Category: Big Story

BREAKING: Fleeing Binance Executive Arrested

Information reaching Ibom Focus says that Fleeing Binance Executive Arrested

The Kenya Police Service has nabbed fleeing Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla.

Government sources familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter confirmed the development to our correspondent on Sunday night.

One of the sources said, “Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has been arrested by the Kenya Police Service, and he would be extradited to Nigeria this week by INTERPOL.”

Another source noted, “As we had said before that Anjarwalla would be extradited, he has been arrested in Kenya, and he’ll be extradited to Nigeria this week.”

The PUNCH had exclusively reported that the Federal Government had traced Anjarwalla to Kenya, following his escape from lawful custody in Nigeria.

Following the development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the International Criminal Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Kenyan Police Service have deepened talks to quicken Anjarwalla’s extradition.

In the earlier reported that Anjarwalla, whose cover has now been blown, went into hiding immediately after he landed in Kenya.

“We have found him. We know where he is; he is in Kenya, and we’re working with the authorities to bring him back to Nigeria.

“All hands are on the deck, the government and all the security agencies are working hard in conjunction with the Kenyan authorities and INTERPOL, to ensure his return to Nigeria to face the charges brought against him,” the report had quoted a source as saying.

Meanwhile, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had in the March edition of its bulletin titled, “EFCC Alert,” onfirmed that the commission was working in conjunction with the International Criminal Police Organisation, the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya to extradite Anjarwalla.

Olukoyed said, “The takeover of the prosecution of Binance chiefs by the commission is no less a strong message in the direction of EFCC’s resolve to hedge in distortions and disruptions in the country’s forex market.

“Tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering to the tune of $35,400,000 and are at the foundation of the Commission’s five counts against Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, the company’s chief executives.

“While Gambaryan is currently in the Commission’s net, the process of extraditing the fleeing Anjarwalla is revving in full swing. Involved in partnership with the EFCC to nick Anjarwalla in flight are the International Criminal Police Organisation, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya as the clock winds down to his arraignment in absentia alongside the company and Gambaryan.”

JUST IN: NLC Lists 7 Fresh Demands As Tinubu Fixes Date To Unveil New Minimum Wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has listed seven demands from the Federal Government ahead of the May 1, 2024 Workers’ Day.

Aside from demanding for a new minimum wage, the NLC is also asking for the creation of state and local government police to tackle insecurity in the country.

The congress also stressed that states and local governments, as well as the organised private sector, must pay the new minimum wage when it is eventually approved.

International Workers’ Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often called May Day, is a celebration of the working class, and is marked annually on May 1, or the first Monday in May.

The 2024 Workers Day is particularly being looked forward to as it is expected that President Bola Tinubu may unveil the newly proposed minimum wage for workers in the country on that day.

Earlier in the month, organised labour had pegged the new minimum wage at N615,000 per month tentatively.

A member of the National Executive Council of the Trade Union Congress had said that the decision was reached before the hike in electricity tariff by the Federal Government.

The source said, “We are going to have another round of serious conversations with the government. Mind you, the tariff increase is also very good for us, because they (the government) did it when the new minimum wage process had not been concluded. So, it is going to be a good ground for us to ask for more money.”

The N30,000 subsisting minimum wage expired three days ago, as its five-year lifespan ended on April 18.

Former President Muhammad Buhari had signed the N30,000 Minimum Wage Act into law on April 18, 2019.

The tripartite committee, comprising representatives of organised private sector, organised labour and government, for a national minimum wage negotiation, follows the International Labour Organisation Convention 131.

In January, the president, through his Vice President, Kashim Shettima, had, on January 30, set up a 37-member panel at the council chamber of the State House in Abuja.

With its membership cutting across federal and state governments, the private sector, and organised labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.

In his opening address, Shettima urged members to ‘speedily’ arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early.

Chairing the panel is a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, who, at the inauguration ceremony, affirmed that its members would come up with a “fair, practical, implementable and sustainable” minimum wage.

The inauguration followed months of agitation from organised labour who expressed concerns over the FG’s failure to inaugurate the committee as promised during negotiations last October.

From the government’s side, members include the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, representing the Minister of Labour and Employment; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Lydia Jafiya; the Minister of Budget Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Yemi Esan; and Permanent Secretary, GSO/OSGF, Dr Nnamdi Mbaeri, amongst others.

Representing the Nigeria Governors Forum are Mohammed Bago of Niger State, representing the North Central; Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State- representing the North East; Umar Dikko Radda of Katsina State, representing the North West; Prof Charles Soludo of Anambra State, representing the South East; Senator Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, from South West; and Otu Bassey of Cross River State, representing the South-South.

From the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association are the Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde; Chuma Nwankwo; Thompson Akpabio; as well as members from the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture— Michael Olawale-Cole (National President); Ahmed Rabiu (National Vice President), and Chief Humphrey Ngonadi, National Life President.

