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Arewa Youth Consultative Forum tackles Atiku over comment on new naira notes

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) on Saturday came hard on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, over his comment urging the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to grant further extension of its Naira swap policy deadline beyond the 10 days announced by the bank.
Naija News reports that the CBN had extended the deadline for the swap of old naira notes to February 10, to enable Nigeria carrying out the exchange.
The CBN initially fixed January 31 as the deadline but many Nigerians have not been able to get the new N200, N500, and N1000 notes, prompting a scarcity in the country.
Atiku, who had initially called for the deadline extension, recently urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN not to extend it any further, as this may defeat the purpose of the redesigned naira note.
In a press statement personally signed and released by National President of the AYCF, Yerima Shettima declared that Atiku was on his own for recently opposing the opinions of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and the National Assembly on the policy.
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He wondered what Atiku hoped to benefit from the difficulties citizens currently experience as a result of the cash swap policy.
The group warned Atiku to stop playing politics with the policy adding that his comment was self-serving.
Shettima said: “Former VP Atiku’s call was out of place because it is coming on the heels of growing complaint about the kind of sabotage that is causing untold hardship to Nigerians over this policy.
“Atiku stands alone in his call on the CBN not to review the deadline. He is against prominent Nigerians who made passionate appeal for deadline review, notably the sultan of Sokoto, the Senate and House of Representatives leaders and experts.
“What purpose will the current difficulties people are facing serve Atiku? Why would he rather identify with the need to let the difficulties faced by especially rural folks continue and for how long?”
While noting that the policy was good owing to the fact that as at end of June 2022, available data indicated that N2.72 trillion out of the N3.26 trillion in circulation was outside the vaults of commercial banks, the group said it, however, supports the calls by Nigerians for an extension.
“We are of course aware that the economy has suffered heavy, avoidable bruises.
“The AYCF wishes to state that it will be suicidal for this nation to consider Atiku’s advice against a review of the CBN cash swap deadline, because for any policy to succeed, it must have a human face and we believe the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, won’t turn against overwhelming public interest, like Atiku has just done.
“The AYCF is therefore warning the ex-VP not to turn this policy into a weapon of political manipulation or political attention-seeking opportunity. He should forget about the continuation of a policy in the midst of loud calls for positive review for the sake of his selfish political and self-serving interests. We will not stop emphasising that Nigeria is never a Banana Republic.
“We advise the ex-VP to concentrate on his presidential campaigns by showcasing what he has done to merit the votes of Nigerians and stop playing politics with our economic policies and associated challenges. We thought the ex-VP would tell Nigerians what he has to offer in fighting inflation and weak national currency,” the group added.
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Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council
A 27-year -old man, Rabiu Suleiman, has reportedly stabbed and inflicted serious injuries on his friend, Yunusa Muazu, during a fight over a woman at Tipper garage area of Gwagwalada in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.
A resident of the area, who simply gave his name as Sanusi, said the incident occurred on Tuesday night after a fight broke out at a viewing centre at Unguwar Dodo area of the town.
He said Suleiman had accused his friend, Muazu of dating his friend, Jamila Yakubu, who he intends to marry.
He said trouble started when Jamila left Suleiman’s house on Tuesday around 8:34 pm, only for him to meet her with his friend, Muazu, discussing at a viewing centre, where he had gone to watch football.
He said Suleiman, upon sighting his woman with his friend, angrily walked straight to them and slapped him, a situation, which resulted in a fight between them.
He said in the process, Suleiman allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed his friend in the back, which attracted the attention of people at the viewing centre.
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According to him, some people at the centre, who tried to separate them, were overpowered, not until when some vigilantes rushed to the scene and arrested Suleiman.
He said his friend, who was lying on the floor in a pool of his blood, was rushed to a nearby hospital.
He said the lady quietly left the scene when the fight broke out.
A member of the vigilante, Salihu Bala, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect had been arrested and handed over to security personnel in the area.
He said the vigilantes were making efforts to trace the woman’s location and arrest her.
He said, “The vigilantes even went to the family house of the girl on Wednesday morning but could not find her but we are still trailing her movement to ensure she is arrested.”
Bala said the injured victim was recuperating at the hospital, alleging that the victim and his friend were into drugs.
The spokeswoman of the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, did not respond to the calls and text messages sent to her on the incident.
Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council
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South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail

South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail
A High Court in the Eastern Cape division of South Africa has acquitted Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist, accused of raping young women in his church.
Omotoso and his two co-defendants were arraigned on a 32-count charge bordering on rape and human trafficking.
News24 reported that Omotoso would be deported to Nigeria immediately after the judgment.
The co-defendants are Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.
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Several young women had accused the pastor of luring them into his home in Umhlanga, a town in South Africa, where he allegedly molested them.
In April 2017, the Nigerian pastor was arrested shortly after he landed at an airport in South Africa.
He is the senior pastor of the Jesus Dominion International based in Durban, South Africa. He is also the founder of Tim Omotoso Global Outreach and Ancient of Day Broadcasting Network
According to News24, Irma Schoeman, the trial judge, yesterday, ruled that the state prosecutor did not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Nigerian pastor had been in South African prison since his arrest in 2017.
South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail
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Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport
Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday, convicted and sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three Months imprisonment for money laundering.
Head, Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, said, the convict was arrested on March 28, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for false currency declaration to the tune of $30,0000.
The NCS had, on Friday, March 28, 2025, handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC,Ikoyi, Lagos, for further investigations.
Consequently, he was arraigned yesterday on one-count charge bordering on money laundering.
The count reads: “That you, Okunfulure Olusola Steve, on the 28th day of March, 2025, in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence Contrary to and Punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Felicia Paul, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.
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Paul, while giving details of how she knew the defendant, told the court that the NCS handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on Friday, March 28, 2025.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Paul also told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $30,000, which he failed to declare. She further told the court that “ his statement was recorded under caution and was served with the bail conditions.”
Thereafter, she identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $30,000 to the EFCC.
Okozie ,then sought to tender, in evidence, the documents.
Justice Dipeolu admitted and marked them as exhibits 1,2,3 and 4 and held that: “ I have read the exhibits, the statement of the defendant, and I found him guilty. He is accordingly convicted as charged.”
Okezie thereafter, prayed that the undeclared sum of $20,000 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and that the defendant be jailed.
Defence counsel, Joel Ogundere, while addressing the court, said that the defendant,“is a first-time offender and is not aware of the disclosure policy . He is a family man and has responsibilities. His bank account shows the legitimacy of the funds.”
He also prayed the court to, “ magnanimously waive any prison sentence”, adding that the convict would not mind forfeiting the sum of money or pay a fine.
Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment, with effect from the date of his arrest on March 28,2025. The Judge also ordered that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Steve, a departing passenger on Delta Airline to Atlanta, United States, had declared that he was not in possession of any money in foreign currency but in Naira, while being profiled at the Currency Declaration Desk.
However, the sum of $30,000 undeclared was found on him during a search conducted by operatives of the NCS.
He was subsequently handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC for further investigations, a development that led to his arraignment and conviction.
Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport
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