Admission into higher institutions starts August 21 – JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says higher institutions have been directed to offer admissions to candidates for the 2020/2021 session from August 21, 2020.

This was contained in the guidelines for admission given to heads of higher institutions, released on Sunday by JAMB’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin.

According to the guidelines “The 1st and 2nd choices admission exercise be conducted for all institutions from 21st, August 2020 to a later date that would be determined by the Federal Ministry of Education and communicated to all institutions.”

The guidelines said the fixing of the terminal date was due to the uncertainties of COVID-19.

The document further directed institutions to conduct admissions on JAMB’s Central Admission Processing System in collaboration with other regular agencies and that on no account should institutions sell or advertise application forms for admission into programmes.

Institutions are advised not to charge more than N2,000 for post the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination screening.

Ifako mourns as bandits stab jogger to death at Fagba

Residents of Gospel Crusader, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos were thrown into mourning on Thursday, as a promising young man who went jogging during the early hours was attacked by daredevil bandits and stabbed to death at Fagba area. 

Information made available to People & Politics revealed that Bayo Aiyeola, the last born of the family of eight children and second son of the Aiyeolas went out to jog within the Ifako axis. 

The young man was reported to have stopped to use the automated machine, so as to get some cash around Fagba. 

 

“While he left the ATM, I think these Fagba boys saw him and he was attacked in the process. Meanwhile, I guess he contended with them, so they stabbed him multiple times, dispossessed him of his cash and other things and left him in his pool of blood”, a neighbour told People & Politics. 

Eyewitnesses allegedly reached out to Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, at Olowosekedile, Iju Road, but they didn’t show up, same as Red House Police Station, until about two hours after. 

 

“When they showed up, it was too late, Bayo was already dead”, another neighbour said. 

In a visit to the community, everyone described Bayo as a decent and easy going promising young man. 

“He’s a very quiet personality. The most unfortunate thing is that he was the one taking care of his aged parents, and those people were thrown into mourning at this old age by some God-forsaken devil’s mercenaries hanging around Fagba and the rail line axis. 

“The government needs to rid those idiots off that place. Not too long ago, a pregnant woman was also beheaded in that same area. A lot of atrocities have been perpetrated there”, a mourner lamented. 

The mother was sedated at the time of the visit because of the unbearable shock.

Efforts to reach DSP Bala Elkana, Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos by People & Politics, to comment on this incident were futile as calls made to him were not picked, neither was the message sent to him responded to, at the time of filing this news.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mrs Biola Kosegbe, says Lagos State has identified 500 distressed buildings and marked 102 of the buildings for demolition.

She expressed the government’s commitment to zero tolerance to distressed and dilapidated buildings in the state.

The Assistant Director, Public Relations, LASBCA, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, disclosed these in a statement titled ‘LASBCA to commence removal of identified distressed buildings in Lagos State’ made available to our correspondent on Friday.

Kosegbe said those marked for demolition had been published in the national newspapers by the agency in the first instance, while all the tenants/occupiers of the distressed buildings had been advised to evacuate immediately as demolition would commence after the expiration on the seven-day notice.

Kosegbe said that the distressed structures in the state would be removed by LASBCA, having served all the statutory enforcement notices in consonance with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010, and with no response from the respective owners and developers.

She stated that public notice was the final notice from the agency to the owner/developer.

If the distressed structures were not removed within seven days of the publication by their respective owners/developers in line with regulatory provision of the law, she said, the structures would be removed by the agency and the cost would be borne by the owners.

The general manager said the decision was taken after a thorough engineering appraisal and monitoring of the distressed buildings carried out by the agency in the state with a view to ensuring better physical planning environment for sustainable development and averting needless loss of lives and properties.

Kosegbe said that sustainable physical development required the participation of all Lagosians.

She maintained that no responsible government would fold its arms and watch its citizens die avoidable careless death without taking precautionary measures to stop it.

The general manager noted that people had shown disregard for the state laws on building construction in the past which the resultant effect were worrisome.

