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The Nigerian military has reported a wave of successes in recent security operations targeting terrorists and oil thieves across various regions of the country.
According to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), troops neutralized more than 100 terrorists, apprehended over 100 suspects, and freed 21 hostages during coordinated missions carried out between April 17 and 25, 2025.
Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed these outcomes in a statement issued on Friday, highlighting key operations under way in the North East, North West, North Central, South East, and South South zones.
“In the North East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai launched aggressive offensives leading to the surrender of ISWAP/JAS elements and the elimination of dozens of terrorists,” Kangye said.
He further detailed the activities in the North West, where Operation Fagge Yamma forces engaged insurgents in multiple states, including Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina. Several militants were killed, suspects detained, and hostages rescued.
In the central part of the country, troops under Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke conducted intelligence-driven missions that led to the arrest of over 37 suspects across Plateau and Kaduna States from April 18 to 22.
Operations in the South East under the banner of Operation Udoka also yielded results. Security personnel raided insurgent hideouts in Imo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi States, recovering weapons and explosives. Four kidnapped individuals were safely rescued in the process.
Meanwhile, in the South South region, troops involved in Operation Delta Safe dismantled illegal oil refining facilities and intercepted petroleum products valued at more than ₦94 million.
“Between April 18 and 22, troops made contact with terrorists in several communities, seizing weapons, mobile phones, motorcycles, and IEDs,” Kangye added.
He also recalled that earlier this month, troops arrested 49 individuals linked to oil theft and dismantled 22 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has taken custody of 231 Nigerian youths repatriated from Ghana following a major rescue operation led by that country’s Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO).
The group — made up of 227 boys and four girls aged between 15 and 18 — was received by NAPTIP officials at the agency’s Lagos Command Office in Ikeja.
Vincent Adekoye, NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, said the victims were rescued from a suspected trafficking base in Kumasi, where they had been subjected to forced cybercrime and sexual exploitation.
Speaking on behalf of NAPTIP’s Director-General Binta Adamu Bello, the Lagos State Commander, Mrs. Comfort Agboko, described the situation as alarming and pledged stronger cross-border collaboration to combat trafficking.
“We are seriously disturbed by this development and are working with partners in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and other West African nations to dismantle these criminal networks,” Bello stated.
“Our sustained operations in Nigeria have forced traffickers to relocate, but we will pursue them wherever they go.”
According to NAPTIP, the victims were found in a residential estate in Oyarifa, Accra, where traffickers had taken over nearly 30 out of 50 houses to operate from.
The agency says it will now begin profiling the victims and will offer them medical attention, psychological support, and vocational training to help them rebuild their lives.
Bello also warned that individuals among the returnees found complicit in trafficking activities would be prosecuted under Nigeria’s anti-trafficking laws.
She expressed appreciation to EOCO, the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their roles in the cross-border operation.
A quiet sealing ceremony for the coffin of Pope Francis took place on Friday evening, attended by close family members and senior Vatican officials, setting the stage for his funeral today.
Following the sealing, members of the Chapter of St Peter kept an all-night prayer vigil beside the coffin.
In line with his personal wishes, Pope Francis’ funeral is expected to be markedly simpler than that of his predecessors. Still, the occasion carries the weight and grandeur appropriate for the passing of a global religious leader and head of state.
Thousands of mourners, dignitaries, and political figures have gathered in Vatican City to honour the late pontiff.
Ceremonial preparations will begin at 8:30 a.m. local time, with archbishops and bishops assembling in the Constantine Wing next to St Peter’s Basilica. At the same time, Catholic priests will gather in St Peter’s Square.
At 9:00 a.m., cardinals and Orthodox patriarchs will converge in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, where Pope John Paul II is interred. From there, they will join a procession escorting Pope Francis’ coffin, which has lain in the basilica’s centre for the past four days.
The funeral service, led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will commence at 10:00 a.m. as the coffin is brought to the square outside the basilica.
Dignitaries and special guests will be seated near the basilica, while thousands of clergy members and the general public are expected to fill St Peter’s Square, reminiscent of Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral arrangements.
The ceremony will conclude with final prayers and a commendation, formally entrusting the Pope’s soul to God. This will mark the start of the traditional nine-day mourning period known as Novemdiales, with daily Masses held in his honour.
Authorities anticipate a crowd of at least 250,000 mourners, including around 170 world leaders and royals.
Prince William will attend on behalf of King Charles III, maintaining a tradition started in 2005 when the then-Prince of Wales represented Queen Elizabeth II at Pope John Paul II’s funeral.
Among the confirmed guests are U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish royals King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
After the funeral, Pope Francis’ remains—clothed in a red chasuble and a gold-trimmed damask mitre—will be transported to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in central Rome for burial. This makes him the first pontiff since Leo XIII in 1903 to be buried outside the Vatican.
Traditionally, a Pope would be interred in a trio of coffins: one of cypress, one of lead, and one of oak, each symbolising spiritual meanings such as humility and strength.
