Hello and welcome! In today’s trending news stories;
1. President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, intervened in the ongoing political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. This intervention was disclosed by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State. Despite their feud, Fubara and Wike exchanged pleasantries at a meeting in Aso Villa. The meeting was attended by several state governors, including Yahaya Bello, Dapo Abiodun, Ahmadu Fintiri, Abdullahi Abba, and Bassey Otu, among others. The crisis between Fubara and Wike led to unrest in the Rivers State House of Assembly, with reports of the assembly being set on fire and the Speaker being replaced by the Leader of the House. Investigations as to the cause of the fire and the alleged funds forwarded to Wike are yet to commence.
2. The Court of Appeal in Abuja has confirmed Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the duly elected candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial Election that took place in February. The appeal filed by Abubakar Ohere was dismissed by the court for lacking merit. The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal had previously nullified Ohere’s victory and declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the legitimate winner of the senatorial election despite Ohere’s attempt to seek redress at the appellate court.
3. The Federal High Court in Abuja has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to deposit $9.7 million and £74,000 seized from former NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, with the court pending an appeal by the Federal Government. Yakubu, who was cleared of fraud charges, sued the EFCC, CBN, and Guaranty Trust Bank to retrieve the seized funds. Justice Inyang Ekwo found that both the EFCC and CBN had not been transparent regarding the whereabouts of the seized sums. Thus, the court ordered that the money be deposited in a custodial account until the appeal is resolved.
4. After weeks of bombardment, limited evacuation of foreign nationals and sick individuals is set to occur through the Rafah crossing, facilitated by Qatar, as seen on the live video feed shows people and vehicles moving between Gaza and Egypt. Yesterday, the Israeli military claimed to have thwarted an aerial attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis reportedly launched ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel in support of the Palestinian people, with plans for further strikes until what they term “Israeli aggression” ceases. The Houthis, a Shia political and military organization in Yemen, have demonstrated support for the Palestinians and organized protests against Israel’s actions. In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile using the Arrow aerial defense system.
5. Former NFF president Amaju Pinnick has filed a lawsuit against singer Davido, alleging a contract breach and seeking N150,000,000 in legal fees, an additional N30,000,000, and an injunction to prevent Davido from performing in Nigeria until he refunds the money he received. Pinnick also demands a public apology from Davido on social media and in two national newspapers.
6. Nigeria’s Super Falcons have advanced one step further in their bid to qualify for the women’s football event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. They secured a 4-0 victory against Ethiopia at the MKO Abiola Stadium, resulting in a 5-1 aggregate scoreline, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Addis Ababa. However, the Nigerian women’s team needs to compete in two more rounds to secure one of Africa’s two available slots.
7. The Kano Hisbah Board which is responsible for upholding Islamic values and principles, has arrested eight individuals for cross-dressing during a wedding in Kofar Waika, Gwale Local Government Area of the state. Acting on a tip-off, the board’s officials arrived at the wedding venue and arrested the suspects, including the groom, who were dressed in full female Fulani attire and were dancing. The individuals confessed to the crime in the Hisbah Shari’a Court and were subsequently ordered by the presiding judge to receive 10 lashes of the cane, pay a fine of N20,000, and provide one surety each, or face a three-month remand in a correctional center.
