Author: Friday Omosola

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the escalating attacks on media outlets and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. On Monday, The New Daily Prime reported that the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and raided the office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Abuja. Reacting to these incidents and the unlawful detention of journalists under Tinubu’s government, Atiku, in a statement posted on his X page, described the assaults as deeply alarming. The 2023 presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) further asserted that…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has clarified that it has not announced or released any list of beneficiaries for its Youth Internship Scheme. In August, the NDDC introduced the internship program as part of its commitment to advancing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda by implementing impactful youth development initiatives. The scheme aims to equip 10,000 youths across the Niger Delta region with the necessary training and experience to secure gainful employment or embark on entrepreneurial ventures. In a statement issued by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, on Tuesday, the commission warned the public against fraudulent beneficiary…

President Bola Tinubu has assured Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum of the federal government’s commitment to providing substantial assistance to the victims of the recent flooding in Maiduguri, the state capital. The flooding, which has displaced numerous residents and caused significant damage to homes and public infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and businesses left many in urgent need of relief. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and obtained by The New Daily Prime on Tuesday, President Tinubu directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to promptly deliver aid to those affected by the disaster.…

Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has denied any involvement in the Department of State Services (DSS) arrest and detention of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero. The New Daily Prime earlier reported that DSS operatives arrested Mr. Ajaero on Monday at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while he was traveling to the United Kingdom for an official assignment. Following backlash from labour unions and civil organizations, the DSS bowed to pressure and released Mr. Ajaero on Monday. Channel Television reported on Tuesday that Air Peace, in a statement signed by its spokesperson Omotade Makinwa, refuted any connection to…

Amnesty International has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is cracking down on human rights and increasing restrictions on civic space with the arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the invasion of the office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The New Daily Prime earlier reported that the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Mr. Ajaero and invaded the SERAP office in Abuja on Monday. However, Mr. Ajaero was released on Monday night, while the Service stated that its personnel had entered the SERAP office in Abuja to conduct a routine investigation. …

The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a response regarding the recent invasion of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). On Monday, The New Daily Prime reported that SERAP, via its official X page, stated that DSS personnel unlawfully occupied its Abuja office and demanded to meet with its directors. In its Tuesday report, The Cable newspaper stated that the DSS denied any illegal activity during the alleged raid but did not provide any details concerning the arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). This newspaper reported that the DSS yielded…

Prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana has condemned the recent invasion of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) office by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). In a statement on its official X page on Monday, SERAP revealed that DSS personnel unlawfully occupied its Abuja office, demanding to see the organization’s directors. “Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) are currently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors. President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation, and attack on the rights of Nigerians,” the SERAP statement read. The DSS’s…

Over the past three years, femicide rates in Nigeria have been on the rise, with at least five female students being brutally murdered outside their campuses by boyfriends, former partners, or even strangers. Femicide, defined as the intentional killing of a woman because of her gender, is a form of gender-based violence often motivated by misogynistic beliefs and attitudes. The recent femicide involving Christianah Idowu, a 300-level student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has garnered widespread attention, particularly from celebrities. The Daily New Prime earlier reported that singer Ayra Starr condemned the gruesome killing of Idowu by…

Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has ordered the remand of Ibrahim Nuhu Shuaibu in connection with an alleged N100 million fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a statement via its official X page on Monday, revealed that Mr. Shuaibu was arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency. The EFCC further disclosed that Mr. Shuaibu is facing a seven-count charge, including criminal breach of trust, impersonation, and obtaining N100 million under false pretenses. One of the charges reads: “That you, Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak) (M) and Ilya Garba (now…

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has dismissed claims that the federal government plans to increase the Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate from 7.5 percent to 10 percent. VAT, also known as a goods and services tax (GST) or general consumption tax (GCT), is a consumption-based tax applied to the value added at each stage of a product’s production and distribution. The New Daily Prime reported that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar alleged on his X (formerly Twitter) page that President Bola Tinubu and his advisers had resolved to increase VAT from 7.5 percent to…