However, Pope Francis opted for a more austere arrangement. In keeping with his 2023 instructions, he will be laid to rest in a plain wooden casket lined with zinc.
Monsignor Diego Ravelli, the Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies, explained the late pontiff’s decision: “Even more that the Roman Pontiff’s funeral is that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world.”
Final Resting Place Chosen for Deep Personal Meaning
As a Jesuit and lifelong devotee of the Virgin Mary, Pope Francis selected Santa Maria Maggiore as his final resting place. The church, located outside the Vatican in Rome’s centre, houses the revered Salus Populi Romani icon, believed to have been painted by Saint Luke and venerated by Jesuits worldwide.
In his 2022 will, the late pontiff wrote: “Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
“I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.”
Francis had prayed there on his very first day as pope in 2013.
Although several former popes are buried in elaborate tombs within the basilica, Francis requested that his grave be a modest one, located in the aisle between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel, near the statue of Mary Regina Pacis.
“Near that Queen of Peace, to whom I have always turned for help and whose embrace I have sought more than a hundred times during my pontificate,” he wrote.
True to his simple approach, his tomb will be set in the ground, bearing only the Latin inscription “Franciscus.”
Nigeria Joins Global Mourning
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a high-level delegation from Nigeria to attend the funeral. The team is among many others representing nations and faiths from around the globe as the world bids farewell to the 88-year-old spiritual leader, who passed away on April 21.
A former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Marshall Stanley-Uwom, has instituted legal action against President Bola Tinubu and key figures in the National Assembly, challenging the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state’s Sole Administrator.
In a suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Stanley-Uwom is urging the court to restrain the federal government from releasing funds due to Rivers State’s Local Government Councils (LGCs) under the administration of the Sole Administrator.
Citing Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and a prior Supreme Court ruling, the plaintiff is also asking the court to rule that Ibas lacks the legal authority to appoint unelected caretaker committees to oversee local governance in the state.
President Tinubu is named as the 1st defendant in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/797/2025. Others listed as defendants include the leadership of the National Assembly, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Federation Account Allocation Committee.
Among several reliefs, Stanley-Uwom is seeking “an order that the State of Emergency in Rivers State issued and or proclaimed by the President has ceased to have effect.” He also wants “an order compelling the 7th Defendant (Ibas) to immediately vacate the office of Sole Administrator of Rivers State and allow the democratically elected Governor of Rivers State to resume his office.”
In the originating summons filed on April 24 through his legal team led by Mr. Sylvester I. Evbuomwan, the plaintiff asks the court to determine: “Whether by virtue of Section 305 (6) (b) of the Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) the Proclamation issued by the President has ceased to have effect in the absence of a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly approving the Proclamation.”
He further requests the court to determine: “Whether by virtue of Section 197 and 198 of the Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) the 7th Defendant can legally remove from office the Chairman and members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) who were appointed and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and appoint a new Chairman and members for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).”
In a 16-paragraph affidavit he personally deposed to, Stanley-Uwom alleges that the emergency rule was imposed in violation of constitutional procedures and that Governor Siminalayi Fubara—elected in 2023—was unlawfully suspended.
He claimed that on March 20, the National Assembly allegedly approved the emergency proclamation “without proper votes establishing and or showing that two-thirds majority votes were secured.” He further argued that resolutions were passed via voice vote, rather than through proper vote counts as mandated by law.
He added, “That on March 19, 2025 the 1st Defendant swore in the 7th Defendant as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. That the 7th Defendant thereafter immediately took over the affairs of the administration of Rivers State by moving into the government house of Rivers State.”
Stanley-Uwom continued: “That upon taking over the affairs of the government of Rivers State, the 7th Defendant sacked all the officers in charge of the affairs of the Local Government of Rivers State and appointed a new set of Local Government Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the LGA’s in Rivers State.”
He also claimed that the RSIEC leadership was replaced without due process, and that federal agencies had been disbursing funds to the newly appointed caretaker committees. “That the 8th, 9th and 10th Defendant have been releasing allocations accruable to the LGAs of Rivers State to the appointed caretaker committees appointed by the 7th Defendant and also releasing to the 7th Defendant all allocations accrued to Rivers’ state,” he stated.
Stanley-Uwom also noted, “That the 7th Defendant is utilizing the fund of Rivers state without parliament appropriations,” stressing that “it shall be in the interest of justice to grant all the reliefs in the originating Summons.”
As of press time, no date has been set for the hearing of the case.
With the 2027 general election drawing nearer, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and his party, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), are reassessing their political strategy and exploring potential alliances.
A report by Punch on Saturday indicates that the NNPP is deliberating over a possible partnership with the All Progressives Congress (APC) or joining forces with a coalition spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“What I can confirm is that Kwankwaso and the NNPP will not contest independently as they did in the 2023 elections,” a reliable party insider disclosed. “Considering the current political landscape, they are weighing the possibility of either joining President Tinubu’s APC or aligning with the coalition led by Atiku, el-Rufai, and others.”