She appealed to building owners and developers to desist from additional floors to old existing buildings without carrying out a thorough engineering appraisal, integrity test on the building and obtaining necessary permits from the relevant authorities.

The general manager advised developers should seek authorisation from LASBCA and hire the services of relevant professionals.

This, she said, would go a long way to prevent the occurrence of building collapse in the state.

Arotile: Police to take over case, may charge suspect with manslaughter‌

Ex-classmate faces seven years imprisonment if convicted

Slain pilot completed promotion exams recently, awaiting deployment

The Nigerian Air Force has said it will hand over the driver and two other occupants of the Kia Sorento SUV which killed Nigeria’s first female combat pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, to the police for investigation and prosecution.

The NAF disclosed that the suspects – Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun – all former schoolmates of the deceased at the Air Force Secondary School (now Air Force Comprehensive School) Kaduna, were still in custody.

After investigations, the culpable person among the suspects would face manslaughter charges.

Disclosing the details of the preliminary investigation to journalists at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja on Sunday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Comm. Ibikunle Daramola, said the service would work with the police to prefer appropriate charges against the culpable persons among the vehicle occupants.

Arotile, 24, was knocked down by the suspects at the NAF base in Kaduna last Tuesday.

Following Arotile’s death, her family, groups including the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, had called for an investigation into her death.

Afenifere, which spoke through its spokesman, rejected the freak accident, which the Air Force said caused her death.

But on Sunday, the Air Force gave more insights into the accident.   It said the driver, Adejoh was reversing the Kia Sorento SUV when it hit Arotile who fell and hit her head on the tarmac. The car also ran over parts of her body after knocking her down.

The Squadron Pilot at the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group, Enugu, subsequently died from loss of blood and trauma to the head at the 461 NAF Hospital, Kaduna.

One of our correspondents learnt that the culpable person among occupants of the car might face manslaughter charges and on conviction, is liable to seven years’ imprisonment, according to Section 28 of the Road Traffic Law which provides that where reckless and dangerous driving has caused the death of a person, the accused person shall be guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment of seven years.

Daramola said the late pilot, who was attached to the Air Component of Operation Gama Aiki in Minna, Niger State, had just completed her promotion examination and was in Kaduna awaiting deployment for her next assignment.

According to him, she was staying with her sister, Mrs Damilola Adegboye, at the Sabo area in Kaduna and visiting the NAF Base whenever necessary.

How Arotile died – NAF

Narrating the sequence of events that culminated in Arotile’s death, Daramola explained that on the fateful day, at about 10.55am, the late Flying Officer received a phone call from her colleague, Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 HCTG, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu.

He reportedly asked her to come to the base  so they could work out the modalities, adding that Arotile at 10.58am placed a call to the Group Operations Officer of 405 HCTG, Squadron Leader Diepiriye Batubo, who was in Minna at the time, to clarify issues regarding her deployment.

The NAF spokesman noted that the call from Karimo and the one to Batubo both took place before 11.00am, over five hours before the incident which led to her death.

He stated, “Flying Officer Arotile was later conveyed from Sabo to the NAF Base Kaduna by her sister, Mrs Adegboye, where the deceased dropped her phone for charging at a house in the Instructor Pilots’ Quarters belonging to Squadron Leader Alfa Ekele.

“Her elder sister later dropped her off  (sic) at the Base Mammy Market at about 4.00pm, where she proceeded to photocopy and laminate some documents. It was while she was returning from the Mammy Market at about 4.30pm that three of her former schoolmates at the Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna; Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun, drove past her in a Kia Sorento SUV, with registration Number AZ 478 MKA.

“It is noteworthy that Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun are all civilians who live outside NAF Base Kaduna, but were on their way to visit one Mrs Chioma Ugwu, wife of Squadron Leader Chukwuemeka Ugwu, who lives at Ekagbo Quarters on the Base.”

Upon recognising Arotile after passing her, Daramola disclosed that Adejoh reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction.

“In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries.

