Author: Akintayo Adams

Former Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello will be arraigned this morning at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged him with 19 counts of alleged money laundering. Bello is set to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite to enter his plea. Although the arraignment was initially scheduled for January 27 next year, the EFCC expedited the process due to the former governor’s presence before the anti-graft agency. Our correspondent learned that the hearing notice for the arraignment has already been served to both Bello’s legal team and the EFCC to ensure…

Real Madrid’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Wednesday night marked an unwelcome milestone for the reigning Champions League holders. Alexis MacAllister and Cody Gakpo each scored in the second half, securing three points for the Reds. The game could have taken a different turn if Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah had converted their penalty kicks. This defeat signifies that Madrid has lost three matches in a single group stage for the first time in their Champions League history. Additionally, Liverpool’s victory over Real Madrid was their first in the Champions League since 2009 under Rafael Benitez, breaking an eight-game winless…

FC Porto and Super Eagles defender Zaidu Sanusi is set to make his return to action for the Portuguese club after a 10-month injury layoff. The left-back has been included in Porto’s 26-man squad for tonight’s UEFA Europa League match against Belgian Pro League team Anderlecht. Sanusi’s last appearance for the Dragons was in February against CF Estrela. The 27-year-old suffered a cruciate ligament injury during that game, following his return from international duty. Last month, Sanusi made two appearances for Porto’s B team as he continued his recovery from the injury. Porto has had a challenging start to their…

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the renowned music mogul and entrepreneur, was denied bail for the third time on Wednesday by a New York City judge. This decision comes as he awaits trial on serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. The denial follows rising concerns over potential witness tampering and misconduct. US District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that no conditions of release could sufficiently ensure public safety or prevent interference with the judicial process. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and has denied over two dozen accusations of sexual assault brought against him in…

The naira appreciated against the dollar in the parallel foreign exchange market (black market). According to Abubakar Alhassan, a Bureau de Change operator at Wuse Zone 4, the naira strengthened slightly to N1748 per dollar on Wednesday, up from N1755 on Tuesday. This represents a gain of N7 compared to the previous day’s rate. In the official market, the naira closed at N1660.83 per dollar on Wednesday, down from N1659.40 the previous day, marking a marginal decline of N1.43. The FX transaction turnover also dropped to $337.03 million on Wednesday from $425.98 million the day before. This development follows the…

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), has explained why he has chosen not to align with any political party in Nigeria. During a meeting with the League of Northern Democrats (LND) led by former Kano State governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, in Abuja on Wednesday, the 90-year-old elder statesman emphasized that his sole allegiance is to Nigeria. He attributed this stance to his military background, which instilled in him a commitment to serving the country above all else. Gowon encouraged others to look beyond regional interests and focus on the nation as a whole, noting that while differences in…

Several members of President-elect Donald Trump’s team have been targeted with violent threats, including bomb threats and “swatting” incidents. These threats were directed at Trump’s Cabinet nominees and administration appointees on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team, confirmed the incidents, stating that law enforcement and other authorities acted swiftly to ensure the safety of those targeted. Swatting involves making false reports to law enforcement to provoke an armed response to the victim’s location. The threats have raised significant concerns, but no devices or physical threats were found, according to law enforcement officials. Get…

The recently rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refinery has resumed operations and is currently selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at N1,045 per litre. This price is N75 higher than the Dangote Refinery’s price of N970 per litre. Related || Dangote urges Nigerians to patronize cheaper fuel PETROAN’s National Public Relations Officer, Dr. Joseph Obele, confirmed the price difference, saying marketers have been discouraged from lifting products from the refinery. Obele said, “Yes, the Port Harcourt refinery is selling petrol for N1,045 per litre to marketers. That is N75 higher than the price from Dangote. “This high price is why marketers are not…

Dangote Refinery has told Nigerians that a minimum of two million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as fuel can be purchased at N970 per litre. This was contained in a flyer posted on its X handle. According to the flyer: “High-quality PMS (Petrol) for your vehicles and engine and also good for the environment. “Buy a minimum of two million litres @N970 per litre.” This is coming amid an announcement by the spokesperson of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, that the price of PMS was reduced. Related || Port Harcourt Refinery begins Production According to him, the 650,000…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jami’u Abiola as his Senior Special Assistant on Linguistics and Foreign Matters. This appointment was announced in a statement signed by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The statement indicated that Abiola’s appointment will take effect from the 14th of this month. It also mentioned that the appointment aligns with the provisions of the Certain Political and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act 2008, as amended. Prior to this appointment, Jami’u Abiola served as the Special Assistant to the…