A casket conveying the remains of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, lawmaker who represented Anambra South, is currently at the National Assembly.

Ubah, 52, died in London, United Kingdom, on July 27, 2024.

A valedictory session for him is underway.

The media took the pictures of his body at the foyer of the White House wing of the National Assembly Complex.

Ex-Polaris Bank Manager in the Iju branch, Abiodun Sanni, was on Monday remanded in the Correctional Centre by a Lagos State Special Offences Court, in Ikeja, over alleged N122 million fraud.

Sanni was arraigned on 16 counts bordering on obtaining credit by false pretences, forgery, use of false documents and stealing by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, O. Adewunmi, told the court that Sanni committed the offences on or about February 24, 2020, in Lagos.

Adewunmi told the court that the defendant while he was the Bank Manager of the lju branch of Polaris Bank Limited, obtained credit in the form of a loan in the sum of N17m, for one Bamgbose Tayo Taofia trading under the name and style of Banut Haulage.

The prosecutor said that the money was obtained from Polaris Bank Limited, by the false pretence that the loan had collateral in the form of a fixed deposit account number 0071572791, worth N111,540,380.52 belonging to Yinkus Multibiz Ventures and that the owner, one Mrs Olayinka Hannah Aderibigbe, consented to it being used as collateral.

He was also alleged to have dishonestly converted a Polaris Bank Limited fixed deposit account number 0071277522 worth N15, 011,441.00 (Fifteen Million, Eleven Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty-One Naira) belonging to Atolagbe Joshua Tinuoye, to his use.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

The prosecutor, urged the court to remand the defendant at the correctional centre, pending his trial date.

“My Lord, the prosecutor intended to call 10 witnesses regarding this case and we urge the court to remand the defendant in custody”, Adewunmi said.

But the defence counsel, Osho Oludoshu, told the court that he had filed a bail application on behalf of his client.

In a short ruling, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe adjourned the case and ordered that the bail application should be submitted to the court before the date of trial.

“I adjourn this case to Match 6 and 19, 2025, and I remand the defendant at the correctional centre. They are entitled to bring a bail application before his trial date”, the judge held.

President Bola Tinubu has written to the National Assembly, seeking approval of a fresh N1.767tn as a new external borrowing plan in the 2024 appropriation act.

If approved, the loan will be used to part-finance the budget deficit of N9.7tn for the 2024 budget.

The president’s request was read by the speaker during plenary on Tuesday.

The president has also forwarded the MTEF/ FSP 2025- 2027 to parliament and the National Social Investment Programme establishment amendment bill, to make the social register the primary tool for the implementation of the federal government’s social welfare programmes.

This development comes amid growing concerns over Nigeria’s rising debt servicing costs.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revealed that the country spent $3.58 billion on servicing foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024.

While Nigeria faces growing financial pressures, the government is seeking external funding to manage its budgetary needs while addressing the economic challenges posed by its debt obligations.