“Flying Officer Arotile was subsequently rushed to the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna for treatment, while Mr Folorunsho (one of the occupants of the vehicle) who is also an Accident & Emergency Nurse at the St Gerard Catholic Hospital Kaduna, administered First Aid. Arotile was confirmed dead by the On-Call doctor at the 461 NAF Hospital at about 4.45pm on 14 July 2020, as a result of the head injuries,” the NAF spokesman disclosed.

After the incident, Daramola said the driver and the two occupants of the car were immediately detained at the Air Provost Wing, 453 Base Services Group Kaduna as investigations began.

He also said they were subjected to toxicology tests at the 461 NAF Hospital but no traces of alcohol or psychotropic substances were found in their systems, noting, however, that Adejo did not have a valid driving licence.

Daramola further said, “Traffic Officers from the Kawo Police Station and the Kaduna State Police Command as well as road traffic experts from the Federal Road Safety Corps were also called in to provide support during the investigation.

“Having carefully considered the foregoing, the preliminary investigation concluded that the death of Flying Officer Arotile was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and significant bleeding resulting from being struck by the vehicle.”

“Being a civil case, the matter will be handed over to the Nigeria Police with a view to further investigating and charging the suspects to court in accordance with extant laws.”

Air Force seeks FRSC’s expertise for probe

Meanwhile, the NAF has requested the expertise of the FRSC in the investigation into Arotile’s death. It asked the corps to authorise “the release of its road traffic accident investigative experts in analysing and interpreting the accident.”

In a letter addressed to the Sector Commander, FRSC, Kaduna dated July 17, 2020, and signed by an investigator, Flying Officer, M. Isah, the NAF said the corps’ expertise was needed to assist the HQ 057 Provost Investigation Group, Ikeja, to investigate the circumstances that led to Arotile’s death “in order to ascertain the actual cause of death.”

After the NAF spokesman revealed his identity on Sunday, many Nigerians besieged Adejoh’s Facebook page and queried his motive.

While some cursed him, others sympathised with him, saying the action might not be deliberate.

Don’t bury Arotile until after investigation – Adegboruwa

Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has said the remains of  Arotile ought not to be buried until the conclusion of investigations in the circumstances surrounding her death.

The Nigerian Air Force had announced that the 24-year-old would be buried on July 23.

But Adegboruwa advised against the burial, in a statement on Sunday, titled, “Nigerians Deserve Proper Investigation into the Death of Arotile before Burial.”

The lawyer said given “the inconsistent stories emerging from the Nigerian Air Force” on the cause of Arotile’s death, there was a need for a coroner’s inquest.

Adegboruwa said, “The least we expect is a proper investigation, followed with a coroner’s inquest, including an independent autopsy report.

“There is no point in rushing to bury her in light of emerging revelations.”

Aspirants, factions disagree over indirect primaryFocus on party’s victory – S’West APC

The All Progressives Congress candidate for the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State will emerge today (Monday) at a primary election that will be contested by the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and 10 other aspirants.

Ahead of the election, there were intrigues on Sunday as some aspirants engaged in last-minute talks aimed at forming an alliance against Akeredolu.

Besides Akeredolu,  other aspirants  are Chief Olusola Oke, Dr Segun Abraham, Mr Olaide Adelami, Bukola Adetula, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose, Ambassador Sola Iji, Mr Isaac Kekemeke, Jimi Odimayo, Mr Nathaniel Adojutelegan and Mr Awodeyi Akinsehinwa.

The party had last month disclosed that it would adopt indirect primary to pick its governorship candidate, but  11 aspirants in a memo they jointly signed  kicked  against it.

The Chairman of the Primary Committee and Kogi State Governor, Mr Yahaya Bello, on Friday turned down the request of the aspirants, saying they could not dictate to the party.

Aspirants  in last-minute alliance talks against Akeredolu

It was gathered that there might be last-minute alliance among the aspirants as several meetings were going on among the party leaders and the aspirants to reduce the number of aspirants so that most popular aspirant would get the ticket of the party.

The spokesperson for one of the aspirants,  Adelami;  Mr Rahaman Yusuf, confirmed that his boss had met with many party leaders.

