The House of Representatives committee on Public Accounts has queried the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over a discrepancy of N7.935 billion in internally generated revenu...
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s tactless show during his belated visit to Borno and Yobe States last week has worsened the Boko Haram insurgency that has killed and maimed hundreds of innocent peop...
Andy Murray flirted with disaster in the desert for a third straight year before seeing off Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy at Indian Wells. The Briton had suffered surprise losses on his last two visits to the BNP Paribas Open but battled past the world...
Chelsea interim boss Rafael Benitez has said Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ignored his handshake before Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final. The pair have had an increasingly fraught relationship since the Spaniard’s time at Liverpo...
Tiger Woods wrapped up a dominant win at the World Golf Championships tournament at Doral with a two-shot victory over Steve Stricker. Graeme McDowell’s day fell apart on the back nine and the Northern Irishman tied for third with Adam Scott, Ser...
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ondo State Command, has destroyed an illegal crude oil refinery in the state, a statement said.
The statement, issued by the NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kayode Balogun in Akure on Monday, stated that the facility was located at Iju-osun village in Irele Local Government Area.
The village is in a creek beside River Siloko that links Ondo and Edo states.
The statement said the action was carried out following a tip-off from some residents of the area.
"The crude oil was being refined illegally on the seashore and later deposited in Iju-osun for evacuation by lorry, buses, and cars to various places through Irele and Ore road.
"About eight flying boats were seen ready to be loaded, while some were on the sea already loaded. All the items seen at the scene were destroyed," it said.
The NSCDC said that a suspect was arrested with three boat engines, one pumping machine, generator, motorcycle and 20 jerricans of 30 litres capacity each containing adulterated diesel.
It said that the suspect would soon be charged to court for prosecution.
The statement said the agency also destroyed an illegal oil depot at Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area .
It said officials recovered more than 33,000 litres of adulterated diesel from the depot as well as 500 jerricans of 30 litres capacity loaded with adulterated fuel.
It said the state Commandant of NSCDC, Alhaji Popoola Bamidele, had reiterated the commitment of the agency to rid the state of illegal bunkering activities and all other forms of crime.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on Monday that it would hold an interactive session with civil populace on how to restore live and peace in Plateau. The Special Task Force on Security (STF) said this in a statement issued in Jos. The statement sign...
The National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Monday dismissed speculations of a rift in the Nigerian Governors Forum and the party. There are rumours of a crack within the ruling national party following the emergence of Gov. Godswil Akpa...
The Minister of State for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngama, on Monday said the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST) was critical to the growth and smooth operation of the capital market. Ngama, who made this known in Abuja at the inauguration of the IST b...
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) on Monday urged judges of the Federal High Court to be `hard on Bank fraudsters', so as to restore depositors' confidence.
Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, the Managing Director of the Corporation, made the call at a sensitisation seminar on ``The Challenges to Deposit Insurance Law and Practice’’, for judges.
Ibrahim said that the judges' understanding was needed to abate the fraud in the banking system.
He said that deliberate efforts should be geared towards quick dispensation of all pending liquidation-related cases.
Ibrahim said the corporation was faced with difficulties in the execution of court judgments.
He said the corporation had a vulnerable funding base, as well as difficulties in recovering debt owed to failed banks by debtors.
According to Ibrahim, most of the problems stem from poor public awareness and inadequate legal framework.
``The Nigerian judiciary, legal practitioners and other esteemed stakeholders have important roles to play in ensuring that the mandate of the Corporation is realised.
``As our partners and stakeholders, I urge you to use your good offices and privileged positions to ensure that the corporation is empowered to safeguard the Nigeria banking system.
In his opening address, Justice Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, said the seminar was necessary to keep judges abreast with the operations of the NDIC, and the sustenance of the country’s economy.
``Acquiring such technical capacity will certainly enable us to make efficient, effective and informed decisions based on law for the interest of the nation’s economy,’’ Auta said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court, which has exclusive jurisdiction over NDIC cases, handles the prosecution of directors and officers of banks suspected of banking malpractices.
Trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) opened on Monday for the week on a positive note with the All-Share Index appreciating marginally by 0.13 per cent.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the index improved by 41.25 points to close at 32,890.36 against the 32,849.11 achieved on Friday.
Similarly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N10.51 trillion, grew by N12 billion to close at N10.52 trillion.
NAN reports that Total recorded the highest price gain of N6.69 to close at N154.80 per share.
Nestle trailed with a gain of N5 to close at N841 while NewGold gained N3 to close at N2,428 per unit.
On the other hand, GlaxoSmithkline led the losers' chart, losing N1.01 to close at N48.99 per share.
It was followed by Nigerian Breweries with a loss of 50k to close at N162 per share.
Portland Paint lost 26k to close at N5.09, while Studio Press dropped 13k to close at N2.52 per share.
The volume of shares traded increased by 62.34 per cent as a total of 700.21 million shares worth N2.68 billion exchanged by investors in 5,725 deals.
This was against the 431.59 million shares valued N5.33 billion traded in 5,587 deals on Friday.
Unity Bank drove the volume, accounting for 418.48 million shares worth N323.47 million.
FTN Cocoa came second with 41.31 million shares valued N23.02 million, while Studio Press accounted for 22.60 million shares worth N56.96 million.
The market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped by N106 billion last week to close at N10.51 trillion against the N10.62 trillion posted in the preceding week.
According to statistics made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday, the All-Share Index also lost 334.09 points or 1.01 per cent to close at 32,849.11.
This was against the 33,183.20 posted the previous week.
In the week under review, Nestle topped the losers' table with N50 to close at N836 per share.
It was followed by Guinness which lost N11.50 to close at N265, while Dangote Cement lost N5.49 to close at N142.50 per share.
Conversely, UACN led the gainers' chart with N4.10 to close at N54.10 kobo per share.
Oando came second with N2.96 to close at N17.94 per share, while Unilever gained N2.14 to close at N19.76 per share.
Similarly, the volume of shares traded declined by 1.93 billion shares worth N20.99 billion.
This was against the 2.28 billion shares valued at N24.63 billion traded in 28,170 deals in the corresponding week.
The Financial Services sector was investors' delight as it accounted for 1.51 billion shares worth N13.53 billion in 17,688 deals.
Capital market operators told NAN that the lull in the capital market last week was due to the poor dividend declared by Nestle and Nigerian Breweries for their 2012 financial year.
Mr David Adonri, the Chief Executive Officer, Lambeth Trust & Investment Company Ltd., said that most investors were disappointed by the dividends declared by Nestle and Nigerian Breweries.
Adonri also attributed the market downturn to over valuation of some stocks due to prolonged bullish trend.
"Due to the prolonged bull run, several stocks became over valued and market correction set in when speculators started taking profit, thus inundating the market with excessive supply of stocks.
Alhaji Rasheed Yussuf, the immediate past President, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, said that the market was expecting 2012 results of companies that could propel activities.
Yussuf said that the market was expecting financial results, particularly from the banking sector that could meet investors’ expectations in terms of dividends.
He, however, urged investors to take advantage of the current low price of equities to increase their stakes in the market.
Another stockbroker, Mr Emma Ndu, called for macroeconomic policies and decisive interventions by market makers to ensure stability in the market.
Ndu said that the Federal Government should speed up its privatisation process, implement its 2013 budget effectively and pass the Petroleum Industry Bill to increase liquidity in the market.
The Minister of Police Affairs, retired Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, has charged the police and other security agencies to strengthen their intelligence network. Olubolade made the call in Enugu on Monday at the inauguration of the Intelligence Sch...
The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), yesterday, has said that the arrest of Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Senator Sani Yerima, at the weekend for comments relating to the All Progressive Congress (APC) is an indication of the scheme to ensure the par...
The visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Borno and Yobe States has sparked a war of words between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). While the PDP endorsed the visit and described it as a show of the Pr...