AN armed robbery suspect, simply identified by his nickname, Bob Jay fell into an open well on Friday night after he and other gang members raided student’s hostel in Unicross, Okuku campus.

The robbers, according to a student of the school who gave her name as Regina, attacked students in their hostel at about 12 midnight and carted away laptops, phones and money and after the robbery,  one of the hoodlums fell into an open well while trying to escape with their loot.

“They were many that came around 12 midnight. They robbed all the students in the Okuku hostel. They stabbed one student, broke the head of another with a stick before escaping with phones, laptops and other valuables”. She told Vanguard on phone.

She said the  well was used by students to fetch water to bathe and wash clothes and has no cover.

“Nobody knew that one of the robbers fell into the well until dawn   when students went to fetch water  and saw the man inside dead. They raised alarm and the community people came and took him out and was identified as one of the robbers and some people said his name is Bob Jay from Mbube,a neigbouring village”

She said the police were alerted and they  came and took the body away. She said no  other gang members identified yet since the robbers phone fished out of his picket is blur.

Former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, is reportedly in the protective custody of the state Governor, Usman Ododo.

Naija News learnt that Bello has been in the custody of the Kogi state government since he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to Cable News, Yahaya Bello is currently enjoying protection from the security agents attached to the state since the aborted attempt by the EFCC to arrest him.

Recall that the EFCC had issued a Red Notice on Bello to the international police organisation, also known as Interpol, based on the warrant of arrest issued by a federal high court in Abuja.

EFCC asked INTERPOL in three North African countries, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, to place Yahaya Bello on its watchlist.

Other countries where the ex-governor is on the watchlist are Egypt, Libya and Sudan.

Sources in the anti-graft agency disclosed that there are many options on the table in dealing with the Bello situation, which include but is not limited to storming the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja, where the ex-governor is believed to be hiding.

The watch list was activated ahead of the July 17th expected appearance of the former governor before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

A man who was accused of allegedly stealing an Uber car after luring the driver with a plate of pepper soup, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

The spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday, July 13, 2024. 

The PPRO said that the Akinpelu Police Division received a report on July 5, at about 8.00 p.m. from an Uber driver, whose name was not mentioned

He said that the driver reported that he picked a passenger, who simply identified himself as Isaiah, from the NNPC Filling Station, Maryland, in his Toyota Corolla car to a certain hotel at Oshodi area.

The spokesperson pointed out that while at the hotel, the suspect bought food for the driver, a plate of pepper soup and one energy drink.

“In the process, when the suspect was looking for a cotton bud to clean his ear, the driver gave him his car key to use

The driver further said that the suspect went downstairs after collecting the car key and went away with his car from where it was parked. 

However, a team of police officers on a stop and search operation at Boladale Street, intercepted him.

“When he could not give a satisfactory account of the ownership of the car, he was arrested,” he said.

Hundeyin further said that while the police officers were about taking the suspect to the station, the driver came to the scene and saw the car.

He said the suspect had been detained for further investigation. 

Loading and transporting of petrol and other related products have been halted by members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in Oyo and Osun states.

The petroleum stakeholders announced the suspension of their operations at an emergency meeting held in Ibadan on Saturday.

According to them, the decision became imperative due to the incessant “harassment and extortion of members by the police”.

The emergency meeting was attended by Mutiu Bukola, Ibadan depot chairman and Hammed Hamzat, chairman, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG.

Also in attendance were Surajudeen Adegoke, chairman, independent marketers branch of NUPENG, and Olalekan Lawal, IPMAN, vice-chairman.

NAN reports that they unanimously condemned the operations of the “inspector general of police (IGP) monitoring team” on the highway which had been “disrupting the lifting of petroleum products” from depot to filling stations in the two states.

Bukola, speaking on behalf of the associations, called for an immediate end to harassment and extortion of members of the associations.

He said they would not resume operations until the issues were addressed.

According to the IPMAN branch chairman, no filling stations would open and there would be no movement of petroleum tankers in the two states until members of the IGP monitoring team are removed from the road.

“A tanker driver bringing in a truck load of diesel was arrested at Gbongon junction in Osun in the early hours of Saturday and detained along with his truck,” the associations said.

“The team has assumed the role of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) which is the regulator in the sector.

