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CENSUS: ALL NIGERIANS MUST ENSURE THEY ARE COUNTED - FG

The Federal Government on Thursday urged Nigerians to make themselves available for the National Population and Housing Census billed for May.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the call at a townhall meeting in Kano organised by the National Publicity Committee on the census.

The minister, represented by the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, said the census was aimed at collating data for effective national planning.

He dismissed insinuations that the census questionnaire would ascertain the religion of respondents as falsely portrayed on some social media platforms.

Mohammed insisted that the data obtained were solely for national planning and development purposes as well as help in improving the nation’s security architecture.

The town hall meeting, he said, was organised to create the requisite awareness about the forthcoming exercise.

Wike Drove Peter Obi From PDP – Dino Melaye

The spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, Dino Melaye, has singled out Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike as the reason for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s defeat at the last presidential poll.

He said Wike was also responsible for the decamping of the Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, from the PDP to the party weeks before the primary election.

Melaye, a PDP governorship aspirant in Kogi State, stated this while speaking on Arise TV.

Recall that Wike has said he won’t support PDP in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship poll if the party fields Melaye as its candidate.

But the former Kogi West Senator said Wike has never supported PDP, adding that he supported Governor Yahaya Bello’s candidate against the party’s candidate in the Kogi Central senatorial election, Natasha Akpoti, in the just concluded National Assembly elections.

He said, “It is Wike’s attitude and character that cost the PDP the presidency. Peter Obi left our party because of Wike. Because Wike supported the Chris Uba side during the delegates’ Congress [in Anambra]. And that was why he [Obi] left the party.

“Wike said today ‘if the party picks Dino Melaye as their flag bearer, I will not support PDP in Kogi State’. He has never supported PDP. When Natasha [Akpoti] ran this time around, he was supporting Yahaya Bello’s candidate against Natasha in the just concluded 2023 elections.”

EFCC: Company Executive, One Other Convicted for Fraud in Maiduguri

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Muhammad Abdullahi Kulloma to one year imprisonment before Justice Umaru Fadawu of Borno State High Court, Maiduguri

Kulloma was prosecuted on one count amended charge of cheating to the tune of N19, 950,000.00 (Nineteen Million Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).

The defendant pleaded not guilty and the matter wen into full trial during which the prosecution called several witnesses and tendered documents to prove the case against the defendant

Delivering judgment today, Justice Fadawu found him guilty, convicted and sentenced him to a year imprisonment with an option of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira)

The judge ordered the company, Mbuta Criterion Nigeria Limited to pay a fine of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira); and the convict is not to be released until his company pays the fine.

In another development, one Alhaji Mamman Shuwa was convicted and sentenced to nine years imprisonment before Justice Umaru Fadawu of Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a three-count amended charge for obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N2m (Two Million Naira).

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution called several witnesses and tendered several documents to prove the case against the defendant.

Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced him to nine years imprisonment without the option of a fine. The Judge ordered the convict to pay the sum of N2m to his victim or serve an additional five years prison term, in default.