Tag: Nigeria

The Lagos State Government is set to demolish a portion of the popular Landmark Beach Resort to give way for the coastal highway construction of the Lagos-Calabar road project. 

 

This was contained in a letter to the proprietor of Landmark Beach Resort, Paul Onwuanibe, dated March 19, 2024, and signed by the Deputy Director (Development Matters Department) Tpl Shomolu O., on behalf of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

 

In the letter, Lagos state authorities notified Onwuanibe that he had seven days to leave his multimillion-dollar beach resort so it could be torn down.

 

 

Onwuanibe

 

Onwuanibe, 58, explained that the government said his Landmark Beach resort – a top-tier destination visited by about a million local and foreign visitors last year – had to be removed as it “falls within the right of way” of a planned 700-kilometer (435-mile) coastal highway designed to link the former capital city to Calabar, a port city near the border with Cameroon. 

 

Onwuanibe told CNN he had obtained the land in 2007 before the plans for the coastal highway were drawn up, and felt a mix of emotions after receiving the demolition order, which also urged him to file compensation claims. 

 

“One was amazement, second was concern and the third one was, ‘is this real or is this an April Fools’ (Day prank in) advance?’” Onwuanibe said.

 

The beach resort which is valued at over $200 million, according to Onwuanibe, is home to over 80 businesses and provides more than 4,000 direct jobs. It also generates over 2 billion naira ($1.5 million) in annual tax revenue. 

 

Recall that the Lagos state government had written the company in two different national newspaper on the demolition.

 

See a copy of the letter below.

 

The Nigerian Army has explained why one of its soldiers of Northern extraction facing murder charges before a Court Martial in 82 Division, Enugu was set free by the Court Martial. 

 

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that multiple military sources confirmed that two soldiers who were being court-martialled in the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army for murder were freed and re-absorbed into service.

 

The two soldiers said to be of Northern extraction were identified as Pte Usman Shonva and one Audu.

 

While Shonva allegedly shot and killed one of his course mates in Ohoafia, Abia State in 2022, Audu was accused of killing a Togolese national and one other person in Anambra State. 

 

In October 2023, the army authorities had said twenty-five soldiers and an officer were being court-martialled in the 82 Division for various offences. 

But in a statement issued on Saturday by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, he said that the decision of the Court Martial was collective and based on evidence presented during the trial. 

 

Nwachukwu said, “Notably, the composition of the Court Martial was not based on regional representation, rather, the membership of the court was diverse, with personnel drawn from various regions of the country. 

 

“It is exigent to note that the President of the Court Martial is of northern extraction, while the Judge Advocate is from the South. 

 

“Additionally, 60 percent of the Court Martial members are of Southern extraction, demonstrating a fair and balanced representation, even though religion and ethnicity are not major focal criteria in the decision making process of the NA. 

 

“The decision of a Court Martial is collective and based on evidence presented during the trial. The said Court Martial tried the personnel, irrespective of their ethnic and religious affiliations and the outcome was determined strictly based on the evidence presented. 

 

“In espousing the position of the NA in the cases mentioned in the report, taking that of Pte Usman Shonva for instance, wherein evidence revealed that there were other soldiers at the scene of the incident, who also fired their weapons, hence, the court, based on this finding among others, reached the conclusion that the shot that killed the dead soldier could have been fired by any of the soldiers at the scene, thus, leading to his discharge and acquittal. 

 

“It must be emphasised that the NA does not task its personnel (including for court martial membership) on a regional basis in order to achieve “national spread.” 

 

“The NA is a composite national institution and not an ethnic militia. The court martial proceedings were conducted in a fair and unbiased manner.”  

 

 

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The Nasarawa State Police Command says its operatives have neutralized a suspected armed robber, one Ifeanyichukwu Ilegalu, in the Mararaba area of Karu Local Government during a robbery operation.

 

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, said in a statement on Saturday, April 6, that one Edache Joseph, who was among the robbery gang, was also arrested.

 

The PPRO explained that the arrest followed a recent move by the state Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Shehu Nadada, to rejig the community policing template of the Maraba area where several incidences of robbery cases were recently recorded.

 

He said that the command received information on April 5 that a gang of 8 armed robbers were attacking some residents of Aso pada, Mararaba area.

 

According to the statement, upon receipt of the information, police operatives in collaboration with vigilantes and some brave members of the community went after the hoodlums, leading to the killing of one suspect and the arrest of another.

 

“The suspect has made a useful statement, and he is assisting the Police in the investigation.

 

“The Commissioner of Police has commended the efforts of the police operatives, vigilante group, and members of the community for their display of bravery and assured them of his continuous support. He tasked other members of the public to cooperate with the police in order to rid the state of criminals”, the statement added.

 

 

The Federal High Court in Lagos has reserved another date for the sentencing of convicted popular cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.

The judgement was reserved for April 9, 2024 by Justice Abimbola Awogboro on Friday, who ordered that the controversial cross-dresser should be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending the judgment date.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the court convicted Bobrisky after the cross-dresser pleaded guilty to abusing the Naira.

Bobrisky earlier on Friday pleaded guilty to four counts of abuse of the Naira and money laundering preferred against him by the anti-corruption agency before Justice Awogboro.

 

Bobrisky was originally arraigned on six counts but two of the charges were dropped following a discussion between the parties involved.

 

In court, Bobrisky identified himself as a social media influencer with over five million followers but said he was not aware that there was a law banning the abuse of the Naira.

 

Justice Awogboro, however, informed the cross-dresser that ignorance is not an excuse before the law.

 

The controversial cross-dresser regretted the action and pleaded for a second chance to enable him also educate his followers.

 

 

 

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Bobrisky was arrested on Wednesday evening by personnel of the EFCC in Lagos State.

 

The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said that Bobrisky was arrested for mutilation of naira notes and not for his lifestyle as a cross-dresser.

 

The first four counts of the charge bordered on abuse of the Naira, while the last two counts bordered on alleged money laundering.

 

In the charge sheet filed by EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), alongside seven other lawyers, the anti-graft agency accused Bobrisky in the first count of tampering with the sum of N400,000 by spraying same while dancing at a social event at the IMAX Circle Mall, Lekki, Lagos.

 

The EFCC said that Bobrisky committed the offence on March 24, and is contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

The anti-graft agency in count two alleged that Bobrisky between July and August 2023 at Aja Junction, Ikorodu also tampered with another sum of N50,000 by spraying the same at a social event while dancing.

 

 

 

 

 

In count three, the EFCC alleged that Bobrisky in December 2023 at White Steve Event Hall, Ikeja also sprayed and tampered with another sum of N20,000 while dancing.

 

 

 

 

 

In count four, the EFCC accused Bobrisky of spraying and tampering with another sum of N20,000 while dancing at another event in Oniru, Victoria Island.

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, in count five, the EFCC said that Bobrisky while trading under the name and style of Bob Express between September 1, 2021 and April 4, 2024, in Lagos, failed to submit to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, a declaration of the activities of the said company, (Bob Express), within which period the total sum of N127.7million was paid into the company account domiciled with Ecobank.

 

 

 

 

 

The agency in count six accused Bobrisky of failing to submit a declaration of the activities of the company within the same period when another N53m was paid into the company’s account thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 6(1)(a), and Section 19(1) (f) of the Money Laundering (Prevention And Prohibition) Act and punishable under Section 19 (2) (b) of the same Act.