Author: Damilola Olufemi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has brought former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah before an Abuja High Court, accusing her of involvement in a multi-billion-naira fraud said to date back to 2014. Oduah was arraigned on Wednesday alongside Gloria Odita on a five-count charge that includes conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, and criminal breach of trust. According to the EFCC, the pair allegedly worked together in January 2014 to secure N2,469,030,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through two companies: Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd, under claims the agency says were fabricated. The prosecution stated…

Governor Ademola Adeleke has emerged as the official flagbearer for the Accord party in Osun State. This development follows his recent resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The primary, conducted on Wednesday in Osogbo, the state capital, saw Adeleke secure a landslide victory. According to Secretary of the Electoral Committee, Abdulazeez Salaudeen, Adeleke received 145 out of 150 possible votes, with only five votes recorded as invalid. The election involved 150 delegates representing all 30 local government areas in the state. Confirming the legitimacy of the process, Salaudeen noted that “the electoral committee has delivered on its mandate, after…

The screening committee of the Accord Party has cleared Governor Ademola Adeleke to participate in the party’s governorship primary, ongoing on Wednesday in Osogbo. The development was confirmed in a statement by the chairman of the screening committee and National Organising Secretary of the party, Ibe Thankgod. Thankgod said Adeleke met all the requirements for nomination and was subsequently cleared as the sole aspirant for the party’s governorship ticket. He also described the governor as a “worthy gubernatorial aspirant” of the party. The certificate of clearance was presented to Adeleke by the committee chairman. In response, the governor thanked the…

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, spent Monday night at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as investigators expanded their probe into his activities while in office. Malami honoured the EFCC’s invitation on Monday but arrived later than expected, prompting officials to keep him overnight so he could continue answering questions the following day. 46 bank accounts believed to be linked to the former minister are now central to the investigation. Malami has been instructed to report to the agency daily as the probe widens, TheCable reports. After an earlier interrogation…

The Nigerian Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s call for Nigerian troops to be deployed to the Republic of Benin, endorsing a move aimed at helping the neighbouring country regain stability after last weekend’s attempted coup. The approval was announced on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who said lawmakers had examined the president’s request in the Committee of the Whole in line with Section 5, Part II of the Constitution, according to Channels Television. Senators voted in favour of the deployment, giving Tinubu the legislative backing needed for the regional security operation. Akpabio described the Senate’s decision as both…

President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Nigerian Senate’s consent for the deployment of Nigerian military forces to the Republic of Benin. The request was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session on Tuesday. In the letter, President Tinubu cited his constitutional authority, stating: “Pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 5, Part 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, I seek, in further consultation with the National Defence Council, the consent of the senate, for the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin.” The President’s action…

United States Congressman Riley Moore says “much work still to be done” after holding talks with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on the country’s worsening insecurity. In a statement on X on Monday, Moore said the discussions centred on terrorism in the North-East and continued violence in the Middle Belt — issues he described as a priority for both himself and President Donald Trump. The meeting comes during a period of diplomatic strain following President Trump’s decision to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged violations of religious freedom — a move that has triggered heated…

Burkina Faso’s military government has accused Nigeria of violating its airspace after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft carrying 11 soldiers reportedly entered the country without clearance. In a statement issued by junta leader Assimi Goita, the authorities said the NAF plane made an unscheduled landing in Bobo Dioulasso on Monday due to what was described as an “emergency situation in flight” while inside Burkinabe airspace. According to the statement, investigators later determined that the aircraft “lacked authorisation to fly over Burkinabe territory,” prompting a strong reaction from the junta. “The Confederation of the Sahel States most strongly condemns this…

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is holding a private meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Newsmen saw the governor heading toward the President’s office at exactly 5:01 p.m., dressed in a deep-blue long-sleeve shirt, black trousers, and a black flat cap. Just moments before, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru had also arrived for a separate appointment. As of press time, neither meeting has been made public. Fubara’s visit comes at a time of renewed political tension in Rivers State and rising speculation about his possible move from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives…

Obasanjo recalled visiting Maiduguri in 2011 to understand Boko Haram’s motivations and leadership.