Peter Obi Knocks Lagos State Government For Relocating Residents To Osun, Says It Violates Nigerian Constitution
Photo Credit: Sahara Reporters
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has said every Nigerian, irrespective of their state of origin or place of residence, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
Obi made this known while reacting to the recent reports of the deportation of citizens of Osun State by the Lagos State government, noting that "this is not merely a concern for Osun State but for all Nigerians who uphold the principles of unity, fairness, and justice."
Obi on his X on Monday night implored all Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant as they awaited the outcome of the investigation
He wrote, “I am deeply saddened and shocked by the recent reports of the deportation of citizens mostly of Osun State origin by Lagos State authorities. This is not merely a concern for Osun State but for all Nigerians who uphold the principles of unity, fairness, and justice.
“I find this action very distasteful because of the far-reaching effects it will have on our national cohesion and development. As a pan-Nigerian advocate, I vehemently oppose any form of discrimination, injustice, or violation of our citizens’ rights.
“Let us always remember that we are all Nigerians, united by a common destiny. And that it is our collective duty to uphold the values of unity, fairness, and justice, and to stand against any form of discrimination or injustice. Our constitution guarantees every Nigerian citizen the right to reside and find livelihood in any and every part of the federation."
“Meanwhile, the security agencies in Osun State are closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of the deported youths.
“Together, let us strive for a Nigeria where every citizen is accorded dignity and respect, regardless of their background or place of origin or residence. A new and different Nigeria is indeed possible! Let us strive towards it in unity,” he said.
SaharaReporters had reported how the Nigeria Police Force in conjunction with the Lagos State Task Force packed hundreds of residents and young people from the streets of the state on Friday and dumped them in Osun State.
Naira down to N1,410/$ in parallel market
Photo Credit: Vanguard
The Naira yesterday depreciated to N1,410 per dollar in the parallel market, from N1,395 per dollar last weekend. However, the Naira appreciated in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM, to N1,354.21 per dollar.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM rose to N1,354.21per dollar from N1,400.4 per dollar last week Friday, indicating N46.19 appreciation for the naira.
The market recorded an intraday high of N1,441 per dollar and an intraday low of N1,285 per dollar resulting in a margin of N156 per dollar. The volume of dollars traded (turnover) in the market declined by 58 percent to $84.83 million from $201.88 million traded the previous day.
Consequently, the margin between the parallel market and NAFEM rates widened to N55.79 per dollar from N5.4 per dollar last Friday.
Nigerian Government Officials Demanded Over N207Billion Bribe To Make Charges Against Binance, Executives Go Away –Trading Platform CEO
Photo Credit: Sahara Reporters
Aglobal cryptocurrency trading platform, Binance Holdings Ltd has disclosed that Nigerian authorities demanded a large amount of money as a bribe to make the money laundering trial initiated against two of its executives go away.
Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and head of financial crime and Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British Kenyan, are facing trial for laundering more than $35 million.
The suit was filed by Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Bloomberg reports that Binance Chief Executive Officer Richard Teng made the claim in a blog on Monday, detailing how the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange tried to engage with Nigerian authorities, including having a meeting which was held in Abuja on January 8, 2024.
“As our employees were leaving the venue, they were approached by unknown persons who suggested to them to make a payment in settlement of the allegations,” Teng wrote.
After that incident, Binance’s lawyer was “presented with a demand for a significant payment in cryptocurrency to be paid in secret within 48 hours to make these issues go away,” Teng wrote.
The amount in question was $150 million (N207,304,500,000), the New York Times reported separately, without revealing the identities of those involved.
Nigeria, which blames crypto speculators for some of the naira’s depreciation against the US dollar, denied this allegation.
“Investigators are confident that the sequence of events is not as Binance has indicated, nor the material facts,” said Zakari Mijinyawa, spokesman for Nigeria’s National Security Adviser.
Youths Caught On Camera Looting Burning Truck in Benue
Photo Credit: Punch
A viral video on Monday showed the moment a Dangote truck was engulfed in fire, with people stealing its content: bags of cement.
Eyewitnesses reported that the truck was traveling along Benue Highway when it suddenly caught fire, forcing the driver to abandon the vehicle.
The video showed people carrying away bags of cement as the fire raged on.
Photo Credit: Google