Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

Reactions have continued to trail Saturday’s suicide attack in Gwoza, Borno State, which claimed about 30 lives so far.

The attack is said to be the handiwork of Boko Haram terrorists which has been fighting the country for over 20 years now for the institutionalization of shari’a law and the abolishment of western education, among other demands.

Reacting to Saturday’s attack however, the Borno State Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sugun Mai Mele, said the attack on Gwoza was an indication of security lapses.

According to him, there is laxity in screening exercises by security personnel for not detecting the explosives that were smuggled in.

“The blasts were smuggled in through the women who went to the farm. They usually go to their farms early in the morning, pass through the military gate and when returning they come through the military gate again. But they smuggled it through the women who were coming back from the farm.

“There is a level of laxity on the part of the security in the screening exercise. Before now when farmers were going out to the farm, they issued tags and they would be registered.

“When they came back in the evening, they showed their tags and the security personnel marked them. So anybody that did not come back during the closing hours then they should be arrested or they would not be allowed in.

“Yet these women entered and disguised themselves as farmers. I learnt that one of them was even carrying a baby. When she went to the venue of the incident she started begging and people had even started giving her alms, she suddenly detonated the bomb,” he said.

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

Ecobank Nigeria has unveiled a deposit mobilisation campaign ‘Ecobank Super Rewards Millionaire Geng Promo’ targeted at rewarding customers’ loyalty.

The six-month campaign, which is set to run between July 1 and December 31, 2024, will see 540 customers of the Pan African bank winning various monetary rewards.

Announcing the commencement of the campaign, the head, Consumer Banking, Adeola Ogunyemi said, it is part of the bank’s strategy to reward customers’ loyalty, adding that, it would also deepen financial inclusion for all classes of Nigerians, especially, those in the rural and semi-urban areas.

She explained that participation is open to both new and existing individual customers of the bank across the country, who qualify to be rewarded, while also enjoying a first-grade banking experience.

According to her, “Under the reward initiative, 520 of our customers will win N50,000 monthly for six months; 16 customers are expected to win N500,000 quarterly in September and December and four customers will win N2,000,000 each at the end of the campaign. We expect many Nigerians particularly those that are yet to have account with us to avail themselves of this opportunity and enjoy the top-notch services that we offer.”

Speaking on the dynamics of the campaign, head, Consumer Segments & Products, Victor Yalokwu, stated that, the conditions to qualify for the campaign were made simple and easy, all in a bid to ensure both new and existing customers participate and get rewarded.

According to him, “New customers only need to open an account with a minimum of N10,000 and maintain it for 30 days to qualify for the monthly draw which also applies to existing customers. To qualify for the quarterly draw, new and existing customers are expected to deposit and maintain a minimum amount of N50,000 for three months consecutively while to qualify for the grand prize, customers are expected to deposit and maintain a minimum amount of N50,000 for six months consecutively. In addition, customers are expected to perform a minimum of two transactions monthly.”

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

The Labour Party has demanded immediate release of Dr. Chigbo Okoli, the Chairman of its Sub-Committee on Registration and Revalidation of its National Transition Committee.

The Chairman and Secretary of the NTC, Abdulwahed Omar and Nnawuihe Nwauwa, made the demand in a statement.

In the statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja, the party officials said Okoli was arrested by persons suspected to be officers of the Nigeria Police Force and had been held incommunicado.

The statement said: “On Tuesday, the 25th of June 2024, around 2pm, gun-wielding armed policemen swooped on Dr Okoli after he left the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Federal Capital Territory Command.

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

No fewer than three persons were injured in a building that collapsed in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday.

No life was, however, lost to the incident.

The PUNCH reported that a four-bedroom apartment located opposite Stanbic IBTC Bank in Area 11, caved in on Monday evening.

It was gathered that the old structure was undergoing renovation before the incident.

Many people working on the structure were said to have been trapped in the building when it caved in around 8:40 pm on Monday.

A situation report sent to our correspondent on Tuesday by the Director of the FCT Fire Service, Amiola Adebayo, said no life was lost to the incident.

Adebayo added that three injured persons had been taken to the hospital for treatment.

The report read, “The three people injured have been taken to Hospital.

“It’s an old four-storey building undergoing restructuring and renovation. Other workers on the ground confirmed that no one else remained inside the rubble.

“Excavation and evacuation of the rubles stopped at 1.30am to resume 7am, July 2, 2024.”

The FCT police spokesperson Josephine Adeh also confirmed the incident.

Adeh said, “In response to the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, promptly moved to the scene with multiple patrol teams as first responders to cordon off the area for possible rescue.

