A Lagos High Court in Igbosere has sentenced a self-proclaimed site engineer and housing agent, Babatunde Habeeb, to 1,230 years imprisonment for a N28 million scam.

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye convicted Habeeb, also known as Babatunde Salaudeen, of defrauding 101 accommodation seekers under the pretext of renting them 13 apartments in a building at Alapere-Ketu, Lagos.

She found him guilty of 82 counts of conspiring with his elder brother, Alhaji Ishola Salaudeen and obtaining the N28m under false pretense.

According to the prosecutor, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Alhaji Salaudeen, who owns the property, is at large.

The court said the EFCC proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

According to the commission, the convict committed the offenses in 2013.

Source: Sahara Reporters

Persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have unleashed terror on three communities in Kogi State, leaving 25 people dead.

Oganienugwu and Ikende communities in Dekina Local Government Area were affected; as well as Abejukolo in Omala LGA, all in the Eastern Senatorial district of the state.

As at the time of filing this report, villagers were reportedly moving out of Obakume, Idirisu, and Oji Apata to escape possible attacks.

Punch correspondent gathered that 25 people were killed in the sustained attack which started on Tuesday and continued till Thursday.

A detachment of police and soldiers have been drafted to quell the violence.

Eye witness account told our correspondent that the mode of killing employed by the hoodlums was to slaughter the victims after tying them up; while those who attempted to escape alleged received machete cuts.

Sources said villagers were woken up by gunshots by the hoodlums dressed in army uniform.

The Punch correspondent also gathered that gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles had visited mayhem on the villagers in their farms before returning in the night around 1am while villagers slept.

Several houses were razed and others demolished in the violent attacks which left no fewer than 25 dead.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Monday Bala, who confirmed the incident, said the command was yet to ascertain the actual casualty figure.

He said the command has drafted men of the command alongside men of the armed forces to deal with the situation, adding that his men are in total control of the situation.

Source: Punchng.com

The convoy of Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki was yesterday involved in an accident along the Benin-Lagos Express Road.

The accident occurred in front of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) but no live was lost except for three persons who sustained injuries.

When The Guardian visited the scene of the accident, some private vehicles were seen damaged alongside the governor’s press crew bus marked (EDGH 278) which was badly destroyed and was being towed away at the time of filing in this report.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said: “A number of people in the bus and three other vehicles that were involved in the accident, including a medical doctor and a mother and child, sustained varied degrees of injuries, and are currently receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

“An official of the state government has been sent to the hospital to ascertain the degree of injuries sustained by the victims and we are also in touch with the doctors managing the victims.

“We have undertaken to pay the medical bills of all the victims. No life was lost.”

Source: Guardian.ng

Lagos State Government has announced a reduction in the rates to be paid through Land Use Charge.

Announcing this at a press briefing in Alausa, the Commissioner for Finance, Akinyemi Ashade, said that rate for commercial charges had been reduced by 50 per cent while owner-occupier, industries and manufacturial charges had been reduced by 25 percent.

The Commissioner also disclosed that there is a waiver of all penalty announced before and it is across board.

Ashade said all those who have paid would enjoy tax credit, with the excess paid transfered to next year.

He also revealed that the state now allow installmental payment across board.

Source: Guardian.ng

A candidate of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, being conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has reportedly committed suicide.

The university admission-seeker simply identified as Loveth took her life in Ekiugbo, Ughelli North local government area of Delta State.

Loveth, who was said to be displeased with the 163 mark she garnered in the exam, was found dead at her home on Wednesday morning.

The Nation reports that the deceased picked Medicine as her choice of study.

She was said to have taken three bottles of Sniper and these were found by her side on Wednesday morning.

According to sources, Loveth had gone to check her UTME result on Tuesday and discovered to her amazement that she had scored far lower than she had expected and would not secure admission to the university to study her “dream course.”

Source: Dailypost.ng

Personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), FCT Sector Command, on Wednesday brutalised a Defence Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Johnson Eyiangho, at the command`s office in Zone 7, Abuja.

The officers beat up Eyiangho at about 11: 15 a.m. when he was assigned to cover the fracas between the FRSC personnel and officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) who had gone there to seal the corps’ premises for noncompliance with environmental laws.

