Eagles ascend, Ekiti grapples banditry, Army strifes: Weekly roundup of top stories

In this report, PUNCH Online presents the biggest news stories of the week.

The Super Eagles had the Black Antelopes for dinner as they cruised into the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations. The country is still reeling from banditry, as the abduction and subsequent deaths of two Ekiti monarchs sent shockwaves across the nation. The Nigerian Army has made headlines for reasons unrelated to counterterrorism efforts.

Here are the highlights of the week's biggest news stories, from January 28 to February 3, 2024.

The Nigerian Army: Allegations, abuse, and a fair pay

The Nigerian Army made headlines this week. It started with a PUNCH interview where a female soldier, Lance Corporal Philomena Nnamoko, revealed that she regrets joining the Army, alleging harassment, abuse, and denial of medical care by her superiors. However, it has been reported that Nnamoko was beaten by her superiors after the news report and taken to a psychiatric hospital.

This came just weeks after another female soldier, Ruth Ogunleye, alleged sexual harassment by her superiors and claimed she was frequently beaten by her superiors and forcibly taken to a psychiatric hospital. New information about Ogunleye surfaced last week when the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, revealed that Ogunleye had been put in a rehabilitation centre. Kennedy-Ohanenye said she was in good condition. In a recent development, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, issued a directive to all officers of the Nigerian Army, instructing them to refrain from making any additional comments regarding the allegations of maltreatment made by Ogunleye, in a document seen by PUNCH Online.

In addition, a Nigerian soldier stationed in Maiduguri, Borno State, expressed frustration at being unable to visit his family due to high transport fare. The soldier claimed that the cost of transportation to his hometown was N35,000, which amounted to N70,000 for a round trip, while he earned a salary of N50,000 monthly. This brings attention to the recent uproar regarding the low wages for Nigeria's security personnel.

Ekiti double tragedy

Tragedy struck in Ekiti State on Monday night in the Ajoni Local Government Area of the state when armed persons killed  two monarchs—Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Ogunsakin, and Onimojo of Omojola-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Olusola.

A third monarch from Ara-Ekiti in Ikole LGA was able to escape from the armed men. The same day, agroup of armed individuals intercepted the school bus carrying 25 students and four staff members in the Emure community of Ekiti State. The incident occurred as the children were being transported home after school hours. The kidnappers eventually lowered the demand to N15 million for the abductees after first requesting N10 million for each of them.They threatened to hurt the hostages if the ransom was not paid on time, stating that the kids were already weak and warning the family to pay immediately.

“Religious sect”?

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission revealed that a religious sect was laundering money for some terrorists, as it was able to trace the N7bn to the account of a religious organisation. The commission's chairman,  Ola Olukoyede, stated that the EFCC was investigating a fraud case when it discovered that N7bn of the total amount was linked to a religious body's bank account. He said when the antigraft agency tried to approach the religious sect, it was shown a restraining order, which stopped further investigation.

This sparked outrage, with many Netizens asking for the name of the religious organisation. The EFCC has, however, clarified that the religious sect is neither a church nor a mosque but simply a “religious sect.”

Ogun banker's vanishing act

The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed that Olumide Openaike, a staff member of Kemta Oloko Microfinance Bank, who was reported missing, staged his abduction over a debt of N1.7m. Openaike made headlines when PUNCH Online broke the news that the missing Ogun banker was found in faraway Niger State.

The police spokesperson, SP Omolola Odutola, however, disclosed that Openaike diverted the money meant for the bank for personal use, leading to depression. To save his face, he staged his abduction. Openaike was found in Mokwa, Niger State, and upon investigation, the police uncovered the deception. He is now in police custody.

Eagles soar, Antelopes weep

In the quarterfinals of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, the Super Eagles secured a spot in the semi-finals by defeating Angola 1-0, with forward Ademola Lookman scoring the winning goal. Despite a promising start, Nigeria faced pressure from Angola, and Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles' goalkeeper, made a crucial save. Lookman scored in the 41st minute, securing his third goal of the tournament. Nigeria defended well and had a goal ruled out for offside. The Super Eagles will now face the winner of the South Africa vs. Cape Verde quarterfinals in the semi-finals on February 7.

The match was dedicated to the memory of the late Samuel Okwaraji, a Nigerian international who slumped and died while playing in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Angola.

Billionaire takes FBN

Femi Otedola, a multibillionaire businessman, has been appointed the chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria Holdings' board of directors, replacing Ahmad Abdullahi. In a corporate notice, the financial institution announced Otedola's appointment. Otedola had been nominated as a non-executive director in August 2023. Otedola owns almost 5.65% of the shares of FBN Holdings Plc, making him the company's largest stakeholder. Investors are confident in Otedola's ability to lead, highlighting his experience as corporate chairman and projecting favourable effects on dividends and capital growth. This appointment adds to Otedola's role as the chairman of Geregu Power Plc.

Rivers: Crisis Infinity

Governor Siminalayi Fubara named a former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, as his Chief of Staff. A Federal High Court in Abuja issued arrest warrants for Ehie and five other individuals over the explosion at the Rivers State House of Assembly. Meanwhile, a restraining order granted by the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt stopped the police from taking Ehie into custody. This developing story further deepens the ongoing Rivers crisis, which has been escalating for several months.

Household of David

The Household of David Church's multi-million naira auditorium in Ikeja, Lagos State, was involved in a fire incident. The fire occurred at about 10am. on Wednesday, and the Lagos State Fire Service spokesperson, Amodu Shakiri, confirmed that the church's auditorium ceiling was overheating, causing it to collapse and ignite a fire. The property damaged included the majority of the church's furnishings.