“Three victims were successfully evacuated from the collapsed building and rushed to the hospital for medical care.

“The attention of the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria and FCT Development Control has been drawn to the situation, and their personnel have taken charge of the area for robust management of the scene.”

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has ordered security agents to launch a massive manhunt for perpetrators of Sunday’s kidnapping along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Expressway.

DAILY POST reported that the travellers were kidnapped by gunmen between Sagamu Area Command of the Nigeria Police and Ilisan township.

One of the victims was shot in the knee but managed to escape.

According to security sources, the kidnapping was an insider’s job, as all the victims who are foreign nationals arrived in the country the same day the incident occurred, adding that they were probably trailed to the location where the kidnapping took place.

Governor Abiodun, however, in a statement on Tuesday, said the state will not be allowed to become a den for kidnappers, and promised that the perpetrators would be smoked out and punished.

Abiodun said all security agencies, including the police, the army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun, So Safe Corps and local hunters were on the trail of the kidnappers with arrays of security gadgets, including drones.

He assured the people that their security was guaranteed as the present administration had committed so much to secure the state.

Abiodun said, “Following Sunday’s kidnapping incident that occurred in Ilishan, we want to reassure all residents that decisive action is being taken to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure the safe return of the victims.

“The security forces have launched a comprehensive manhunt and are working tirelessly to track down the kidnappers. Additional security measures and patrols have also been deployed to the affected area and across the state to prevent any further incidents.”

“We understand the concerns and anxiety this incident has caused, but we want to emphasize that Ogun State remains a safe place to live, work, and visit.

“The government is committed to maintaining law and order and will not relent in its efforts to protect the lives and property of all citizens,” he added.

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

According to information gathered from SaharaReporters that the decision, SaharaReporters gathered, was issued during the community’s meeting held at Okpoota village square in Amaizu community during the weekend.

The Ehugbo Community in Ebonyi State has reaffirmed its ban on the sale and consumption of cow meat, directing the Ekpuke Eto age grade to enforce the ban in the Eke market.

The community’s General Assembly, comprising various age grades and associations, also established an enforcement team to seize and destroy any cow meat found in the market.

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

The Nigerian Army has declared that the country has receded into a state of war, following the recent bombings in Borno State that left scores dead and injured.

In a statement, Major General Edward Buba, Director Defence Media Operations, described the terror attacks as “comprising multiple Person-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (PBIED), otherwise known as suicide bombings”.

The attacks occurred on Saturday, June 29, 2024, in the Gworza Local Government Area of Borno State.

A female suicide bomber disguised as a beggar detonated an improvised explosive device at a wedding reception, killing and injuring several people.

According to Buba, as troops and hybrid forces enforced a curfew to prevent further casualties, a third explosion targeted them, killing a soldier and two members of the hybrid forces.

He said, “The third explosion targeted the troops enforcing the curfew. The troops were attacked from behind by a third lady strapped with IED vest. The blast killed a soldier and two members of hybrid forces.

“The fourth incident was averted when the suspect was identified early enough and she detonated the bomb prematurely whereby she became the only casualty. On the whole, 20 persons were killed while 52 sustained various degrees of injuries and receiving treatment.”

Buba said the armed forces view every life lost as a result of the ongoing war, whether civilian or military, as an immense tragedy.

He said, “The sad loss of lives is a tragedy for the society, community and the nation.

“Accordingly, on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen CG MUSA, officers and members of the armed forces, we express our condolences even as we mourn with all who have lost loved ones. We also commiserate with all victims needing healing and recovery.

“Given that we are in a state of war, it must be recognised that this despicable act is a response to recent successes in ongoing military operations. Indeed, our recent operations have decapitated the leadership of the terrorists, depleted their resources, reduced their support base and reduced their influence.

He added, “Citizens must see through the smoke screen of the terrorist. We must realise that the terrorist aims to counter the reports of their weakness and create panic in the general population.

“The military is aware that in this phase of their ending life-cycle, the terrorists are desperate to attract attention, bolster relevancy, mobilise new recruits, reduce support for the armed forces and reduce support for the government.”

The army therefore called on citizens to stand united, remain vigilant, and continue to support efforts of the armed forces, to ensure a secure and peaceful future.

He said, “The fate of the terrorists that perpetrated this insecurity will be violent and short as troops will stop at nothing to take them out of the battlefield.”

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

On Friday June 28, 2024, Kogi state born Dada Welther married two beautiful women on the same day, different time…
The Reception held the next day..
Seems there are more women than men these days!!!