When contacted, NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, confirmed that discussions regarding future political direction are ongoing.
“Well, so far, what I’ll say is this: in the NNPP, we tend to, at least from our own history as the Kwankwasiyya movement, wait till midterm. May 29th will be the midterm for this administration. It will be two years down, and two years to go. That is when we believe that proper politicking will commence,” Johnson explained in an exclusive interview.
“So, yes, we are talking, and we’ve been talking. But you’ll recall that at that time, I told you I didn’t want to mention specifically the groups or persons or movements that are in conversation with us. That is still the position now,” he added.
Addressing speculation about Kwankwaso’s political moves, Johnson acknowledged the numerous reports suggesting a possible shift toward the ruling APC.
““You’ll recall that there have been many publications in newspapers and online, insinuating that Senator Kwankwaso is moving to the APC, that it is imminent and all that. That is just the nature of the game. Some people are pressing or pushing that narrative for their selfish reasons.
“But the bottom line is that very soon, they will begin to hear from us. We will tell our supporters what we are doing. There are basically three cards on the table: either we remain in the NNPP and continue with those who joined us all the way or we form some sort of coalition with Atiku, others; or we form an alliance with the ruling party. I am not saying any of these is the case now. But these are the three basic options that could happen.”
If economic health, social vitality, and the raw pulse of public opinion were the only indicators relied upon to prognosticate the chances of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, I would say with cocksure certitude that he is condemned to be a one-term president.
Not even the most hopelessly unthinking defenders of the Tinubu presidency can deny that his reign so far has been defined by unrelieved economic hardship, staggering inflation, a collapsing naira, and a deepening sense of despair among Nigerians. In other words, the objective conditions for his political repudiation are overripe.
Nonetheless, elections, especially in Nigeria, are not won on the basis of public frustration alone. They are won — or lost — on the strength of political organization, elite consensus, strategic emotional manipulation, and the ability to convert popular anger into electoral mathematics. Call those the subjective conditions of electoral triumph, if you like. And this is where the tragedy of the opposition begins.
The opposition is undisciplined, hopelessly spineless, irredeemably fragmented, strategically bankrupt, and is falling cheaply into the trap set for it by Tinubu.
First, the opposition is shaping up to be disappointingly provincial. It is dominated by elements from a slice of the North that seems to be suffering from withdrawal symptoms from loss of political power. This is reminiscent of the narrow-minded opposition to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term, which helped him to create a coalition of southern Nigerian, Christian northerners, along with portions of the North that felt excluded from the regional mainstream.
Perhaps the most egregious expression of naïve, historically inaccurate, self-sabotaging provincial self-importance from the region came five days ago from Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former appointee of the Tinubu administration who, before his sojourn in the administration, was a higher-up at the Northern Elders’ Forum.
“In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands,” Dr. Baba-Ahmed said in a viral post. “If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.”
Well, Olusegun Obasanjo was elected for a second term in 2003 without “northern” support. I inserted scare quotes around “northern” because, although Baba-Hakeem appeared to be ecumenical in his conception of the North (he referenced “Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, Mangu” — the Baju and Mangu being ethnic groups from southern Kaduna and Plateau — indicating pan-Northernism), we all know that the North has never been a monolith and is often riven by religion.
When people like Baba-Ahmed talk of the “North” in such tyrannizing, self-aggrandizing terms, they often mean a particular part of the North.
Obasanjo deployed the perks of incumbency to mobilize the entire South, appeal to the Christian North, and to make offers to parts of the Muslim North that Muhammadu Buhari didn’t consider “northern” enough to deserve his electoral entreaties. Even if the election wasn’t rigged, Buhari didn’t stand a ghost of a chance of winning the 2003 election.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan used Obasanjo’s 2003 template in 2011 to defeat Muhammadu Buhari. But in 2015, Jonathan lost the Southwest to Buhari, which led to Jonathan’s loss and Buhari’s epochal, unexampled triumph.
This shows that no region can win a national election without the other, making Baba-Hakeem’s self-lionizing boast a rhetorical gift to Bola Tinubu. We’re already seeing its effect.
Several southerners who are wriggling in the torment of Tinubu’s economic policies have chosen to rather live with the sting of his policies than embrace the provincial arrogance of people like Baba-Ahmed who arrogate to themselves the exclusive power to determine who is president and who isn’t.
Similarly, in Nigeria’s informal power-sharing arrangement, the expectation is that after eight years of a northern presidency that ended in 2023, no northerner should be president again for the next eight years. But the northern opposition to Tinubu seems to be anchored on a desire for premature power grab back to the North.
Unless the northern politicians who have stuck out their necks to oppose Tinubu support another southerner with widespread appeal, their opposition will only strengthen Tinubu’s southern coalition and buy him sympathy from parts of the north that don’t enjoy regional political hegemony.