On Sunday, it was learnt that many of the aspirants, who were active at the initial stage of the preparation for the primary, were said to have lost confidence in getting the desired victory at the primary following the alleged imposition of the indirect primary.

An aide to one of the aspirants, on condition of anonymity,  informed one of our correspondents that his boss knew he had lost the primary already, alleging that the national secretariat of the party had concluded plans to give Akeredolu the ticket of the party.

Akerodolu to benefit from indirect primary

Also, there were indications on Sunday that  Akeredolu  would benefit from the indirect primary.

A top-ranking member of the party who, spoke on condition of  anonymity, said, “Most incumbent governors prefer the indirect mode because those who emerge as delegates are their loyalists.

“There are those we call automatic delegates and these include party members from the state who are former governors, former deputy governors, former speakers and deputy speakers, serving national and state Assembly members.”

Oke vows to challenge indirect primary

One of governorship aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke, who expressed his displeasure over the adoption of indirect primary, however, said he would participate in the primary but would challenge the process.

Aspirants yet to see delegates’ list, says  factional chairman

But the APC  factional chairman, Mr Henry Olatuja, said the indirect primary adopted by the party was against its constitution.

According to him, the insistence of the APC’s  National Caretaker Committee of the party  on  conducting  indirect primary in the state has further caused more crises in the party.

Olatuja said,  “We heard the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bell,  say the primary in Ondo State will be indirect, meaning it is a delegate election. As I am talking to you now, we have yet to have the list of delegates to use on Monday, even the contestants don’t have it.

However, the state Chairman of the party, Mr Ade Adetimehin, said there was no faction in the party and the was no case in the court .

S’West APC urges aspirants to focus on party’s victory in October

The South-West caucus of the APC on its part appealed to the 12 governorship aspirants to display maturity and harp more on issues that could unite the party, rather than those capable of causing unwarranted division.

The APC South-West Publicity Secretary, Karounwi Oladapo, in a release titled, “Press statement,”  urged the aspirants to look beyond the primaries to how the party would win the governorship election proper holding in October.

Oyedele steps down for Akeredolu

Few hours to the primary, an aspirant, Ife Oyedele on Sunday stepped down from the governorship race.

Speaking with journalists at the Government House, Akure, Oyedele, who is the Executive Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria , said he took the decision after the consultation with the national leaders of the party to work with  Akeredolu in the forthcoming election.

Meanwhile, less than 24 hours to the primary of party, the venue for the primary has been changed.

Initially, the primary was scheduled to hold in the 18 local government headquarters of the party in the state but it was gathered that the exercise would hold in three centers in Akure.

The party spokesman, Alex Kalejaiye,  confirmed the development.

National Assembly vehicles: Contractors petition Buhari, demand N875m, threaten suit

A group of contractors have petitioned the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), urging him to prevail on the National Assembly to pay them for the officials cars bought for lawmakers since 2017.

The contractors, 12 of them, are demanding payment of N875m within seven days with 21 per cent interest, failing which they would sue the leadership of the National Assembly.

The vehicles, which were bought by members of the 8th National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives, included Peugeot 508, 2017 model and Toyota Hilux pick-up vans, among others.

The 8th Assembly was led by Bukola Saraki  as the President of the Senate and Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of the House.

The 9th Assembly is being led by Ahmed Lawan as President of the Senate and Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the House.

While the 8th House procured Peugeot 508 2017 model, the 9th House had ordered 400 units of Toyota Camry 2020 model. The Senate constantly acquires Toyota Sports Utility Vehicles.

The petition, filed by Roland Otaru, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, on behalf of the contractor, was dated July 17, 2020, with Reference Number OO/LIT/LAG/076/07/20, addressed to the President and copied to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House and the National Assembly Service Commission.

It was titled, ‘Re: Refusal of the National Assembly to Pay Our Clients Money Due and Payable to Them in Respect of Contracts Executed for the National Assembly Since 2017.’

The petition read in part, “It is as a result of your zero tolerance for corruption that we, on behalf of our clients, convey to you sir, the refusal of the National Assembly to pay our clients the various contract sums owed our clients despite the supply of various cars and office equipment to the National Assembly by our clients since 2017.

