Basis
UAE ratifies extradition deal with South Africa as hunt for Guptas intensifies
The United Arab Emirates has ratified a 2018 extradition treaty with South Africa, its embassy in Pretoria said on Wednesday, a move that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government hopes will lead to the return of the Gupta brothers to face corruption charges. South Africa signed the treaty with the UAE in late 2018, part of Ramaphosa’s effort to crack down on those accused of corruption and influence peddling under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma. It was ratified in April, UAE’s embassy said in a statement. The Gupta brothers – Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta – are accused of using connections with Zuma to win contracts, misappropriate state assets, inappropriately influence cabinet appointments and siphon off billions of rand in state funds. The Indian-born brothers, who have repeatedly denied wrong...
Amotekun operatives to patrol South-west borders
Chairman of Council of Amotekun Commanders in the South-west region, Chief Adetunji Adeyeye, has said operatives of the Amotekun corps will engage in inter-state border patrol in the South-west to ensure synergy in crime fighting. Adeyeye, who is the Corps Commander of Ondo Amotekun, said the synergy expected among the South-west states would be enhanced so that a criminal that escaped from Ondo to Ekiti State could be easily apprehended Adeyeye, who spoke in Akure, said the destruction of farmlands by herders in Ondo State has greatly reduced owing to enforcement of the ban on open grazing. He said herders now offer money to farmers whose crops were destroyed unlike previously when they would walk away. His words: “Being Chairman of the Council of Amotekun Commanders is a greater call to ...
APC group: Six years of President Buhari better than PDP’s 16 years
The group operating under the auspices of All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness & Campaign, made this remark on Friday in Abuja while reeling out some of the achievements of the APC-led government led by President Buhari. Addressing journalists, group’s national coordinator, Barr. Ismail Ahmed, said the group has commenced a national campaign to promote some of the initiatives of APC-led government. Ahmed said: “As committed members of the APC, we are convinced that since May 29, 2015, when the government of President Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated, landmark initiatives have been; and are being implemented. “In comparative terms, President Buhari’s government has recorded more achievements within six years than all the previous governments under the PDP between 1999 and 20...
House displeased with EFCC over delay in disposal of recovered N46 billion from ex-oil minister
The House of Representatives has expressed displeasure with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the delay in disposing of the N46 billion assets seized from the former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke. The Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on Assessment and Status of All Recovered Loots Movable and Immovable Assets from 2002 to 2020 by Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for Effective Efficient Management and Utilisation, Hon. Adejoro Adeogun, expressed his displeasure on Friday when the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, appeared before the committee. The chairman of the committee opined that it was not ideal to continue keeping such recoveries as they were losing value over time. He said: “Given the financial situation of Nigeria, sho...
SERAP urges President Buhari to tell Nigerians spending plan for James Ibori loot, others
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently direct Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to disclose spending details of the $700 million looted funds reportedly recovered by the Federal Government in the past four years, including the list and location of projects completed with the money, as well as details of the contractors that executed the projects.” SERAP also urged him to “direct Mrs Ahmed to disclose how the government plans to spend the returned £4.2m Ibori loot, including details of planned capital expenditure, and whether there is any plan to ensure that the money and any future returned Ibori loot would be spent to achieve justice and effective remedies for victims of corruption in...
Senator calls for removal of AGF over remarks on herdsmen
Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, has called for the immediate removal from office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, SAN, over his argument, equating open grazing with Southerners’ selling spare parts in the North. Dr. Basiru, who spoke in his personal capacity as a patriot and Senator said that, “anyone who cannot rise above primordial sentiments and pursuit of parochial ethnic agenda need not occupy position of trust especially at this time of sectional agitations. It was not dignifying of the status of the nation’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to make such remarks. The Senator said that equating the activities of nomadic herdsmen, destroying people’s means of livelihood with others, legitimately carryi...
