Author: Vardiafrica

The Federal Government has raised concerns over an attempt by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese firm, to seize Nigeria’s presidential jets and other offshore assets through a court case in Paris, France. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated on Wednesday that the firm is pursuing a fraudulent claim against the Nigerian state, similar to the PI&D case in the UK. According to Onanuga, the case was against Zhongshan Fucheng Ltd and the Ogun State government regarding a 2007 contract between the company and the State Government to manage a free-trade…

Three Nigerian presidential jets, including a newly purchased Airbus, have reportedly been seized by a French court amid legal dispute. Three aircraft associated with the Nigerian government have been seized under the authority of a French court following a protracted legal battle between a sub-national and Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese company, according to a Premium Times report. The seizure includes a newly acquired Airbus A330 valued at over $100 million. The aircraft in question—a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus A330—had either been part of the Nigerian presidential fleet or were recently purchased by the government. …

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Disclosing this in a statement on Thursday, NJC spokesman, Soji Oye, said the decision was taken following the Council’s 106th Meeting presided over by the CJN Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. He said the meeting was held on August 14 and 15 in Abuja, just seven days before the retirement of Justice Ariwoola as the CJN. “This is imperative as Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, will formally bow out of office as the Hon. Chief Justice of…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is advocating for the creation of a special court to try cases of crude oil theft. The Director of Investigation of the commission, Abdulkarim Chukkol, made this known during the investigative hearing of the House of Representatives special committee on crude oil theft in Abuja on Wednesday. He said over 400 cases were charged to court in 2019, with 200 others prosecuted in 2022. Chukkol believes that a special court and amendment of the legal framework of the agency would help EFCC in addressing crude oil theft. Earlier in June, the Group Chief…

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate decreased to 33.40% in July 2024, down from 34.19% in June 2024. This marks the first decline in the headline inflation rate since December 2022, when it last dropped to 21.34%. The latest inflation rate figures are based on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) CPI report for July 2024. According to the report, the headline inflation rate decreased by 0.79 percentage points in July 2024 compared to June 2024. On a year-on-year basis, the rate was 9.32 percentage points higher than in July 2023, when it stood at 24.08%. This indicates an increase in the…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says 63 illegal refineries were discovered and confiscated in one week. In a documentary on Wednesday, NNPC said the fight against oil theft was yielding results. The national oil company said about 177 incidents of oil theft were recorded between August 3 and 9 by different incident sources. According to NNPC, Tantita Security Services recorded four incidents, Shell Petroleum Development Company recorded 11, and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) recorded 26. NNPC said Maton Engineering Company reported 20 incidents; NNPC 18 Operating Ltd recorded one, NNPC Command and Control Centre recorded 51, and government security…

22-year-old content creator and food consultant Munachimso Brian Nwana has achieved the world record for the most fast food restaurants visited in 24 hours. Brian visited 150 different establishments, smashing the previous record of 100, which was set last year by American YouTuber Airrack. Before that, the record had belonged to TikTok stars Nick DiGiovanni and the late Lynn “Lynja” Davis. Both of those record attempts occurred in New York City, whereas Brian’s took place in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. He said: “New York has clusters of restaurants and adequate public transportation systems, so doing this in Abuja was much more daunting…

President Bola Tinubu has signed into law a bill seeking to increase the salaries and allowances of judges in the country by 300 percent. The judicial office holders’ salaries and allowances bill, which was passed by the senate  in June, will allow the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) to earn N64 million annually. In a statement on Tuesday, Basheer Lado, special adviser to the president on senate matters, said Tinubu’s signing of the bill marks his “unwavering commitment” to the welfare of Nigeria’s workforce. “This extraordinary move underscores Mr President’s absolute prioritization of the welfare of Nigerian workers above all else…

President Bola Tinubu is presiding over the meeting of the National Council of State. The meeting which is being held at the Council Chamber of the State House Abuja has in attendance former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari. Former Heads of State, Generals Gowon Yakubu, and Abdulsalami Abubakar are joining virtually. Also present for the meeting are the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. Governors Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Babagana Zulum of Borno…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited has explained the reason behind its decision to reduce its stake in Dangote refinery to 7.2 per cent. Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, in a recent interview on the Berekete Family Radio Programme, published on YouTube on Sunday. Soneye said NNPC realised that Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is more affordable as a better energy alternative for Nigerians, so chose to rather reallocate its investment into projects across the country. According to him, an average Nigerian can fill up his car with N10,000 with CNG, creating a huge investment opportunity in…