This is particularly so because since the start of the Fourth Republic, the South has never expressed opposition to northern presidencies by sponsoring southern candidates. The South supported Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, in 2019. Umar Musa Yar’adua’s main opponent in 2007 wasn’t a southerner. It was Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner.
But when it was the South’s turn to get presidential power in 2023, the North presented a formidable candidate in the PDP. In fact, the APC hierarchy, with the support of Muhammadu Buhari, settled on former Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the “consensus candidate.” That was embarrassing.
Already, there are insinuations that PDP governors who are defecting to APC are doing so not just because they are being bludgeoned into it through subtle EFCC prosecutorial threats but also because they fear that their party’s standard-bearer in 2027 will be a northerner.
I understand the dilemma of the northern politicians in opposition. Should they support a southern candidate to dislodge Tinubu, such a candidate would, as sure as tomorrow’s date, seek a second term. That would defer the presidential aspirations of the northern politicians by eight years instead of four.
If they sit by listlessly as Tinubu shoves them to the margins of the orbit of power, they will be like fish flailing out of water. They will be so disoriented and weakened that by the time presidential power drifts back to the North, they probably won’t even have the strength to fight for a place.
Northern opposition politicians like Nasir El-Rufai also don’t seem to realize that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) they have embraced as the vehicle to displace Tinubu is, in fact, Tinubu’s spare car.
It is fully fueled, tuned, and parked in his garage for contingencies. As early as April 2022, BusinessDay reported that Tinubu had opened backchannel talks with the SDP and explored it as a fallback platform in case his APC ambitions stalled.
In other words, the opposition is not commandeering an independent vehicle; they are clambering into a car whose engine hums to Tinubu’s touch and whose keys he can reclaim at will. They are, quite literally, riding shotgun in a machine built for their defeat. Unfortunately, he has also hijacked their car, the PDP!
Adewole Adebayo, SDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, unintentionally echoed this sentiment a few days ago when he used the metaphor of a car to send a not-so-subtle dig at El-Rufai.
“As for the coalition, we’re listening to them,” Adebayo said. “What we don’t want to be—we don’t want to be a get-away car for a conspiracy and robbery we did not plan. So, if you planned something somewhere and you want to use the SDP as a get-away car, that’s not available.”
Adebayo added another pointed dart to El-Rufai when he said, “if the coalition is a crying center for disappointed Tinubu followers, they should go back to Tinubu who gave the promise to them and resolve their differences there.”
In the end, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s greatest electoral asset may not be the loyalty of the masses, the success of his policies, or even the cunning of his political machinery. It may well be the disarray, hubris, provincialism, and strategic myopia of his opposition.
They are too divided to form a coalition, too impatient to build trust across regions, and too blinded by immediate resentments to think in terms of long-term electoral triumph.
In 2027, Tinubu may stagger into a second term not because he inspires, but because he survives; not because he triumphs, but because those who should have dethroned him will, through a toxic mix of arrogance and amateurism, hand him victory on a silver platter.
It won’t be Tinubu who wins; it will be the opposition that loses. And Nigeria, trapped in the wreckage of broken possibilities, will pay the price.
Farooq Kperogi is a renowned Nigerian columnist and United States-based Professor of Journalism.
Authorities in Ebonyi State have recovered the remains of a man and his son who were found dead under unclear circumstances in the Ebebe Junction area of Abakaliki.
State Police Command spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the evacuation to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
Ukandu said the deceased, identified as Mr. Light Nwodor and his son Miracle, were found lifeless, prompting swift action by officers in the area.
“When I was called by an individual about the incident, I quickly called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area,” he said.”They swung into action and the dead bodies have been evacuated.“The police have launched investigation into the matter.”The command will definitely inform the general public on completion of investigation.“Right now, nobody knows what caused their deaths,” he added.
He also noted that no updates had been received from the DPO regarding any arrests linked to the case.
Initial unconfirmed reports circulating online suggested that the deaths may have resulted from eating food prepared by a woman who is allegedly now at large.
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members posted to Zamfara State are set to receive double their previous state allowances following a directive by Governor Dauda Lawal.
The governor made this known on Friday during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Batch ‘A’ Stream I orientation course in Gusau. Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Malam Abubakar Nakwada, Lawal reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to corps members’ security and welfare.
“I am happy to inform you that I have directed the resumption of payment of state allowances to all corps members in the state.“I have also directed the upward increments of corps members’ allowances by 100 percent.“My administration is also willing to pay special allowances to the medical corps members serving in the state,” he stated.
He also encouraged the 550 corps members deployed to Zamfara to embrace the state’s cultural heritage and traditions.
“I assure corps members of adequate security and warm hospitality throughout their year of service in the state.“I wish to reiterate that we will pay full attention to your security and welfare.“We will give you all the necessary support to carry out your duties and will provide everything necessary to make your stay here a memorable one,” the governor added.
In his remarks, NYSC State Coordinator Mohammad Ahmad expressed gratitude for the state government’s ongoing backing of the scheme.
