Naira Abuse: Cubana Chief Priest forfeits N10m to FG (Leadership) Socialite Pascal Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chief Priest and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have entered into an out-of-court settlement over the alleged abuse of the naira charge brought against him by the commission.
As part of the settlement, Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the celebrity bartender and businessman to forfeit N10 million to the federal government as a fine instead of the charge.
Justice Ogundare gave the order after the defendant and the anti-graft agency adopted the settlement agreement terms. Read more
FEC bans single-use plastics, okays $1.442m for NDLEA’s arms, ammunition (Punch)
The Federal Executive Council, on Tuesday, approved $1.442 billion to procure arms, ammunition and equipment for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The new purchase is meant to boost the agency’s anti-narcotics operations nationwide, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, told journalists after the Council met at the State House, Abuja.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the 12th in the Bola Tinubu administration, the Council considered three memoranda tendered on behalf of the 34-year-old agency. Read more
Labour convenes emergency meeting over FEC’s decision on minimum wage (DailyTrust)
Members of the organised labour comprising both the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, have convened an emergency meeting over the decision of the Federal Executive Council to step down the memo on the minimum wage.
The meeting, according to a top official at the NLC headquarters, will be held at Labour House at 10:00am on Wednesday.
The official said it is meant for discussion on the decision of FEC to step down the memo on minimum wage. Read more
Tinubu pledges to strengthen organised private sector, rebuild economy (Vanguard)
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday pledged to strengthen the Organised Private Sector, OPS, and rebuild the country’s economy.
President Tinubu stated this at the third edition of the Nigeria Employers Summit organised by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA in Abuja.
The two days summit is with the theme, “Economic Renaissance: Harnessing Government Reforms and Private Sector Agility”. Read more
Recapitalisation: Banks flaunt strength, to pay over N400b as dividends to shareholders (Sun)
As the race for banks’ recapitalisation heats up, commercial banks are showing their financial strength as plans are underway to distribute N412.33 billion worth of final dividends to their shareholders for the 2023 financial year, Daily Sun investigations can reveal.
This move is part of a broader trend of capital raising which has been gaining momentum within the Nigerian banking sector.
Furthermore, the dividend payment comes on the back of several approvals given by shareholders of the banks during several annual general meetings (AGMs). Read more
Police confirm abduction of high court judge, wife, orderly in Yobe (Tribune)
Borno State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of High Court Judge, Justice Haruna Mshelia, his wife, and his orderly by unknown gunmen in Gujba Village, Yobe State.
ASP Kenneth Nahum Daso, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, also reported the abduction of two vehicles filled with passengers along Damaturu-Kamuya Buratai Road. Read more
CSR: Reps threaten MTN, Airtel CEOs with warrant of arrest (NewTelegraph)
The House of Representatives on Tuesday gave the Chief Executives Officers (CEOs) of Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) and Airtel Nigeria an ultimatum to honour its invitation or risk being subpoenaed.
Chairman of the House Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Hon. (Prof) Oby Orogbu issued the threat at a public hearing on “A bill to regulate corporate social responsibility in Nigeria and for other related matters” held in Abuja.
While addressing the Nigeria Communications Commission’s (NCC) representative on the actions of some companies operating in the country that had over time violated the laws of the land, Orogbu frowned at MTN and Airtel for consistently ignoring invitations of the committee hence the need to evoke the necessary constitutional provisions against their leadership. Read more
Reps Committee orders arrest of NCAT director, auctioneer over sale of 2 helicopters at $1.2m (Nation)
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets on Tuesday asked the Police in the National Assembly to immediately arrest an unlicensed auctioneer and the Director of Quality Control of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology for allegedly providing false information on oath over the sale of 2 helicopters for $1.2m.
Those arrested are Idirisu Ibrahim, Head of Quality Assurance and Adeyemi akpata CEO tresmol Nigeria limited (the Auctioneer)
The Committee also called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the investigation of alleged indiscriminate sale of the two helicopters by the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, NCAT. Read more
Ariana Grande recalls the awkward moment she once told fans Jeffrey Dahmer was ‘pretty fascinating’ (Complex)
Ariana Grande had a fascination with Jeffrey Dahmer when she was younger, and the admission is rattling some of her fans.
The Eternal Sunshine singer was a guest on Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed this month, where Grande shocked the hosts with a story about how she once revealed to her fans that Dahmer was her dream dinner date.
In the second part of the interview (above), Grande was asked about serial killers in relation to the supervillain theme of “The Boy Is Mine” music video, which stars Badgley. Read more
Strictly’s Alex Scott unveils blonde hair transformation (DigitalSpy)
Alex Scott has unveiled her new hair transformation.
The footballer-turned-TV presenter showed off her new blonde hairdo on the red carpet at a Paris Fashion Week event.
Before the event, former Strictly contestant Alex teased it with a mini-reveal on her Instagram Stories, uploading a few videos of herself getting ready with the aid of a hair and makeup team. Read more
Protester breaks into Rishi Sunak’s garden and takes a dump in his duck pond (Metro)
An activist wearing a vest which reads ‘eat s***’ Rishi’ has staged a dirty protest at the Prime Minister’s £2million mansion in Yorkshire.
Activist Oliver, 21, from Manchester, defecated in the lake at Rishi Sunak’s house and uploaded the footage to social media.
Youth Demand, who organised the protest, said four people had been arrested in connection with the stunt. Read more
South Korea levels charges against Israeli officials for alleged war crimes in Gaza (UPI)
South Korean government officials and other organizations recently filed a series of charges leveled against top Israeli government officials, including Israel’s president and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for genocide and other alleged crimes against humanity.
