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N1bn Misappropriation: EFCC Arraigns Four Kogi LG Officials

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15 years ago

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Four local government officials in Kogi were on Thursday arraigned by the EFCC for alleged conspiracy and misappropriation of the state fund to the tune of N1billion.

The accused appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

They are Stephen Asala, chairman,Yagba West, Obaro Kayode, chairman, Yagba East, Tolorunjuwa Faniyi, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Samuel Ojo.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the EFCC lawyer, Mr Wahab Shittu.

They pleaded for bail through their counsel.

Shittu had earlier told the court that “the accused on or about June 29, 2009 in Kogi converted N216 million being the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing its illicit origin.

“That, you, Asala while being the executive chairman of the said local government, converted the sum of N180 million proceeds of illegal act.

“That, you, Kayode misappropriated the sum of N133million belonging to the council”, he said.

The accused counsel, Mr Pius Akubo, prayed for his clients to be granted bail in a moderate term.

He assured the court that the accused would not jump bail.

“My Lord, all the offences that the accused were charged with are bailable, the maximum punishment is a limit of three years.

“The 1999 constitution presumed the accused innocent, the charge sheet presented by the prosecution proves that the EFCC has concluded investigations and they (accused) have nothing to interfere with.

 “The accused are serving officials of Kogi. I am sure they will not jump bail.

 “My lord, the accused have families, they will love to celebrate the period of Easter with their families,” Akubo pleaded.

Shittu did not oppose the plea of Akubo, saying the bail was at the discretion of the court.

“Although bail is at the discretion of the court but I shall urge the court to grant the bail with a condition that would make the accused to be available for trial.

“I therefore, leave the issue of conditions to your lordship to decide,” Shittu told the court.

The Judge, Justice David Okorowo, in his ruling granted all the accused bail in line with the constitution.

He said that an economic offence was a serious offence, irrespective of the amount involved.

The judge, however, granted the accused bail in the sum of N20 million each with a surety in the like sum.

Okorowo said the surety must be the owner of landed property within the jurisprudence of Abuja Municipal Area Council with a proof of Certificate of Occupancy from Abuja Geographical Information System.

The judge also said that both the accused and the sureties must submit their international passports to the Deputy Court Registrar.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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