From organised labour are the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and President of the TUC, Festus Osifo; his deputy, Tommy Etim Okon, among others.

Ajaero had announced N1m as the new minimum wage, owing to the rising inflation in the country which, according to him, had pushed many of the NLC’s members into poverty.

This led to several controversies, including experts saying that the suggested wage was unrealisable and unsustainable.

In February, Onyejeocha said the Federal Government had achieved about 90 per cent of the agreement it had with organised labour last October.

“We have done virtually everything in agreement. Ninety per cent of everything (is done),” Onyejeocha said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The statement came a few days before the NLC had said it would shut down the country in a nationwide protest over economic hardship.

Ajaero had told government representatives at a meeting that the protest was not about the government’s commitment to the October agreement, but inflation in the prices of food.

The minister said food security and economic prosperity were part of the priorities of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

She appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the new government as the administration was in its planting season with harvest on the horizon.

Onyejeocha said the Federal Government had ticked about 90 per cent of the 15-point memorandum of understanding it signed with organised labour on October 2, 202.

Some of the agreements include granting wage awards of N35,000 to workers, the inauguration of a minimum wage committee, and suspension of the collection of Value Added Tax on diesel for six months.

On the provision of high-capacity CNG buses for mass transit in the country, the minister said funds had been released for the purpose but “there are certain things you cannot control; you cannot control the number of days a shipment or a container will stay in the port”.

Nigeria is battling rising inflation, forex crisis, economic hardship and high cost of living occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy, which attracted protests in parts of the country.

Speaking in Abuja, the NLC’s National Treasurer, Hakeem Ambali, listed seven demands the congress had made from the federal and state governments.

He said, “First, we expect that there should be improved labour government industrial relations, full implementation of minimum wage across the board for the federal, state, local government and private sector workers.

“Settlement of pension arrears, the establishment of compressed natural gas conversion centers in all senatorial districts, fixing of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.

“Creation of state and local government police, granting of local government autonomy, granting of infrastructure support scheme to all local governments.”

Speaking further, Ambali noted that the Congress was still awaiting an invitation to the next meeting of the tripartite committee on minimum wage.

In the report, they also recommended changes to the constitution to allow for the creation of state police.

The reports were part of documentation received at the 140th NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday, March 21.

BREAKING: Top Taraba Monarch Shot Dead At Palace, Photo

Alhaji Abdulmutalib Jankada, traditional ruler of Sansani chiefdom in Gassol local government area of Taraba state, is dead.

He was killed by gunmen who invaded his palace on Thursday night.

According to witnesses, the assailants who rode into Sansani town on motorcycles, sneaked into the palace to gun down their target.

Daily Trust gathered that the gunmen went straight to a room where the Monarch was sitting and shot him severally, seizing his phones afterwards.

It was learnt that the monarch died on the spot, while the attack took palace guards and family members unaware.

Musa Sansani, a resident of Sansani town, said they heard sound gunshots but did not know the shots were from the palace.

“The late chief told us Yesterday that he was traveling to Ibbi for Nwonyo fishing Festival which is taking place on Friday and Saturday. We never knew the Chief did not travel Yesterday evening so when we heard the gunshots, we did not suspect it was inside the palace,” he said.

He said the gunmen silently left the town after killing the monarch and it was his wife who found him dead inside his room that raised alarm which attracted the entire people in the town and other towns in the chiefdom.

“We are mourning and the late chief will be buried after Friday prayers,” he said

The late chief was abducted along Jalingo-Wukari road two years ago and ransom was paid before his release.

The incident brings the number of traditional rulers killed by gunmen in the state to about seven in the last few years.

When contacted, Taraba Commissioner of Police, David lloyanomon, referred our reporter to the command’s public relations officer, SP Usman Abdullahi.

But Abdullahi told our reporter that he was sick and could not comment.

FULL LIST: FG Identifies 148 LGs With Greater Flood Risk

The Federal Government, FG, has declared that over 148 local government areas in 31 Nigerian states are at higher risk of flooding in 2024, which would run from April to November.

Funmi Imuetinyan, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, issued a press statement confirming this.

According to the statement, the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev disclosed this during the launching of the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook with the theme “Promoting the use of Data Analytics and Modeling for Flood Risk Assessments and Food Security,” held in Abuja.

He said the areas include parts of Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, among others.

He emphasized the urgency of the Annual Flood Outlook in mitigating the devastating effects of floods, highlighting its alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Agenda on food security and poverty reduction.

According to the AFO report “148 local government areas spanning 31 states in Nigeria are high flood risk areas for the year 2024 beginning from April to November.

“These areas include parts of Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, among others. They are susceptible to significant high flood impacts on population, agriculture, livelihoods, infrastructure, and the environment.

