1. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday warned that officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) found culpable in the apartment-for-prison scandal involving notorious cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, a.k.a. Bobrisky, would not go unpunished. Tunji-Ojo, who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja to mark his one year in office, vowed that no personnel or officer of the Nigeria Correctional Service found involved in the ongoing probe would be spared.

2. Ahead of the resumption of flights to Nigeria by Emirates on October 1, the federal government has finalized an agreement with United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities to guarantee reciprocal rights for Nigerian airlines willing to start flying to any UAE cities, especially Dubai.

3. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday arrested a former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, over alleged fraud of N27 billion. He was reportedly picked up at his Abuja residence.

4. President Bola Tinubu on Friday appointed seven executive directors for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

A press release signed by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said the president re-appointed Ayo Adewuyi as the Executive Director of News.

5. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday justified the increase in passport fees, stating that the rise was only about 45 percent. According to him, the increase was driven by the exchange rate between the dollar and the naira.

6. Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos State, on Friday, ordered the remand of four bloggers for allegedly cyberstalking and spreading false information aimed at insulting the Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC, Segun Agbaje.

The bloggers, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishu, and Seun Odunlami, were remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

7. The Lagos State Police Command has summoned four of its officers to account for their alleged involvement in the extortion of N1 million from some National Youth Service Corps members.

In an X post, a user tweeting as #YemieFash, identified as Olúyẹmí Fásípè, revealed that the corps members were threatened by the officers and later taken to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, Area C Police Command, where they were “robbed.”

8. The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office has sealed off the Orchid Shopping Centre in the Eti-Osa area of the state over a threat to public health.

This was disclosed in a statement shared on X.com by the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Friday.

9. The House of Representatives has summoned the EFCC Chairman, the Nigerian Correctional Service Comptroller General, Bobrisky, VeryDarkMan, and all officers involved in the prosecution of Bobrisky.

This was contained in a letter written by the Lead Chairman of the joint committee, Jon Ginger Onwusibe, to parties on Friday over the disturbing allegations of corruption against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Correctional Service.

10. A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Chief Olusola Ebiseni and Dayo Awude as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the Labour Party (LP) for the November 16 governorship election.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the suspension of processing fees on cash deposits for six months.

The development comes six days before the suspension date initially fixed, expires.

On May 1, banks resumed the collection of processing fees on cash deposits.

Six days later, CBN suspended charges on the deposits until September 30.

However, in a circular directed to all banks, other financial institutions and non-financial institutions, dated September 24, 2024, and signed by Adetona Adedeji, CBN’s director of banking supervision, the apex bank extended the date to March 31, 2025.

“Further to our letter dated May 6, 2024, referenced BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/016/023, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hereby extends the suspension of processing charges on cash deposits above N500,000 for individuals and N3,000,000 for corporates,” the apex bank said.

“The previous suspension, set to expire on September 30, 2024, has now been extended until March 31, 2025.

“This suspension pertains to the 2% and 3% fees outlined in the ‘Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial Institutions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions, issued on December 20, 2019.”

CBN asked all financial institutions to continue accepting cash deposits from the public without any charges during the period.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Darius Ishaku, former governor of Taraba state, over an alleged N9.3 billion fraud.

Sources disclosed that Ishaku is presently in custody of the commission in Abuja.

The EFCC has also filed a 15-count charge against the former governor before a federal high court in Abuja on Thursday.

He will be arraigned alongside Bello Yero, former permanent secretary of bureau for local government and chieftaincy affairs.

Ishaku is accused of criminal breach of trust and misappropriating state funds to the tune of N9.3 billion contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007.

In counts one and two, Ishaku and Yero are alleged to have misappropriated an aggregate of N1.10 billion “which formed part of the 2.5% contingency funds belonging to bureau of local government and chieftaincy affairs, Taraba state between August 25, 2015 and March 21, 2016”.

In counts three and four, the defendants were alleged to have “dishonestly diverted” state funds worth N1.1 billion for their personal use.

Count five involves N193 million allegedly diverted by the defendants between January 2019 and April 2021.

In count six, N650 million was allegedly diverted between January 6, 2019. and April 29, 2021.

In count seven, the defendants were said to have between January 6, 2019  and April 29, 2021, diverted N170 million for their personal use.

The were also alleged to have diverted N201.9 million between January 2019 and April 2021. Another N132.1 million was said to have been diverted by the defendants during the same time frame.

In counts 10 and 11, the accused persons allegedly diverted N3.3 billion and another N639.4 million between July 19, 2019 and February 5, 2021.

Between September 30, 2016 and February 23, 2021, the former governor and Yero allegedly diverted N993 million in count 12.

Between May and December 2015, count 13 alleged that the defendants allegedly diverted N90 million.

Ishaku is the only defendant answering counts 14 and 15 in which he is alleged to have diverted N23 million and N761.3 million between October 2016 and January 2018.

Ishaku was governor of Taraba state between 2015 and 2023.

The EFCC had invited the former governor to question financial issues relating to the eight years of his administration in July 2023. He was later released on bail.