A 33-year old man, Alaba Oladepo, was on Tuesday, arraigned before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court, over alleged stealing of a Caterpillar excavator valued N25 million.Oladepo, whose address was not given, is being charged with conspiracy and stealing, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Insp Sikiru Opaleye, told the court that the defendant committed the offence in Nov. 2024, at the Moniya area of Ibadan. Opaleye said that Oladepo stole a D8 Caterpillar excavator valued N25 million, belonging to Olumide Bamidele.The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 383 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State, 2000.The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olabisi Ogunkanmi, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million, with two sureties in like sum.Ogunkanmi said that one of the sureties must be a landed property owner, and that the other must be a blood relation of the defendant.She adjourned the matter to Sept. 2, for hearing.(NAN)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for more international pressure to be placed on Moscow following another night of heavy Russian air attacks on the Ukrainian capital.“Today is one of the largest attacks on Kiev. Odesa, Dnipro region, and Chernihiv region were also targeted,’’ he wrote on the X platform.

These airstrikes had drowned out all efforts by the U. S. and other countries to achieve peace, he said.Zelensky called on the U.S., Europe “and others around the world who called for an end to the war’’ to take action.The response to such Russian attacks must not be silence, he said.There were fires in the capital with a number of buildings destroyed, and there were several injuries, he said.The port city of Odessa was also hit hard, with two people killed and at least 10 others were injured after a drone strike, Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov wrote on Telegram.The Ukrainian Air Force says Russia attacked its neighbour with 315 drones and drone dummies, two North Korean ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles.It said that 284 targets were destroyed, including all missiles and cruise missiles.In the Russian border region of Belgorod, a woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.There were also reports of injuries.The Russian Defence Ministry reported that 102 Ukrainian drones were shot down over several Russian territories and the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.The information provided by the warring parties cannot be independently verified.According to Russian media reports, one of the targets was a drone factory near the city of Yelabuga in the republic of Tatarstan.Russia’s aviation authority placed temporary restrictions on take-offs and landings at 13 airports during Monday night and Tuesday morning, including the airports of Moscow and St. Petersburg. (dpa/NAN)

A former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in South Africa, Mr Bola Babarinde, has described the reconciliation between President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as a great relief.Babarinde made the remark in a statement made available on Tuesday in Lagos.

Tinubu had declared that he has forgiven Sanwo-Olu, saying the rift between them is now resolved. According to report, Tinubu made the comment during a closed-door meeting with members of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos on Saturday. Babarinde, who is the General Secretary of Renewed Hope Global, described the reconciliation as a beacon of hope for the party.He noted that the news of the rift caused concern, while the speculations, criticisms and calls for punishment of an “innocent friend was deeply troubling.”“Thankfully, the recent reconciliation between President Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu offers great relief.“It is a positive sign not just for Lagos, but for Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole.“Peace in Lagos means stability for the entire nation. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Asiwaju of Yorubaland, has once again demonstrated wisdom, forgiveness and political maturity.“He will not regret reuniting with a loyal son like Governor Sanwo-Olu, who worked tirelessly to support him during the 2023 elections, even amidst unexpected setbacks in Lagos,” he said.Babarinde noted that he was proud of Sanwo-Olu’s leadership and accomplishments, as a friend and former school mate.According to him, Sanwo-Olu is a humble, principled, and progressive-minded individual and I can confidently vouch for his character.“If there were missteps, they were certainly not deliberate or intended to hurt Asiwaju Tinubu, and some accusations may have been fabricated by political enemies.“I have been supporting Sanwo-Olu from outside the country until a few years ago when the governor invited me to return and contribute to his administration.“While I wasn’t part of his government formally, I supported him from outside and I remain proud of his leadership.“We pray that peace and cooperation will continue between the executive and legislative arms in Lagos.“May the state retain its place as Nigeria’s number one economy and a source of pride for Africa,” the APC chieftain said. (NAN)