The scarcity of dollars at the parallel market on Tuesday in Lagos forced the Naira down to N480 to a dollar.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Pound Sterling and the Euro exchanged at N610 and N550, respectively.
Trading at the investors’ window saw the naira closing at N385.98 to a dollar as investors traded a total of $20.27m.
The naira, however, was sold at N381 to a dollar at the official Central Bank of Nigeria window.
NAN reports that the apex bank had hitherto relied on the nation’s foreign reserve and Diaspora remittances in its interventions at the foreign exchange market.
But recent data from the CBN showed that the nation’s foreign reserve fell by $544.94m from $36.17bn on July 1 to $35.62bn on August 3.
The country depends heavily on petrol dollars to shore up its foreign reserve.
Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners’ Chapel, David Oyedepo, has said that it was a waste of time insulting him.
He made the comments during a sermon on Tuesday following an earlier statement by President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide on social media, Lauretta Onochie, where she criticised him for condemning the Companies and Allied Matters Bill, 2020.
The bill, which has since been passed into law by the National Assembly after President Buhari assented to it, now gives the supervising minister the power to remove the board of trustees of churches without recourse to the court.
Onochie had in her comment told Oyedepo to be ready to manufacture his own country and live by his own laws if he was not satisfied with the government’s decision.
Responding through his sermon on Tuesday, Oyedepo said, “You insult me, I enjoy it. You insult me and I stop going to work because you insult, I will be a big fool. I am going to work.
“They said, see his legs. Yes, I thank God for my legs. See his nose, yes, He made it and He did it beautifully. See how short he is, that’s the size He made me for so I can save more clothes.
“Anybody insulting me is wasting his time. One, I didn’t hear. Two, even if I heard, it won’t pain me. Anybody praising me is expressing his opinion. One, I didn’t hear. And even if I heard, it won’t blow my head because if you praise anything in me, it is Jesus.
“Nobody has the power to determine how many people worship Jesus. No force on earth has the power. If I were the devil, I will start mourning now. Shame on the devil.”
Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, has called a meeting of law enforcement agencies to make plans on how to obtain for himself a vessel sold by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under former Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, SaharaReporters has learnt.
It was gathered that Malami convened a meeting involving top officials of the Nigerian Navy, Department of State Services, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the EFCC specifically requesting for files of EFCC recoveries particularly those related to vessels.
This latest move is part of efforts by Malami to take over operations of the EFCC.
Recall that Malami had orchestrated the sacking of Magu and some key officials of the commission.
An informed source, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said the office of the AGF had previously attempted to usurp the powers of the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies with respect to the sale of forfeited assets with an illegal directive giving power of coordinating the sale and management of forfeited assets to his office.
“Contrary to public display of coordinating concern by the Attorney General’s office, the underlying interest was percentage from this sale for Malami and his contractor lawyer friends.
“Malami had two years ago granted authority to his main partners and fronts in the assets recovery to sell a vessel already forfeited to the government by the EFCC.
“Without any authorisation or coordination with EFCC, Mr Okpeseyi (SAN), sold the vessel for N153m and collected all possible commissions,” the source said.
It was, however, revealed that the Navy refused to release the vessel, as due process was not followed in its selling by Malami and his associates.
Desperate to ensure the retrieval of the vessel for himself and his client, Malami summoned the meeting.
Some of the top officials are, however, insisting that Malami followed due process in overseeing other agencies in the country.
“Under the law, the constitution is supreme and it is followed by any enactment of the National Assembly.
“A directive or regulation like the AGF’s regulation on the assets recovery remains illegal in the face of conflict with an Act of parliament like EFCC Act.
“Some of us are dogged to ensure the enforcement of his directive on assets recovery and control over the dissipation,” the source stated.
SaharaReporters had in series of reports revealed how Malami has been controlling the presidential panel investigating the EFCC to suspend Magu and staff of the commission reportedly loyal to him.
In what has turned to a vendetta mission, Malami removed from office suspected staff of the commission handing out vital information to the online news publication to expose his corruption-fuelled lifestyle.
In a desperate attempt to save face in light of the magnitude of the revelation that had been blown open, a group said to have been sponsored by the AGF staged a press conference in Abuja recently and made futile efforts to debunk the series of reports by SaharaReporters on Malami.
A Nigerian soldier, Private Obanla Tokunbo Charles, who recorded the viral critical video of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, has been detained by the army authorities and is facing months of untold hardship, SaharaReporters can exclusively report.
In March 2020, Adeniyi as commander of the Nigerian Army’s Operation Lafiya Dole, the counter-terrorism command in the North-East, made a video complaining of inadequate ammunition to Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff.
The background environment of the video showed faces of distressed soldiers, who had narrowly escaped major attacks from terrorists.
Adeniyi, who spoke gallantly, ordered a junior soldier to make the video recording as he decried the military intelligence failure.
High-ranking sources within the army informed SaharaReporters that Adeniyi, who was due to be court martialled in June, was yet to face the military court because of the international and widespread criticism of his arraignment.
However, Private Obanla, who was ordered by Adeniyi to make the video, has been detained at the FIB, Shehu Musa Yaradua Barack and is passing through great hardship.
Because the international community is speaking and being a top soldier, the military is finding it hard to make Major Adeniyi face martial court.
“However, the junior soldier who recorded the video, is being made a scapegoat. They’ve detained Private Obanla for months without trial and he is in a dangerous condition,” a source told SaharaReporters.
Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo State, has picked a running mate.
Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, announced Ikengboju Gboluga as his running mate on Monday.
