Headlines
Court awards N.2m fine against Femi Fani-Kayode over absence at N4.6bn fraud trial

Owolola Adebola
Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday awarded a N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine against a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani Kayode, for his absence in court to take his plea in an alleged N4.6 billion fraud.
Fani-Kayode, also the Chairman of the 2015 Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation , is standing trial alongside Nenadi Usman, a former Minister of Finance, a former National Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, Danjuma Yusuf, and a limited liability company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.
The trial of the defendants had first commenced in 2016 before Justice Muslim S.Hassan.
However, midway into the trial before Justice Hassan, who has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal, the case file was transferred to Justice Rilwan Aikawa.
While the matter was pending before Justice Aikawa, the defendants’ pleas were taken.
As a result, the case file was transferred to the new Judge, Justice Osiagor for the matter to start afresh.
However, Fani-Kayode, who is the second defendant, was not in court to take his plea.
Buhari, therefore, urged the court to revoke his bail.
In his response, Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, F. B. Ajudua, pleaded with the court not to revoke his client’s bail.
According to him, “ A letter has been written on his behalf. He is currently on bed rest at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja.”
He further told the court that “He has been attending his trial since the matter commenced in 2016.
He, therefore, prayed the court not to revoke Fani-Kayode’s bail, while also asking for a short adjournment.
The Judge, after going through the Court’s records, discovered that Fani-Kayode had been absent from court five times.
His absence, according to the Judge, had “stalled the smooth hearing of the charge.”
Ajudua opted for the option of a N200,000 fine.
Consequently, Justice Osiagor ordered Fani-Kayode to a fine of N200, 000, 00, which must be paid before the next adjourned date.
The matter was adjourned till November 30, 2021, for the re-arraignment of the defendants.
Headlines
Traffic gridlock returns to Apapa port as Federal government closes Total bridge for maintainance works

“Given the impact the closure will have on Port users, the Authority in partnership with LASTMA, Police, FRSC, and the Nigerian Navy have worked out alternative routes and are on the ground to manage the traffic situation in the affected areas.
“The Authority wishes to solicit the understanding and cooperation of all stakeholders as we continue to support measures to mitigate the temporary disruptions, the NPA pleaded.
Headlines
NIMASA collaborates with NCC to regulate submarine cable operation for enhanced navigational safety on Nigerian waters

The eyewitness reporter
Apparently alarmed by the indiscriminate laying of communication cables and pipelines underneath the Nigerian waters by telecommunications operators and other allied professionals which has the potential of harming the safe navigation of ships, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) has engaged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in a strategic discussion to forge a formidable synergy with other relevant stakeholders with a view to developing a regulatory framework to provide operational guidelines for submarine Cable and Pipeline Operators in Nigeria.
Officials of both organs of Government in Lagos reached this agreement at a pre Audit meeting on submarine cable regulation.
The Director General of NIMASA Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who chaired the meeting, which also had the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) Mr. Dasuki Arabi in attendance, noted that the Agency is committed to the Ease of Doing Business while implementing International Conventions which Nigeria has ratified and domesticated.
He noted that with Nigeria now a destination for global communication players, the time has come to prevent unregulated underwater cable laying, which might become hazardous to shipping.
According to him, “It is worthy to note that marine cable laying has been ongoing for over two decades in Nigerian waters.
“Our focus is to ensure the safety of navigation of shipping in Nigerian waters with all these underwater cables being laid.
“NIMASA is actually developing the guidelines to regulate submarine cable operators in line with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS; which we have ratified and NIMASA is the Agency of Government in Nigeria responsible for its implementation.
“Collaboration is a key component of ease of doing business in the best interest of the country and we will work closely with the NCC to achieve this”.
On his part, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Efosa Idehen, noted that the stakeholders’ dialogue strategy adopted by NIMASA in developing the guidelines would ensure a win-win situation, urging NIMASA management to include the Ministry of Justice, a request NIMASA DG immediately granted.
Also speaking at the meeting was the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms Mr. Dasuki Arabi, who commended NIMASA and NCC for adopting effective Inter-Agency collaboration to avert a potential challenge for the country in the future.
NIMASA had notified submarine and cable operators in Nigeria of a soon-to-be-implemented regulatory guideline for submarine cables and pipelines in Nigeria, in line with the provisions of UNCLOS.
NIMASA and the NCC agreed to identify and resolve areas of likely regulatory overlaps, ensuring a regulatory framework based on consultation to engender the attainment of Nigeria’s digital economy transformation.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Environment and representatives of Submarine Cable operators in Nigeria were also at the meeting.
Customs
Comptroller Nnadi mourns death of retired customs officer, DCG Sanusi

“He passed on about an hour ago at a private hospital in Abuja. The Janaza prayers hold after the Zuhr prayers (1 pm) at the National Mosque, Abuja In Shaa Allah,”
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