-count charge for stealing and unauthorized ATM cash withdrawal to the tune of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira).

The count reads: “That you, Gbaa Luther Benjamin, sometime in October, 2019 in Makurdi, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, did steal an electronic card to wit: A Zenith Bank Plc debit card issued in the name of Ishima Lohodeboo Yakubu with Account No. 2208635042 and withdrew the sum of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) only, from the said account and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 33(3) of the Cybercrime (prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015”.

He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him.

Counsel for the EFCC, Mary Onoja, asked for a trial date and also that the defendant be remanded pending his bail.

However, defence counsel, J.T. Jinge, prayed the Court that he be allowed to make an oral application for the bail of his client since the client was still under administrative bail granted him by the Commission.

Justice Olajuwon rejected the motion and ordered that the defendant be remanded in correctional centre pending the hearing of his bail application.

The case has been adjourned until May 11, 2020 for commencement of trial

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, arraigned 26 suspected illegal oil dealers and three vessels before Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

The first charge involves six suspects and a vessel namely MT Jonko(vessel), Umoh Clement, Moses Ogbodu, Ignatius Okereke, Valentine Amaegberi, Victor Egbowon and Emmanuel Bassey.

Others are: Ademola Olasode, Sule Godwin Anyebe, Oyelami Oloyede, Otuagoma Emmanuel and Anthony Orhieoghenebruru.

One of the charges reads: "That you, MT Jonko, Umoh Akaninyene Clement, Moses Ogbodu, Ignatius Okereke, Valentine Amaegberi, Victor Egbowon, Emmanuel Bassey, Ademola Olasode, Sule Godwin Anyebe, Oyelami Akeem Oloyede, Otuagoma Emmanuel and Anthony Orhieoghenebruru, on the 21st of December, 2019, within the jurisdiction of his honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in 450 metric tons of petroleum products without appropriate licence; and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act."

They pleaded “not guilty” when the charge was read to them.

In view of their pleas, counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed the court to remand the defendants in the Nigerian Correctional Services, NSC.

Counsel for the defendants, Kenae Ubi, informed the court that applications for bail had been filed and served on the prosecution.

Ubi, therefore, prayed the court for a short date to move the bail applications.

Justice Aikawa adjourned the case until March 17, 2020 for commencement of trial and hearing of bail application.

The Judge also ordered the defendants to be remanded in the NSC.

The EFCC also arraigned another set of 15 suspects and two vessels before Justice Aikawa for dealing in petroleum products without appropriate licence.

The suspects are: MV Ekpere Amaka (vessel), Eliaja Agoso, Assayomo Julius, Godwin Ajimosun, Jerome Nwaobi, Ukpe Wisdom, Bayonle-Jude Olawunmi, Vincent Antai and John Zola.

Others are: MT Zeebrugge(vessel), Kapilarathana A.J, Yapa, Ramanayaka Appuhamilage Maithripala, Labunu Hewage Udayanga Silva, Shashika Yomal Palipana, Amarasinge Arachchige Dasman Chaml, Kariyawasan Wijewardbana and Joseph Felsianus Fernando.

They pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to them.

One of the counts reads: "That you, MV Ekpere Amaka, Eliaja Agoso, Assayomo Julius, Godwin Ajimosun, Jerome Nwaobi, Ukpe Wisdom, Bayonle-Jude Olawunmi, Vincent Antai and John Zola, on the 25th of December, 2019, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in 85 metric tons of petroleum products without appropriate licence; and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act."

Another count reads: "That you, MT Zeebrugge, Kapilarathana A.J. Yapa, Ramanayaka Appuhamilage Maithripala, Labunu Hewage Udayanga Silva, Shashika Yomal Palipana, Amarasinge Arachchige Dasman Chaml, Kariyawasan Wijewardbana and Joseph Felsianus Fernando on the 12th of December, 2019 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in 838.5 metric tons of petroleum products without appropriate licence; and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act."

In view of their pleas, Oyedepo, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in the correctional facility pending the outcome of the case.

Defence counsel, Paul Ediga, told the court that applications for bail had been filed and served on the prosecution.

Ediga, therefore, prayed the court for a short date to move the bail applications.

Justice Aikawa adjourned the case until March 16, 2020 for commencement of trial and hearing of the bail applications.

The Judge also ordered the defendants to be remanded in the correctional facility pending the determination of their bail applications.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 4, 2020, arraigned a couple, Oladeji and Omotola Henry, alongside their company, Built Global Concept, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing to the tune of N553,820,000.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty-three Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira).

One of the counts reads: “That you, Oladeji Henry, Omotola Henry and Built Global Concept, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to dishonestly convert to the use of Abiodun Semawon Henry the total sum of N410,170,000.00 (Four Hundred and Ten Million, One Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira), property of Smart Investor Club; and thereby, committed an offence contrary to Sections 411 and 280 (2)(f) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011."

Another count reads: “That you, Oladeji Henry, Omotola Henry and Built Global Concept, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to dishonestly convert to the use of Abiodun Semawon Henry the total sum of N70,000,000.00 (Seventy Million Naira) property of Julius Ekonorue and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 280 (1)(b) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011."

They pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against them.

In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCS.

Defece counsel, Richard Oma Ahonaruogho, informed the court of a pending bail application for his clients and also prayed for a short date to enable its hearing.

Consequently, Justice Dada adjourned the matter until March 9, 2020 for hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.

The defendants were ordered to be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Services, Kirikiri, Lagos.