“While the Moderate impact level floods are projected in 249 LGAs in 36 states and the FCT with specific timeframes in parts of 63 Local Government Areas (LGAs) between April, May, and June, 221 LGAs face potential flooding in July, August, and September; while 100 LGAs are susceptible during October and November 2024.

“Also, flash and urban flooding are expected to affect urban city centers nationwide, including Abakaliki, Abeokuta, Abuja, and Lagos, Asaba, Benin City, Birnin-Kebbi and others.”

The Minister urged state governors to swiftly address the information in the 2024 AFO, emphasizing the need for collaboration among policymakers, government departments, and agencies to mitigate flood risks.

CSO Lauds NCC CEO, Maida’s Efforts In Reforming Nigeria’s Telecommunications Sector

The Citizens Watch Africa (CWA) has lauded Dr Aminu Maida for his efforts towards improving the telecommunications sector since his appointment as the EVC/ CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

At a press conference on Tuesday, the group said Maida has introduced commendable reforms that have boosted the confidence of stakeholders in the sector, leading to more investments in critical telecoms infrastructure.

During his address, the convener of the group, Hon. Pastor Dave Ogbole, stated that the conclusion was reached after an extensive scrutiny of the operations of the NCC in the last six months.

Ogbole further noted that there has been a renewed commitment towards promoting transparency and accountability by the NCC leadership, under the guidance of Maida.

“This has consequently led to an improvement in the organization’s governance processes. The takeaway from this new drive is the disposition by the leadership of the NCC to ensure a level playing ground for all players in the sector,” he added.

“Citizens Watch Africa states that the new drive at the NCC has indeed re-positioned the agency for improved productivity. This has been evident in the various stakeholder engagement initiatives where feedback is gathered and examined to improve the sector.

“We are using this medium to commend the leadership of the NCC. It is highly dedicated and committed to delivering on its key mandate. The new drive at the NCC has led to a steady increase in active voice and internet subscriptions, including a drop in teledensity.

“It is instructive to state that the nation’s teledensity dropped from 115.63% to 102.30% in September. Broadband penetration dropped from 45.47% to 40.85% in the same month. The active voice subscription statistics witnessed a marginal growth from 220,715,961 to 221,769,883 as of September 2023. In addition, Internet subscriptions also enjoyed a marginal increase, from 159,034,717 in August 2023 to 160,171,125 in September 2023.

“These are indicators of the renewed commitment by the NCC leadership to revamp the sector. Citizens Watch Africa salutes the dexterity and passion of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida. He hit the ground running with laudable policies to re-position the telecoms industry for optimal productivity. “

The group urged Maida to continue providing excellent leadership during this critical time for sustainable growth and development of Nigerian communication sector.

BREAKING: Darkness Looms As Power Grid Collapses Again

Nigeria’s electricity grid has collapsed again.

The grid collapsed around 2:42 am on Monday, with generation dropping to 64.70megawatt.

Only one generation company, Ibom Power, was active according to data from the Independent System Operator (ISO), a branch of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, has shown.

This is the sixth collapse in 2024.

It was reported that as of 8am on Monday, the latest data from the ISO showed that the grid is currently generating 266.50mw of electricity from Okpai, Geregu and Ibom power.

Confirming the collapse in a statement, Jos DisCo said: “The current outage being experienced within our franchise States is a result of loss of power supply from the national grid. The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred in the early hours at about 0242Hours of today, Monday, 15th April 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.”

The company’s head of Corporate Affairs, Dr Friday Adakole Elijah, expressed hope that the grid is restored for normal power supply to its esteemed customers.

NLC, TUC Reveals New Minimum Wage

Organised labour, comprising the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, has demanded N615,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the country.

An impeccable source, who is an executive of organised labour, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said that the new wage of N615,000 monthly was reached after consultations by the NLC and TUC.

The source, who was a member of one of the sub-committees set up by the government to work on getting a new minimum wage for the country, however, said the wage might still increase, following the recent hike in electricity tariff.

The source said, “We (NLC and TUC) have given our figures to the government (on the minimum wage), and it is N615,000. That is the position of the NLC and TUC on the matter. The government has been informed as well.”

President Bola Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, had on January 30, set up a 37-member panel at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.

With its membership cutting across federal and state governments, the private sector, and organised labour, the panel was tasked with recommending a new national minimum wage.

At the inaugural meeting of the panel, Shettima urged members to ‘speedily’ arrive at a resolution, and submit their reports early as the current N30,000 minimum wage expired at the end of March 2024.

Chairing the panel is a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, who, at the inauguration ceremony, affirmed that its members would come up with a ‘fair, practical, implementable and sustainable’ minimum wage.

The inauguration followed months of agitation from organised labour over the FG’s failure to inaugurate the new national minimum wage committee as promised during negotiations last October.

