By Francesca Hangeior

The Director of Information, Secretary, Research and Information (SR&I), National Assembly, Mr Bullah Bi-Allah, has denied the purported budget presentation by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.

Bi-Allah said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday following the news making the round that the president was billed to present the budget on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

He said such news credited to him was fake, baseless, and unfounded, urging the public to disregard it.

He said: “The attention of the Secretary, Research and Information (SR&I), National Assembly, Dr Ali Barde Umoru, has been drawn to the purported fake news credited to him.”

He added that the news alleged that “His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, will tomorrow Wednesday present the 2925 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly.”

According to him, the news circulating on both social and mainstream media and other outlets is false and should be disregarded.

“The secretary advised that any official inquiry and clarification should follow the official communication channels of the National Assembly.”

He said that NASS was yet to approve the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper, forwarded to both chambers of the National Assembly by Tinubu.

He clarified that the MTEF approval would come before the official presentation of the 2025 budget.

He said, “In view of the above, the SR&I warns peddlers of such information to desist forthwith from using his office to mislead members of the public.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello.

He was arrested shortly after surrending to the anti-graft agency on Tuesday afternoon.

He is being grilled over alleged misappropriation of funds.

Bello went to the office with his lawyers on Tuesday morning, following the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed states’ case on the constitutionality of the anti-graft agency.

The former governor drove himself in a black Hilux to the EFCC office with his lawyers.

At the last hearing on November 14, the EFCC had sought for adjournment till November 27 in the fresh case it instituted against Bello, saying that the 30 days window was still running for the summons earlier issued.

Details shortly…

By Francesca Hangeior

The Catholic Diocese of Aba has said that the stampede that claimed the lives of several worshippers during the annual Christ the King Feast happened due to overcrowding during the procession.

Reports said those who died during the feast held on Sunday included two elderly women.

An eyewitness stated that the crowd “was too much that there was little or no breathing space.”

However, in a statement dated November 25, 2024, and signed by the Bishop of the Diocese, the Most Rev. Augustine Echema, the church described the incident as unprecedented.

It assured all that investigations are ongoing to uncover the full details of the tragedy, including the identities of the victims and the exact cause.

The statement read in part, “It is with deep regret and sadness that the annual joyful celebration of our Diocesan Feast Day ended in the most tragic way. Some of our devout and gallant Catholics, who joined the Eucharistic procession in a joyful mood, met their death due to overcrowding.”

The diocese extended condolences to the families of the deceased and sympathised with those injured in the incident.

“We condole with the deceased families and sympathise with those injured, who are still receiving treatment in the hospital.

“We pledge our support to the affected families and individuals during this time of grief and emergency,” the statement added.