The defendants, Olusegun Folorunso, 53, and Ajayi Dele, 51, were arraigned before Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi on a three-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Kunle-Shina Adeyemi, told the court that the defendants committed the crime on August 24, 2022, along Erio-Ekiti.

He said the defendants, armed with guns and cutlasses, robbed one Ajogbeje Ayodeji of his ash-coloured Hyundai Sonata, phone, and laptop.

“On the same day, they also robbed Oluwasegun Oke of his phone,” he told the court.

He said the charge contravened Section 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Testifying before the court, Ayodeji said:

“Around 4 a.m., my two brothers and I were travelling from Erio-Ekiti to Ido-Ekiti when we saw a barricade on the road.

“As we tried to figure out what was happening, the defendants, armed with guns and cutlasses, appeared and pointed their guns at us, ordering us to lie face down.

“They took my car key, laptop, and our phones before driving away in my car.

“I reported the case at the Aramoko Police Station and later at the Rapid Response Squad in Ado-Ekiti.

“A few days later, I received a call that the armed robbers had been arrested in Ibadan.”

To prove the case, the prosecution called five witnesses and presented several exhibits, including the defendants’ statements.

READ ALSO: EXTRA: That spat between Ezekwesili and Nwaebonyi…

The other exhibits were one locally made single-barrel gun, one locally made double-barrel gun, and six live cartridges.

The defence counsels, Mr Adeyinka Opaleke, and Mr Ezekiel Agunbiade, did not call any witnesses but pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.

Delivering judgment, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, found them guilty of the charge.

“In this case, I uphold the prosecution’s argument that there is sufficient evidence to infer a common intention between the defendants, warranting their conviction for conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

“On count one (conspiracy), the defendants are each sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

“On count two (armed robbery), the defendants are to be hanged by the neck until they are dead.

“May God have mercy on your souls,” Justice Ogunyemi ruled.

Source: NAN

The post Ekiti: Two men to die by hanging for armed robbery appeared first on Frontpageng.

The comic artiste disclosed this in a post on his Instagram page.

He wrote, “Many people believe that staying silent simply means that one is incapable of dealing with issues.

“It is one thing to watch my friendship/marriage of 20 years slip off my hands, but it’s another thing for the parties involved to understand how to appropriate the blame in a space that is designed for most women to always play the victims and win.

“Projecting a negative narrative against someone who is not struggling to defend himself doesn’t mean he is weak.

“Yes! Without compromising my family, I have found myself doing some things that I am not proud of today.

“I can tell you for free that no one is completely innocent enough to cast stones.”

However, in swift reaction to the post, Mabel made a post on her Instagram page confirming that the once love birds were now at logger-heads.

She wrote: “Distance is my new response to disrespect. I don’t react, I don’t argue. I don’t dive into the drama. I just remove myself.”

The couple got married in 2008 and have two children from the union.

Source: NAN

The post AY confirms separation from wife of 16 years appeared first on Frontpageng.

The Special Adviser to the President, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, made this known on Friday in a statement he issued.

The new permanent secretaries are:

(1) Ndakayo-Aishetu Gogo

(2) Adeoye Adeleye Ayodeji

(3) Rimi Nura Abba

(4) Bako Deborah Odoh

(5) Omachi Raymond Omenka

(6) Ahmed Dunoma Umar

(7) Watti Tinuke

(8) Ella Nicholas Agbo

Ngelale said the president anticipated that the new Permanent Secretaries, having emerged at the top of qualified candidates after a diligent assessment process, would deploy their expertise and competence in the effective execution of the Renewed Hope mandate to revitalize service delivery in all Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the superceding interest of the Nigerian people.

The post Tinubu appoints eight new Permanent Secretaries (+Full list) appeared first on Frontpageng.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Adejobi said the postings and redeployment were in line with the commitment of the force to have a professionally competent, service driven, rule of law compliant and people friendly Police Force.

He said it was also to reflect the new status of senior officers who were recently elevated to their next ranks.

Adejobi said the newly posted and redeployed AIGs were Ogundele Ayodeji, Zone 7, Abuja; Patrick Edung, Zone 11 Osogbo; Badru Lawal, Border Patrol FHQ; Bartholomew Onyeka, Zone 8 Lokoja; Suleiman Yusuf, DOPS, FHQ and Idowu Owohunwa, FCID Annex Alagbon Lagos.