The announcement was made in order to meet up with INEC’s deadline for the substitution of the names of candidates and their deputies for the election.
Gboluga is a serving member of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly.
SaharaReporters gathered that the name of Gboluga has been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He replaces Mr Olumide Ogunje whose name was earlier submitted to INEC.
Lance Corporal Ajayi Kayode, a serving military personnel in Lagos State, has been arrested for alleged Internet fraud.
Kayode was arrested in the Lekki axis of the state by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The soldier, who was arrested alongside 26 others, said he was still learning “yahoo yahoo” (Internet fraud) from his friends when he was nabbed.
He confessed that his friends, who were teaching him, had told him that cybercrime was the best way to make quick money hence his involvement.
EFCC spokesperson, Mr Dele Oyewale, disclosed the arrest of Kayode in a statement on Monday.
He said Kayode with service number NAF18/34732, was arrested on Saturday following intelligence received from concerned members of the public about his alleged involvement in criminal activities.
The statement reads, “Kayode, the lance corporal, was arrested alongside Kalu Emmanuel; Hassan Sunday; Odinaka David Okem; Victor Ochiabuito; Christopher Prince; Victor Ologhu; Alex Aka; Miracle Onyekwere; Habeeb Ayomide; Olakunle Ajeigbu, Rasheed Olanrewaju and Salam Hakeem.
The United States has condemned the death sentence passed on Kano singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a song he circulated social media.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in a statement on August 11, said on the Nigerians government must overturn the death sentence on the 22-year-old musician.
The US government said blasphemy laws are inconsistent with universal human rights standards.
“The Nigerian government must overturn Sharif-Aminu’s death sentence and repeal blasphemy laws still present in state-sponsored courts,” Tony Perkins, the vice-chairperson of USCIRF stated.
The US government said blasphemy laws are inconsistent with universal human rights standards because they fail to respect recognized rights, including freedom of religion and expression.
Similarly, Frederick A. Davie, who serves as the USCIRF commissioner said it was unconscionable for Sharif-Aminu to be sentenced to the death for merely expressing his beliefs through music.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Council of Friday Mosque Imams has urged Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to sign the death warrant of 22-year-old Yahaya Sharif-Aminu who was sentenced to death by a sharia court for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.
The Nation Newspaper, citing the Kano Focus, reported that the council commended the Upper Shari’a court for passing the death sentence on the musician.
Muhammad Nasir Adam, who chairs the council warned Muslims to refrain from supporting any move capable of denting the image of the prophet of Islam, The Nation newspaper reported.
In another news, Primate Elijah Ayodele, a popular cleric known for his prophetic messages has called on the Kano authorities not to carry out the death-sentenced passed on a musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu over alleged blasphemy.
The preacher and leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church warned that the killing of the Kano-based musician will amount to spilling the blood of innocent.
According to PM News, Primate Elijah Ayodele gave the warning in a statement issued on Friday, August 14. He noted that the killing of Shariff will be against the love and tolerance that religion preaches.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, says international flights will resume on August 29, 2020.
Sirika said this in a tweet on Monday.
He tweeted, “Glad to announce the resumption of international flights from the August 29, 2020 beginning with Lagos and Abuja as we did with the domestic flight resumption.
“Protocols and procedures will be announced in due course. We thank you for your patience.”
A Twitter user, Modupeoluwa Oyetoso, has narrated how she was kidnapped by suspected Fulani herdsmen on her way from the farm in Lanlate town, Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to Oyetoso, her fiancée who was driving the car, was shot and killed.
She said she regained freedom two days after her parents paid an undisclosed amount of naira as ransom.
She criticized the level of insecurity in the country, saying the Nigerian Government had failed its citizens.
She said, “I was kidnapped by Fulani men on my way from the farm and my fiancé who was driving the car was shot and killed. I regained my freedom after my parents paid the ransom. I heard two people had been abducted again, one from the same town and another from a neighbouring town. Interestingly, even I was expecting to hear about it on the news and learn what the government had done about it. Alas! There was only silence. Just as I have been silent.
“No one is willing to talk about it, and we all suffer alone and in silence. Speaking out is a tough decision. I was exposed to rain and cold as I was held in the forest for 2 days. Ever since it happened, I’ve been bothered by a feeling of emptiness, I get easily startled. Out of the blues, I relive the shooting, death threats, despair, helplessness and some other ordeal the kidnapping forced upon me. My family and friends endured the longest 2 days of their lives — waiting, hoping, and praying for my safe return.
“But all these work in favour of the kidnappers. Many farmers have abandoned their thriving farms and those who are still there are constantly living in fear, unable to trust people around them, wondering if they’ll be the next victim. The Ibadan branch of the poultry association of Nigeria reported that more than 10 of their members have been victims within the past five months. Our story needs to come out, because there is so much that isn’t said about kidnapping.
“So much that I didn’t know until after I lived it, and if speaking out will make the government take necessary actions to end this incessant kidnapping, if this will prevent one person from going through this harrowing experience, then, hopefully it was worth it. A frightening amount of money is regularly changing hands. According to the anti-kidnapping unit of police headquarters Eleyele Ibadan, once arrested the kidnappers have enough money to get very good lawyers and are released back into the system. Unless and until something is done, the enabling environment ensures kidnapping will only continue and get worse.
“Food security is already in danger, with people abandoning their farms and many who would have ventured into agribusinesses being scared away. If making noise is the only way we can get their attention so they can beef up security in the state, then make noise I will. I keep reminding myself how lucky I am. Far too many abductions end in tragedy. Through God’s grace alone, l made it home safe and sound.”