“On the instructions of our clients, we wrote letters of demand to the Clerk of the National Assembly and up till now, there is no any iota of response to our letters of demand.

“Sir, as our President who has zero tolerance for corruption, we have it on good authority that funds have been provided for the National Assembly by your government to pay all outstanding debts owed by the National Assembly, but the principal officers of the National Assembly chose to look the other way and have failed, refused and/or neglected to pay the debts owed our clients despite both oral and written demands.”

When contacted, Director of Public Affairs, at the National Assembly, Yahaya Danzaria, referred our correspondent to the Department of Finance and Accounts.

Also the Director of Information, National Assembly, Rawlings Agada, said, “Anything that has to do with services and concerning purchase by members of the Assembly, go to the Senate or House Committees on Services.”

A top official in the National Assembly management, however, told our correspondent that the parliament has three account heads – Senate account, House account and Management account. The official also stated that the Senate and House Services committees should speak on the matter.

When also contacted, the Chairman of the House Committee on House Service, Mr Wale Raji, said he was not the chairman of the committee, which made procurements in the 8th Assembly.

Hoodlums arrested after robbing Anambra businessman of dollars, Euro

Three robbers, who dispossessed an Anambra State-based businessman of undisclosed amounts of dollar and euro, have been arrested.

The hoodlums were said to have bought two tricycles and a shuttle bus with the stolen money.

It was gathered that the suspects had been terrorising people in the Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state for some years.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the suspects’ arrest, said firearms, ammunition and other incriminating items were recovered from them.

He said their arrest followed “actionable intelligence” by the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Mohammed identified the suspects as Onyebuchi Osadebe, 28,  from Akwu Ukwu in the Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State; Chibuike Ebere, 23, from the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State; and Umoke Kelechi, 22, of the Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The PPRO added, “The syndicate had on July 11, 2020, around 6.15am at Umuibu village, Akwu Ukwu, allegedly robbed one Emmanuel Obi at gunpoint and dispossessed him of N700,000, €8,000, $3,000 and some phones.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects at the point of arrest included one pump action gun, one fabricated gun, four live cartridges, N610,000, €4,600, $600, one shuttle bus newly purchased with the victim’s money, two new tricycles and three phones stolen from the victim

32-year-old man commits suicide in Lagos

A 32-year-old man identified as Aboh Ogbeche, on Friday, committed suicide at his family residence in Lawanson, Surulere area of Lagos State.

Aboh was said to have drank bleach, even as sources stated that there was nothing to indicate that he was planning to commit suicide.

It was gathered that the victim poured the liquid in a cup, sat before his mother, gulped the substance and immediately began to convulse.

A close friend of the deceased said the mother, who was shocked by the incident, raised the alarm and Aboh was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

It was gathered that the deceased did not leave behind a suicide note or told any of his friends about his plan to commit suicide.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Aboh was a very jovial person and nobody knew he could think of taking his own life.

“He was from Cross River State and about 32 years old. He slumped in the presence of his mum around 3.30pm on Friday after drinking a brand of bleach. He was rushed to the Aishat Hospital in Idi Araba, where he died. His body has been deposited in the LUTH mortuary.”

Aboh’s friends, who were shocked by the incident, shared their thoughts on the victim’s Facebook page.

One of his friends, AirsTee Martins, wrote, “Sweet heart, you should have spoken to someone. How could you have thought for a moment that this is the best way. Please, let one try to speak if he is going through a rough time.

“Even if we are far apart, we still connect one way or the other. So, please, no one should feel intimidated with what the other might have achieved. This social media; people develop low self-esteem, get depressed and feel like they are not enough.

“But it should not be so. Let’s try to stay strong because when there is life, there is hope. RIP Ogbeche.”

Another friend of the deceased, Gulf Limmer, wrote, “What happened to him? Why Aboh? We chatted three weeks ago. Why Ogbeche? Why did you take your life?”

A resident of Lawanson, who gave his name as Ndifreke, said that the deceased’s mother was devastated because her son took his life in her presence.

