Author: Gbenga Olaleye

The Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption and abuse of office against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed. The development was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by the Dangote Group media team. According to the statement, the petition was submitted through Dangote’s legal representative at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja. This latest move follows Dangote’s earlier petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in which Ahmed was accused…

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and publisher of Ovation magazine, Chief Dele Momodu, has criticised supporters of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, popularly known as the Obidients, over what he described as divisive claims within the opposition coalition. Momodu faulted Obi’s supporters for repeatedly describing their principal as the “best” among all leaders within the ADC coalition and for insisting that he must emerge as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Momodu said such rhetoric was dismissive of other prominent figures within the…

A member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has officially joined the Action Peoples Party (APP) as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections. Ugochinyere’s defection follows his recent voluntary withdrawal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing prolonged internal crises and unresolved leadership squabbles. His move marks a significant political realignment, given his status as a serving federal lawmaker and a prominent voice in the National Assembly. Welcoming him into the party, the National President of the APP, Uchenna Kingsley Nnadi, described Ugochinyere’s decision as a significant boost for the…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat, describing the allegations as alarmist, ironic and reflective of the opposition’s dwindling political relevance. Atiku, speaking through his spokesman, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of deliberately weakening opposition parties and shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space. He warned that such actions could push the country towards a de facto one-party state. The former vice president also claimed that Nigerians have endured nearly three years of severe economic hardship under the Tinubu-led government, alongside policies and actions…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm over what it described as planned campaigns of calumny by politicians and groups with vested interests in suspects currently under investigation or facing prosecution by the commission. In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said intelligence available to the commission indicated that “a motley crowd of paid jobbers” had been recruited by disgruntled elements to orchestrate coordinated smear campaigns against the anti-graft agency. According to Oyewale, the planned attacks are being carried out mainly through sponsored media reports and commentaries aimed at undermining…

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised serious concerns over what it described as the disturbing resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the killing of a nurse and a lawyer in separate incidents in Abuja. The victims were identified as Ms Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a healthcare worker, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a lawyer and former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch. Both women were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators, a tactic commonly associated with “one chance” gangs, and their bodies were later discovered in different parts of the city.…

Togo, Niger and Benin owe Nigeria a combined $17.8m (more than N25bn) for electricity supplied under bilateral power agreements, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). In its Third Quarter 2025 report, NERC disclosed that the three neighbouring countries were invoiced a total of $18.69m for electricity supplied during the period. However, they remitted only $7.125m, leaving an unpaid balance of $11.56m for the quarter under review. The regulator further revealed that the international customers also had outstanding legacy debts from previous quarters. Of the $14.7m invoiced before Q3 2025, $7.84m was paid, leaving an additional balance of $6.23m.…

The Senior Pastor of Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries, Chris Okafor, has turned himself in to the police following allegations of multiple rape and other offences capable of causing a breach of public peace, the Lagos State Police Command has confirmed. The case has now been transferred to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Sylvester Alabi, for further investigation. The development followed Okafor’s failure to honour an initial police invitation issued on Sunday by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti. Although his lawyers reportedly informed the police that he would appear on Monday,…

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has alleged a plot by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to re-arrest him immediately after his release from custody, despite being granted bail by a Federal High Court. Malami made the allegation through a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, shortly after the court approved bail for the former minister, his wife and his son. New Daily Prime earlier reported that a Federal High Court had granted the trio bail for ₦500 million each, with two sureties, in…

Former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has reaffirmed his commitment to the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that he remains loyal to the platform that brought him into national prominence during the 2023 presidential race. Baba-Ahmed, 56, made the declaration on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja, where he dismissed speculations that he might defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the exit of his former running mate, Peter Obi. The Kaduna-born politician was Obi’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, in which…