Hamas official predicts ceasefire soon in Israel-Gaza conflict
A senior Hamas official predicted a ceasefire within days in the Israel-Gaza conflict, after U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a “de-escalation” in the fighting. Rocket fire into Israel died down overnight, a lull that stretched into Thursday morning. Israel was launching new air strikes in Gaza after daybreak, but, Israeli media said, at a slower pace than in past days. An Egyptian security source said the sides had agreed in principle to a ceasefire after help from mediators but details were still being negotiated in secret. “I think that the ongoing efforts regarding the ceasefire will succeed,” the Hamas political official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, told Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen TV. “I expect a ceasefire to be reached within a day or two, and the c...
Tottenham speak to two Bundesliga managers as they hunt for new boss
Reuters Tottemham Hotspur have reportedly stepped up their search of finding a new manager by speaking to Hansi Flick and Ralf Rangnick. The North London side currently have former midfielder Ryan Mason at the helm on an interim basis following the sacking of Jose Mourinho last month. Mason has won three out of his four Premier League matches in charge – helping Spurs climb to sixth in the table. And with European football looking all-but secure for next season, Daniel Levy is now turning his attention to finding a permanent boss to take over in the summer. Tottenham were keen on luring Julian Nagelsmann away from RB Leipzig, but it has been confirmed that he will take over from Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich. According to the Guardian, Spurs have spoken to Flick about him potentially moving...
Bernd Leno: I don’t want to leave Arsenal
Bernd Leno has insisted that he does not want to leave Arsenal while outlining his ambition to help the club reach the Champions League again. Leno completed a £23 million ($33m) move to Emirates Stadium from Bayer Leverkusen in 2018, venturing outside of Germany for the first time in his professional career in the process. The 29-year-old has since nailed down the number one spot in Arsenal’s team; however, it has been suggested that he is one of several first-team stars likely to depart in the summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta is being tipped to reshape his squad after a turbulent 2020-21 campaign, but Leno has dismissed the ongoing speculation surrounding his future while revealing he intends to see out the final two years of his contract. “I don’t want to flee here, I feel good and ...
NNPC selects 26 firms to lift Nigeria’s crude oil
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has picked 26 foreign and local companies as well as 12 countries to lift the country’s crude oil for the next two years. The crude term contracts, expected to run from 2021 through 2023, would see the firms and the selected nations, which would operate on a Government-to-Government (G2G) basis to purchase the commodity from the national oil company. The deal is coming less than a week after the corporation chose 16 oil and gas consortia for its new crude-for-fuel swap contracts for one year starting in August. The contracts, known as Direct Sale, Direct Purchase (DSDP) are high-stakes agreements used to supply nearly all of Nigeria’s petrol needs as well as cover some of its diesel and jet fuel consumption. However, in the fresh crude oil...
Ex-US envoy: British museum holds over 700 pieces of Benin bronzes
The British Museum, the world’s first national public museum, currently holds 700 pieces of the Benin Bronzes collection, more than any other museum and other institutions globally, a former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. John Campbell has said. Campbell, however, acknowledged that the authorities of the British Museum had agreed “to return the Benin Bronzes collection once the Edo Museum of West African Art, currently under construction in Benin City is completed.” He gave this figure in a blog post titled “Germany to Return Some African Art to Nigeria” published on the website of Council for Foreign Relations (CFR), a US non-profit think-tank specialising in international affairs on Wednesday. More than a century after British soldiers looted a collection of priceless artifacts...
Edo governor: Nigeria’s unity must be on social justice, equity
The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has called for unity in Nigeria in order for the country to overcome its many challenges. He identified equity, social justice and fairness as imperative in the pursuit of the nation’s unity. Obaseki noted that “Nigeria is one indivisible entity that must remain united irrespective of our regional or political differences.” The governor who spoke to journalists after a closed-door meeting with Southern Governors in Asaba, Delta State, reiterated the need for Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. According to him, “the meeting is geared towards solidifying the cooperation between Southern Nigeria. “We looked at issues affecting us, ranging from security, economy, regional cooperation and certain positions and h...