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

Nigeria’s money supply (M3) has surged to nearly N100 trillion, hitting a new peak of N99.24 trillion in May 2024.

The latest money and credit statistics data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reveals a month-on-month (M-o-M) increase of 2% from N96.97 trillion the previous month and a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth of 78% from N55.69 trillion in the same month of the previous year.

This growth comes in the face of the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) stringent measures aimed at controlling inflation.

Aside from March 2024 when there was a marginal M-o-M decline of 3% from a record N93.9 trillion in February, M3 has been on a steady rise, defying CBN’s tightening monetary policy efforts.

The figure recorded in May 2024 exceeded the previous high recorded in April after the slight decline in March.

News continues after this ad
Increase in net domestic assets in May 2024

Nairametrics further observed that the increase in net domestic assets drove the surge in M3 in May 2024. The CBN data shows that net domestic assets rose by 23% from N68.25 trillion in April 2024 to N83.9 trillion.

Net foreign assets, on the other hand, declined by 47% to N15.34 trillion in May 2024 from N28.73 trillion in the previous month.

M3 encompasses both net foreign assets and net domestic assets, painting a holistic picture of the nation’s monetary dynamics.

It is also M1 (monies that are very liquid such as cash, checkable (demand) deposits, and traveler’s checks) plus CBN bills, while M2 represents currency outside banks plus demand deposits and quasi-money (investments).

Despite the MPC’s tightening stance, which typically aims to curb excess liquidity in the economy to control inflation, the money supply has shown resilience.

The consistent increase in M3 suggests underlying factors driving liquidity growth, potentially including government spending.

During the MPC meeting held in March this year, Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the CBN, said that government purchases of palliatives are a contributing factor to rising food prices in Nigeria.

Cardoso stressed the importance of combining monetary policy with fiscal measures and structural reforms, especially in agriculture, electricity, and energy sectors. These steps are crucial for long-term investment and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.

What you should know

Emem Usoro, CBN’s Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, in her personal statement at the MPC meeting in January 2024 noted that: “Notably, broad money and inflation have moved almost in tandem as broad money supply (M3) expanded by 18.25% at the end of January 2024. This growth was ascribed to a rise in other deposits, transferable deposits, and securities other than shares, by 26.55%, 4.73%, and 99.98%, respectively.

“From the asset side, Net Domestic Asset (NDA) contributed significantly to broad money growth while Net Foreign Asset (NFA) subdued growth in broad money. The steady rise in inflation has resulted in negative real interest rates.”

She also said that inflationary pressures may persist in the near term partly due to several factors, such as the lingering impact of PMS adjustments, import costs, exchange rate passthrough, and growth in money supply.

The rise in money supply typically indicates increased liquidity in the financial system, which can stimulate economic growth.

With more money circulating in the economy, businesses may find it easier to access credit for expansion and investment. This can lead to higher production, job creation, and overall economic development.

Additionally, the increase in money supply can boost consumer spending, driving demand for goods and services and encouraging further economic activity.

However, a significant increase in money supply also has the potential to fuel inflation. When more money chases the same amount of goods and services, prices tend to rise.

Nigeria, which has been grappling with inflationary pressures, may see a further increase in inflation rates if the growth in money supply is not matched by a corresponding increase in production. This can erode purchasing power and impact the cost of living, particularly for lower-income households.

The rise in money supply despite the MPC’s tightening measures highlights the complexities of monetary policy management. Under CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso, the interest rate has been hiked by about 750 basis points from 18.75% to 26.25%. The MPC’s tightening stance is typically aimed at reducing liquidity to control inflation.

However, the current trend suggests that other factors, such as increased government spending are contributing to the growth in the money supply.

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Combo

Following the destruction of farmlands belonging to Oge Community and burning of farm produce such as Yam, Cocoyam, Maize and Cassava by suspected agents of Ayegunle community in Akoko, Ondo state over land tussle, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has been urged to urgently intervene to avoid a bloodbath.

Already, the Oge Community/Kingdom has petitioned the Inspector General of Police on the provocative actions of the Ayegunle community onv22/05/2020 with the office of the IGP replying vide Ref:….dated 9/6/2020…

However, in a counter action, the Ayegunle Community went to the Zone 17 Police Command, Akure to lay a complaint against Oge Community resulting in Police from the Zone storming Oge community and arresting one Mr. Sunday Onileowo on Thursday June 20, 2024 and taking him to Akure.

