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P&ID: Court strikes out case against Grace Taiga after receiving her death certificate

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A federal capital territory (FCT) high court sitting in Maitama has struck out the criminal case against Grace Taiga, former director of legal services at the ministry of petroleum resources.

Taiga was arrested and charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of receiving payments from Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) to skew the controversial 20-year gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) against Nigeria.

The EFCC alleged that Taiga received illegal payments from Marshpearl Limited, a company controlled by the owners of P&ID, through her daughter.

After retirement, she reportedly continued receiving payments from P&ID directors.

She was also accused of failing to follow due process in giving legal advice on the GSPA.

On September 20, 2019, a federal high court in Abuja remanded her at the Suleja prison after she pleaded “not guilty” to an eight-count charge of fraud brought against her by the EFCC.

Tiaga was later granted bail while the charge against her was amended to 13 counts.

During the trial, the prosecution called eight witnesses to testify against the defendant and closed its case on February 27, 2023.

The court asked the defendant to open her defence.

When the case came up on November 4, 2023, Daniel Alumun, counsel to Taiga, told the court that the defendant passed away on August 1, 2023, at a hospital in Abuja.

Alumun tendered a letter, titled, “Hospital Death Declaration”, from Primus International Super Speciality Hospital, Karu New Extension, Abuja, to notify the court of Taiga’s demise.

The defendant’s counsel urged the court to dismiss the charge.

However, Mohammed Hussain, EFCC counsel, insisted that a death certificate must be brought before the court by the defence.

Hussain said the request was in compliance with the law before the court could dismiss the case.

Olukayode Adeniyi, the presiding judge, directed that a death certificate be produced before the court.

At the resumed court session on Wednesday, counsel to the defendant brought the certified true copy of the death certificate.

The lawyer told the court that he had already served the prosecution as well as the court.

Alumun added that the death was registered on February 29, 2024, with the National Population Commission (NPC).

Consequently, the charge was struck out.

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Lagos police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin promoted to CSP

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Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, has been promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).

Hundeyin took over from Adekunle Ajisebutu as Lagos police spokesman in 2022 while he was Superintendent of Police (SP).

On Wednesday, he shared photos of himself being decorated by Lagos police commissioner, Ishola Olawale.

“Behold the latest Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) in town. It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes,” Hundeyin wrote on X.

Hundeyin holds a BA (Hons) in English Language from the Lagos State University and an MSc in Legal Criminology and Security Psychology from the University of Ibadan.

He also holds a certificate in Civil-Military Coordination from the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Training Centre, Jaji, Kaduna.

He is an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM).

Hundeyin was a one-time PPRO at the Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos and was a member of the Nigerian contingent to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur, Sudan (UNAMID) in 2020.

He was the administration officer at the Force Public Relations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

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‘I am currently at my home in Onitsha’ — Obi debunks rumoured arrest in Abuja

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Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, has denied the recent rumour that he has been arrested in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

On Tuesday, some social media users claimed that Obi was purportedly arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services in Abuja.

In a statement published on his X handle on Wednesday, Obi condemned the “recurrently fake news” about his purported arrest by security operatives.

The former Anambra governor said he is currently at his residence in Onitsha, adding the motive of the fake news merchants cannot be positive.

“I have been made aware of a circulating fake news about my alleged arrest. Let me state unequivocally that these claims are entirely false,” Obi said.

“I am currently at my home in Onitsha. Anambra State. Such fake News on my person has become a pastime for some people.

“Recall last year September, when I was in Rwanda, similar lies had gone out that DSS invaded my house; now, while I was in my home in Onitsha, Anambra State, they said I was arrested in Abuja.”

“The motive of these peddlers cannot be positive but let us not allow baseless rumors to distract us from the critical challenges we face as a nation.”

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OpenAI chief, Sam Altman, debunks sister’s sexual abuse accusations

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Open AI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday denied allegations from his sister Annie Altman, who has filed a complaint accusing him of childhood sexual abuse.

“…Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, especially Sam,” the boss of the California startup said in a letter co-signed by his mother and two brothers, and published on social platform X.

“Our family loves Annie and is very concerned about her well-being. Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is incredibly difficult,” they wrote.

One of Silicon Valley’s more charismatic figures, Altman shot to global fame with the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, which ignited a race to advance AI research and development.

A prolific entrepreneur and already a billionaire, Altman, 39, has set himself the mission of developing a so-called “general” AI, with cognitive abilities similar to those of humans and which “benefits all of humanity”.

The Altman family said that they have tried to help their daughter and sister, covering her expenses and guaranteeing her “monthly financial support, which we expect to continue for the rest of her life”.

“Despite this, Annie continues to demand more money from us,” they said, pointing out that they have decided to respond publicly following Anne’s legal complaint filed on Monday, and after years of tension.

“The worst allegation she has made is that she was sexually abused by Sam as a child,” said the family.

“Her claims have evolved drastically over time. Newly for this lawsuit, they now include allegations of incidents where Sam was over 18.

“All these claims are utterly untrue.”

According to the complaint, Annie — who is nine years younger than Sam Altman — alleges the assaults took place from 1997, when she was three, until 2006.

In a report for New York Magazine in 2023, a journalist who met Annie in Hawaii described her as an artist suffering from depression and the growing rift with her family and supporting herself mainly through online sex work.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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