Ndifreke stated, “He did not leave any suicide note behind. I learnt that the mother saw her son with the substance, which he poured in a cup and drank. He told his mum that he had drunk it, but the mother thought he was joking.

“Aboh was a very playful person. So, not up to two minutes he drank the bleach, he began to convulse. As he was being rushed to hospital, he was given palm oil. But he did not survive it. Nobody was oppressing him and nobody was trying to blackmail him; we don’t know the reason why he took his life.

“The mother has been crying since then. She is in shock because the incident happened in her presence.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said he had not been briefed about the incident.

“I cannot confirm what is not reported to us. That incident is not known to us. Let me find out if it is reported,” he stated.

Ondo woman conspires with lover to kill ex-boyfriend

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old woman, Iyabo Julius, for allegedly conniving with her lover, Adedayo Sunday, to rob and kill a motorcyclist, Suleuman Azeez.

The incident was said to have happened in the 12/12 area of Ore in the Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The police also arrested one Jeremiah Monday over the crime.

Parading the suspects at the police headquarters, Alagbaka Akure, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami, said the deceased was Iyabo’s former boyfriend and she asked the new lover to kill him to make it easy for them to get married.

The police boss said, “One Suleiman Azeez, 25, a commercial motorcyclist, left home for his daily bread with his Bajaj motorcycle but did not return home. His body was later found in a pool of blood around the 12/12 area Odigbo via Ore.

“The case was subsequently transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Akure. Upon discreet investigation, detectives trailed the suspects, one Adedayo Sunday, 25, and Jeremiah Monday, 20, both of Odigbo via Ore, who were arrested where they had gone to sell the stolen motorcycle.

“On interrogation they confessed to the crime and said the former girlfriend of the deceased, one Iyabo Julius, 23, who is now Adebayo’s lover, asked them to rob her former boyfriend of his motorcycle and equally kill him so that she and her new lover could get married.”

The commissioner explained that based on the confession of the suspect, detectives arrested Iyabo.

The police boss also paraded 20 other suspects for allegedly being involved in crimes such as robbery, cultism and kidnapping, while some weapons were recovered from them.

The items recovered from the suspects include a Toyota Corolla car, one TVS motorcycle and the sum of N231,000.

Salami said all the suspects would soon be charged

Eti-Osa isolation centre set for closure

The Young President Organisation, Lagos Chapter, has said the Eti Osa isolation centre will cease its activities on July 31st in line with the agreement signed with the Lagos State Government.

A statement titled ‘Eti Osa isolation centre,’ issued by the organisation on Sunday said that the centre commissioned on April 22 integrated into the statewide response for the COVID-19 pandemic would close at the end of the month.

The YPO said it would donate medical equipment to Lagos State to continue its contribution to the development of the healthcare system in the state.

The organisation said the 86-bed emergency treatment and isolation centre in Eti-Osa had treated over 310 patients.

“The YPO is very proud to have contributed to the continuous capacity building of healthcare workers and extremely grateful to the team of doctors, nurses and facility personnel that worked tirelessly every day and night to make sure lives were saved,” the statement said.

The organisation thanked its members, corporate and individual donors, who collectively donated about N1.2bn to make the centre a reality.

It also appreciated the Lagos State Government for its collaboration and expressed hope for similar collaborations with the state in the future

FG, states, LGs share N651.18bn for June

The Federation Account Allocation Committee has shared a total of N651.18bn as June 2020 federation account revenue to the federal, states and local governments councils, as well as other relevant agencies in Nigeria.

According to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the shared amount was contained in a communiqué issued by FAAC after its monthly meeting for July 2020 held through virtual conferencing.

The Director, Information, Press and Public Relations, OAGF, Henshaw Ogubike, said in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday that the meeting was chaired by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

The statement, entitled ‘FAAC shares N651.184bn June 2020 revenue to FG, states and LGs’, said the gross statutory revenue available in June 2020 was N524.526bn.

It added that the gross revenue from the Value Added Tax was N128.826bn while the revenue from the exchange gain was N42.832bn.

