Author: Festus Adeloye

The immediate past Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has said that the galloping inflation caused by the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government led to the review of contracts under his administration in the state. Obaseki, in a statement issued through his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, on Friday, said the claim that the contract sum for a 17.5 km Benin-Abraka road project, Phase 1C, was increased by 100 per cent from N8 billion to N16 billion within one year under the immediate past administration was baseless. The Edo State Assets Verification Committee, through the Physical Assets and Infrastructure Committee, headed…

Liverpool boss, Arne Slot, has insisted that Darwin Núñez remains an important part of Liverpool’s plans despite the struggling striker falling below “standard” during the Champions League win against Girona. In the midst of a lengthy slump, Núñez has scored only one goal in his last 10 appearances and three in total this season. In Liverpool’s victory over Girona on Tuesday, the Uruguayan international appeared increasingly frustrated after missing several chances. Slot admitted he kept Núñez on the pitch for an extended period, before eventually substituting him in the 71st minute, in the hope he would score a confidence-boosting goal.…

The United States Attorney, Susan Lehr has announced the extradition of Abiola Kayode, 37, from Ghana to the District of Nebraska, United States over an alleged $6m cyber fraud indictment. According to the statement by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska on Thursday, Kayode, who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, is alleged to have participated in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme from January 2015 to September 2016. The BEC scheme defrauded businesses in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere of more than $6 million. The case was filed in August 2019 in Omaha,…

All 36 states have submitted their positions on state police, with a majority agreeing on the need for state-controlled policing. The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, revealed this to State House Correspondents on Thursday after the 147th meeting of the National Economic Council at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. He said, “Today, one of the discussions we had at the NEC meeting was the update on the creation of state police. As you are aware, there was a submission by states towards the establishment of state police. “Thirty-six states have submitted, minus the FCT. The FCT is not a…

The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Friday, pleaded not guilty to the 18-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The charge is bordering on money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of about N80.2 billion. After the charge was read to him, Bello responded that he was not guilty of all 18 counts. When the case was called for hearing, counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, of the intention of the prosecution to withdraw…

Access Bank Plc has entered into a binding agreement with South African-based Bidest Group Limited for the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity stake in Bidvest Bank. A statement by Head, Media Relations, Access Holdings Plc, Olakunle Aderinokun on Thursday, said the agreement reflects the bank’s commitment to strengthening its footprint in South Africa, and consolidating its position as the continent’s gateway to global markets as it seeks to optimise the benefits of recent acquisitions and accelerate its transition towards a greater focus on efficiencies. Founded in 2000, Bidvest Bank is a South African financial institution providing a diverse…

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority has commenced clampdown on illegal LPG retail outlets in Akwa Ibom State. The state Coordinator Ikechukwu Eseka, disclosed this when he received the state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps Bakshar Hussaini, in his office on a courtesy visit on Thursday. “We have started enforcement of LPG retailers embarking on illegal decanting of LPG, filling stations, LPG refilling plants, and other illegal downstream operations in the state. “We are currently working on the illegal proliferation of decanting of LPG in the state, Eseka stated, adding that gas is very…

Georgian ex-footballer turned far-right politician Mikheil Kavelashvili is set to become Tbilisi’s next figurehead president in an indirect election denounced as “illegitimate” by the current pro-EU leader. Picked by the governing Georgian Dream party as a loyalist, the former forward for the English Premier League’s Manchester City is known for his expletive-laden parliament speeches and tirades against government critics and LGBTQ people. He is expected to be voted into the role by an electoral college controlled by Georgian Dream, after the party abolished the use of popular votes to elect the president under controversial constitutional changes passed in 2017. Kavelashvili…

Nigerian music star Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi, has opened up on the reason for separating from his record label Dapper Music, citing broken trust. The singer who left the record label following earlier speculations about his departure via his official Instagram page on Wednesday, shared a statement detailing how his record label boss, Damilola Akinwunmi aka Dapper mishandled his finances, betrayed and exploited him. According to the singer, Hilda Baci’s boyfriend, Dapper, prioritised their profit instead of his growth, thereby risking his career. He added that there had been no transparency about his money even though he had…

Justice M. A. Adegbola of an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday granted an interim order restraining, human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, his publishers, and their re-publishers from further publication and sale of the book titled: “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.” The order specifically named publishers and their re-publishers including Amazon Online Bookstore, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore, and Patabah Books Limited. Additionally, it stated that the publication, whether hard or soft copy must be stopped from further publication and sale through any mainstream or social media platform or…