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Revelation on senior Senators getting ‘N500m’ each tears Senate apart

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The Senate was plunged into a rowdy session on Tuesday as the Point of Order raised by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, was hijacked by an escalation by Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe representing Cross River North.

Adeola, an APC Ogun West senator raised a point of order against the allegation by former Senate Deputy leader and Chairman, Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central.

Ningi had raised the alarm of N3 trillion Budget Padding in the N28.7trillion 2024 Appropriation Act and that the budget passed by the National Assembly for 2024 fiscal year is N25trillion while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7trillion.

The Senators were divided on the matter, as they took turns to speak on the floor of the Senate, but more revelations confounded the matter, when Jarigbe, a PDP senator said some senators got N500 million each but he did not get it.

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“All of us are culpable. Some so-called Senior Senators here got 500M Naira each from the 2024 Budget, I am a ranking Senator and I didn’t get anything. No Senator has a right to accuse Senator Ningi,” Jarigbe said.

Meanwhile, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio tried to restore calmness on the floor.

Background on Ningi’s allegation:

In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Service) on Saturday, Senator Ningi said that the budget being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn, whereas the one approved by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25tn.

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In the interview, Senator Ningi was cited as saying, “For the first time in Nigerian history, today we are operating two different budgets. One budget was approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu and the one was implemented by the presidency.”

He stated, “The one approved by us is ₦25trn while the one operating by the Government is ₦28tn.

“Apparently, we discovered ₦3trn was inserted into the budgets for projects without locations. This is the highest budget padding that happened in Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch.”

He added, “We resolved as people Representatives to see President Tinubu on this issue, with facts and figures, to ask him if he is aware of this embarrassment or not, then from there we will take action.

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“Let Nigerians be patient with us. This is a national issue; it affects all Nigerians in respective of party, tribe or religion.”

Meanwhile: The Senate through its spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) had in a chat with our correspondent refuted the claim on Saturday night stating that there was no padding whatsoever in the budget.

Adaramodu said, “There is no budget padding as far as the Senate and the National Assembly are concerned.

“The national budget is a public document, which expressly states the expected revenue and the expenditure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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“The Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio is not aware of any varied execution of the 2024 appropriation mandate, as approved.”

Senator Adaramodu added, “The budget presentation and approval processes were made in the public glare, while the Presidential assent was also in a public ceremony.

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‘Putin waiting to meet me as soon as possible’ to end Ukraine war – Trump

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The US President-elect took to the stage AmFest in Phoenix to talk about his contact with the Russian leader.

He told the crowd: “President Putin has said he want to meet with me as soon as possible.”

Trump went on to brand the war “horrible” and stated it needed to end. It is not known whether or not this meeting will take place in person. His comments at the event in the US come as Putin met with another world leader.

Putin held talks in the Kremlin today (December 22) with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA agency that the talks would focus on “the international situation” and Russian natural gas deliveries.

Visits and phone calls from European leaders to Putin have been rare since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine, although Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban visited Russia in July. Orban’s visit drew condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders.Fico’s views on Russia’s war on Ukraine differ sharply from most other European leaders. The Slovakian PM returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO.

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JUST IN: Speed Darlington Granted Bail, Says Lawyer

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Stanley Alieke, the counsel for popular controversial rapper, Darlington Achakpo, aka Speed Darlington, said the singer has been granted bail after nearly a month in police custody.

Alieke disclosed this on his Instagram handle on Monday.

“Apki has been granted bail by the court,” he wrote without including much information.

The rapper was arrested on November 27 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State.

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His arrest was connected to an alleged abuse of Afrofusion star, Damini Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy.

Darlington’s counsel, Deji Adeyanju also confirmed that Burna Boy was responsible for his arrest.

Darlington had taunted Burna Boy over his affiliation with the embattled United States rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs who is facing multiple charges for sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

This prompted his first arrest. On his arrival, Speed Darlington swore never to back down on calling out the Grammy award winner because of his association with the embattled Diddy.

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Earlier, Darlington’s lawyer, Adeyanju said that the singer would be arraigned within 48 hours or be released on bail.

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“Our FREP application for Speed Darlington a.k.a has been granted by the court. He is to be arraigned within 48 hours or released. Issues around injustice may take time but justice will always prevail,” he wrote.

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Police Arrest Herbalist, 3 Others For Beheading Delta Resident, Dump Him In River

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Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested no fewer than four suspects for allegedly killing a man identified as Paulinus Okon over N30million business deal in Delta State.

It was learnt that the deceased was earlier declared missing and was later beheaded on the 8th of September 2024 at Otokutu area of the state.

Paulinus’ body was said to have been thrown into the river, while one of the suspects, a herbalist, took the head and buried it at his shrine in Otokutu.

The state Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda during a press briefing on Monday, identified the suspects as Okeimute Gaga, Efe Onoitiyi, Sunday Ikpeba, and a 30yrs old herbalist known as Lawrence Joseph.

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The statement reads in part; “It involves the murder of one Paulinus Okon ‘m’ by his bosom friend One Efe Onoetiyi. Paulinus was reported missing on 8/9/2024 by his brother after he went out with his friend Efe Onoitiyi ‘m’ age 30yrs.

“The suspect Efe Onoitiyi who initially denied knowing what happened to Paulinus came to Paulinus’s house to ask his family of Paulinus, he was confronted that the deceased went out with him on that same date which he denied that the deceased did not go out with him.

“On a later date, Efe came back and demanded Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000) from the deceased’s brother that he would use the money to pay a herbalist who can tell them Paulinus’s whereabouts.

“Efe again came and informed the family that Paulinus was kidnapped and he collected a ransom of about twenty million, seven hundred and fifteen thousand naira (N20,715,000) from the deceased brother claiming that he was in touch with the kidnappers. When it became obvious that Efe had something to hide, he was arrested and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) State Headquarters, Asaba.

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“On 28th November 2024, I directed the DPO Ekpan to take over the case and ensure that a discrete investigation is carried out to fish out those responsible as the main suspect Efe was not yielding.

“The DPO Ekpan carried out an intelligence led investigation that indicted one Okeimute Gaga ‘m’ aged 48yrs old. Okeimute gaga upon his arrest opened up and confessed that he could no longer hide what happened. Okeimute Gaga narrated how Efe brought Paulinus to Orere River in Otokutu and requested that they kill him.

“The suspect further stated that on the 8th of September 2024 himself, Efe and Sunday Ikpeba, and a 30yrs old herbalist known as Lawrence Joseph tied Paulinus Okon to a stake at night close to Orere River and beheaded him alive. His body was thrown into the river while the herbalist took the head of Paulinus and buried him at his shrine in Otokutu. The DPO Ekpan Police station led police operatives to the shrine in Otokutu where the skull of Paulinus was exhumed and recovered.

“During interrogation, Efe was asked why he killed his friend Paulinus, Efe stated that he saw a building for sale at a cost of thirty million naira (N30,000,000) which he advertised to the deceased and the deceased paid him Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000) in three instalments, but instead of buying the house, he diverted the money for his personal use, bought two lands and was building a duplex for himself.

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“He further stated that he did not know how to explain to the deceased that he had used his money hence he decided that killing him will save him the trouble. Efe and the three other suspects are in custody.”

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