“The NMDPRA officers at the lifting depot had already certified the product, meaning that there was no issue at all, only for the driver and the truck to be detained by the IGP monitoring team at Gbongbon.

“We hereby call for immediate release of the driver and the truck.”

In the last few months, he said the police team had “wrongly arrested” several tanker drivers and trucks, only to discover that they were innocent after investigations.

“There will be no movement of trucks in and out of Osun and Oyo states, meaning that there will be no loading of petroleum products from depot to filling stations within the two states,” he said.

“The purpose of the IGP monitoring team was to stop vandalism of pipelines but the team has left its function and is now chasing other things.”

Bukola also condemned what he described as multiple charges that “had been crippling operations” in the petroleum sector in the two states.

Veteran Nollywood actress, Binta Ayo Mogaji, has finally disclosed why she left her 13 year old marriage with retired footballer, Victor Ayodele Oduleye.

The film actress and her colleague, actor Jibola Dabo were once in a relationship and they have a 20 year old, after which she got married to Victor Ayodele Oduleye, a retired footballer and physiotherapist, in 2006.

However, on her latest interview with actress Biola Bayo on the ‘Talk To B’ podcast, Binta Ayo Magaji accused Victor Oduleye of abuse.

She further narrated her love journey with the retired footballer. Ayo Mogaji said:

“We fell in love with each other but received beating over any little thing.

“Even in England the abusive language, the mental torture, the physical abuse, when it gets too much I will advise anybody to get out of that marriage.

“It got to a stage that when it’s only two of us at home, I do go outside the compound and sit till when someone will come around so that I will not be abused. We were in it for like thirteen years and we have been separated for four years now.”

In the same interview with Biola Bayo, Binta Ayo Mogaji revealed how she became a mother at the age of 40 years.

Recounting her life experience, she said she had her baby six weeks after her 40th birthday despite having one fallopian tube.

Binta Ayo Mogaji also spoke on how her ectopic pregnancy resulted in losing a fallopian tube and almost her life.

Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, is back in town, and the heartwarming video of his grand reception from fans has taken the internet by storm.

Late June 2024 saw Davido and his beautiful bride, Chioma, jetting off to the United States for a luxurious honeymoon following their extravagant wedding.

As they boarded their private jet in Lagos, they were accompanied by key members of Davido’s entourage, including Asa Asika, Lati, and Chioma’s manager, Ubi Franklin.

Fast forward to his return to Nigeria, and the scene was nothing short of extraordinary. A viral video shows Davido basking in the rapturous welcome from his adoring fans, who had taken to the streets in droves.

The ecstatic crowd was a sight to behold, causing a major roadblock as they chanted his name and surged forward to meet his convoy.

The atmosphere was electric, with fans expressing their unwavering love and admiration for the music icon.

Moved by the overwhelming display of affection, Davido couldn’t resist immersing himself in the moment. He excitedly shot his head and body out of his car window, capturing the euphoric scene on his phone.

The video continues to melt hearts online, capturing the essence of joy and unity that Davido brings to his community. The moment was not just a welcome back but a triumphant return of a beloved star whose presence ignited the hearts of everyone around.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has re-arraigned Binance on a four-count charge bordering on alleged tax evasion.

Ayodele Omotilewa, Binance’s representative in Nigeria, was arraigned on Friday before Emeka Nwite, a judge at the federal high court in Abuja.

Omotilewa pleaded not guilty to the four counts.

In the amended charge filed on June 14, Binance Holdings Limited is listed as the sole defendant.

After the plea by the Binance representative, Moses Ideho, counsel to FIRS, sought a date for the commencement of trial. The presiding judge subsequently fixed October 11 as the trial date.

Over the past few months, Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, has been facing trial in Nigeria over alleged tax evasion and money laundering.

On June 14, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) dropped the tax charges against Gambaryan.

A federal high court in Abuja discharged Gambaryan after the FIRS confirmed the appointment of Omotilewa as the firm’s representative.

However, the EFCC has yet to drop its charges against Binance and its executives.

The anti-graft body had arraigned Binance Holdings Limited, Gambaryan, Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, over allegations of money laundering.

Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were detained by the Nigerian authorities on February 28.

