The police in Adamawa state have arrested a 24-year-old lady identified as Besty Sabastine for allegedly hiring a suspected ‘Shilla’ Boy to attack and rob her friend of her iPhone.
The command in a statement released on its X handle, said the suspects will be arraigned in court for abating crime.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says Nigerians paid 19.75 per cent more for cooking gas in February 2024 than what they paid for the product in January 2024.
The Bureau stated that the average price of 5kg of cooking gas rose from N5,139.25 recorded in January, 2023 to N6,154.50 in February, 2024.
NBS made this known in its “Cooking Gas Price Watch’’ for February 2024, released on Saturday in Abuja.
The report said the February price represented a 19.75 per cent increase, compared to what was obtained in January, 2024.
The bureau said the average price of 5kg of cooking gas rose on a year-on-year basis by 33.78 per cent from N4,600.57 recorded in February 2023 to N6,154.50 in February, 2024.
On state profile analysis, the report revealed that Lagos recorded the highest average price at N6,820.00, followed by Imo at N6,785.71, and Anambra at N6,750.00.
It said on the other hand, Yobe recorded the lowest price at N4,912.50, followed by Kebbi and Adamawa at N5,350.00 and N5,385.00, respectively.
Analysis by zone indicated that the South-East recorded the highest average retail price at N6, 616.57 for 5kg cooking gas, followed by the South-West at N6, 513.30.
“The North-Central recorded the lowest average retail price at N5,723.02,” the NBS said.
Also, the NBS said the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cooking gas increased by 28.33 per cent on a month-on-month basis from N11, 735.72 in January, 2024 to N15, 060.38 in February 2024.
The report said the average retail price for 12.5kg cooking gas rose by 46.88 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N10, 253.39 recorded in February 2023 to N15, 060.38 in February 2024.
State profile analysis showed that Ogun recorded the highest average retail price of N16,375.00, followed by Delta at N16,333.33 and Edo at N16,321.43.
On the other hand, the report showed that the lowest average price for 12.5kg of cooking gas was recorded in Bauchi at N13, 167.50, followed by Katsina and Yobe at N13, 562.50 and N13,610.00, respectively.
Analysis by zone showed that the South-East recorded the highest average retail price of N15, 954.60, followed by the South-South at N15, 943.40.
The report said the North-East recorded the lowest price at N14,035.88.
The Adamawa State Police Command has again arrested three members of Shila gang, who were on the Command’s wanted list for terrorising and robbing citizens with dangerous weapons.
This is the second time the command is arresting Shila boys in the month of March. Earlier this month, THE WHISTLER reported that 15 Shila boys were arrested by the police in Adamawa.
On Saturday, the Command through a press statement by its spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje released another statement saying three Shila boys were arrested on 21st March 2024 by Anti Shilla Squad, while on routine patrol.
Nguroje said: “The three are among those operating with Sharp Daggers, Knives and other Dangerous weapons robbing innocent people of their belongings along Sangere Numan Road and Wauro Jabbe area of Yola South.
“During interrogation, the three suspects volunteered confessional statements adding that they robbed many innocent people of their Handsets including one Lidia James a Student of Modibbo Adamawa university, Yola.
“The Suspects are Jamilu Sanusi, 19 years, Yusuf Sardauna 21 years and Ma’aju Abdullahi, 20 years.”
The spokesman said the suspects will be prosecuted upon completion of investigations.
Adamawa Police Command Arrests 3 Wanted Shila Gangsters is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
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A Nigerian engineer based in Germany has taken to social media to express his sadness at being away from home.
In a post shared on X, the Engineer said he misses Nigeria, his family, friends, and the life he was living while in Nigeria.
He said that his mental health is currently affected due to being away from his home country.
The Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, March 21, 2024 secured the conviction and sentencing of Azubuike Mamwu Obasi before Justice P. I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for currency racketeering.
Obasi was jailed after pleading guilty to a four-count charge bordering on illegal acquisition of bank notes and carrying out banking services without an appropriate licence.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Azubuike Manwu Obasi, on or about the 15th day of February, 2024, at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, acquired and retained the cumulative sum of N554,600.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty-four Thousand, Six Hundred Naira) which you knew or reasonably ought to have known, forms part of your unlawful acts, selling or trading in Naira notes and carrying on banking business in Nigeria without a valid licence, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (1) and (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
In view of the plea of the defendant, prosecuting counsel, E. K. Bakam prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly. Defence counsel, B. E. Onuoha, did not oppose the prayers of the prosecution but urged the court to temper justice with mercy maintaining that the defendant is a first time offender with no previous criminal records.