Others are Rhoda Olofu, Maritime, Lagos; Godwin Aghaulor, Zone 13 Ukpo Dunukofia Awka; Effiom Ekot, ONSA Abuja; Anene Innocent, CTU FHQ Abuja; Odama Ojeka, Zone 16 Yenagoa; Ebong Eyibio, Zone 4 Makurdi; Adebowale Williams, Zone 17 Akure and Sahabo Yahaya, Investment FHQ Abuja.

Adejobi said the 26 newly posted/redeployed CPs included George Chuku, Benue; Ahmed Tijani, Jigawa; Dan Shawulu, Niger; Usman Hayatu, Gombe; Danjuma Aboki, Imo; Disu Rilwan, Rivers; Joseph Eribo, Taraba; Isyaku Mohammed,  Osun; Mohammed Barde, Safer Highways, FHQ among others.

He said the I-G had urged the newly posted/redeployed officers to work in tandem with the Force policy and support the agenda of government for economic recovery and growth, as well as socio-political development of the country.

Adejobi said the I-G called on senior officers to entrench professionalism and diligent policing services to all officers and men under their command.

He called on the officers to partner with relevant stakeholders to bring policing closer to the people adding that the posting were with immediate effect.

Source: NAN

The post I-G orders posting, redeployment of 14 AIGs, 26 CPs appeared first on Frontpageng.

The new AIGs are Ogundele Ayodeji; Patrick Edung; Badru Lawal; Bartholomew Onyeka; Suleiman Yusuf; Idowu Owohunwa; Rhoda Olofu; Godwin Aghaulor; Effiom Ekot; Stanley Ude; Longe Patrick and Ndu Anene.

Head of Press and Public Relations at the PSC, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, announced the PSC’s decision in a statement he issued on Thursday in Abuja.

Ani stated that 5,718 senior police officers comprising of both general duty and specialist cadres of the Force were promoted.

He added that 21 Assistant Commissioners of Police, ACPs, were promoted to CP while 33 Chief Superintendents of Police, CSPs, were elevated to ACP.

Ani stated also that 265 Superintendents of Police, SPs, were promoted to CSPs, while 59 Deputy Superintendents of Police, DSPs, were promoted to SPs.

He added that 4,750 Assistant Superintendents of Police, ASPs, and another 146 ASPs, who were omitted during the May 2022 promotion exercise, were elevated to the rank of DSP.

“For the specialists’ cadre, the commission approved the promotion of two ACPs, one from Air Wing and the other from Forensic Department to the rank of DCP.

“Forty-seven CSPs comprising 23 doctors and 24 Veterinary Doctors were promoted to the rank of ACP,’’ Ani stated.

Also promoted were 190 SPs from the Computer Info-Tech Unit, eight from Works Department, one from Workshop and 12 from Transport unit.

Two SPs were promoted at the Forensic Department, just as two handwriting specialists, one SP of Ballistics unit, one from Religion unit and one veterinary doctor were also promoted.

47 Specialists of Assistant Superintendents of Police rank and of different units were also promoted to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Ani stated that the PSC chairman, Dr Solomon Arase, urged the newly-promoted officers to embrace a new policing culture, hinged on people-friendly approach that respects the fundamental rights of citizens.

Arase warned officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force to desist from involving themselves in civil matters or trumping up false allegations against citizens.

He noted that such conduct would not make the officers win the hearts and minds of the people and would deprive them of credible information from public-spirited individuals when dealing with internal security issues.

The PSC boss commended the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olukayode Egbetokun, for collaborating with the commission to ensure that promotions permeated all departments of the Force for the first time in a very long while.

“This singular act, I hope will motivate the workforce  to give back their best in ensuring that issues of crimes and criminality are properly  dealt with,’’ Arase said.

Source: NAN

The post PSC promotes 12 CPs to AIGs, 19 DCPs to CP appeared first on Frontpageng.

The academy, according to the company, would be structured and equipped to support the seamless transfer of requisite skills to block makers and artisans in the real estate sector of the economy.

Speaking at the Dangote Special Day at the just concluded Africa International Housing Show in Abuja, AIHS, Dangote Cement’s National Sales Director, Mrs. Fumi Sanni, said the academy had become necessary as most of the artisans and block makers were aging, while young men were not enthusiastic about the profession.

He said one of the sure ways of reducing the phenomenon of building collapse was to check quackery, while imparting the needed skills to the block makers and artisans.

According to her, the company was also ready to support the block makers who would pass through the academy with machineries and tools.

As part of the effort to ensure cement availability, Mrs. Sanni said the company had built over a hundred cement depots across the country.

