Author: Editor
By Mukaila Kareem I recently had a very short trip to Nigeria, but unfortunately I couldn’t see many family members and friends due to time constraints coupled with travel logistics. I want to make this upfront confession because this article was inspired by my physical presence on Nigerian shores, and I feel the need to fess up. My inability to connect with family and friends was absolutely not out of disrespect. To use a word common in everyday Nigerian speech, in our day to day human “hustle,” metabolic behavior, often operating below our awareness, quietly dictates much of the culture…
Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka It was a Christmas to remember for Mrs. Nkechinyere Nwafor, a 60-year-old widow in Onneh community, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, as the Ezeakunne Foundation gifted her a three-bedroom bungalow during its 2025 empowerment programme. The empowerment event, held at Umuezeamasi village, Onneh, also featured the distribution of four shuttle buses and over 300 bags of rice to the needy and less privileged members of the community. Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Ezeakunne Foundation, Nze Vincent Nwankwo, said the empowerment programme is an annual initiative aimed at uplifting the poor…
Our Reporter, Abuja Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, on Monday signed into law the 2026 Appropriation Bill totaling ₦1.016 trillion, pledging full implementation of the budget in the coming fiscal year. The budget, estimated at ₦1,016,228,072,651.99, was presented to the governor by the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly during a brief signing ceremony at the Government House, Umuahia. Assenting to the bill, Governor Otti commended the Abia State House of Assembly for the speedy yet thorough consideration of the budget proposal, noting that the scrutiny given to the document reflects the true spirit of democracy.…
By Vitus Ozoke The central error that has plagued Western counterterrorism campaigns over the past two decades is not moral failure but strategic inconsistency. States initiate military action without the political will, economic alignment, or institutional permanence required to finish what they start. Nigeria now risks becoming the next, and possibly the most consequential, example of this failure. Any U.S. military action against terrorist organizations operating in Nigeria must be evaluated not by its symbolism but by its durability. Limited, episodic strikes – however tactically successful – are strategically counterproductive. They degrade capabilities without destroying organizational leadership, territorial control, or…
Our Reporter, Abuja In spite of nationwide calls for a postponement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws will commence as scheduled, with remaining provisions set to take effect on January 1, 2026, dismissing calls for any delay or disruption to the reform process. In a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, the President said the tax reforms represent a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to build a fair, competitive and resilient fiscal framework for the country. He confirmed that aspects of the new tax regime that took effect on June 26, 2025, remain in force, while other…
Our Reporter, Abuja The Federal Government on Tuesday dismissed as false and misleading claims that it is planning to unlawfully arrest, detain or prosecute opposition political figures, describing the allegations as a fabrication designed to spread disinformation. In a press release issued in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the claims were based on a “non-existent” document alleging the creation of a multi-agency task force under a programme tagged ADP4VIP (Arrest, Detain, Prosecute for Very Important Persons). According to the minister, the document falsely alleged that a task force comprising the Economic and Financial Crimes…
Odinkalu reacts, says it’s a sobering lesson Our Reporter, Abuja The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his bail application. The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also directed that Malami’s co-defendants—his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe—be remanded in custody. The order followed arguments presented by the defence team, led by Joseph Daudu (SAN), and the prosecution, represented by Ekele Iheneacho (SAN). Malami and his co-defendants are facing…
Our Reporter, Abuja Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has strongly disputed reports claiming that 34 lawyers failed integrity tests during the recruitment process for new judges of the Federal High Court, describing the claim as “factually inaccurate” and unfair to the affected candidates. Reacting to news report that “thirty-four lawyers have been dropped from the process of being appointed judges to the Federal High Court of Nigeria after failing an integrity test introduced under new guidelines approved by the National Judicial Council (NJC)” on Monday via an X post, Odinkalu said while there were…
Our Reporter, Abuja A broad coalition of Nigerian civil society organisations has demanded answers from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the country’s security leadership following a reported United States air strike carried out on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day, raising concerns about sovereignty, civilian safety and constitutional governance. In a press statement issued on Monday under the banner, Nigerian Joint Civil Society Action, the groups expressed what they described as “grave concern and deep alarm” over both the strike itself and what they called the “silence, absence, and abdication of responsibility” by Nigeria’s political and military authorities in its aftermath.…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Ogun State Government has confirmed that two foreign nationals tragically lost their lives in a road crash involving world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State on Monday morning. According to the state government, the accident occurred shortly after 11:00 a.m. within the Makun axis of the busy expressway. This was contained in a statement issued by Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Information and Strategy. It read: “Anthony Joshua and three other individuals were travelling from Lagos to Sagamu when the sport utility vehicle they were…