Justice Ajoku thereafter found the defendant guilty as charged, sentenced him to six months in the Correctional Service on count one to four with N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only) as an option of fine payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Sentence is to run concurrently with effect from the date of arrest.
The court also made an order forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the sum of Five Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand, Six Hundred Naira (N554,600), Twenty Thousand Naira new bank notes and the POS device recovered from the convict. Additionally, the sum of Thirty Five Thousand Naira paid into the Access bank account of the convict by an EFCC covert operative was forfeited and returned to him. The convict should also depose an affidavit of good behavior.
Obasi’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested for currency racketeering by operatives of the EFCC. He was charged to court and convicted.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revealed a new trend of criminals impersonating its officers to inform unsuspecting citizens of the arrest of their relatives in any of the nation’s International airports.
The agency revealed their mode of operation to include calling prospective victims to inform them that their loved ones were arrested with illicit drugs upon arrival in the country.
“After throwing the family members into panic, the scammers then make a demand of millions of naira to facilitate the release of such persons from NDLEA custody
The development followed a recent case of a Nigerian man based in the United States pretending as an NDLEA officer, and was heard in a viral audio negotiating the payment of N5m with a female relative.
“We have thwarted a number of such bids in the past when the family members called the Agency’s official contacts for help or clarification,” the NDLEA revealed in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi on Saturday.
The agency revealed that the impersonator was negotiating the release of a US-based Nigerian man purportedly arrested at the Lagos airport on Friday, March 22, upon his arrival with a ‘contraband’.
However, the NDLEA said, ”Just like in previous instances, our investigation has also shown that the current incident is the work of scammers.
“No NDLEA officer is involved in the audio conversation and the person whose photo is attached to the audio recording being circulated is not in our custody at MMIA or any of our Commands either as at yesterday or any other day.
“The family members involved in this case are advised not to part with their hard-earned money to scammers.
“Nigerians with loved ones abroad are also urged to keep discussions on travel plans of their relatives to themselves to avoid the hijack of such by criminal elements for devious schemes.
“For those who may have a similar challenge, please feel free to seek help or clarification through any of these contact lines:+2347064670026 and +2348033326327.”
Don’t Reveal Travel Plans Of Relatives Abroad To Avoid Being Hijacked – NDLEA Warns Nigerians is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
A Nigerian lady was recently left in shock after an unpleasant encounter in a hotel she lodged in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
In a video that has gone viral, the lady said she left Lagos for Ibadan and lodged in a hotel to pass the night. She said at about 12 midnight, a lady and her man used a card given to them by the receptionist to open her room. She said the lady who was embarrassed as well, said she must have missed her way and mistankenly opened the wrong door. However, she didn’t expect that the card handed to her would be able to open another room.
The lady in the viral video said she was shocked and frightened by the incident as she was completely naked when it happened.
Watch the video below
The Bauchi State government has denied a media report that the state spent over N5billion on foodstuff and refreshments which is more than the combined budget for provision of water facilities, education and health services.
SaharaReporters published on March 14, a Wikki Times review of the Bauchi State budget performance documents, showing that the state spent N6.490billion on food, meal subsidies, refreshments and entertainment in 2023.
The review shows that meal subsidies to public and public institutions in 2023 stood at N1.248 billion.
The budget initially proposed for food and catering materials stood at N202 million, however, the final approved budget provided N4.754 billion for the purpose, representing over a 2000% increase. Of the amount, N4.564 billion was spent at the end of the year on foodstuffs and catering materials.
However, reacting to the report, in a release signed by Mukhtar Gidado, the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Governor Bala Mohammed, described the report as “false and mischievous.”
The statement partly read: “Here are the facts:
“It is no news that, arising from the removal of petroleum subsidy and the associated hardship, the Federal Government and the various State Governments had agreed to take action to mitigate the sufferings of the people. In that respect, the Federal Government announced the arrangement to provide each State with N5billion, under a structured loan and grant facility, to acquire food items for distribution to citizens as palliatives to ameliorate their sufferings as an emergency intervention. It is also a fact that only N2billion was ultimately disbursed by the Federal Government.
“Under the arrangement, States were to purchase 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilizers to cushion the effect of food shortage that had arisen. Additionally, 180 trucks of rice were to be distributed by the Central Bank of Nigeria with a call for individual states to augment such arrangements in order to expand the benefits to a greater number of citizens.
