1. The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Friday, suspended moves by the Kogi State High Court to commit the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede for contempt. The Appeal Court granted an ex parte motion for stay of proceedings of contempt application filed against the EFCC Chairman by the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

2. An Ikeja Special Offences Court has adjourned the trial of the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor, Godwin Emefiele, to May 9 over filing of additional proof of evidence served by the prosecution. Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the trial after taking arguments from the defendants’ counsel over additional proof of evidence of over 60 pages served on them in the morning by the prosecution.

3. Efforts for better efficiency in the electric sector received a boost on Friday as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, announced the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, with the establishment of the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited, NISO.

4. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has said that no journalist has been incarcerated under the Bola Tinubu administration for practicing responsible journalism, stressing that the media is largely free in Nigeria. He assured that the federal government would continue to protect the interests of journalists and will not compromise press freedom.

5. A Kano High Court has granted an ex parte order restraining the Inspector General of Police, IGP; Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone 1 Kano; Commissioner of Police, Kano, from arresting, and harassing the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ward officers at Abdullahi Ganduje Ward, Dawakin-Tofa local government area of Kano State.

6. The Benue State government has demolished 40 illegal shanties and structures in different locations in Makurdi, the state capital. The General Manager of the Benue State Urban Development Board, UDB, Tarnongo Mede, who led his team yesterday to carry out the demolition exercise, said it came as a result of shanties springing up in some parts of the state.

7. Nigerian fintech companies have warned their customers against trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency on their apps, threatening to block any account found engaging in such activities. At least four fintechs— Opay, Moniepoint, PalmPay, and Paga communicated this development to their customers on Friday.

8. A man, Hamza Mohammed, has been sentenced to death by hanging for stabbing another man to death during a free-for-all in Niger State. Mohammed and one Baba Usman (now at large) were said to have chased after the deceased, Isah Mohammed, caught up with him and stabbed him several times until he died.

9. Ahead of the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, inaugurated a 363-member campaign council, with Governor Goodwin Obaseki describing the Legacy Group as disorganised. The Legacy group, headed by the party’s vice chairman, South-South, Dan Orbih, had vowed not to work with Obaseki and the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, unless their grievances were looked into.

10. The naira depreciated yesterday to N1,395 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,365 per dollar on Thursday. However, the naira appreciated in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM, to N1,400.4 per dollar.

A federal high court in Kano has issued an order restraining the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) from implementing the new electricity tariff for Band A consumers.

Ruling on an ex parte motion on Thursday, Abdullahi Liman, presiding judge, made an interim order restraining NERC and KEDCO from going ahead with the impending tariff pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before it.

The order also restrained the defendant from intimidating and threatening to disconnect the applicants’ electricity supply for non-acceptance of the new increased tariff.

The suit marked FHC/KN/CS/144/2024 was filed by Super Sack Company Limited and BBY Sacks Limited.

Others are Mama Sannu Industries Limited, Dala Foods Nigeria Limited, Tofa Textile Limited and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Limited (MAN).

The motion ex-parte was moved by Abubakar Mahmoud, counsel to the plaintiffs.

On April 3, NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

The commission said customers under the category, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, would begin to pay N225 per kilowatt (kW) from April 3 — up from N66.

The sudden hike has been criticised by the house of representatives and other stakeholders who have asked NERC to suspend the implementation of the new tariff.

Former prime minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, was turned away from his local polling station after forgetting to bring the required photo identity.

Johnson had joined locals in South Oxfordshire on Thursday to vote in the police and crime commissioner election.

Polling officials however told him he would not be allowed to vote without providing his identity.

There are 22 acceptable forms of ID in the UK including passports, driving licences, blue badges, and certain local travel cards.

As prime minister in 2022, Johnson introduced the Elections Act which requires photo ID — a development that sparked intense criticisms from Britons.

Last year, the Electoral Commission warned that the new law could exclude hundreds of thousands of people, including minorities and those with disabilities.

A spokesperson for Johnson confirmed he had forgotten the photo ID, but that he was able to cast his ballot after he returned with a valid ID.

“Mr Johnson voted Conservative,” Sky News quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Downing Street said it would “look into” changing the controversial rules which require photo ID in order to vote, so that ID cards of veterans can be added to the list of valid identification.