From the government’s side, members include the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, representing the Minister of Labour and Employment; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who was represented by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Lydia Jafiya; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Yemi Esan; and Permanent Secretary, GSO/OSGF, Dr Nnamdi Mbaeri, among others.

Representing the Nigeria Governors Forum are Mohammed Bago of Niger State, representing the North Central; Senator Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, representing the North East; Umar Radda of Katsina State, representing the North West; Charles Soludo of Anambra State, representing the South East; Senator Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, for the South West; and Otu Bassey of Cross River State, on behalf of the South-South.

From the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association is the Director-General of the association, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde; Chuma Nwankwo, Thompson Akpabio; as well as members from the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, including Michael Olawale-Cole, Ahmed Rabiu, and Humphrey Ngonadi.

From organised labour, the Nigeria Labour Congress is represented by its president, Joe Ajaero; as well as President of the TUC, Festus Osifo; and his deputy, Tommy Etim-Okon, among others.

Ajaero had announced N1m as the new minimum wage, owing to the rising inflation in the country which, according to him, had pushed many of his members into poverty.

This led to several controversies, with some experts stating that the wage was unrealisable or sustainable.

However, in an interview with one of our correspondents, another labour leader stated that the NLC and TUC had pegged the new wage at N615,000 tentatively.

Asked if the May 1 deadline was still on course, the labour leader said, “What I want you to know is that we are doing our best. Both the TUC and NLC have harmonised, and they have sent their position to the government.

“We are in the process. Be assured that once anything happens, I will, as usual, inform you. That is all I can tell you for now, because we have not met; even though we have submitted our unified positions to the Federal Government. We will be speaking with one voice.

“But, let me also hint you that with the removal of the electricity tariff subsidy, we are going to have another round of serious conversations with the government. Mind you, the tariff increase is also very good for us, because they (the government) did it when the new minimum wage process had not been concluded. So, it is going to be a good ground for us to ask for more.

“Our position will be defended based on the new price of N225 per kWh of electricity. Although we (the government and Labour) are not in agreement, we are waiting to meet and decide on the next point of action.”

The source added, “This is because if you look at the Electricity Act, it canvassed a position that before any increase at all, there must be stakeholders’ engagement. However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission unilaterally imposed the removal of the electricity tariff on the consumers, without recourse to stakeholders. That is in total defiance to the provisions of the Act.

“These are the issues that will be in the front burner of our next negotiation with the Federal Government.

“The new tariff will also give us another strategy to press the government on the need to move the minimum wage upward. This is because the government has not announced any new minimum wage yet, as we are still negotiating.

“As I said, the NLC and TUC have harmonised positions, which we have sent to the government. It is even now that the negotiation will start properly. All that we have done so far was to try to lay the foundation, and now that we have come up with our positions, the government will also come up with their own. We will then start a fresh negotiation.”

BREAKING: Popular Nigerian Activist Found Dead, Photos

Popular Nigerian activist, Fawaz Alabi has found death after drowning at Ibeshe Beach, Lagos

More details..

Naira Makes Massive Recovery Against US Dollar

The naira on Friday experienced huge appreciation at the official market, trading at N1, 142.38 to the dollar.

Data from the official trading platform of the FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market revealed that the naira gained N88.23.

This represents a 7.16 per cent gain compared to the previous trading date on Monday, April 8, exchanging at N1,230.61 to a dollar before the Sallah holiday.

The total daily turnover increased to $281.34 million on Friday up from $125.55 million recorded on Monday.

Meanwhile, at the Investor’s and Exporter’s window, the naira traded between N1,265 and N1,100 against the dollar.

Economic experts have continued to praise both fiscal and monetary policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration responsible for the steady naira appreciation.

The CBN, during its policy meetings held in February and March, implemented a total of 600 basis points in interest rate increases.

This helped tackle dollar scarcity, reduced volatility, and decreased reliance on parallel markets.

(NAN)

BREAKING: Court Grants Emefiele Bail

A high court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has granted bail to the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in the sum of N50 million.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released details of 18 out of the 26 fresh multi-million-dollar and naira corruption charges preferred against Emefiele.

Emefiele and Henry Isioma Omoile were arraigned at the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday by the EFCC on 26 fresh counts.

Ibom Focus had reported that Emefiele and Omoile would be arraigned on another charge in Abuja between April 25 and 26, 2024, according to his lawyer.

The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday adjourned the ruling on the bail application filed by Emefiele.

However, on Friday, Justice Rahman Oshodi, in his ruling, admitted Emefiele to bail with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Oshodi held that the sureties must be gainfully employed and have three years of tax payment with the Lagos State Government.

The court ordered that the sureties must show proper identification and must be registered in the Lagos State Bail Management System.

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