A statement by Dr. Johnson Oyewole on behalf of Oge community said the Police stormed the Oge community on 20 June,2024 and began to search for whom to arrest, assaulting and disturbing the peace of the community and finally took away Mr Sunday Onileowo to Akure and detained until the community embarked on peaceful Protests the following day which made the police to release the man.

He added that the Zone 17 Command is still threatening a mass arrest of indigenes of Oge community over the land tussle.

Continuing, Dr Johnson Oyewole told newsmen that, ‘Presently the Oge community/Kingdom is in turmoil and needs urgently intervention by the police, it is imperative that if timeous intervention of the IGP is not carried out, the actions of the a Former Council Boss and his loyalists will surely lead to a serious Breach of the peace and order in the entire community”

Dr Oyewole recalled that following the outbreak of the conflict on the land tussle and attack on a farmer, Oge community reported the matter of Ayegunle tresspassing into their land to the Police Station in Okeagbe.

The police advised the victim to go back and observe the actions of the perpetrators and to report back to them which he did, only to discover that an agent of one the leaders from Ayegunle community was armed with a Dane gun and cutlass and sent by his boss to kill the victim.

The police consequently arrested the agent. In addition, another 4 armed men were said to have been sent to another farmland belonging to one Mr Adeyemi Taiwo & Kehinde where in they reported to the police.

They all confessed to have been sent by a former Council Boss in the area and the Division Police officer advised them to channel their complaint to the Area Commander, Ikare for discreet investigation which they did.

However, the suspects still refused to turn up or honour the Police investigation. It is upon this premise that the Oge Kingdom petitioned the office of thr IGP.

“It was when the suspects got wind of the petition to IGP, that they connived with some Policemen in Zone 17, Akure and formed an unholy alliance by storming Oge Kingdom on Thursday 20 June, 2024.

Reiterating the need for the intervention of the IGP, he said the provocative actions being perpetrated against the King, Chiefs and People of Oge Kingdom must stop forthwith to prevent a serious Breach of the peace and order in the entire community.

Recall that following the disagreement between the Ayegunle Community and Oge Community both in Okeagbe, Akoko, Ondo state and bloody attacks over land ownership, the traditional ruler of Oge community has since flee to Lagos for safety over threats to his life.

The Oge community has also sent a ‘save our lives’ letter to the Inspector general of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to save them from constant attacks and destruction of their property by alleged agents of Ayegunle community.

The letter by Chief Wale Dickson, the second highest ranking Chief in Oge community disclosed that Ayegunle, a small quarters in Akoko, is dragging ownership of a land with the people of Oge Kingdom who are the original owners.

“After several attempts at a peaceful resolution failed, the Division Police waded into the matter but the efforts was incapable and insufficient to stern the tide of the wild fire being struck over the conflict with the people of Ayegunle.

“Some individuals within Ayegunle quarters have decided to use illegal and violence means to keep people of Oge Kingdom away from the disputed land by causing grievous bodily harm and assault on their victims and thereby constituting breach of public peace and an attempt to cause Communal War” Chief Dickson alleged

He disclosed that in 2020 some inhabitants of Oge Kingdom who were returning from the farm at about 2:45pm, were attacked allegedly by the people of Ayegunle with dangerous object such as guns, cutlasses and charms with an attempt to kidnap and abduct them using a bus without plate number.

“These Criminal War Merchants have threatened and are still threatening to kidnap His Royal Highness of Oge Kingdom, Oba Alexander Sanuolu Jimoh, The Owage of Oge kingdom Okeagbe Akoko North/West Ondo State who escaped to Lagos and has been ruling from their for the safety of his life

On the role of the Police, hebsaid, “The community petitioned the IGP through their Counsel Dr J.Oyewole dated 22/05/2020 and the IGP replied vide ref CB:7000/IGP:SEC)ABJ/VOL 483/634 dated 9/5/2020 and directed the Special Tactical Squad to deal.

“The suspects were arrested but while investigation is still ongoing, that the Hon Member of the House of Representatives representing their constituency came to plead with the Police to allow him wade into the matter and settle them since they are both from his constituency which they obliged him.

“But he has failed to fulfill his promise and neither reported back to the police since then, till date.

“Rather, the suspects formed another cabal led by a former chairman of their Local Government area (name witheld) and connived with the police in Zone 17, Akure (allegedly), stormed the Oge Kingdom on 20 July, 2024 where they reportedly scattered the whole community, intimidating, threatening and illegal arrest of citizens, assault and causing breach of peace,

“The people of Oge Kingdom are now calling on the IGP to come to their rescue as the current petition dated 6th June 2024 is still on the IGP table while the Zone 17 Police Command, Akure is now doing a contrary duty”.