Author: Amina Mohammed

The Executive Director of the Centre for Free Speech, Richard Akinnola has condemned the arrest of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi by operatives of the Nigerian police. The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr Adeniran Akinwale, had said that Farotimi was arrested for various alleged offences. He said that the offences committed included “defamation of character, cyberstalking, and other things. But those two are fully established”. While condemning the arrest, Akinnola, a journalist and lawyer said whoever feels maligned should seek redress in court rather than using police to harass critics. He wrote “Last week, l was at a…

The Senate has passed the 2024 – 2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for implementation by the Federal Government. The passage followed the presentation of a report by the chairman of the Joint Committees on Finance and National Planning & Economic Affairs presented by Sen. Musa, Mohammed Sani (Niger East). The senate also tasked its Committees on Finance and Petroleum as well as Gas to investigate allegations of withheld funds by the NNPC, including NGN 8.48 trillion in petrol subsidies, and $2 billion (NGN 3.6 trillion) in unpaid taxes. The allegation was highlighted by reports from…

Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of Sylvester Oromoni, the Dowen College student who tragically passed away in 2021, has passed away. A family source revealed that she succumbed to an intermittent blood pressure-related illness in late November. Her death follows a difficult period for the Oromoni family, particularly after a special court ruling in April 2024 cleared Dowen College and its staff of any responsibility in Sylvester’s death. Sylvester, a 12-year-old, died on November 30, 2021, in a case that attracted widespread attention after his parents accused the school of bullying and poisoning him. Initial investigations suggested chemical intoxication as the…

Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force have reportedly arrested human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, over allegations of defaming the Chief Executive Officer of the United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu. Farotimi’s arrest was revealed by the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday. Sowore disclosed that Elumelu filed a petition accusing Farotimi of defamation. He called for the lawyer’s immediate release, emphasising that the police should not be used to settle personal disputes. Sowore wrote, “I just learned that Dele Farotimi was arrested by the Nigerian Police over…

The House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to mandate the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun to ensure that all frozen accounts of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) are unfrozen within 72 hours. They argued that unfreezing the accounts would enable the smooth recommencement of all the programmes of NSIPA. The house is also urging the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to ensure that all the administrative bottlenecks hindering the smooth operations of all programmes of NSIPA are immediately removed. The resolutions were reached following the adoption of…

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, is set to construct an intra-city rail network to connect Maiduguri and its environs. This is the first such project by any of Nigeria’s 19 northern state governments. The first phase of the project will commence with 12 designated terminals within Maiduguri, to connect major markets, schools, other public places and economically viable locations. The project, which could be expanded to cover local government areas in the future, will facilitate the seamless movement of passengers and goods, and open up economic activities and corridors across the state. Inspecting the proposed take-off rail terminals and routes…

The four tax reform bills are not against the interest of the North, the Presidency said yesterday. Apart from refuting the claims that the bills will undermine the economy of any region, the Presidency also clarified that the reforms are designed to streamline tax administration and promote equitable economic development across the country. The bills have scaled the second reading in the Senate. It is now at the committee stage where it will undergo public hearing. Also yesterday, Senator Seriake Dickson and former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, gave reasons why the tax reform is desirable and passage of…

The Federal Government has commenced a free Compressed Natural Gas bus service in Abuja to ease transportation costs for Nigerians in the capital city. The CNG buses began operations on December 2, 2024, as shown in a video shared by the Presidential CNG Initiative on its X (formerly Twitter) page. The buses, according to reports, will run along popular routes from suburbs in Abuja such as Mararaba to Eagle Square and Berger bus stop. The government has announced that the buses will convey passengers free of charge for the next 40 days, with the free service scheduled to end on…

Borno state governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum has warned that there would be consequences for Nigerians if President Bola Tinubu decides to go ahead to get the Tax Reform Bills passed into law at all cost. Zulum, who said neither himself nor any Northern governor was against President Bola Tinubu over the Executive Bills, however, noted that they were only craving for dialogue and adequate consultation about the proposed legislations in order not to be short-changed. “This is a democratic setting, we need more time. People have told the President that governors are against him, we didn’t say anything like…

The General Council of the World Trade Organisation has reappointed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for a second term as its Director-General. Her new four-year tenure is set to begin on September 1, 2025. In a statement issued on Friday by the organisation, Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude to the WTO’s 166 member nations for their continued trust and support. “I am deeply honoured by the trust and support of the WTO General Council and its 166 Members. It is a privilege to continue serving as Director-General for a second four-year term,” she said.