Ambode and the street traders of Lagos – By Reuben Abati

I am writing this piece after holding a series of conversations with Lagos street traders and hawkers who seem not be aware of or are just indifferent to, or may be they are intrigued by, the fact that the State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has declared on television that the state government is prepared to enforce an existing law banning street hawking. The relevant law, the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law, 2003 prescribes a punishment of N90, 000 or a six-month jail term, for both the buyer and the seller of any goods or services on the streets.  So I asked this vendor, who kept pushing copies of the day’s newspapers in my face, so close, you wouldn’t even be able to read the headline free of charge. 

“My friend, are you aware that what you are doing is illegal? You never hear say Governor Ambode don ban street trading?”

“That one no concern vendor oh. Na these other people wey dey sell chewing gum and water dem dey talk about”

“No. Street trading is street trading.  You are hawking your newspapers, why don’t you get a shop or

EFCC discovers N2.5bn in Stella Odua’s Housemaid’s Bank Account

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has discovered the sum of N2.5 billion in a bank account opened in the name of a housemaid to former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, who is now a senator representing Anambra State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Two senior EFCC sources told SaharaReporters that the bank account and its huge deposits had been opened and operated without the knowledge of the former minister’s housemaid. “Senator Oduah apparently opened the account with her housemaid’s name, image, and details without the housemaid knowing about it,” said one EFCC agent familiar with the scandal. 

Another EFCC source said Ms. Oduah had been going around to some top officials of the Muhammadu Buhari administration seeking their help to scuttle her impending trial. Last week, she asked for a meeting with EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu, claiming she wanted to meet in her official capacity as a senator. 

The two EFCC sources briefed  on the “housemaid” account disclosed that Ms. Oduah was the sole signatory to the account, adding that they were still connecting the dots to uncover how the ex-Aviation Minister managed to pull off such a money laundering operation. 

"As of last week, the account was still active and contained over N2.5 billion," said one EFCC source. He added that he could not ascertain whether the EFCC chairman, who is currently traveling

The Nigerian Police force retires Joseph Mbu, 20 Others

The police service commission has approved the retirement of Joseph Mbu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), and 20 officers who were senior to Idris Ibrahim, the new acting IG, before his appointment.

Ikechukwu Ani, spokesman of the commission, disclosed this in a statement, saying Mike Okiro, chairman of the PSC, congratulated the retirees. Below is the list of

Flash floods kill 33 in northern Pakistan

Flash floods caused by torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 33 people in northern Pakistan, the majority from a village near the border with Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.

The rains began late Saturday and were concentrated mainly in the northwestern province of Khybher Pakthunkwa, which has been badly affected by flooding in recent years that some scientists have linked to climate change.

The worst hit district was Chitral, on the country’s northwest border, where flood waters swept away a mosque, dozens of houses and army post in the remote village of Ursoon, district mayor Maghfirat

Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel dies

Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor, writer and Nobel peace laureate who worked to keep alive the memory of Jews slaughtered during World War II, has died aged 87.

Wiesel, a Romanian-born US citizen, was perhaps best known for his memoir “Night” detailing his experiences in the Auschwitz concentration camp