metro
Many injured, vehicles destroyed as rival Lagos schoolboys clash+ Photo
Some pupils of two secondary schools in the Meiran area of Lagos reportedly clashed on Friday after closing time, resulting in injuries on both sides.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the warring pupils destroyed about three vehicles parked at the scene of the clash on Imulokanle Street, Meiran.
It was gathered that some residents had to summon up courage to disperse the teenagers, who reportedly wielded cutlasses, knives, axes, bottles and other weapons.
A resident of the area, who identified himself only as Babatunde, told our correspondent that one of the pupils apprehended by the residents was handed over to the police.
He said the student told the police that he is from a school in Mulero, a neighbouring community, and was invited by one of the factions for assistance in the fight.
Babatunde stated, “After closing time on Friday, pupils from the two schools were coming from different directions and met at Imulokanle junction. They were brandishing cutlasses, axes, knives, bottles and other weapons and they started attacking one another. They were more than 200. Many of them were injured. They also destroyed property. They vandalised three vehicles and even wanted to enter houses. Some residents rose against them and chased them away. It was a terrible situation; small children for that matter.”
He said after dispersing the pupils, some residents reported the case at the Meiran Police Station but they were asked to pay N5,000 for mobilisation to the scene.
Babatunded added, “One of the landlords had to call the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) before some policemen came here. They just looked around and left. A pupil they arrested said he was invited from a school in Mulero by one of the factions. If I had packed my car on the street, they would have destroyed it too.”
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Another resident, Salami Adedeji, said the factional pupils had been at loggerheads for about two weeks over what he described as a suspected cult war.
He said, “They usually fight on Fridays after closing from school. They smashed bottles on the street. Nobody knew what actually led to the clash but it appeared to be a cult clash.
“As we were trying to stop them, they started throwing stones and bottles and destroyed some vehicles in the process. We recovered some weapons from them and took them to the police station.
“Surprisingly, the policemen we met asked us to pay N5,000 before they could act on the matter. Aside from the boy that was arrested, I learnt one pupil was admitted in a hospital.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, promised to get back to our correspondent with comments on the incident. He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the clash, said operatives were promptly deployed in the area and normalcy was restored, adding that two vehicles were damaged and one suspect arrested.
He said the claim that N5,000 was demanded from the residents at the station “is not true; it is falsehood.”
metro
BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year
BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year
The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.
Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.
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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).
The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.
BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year
metro
EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud
EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.
Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.
“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.
Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.
Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.
The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.
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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.
Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.
Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.
There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.
FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.
A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.
The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.
Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.
EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud
metro
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.
The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.
“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.
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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.
Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.
The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.
After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.
“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.
Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.
The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
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