“We appreciate the state government for adequate provision of additional facilities as well as approval for the payment of state allowances to corps members,” Ahmad said.
Political analyst and columnist Majeed Dahiru has said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration could be brought to an early political end in 2027 if former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai successfully rallies northern political forces behind Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
Dahiru made the remark during an appearance on The Morning Brief aired on Channels Television, while discussing recent opposition alignments and El-Rufai’s strategic relevance ahead of the next general election.
“If I may put it straight. The day El-Rufai decides and can galvanise the opinion moulders in the North to zero in on Peter Obi, for instance, as the candidate, that will be the end of the Tinubu administration,” Dahiru stated.
His comments come amid ongoing conversations about potential coalitions to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The situation took a new turn on Wednesday when Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside several PDP officials, defected to the APC.
Weighing in, Dahiru noted the reported resistance from PDP governors to opposition coalition efforts, attributing it to regional loyalty.
“That’s because the PDP governors’ preferred candidate for the next election is President Bola Tinubu of the APC — because of southern solidarity. The bulk of the PDP governors are from the South. One of their own is in power. They can’t work against one of their own. It’s not possible.”
He cited historical examples to underscore the role of regional interests in Nigerian politics.
“In 2003, the AD (Alliance for Democracy) didn’t field a presidential candidate because of Obasanjo. That is the nature of Nigerian politics.
“When Yar’Adua became president in 2007, a number of ANPP (All Nigeria Peoples Party) governors moved to the PDP. Two governors even married his daughters to gain a footing in the PDP. It has always been like that.”
Dahiru also addressed El-Rufai’s recent departure from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), attributing it to deeper tensions with the presidency.
“El-Rufai has a grouse against the president — a legitimate grouse — because he worked for the president. Hate him or love him, he has a basis to be angry,” Dahiru said.
“He has been working assiduously to undermine the president, particularly in the Muslim North, where he is like the caliph to Buhari. He’s the brainbox of the Muslim North.”
He hinted at a broader political strategy by El-Rufai, possibly involving an endorsement of a candidate from the South, especially the Southeast.
“Let me give him a tip: if he really wants to sit at the back of the president, what he should do — and I think they may already be on that path — is convince the Muslim North to look towards the South for a candidate. Specifically, the Southeast.
“If he’s able to do that — and I know he can; he has the capacity — to shift support to someone like Peter Obi, then that will be the end of the Tinubu administration.”
Ikenga Ugochinyere, a federal lawmaker and influential figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, has warned of an impending wave of defections that could destabilize the party.
In a video shared on social media, Ugochinyere alleged that internal strife and discontent with the PDP leadership have pushed 40 members of the national assembly and two governors to the brink of leaving the party.
“Because of the crisis in the party, I can confirm to you that two more governors in the party want to decamp and 40 lawmakers also want to decamp,” he said.
Ugochinyere accused Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and Samuel Anyanwu, PDP National Secretary, of undermining the party’s unity. He urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to take swift action to prevent what he described as a looming disaster.
“Averting this imminent danger, which will happen in the matter of days, the NWC must immediately rise up and summon an emergency meeting of the party with the simple majority which they already have, with or without Damagum, to expel Anyanwu the political traitor and also ratify the removal of Damagum by anointing a north-central person as acting or substantial national chairman of our party.
“Here in Imo, we don’t know who Anyanwu is. We only know him as an APC agent and a political coward who has no shame and is accepting to be the one to bury Africa’s biggest opposition party.”
According to Ugochinyere, the Imo chapter of the PDP has already endorsed Anyanwu’s removal at the state level and called on the national leadership to affirm that decision.
“As state leader of the party, I’m saying Chris Odoemenam is our state acting chairman, and the NWC must also recognise that so we can start the internal cleansing of our party,” he said.
He further accused Wike and Anyanwu of orchestrating legal maneuvers intended to weaken the party’s national leadership.
“PDP is sinking and it is sinking very fast, and despite the damage they have done, they have perfected fresh plans again to ensure that the NWC is incapacitated with multiple suits filed at the federal high court,” he alleged.
Ugochinyere warned that without urgent intervention, the party risks losing even more members and influence ahead of the 2027 elections. He repeated his call for a leadership shake-up, starting with the replacement of acting national chairman Iliya Damagum.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has issued a public alert naming four individuals wanted in connection with a suspected scam involving Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), a digital trading platform.
According to a statement released Friday and signed by the EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the Commission identified the suspects as Seyi Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanisola, and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun.
“They are accused of defrauding unsuspecting investors through the crypto platform,” the EFCC stated.
The Commission, which has been intensifying efforts to combat digital financial crimes, disclosed that Oloyede and Uko were last traced to No. 166, Idimu Egbeda Road, Lagos State.
Similarly, it said Oluwanisola and Olaonipekun were previously residing at 13, Jimoh Odutola, Ogungpa, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The EFCC urged anyone with credible information about the suspects’ whereabouts to contact any of its offices in Ibadan, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, or Abuja.
