NIGERIAN NOTCH

Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team  of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau FIB-IRT have arrested four suspected members of a kidnap syndicate that abducted wife of a popular  Rivers-based businessman, eight months ago. The woman, Mrs Hussana Adamu, was on her way to drop her children at school when the armed  kidnappers intercepted her near Casablanca Club , Government Reserved Area , Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They dragged her out of her car and ordered  her into their operational vehicle before  zooming  off, with haze of dust billowing . She was released a week later, after payment of N20 million ransom. Arrests Acting on credible information, DCP Tunji Disu- led team arrested four of the suspects: Isiaka Hamidu, 30, who hails  from Adamawa State;  Nwasaneo Goodluck , 34 ; Victor Nwidee,  29 and ThankGod Bariledun , 36 , all from  Khana Local Government  Area .of Rivers State. The prime suspect, Isiaka Hamidu...

Revelations have emerged as to how candidates from the South South and South East geopolitical zones of the country who sat for the computer-based test for the 9th regular course of the Nigeria Police Academy in Wudil local government area of Kano State , were schemed out of the admission list. It was however gathered that contrary to claims that the Nigeria Police College concealed their admission lists to deprive the South-south region of its quota, the candidates were schemed out by their state governments and lawmakers who substituted them with candidates of their choice. A source at the Police Academy confirmed that the frustrated candidates actually got text messages and emails notifying them of their entrance exam into the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano. The source, a senior official in the ITC unit of the academy who did not want his name on  print, told our source that the dreams of the candidates were however cut short by their state governors and lawmakers who substitute...

The Commissioner for Budget & Economic Planning, Ms Chiamaka Nnake has urged ndi Anambra to watch out for the 2023 budget which shall focus on key deliverable projects. In company with her was the Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu and Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Christian Aburime. The 2023 proposed budget is at a sum of N258,984,875,905 approximately at N259 billion. This is compared to the revised 2022 budget of N169.6 billion. The capital expenditure increased by 51.1% from N108.2 billion in the 2022 revised budget to N163.5 billion. While the recurrent expenditure increased by 55.6% from N61.4 billion to N95.5 billion in the 2023 proposed estimate. Every budget has its capital and recurrent. The capital expenditure accounts for 63.1% of the budget size while the recurrent accounts for 36.9% of the budget size. Key infrastructural projects account for 55.4% of the capital expenditure and 35% of the entire budget size. The composition of recurrent budget include...

The release of one Timothy Alua, a 24 year-old artisan from the Aguata Correctional Facility, on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, elicited wild jubilation as the young inmate went uncontrollably wide, when the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, struct out his case, and discharged him. Alua, from Owerri in Imo State, was released after awaiting trial for 5 years and 8 months, but the state Chief Judge, who was in the Correctional Facility to perform the 2022 jail delivery exercise. When he was discharged, Alua ran out from the court, removed his shirt, and flung it in the air; a development that elicited jubilation and celebration among other inmates. The drama lasted for about ten minutes, before it was brought under control. The young man, held since 2017,  for allegedly stealing a handset, was discharged by the CJ for lack of diligent prosecution. The CJ directed the Controller of Corrections to release him to his people, and subsequently charged the young art...

The Equatorial Guinea authorities have handed over the vessel MT Heroic Idun and it’s 26 foreign crew members which was involved in oil theft to Nigerian Navy for further investigations. The Nigerian Navy factsheet released by the Director Information Naval Headquarters Commodore Adedotun Olukayode Ayo-Vaughan on Thursday said the ship had paid sizable fine to Equatorial Guinea authorities for sailing without hoisting it’s official flag. The vessel which evaded arrest on 8 August 2022 and raised false alarm of piracy attack in Nigeria waters will be brought back to Nigeria to clear any misconceptions about its involvement in oil theft. According to the document, the vessel entered Nigerian waters, specifically the Akpo Oilfield, deep offshore Bonny, a joint venture operated by Total Energies EP, to load crude oil at about midnight on 7th August 2022. However, the vessel was accosted by a Nigerian Navy (NN) ship on patrol on 8th August 2022 (shortly after midnight) for not having due NN...