An argument ensued between personnel of the corps and the AEPB officials which suddenly degenerated to a free for all.

Eyiangho said that as he alighted from the NAN official vehicle that conveyed him and the agency`s photographer to the scene of the incident, some FRSC personnel descended on him and beat him thoroughly.

READ: NYSC blacklists Osun school over attack on corps members

“The FRSC operatives also tore my shirt, inflicted bruises and deep cuts on my left leg, and summarily seized and destroyed my cell phone and voice recorder,” he said.

He also said that the personnel of the corps did not spare any journalist who came to cover the incident.

“I have never received such a beating in my life; every personnel of the corps at the scene of the incident was raining punches on me and `shouting take him away’.

“I was detained for several hours under inhuman condition in one of the corps’ offices after the thorough beating.

“One of the personnel, believed to be the Provost, supervised the beating and ordered that no one should allow me to go.

“He personally seized my identification card, a voice recorder and a cell phone,” he said.

The Public Education Officer of the corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem, instructed that Mr Eyiangho be taken to the FRSC hospital in Gwarinpa for treatment.

Kazeem also promised that the matter would be investigated for appropriate action.

Source: PM News

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the National Assembly to stopfurther action or proceeding on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which President Muhammadu Buhari rejected.

The restraining order was issued on Wednesday, by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the High Court.

The ruling is a sequel to an oral application made in a suit filed by the Accord Party against the National Assembly, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the ruling, the court ordered the parties to maintain status quo ante bellum.

All the parties are ordered to stay every proceeding pending the determination of the motion on notice filed by the Accord party.

The Accord party had approached the court with a motion seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the National Assembly from taking any further action or actions on the Bill titled Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018, particularly, to convene to pass the said Bill into Law, by two-thirds majority of its two chambers, pending the final determination of the substantive originating summon.

Counsel to the National Assembly, Mr. Chinelo Ogbozor, had resisted attempts made by Counsel to the Accord Party, Mr. Wole Olanipekun to move his motion on notice seeking a restraining order against the National Assembly on the grounds that the application was not ripe, and pending the service of hearing notice on the AGF.

Ogbozor said they were served barely 48 hours and insisted that the matter cannot proceed.

In view of Ogbozors opposition, Olanipekun urged the court for Ogbozor to make an undertaking that the National Assembly would not take any action on the subject matter but she refused.

Though the court noted that the motion on notice was not ripe for hearing, it, however, took notice of the oral application made by Olanipekun brought in line with Section 58(5) of Constitution.

Justice Mohammed stated that the court is not granting the prayer contained on the motion paper but is making the preservative order to safeguard the integrity and sanctity of court.

Consequently, the court directed parties to maintain status quo ante bellum at least to the next adjournment.

The matter has been adjourned to March 20 for the hearing of the motion on notice filed by the plaintiff.

The Accord party is seeking among other reliefs A declaration that the legislative powers vested in the National Assembly by the Constitution do not empower or imbue it with the right, liberty or authority to pass or purport to pass any Bill into Law which attempts to interfere with or undermine the independence of the 3rd defendant, as guaranteed by the content, spirit and tenor of the Constitution.

Source: NAN

Mr. Olisa Metuh, on a wheelchair, stormed the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, asking to be granted permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Previous attempts to get the permission of the court to travel abroad for treatment was rebuffed.

At the resumed trial on Wednesday, the embattled former National Publicity Secretary of the People Democratic Party (PDP), informed the court through his counsel, Mr. Emeka Etiaba, that his health was fast failing.

He said his health was failing due to spinal cord compression which requires a corrective surgery at a hospital in London.

The Prosecutor, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, opposed the application on the ground that Metuh had filed similar applications in the past which was not granted.

He added that the present application seeking permission to travel abroad did not provide sufficient materials before the court to enable the court grant his request.

The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, after listening to both counsels adjourned the case to March 15, 2018. for the continuation of trial.

Metuh is standing trial for alleged money laundering being part of the funds linked with former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, on a seven-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering.

The alleged offences involved the sums of N400 million which the defendants allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014.

Source: NAN

Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the heart of the Panama Papers global tax evasion scandal that brought down two world leaders announced Wednesday it would shut down operations, citing negative press and what it called unwarranted action by authorities.