It said, “This brought the total revenue for the month to N696.184bn.

“From this total, the sum of N45bn was saved in the excess non-oil revenue account and the balance of N651.184bn was shared to the three tiers of government and relevant agencies.”

It said the balance in the Excess Crude Account as at July 16 was $72.407m.

It was learnt that the gross statutory revenue of N524.525bn available in June was higher than the N413.95bn received in the previous month by N110.57bn.

Also, the gross revenue of N128.83bn available from VAT was higher than the N103.87bn in the previous month by N24.95bn.

The communiqué indicated that from the total revenue, the Federal Government received N266.13bn, states received N185.77bn and Local Government councils received N138.97bn.

The oil-producing states received N28.5bn as 13 per cent derivation revenue, while N76.81bn was given to revenue/relevant agencies.

The Federal Government received N227.58bn from the gross statutory revenue, the states received N115.43bn and the Local Government councils received N89bn.

The sum of N24.72bn was given to the relevant states as 13 per cent derivation revenue.

The Federal Government received N17.97bn from VAT revenue, states received N59.9bn, Local Government councils received N41.93bn. The revenue/relevant agencies received a total of N9.018bn.

The communiqué confirmed that the Federal Government received N20.58bn, states received N10.44bn, Local Government councils received N8.05bn and the oil-producing states received N3.77bn from the exchange gain revenue

Three Fulani teenagers arrested for Ogun highway robbery

Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested three Fulani teenagers for highway robbery in the Alapako area on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The suspects, Uzefa Idris, 19; Adamu Yakubu, 18; and Ayuba Buhari, 17, were arrested following a distress call received by the Divisional Police Officer, Owode Egba Division, SP Matthew Ediae.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Oyeyemi said the DPO was informed that a Mazda bus was forcefully stopped on the highway by a gang of armed robbers and the occupants were being dispossessed of their belongings.

The PPRO stated, “Upon the receipt of the distress call, the DPO, Owode Egba, SP Matthew Ediae, quickly led his anti-robbery team to the scene.

“On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums took to their heels but were chased into the bush, where three of them were apprehended.”

Oyeyemi explained that the driver of the bus, Zacheaus Olaniyi, and a passenger was rescued from the robbers.

He said the police were able to recover N545,000 and one itel phone belonging to a passenger, Oluwakemi Oyegade, from the hoodlums.

Oyeyemi stated, “The two victims narrated that the hoodlums jumped on the road from the bush and forcefully stopped the vehicle, consequent upon which they started beating them with machetes before dispossessing them of their valuables.

“Recovered from the arrested ones are the sum of N99,700  and one itel phone.”

Oyeyemi said the Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to Special Anti-Robbery Squad for discreet investigation and prosecution

AMCON develops strategies to recover N5tn debt

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Mr Ahmed Kuru, has said the corporation has developed a new receiver framework for its recovery agents.

As part of the corporation’s efforts to recover the outstanding N5tn debt, he said it also disengaged some of its receivers for non-performance.

Kuru said this in a statement on Sunday, titled ‘N5tn recovery possible if AMCON unleash full powers – legal experts’.

The statement said he spoke at the first seminar for AMCON receivers/receiver managers in general enforcement in Abuja.

Kuru, who was represented by the Group Head, Resolution Strategy, AMCON, Mr Aliyu Kalgo, said, “We reiterate our receivers are very key to the success of AMCON.

“In order to streamline the functions of our receivers and make them more effective and accountable, we have developed a new receivership framework, which will henceforth govern our relationship in terms of management of the assets and accountability.

“We have had course to disengage some of our receiver managers due to non-performance.

“We did that because assets are being abandoned without cause or plan to come out of the debt. And at times, receiver managers are confused about their responsibilities.”

If at sunset AMCON was unable to recover its outstanding huge debt of over N5tn, he said, the debt burden would automatically become the debt of the Federal Government and taxpayers’ monies would be used to settle it in the long run.

He called on all AMCON partners, especially in the receivership business, not to allow a few individuals to escape with the commonwealth of all Nigerians

Source: Punch