There are strong indications that former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) (rtd) may wade into the crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP (PDP). It was gathered that the former Nigerian leader will be holding a closed-door meeting with the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and aggrieved five governors of the party otherwise known as G-5 in Minna, the Niger State capital on Friday. The meeting is coming barely three days after IBB also received the presidential candidate of the rival All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his team at his hilltop residence in Minna. Sources hinted that the recent move at reconciliation leveraging on the outreach of IBB may have been powered by a former senior military intelligence officer and some interest groups from the North supporting the Atiku Presidency. Meanwhile, in a related development, the PDP presidential candidate has reacted to the statement credited to...

....RECEIVES RELIEF MATERIALS DONATED BY SIR EMEKA OFFOR FOUNDATION FOR ANAMBRA FLOOD VICTIMS. By Christian ABURIME Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has called on the federal government to engage more proactive measures against the perennial flooding in the Country. Governor Soludo made the call while recieving relief materials donated in favour of flood displaced persons in the state by Sir Emeka Offor Foundation. The materials were recieved at the State Emergency Management Agency Office in Awka. In addition to the donation of N2.5 Million which has already been distributed to the displaced persons, the foundation also donated 600 Bags of 50Kg rice, 60 Bags of 50Kg Beans, 60 Bags of 50Kg Garri, 500 pieces of 3feet, 6inches mattresses, 500 cartons of Ndomie Noodles, 600 Tubers of Yam, 50 cartons of Tomatoes, 30 cartons of Bathing Soap, 30 cartons of washing soap, 30 Jerrycans of palmoil, 30 cartons of Milo Beverage, 30 cartons of milk, 50 Jerrycans of Veget...

  Governor of Anambra state, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has said alleged investment of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, in Anambra state government is worth next to nothing presently.   Soludo made this assertion in an interview with Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday. When asked his perspective on government investing outside the public sector with reference to Obi as former governor in Anambra, Soludo simply said, “I don’t know about the investment.” “Our interview is about the 2023 budget. I’m not talking about investments of any of my predecessors. By the way the one that you talked about I don’t know about that. I think there was something I read  about, on somebody speculating about whatever investment. With what I’ve seen today, the value of those investments is worth next to nothing. So, let’s leave that aside,” he added. Meanwhile, Soludo said more than 5,000 in the state will get their employment letter in few days.  He s...

Please find below the full text of address and Budget presentation by Governor Soludo to the Anambra State House of Assembly, Thursday, November 10, 2022 AN ADDRESS TO THE ANAMBRA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE DRAFT 2023 STATE BUDGET By Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR Governor of Anambra State  PROTOCOL Umu nne m Ndi Anambra! On May 19, 2022, I was here to present the draft revised 2022 budget entitled “Taking Off from the Blocks”, which this honourable House of Assembly scrutinized and ¹graciously passed into law. Barely seven months since Ndi Anambra employed me as the chief servant, I am honoured to be here again to present another budget--- the draft 2023 budget estimates.   Let us pause at this moment to remember our fallen colleagues and great sons of Anambra. Over the past six months, this House has lost two of its members and illustrious sons of Anambra state namely: Hon Okechukwu Okoye (and his assistant, Mr. Cyril Chie...

Eight Nigerian-Americans in Georgia State in the United States (US) have won seats in the country’s midterm elections. The winners are Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, and Phil Olaleye who won their legislative seats as state representatives in their districts. Similarly, Carol Kazeem won the Pennsylvania State Representative in District 159, Esther Agbaje was re-elected as Minnesota State Representative in District 59B, while Dr. Oye Owolewa was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (Shadow Representative) in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the winners in the polls. The president wished successful tenure in office  In a statement issued by his media aide, Femi Adesina, the president thanked them for their invaluable support and partnerships, over the years, with groups affiliated with the ideals and objectives of Nigerians in Diaspora associations in the United States. Also, the chairman of the Nigerians i...