Reputational deterioration, the media campaign, the financial consequences and irregular actions by some Panamanian authorities have caused irreparable damage, resulting in the total ceasing of public operations at the end of this month, Mossack Fonseca said in a statement.

But it added a smaller group would continue working to address requests from authorities and other public and private groups.

Last August, co-founder Jurgen Mossack acknowledged the firm had closed most of its offices abroad after its damaged credibility caused business to flounder.

April 3, 2016 marked the beginning of the Panama Papers scandal a leak of 11.5 million files from Mossack Fonsecas digital archive that revealed how wealthy and influential figures across the world had created offshore businesses to safeguard assets.

The information was obtained by German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, who shared it with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. It was released as a searchable database, with revelations continuing to be unearthed to this day.

Icelandic prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson was forced to resign after it was revealed his family had offshore accounts while former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified for life from office after being implicated in the documents.

Other figures implicated included former British premier David Cameron, football star Lionel Messi, Argentinas President Mauricio Macri, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, to name but a few.

At least 150 investigations were opened in 79 countries to examine possible tax evasion and money laundering, according to the US-based Center for Public Integrity.

Source: NAN

US Students walked out of classrooms on Wednesday to stage the largest grassroots protest against gun violence seen in years, demanding action one month to the day after a deadly shooting rampage at a Florida high school.

The protest was staged from east to west, fromWashington to Los Angeles.

Hundreds of teenagers from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House, holding up signs reading Books Not Bullets and Protect People Not Guns before marching on the US Capitol.

We want to show Congress and politicians we are not standing by, we are not silent anymore, said 17-year-old Brenna Levitan, who was at the protest with her mother.

Parkland is going to be the last school shooting.

Students in dozens of other cities in all 50 states staged similar demonstrations and observed a moment of silence to honour the 14 students and three adult staff killed a month ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

In Washington, several hours after the protests broke up, US lawmakers took their first significant step to address school gun violence since the Parkland shooting.

The House of Representatives voted 407-10 to fund violence prevention measures at schools including boosting security, mental health screening and creating anonymous reporting systems so students can report threats.

But Congress has yet to tackle the more controversial aspects of gun control demanded in the wake of the Parkland shooting.

These include expanded background checks for gun sales, a ban on assault weapons and raising the minimum age for some firearms purchases.

Dressed in the schools maroon colors, students at Stoneman Douglas visited memorials to their slain classmates and hugged and cried.

At a high school in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, students marched to the football field and assembled in a heart formation to pay tribute to the victims.

In Los Angeles and other cities, teenagers spelled out the protest slogan #ENOUGH by lying down on the ground on sports fields.

In Washington, students were joined by Democratic members of Congress at the Capitol.

Speakers denounced the National Rifle Association (NRA), the powerful US gun lobby, and demanded that Congress enact tougher laws on gun ownership.

You, the young people of this country, are leading the nation, Senator Bernie Sanders told the crowd.

People are sick and tired of gun violence and the time is now for all of us, together, to stand up to the NRA.

In New York, students many of whom wore orange, the color of gun control walked out from more than 50 schools.

We want change, and Am I next? they chanted.

Press secretary for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Eric Phillips, said just over 100,000 students took part from the citys schools.

The National School Walkout was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim.

But tens of thousands of students around the country decided to skip school entirely and protest instead.

At the White House, 17-year-old Farah Parmah, who goes to Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, said President Donald Trumps controversial proposal to arm and train teachers is just a bad, bad idea.

Gun violence has taken way too many lives this year, said Parmah, who is 17.

There should be no guns in schools.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said Trump shares the students concerns about school safety.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton praised the students Wednesday evening, calling them an inspiration to millions of Americans who know commonsense gun reform is long overdue.

The nationwide protest was held one month to the day after Nikolas Cruz, a troubled 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, unleashed a hail of gunfire on his one-time classmates.

Cruz, dressed in a red prison jumpsuit, appeared in court in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday and a judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

His lawyers had said he would plead guilty in exchange for guarantees that he would not face execution, but prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.

The United States sees more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually and Stoneman Douglas students have spearheaded a national gun control campaign, helping to force through a new law on age limits for gun purchasers in Florida.

The US public supports tougher gun laws, according to polls, but there is little backing for meaningful reforms in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Source: NAN