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Notice Of Withdrawal On Criminal Charges Against Seplat Fraudulent — CSO

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warns FG against withdrawing charges

A civil society and good governance advocacy organization, Make a Difference Initiative, has advised the Federal Government to resist the pressure to discontinue the charge against Seplat Energy PLC.

MADI equally dismissed the claims by Seplat that the Federal Government had withdrawn the four-count criminal charges in suit No. FHC/AB/CR/149/2023 slammed on the company; the CEO, Mr Roger Brown; the Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr Basil Omiyi; and others over an alleged criminal breach of Nigeria’s immigration laws and regulations.

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It said its investigation showed that the purported notice of discontinuance of the criminal charge, which also saw six independent non-executive directors dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja, was a stunt as revealed by a review of the conflicting timeline of events shows gross abuse.

The group also argued that the sequence of events did not support the purported notice being brandished by Seplat.

READ ALSO: Anambra: Town Unions Leader Alerts CBN Of Fake N200 Circulation In Communities

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MADI made the assertions in a statement by its Executive Director, Lemmy Ughegbe, on Thursday, in reaction to the said corporate announcement by Seplat.

The group said, “Our attention has been drawn to a misleading claim by Seplat Energy PLC that the Federal Government had withdrawn the four-count criminal charges against the company; the CEO, Mr Roger Brown; the Board Chairman, Mr Basil Omiyi; and six Independent Non-Executive Directors (INED) for allowing Mr Brown to accept employment as the CEO of Seplat Energy PLC without the statutory approval of the Controller-General of Immigration, conspiring among yourselves to allow Mr Brown take over the business as CEO of Seplat Energy PLC without the consent of the Minister of Interior, allowing Mr Roger Brown, a non-Nigerian to accept employment as CEO of Seplat after withdrawal of his visa, resident, and work permits, and for refusing to apply for the Comptroller-General of Immigration’s approval before employing Mr Brown both as Chief Finance Officer and CEO, contrary to the provisions of the Immigration 2015.

“We state that this cannot be true, as our investigation revealed that the so-called notice of withdrawal did not follow due process of the law and does not have the appropriate approval for such an action. Our investigation further revealed that although the defendants are doing everything possible to thwart the legal proceedings by hook or crook, the criminal charges against Seplat and its offending directors remain alive as of today.

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“First, how come the notice of discontinuance was dated 6th April 2023 and only surfaced in court on 19th April 2023? This raises more questions than answers.

READ ALSO: Nigerians’ Pains Will Haunt You, Sowore Knocks Buhari Over Apology

“Secondly, the purported Notice of Withdrawal/Discontinuance was stamped and dated 6th April 2023, the same date the four-count criminal charge was filed against Seplat and its leadership. Could the same FG be filing the charges and the Notice of Withdrawal at the same time?

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“Thirdly, if the FG filed a Notice of Withdrawal/Discontinuance on 6th April as stamped on the suspicious document, how come the four-count criminal charges were served on Seplat on 11th April? Why did the FG and the court have to effect the service of a supposedly withdrawn and discontinued lawsuit?

“Fourthly, Seplat’s, its Directors’ and CEO’s lawsuit against the Nigerian Immigration Service was heard on 13th April. How come Immigration did not inform them or the court that the criminal charges against them had been dropped? Instead, the lawsuit was heard and their prayers not to be arraigned were denied.

“In any case, a mere Notice does not amount to the dismissal of the case, as the court will need to hear the motion. Even then, Immigration will then tell …”
PUNCH

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Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

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It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

READ ALSO:Adeleke Flies To US For Davido’s Wedding

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The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

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Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Hosts Gov Adeleke, Deji Adeleke, Davido In Lagos

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

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Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

READ ALSO:It’s Like He Came Back – Davido Discloses Son’s Resemblance To Late Ifeanyi Adeleke

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A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

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Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

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The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

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The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Kastina Commissioner Assassinated

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

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The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

READ ALSO:Katsina, UNDP To Return 270,000 IDPs To Ancestral Homes

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“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.

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JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

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British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

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It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Former Customs Comptroller-General, Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha, Is Dead

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Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

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A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

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Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.

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