Author: Gbenga Olaleye

The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, has approved the deployment of a special panel of magistrates to preside over 201 cases in a 14-day accelerated hearing aimed at decongesting custodial facilities in the state. The initiative, known as the Judiciary Intervention Week, will run from Monday, 24 November to Friday, 5 December 2025, and will focus on a comprehensive case review at the Sagamu Correctional Centre. The announcement was made on Thursday in a statement issued by the Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, Olakulehin Oke. According to Oke, eight magistrates have been assigned to…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has rejected Thursday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentencing its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment on seven terrorism-related charges. In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group insisted that Kanu “committed no offence known to Nigerian law”. It maintained that his activities amounted solely to self-determination — a right, it said, that is protected under several international human-rights conventions. Powerful criticised the judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, accusing the judge of failing to apply Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, which…

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has cautioned that politics must not be allowed to degenerate into a “playground for unruly conduct,” insisting that responsible leadership is essential for safeguarding the country’s democratic future. Jonathan made the remarks on Thursday during a dinner in Abuja marking both the 10th anniversary of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation and his 68th birthday. The event drew a distinguished audience, including African politicians, diplomats, political figures and leading business personalities, reflecting the regional significance of Jonathan’s work in governance and peacebuilding. Addressing the gathering, the former president warned that Nigeria’s democracy is being “suffocated” by reckless…

Segun Awolowo, grandson of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, former Premier of Western Nigeria and one of the country’s most iconic political figures, has died at the age of 62. His family announced his passing in a statement issued on Thursday, expressing profound grief and describing him as an exceptional man whose influence extended far beyond his illustrious lineage. “With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather — Olusegun Awolowo,” the statement read. “He was the world’s most phenomenal husband, father and grandfather — steady, wise, endlessly loving, and the constant anchor of…

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward 4 in Sagamu, Ogun State, has maintained that the suspension of Senator Gbenga Daniel remains valid, insisting that the former governor failed to honour invitations to defend himself against allegations of anti-party activities. Addressing journalists at the ward office in Sabo, Sagamu, the Ward Secretary, Hon. Oluwole Aduroja, who spoke on behalf of the 19-member executive committee, said the clarification became necessary following a statement by MJS Partners—acting for Senator Daniel—in reaction to a 17 November letter from the APC National Secretariat. Aduroja, standing alongside the Ward Chairman, Hon. Adebayo Ismail,…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cancellation of his planned trips to South Africa and Angola, describing the decision as an ineffective attempt to address Nigeria’s worsening security situation. In a statement issued on Thursday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, labelled the cancellation “the latest and boldest example of tokenism,” arguing that symbolic gestures cannot substitute for concrete action. The criticism comes at a time of heightened public anger following the abduction of twenty-five schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. According to Ememobong, while the President’s decision…

The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Dr Wole Oluyede, has described the expulsion of former governor Ayo Fayose from the party as “good riddance to bad rubbish,” insisting that the move has strengthened the party rather than weakened it. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti after a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, the Australia-based medical doctor accused the former governor of undermining the PDP for years. He said the party’s leadership would no longer tolerate actions that threaten its internal cohesion or its preparations for the 2026 governorship election. Oluyede stressed that the PDP in Ekiti remains “intact,…

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has urged retired military personnel to embrace skills acquisition as a pathway to improved living standards, financial stability, and post-service resilience. He appealed on Wednesday during the opening ceremony of a three-day skills acquisition programme in Yola. Oluyede explained that the initiative is designed to equip ex-service members with practical, income-generating skills, particularly within the agricultural value chain. The programme, he said, aligns with the broader poverty alleviation and economic empowerment goals of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “The training is a strategic initiative by Defence Headquarters, aimed at enhancing the well-being of…

Nigeria’s Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Sunday Dare, has emphasised that the country cannot defeat terrorism in isolation, calling for strengthened international cooperation—particularly with the United States—amid heightened security concerns. Dare’s remarks follow the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, an incident that has once again drawn global attention to Nigeria’s prolonged battle against insurgency and armed extremism. In a Wednesday post on X (formerly Twitter), Dare stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges require a collective global response. “Nigeria does not pretend it can win this war alone,…

The Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee has confirmed that virtual currencies will be subject to taxation under Nigeria’s new tax reform framework. The committee’s chairman, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed during an online public lecture hosted on Wednesday by the Capital Market Academics of Nigeria. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, virtual currency refers to a digital or electronic representation of value that exists solely online and has no physical form. These currencies are typically created and managed by private developers or digital communities. While some forms are used only within closed networks, others—such as cryptocurrencies—can be exchanged for…