This development follows a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, granting the EFCC the authority to arrest six individuals allegedly linked to the CBEX fraud case, which is believed to involve over $1 billion.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order after hearing an ex parte application presented by EFCC counsel, Fadila Yusuf.
The court filing named Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehiri
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has delisted four Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres that have failed to meet the stringent technical standards required for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A statement issued by JAMB’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, on Friday listed the affected centres as Adventure Associate, Behind Sheshe Supermarket, Off Hadejia Road, Kano, Kano State, Saadatu Rimi College of Education, Zaria Road, Naibawa, Kano, Kano State, Penta M & F Technical Services Ltd, Centre 2, 96km Sokoto-Jega Road, Tambuwal and Penta M & F Technical Services Ltd, Centre 1, 96km Sokoto-Jega Road, Tambuwal.
The exam body commended 883 other centres that have demonstrated exceptional performance, even as it warned that any centre which failed the ethical or technical standards , regardless of ownership, will be blacklisted.
The statement said candidates who were previously scheduled to take their exams at the delisted centres are urged to urgently reprint their examination notification slips to access their new centres and rescheduled dates.
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but we will not tolerate excuses by candidates who fail to reprint their slip to get their new schedules .
“As of Friday, 25th April, 2025, over 900,000 candidates have successfully completed the UTME out of the 2,083,600 registered for the 2025 examination,” the statement said.
The statement further revealed that 27 impersonators have been apprehended and handed over to the Nigeria Police for immediate prosecution.
A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge was taken into custody Friday morning by the FBI, accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade federal authorities.
According to federal officials, Judge Hannah Dugan allegedly led the individual and his attorney out of the courthouse through a restricted jury door to avoid immigration agents who were present with an administrative warrant.
The incident adds to a pattern of heightened federal enforcement under President Donald Trump, whose administration previously signaled intent to prosecute local officials perceived as obstructing immigration operations.
Dugan is now facing federal charges for allegedly hindering proceedings before a U.S. agency and for concealing a person to avoid discovery and arrest. She is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, after being apprehended around 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Following her arrest, Dugan appeared before a federal magistrate judge and was released on bond. A subsequent court hearing is scheduled for May 15.
The news was initially shared in a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) by FBI Director Kash Patel, who wrote that Dugan had “intentionally misdirected federal agents” during a court appearance by the “subject to be arrested.”
Patel added, “Agents chased down the perp on foot,” and blamed the judge’s alleged actions for creating “increased danger to the public.” Later in the day, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Fox News, “You cannot obstruct a criminal case.”
This case echoes a similar one from 2019, when a judge in Massachusetts faced obstruction charges after allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant leave a courthouse via a back door. That case was ultimately resolved in 2022 when the charges were dropped under the Biden administration in favor of a review by the state’s judicial commission.
In an affidavit, FBI Special Agent Lindsay Schloemer of the Milwaukee Field Office detailed that ICE officials had targeted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was previously deported in 2013 and was found to be removable once again.
Agents reportedly planned to detain Flores-Ruiz during a court appearance before Dugan related to a domestic violence case. The affidavit notes that ICE prefers courthouse arrests due to the security screenings already in place.
The situation escalated when Dugan, reportedly upset by the agents’ presence, questioned their authority and demanded to speak with the chief judge. She allegedly then guided Flores-Ruiz and his defense attorney through a non-public exit, although ICE agents eventually apprehended him following a brief pursuit.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of hip-hop artiste Terry Alexander Ejeh, popularly known as Terry Apala, over allegations of abusing the naira.
Justice Akintayo Aluko directed that the singer be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until May 5, 2025, when his bail application is expected to be heard.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the defendant on a single count, accusing him of stepping on naira notes while dancing at a social function held at Madison Place, Oniru, Lagos Island.
Prosecuting counsel, Sulaimon Sulaiman, requested that the charge be read to Ejeh so he could enter a plea. The defendant pleaded not guilty.
Following the plea, Sulaimon asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in correctional custody.
However, the defence counsel, Felix Nwakbudu, told the court that a bail application had already been filed on behalf of his client.
“The prosecution has been served with the application this morning,” Nwakbudu said, urging the court to allow him to move the bail request.
In response, Sulaimon objected, stating that he needed adequate time to review the application and prepare a response.
Justice Aluko ruled in favour of the prosecution’s request, ordering that the defendant remain in custody until the bail motion is considered. The judge also directed that the case proceed with accelerated hearing and adjourned the matter to May 5.
The charge against Terry Apala reads: “That you, TERRY ALEXANDER EJEH, on the 5th day of January 2025 at Madison Place, Oniru, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court whilst dancing during a social event tampered with Naira currency issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by matching on it and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007.”
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Joe Ajaero, has raised concerns over the diminishing value of the national minimum wage amid rising inflation, urging organised labour to unite in confronting the challenges facing Nigerian workers.
