Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state, on Tuesday, settled the bill for the rent of Kano Princess and her mother at Morning Side Suits in Victoria Island, Lagos.

They were stranded until the Kano State Government came to their rescue, the Governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Bature, said.

“The Governor of Kano state Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has again extended his humanitarian gesture to the daughter of late Emir of Kano, Zainab Jummai Ado Bayero, her brother and her mother when he settled the rent bill of the Kano Prince and Princess few hours to the deadline of the eviction notice they were served by the apartment in Lagos,” Bature said.

Bature said he arrived Lagos in the early hours of Tuesday to meet with the General Manager of the apartment where the Ado Bayero family have been living since early this year.

The General Manager, Sunel Kumar, had vowed to evict them by 3pm on Tuesday if the rent was not renewed.

“The Governor’s intervention followed an outcry in the media by Princess Zainab Bayero on behalf of her mother and brother who were neglected by the royal family after the death of the late Ado Bayero.

“Zainab, her brother and her mother have been facing difficult times since the demise of the late Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero due to the denial of their inheritance.

“Until May 23rd, 2024, Zainab’s half brothers Aminu Ado Bayero and Nasiru Ado Bayero were the emirs of Kano and Bichi emirates in Kano state,” Bature said.

It was gathered Zainab Ado Bayero is a documentary producer who recently worked on the personality profile and documentary of her late father, Ado Abdullahi Bayero.

“You came at the right time, we were about to be forcefully evicted from the facility for our inability to pay the rent, they said today is final, we must move out by 3:00 pm and you came just fifteen minutes to the time, they have already mobilised youths to remove us out of the apartment, Alhamdulillah for your arrival,” Bature quoted Zainab as saying.

Bature, who represented Governor Yusuf in the transaction, said: “the Governor’s humanitarian intervention was due to the fact that many citizens of Kano feel that the matter did not portray the royal family and Kano in good light.

“They are not only members of the royal family, they are our Muslim sisters and brother, currently in need,” Bature stated.

1. Bandits have launched another terror attack on Danbaza community in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, kidnapping 47 people. According to a resident of the village, Mustapha Danbaza, 11 people were abducted in one family during the attack.

2. A Supplementary Appropriation Bill containing requests for a new presidential jet may be forwarded to the National Assembly tomorrow, it was learnt last night. The money for the jet will be included in the supplementary appropriation. Three of the aircrafts in the PAF have been put on sale to augment the cost.

3. The Labour Party (LP) leadership tussle deepened on Tuesday as its National Transition Committee, LPNTC, insisted that the national chairman, Julius Abure, must resign. The labour leaders, who stormed the venue of the meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, in Abuja, said the tenure of Abure and other members of the NWC would expire by month end.

4. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called for urgent resuscitation of the university system before it breaks down totally. According to ASUU, universities are collapsing due to the government’s failure to address outstanding issues with the union.

5. Governors of the 36 states of the federation have resolved to meet on Wednesday to resolve issues regarding the proposed new minimum wage. Acting Director on Media and Public Affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Halima Ahmed, said the meeting would hold by 7pm in Abuja.

6. The Federal Government, on Tuesday, declared that there was no importation of dirty fuel into Nigeria, countering the recent position of an official of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. It declared this after meeting with oil marketers and local refiners of crude oil in Abuja, where parties at the meeting discussed issues about refined products’ pricing, issues of competition and the importation of products that are produced in Nigeria.

7. The Ogun State Police Command says it will prosecute a man, Lekan Akinyemi, who was arrested for allegedly exhuming and beheading a corpse for ritual purposes in the Itoko area of Abeokuta, the state capital. It was gathered on Tuesday that the suspect was arrested on Monday after a resident alerted the police about suspicious activities around his father’s grave.

8. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has opted to consult further on minimum wage before sending an Executive Bill to the National Assembly. The President took the decision yesterday at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, where he received the report of the Tripartite Committee from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume.

9. President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Executive Council, FEC, to set up a committee to oversee the cholera emergency operation centre operated by the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC. The Minister of Health, Dr Ali Pate, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the council meeting on Tuesday.

10. The Naira on Tuesday appreciated in the parallel market to N1,500 per dollar from N1,505 per dollar on Monday. However, the currency depreciated to N1,500.79 per dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM.

When Essien Etop Andrew, Deputy Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, walked into the National Assembly Complex, on Tuesday, there was no indication that he would not walk out of the parliament alive.

Andrew had led a team of top customs officers to the House of Representatives for an investigative hearing by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The deceased and his colleagues appeared before the Committee to make presentations on the revenue remittances by the Service.

“These levies as stated earlier is listed as federation account levies and it is the responsibility of the office of the Accountant general to say this money for sharing in FAAC, but for whatever reason that this money, which the Nigeria Customs Service has remitted into the appropriate account was not sent to the federation account, is what the service cannot give explanation,” he had said.

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, had interjected by asking: “So your position is that this money was actually sent to the account provided by the Accountant-General and that the obligation of now taking it to the federation account is out of your own purview.”

Responding, the deceased had said, “Yes. The same thing applies for 2017 and 2017 can be seen in the next page. If you look at 2016, it encompasses other levies. Sir, I may need to take water.”

“Go ahead,” Bamidele had said, adding, “Do you need tea.? Can somebody please attend to him?”

Shortly after, he collapsed and was rushed to the House of Representatives Clinic, where he died.

In a statement issued by Abdullahi Maiwada, Public Relations Officer of Customs, the Service expressed shock over the death.

“It is with profound sadness and a deep sense of loss that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announces the passing of Deputy Comptroller Etop Andrew Essien, who served as the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Revenue in the Account Unit of the service. Deputy Comptroller Essien, who was in charge of the reconciliation of revenue for the service, passed away on the 25th of June 2024 while making presentation before the National Assembly House Committee on Public Accounts.

“During his presentation, approximately three minutes in, Deputy Comptroller Essien requested water and showed signs of discomfort. Despite immediate efforts to assist him, he unfortunately passed away.

“Deputy Comptroller Essien was born on the 16th of November 1967 and joined the Nigeria Customs Service on the 27th of November 1989 with over three decades of service to our nation. Hailing from Nsit-Ubium in Akwa Ibom State, he was known for his diligence and exceptional service record in the Accounts Unit. His role as the DC Revenue was pivotal in ensuring the accurate reconciliation of revenue, which he performed with utmost precision and dedication.

“The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, On behalf of the entire officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service, extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Deputy Comptroller Essien. “The loss of such a dedicated and valued team member is deeply felt across the Service. We are committed to supporting and assisting his family and colleagues as they navigate this difficult period.”