Friday brief: Islamic cleric sentenced to death in Kano
+ Klasha breaks barrier with menstrual leave policy
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Okay, let’s do this: coming up ahead are the stories of an Islamic cleric sentenced to death in Kano and a groundbreaking menstrual policy for women workers in Nigeria.
Second Niger Bridge opens to traffic
To ease congestion for the yuletide season along the old Niger bridge, the Federal Government temporarily opened the Second Niger Bridge to traffic on Thursday, sparking jubilation among road users.
The bridge is President Buhari’s signature project in the South-East, a region where he has never received much love, especially during elections.
“It will be very unfair to criticise a good work. The president has done well in this aspect,” one passenger told TheCable.
The construction is not yet complete - it is scheduled to be finished by the first quarter of 2024 - but the bridge will be opened until January 15.
Ekweremadu’s son blames EFCC for UK ordeal
Llyod, son of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has blamed the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) for the continued detention of his father in the United Kingdom.
Ekweremadu, an ex-deputy president of the Senate, and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police in June over allegations of organ harvesting.
While Beatrice was granted bail in July, Ekweremadu has remained in detention.
Llyod, in a court notice, said the EFCC had written a letter to the London court that supported his father’s continued detention. The graft agency is also seeking the forfeiture of properties linked to the Senator.
Reaction: The EFCC said its letter to UK authorities “was a mere routine” and denied scuppering Ekweremadu’s bail moves. It added that Ekweremadu’s arrest and the agency’s filing for instant forfeiture of the senator’s properties in the same time period was “a mere coincidence.”
What next: Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 25 to decide on the forfeiture of Ekweremadu’s properties.
Related: The EFCC said it has recovered over N30 billion out of the N109 billion alleged to have been fraudulently diverted by suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.
Sharia court sentences cleric to death in Kano
A Sharia court in Kano has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abduljabbar Kabara, to death by hanging.
The court found him guilty of a four-count charge of blasphemy filed against him by the Kano state government.
According to the charges, the cleric was famous for controversial religious commentaries and statements, which were regarded as embarrassing to the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
Before he was sentenced, Mr Kabara, while pointing at the judge, said, “You Ibrahim Sarki Sani Yola, changed the whole narration about the case go ahead and sentence me to death, I will die honourably meeting my God.”
While returning to his seat at the accused box, he added: “And I am pleading to my followers not to worry about the sentencing as I will die as a righteous person.”
Mr Kabara has up to 30 days to appeal the judgement.
Abdullahi Ganduje: The Governor is reportedly ready to sign the death warrant for Mr Kabara.
What else is happening?
Huge demand: Banks have reportedly run out of the new naira notes after roll-out commenced on Thursday.
Atiku Abubakar: Campaigning in Anambra, the PDP presidential candidate said he is a stepping stone to an Igbo president.
Osun politics: Governor Ademola Adeleke has accused his predecessor Gboyega Oyetola of taking an N18 billion loan after he lost the July 16 governorship election. An ex-spokesperson for Oyetola said the allegation was not true.
Joe Biden: The US President praised President Muhammadu Buhari for not seeking a third term, saying Nigeria is quite a model for democracy.
More money, less value: Nigeria’s annual inflation climbed to 21.47% in November from 21.09% in October, rising for the 10th straight month as food prices surged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has cut Nigeria's 2022 growth forecast to 3.1% from a previous forecast of 3.8%. The bank also forecast growth to slow 2.9% next year.
Barrier breakers: Tech firm Klasha has introduced a five-day menstrual leave policy for its female employees, the first of its kind in Nigeria’s tech scene, according to TechCabal.
Exceeding expectations: Africa-focused early-stage venture capital firm, Ventures Platform, has closed its fund at $46 million, surpassing an initial target of $40 million.
And that’s it for today. Until next week. Please don’t forget to share your thoughts on what you want from this newsletter.