NEWS
FG to Confer Integrity, Public Servant Award on NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar

By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu will early next month confer 2023 Integrity and Public Servant of the Year Award to the Director General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman.
This is as the awardee dedicated the Award to the Leadership and Staff of the National Assembly, their counterparts in NILDS and the Media.
The presentation of the Award as contained in a letter signed by Dr Mohammed Ibrahim would be held at the State House Conference Centre.
Dr. Ibrahim is the National Coordinator of the Award – giving Institutions which are the Public Service Institutes (PSI), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPP) and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
The DG NILDS as stated in the Award letter titled: ” Nomination as a Public Servant of the Year” (Shehu Shagari Gold Medal), secured the highest number of votes after an extensive three-month consultation and rigorous voting process conducted by a panel of 51 members from the PCI – Technical Advisory Committee, representing five strategic Public Institutions in Nigeria.
Dr Ibrahim in the letter added that “” The Award presentation has received full endorsement from the presidency and technical support from the Public Service Institutes (PSI), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)”,
The letter further explained that the former Minister of National Planning, has been recognized for his exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s democratic institutions, a recognition validated by esteemed national and international organizations.
“This year’s edition of the award will coincide with the Nigerian Regulators Conference & Retreat, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to present plaques and medals to deserving recipients.
“The Award is in recognition of Professor Sulaiman’s transformational leadership style and remarkable accomplishments over the years and in particular, in NILDS, within the last five years,” Dr Ibrahim added in the letter.
Reacting to the Award at the Head Office of NILDS on Tuesday, Professor Sulaiman said it was a pleasant surprise to him.
” I never knew that credible public institutions totaling 51, were observant of my contribution to national development in NILDS.
” I’m elated by the Award and see it as a call to do more. I dedicate it to the leadership and members of the National Assembly, management and staff of NIILDS and of course, the media for the usual coverage and reportage of our activities geared towards deepening democratic governance in Nigeria “, he said.
NEWS
Court Remands Man Over Alleged Shop Burgling, Escape from Custody

A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, on Wednesday, remanded Mubarak Ajadi, 18, in Agodi Correctional Centre for allegedly breaking into some shops and stealing N20,000.Ajadi pleaded not guilty when the five-count charge of breaking in, malicious damage, stealing and escape from lawful custody, were read to him.
Report says that the defendant, who was unable to meet the terms of the N100,000 bail, was later remanded in custody. The Magistrate, Mrs O.O. Latunji had admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two reliable sureties in like sum.Latunji said that the two sureties must be blood relations.She subsequently adjourned the case until July 3 for hearing.Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Oluseye Akinola, had told the court that the defendant committed the offences on June 10, at 1:30 a.m., at Iyemetu-Aladorin, opposite Floreb Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State.Akinola said that Ajadi broke into the shops of three traders; Funke Adeniji, Iyabo Olatunji and Omobolanle Folorunso.According to the prosecutor, the defendant stole a cash sum of N20,000 from the shop of Olatunji and damaged the sealing of Folorunso’s shop before gaining access into it.He said that the total cost of the damaged ceiling was N20,000.Akinola said that the defendant was eventually caught by members of the vigilante group guarding the shops.The prosecutor also stated that the defendant escaped from lawful custody by jumping over the fence of Iyemetu’s police station while he was still being interrogated.He said that the offences contravened the provisions of Section 412, 390 (9) 356 and 42 of the Criminal Code , Cap 38, Vol. ii Law of Oyo State ,2000. (NAN)NEWS
17 Police Officers Injured in 2nd Night of Ballymena Riots

Seventeen police officers have been injured following a second consecutive night of sustained violence in Ballymena, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed.PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned that the ongoing rioting “risks undermining” the criminal justice process into an alleged sexual assault involving a teenage girl in the County Antrim town over the weekend.
Stormont ministers issued an urgent appeal for calm, insisting that the justice process must be allowed to run its course. In a joint statement, ministers from across the power-sharing executive said those involved in the disorder “have nothing to offer society but division and destruction.”Police reported that officers came under sustained attack for several hours, with petrol bombs, heavy masonry, bricks, and fireworks being thrown at them in the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena on Tuesday night.Riot police were deployed, with officers using plastic baton rounds, water cannon, and dog units to try to disperse the crowds.Sporadic disorder was also reported in Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, and north Belfast.The violence followed a peaceful protest earlier in the week, held in support of the family of a girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted in the area.Two teenage boys have been charged in connection with the case and spoke to the court via a Romanian interpreter.During Tuesday night’s unrest in Ballymena, multiple businesses and homes were damaged, and several vehicles were set on fire. Police confirmed that:Seventeen officers were injured, with some requiring hospital treatment.Five individuals were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and remain in custody.One male was arrested for disorderly behaviour on O’Neill Road in Newtownabbey.Roads in affected areas were temporarily closed to ensure public safety but have since been reopened.Fifteen officers were also injured during similar violence in Ballymena on Monday night. (dpa/NAN)Foreign News
Pope Leo Prays for Victims of Austrian School Shooting

Pope Leo XIV said on Wednesday that he was praying for the victims of the mass shooting in a school in the Austrian city of Graz.
“I would like to express my prayers for the victims of the tragedy at the Graz school,” Leo said during his weekly audience in the Vatican.
Leo added that he is keeping the families, teachers, and fellow pupils in his thoughts.
According to police, a 21-year-old former pupil at the school entered the grounds on Tuesday and opened fire, killing 10 pupils aged between 15 and 17 as well as a teacher.
He then shot himself.
Eleven people remain in the hospital, most of them in intensive care.
All are now reported to be in a stable condition.
Graz, in south-eastern Austria, is home to around 300,000 people. (dpa/NAN)