Author: Editor
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday handed the sum of N1.28 billion to the Enugu State Government. The amount was recovered from Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele, CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd., following investigations by the Commission into the alleged diversion of funds meant for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools in the state. The recovered sum, part of monies paid to the company for projects which were ostensibly abandoned or substantially unexecuted, was formally handed over to the state government at the EFCC Enugu Zonal Office through a series of bank drafts and…
Our Reporter, Abuja Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has condemned the reported mass abduction of worshippers from churches in Kaduna, questioning conflicting official narratives and calling for decisive national leadership in addressing Nigeria’s worsening insecurity. In a statement issued Wednesday, Obi expressed concern over confirmed reports that more than 150 worshippers were kidnapped during coordinated attacks on churches in Kaduna. He criticised individuals and authorities who initially dismissed the incident as false, asking how their earlier denials were informed and who would now be held accountable after confirmation of the abductions. “Since it has now been confirmed that over…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Governor Alex Otti of Abia State recorded a major victory on Wednesday as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sacked Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). The court further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman–led National Working Committee (NWC) as the authentic leadership of the party. The Nenadi-led NWC is backed by Governor Otti. Wednesday’s judgment effectively gives Governor Otti a firm grip on the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Labour Party has been embroiled in a protracted leadership crisis,…
…Pass vote of confidence on Otti Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Stakeholders and leaders of thought in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State have warned former governors of the state that any attempt to return Abia to political servitude would fail. The stakeholders also passed a vote of confidence on Governor Alex Otti, declaring that he “has brought light to Abia.” Reacting to what they described as threats by some former governors to truncate Governor Otti’s re-election bid, the stakeholders vowed to resist any attempt to subvert the will of the people in 2027. The stakeholders, drawn from the four clans…
By Promise Adiele It happened on 18 January 2026, under the humid atmosphere of a North African evening. The venue was the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. That day, the invigorating winds of West Africa, carried by Senegal, intricately clasped with the scents of the flora and fauna of North Africa, conveyed by Morocco. That day, the global soccer ecosystem converged in Rabat for a reason – to witness the winner of the 2025 African ultimate soccer prize. It was an evening contrived by men but destined by the gods. That day, magic and miracle coalesced in an…
By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu Morocco’s leading scorer, Brahim Diaz, stood poised to make history – to score the goal that would end his country’s agonizing 50-year wait to win the coveted African Cup of Nations (AFCON). Senegal’s goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, was focused to thwart the effort. The world waited with bated breath. Brahim Diaz had won the controversial penalty in the 8th minute of added time in the pulsating second-half added time of the AFCON final match in Morocco. The match was goalless at the time, and scoring the penalty would have been the last kick of the game, only…
By Chido Onumah If a single idea has guided the work of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) over the past years, it is this simple truth: a nation cannot win the war against corruption by sacrificing its most courageous citizens along the way. The whistleblower is not an inconvenience to governance. He or she is its essential early warning system. And yet, nearly a decade after Nigeria introduced a whistleblower policy, the country still operates without the one safeguard that makes integrity sustainable: a clear, enforceable law that protects those who speak up. In 2025, AFRICMIL…
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki The Ebonyi State Government and the major shareholder of the moribund Nigercem Cement Company, Cletus Ibeto, are at loggerheads over the stalled revitalisation of the cement factory. The state government has accused Ibeto of frustrating efforts to revive the plant, while the businessman insists he has concrete plans to restore Nigercem to its former glory. Speaking during an interaction with journalists, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Mr Chidi Onyia, said the state would not allow itself to be held to ransom in its quest for industrial development. Onyia was responding to allegations by host communities of…
Our Reporter, Abuja The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, over alleged abuse of office and multiple human rights violations by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Garki Police Station, Abuja, and officers under his command. In the petition dated 20 January 2026 and signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC accused the DPO, Mr. Ahmodu Mohammed, alongside officers identified as Francis Gukas, SP Aminat and others, of unlawful arrest and detention, denial of access to legal counsel, torture, extortion, sexual and gender-based abuse, and…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Human rights organisation, Christian Solidarity Worldwide–Nigeria (CSW-N), has accused soldiers of blocking access to Kaduna communities, insisting that despite denials by security agencies, no fewer than 100 worshippers were abducted by suspected bandits during coordinated attacks on churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. According to the rights group, the alleged abductions occurred on Sunday when heavily armed assailants attacked three churches in Kurmin Wali during worship services, forcibly taking over 100 congregants into the bush. But in a swift reaction, the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State, Mohammed Rabiu, dismissed the claims…