Speaking at the Trade Union Congress (TUC) first quadrennial delegates conference held in Abuja on Friday, Ajaero stressed the urgent need for collective action by labour unions in addressing economic pressures burdening the workforce.
He pointed out that the recently approved N70,000 minimum wage by President Bola Tinubu’s administration had already been outstripped by soaring costs, including taxes and utility bills.
According to Ajaero: “We have fought battles on minimum wage and we have not relented. We have fought battles on fuel subsidy and still fighting battles on tax regimes.
“It is a period where the tax on your salaries are almost higher than the minimum wage increase on the salaries. It is a period we need to sit and reflect on our survival.”
He called on labour leaders to consider broader welfare measures such as social safety nets that are standard in more developed economies. Ajaero also questioned the uniform implementation of the new wage structure across all sectors and levels of government.
“Very important, the cost of living index. We need to look at it. How does it affect an average worker? How was the minimum wage the NLC, TUC, and others fought for implemented?
“Was it implemented in the local government for teachers, workers and those in the formal and informal sector of the economy alike?” he asked.
Describing inflation as a major threat to workers’ wellbeing, he said, “The landlords and transporters have taken it all. Electricity tariff is more than our minimum wage, the tariff on telecom is going high by the day.”
Ajaero emphasized the need for stronger partnerships among labour unions and civic groups to push back against policies he believes are harmful to workers’ welfare.
“It is a period we need to reenact our relationship with not just the trade union movement, but our civil society allies and the Nigerian masses.
“The NLC is extending its hand of fellowship to the TUC for us to work together hand in hand for the interest of the Nigerian people and workers.
“History beckons that if we fail to work together, we will all perish. At this point in time, we have to work on those things that affect us most,” he said.
He concluded by describing the situation as critical, calling for a strong and resilient labour movement to tackle the pressing challenges workers face.
“The challenges that the workers face are not drills but real,” he said, “adding that they required a robust strong trade union to surmount them.”
Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has broken his silence following the defection of several key party members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including his former running mate and ex-Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
In a statement released via his verified X handle on Friday, Atiku addressed the political shifts, stressing that while party defections are part of democracy, they will not weaken what he described as an impending major political battle against President Bola Tinubu.
“I have been overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the defection of some PDP members to the ruling party.
“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy — they are fundamental rights. Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble.
“As someone who holds fast to these values, I bear no grudges against anyone for exercising their right to political alignment. Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again,” he said.
The former vice president also responded to criticism over his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the backlash as hypocritical.
“Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape. During the 2013 opposition merger, the leaders of the time consulted widely — including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida. So why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? If you truly believe in freedom of association, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines.
“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, el-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable!”
Atiku said the coming elections not as a contest between parties, but as a referendum on the performance of the current administration.
“Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.
“This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer.
“The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division, because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake— an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board.”
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Seyi Olorunsola, has expressed confidence in the leadership of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, stating that he will be the first governor to be re-elected in the 2027 gubernatorial elections across Nigeria.
According to Olorunsola, Governor Sani’s exceptional performance since assuming office in May 2023 has solidified his place as a transformational leader, deserving of a second term.
Olorunsola, in a statement issued on Friday, emphasized that Sani inherited a state on the brink of collapse, ravaged by insecurity, economic stagnation, and ethno-religious conflicts, especially in Southern Kaduna.
He blamed the past administration, led by Nasir El-Rufai, for the deterioration of peace and democratic values in the state, describing El-Rufai’s tenure as “autocratic, insensitive, and marred by broken promises.”
“Governor Uba Sani came in when Kaduna was engulfed by insecurity and internal instability. Banditry, kidnappings, and recurring ethno-religious violence were pushing the state into chaos, Uba Sani has achieved In less than four years, what El-Rufai failed to do in eight years ,” Olorunsola remarked.
He highlighted Governor Sani’s success in brokering peace in volatile communities and pushing critical security reforms. The enactment of the Kaduna State Security Trust Fund Law, aimed at providing sustainable financing for security operations, was a key move in restoring order and hope to the people of the state.
Contrasting the former administration’s policies, Olorunsola condemned El-Rufai’s decision to lay off thousands of teachers and public servants during a period of economic downturn, calling it “heartless and damaging.” He praised Governor Sani’s pro-people policies, which have created more jobs and revitalized key sectors.
“its on record that Governor Uba Sani launched over 60 road projects across Kaduna to ease movements and stimulate economic activities in rural communities. His inclusive approach to governance, engaging traditional and religious leaders, is fostering transparency and healing old wounds,” he added.
Olorunsola sternly criticized the El-Rufai government, accusing him of nepotism, divisive politics, and turning governance into a personal enterprise. “El-Rufai ran a one-man show.” “His so-called land and urban renewal policies were nothing but politically motivated; he blindly demolishes people’shomes, markets, and even traditional structures without compensation or relocation support,” he stated
He further accused the former governor of deepening religious divisions, marginalizing Christians, and mismanaging public resources through opaque contract awards and poor budget implementation. “Kaduna became a shadow of its former self under his watch. He alienated stakeholders, ignored transparency, and made enemies out of the very people he swore to serve,” Olorunsola stated.
