Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed that all the minors arrested and facing prosecution in court over their alleged involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protest should immediately be released without prejudice to the law.

This follows the national outrage and international consternation that trailed the trial of the minors.

President Tinubu also directed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to see to the welfare of the minors.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents, in Abuja.

The Minister said that the President said all the law enforcement agents involved in the arrest, detention and prosecution of the minors be investigated and anyone found culpable, would face appropriate disciplinary action.

More to come…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for the Managing Director of Dana Air, Mr. Hathiramani Ranesh, due to his alleged failure to appear in court.

The Attorney General of the Federation had filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and two others.

In count one, Ranesh and the two companies, alongside others at large, were alleged to have committed a felony between September and December 2018 within the premises of DANA Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina. They were accused of conspiring to remove, convert, and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times.”

In count three, the defendants and others at large at House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos between April 7th and 8th, 2014, were alleged to have conspired to fraudulently divert the sum of N864 million.

This amount was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.

In count five, the defendants and others at large were alleged to have “conspired to fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (Sixty Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira).”

The total amount involved in the charges is N1,374,300,000.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Ranesh’s arrest was necessary after he was served with charges and failed to attend multiple court proceedings.

The judge noted that according to Section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the court is authorized to issue an arrest warrant for any defendant who does not show up.

Justice Egwuatu stated, “The 1st defendant is bound to appear before the court, and if he does not, the court can issue a warrant for his arrest.” Consequently, he issued a warrant for Ranesh’s arrest, requiring him to appear in court on January 13, 2025, before any objections can be addressed. The case has been adjourned until that date for further hearing.

The Federal Government’s attorney, Mojisola-Okeya Esho, had previously requested the bench warrant, citing Ranesh’s absence in connection with a N1.3 billion fraud case against him.

However, defense lawyer B. Ademola-Bello contended that they had filed a preliminary objection regarding the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case, which had already been served to the prosecution.

Esho opposed the preliminary objection, asserting that the defendants should be present. Justice Egwuatu, who gave his ruling, ordered that Ranesh be arrested and brought to court on the nexta djourned date.

Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sworn in seven ministers-designates.

The ceremony was held in the council chamber of the Aso Rock villa on Monday.

The ministers-designate were confirmed by the senate in the committee of the whole after a screening exercise last week.

The senators spent hours asking them questions on portfolios assigned to them by the president.

The upper legislative chamber confirmed Nentawe Yilwatda as minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as minister of labour and employment, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as minister of state for foreign affairs, and Yusuf Abdullahi Ata as minister of state for housing and urban development.

Others are Idi Mukhtar Maiha as minister of livestock development, Jumoke Oduwole as minister of trade and investment, and Suwaiba Said Ahmad as the minister of state for education.

About two weeks ago, Tinubu sacked five ministers and asked the senate to screen and confirm these new ones to fill vacant and new portfolios in his cabinet.