Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the reinstatement of the sacked Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Barr Olalekan Onafeko. The order follows an ex parte application to the Court made by Onafeko through his counsel, Yusuf Nurudeen, in a case he filed against Lagos State Government, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission, The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Attorney-General of Lagos State and Mr. Ottun Babatunde. Onafeko was the Clerk of the House until January 13, 2025 when Hon. Mudashiru Obasa was removed as Speaker, with the…

Brad Sigmon, a 67-year old South Carolina death row inmate has chosen to be executed by a firing squad, which would make him only the fourth inmate in the U.S. to die by this execution method. Sigmon who is scheduled to be killed on March 7, informed state officials on Friday that he wishes to die by firing squad rather than by lethal injection or the electric chair, citing, in part, the prolonged suffering the three inmates previously executed in the state had faced when they were killed by lethal injection. Sigmon was the first South Carolina inmate to choose…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has handed over a total sum of $132,362.43, N78,566,324.81 to American, Spanish and Swiss victims of local fraudsters. The Commission described the move as a gesture of its commitment to tackling economic and financial crimes and offering restitution to victims of fraudulent practices. According to a statement by the EFCC, the handover was performed by its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede,  on Friday at the EFCC’s corporate headquarters in Jabi, Abuja. It added that the delighted Olukoyede observed that, “The event is a demonstration of the commitment of the federal government of Nigeria and that…

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has thanked President Bola Tinubu for the establishment of Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences in Iyin-Ekiti. Tinubu had on Thursday in Abuja, assented to two separate bills establishing the Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State. Oyebanji in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, on Friday, said that the new university would further enhance educational and technological advancement of the state and the country through manpower development. The governor also thanked Tinubu…

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, on Friday, swore in 15 new commissioners as members of the State Executive Council. The State House of Assembly had screened and confirmed 16 commissioner nominees, but one of the nominees, Princess Margaret Elayo, was unable to participate in the event due to unspecified reasons. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony at the City Hall in Lafia, the state capital, Governor Sule urged the new commissioners to avoid corrupt practices while discharging their duties. He emphasized that his administration is built on accountability, transparency, and prudent resource management, warning that corruption would not be tolerated. The…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said the fire outbreak that started on a dry crude storage barge at Cawthorne Channel 1 in Rivers State has been successfully contained. In a statement on Thursday, NNPCL Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said the incident did not affect the operations of the flow station in the area. “Thanks to the swift response of our emergency teams and industry partners, the fire was successfully contained. The incident did not impact flow station operations,” he said. According to Soneye, no lives were lost in the incident. NNPCL spokesman also assured the…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says that there will be a seven-hour power outage in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In a statement, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said the affected areas will experience blackout on Saturday, February 22, and Sunday, February 23, 2025, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. She attributed the action to scheduled annual preventive maintenance on two transformers. “The Transmission Company of Nigeria informs the public that its maintenance crew will conduct annual preventive maintenance on the 2x100MVA, TR3 & TR4 transformers at the Apo 132/33kV Transmission…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has made alarming discoveries in its ongoing enforcement operation at the Idumota open drug market in Lagos. The agency uncovered unregistered narcotics, counterfeit GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) medicines, and vaccines improperly stored, with some shockingly found in toilets. This was revealed in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. The statement reads, “In the ongoing enforcement operation at the Idumota open drug market, NAFDAC has uncovered more alarming products, including unregistered narcotics, counterfeit GSK medicines, and vaccines stored in toilets. “During an operation on Tuesday, officials also seized expired USAID-donated…

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has insisted that the local government elections scheduled for Saturday will proceed as planned despite an appeal from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to suspend the polls. In a statement on Friday, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, emphasised that democracy is guided by the rule of law and that no individual has the authority to override the courts. “My advice to all parties, including local and national stakeholders, is to abide by democratic norms. “As for me and my people, we stand by the rule of law, not illegal self-help.…

The Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, has criticised Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over a dispute concerning her seating arrangement in the chamber. Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central under the Peoples Democratic Party, had on Thursday refused to use the seat assigned to her, citing Order 10 of the Senate Standing Rules, which protects members’ privileges. The dispute arose after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s seat was reassigned due to a reshuffle triggered by opposition members switching to the majority wing. However, she resisted the relocation. In defiance, the Kogi senator spoke out loudly, accusing the leadership of attempting to silence her. “I don’t care if I…