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Errand360NG Delivery Man Remanded Over Stolen Bike Dies In Prison

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A 19-year-old delivery man with a company, Errand360NG, Chidera (Ezekiel) Uzoma, has died in the Ikoyi Custodial Centre where he was remanded over the loss of a bike belonging to his employers.

It was gathered that after Chidera reported the loss to the company, he was arrested and charged to court.

A Twitter user, Oluchi @General_Oluchi, in a series of tweets on Monday, said the victim had been in remand since March 2022, adding that his elder brother, Samuel, had been calling for his release.

She tweeted, “Can we talk about this case? 20-year-old Chidera Uzoma started working for @errand360HQ as a delivery guy and one morning, he discovered that the work bike he parked in front of his apartment was missing. He informed the company and they arrested and charged him in court but promised to drop the case if he replaces the bike. Chidera replaced the bike, but @errand360HQ refused to drop the case. In March, he was remanded in Ikoyi prison and was found dead on April 24. Since then, his brother @justice4ezekiel has been tweeting about it.

“Ikoyi Prison said Chidera was sick for a while before he died. His family needs closure because the circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious.”

The victim’s brother, Samuel, said he went to the mortuary to retrieve his body on May 23.

He tweeted, “Yesterday, I was at the mortuary for the 2nd time. I was telling my brother, ‘bro bushman don comes Lag o, come teach me how to drag bus. He couldn’t even look at me. He laid there like a log of wood. Nigerians help me ask @errand360HQ. What happened to chidera, #justiceforchidera?

“He will be 20 by 12th October 2022. A dispatch company called @errand360HQ arrested him over a missing bicycle. Sue him without any of his family members knowing. He died in custody (ikoyi prison) the bicycle was even replaced, yet the complainant didn’t withdraw the case.”

The company, in a statement on Wednesday, said Chidera was treated with respect and fairness while he worked with them.

“He was also subject to the same contract terms, which included that he presented a surety before engagement. This surety was a certain Mr. Kenneth, who he introduced as his relative.

“On February 14, 2022, against company policy, Mr. Ezekiel (Chidera) took the company’s bicycle home and failed to return it the next day. He claimed that the bicycle had been stolen. Upon internal investigations and speaking to Ezekiel, the company did not find the story credible and so he was requested to return the missing bicycle.

“Some days later, specifically on February 19, some persons broke into the company’s maintenance building. The security personnel at the facility on the day identified Ezekiel as one of those who broke in. While investigating, we were informed that the police visited Ezekiel’s residence where some of the company’s bicycle parts were found.

“Based on this, the police arrested him and took him into custody for investigation and arraignment.”

Errand360NG stated that he was arraigned before a magistrate’s court and from then on, every due process was followed.

“On April 4, a replacement for the missing bicycle was provided. The company went to court and attempted an early withdrawal of the case, despite the next date of hearing being June 8. However, Ezekiel’s presence was required in court but authorities could not provide him before the court.

“We value the well-being of all our riders and employees and are deeply saddened by Mr. Ezekiel’s passing. The company followed due process by escalating the matter to the police for appropriate investigation and arraignment.”

The spokesperson for the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, Rotimi Oladokun, said records of the matter were not readily available.

“I am not in a position to deny or confirm this incident now, but I will go through the records and if there is any information regarding this matter, it will be made available to you.

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Federal Government To Grant Mining Licenses To Only Companies That Process Locally

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Nigeria will only grant new mining licences to companies that present a plan on how minerals would be processed locally, under new guidelines being developed, a government spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

This is a departure from Nigeria’s long-standing practice of exporting raw commodities, as governments around Africa work to increase the value derived from their substantial mineral reserves.

To spur investment, Nigeria will offer investors incentives including tax waivers for importing mining equipment, make it easier to secure electricity generation licences, allow full repatriation of profits and boost security, Segun Tomori, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s minister of solid minerals development said.

“In exchange, we have to review their plans for setting up a plant and how they would add value to the Nigerian economy,” Tomori said. He did not say when the guidelines would be finalised or come into effect.

However, last week the minister of solid minerals development, Dele Alake, said it was now government policy to make value addition a condition for obtaining licences so as to create jobs and help local communities.

Alake, who also chairs an African mining strategy group comprising mining ministers from Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia, is pushing for a continent-wide effort to get maximum local benefit from mineral exploration.

Nigeria, Africa’s top energy producer, has struggled to extract value from its vast mineral resources due to poor incentives and neglect. The underdeveloped mining sector contributes less than 1% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Last year Nigeria exported mostly tin ore and concentrates worth about 137.59 billion naira ($108.34 million), mainly to China and Malaysia, according to the country’s statistics bureau.

The government aims to drive more investment into the sector by issuing more licenses. It has set up a state-owned solid minerals corporation offering investors a 75% stake and established a special security unit tasked with fighting illegal miners.

The government is also trying to regulate artisanal miners, who dominate the sector, by grouping them into cooperatives.

Foreign mining companies operating in Nigeria include Canada-based Thor Explorations which is involved in gold exploration, Chinese-owned Xiang Hui International Mining which partnered with a local company to process gold, and Indian-owned African Natural Resources and Mines, which is building a $600m iron ore processing plant in northern Nigeria.

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Felicitates President Tinubu At 72

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 72nd birthday, describing him as a brave, bold, and passionate leader who is dedicated to the advancement, growth, and development of Nigeria.

He said that President Tinubu’s contribution to the nation’s growth is cause for celebration, citing the President’s unparalleled bravery, integrity, honesty, and patriotism in his efforts to steer Nigeria’s ship in the correct path since he into office on May 29, 2023.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said President Tinubu has provided honest and transparent leadership in Nigeria by taking bold decisions to address challenges militating against the prosperity of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Sanwo-Olu further described the President as a visionary and master strategist whose democratic credentials are scholarly materials for study in political economy.

He said: “On behalf of my family, the government, the people of Lagos State,  members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), leaders, and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, I congratulate our leader, President Bola Tinubu, on the occasion of his 72nd birthday.

“President Tinubu has sacrificed the greater part of his life in the service of our dear State and Nigeria. He contributed to the enthronement of democracy and good governance, serving first as a Senator in the aborted third republic and later as a pro-democracy activist, working tirelessly as a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to struggle for the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

“President Tinubu’s financial wizardry and economic intellect, which he put to good use as the Governor of Lagos State, have taken our dear state to a greater height. Today, Lagos is the pride of Nigeria, occupying an enviable position as the fifth largest economy in Africa.

“President Tinubu has made positive impacts in the country through the Renewed Hope agenda of his administration. His unblemished service and track record of impressive achievements in public office have made him a role model for many Nigerians.

“As President Tinubu celebrates his 72nd birthday, it is our prayer that God will grant him more prosperous years in good health and wisdom as he continues to serve our dear nation.”

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JUST IN: CBN Increases Banks Capital Base To N500bn, N200bn For National Commercial Banks

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The capital basis for commercial banks with international permission has been raised to N500 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The policy change was confirmed by Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, CBN’s acting director of corporate communications. in a declaration.

She added that commercial banks with regional authorization are expected to reach a capital floor of N50 billion, while those with national authority must meet a ceiling of N200 billion.

Announced on Thursday, March 28, 2024, this comprehensive financial reform requires significant increases in banks’ minimum capital bases, which vary depending on the size of the bank.

The latest policy directive specifies that commercial banks with international authorization are now required to shore up their capital base to N500 billion.

In a bid to tighten the financial fabric, the CBN has not overlooked merchant banks, which are now subject to a N50 billion minimum capital requirement.

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