Connect with us

Headlines

SGF Goes into Isolation As 20 Generals Test Positive for COVID-19

Published

on

About 20 Generals have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, one week after the death of the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Major General John Irefin, who died of complications from the disease.

The infected military officers were believed to have had contact with the deceased during the Chief of Army Staff’s annual conference 2020, in Abuja, last week.

The conference was cancelled following Irefin’s passage and the participants, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi; and GOCs from nearly all the army divisions nationwide, were directed to go on self-isolation.

Following the development, the COAS did not attend the wedding of his son in Abuja on Friday.

The PUNCH gathered on Sunday that some of the infected GOCs and principal officers were being treated at the COVID-19 isolation centre, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

Some of the patients were also being quarantined at other isolation centres in the Federal Capital Territory.

The development, it was learnt, has sparked panic among top military brass who had yet to take the COVID-19 test.

A source said, “The report is true; I know about four generals who returned positive and are being treated for the disease.”

The Nigerian Army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Sagir Musa, could not be reached for comment as he did not respond to calls. He had yet to react to a WhatsApp message as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has gone into self-isolation after some members of his household tested positive for COVID-19.

Mustapha, who is also the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, made this known in a statement Sunday.

The statement was titled, ‘Some members of SGF’s household test positive to COVID-19.’

It read, “I would like to inform the general public that some members of my household tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday evening.

“Although they are currently asymptomatic, they have been isolated and are receiving care in one of the government treatment centres.

“My wife and I tested negative, but will remain in self-isolation and work from home according to protocols by the health authorities.

“I would like to remind all Nigerians that COVID-19 is real. As the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced last week, we are recording an increase in cases across several states.”

“Please stay safe and protect yourself. Adhere to all public health and safety measures so that we do not lose the gains we have made in the fight against COVID-19.

“As a family, we covet your prayers.

“Please Take Responsibility for yourself and to protect our country!”

The Punch

Continue Reading
Advertisement


Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Headlines

Binance Executive Detained in Nigeria Escapes from Custody

Published

on

One of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offences, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has escaped from lawful custody, according to PREMIUM TIMES report.

Our sources said Mr Anjarwalla, 38, escaped on Friday, 22 March, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained after guards on duty led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the ongoing Ramadan fast.

The Briton, who also has Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have flown out of Abuja using a Middle East airliner.

It remains unclear how Mr Anjarwalla got on an international flight despite his British passport, with which he entered Nigeria, remaining in the custody of the Nigerian authorities.

Authorities are also said to be working to unravel his intended destination in a bid to get him back into custody.

An Immigration official said the Binance executive fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport. He, however, said authorities were trying to determine how he obtained the passport, given that he had no other travel document (apart from the British passport) on him when he was taken into custody.

Another source said the two officials were held at a “comfortable guest house” and allowed many rights, including the use of telephones, a privilege Mr Anjarwalla is believed to have exploited to plot an escape.

When contacted Sunday night on the escape of the Binance executive from detention, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said he would enquire and revert. He has yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Mr Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on 26 February 2024.

A criminal charge was filed against the two executives before a Magistrate Court in Abuja. On 28 February 2024, the court granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an order to remand the duo for 14 days. The court also ordered Binance to provide the Nigerian government with the data/information of Nigerians trading on its platform.

Following Binance’s refusal to comply with the order, the court extended the remand of the officials for an additional 14 days to prevent them from tampering with evidence. The court then adjourned the case till 4 April 2024.

Also on 22 March, the Nigerian government approached the Federal High Court in Abuja and slammed another four-count charge on Binance Holdings Limited, Mr Anjarwalla and Mr Gambaryan, accusing them of offering services to subscribers on their platform while failing to register with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to pay all relevant taxes administered by the Service and in so doing, committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as Amended).

The defendants were also accused of offering taxable services to subscribers on their trading platform while failing to issue invoices to those subscribers to determine and pay their value-added taxes and, in so doing, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under S.29 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as amended).

Count Three of the charges accused the three defendants of offering services to subscribers on their Binance trading platform for the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies and the remittance and transfer of those assets while failing to deduct the necessary Value Added Taxes arising from their operations and thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Establishment Act 2007 (as amended).

The last count of the charges wants the defendants punished for allegedly aiding and abetting subscribers on their Binance trading platform to unlawfully refuse to pay taxes or neglect to pay those taxes and, in so doing, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under the provisions of S.94 of the Companies Income Tax Act (as amended).

The Nigerian government had, in the past three months, been cracking down on suspected money launderers and terrorism financiers, some of whom it alleged are using the Binance platform for criminal activities

The Nigerian government said over $21.6 billion was traded by Nigerians whose identities were concealed by Binance.

Source: Premium Times

Continue Reading

Headlines

Kidnapped Kaduna School Children Released Three Days to Expiration of Bandits’ Ultimatum

Published

on

The Kaduna State government has confirmed the unconditional release of the 287 school children and teachers who were abducted by bandits on March 7 from the LGEA Primary and Secondary Schools in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area.

The release of the hostages was announced through a statement on Sunday morning signed by Governor Uba Sani, which reads:

“I wish to announce that our Kuriga school children have been released.

“Our special appreciation goes to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for prioritising the safety and security of Nigerians and particularly ensuring that the abducted Kuriga school children are released unharmed.

“While the school children were in captivity, I spoke with Mr. President several times. He shared our pains, comforted us, and worked round the clock with us to ensure the safe return of the children.”

Sani who also expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their professionalism in the successful rescue of the pupils, said they played a pivotal role in the whole episode.

“The Nigerian Army also deserves special commendation for showing that with courage, determination and commitment, criminal elements can be degraded and security restored in our communities.

“We also thank all Nigerians who prayed fervently for the safe return of the school children. This is indeed a day of joy. We give Almighty Allah all the glory.”

The rescue of the schoolchildren is coming three days to March 27 ultimatum the bandits had given the government for a N1 billion ransom to be paid for the captives to be freed, failing which they would all be killed.

There was also no mention of any ransom paid for the release of the victims by the government in the statement by Governor Sani.

Continue Reading

Headlines

N30trn Ways and Means: Senate Committee Indicts Emefiele for Illegally Signing Billions of Naira

Published

on

The Senate ad hoc committee probing the disbursement and utilization of the N30 trillion Ways and Means loan has discovered 13 infractions in the process of obtaining the loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Benue East), said the former governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, unilaterally signed billions of Naira in the approval of different tranches of the loan without following due process.

Senator Jibrin alleged that Emefiele illegally signed billions of Naira in 13 documents.

He disclosed this on Tuesday during an interactive session with the CBN team led by Bala Bello, one of the deputy governors of the apex bank.

The committee chairman said Emefiele ought to have approved the loans in conjunction with the CBN board of directors, but he unilaterally signed the loans, which is contrary to the requirement of the CBN Act.

“The committee of governors ought to be the signatories to the ways and means account but in the document we have here, the governor signed billions of naira in about 13 places.

“We want to know the total figure of the ways and means. We want to know the summation of the figure,” Senator Jibrin said.

“On the Anchor Borrowers Programme, you have done well. You did about 70 per cent, but we must ensure the completion of the remaining 30 per cent.”

Senator Jibrin, however, said the committee will summon the CBN governor, Olayemi Cardoso, to give a detailed account of what he knows about the Ways and Means.

“Your governor, who took over from Emefiele, should be able to stand for Emefiele because he took over from him, including his assets.

“Emefiele should provide an explanation to the existing governor. We will invite the governor and in case he does not have a response, he will contact Emefiele,” he stressed.

Continue Reading