Speaking earlier, Dangote Cement Group’s Head, Sales and Marketing, Mr. Rabiu Umar, said Dangote Cement had contributed enormously to development of the real estate sector through massive investments in cement that had made the product sufficiently available.

“Over twenty years ago, we were importing cement, today, we are exporting cement,” Mr. Umar said.

He identified rapid urbanisation, high cost of land acquisition, rising cost of construction materials, lack of basic infrastructure, inaccurate housing demographics, poor funding/lack of access to affordable finance and inadequate policies as some of the factors affecting the provision of housing in Nigeria.

Said he: “Towards helping to address housing shortages, Dangote Cement set up a department whose focus is to attend to the challenges and needs of real estate development in our market. The idea is to engage in project partnerships, collaborations, and participation in Real Estate development initiative in Nigeria.

“Part of our efforts towards ameliorating the housing shortage is by constructing large cement plants in Nigeria and many African countries. These plants ensure that the basic raw material in the housing sector, cement, is readily available in sufficient quantities.

READ ALSO: I’ll end over-reliance on borrowing for public expenditure -Tinubu

“We have a dedicated fleet of trucks to deliver both bagged and bulk cement to customers and construction sites. We have established depots near all major markets, therefore bridging the distance between the plants and distributors.”

The company’s Head, Technical Sales, Mr. Aniki Adeize Ayodeji, said the company currently trained the artisan on the right mix.

Meanwhile, the federal government has been urged to collaborate with the Dangote Cement Plc to mitigate the housing deficit in Nigeria.

Speaking on the sideline of the Housing Show, the coordinator, Bar. Festus Adebayo, appealed to the president of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote to intervene in the massive housing deficit bedeviling Nigeria.

“If the federal government can partner with the Dangote Group in the area of road construction, why would it not partner with it to mitigate the housing deficit in the country? People tend to take housing for granted but it is one of the primary needs of man that can affect our life and health, and the stability of a nation,” Adebayo said.

He said it was apparent that government alone could not do it.

He therefore advocated for a Public Private partnership, PPP.

“I am aware of the long stretch of rigid pavement constructed by the Dangote Group in Kogi through the PPP. Same can be replicated in the housing sector,” he added.

He said Dangote was a Platinum sponsor of the housing fair that brought together virtually all the big names in real estate development in Africa.

He also bemoaned the lack of data to ascertain the housing deficit in the country.

Adebayo therefore urged the private sector to consider using housing as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR.

“The Africa International Housing Show is Africa’s biggest housing and construction expo, a forum that brings together all real estate stakeholders to discuss and explore ideas to promote Africa’s housing industry to the international market.”

The post Dangote to set up Block Makers Academy to stem building collapse appeared first on Frontpageng.

The vision was expressed in a statement issued on the occasion of his 64^th birthday and relayed on Sunday by his media adviser, Ladi Ayodeji.

His words: “At sixty-four (64), I envision Nigeria standing on the brink of the River Jordan anticipating an Aquarian miracle to facilitate our entry into the promise land. The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Nigeria will make a way where there seems to be no way. He has heard our cry. He is faithful. Delay is no denial.”

Ayodeji said the Reverend spoke about his vision in addition to expressing concern on a number of burning national issues on the special occasion.

The statement issued by the Reverend to mark his birthday reads in full:

“It is hubristic naivety to envisage the emergence of a new Nigeria from a moribund political cocoon corrupted by duplicity, political criminality and the travesty of the electoral-social etiquette.

“The current presidential system of governance has again manifested itself as a hydra-headed monstrousity.

“No matter the outcome of the adjudications of the cases brought before the Nigeria assizes, by opposing political parties, nothing tangible will be achieved under this debilitating system.

“We must be willing and courageous enough to abandon this circadian rhythm of political disaster and leadership deficit.

“I am fully persuaded that aboriginal democracy is the only way forward. Let us make hay while the sun is still shining. To do otherwise is tantamount to mindless illogicality and clueless ineptitude.

“At sixty-four (64), I envision Nigeria standing on the brink of the River Jordan anticipating an Aquarian miracle to facilitate our entry into the promise land. The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Nigeria will make a way where there seems to be no way. He has heard our cry. He is faithful. Delay is no denial.”

Rev Okotie assured Nigerians that he would continue to pursue his dream of getting the country restructured to pave the way for aboriginal democracy.

The post At 64, Okotie speaks on his vision of a new Nigeria, other issues appeared first on Frontpageng.