By Sani Idris

Sequel to the humanitarian gesture being planned to project in putting smiles on orphanage homes and other less privileged groups in Nigeria by one of Nigeria's and Africa music mogul, David Adeleke, other wise known by his stage name DAVIDO, to donate N250M, the Arewa Youth Trust Foundation (AYTF), a non-governmental organisation, in Kaduna smiles at the gesture and urged the artist to put eagle eyes on the committee inaugurated to responsibly carried out the task effectively especially in the Northern parts of the country where large number of orphans and vulnerable households exists.

The Team Lead of AYTF, Dr. Fahad Chikaji, in a statement issued to pressmen on Wednesday in Kaduna, said the

N250M if shared judiciously, would go a long way in ameliorating and suppressing to an extent the plights and sufferings of selected orphans in orphanage homes across the country.

Chikaji noted that it was a good deal for the singer to have considered northern part of the country in extending his kind gesture.

"It is a commendable thought for Davido to have remembered orphans in the North because the distance between the region and where he comes from have a cordial and mutual relationship with the North in areas of trade, marriage and other bounding elements,"he said.

"We especially from the AYTF can't thank him better, considering the orphans in the Northern parts of the country and not allowing distance to remain a barrier to the humanitarian gesture".

"Davido, being born far from the north, and for hardly visiting this part of the country but considering it with such kind gesture however not being in touch with some realities we have here even though we are all Nigerian is highly commendable".

“We have numerous orphans in this part of the country that cannot raise their voices unless for some of us the NGOs that have been speaking for them".

"We pray for him and we are ever ready to render our assistance in providing details and locations of the most vulnerable even amongst the orphanages to the person in charge of the distribution in the North," he said.

Chikaji called on prof. Yahana Joel Asabe of the Northern Nigerian Seventh Day Adventist Union Conference who is a member of the committee set up for the exercise to oversee the North to use the opportunity in projecting the integrity of Northerners by doing her job diligently without favoritism or compromise.

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Fani-Kayode says he only had a 'friendly chat' with EFCC, not arrested for fraud

Samson Toromade

November 24, 2021 10:11 AM

Fani-Kayode has hit back at critics who have rejoiced over his reported arrest.

Femi Fani-Kayode [Facebook/Femi Fani-Kayode]

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has doubled down on his claim that he was not arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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Numerous media reports had indicated that he was questioned on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 by the agency's Lagos zonal command over allegations of fraud.

The former minister tweeted late on Tuesday that he was invited for questioning by the anti-graft agency, but not arrested as reported.

He said he flew into Lagos himself and was with the agency for over six hours before he was granted bail on self-recognisance.

Fani-Kayode took to his Twitter again on Wednesday, November 24 to hit back at those who rejoiced over his reported arrest.

"Since when did an invitation & a friendly chat become an arrest?" he tweeted.

The former minister dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in September, a move many critics speculated was a ploy to help him dodge corruption trials he's battled for years.

He said on Wednesday that his move to the party will not shield him from prosecution as was suggested by his critics.

"I am not above the law & neither does joining APC give me immunity," he said.

Fani-Kayode has been on trial since 2016 on a 17-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N4.9 billion.

He's charged alongside a former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, 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 former minister has stalled the case on numerous occasions, claiming health issues, and was fined N200,000 when he failed to show up at the last hearing on October 13.

Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos accused him of stalling court proceedings, after records showed he had been absent from court five times, prompting adjournments.

His lawyer, F. B. Ajudua, appealed to the judge not to revoke his bail, noting that he was at the time on bed rest at Kubwa General Hospital.

The case, which has passed through three judges, was adjourned till November 30.

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