The South Korean lawsuit cites seven high-ranking Israeli officials, such as the country’s President Isaac Herzog along with Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
The charges filed on May 9 by the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Asian Dignity Initiatives and more than 5,000 individuals, including two members of the country’s National Assembly, both of two different political parties, who contend Israel has committed multiple crimes since the October 7 war with Hamas began. Read more
ICC seeks arrest of Russian officials over attacks on Ukrainian civil infrastructure (AfricaNews)
A pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court issued Tuesday (Jun. 25) arrest warrants for Russia’s former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and current chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov.
The judges say there are reasonable grounds to believe that the officials bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian army against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023.
Shoigu and Gerasimov are allegedly responsible for the war crimes of directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts under the Rome Statute. Read more
Obama’s half-sister tear-gassed during Kenya protest over tax hikes (NBC)
Barack Obama’s half-sister was hit with tear-gas on Tuesday in Kenya as she rallied with protesters demanding that legislators vote against a bill to raise taxes.
Auma Obama, a Kenyan activist and half-sister of the former president, was shown wiping her face and struggling to breathe as she spoke with CNN moments after she said she was hit with tear-gas while demonstrating in Nairobi.
“I can’t believe that these young people are just trying to demonstrate for their rights,” Obama said in the interview with CNN. She said she had attended the protest to support the young demonstrators, “and to tell them that we understand that they need to use their voices and we are being tear-gassed. We’re being tear-gassed! We have flags and banners, nothing else.” Read more
US sanctions ‘sprawling shadow banking network’ that helps Iran’s military (AlJazeera)
The United States Department of the Treasury has announced economic sanctions on 50 people and firms across Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands that it claims have been acting as a “sprawling shadow banking network” for Iran’s military.
On Tuesday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the entities and individuals are involved in the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemicals, which have helped Iran’s military and government gain illicit access to the international financial system.
The income pays for weapons and funding to proxy groups, including Yemen’s Houthis, as well as drone transfers to Russia, the Treasury said. Read more
Super Eagles goalkeeper announces departure from Israeli club (CompleteSports)
Super Eagles goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye has departed Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem, reports Completesports.com.
Adeleye’s contract with Hapoel Jerusalem will expire at the end of this month.
The goal tender was at the club for six years.
The former Nigeria youth international announced his departure via the social media. Read more
Super Eagles Star Awoniyi prays for twin sister on wedding day amid tears (Leadership)
Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi and his twin sister Kehinde shared an emotional moment during her traditional marriage in Ilorin, Kwara State at the weekend.
In a video that was posted on Instagram by the Master of Ceremony (MC) for the day, @ogetoyinbo_alaga, Taiwo was called out to pray for his twin sister, Kehinde.
The Super Eagles striker walked out with a big smile on his face and shook his twin sister’s hand before they shared a tight hug. Read more
Ogunmodede takes blame for Remo’s NPFL title miss (Punch)
Remo Stars coach Daniel Ogunmodede has taken responsibility for his team’s inability to win the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier League title after the Ikenne side finished five points behind winners Enugu Rangers in the just-concluded season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The youthful tactician said the team’s target was to win the title, but the Sky Blue Stars fell short of achieving the feat the second successive time, finishing second on both occasions.
They ended the season on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Katsina United, but it only earned them a CAF Confederation Cup as Enugu Rangers had won the league with a game to go. Read more
Arman Tsarukyan suspended, fined for fan altercation at UFC 300 (ABC)
UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan was suspended and fined Tuesday, for throwing a punch at a fan during his walkout at UFC 300 in April. The suspension will likely not impact his eligibility to fight for a UFC title later this year, however.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Tsarukyan (22-3) nine months for the altercation, but will reduce it to six months if Tsarukyan participates in an anti-bullying public service announcement. That would mean Tsarukyan would be able to fight by Oct. 12. Tsarukyan, who defeated Charles Oliveira in a No. 1 contender matchup at UFC 300, is likely to face lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in late October in Abu Dhabi. Tsarukyan was also fined $25,000.
“Arman appreciates the NSAC’s dealings in this matter and looks forward to working with the UFC and NSAC to produce an anti-bullying PSA to reduce his suspension and competing for a UFC lightweight title before the end of the year,” said Tsarukyan’s manager, Daniel Rubenstein, in a released statement. Read more
Lewis Hamilton ‘sabotage’ email: Mercedes told by police that no criminal offences were committed (SkySports)
Mercedes have been told no criminal offences were committed after the British-based Formula One team called on police to investigate an anonymous email which claimed Lewis Hamilton’s car was being “sabotaged”.
Speaking at the recent Spanish Grand Prix, team principal Toto Wolff vowed to go “full force” in response to the correspondence – said to be sent by a disgruntled Mercedes staff member – titled “a potential death warrant for Lewis”.
The email, addressed to Wolff, F1 boss Stefano Domenicali, FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, as well as other major players in the paddock, arrived on June 10, a day after the Canadian Grand Prix – a race where Hamilton was overtaken by team-mate George Russell on the penultimate lap. Read more
Norrie suffers another early exit in Eastbourne (BBC)
Cameron Norrie’s disappointing season continued as he suffered a first-round exit at Eastbourne with a straight-set defeat by Emil Ruusuvuori.
Norrie, who was replaced as British number one by Jack Draper last week, lost 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 to the Finnish world number 88.
The 28-year-old has had a below-par 2024, winning just 14 of his 27 matches and slipping to 44th in the world rankings. Read more