Amid Naira crisis, CBN ends cash swap programme
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has ended its cash swap programme for rural and unbanked Nigerians amid the current currency scarcity.
The CBN Acting Spokesperson, Isa Abdulmumin, recently disclosed to journalists that the programme had achieved its mandate.
He said, “The programme has stopped. The cash swap was not in perpetuity and had a lifeline.”
However, a financial expert and Professor of Management & Account at Lead City University, Ibadan, Godwin Oyedokun, described the programme as ineffective and unable to achieve its objective.
Oyedokun explained that with the continued currency scarcity, it is evident that the cash swap programme was unsuccessful.
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He added that the Naira redesign policy is needless and has continued to cause pain and hardship to Nigerians.
Gunmen Kill 17 In Fresh Kaduna Village Attack
At least 17 people have been killed after gunmen attacked Ungwar Wakili village in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Sources said the casualties are mostly women and children including a woman and her newborn baby.
An earlier report had stated that fifteen persons died, however, two of three other persons who sustained injuries, have died of their wounds.
Although the police authorities are yet to comment on the incident, however, the Executive Chairman of Zango Kataf Local Government Area, Francis Sani told Channels Television that the gunmen suspected to be militia herders invaded the community at about 9pm on Saturday and started shooting sporadically on people’s houses.
The chairman disclosed that fifteen locals mostly women and children were killed in the process, either from gunshots or machete cuts.
He further explained that the gunmen operated for some hours without any resistance from security operatives despite being located close to a mobile police checkpoint.
According to the local government Chairman, those who sustained injuries have been taken to the hospital for treatment, while the remains of the victims will be given a mass burial after normalcy has been restored
Meanwhile, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Ungwan Juju, Mabuhu, Ungwan Wakili and Zangon Urban with immediate effect. This is to allow men of the Nigerian Army to restore peace in the area.
Goods destroyed as fire ravages Rivers market
Goods worth millions have been destroyed after fire ravaged the popular Oil Mill Market located along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
The inferno, whose cause could not be determined, was said to have started on Saturday morning.
An eyewitness said the fire raged for many hours before fire fighters arrived to put it out.
One of the victims, who spoke in confidence, said she recently borrowed money to purchase goods, which were all consumed by the fire.
She said: “This morning I was still sleeping when I received a call that the market was on fire. When I got there, all my goods and those of others had been destroyed.
“A trailer load of yam, garri and charcoal which we off loaded were all burnt. Women are crying because what they have been using to manage their life have been lost.
“Please Governor Wike come and help us. We are dying because of the fire.”
The Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Rumuokwrushi, O. C Wosu said the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
We won't accept old naira notes until we hear from Buhari, CBN — Ekiti traders
Many traders, business owners, service providers, and others in Ekiti state have continued to reject the old N500 and N1,000 notes despite the supreme court’s judgment.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that many residents of the state are frustrated by the rejection of the old naira notes amidst the growing scarcity of the new notes across major banks in the state.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that in the markets, filling stations, supermarkets and other business centers, the old N500 and N1,000 notes were not allowed for business transactions.
Also, transporters, including motorcyclists, taxi drivers and interstate drivers, were seen rejecting the old notes from their passengers across the state.
It was gathered that the decision of the traders and business owners in Ekiti state to reject the old notes might not be unconnected with the policy of banks in the state not to collect the old notes as deposit from customers.
Some traders and business owners who spoke with Nigerian Tribune said they would only collect the old notes from residents after clear direction from President Muhammadu Buhari and the governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele.
According to Mrs Joke Ajakaye at the popular Oja’ba market in Ado-Ekiti, she noted that unlike the old N200 notes, which was ordered back to circulation by the president through a nationwide broadcast, that has not been done with the N500 and N1000 notes.
Ajakaye said, ” If you see what we are facing in the banks, you will know it is a risk to collect the old notes from the people because the banks are not accepting the old ones as deposits, so what do you want us to do here?
” I am only collecting transfers from people who don’t have the new N500 and 1,000 notes, that is the situation with me and everybody in the market.”
Police in Ogun arrest ritualists who exhume corpses from graves
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a gang that specialisegraves
xhuming corpses from graves and removing body parts for ritual purposes.
Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi on Sunday announced that the suspects, Oshole Fayemi, 60, Oseni Adesanya, 39, Ismaila Seidu, 30, Oseni Oluwasegun, 69 and Lawal Olaiya, 50, were arrested on Saturday in Odogbolu.
They were nabbed following a tip-off that led the Divisional Police Officer of Odogbolu Division, Godwin Idehai and his men to their hideout shortly before they embark on another human parts harvest in Ososa town.
According to Oyeyemi, the suspects confessed they were in the business of exhuming corpses from graves.
“They said that they usually sold the exhumed body parts to their clients who used them for money-making rituals,” said the Police PRO who further disclosed that Commissioner of Police Frank Mba has directed the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and prosecution.
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