However, Anjarwalla escaped from the custody of the office of the national security adviser (ONSA), leaving Gambaryan to face the charges alone.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has named Thomas Matthew Crooks as the gunman who fired shots at the rally of former President Donald Trump.

According to the FBI, Crooks is a 20-year-old male from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

The former US president was injured in the shooting while he was delivering a speech at his campaign rally on Saturday.

The FBI has described the incident as an assassination attempt.

Although Trump survived the shooting, one person was killed while two others were gravely injured.

“The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the bureau said on Sunday.

The FBI also shared a phone number and website for anyone with information, video, or pictures related to the shooting.

Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh office, said the website for tips is www.FBI.gov/Butler.

Following the shooting, Trump returned to New Jersey, with his plane touching down early on Sunday morning.

Several world leaders have condemned the attack and expressed sympathy with the Republican Party candidate for the US presidential election.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the shooting an “inexcusable attack”.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “appalled”, adding that such “violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world”.

Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, expressed concern over the incident, saying “our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people”.

British rapper and singer Stephanie Victoria Allen, known to the world as Stefflon Don, caused a stir online as she boldly proclaimed Nigerian hitmaker Burna Boy to be the love of her life.

In an intimate and heartfelt interview with Fernando Halman on the Netherlands music platform Real Talk, Stefflon Don was asked if Burna Boy still held a special place in her heart.

With dreamy eyes and a voice softened by fond memories, she responded with an unequivocal, “Yes!”

As the conversation heated up, Stefflon Don didn’t shy away from revealing that she is currently in a relationship. However, she kept fans and followers on the edge of their seats, leaving them guessing about the identity of her current beau.

The plot thickened when the bold and brassy rapper faced probing questions about being married.

Unfazed, Stefflon Don firmly debunked any marriage rumors, making it clear that when she decides to walk down the aisle, the world will undoubtedly hear about it.

In 2022 Burna Boy released the breakout hit “Last Last” which is certified Platinum in the US. The song was rumored to be about his relationship with Stefflon Don which ended 2021.

On the real talk interview Stefflon said Burna Boy admitted the song was about her. “He has actually said that the song is about me.”.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has advised the family of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, to refrain from commenting on the resolution reached by the Federal Government regarding the controversial Oil Mining Licence (OML) 245.

Lokpobiri’s statement follows comments from Mohammed Abacha, the son of the late head of state, who urged the minister to retract his public statement about resolving the disputes over OML 245 and resuming production in the national interest.

In a letter of protest written by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Reuben Okpanachi Atabo, the Abacha family gave Lokpobiri a 14-day ultimatum to withdraw his claim or face contempt of court charges. The letter, delivered to the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Oil Minister on July 5, argued that Lokpobiri’s claims were false and disregarded ongoing court cases regarding Malabu Oil and Gas ownership.

Responding to the Abacha family’s statement, Lokpobiri said, “I don’t want to join issues with the Abacha family, but I can assure you that we are resolving all the issues with OML 245 under overriding national strategic interest. This matter has lingered on for the past 28 years. And if I were a member of the Abacha family, I wouldn’t even raise my head. As Heineken Lokpobiri, I can’t give any Lokpobiri a license. That in itself is criminal. So if they know what they are doing, they should keep quiet.”

Lokpobiri, an English-trained lawyer, emphasized that oil blocks are federation assets, and the federal government will ensure that Nigerians benefit from them.

History of Litigation

OML 245, considered one of Nigeria’s most prolific oil blocks, was acquired by Malabu Oil and Gas, a company belonging to the Abacha family, in 1998 for $2 million. In 2001, under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the federal government revoked Malabu’s license due to “questionable practices.” Malabu challenged the revocation in court and reached an out-of-court settlement with the government under former President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2006.

In 2011, Shell and Eni acquired the block for $1.3 billion from Malabu in a deal approved by the Nigerian government. Since then, there have been ongoing allegations and litigation, with Transparency International and other anti-corruption groups alleging bribery and corruption in the deal.

Regarding the 28-year crisis and litigation, Lokpobiri recently stated, “The core issue revolves around the agreement between the federal government, Shell, and ENI, wherein the Federal Government facilitated the transfer of rights from Malabu to Shell/ENI in exchange for consideration. This process was conducted transparently and by established legal frameworks.”