Author: Vardiafrica

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has accused Finland of shielding Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Musa, who was a guest on Channels Television’s special broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 25th Democracy Day in Abuja also decried the activities of IPOB in the South-East, demanding the arrest and prosecution of Ekpa He called on the Nigerian government to take decisive action, including exploring diplomatic options to curb the menace of the factional leader of the IPOB. “We have repeatedly complained about the issue of Simon Ekpa. He is in Finland…

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, said ex-Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, who is accused of N80.2bn fraud, had ridiculed the Nigerian justice system by failing to present himself for trial in court.The EFCC acting Zonal Director, Benin Zonal Command, Mr Effa Okim, stated this during a familiarisation visit to the Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Asaba, Delta State capital. The EFCC is having a running legal battle with Bello over alleged N80.2bn fraud.Following a failed attempt to arrest him and his repeated absence from court for his arraignment, the EFCC declared Bello wanted,…

A jury found Hunter Biden guilty on Tuesday of federal gun charges in a historic first criminal prosecution of the child of a sitting US president. The 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden was convicted on all three of the felony counts stemming from his 2018 purchase of a handgun while addicted to drugs. The verdict comes as his father is seeking reelection and on a day when the Democratic president is scheduled to give a speech in Washington about gun violence. The president expressed his “love and support” for his son in a statement released by the White House…

President Bola Tinubu will, in a broadcast on Wednesday, address the nation. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. He asked all radio stations and electronic media outlets to join NTA and Radio Nigeria for the address. Every 12 June is celebrated as Democracy Day in the country

A High Court in Rivers State has nullified section tqqthree of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission Law recently amended by the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly. The amendment, which was recently enacted after the Assembly vetoed Governor Siminalayi Fubara, transferred the power to appoint the chairman and members of the commission from the governor to the Speaker of the House. Concerned about the significant change, the Association of Legal Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), initiated a legal action to seek the court’s interpretation of the amendment in line with the Nigerian Constitution. The NGO requested…

The Senate has passed the N98.5bn 2024 supplementary budget for the Federal Capital Territory Administration. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage during the plenary today, after the consideration and adoption of a report of the Committee on FCT on the supplementary budget, by Sen. Mohammed Ibrahim representing Yobe South. Before the consideration of the report, Sen Ireti Kingibe had raised a point of order, to officially lay compliant in her exclusion from the activities of the committee on the FCT of which she is a member. Her point of order was noted by the Senate president who further…

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said Tuesday there had been no survivors when a plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others crashed into a forest. “The plane has been found and I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform you all, it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy,” he said, in a televised address. The crash occurred weeks after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash. Malawian searchers found the wreckage of the plane that was carrying Chilima on Tuesday, a day after the aircraft went missing in bad weather. The military plane carrying Chilima, 51, and…

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos State has moved the supply date for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol from June to mid-July. The President and Chief Executive Officer of the refinery, Aliko Dangote, attributed the postponement to slight delay but assured the public that by second to third week in July, the premium commodity would be in the market. Dangote spoke when he received a Senate delegation led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on a tour of the $20 billion facility in Lagos on Sunday. He said, “We had a bit of delay but PMS will…

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero says the Organised Labour will await the decision of President Bola Tinubu on the proposals submitted to him by the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage. Ajaero ruled out any industrial action till the President makes his stance known on the two proposals presented to him on the new minimum wage for workers in the country. While Labour insisted on ₦250,000 as a feasible living wage for workers, the other side – the federal and state governments as well as the Organised Private Sector – proposed ₦62,000. The tripartite committee submitted the two…

Following claims in certain quarters about the stability of some Nigerian banks in the wake of Heritage Bank Plc’s license revocation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again reassured members of the banking public of the safety of their deposits and the banking system’s resilience. Contrary to some claims, the Bank’s Acting Director of the Corporate Communications Department, Hakama Sidi Ali, on Monday, faulted claims that the CBN was considering revoking the operating licences of Fidelity, Polaris, Wema, and Unity Banks. She also clarified that a circular issued by the bank on January 10, 2024, notifying the public about…