“In view of the disbursement of only N2billion, the State had purchased 88,889 bags of rice of 25kg and had released additional funding of N2billion for the procurement of additional quantities of grains as well as settlement of outstanding gratuities and leave grants to civil servants to provide further succour.
“The distribution was successfully carried out across the State to the satisfaction of the citizens with a wide coverage among the needy segments of the society. This exercise was conducted across all the States with varying quantities of foodstuff and materials distributed. It is surprising that the exercise in Bauchi will be isolated and reported negatively and mischievously. The efforts of the State were reflected in the Budget performance for the year 2023 which had been hosted on the State Government’s website and made available to the public since 27th January 2024. Specifically, the sum of N4,542,604,244 was reported as expenses incurred under the distribution of foodstuffs, catering and materials supply.
“This comprised of the palliatives distributed as noted earlier as well as relief materials which included food items and building materials that were provided at various times within the year to victims and communities of the flood disasters that occured in various Local Governments in the State that had led to the destruction of homes and farmlands food and material support for Internally Displaced Persons who had sought refuge in the State from crises in their primary places of residences in neighbouring states；and for victims of various fire and other natural disasters that occurred across the state.
“The writer had however added up to that Meal Subsidy and Entertainment of N149.7million incurred in all the MDAs as part of Personnel Cost; Meal Subsidy to Public Schools (schools feeding) in the sum of N1.25billion; as well as expenses incurred on Refreshment and Meals for events, hosting business and other official missions from Federal Government agencies and delegations from international partners across all MDAs throughout the year in the sum of over N531million in order to the inflate the value and had reported N6.49billion as having been incurred.
“The writer’s analogy to reflect under-delivery in the performance of the State in Agriculture, Water Supply, Healthcare delivery and Education were, to say the least, absolute falsehood and ignoble. The Budget performance report had indicated that the State’s achievement of a 77.2% performance of its water supply budget in the sum of N2,543,577,442.85 as against only N1.302billion reported by the writer.
“Going into specifics, the state had incurred the sum of N425.3million for Rehabilitation and Repairs of Water facilities; N1.302billion for the Construction and Provision of water facilities; N469.82million for the Purchase of Water Facilities and Equipment; as well as Personnel Costs in excess of N296.87million. Similarly, in Agriculture, the State met 67.3% of its budget in the sum of N2.28billion which included Purchase of Agricultural Equipment of over N367.8million; Construction of Agricultural facilities of N239.4million; and Personnel Costs of N1.425billion among others. The author had reported only the N239.4million in his write-up.
“In Healthcare, the State met 78% of its budget with total actual expenditure of N17.99billion which included the purchase of Health/Medical Equipment in the sum of over N5.69billion; Construction/Provision of Hospitals/Health Centres in the sum of over 1.414billion; Rehabilitation of Health Centres at over N606.4million; and a Personnel Cost of over N7.07billion. Only the N1.414billion was noted by the writer.
“For the Education Sector; the sum of N22.06billion representing 78.2% of the budget was achieved as against the N690million naughtily reported by the writer. The achievements included the Purchase of Teaching and Learning Equipment of N160.9million; Purchase of Books and Equipment in the sum of over N581.7million; Construction/Provision of Public Schools at over N176.5million; Rehabilitation and Repairs of Public Schools/Libraries and Sports Facilities at over N705.98million; and Personnel Costs of N12.67billion.
“Related to ICT; one would indeed be surprised as to why only N34.174m for Construction of ICT Centres was isolated and reported when there are other additional achievements that included Maintenance of Office ICT Equipment of N255.2million; Purchase of Computers of N35.7million; Software Charges and Renewal of N61.96million; Internet Access of over N35million; ICT Consulting of N18.2million; and Rehabilitation of ICT Infrastructure of over N9.07million among others.”
It added, “As a State, we have done well in our Public Financial Management practices and are open to scrutiny in our efforts to entrench transparency and accountability in governance. The State’s Budget Performance Report for 2023 is available to the public on the State’s Website. Overall, we achieved 86.8% performance in the implementation of the budget, which is not only impressive, but deserving of commendation rather than an attempt to twist facts and report falsehood.”
Gidado said, that from the abundant evidence of gross under-reportage of the performance of Bauchi State in the areas of social services, the lies and unsustainable opinion, “it can be seen that the author had only one mission: to discredit the Bauchi State Government by portraying it as being guilty of mismanagement of public funds.”
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