Olorunsola praised Governor Uba Sani as a “humble, visionary, and democratic leader” whose administration has brought stability, economic growth, and renewed investor confidence to Kaduna State.
“Southern Kaduna is now experiencing peace and intercommunal harmony like never before. Agriculture and healthcare have improved significantly. With his inclusive and forward-thinking leadership style, Governor Sani has restored public confidence in government,” Olorunsola said.
He also noted the ongoing efforts of Governor Sani to attract global investors, create an enabling business environment, and ensure food security. “He is not just building roads and hospitals; he’s rebuilding the soul of Kaduna.”
With a rising profile and track record of tangible achievements, Olorunsola believes Governor Uba Sani is well-positioned to emerge as the first re-elected governor come 2027 governorship election.
“Kaduna is back on the right track. Governor Uba Sani’s name will be written in gold in the history books of this state and Nigeria. He has earned the trust of the people, and 2027 will only affirm it,” Olorunsola concluded.
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has enacted legislation establishing four new government agencies aimed at strengthening governance structures and promoting sustainable development across the state.
This development was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Dawakin-Tofa.
The newly established bodies include the Kano State Protection Agency (KASPA), the State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KASIAA), the State Information and Communication Technologies Development Agency (KASITDA), and the State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (KASMEDA).
Dawakin-Tofa explained that the agencies are designed to encourage innovation, support the growth of small businesses, regulate advertising practices, and bolster public safety and service efficiency.
According to him, these institutions are also expected to contribute significantly to job creation, attract investment, and facilitate the smooth execution of government programs.
Governor Yusuf highlighted the importance of these agencies in advancing his administration’s goals. “The new agencies would help to realise his administration’s vision of a modern, inclusive, and economically vibrant Kano,” he said.
He also cautioned against any breaches of the newly signed laws, noting that “violations of the provisions of these laws would be met with strict penalties,” underscoring his administration’s dedication to the rule of law.
As part of ongoing efforts to eliminate criminal activities in Taraba State under the umbrella of Operation LAFIYAN JAMAA, troops from the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have carried out a series of well-coordinated operations across various local government areas.
These efforts have led to the capture of a notorious bandit, the arrest of a fake military officer, and the discovery of a significant amount of arms and ammunition.
In a statement issued by Captain Olubodunde Oni, the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for 6 Brigade, it was revealed that troops acted swiftly following a distress call from a local hunter on 16 April 2025. The troops moved quickly to a suspected bandits’ hideout at Dutsen Kachalla in Lainde, Lau LGA.
“Upon spotting the approaching soldiers, the criminals fled into the rugged terrain. The troops chased them down and managed to recover one (1) AK-47 magazine, one (1) AK-47 rifle butt, one (1) military headgear, and a National Identification Card belonging to one Adamu Umaru Jauro,” the statement noted.
“On 19 April 2025, based on reliable intelligence, troops captured a known criminal, Yusuf Hammadu, alias “Dogo,” in Lainde Jessy, Lau LGA. Hammadu had been on the radar of security agencies for his involvement in various criminal activities. During questioning, he admitted to being part of a gang responsible for multiple kidnappings and ransom collections in Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, Lau, and Yorro LGAs.”
A separate operation on 22 April 2025 led to the arrest of Richard Ogu, who had been falsely claiming to be a serving Major in the Nigerian Army.
“The suspect falsely asserted that he had been assigned to 20 Model Battalion in Gashaka. During initial questioning, Ogu admitted to having been a discharged Flight Sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force since November 22, 2019,” the statement explained. Ogu had been defrauding people by impersonating a military officer. Notably, he traded his Nissan Jeep for a Toyota Corolla worth ₦5.2 million and failed to pay the remaining balance. He also took ₦1.6 million as a deposit for supplying 350 bags of Beniseed and extorted funds from locals in Bali and Gassol LGAs, claiming to be involved in military recruitment. He even posed as the Officer Commanding the Forward Operating Base in Bali, attempting to procure firearms for community leaders.
In yet another operation on 24 April 2025, 6 Brigade troops, in collaboration with DIA operatives, carried out a successful raid at Jatau-Nyimu village in Donga LGA. The operation resulted in the recovery of eighty-six (86) rounds of 5.6MM ammunition, one (1) Tarvor magazine, four (4) cartridges, one (1) Beofeng handheld radio, three (3) single-barrel guns, and two (2) military camouflage uniforms.
Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, the Commander of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, praised the troops for their professionalism and dedication. He reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to securing lasting peace in Taraba State and urged the public to continue providing timely, credible information to support their operations.
General Uwa also cautioned the public against dealing with individuals who demand money or material goods for military recruitment, emphasizing that joining the Nigerian Army is a voluntary, free, and merit-based process.