Eniola Akinkuotu and Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested two directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria for alleged forex manipulation and economic sabotage. Impeccable sources at the EFCC told one of our correspondents on Wednesday that the directors were still in custody as of press time at 7.30pm. It was learnt that the investigation into the CBN officials activities sent shockwaves round the apex bank. The detective said the houses of the directors had been searched while incriminating evidence had been recovered. A source at the EFCC, who wished to remain anonymous said, “We have arrested two directors of the CBN in connection with forex manipulation. We believe that it was the activities of these individuals that contributed to the dollar scarcity and the weakening of the naira. “Ironically, immediately we started investigating these chaps a month ago, the CBN reeled out a new forex policy which sought to ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, for another one year, the Minister of Education, Mr. Adamu Adamu, has stated. This will make it the second of such an extension for Shu’ara, whose tenure expired in February 2016, when she turned 60 years. She got a presidential extension to remain in service up to February 2017. At the expiration of the extension of service, which has been causing ripples in the Federal Civil Service, Shu’ara got a second extension, according to the minister. This came while the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education was investigating Shu’ara over how she remained in service, despite having attained the mandatory 60 years age of retirement in 2016. The committee, chaired by a member of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, had two weeks ago, demanded evidence of the presidential approval for the extension of service from Shu’ara. However, th...

Brazil’s President Michel Temer blames bad vibes and even ghosts for driving him from his sumptuous official residence in the capital Brasilia, a Brazilian news weekly reported Saturday. Temer surprised Brazilian politics watchers this week with the revelation that he has decamped from the Alvorada Palace and moved with his former beauty queen wife and their seven-year-old son down the road to the smaller vice presidential residence. The modernist Alvorada, which means Dawn and was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, would be a dream home for many. It has a huge pool, football field, chapel, medical center and vast lawn. But Temer, 76, and his 33-year-old wife Marcela, find the cavernous, glass-fronted building spooky.“I felt something strange there. I wasn’t able to sleep right from the first night. The energy wasn’t good,” Temer was quoted as saying by Veja.“Marcela felt the same thing. Only (their son) Michelzinho, who went running from one end to the other, liked...

After Hushpuppi bragged and revealed with proof on social media that he spent N11million at a night club in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigerian twitter users have been speculating on his source of wealth. Some allege that he sold his kidney for money in Malaysia. 1 Share

A 49-year-old man, Abiodun Adeyinka, who allegedly damaged  property worth N5 million belonging to the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), on Monday appeared before an Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. Adeyinka is facing a six-count bordering on malicious damage, conspiracy, unlawful assault and manner likely to cause breach of peace. The accused, however, pleaded innocence to the charge. The Prosecutor, Insp. Cousin Adams, said that the accused committed the offences on Jan. 3, 2016, at noon, at No. 64, Adekunle Banjo St., Magodo, Lagos. He said that the accused forcibly entered into a Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) building located at the address during worship.Adams said the accused caused panic among the worshippers before damaging the church property. He said the damaged property were Jazz musical instrument, Konga drum, piano, five wireless microphones, six pieces of altar clothes, assorted church perfumes, wedding gowns and sacred pictures of Mary and Jesu...

The trial of 23 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, accused of receiving N360m bribe from Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in connection with the December 10, 2016 rerun elections in the state, will commence this week, The PUNCH has learnt. The prosecution has also lined up 14 policemen, whom it refers to as potential witnesses against the INEC officials. Our correspondent confirmed on Sunday that the defendants would be arraigned before Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday. “The court served the hearing notice on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation sometime last week. The notice indicated that the arraignment would take place on Tuesday, March 14,” a source familiar with the case said. Responding to a question on whether the defendants had been served with the charges, the source said, “Immediately the charges were filed last week, more than enough copies that would go round the 23 defendants wer...

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia A suspected fraudster identified as Eze Udo has been arrested by the men of the Umuahia Central Police Station in Abia State for allegedly withdrawing the sum of N1,049,545 ( one million, forty -nine thousand, and five hundred and forty- five naira) from his victim's account. A police source hinted that the manhunt for the suspect started following a complaint by the victim , Mr . Oka Monday , whom the suspect stole his ATM card and withdrew the money from his account. According to the source, the victim who hails from Amachara Umuopara, a satellite town near the capital city, Umuahia, was making attempts to withdraw some money from an Automated Teller Machine attached to a commercial bank in Umuahia , when the suspect offered to assist him due network failure. It was learnt that after attempts to withdraw the money failed, the suspect having memorised the victim’s secret pin number, advised him to follow him ( the suspect ) to a nearby bank where the tr...

By Balarabe Alkassim, Bauchi The Bauchi State government has ordered the closure of one of its schools after the discovery of secretly arranged marriages among its students. The order for the closure was contained in a statement issued by Yakubu Adamu, the Special Assistant on Communication to the state Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Education, Engineer Nuhu Gidado. “I directed the immediate closure of the school on Friday, 10th March 2017 after being notified about the issue,” Gidado said, adding that a committee comprising all directors in the state Ministry of Education, the school authority, teachers as well as the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school had been constituted to investigate the matter. The discovery of the students’ ‘mock marriages’ was made at the Sa’adu Zungur Model School, a primary and secondary school located in Bauchi metropolis. Some senior male and female students of the school were said by sources to have been conducting illegal marriages amo...

Ramon Oladimeji An official of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Timothy Olaobaju , on Monday, narrated how a former Minister of Petroleum Resources , Mrs Diezani Alison -Madueke, stashed a sum of $115,010,000 in the bank with subsequent instruction to change it into naira and distribute it among individuals in the 36 states of the federation. Among the beneficiaries, Olaobaju said , were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Dele Belgore ; and a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman , who both received N450m. Olaobaju said this on Monday when he appeared as a prosecution witness before Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos where Belgore and Sulaiman are being tried for alleged money laundering involving N450m. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged Belgore and Sulaiman with five counts. Charged along with the SAN and the ex - minister is Diezani , who is said to “ still be at large. ” The EFCC had earlier arraigned Belgore and Sulaiman on Febru...

As President Buhari settles down to work today,he did the first things first.He received a briefing from Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo Source:  http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2017/03/buhari-receives-briefing-from.html?m=1