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Court grants N50m bail to MTN’s N1.9 billion fraud suspects
Justice Akintayo Aluko of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, granted a N50 million bail sum to suspects who allegedly defrauded MTN Nigeria Communication of the sum of N1.9 billion.
The trial judge granted them bail after hearing two separate bail applications filed by the defendants. Justice Aluko also ordered the defendants to provide two sureties each and one of the sureties must be a civil servant either in the federal or Lagos state employment, who must be grade level 14 and above, while the second surety, must be a landed property owner within the jurisdiction of the court, must provide evidence of ownership, and must swear to an affidavit of means.
According to the judge, the civil servant must produce reference letter of his place of work, and letter of last promotion, while the defendants must submit two recent passport photographs to the registrar of the court.
Justice Aluko ordered the prosecution to verify all documents submitted by the sureties, including their residential addresses. The court further remanded the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
The Police Special Fraud Unit, Milverton Road Ikoyi, Lagos, had last week arraigned the duo of Timothy Fashina Oluwabukola and Anthony Imonina Odemerho, said to be a student of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta, Ogun State, and proprietor of Resign Regal Academy in Benin City, Edo State respectively for allegedly hacking into MTN web-based platform known as Application Programming Interface (API), and stole N1, 9 billion worth of airtime and data.
The defendants were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, unauthorised access into the company’s web-based platform known as Application Programming Interface (API) and unlawful conversion. The two men and others, who are at large, were alleged to have committed the offences between January and April this year, in Lagos and Edo states.
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Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
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“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
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