Television Nigerian

Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf is in grief over the passing of Ahmed Bunkure, who passed away just twenty-four hours after the governor appointed him.

On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Governor Yusuf appointed Bunkure as his Special Adviser on Works. Regretfully, Bunkure passed on the next day, Wednesday, January 8.

On Wednesday, the spokesperson informed Governor Sunusi Dawakin Tofa of his passing.

According to a statement from DawakinTofa, on Wednesday, January 8, the governor’s recently hired aide passed away in Egypt.

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Governor Yusuf prayed for Bunkure’s soul, calling his passing terrible and an irreplaceable loss to the state, his family, and the larger political community.

Additionally, he begged Allah to show mercy to the deceased and grant his loved ones the fortitude to cope with the loss.

“This is a heartbreaking moment for us as a government,” Governor Yusuf stated. Bunkure was a committed professional whose knowledge and input were supposed to propel our administration’s development goals. In the statement, the governor stated, “His loss is deeply felt.”

The claims against Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, of accepting gratification, making corrupt demands, and gaining property through fraud have been transferred to the Lagos State Special Offenses Court in Ikeja.

In his decision on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that, based on a number of facts provided in the case file, the prosecution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had successfully established that the court had territorial jurisdiction to consider counts 8 through 20 of the 26-count charge brought against the former CBN Governor.

However, the court concurred with the Emefiele’s attorneys that counts 1 through 4 of the charge are unconstitutional since they are not supported by any Nigerian legislation currently in effect.

Emefiele was charged with 26 counts by the EFCC on April 8, 2024, including alleged abuse of office and improper allocation of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion, respectively.

Counts 1 through 4 and counts 8 through 26 specifically mentioned the former CBN Governor. These counts dealt with allegations of abuse of office, which is punishable under Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011; accepting gratification, which is punishable under Section 8 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000; making corrupt demands, which is punishable under Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000; receiving property that was obtained fraudulently, which is punishable under Section 328 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011; and providing corrupt advantage, which is against Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act 2000.

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The allocation of foreign exchange without a bid is not described as an offense in any written legislation, according to Justice Oshodi’s opinion, even though points 1 through 4 pertain to the broad crime of abuse of office as defined by criminal law. The court rejected these counts as a result.

With respect to counts 8 through 26, the judge emphasized that the evidence was adequate to support the court’s territorial jurisdiction by adopting accepted legal principles.

However, Justice Oshodi made it clear that this decision only addresses the jurisdictional argument and ignores the veracity of the accusations made against Emefiele.

The challenge contesting the court’s territorial jurisdiction over counts 8 to 26 was later dismissed by Justice Rahman Oshodi, who stated that the prosecution had shown a strong enough territorial connection to force Emefiele to respond to the allegations.

The trial has been postponed by the court to February 24 and 26.

According to a recent Henley Passport Index analysis, Nigeria’s passport is ranked 183rd out of 200 nations, making it one of the least effective passports in the world in 2025.

Nigeria’s ongoing challenges with international movement are highlighted by the index, which rates passports according to the number of places its holders can visit without a visa.
The Nigerian passport is among the worst 18 in the world this year, allowing visa-free travel to only a few countries, a trend that has continued for years.

Read Also: Nigerian Passport Slips to 183rd Globally, Adding to Travel Challenges

In sharp contrast, Singapore’s passport, which grants visa-free entry to 195 countries, has regained its position as the most powerful passport in the world.

With visa-free access to 192 places, various European nations, including France, Germany, and Italy, took third place, while Japan, with access to 193 destinations, came in second.

Afghanistan is still at the bottom of the list, and its people have the least freedom to travel.

Nigeria’s ranking of 183rd, however, still restricts its people’ travel options, underscoring the difficulties Nigerians experience while trying to visit the world.

With nations like the United Arab Emirates rising quickly in ranks as a result of diplomatic initiatives, the Henley Passport Index also revealed a widening gap in global mobility.

Many Nigerians still cannot afford the dream of traveling without a visa, despite changes in the global travel scene.

Bashir Ahmad, a former Special Assistant on Digital Communication to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has claimed that Peter Obi lacks the leadership qualities that he portrays to Nigerians.
Ahmad made this statement in response to a debate about the supposed threat to Obi’s life made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
Morka told Arise News on Saturday that the former Labour Party presidential candidate “crossed the line” during his State of the Nation address on New Year’s Day.
The APC spokesman further alleged that the previous governor of Anambra State provided terrible leadership and left no legacy during his eight-year time in office.

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He contended that Obi lacked the authority to criticize President Bola Tinubu’s policies, which he argued were beneficial to the country’s economic growth.

Ahmad, the APC Chieftain, responded to Morka’s reply on his X account.

“If Peter Obi genuinely is the transformative leader he has been attempting to portray, he might have shown it during his eight years as governor by making Anambra a model of effective governance in Nigeria. However, he accomplished little during his tenure. “He left Anambra with no tangible progress or legacy to his name,” Buhari’s former assistant stated.