Author: Damilola

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has voiced concern over the United States’ decision to pull out of several UN agencies, underscoring that mandatory financial contributions to the organisation are required under international law. In a statement released on Thursday by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres reacted to the White House’s announcement, describing the move as regrettable. “The Secretary-General regrets the announcement by the White House regarding the United States’ decision to withdraw from a number of United Nations entities,” the statement said. Guterres stressed that budgetary commitments endorsed by the UN General Assembly are not optional, but legally binding on…

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken into custody Ghana’s former minister of finance, Kenneth Ofori-Atta, according to a statement from his legal team. The lawyers confirmed on Wednesday that Ofori-Atta was detained over issues relating to his immigration status in the United States, where he has reportedly remained for more than a year while receiving medical care. “The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as of yesterday, detained the former Minister for Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, regarding the status of his current stay in the United States,” the statement said. “His US legal team is in…

The Rivers House of Assembly has started the impeachment proceedings against the state governor Siminalayi Fubara. The legislature which commenced the process at plenary on Thursday accused Fubara and his deputy of gross misconduct. The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, is chairing the sitting. The atmosphere surrounding the proceedings reflects a resurgence of political tension between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory. On December 5, 2025, a group of lawmakers loyal to the speaker announced their departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the…

President Donald Trump has directed the United States to pull out of 66 international organisations, marking one of the most far-reaching retreats from multilateral engagement in recent US history. The decision, announced on Wednesday, was confirmed in a White House Fact Sheet dated January 7, 2026, which stated that Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum ordering the withdrawals as part of a broader effort to realign America’s foreign commitments with what the administration describes as core national interests. “Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organisations that no longer…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has withdrawn his petition against the immediate past  hief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk. Dangote had, in December 2024, petitioned the anti-graft agency through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, accusing Farouk of alleged corruption and financial misconduct. He urged the commission to arrest, investigate and prosecute the former regulator, claiming that Farouk was “living beyond his means” while in public office. In the petition, Dangote alleged that Farouk spent over “$7…

Burkina Faso’s authorities have announced that they uncovered and disrupted an alleged plot to assassinate the country’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted bail of N500 million each to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abdulaziz Malami, his wife and their son, Abdulaziz, imposing stringent conditions for their release. The court further ruled that each of the defendants must produce two sureties in the same sum. The sureties are required to own landed property in Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarinpa areas of Abuja. Justice Nwite further directed that all the defendants must deposit their international passports and other travel documents with the court. The judge ordered that…

The United States has announced new travel measures that may require Nigerians applying for B1/B2 (business and tourism) visas to pay visa bonds of up to $15,000. The policy, introduced by the US Department of State, targets applicants from countries classified as high-risk for visa overstays. Of the 38 countries listed in the updated notice released on Tuesday, 24 are in Africa, with Nigeria included. Under the new rules, which take effect for Nigeria on January 21, applicants who are otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa may be asked to provide a financial bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, depending…

Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has explained that discussions around Israel’s intention to help protect Christian communities in Nigeria are focused primarily on intelligence cooperation between both countries. The clarification follows comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with evangelical leaders in Florida last week, where he mentioned Nigeria among countries experiencing persecution of Christians and described Israel as uniquely positioned to offer protection. Netanyahu’s remarks generated mixed reactions in Nigeria, particularly coming shortly after the surprise United States air strikes carried out on Christmas Day, which left many Nigerians unsettled. Speaking on Arise TV…

Moves allegedly linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to frustrate the 2027 re-election bid of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, have hit a snag following open support for the governor by several All Progressives Congress (APC) governors. The latest round of tension between Wike and Fubara was triggered by the decision of some influential APC governors to back Fubara’s second-term ambition — a development said to have angered the former Rivers governor. The situation was further complicated by endorsements from the APC leadership, which has reportedly been impressed by Fubara’s projects across Rivers State, with…