A group, Democratic Nigerians, has called on the Federal High Court in Abuja to uphold the rule of law and judicial precedents as it prepares to deliver judgment in the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In a statement issued yesterday ahead of tomorrow Friday’s judgment, the group described the case before Justice Ibrahim Olashupo Salem as a defining moment for Nigeria’s judiciary, urging the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the public…
Read MoreSenate queries NNPCL auditors over unexplained ₦210tr
…Sets 1-week deadline The Senate Public Accounts Committee has given the external auditors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) one week to provide documents explaining over ₦210 trillion recorded as receivables and payables in the company’s audited financial statements. At a hearing on Wednesday, the committee directed the auditors to submit detailed schedules and audit working papers supporting about ₦107 trillion listed as receivables and ₦103 trillion recorded as payables. The auditors had requested two weeks to retrieve the documents, saying the schedules formed part of their…
Read More“State Police need first-line funding to block Govs.’ control” – Senate leader
Leader of the 10th Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on Wednesday, said funding of the proposed state police services should be established as a first-line charge in the 1999 Constitution, stressing that it is the only way to protect it from possible interference by state governors. He insisted that financial autonomy was key to prevention of political interference and protection of the integrity of the new policing structure. Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, said a proper funding mechanism must be well spelt out before the establishment…
Read MoreAlleged Kickback Defamation: Gbajabiamila sues PFIPC DG for ₦15bn
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit at the FCT High Court against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew over allegations that he demanded a 48% kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency. Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit at the FCT High Court against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who has described himself as the Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), over allegations that he demanded…
Read MoreReligious Violence: U.S. H’Reps. backs amendment to withhold all aid to Nigeria
The United States (U.S) House of Representatives has passed a spending Bill that would condition half of America’s assistance to Nigeria on the country’s measurable efforts to protect Christians from religiously motivated violence, in a move that could significantly reshape U.S.-Nigeria relations if the legislation becomes law. The provision is contained in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Act, championed by Republican Congressman Riley M. Moore, who said the measure aligns with President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy agenda. The House…
Read MoreDSO Reforms: NBC launches free digital TV access
…To establish 6 regional studios to boost local content The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) says it will establish six production studios across Nigeria’s geo-political zones to promote indigenous content and expand opportunities for content creators. The Director-General of the NBC, Charles Ebuebu, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja, described the initiative as a key component of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project. Ebuebu said the studios would be located across the six geo-political zones, while discussions were ongoing with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on…
Read MoreFrench President, Macron plans state visit to Nigeria
French President, Emmanuel Macron, will undertake a state visit to Nigeria later this year as both countries move to deepen cooperation in trade, security, agriculture and democratic governance. The French Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Marc Fonbaustier, announced the planned visit during the celebration of France’s National Day in Abuja on Tuesday night. Fonbaustier said Macron’s visit would come two years after President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Paris and provide an opportunity for both leaders to assess the progress recorded under the…
Read MoreKogi: Gunmen invade school during NECO exam, abduct principal, students
Gunmen have attacked Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina local government area of Kogi State, abducting the principal, four students and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad-hoc official. The attack reportedly occurred at about 5.25pm on Tuesday while students were writing an ongoing NECO examination. Security sources told security analyst Zagazola Makama that the armed men invaded the school premises, causing panic among students and members of staff before taking the six victims away to an undisclosed location. Following the attack, a joint team of security operatives launched a search-and-rescue…
Read MoreM’Belt Forum accuses FG of neglecting abducted Northern students, teachers
The Middle-Belt Forum (MBF) has accused the Federal Government of failing to give equal attention to schoolchildren, teachers and other citizens abducted by terrorists in parts of Northern Nigeria, urging authorities to intensify efforts to secure their release. In a statement issued yesterday by its National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the forum acknowledged the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, but argued that victims in communities across Borno and Kaduna states have largely been neglected. “The rescue of the Oyo victims has demonstrated that determined action can…
Read MoreCourt orders final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to ex-AGF Malami
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government. Justice Joyce AbdulMalik, who delivered the judgment yesterday, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), established the reasonable suspicion required by law to justify the forfeiture of the assets. The court ruled that Malami, his family members and companies linked to the properties failed to disprove the anti-graft agency’s allegation that the assets were…
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