₦airaland Forum

The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, has been allegedly attacked by thugs linked to Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, who violently disrupted the NANS inauguration ceremony held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The attack also reportedly targeted political figures at the occasion including former Minister of Education and two-term Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, and former Governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada.

Speaking to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Atiku claimed that the attackers, armed with cutlasses and guns, stormed the venue — The Wells Carlton Hotel in Asokoro — in a coordinated assault that left several attendees injured and many robbed of their phones and personal belongings.

“At the inauguration hall which I personally paid for at The Wells Carlton Hotel, Asokoro, Seyi Tinubu arrived with a large number of security men and ordered them to stop the event,” Atiku said.

“The management of the hotel informed me about the interference, but I decided to go ahead with the inauguration. Immediately after we were inaugurated and Senator Shekarau began his speech, Seyi’s thugs entered the hall wielding guns and cutlasses. They stopped the senator, began stabbing people, and chased others away, snatching phones and valuables in the process.”

Atiku further alleged that the attack was premeditated, linking it to an earlier attempt by presidential aides to silence him with a bribe.

“Before the day of the inauguration, Seyi had asked the Senior Special Assistant on Students and Youth Affairs to lure me into silence with money. I was told he was ready to offer me a hundred million naira. My refusal to accept the bribe led to the attack yesterday.”

“When Seyi’s thugs, led by one Ladoja, came in with machetes and guns, they beat people and injured many. Nigerians should beg Seyi to spare my life,” Atiku said, sounding a note of distress.

“They attacked Senator Shekarau, the former Minister of Education, and also Captain Idris Wada, the former governor of Kogi State. Fortunately, both of them were whisked away by their security details. I, however, was taken to an unknown location after being beaten and injured.”

All efforts by SaharaReporters to contact the former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, and the former Governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada, were unsuccessful, as they did not answer calls or respond to messages sent to them.

SaharaReporters previously reported that the newly elected President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, accused Seyi, son of President Bola Tinubu, of attempting to take his (Isah) life.

He also accused the president's son of disrupting the inauguration ceremony of the association scheduled to hold at The Wells Carlton Hotel in Asokoro, Abuja.

Isah, who emerged as NANS President at the association’s national convention held on February 27, 2025, made the allegations on Tuesday in a phone call to SaharaReporters, claiming that his life was under immediate threat.

"At The Wells Carlton, Seyi Tinubu and his thugs are around to scatter our inauguration," Isah alleged.

"Seyi has just ordered for me to be assassinated after the plea to buy me with money failed."

According to the students leader, Seyi Tinubu allegedly instructed the hotel management to shut down operations, effectively locking guests inside and halting all movements to and from the premises.

"He has instructed the management to shut down everything. They have just informed me," Isah said.

The NANS convention earlier this year was reportedly marred by factional disputes and allegations of external influence, raising tensions ahead of the planned inauguration.

The Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company has remained shut since January 25, 2025, despite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) spending $897.6 million on its renovation.

Documents from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), reveal that the refinery, which was declared operational in December 2024 by former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari, failed to produce Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) before shutting down due to safety concerns in its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) Main Heater.

“The Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company was shut down on 25th Jan. 2025 due to safety concerns over the CDU Main Heater,” the document stated.

The 125,000 barrels-per-day refinery, located across Ekpan, Uvwie, and Ubeji in Warri, had been dormant for decades before its reported revival. Commissioned in 1978, the facility also has an annual production capacity of 13,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene and 18,000 metric tonnes of carbon black.

President Bola Tinubu had commended the NNPCL for completing the refurbishment and restarting operations at 60 per cent of installed capacity. The refinery was expected to produce and store critical products such as Straight Run Kerosene, Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), and heavy and light Naphtha.

However, findings show that operations halted barely a month after the relaunch, sparking fresh concerns over the management and transparency of Nigeria’s refinery rehabilitation efforts.

Further investigations revealed that the Port Harcourt Refining Company, which resumed operations in November 2024 after a $1.5 billion rehabilitation project, has also been underperforming. The facility, with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, has been running at just 37.87 per cent of its installed capacity.

Production data showed the refinery averaged 82.55 million litres of refined products monthly between November 2024 and April 2025—falling short of its expected output by 135.45 million litres.

This performance contradicts claims by NNPCL spokesperson Femi Soneye that the Port Harcourt refinery was operating at “70 per cent” capacity, with plans to ramp up to “90 per cent.”

The Port Harcourt refinery’s outputs include Premium Motor Spirit blending components like Straight-Run Gasoline and Straight-Run Naphtha, as well as Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), jet fuel, Household Kerosene, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), says he founded Radio Biafra to “promote truth, peace, and the fight for fundamental human rights”.

Kanu made the remarks in a video recording of his interrogation by the Department of State Services (DSS), which was played in open court on Tuesday during his trial for alleged terrorism and treasonable felony.

Kanu was re-arraigned on March 21 before James Omotosho, judge of a federal high court in Abuja.

At the resumed session on Tuesday, Adegboyega Awomolo, the prosecution counsel, told the court that he filed an ex parte application dated April 10 seeking to protect the identities of the witnesses.

“The essence is for the safety and security of state officers who would be part of the witnesses,” he said.

Omotsho granted the application after Kanu Agabi, counsel to the defendant, said he had no objection.

The first prosecution witness, who was codenamed “AAA” to protect his identity, was then called.

AAA, a DSS staff, said he was part of the team which arrested Kanu on October 15, 2015, at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Lagos.

The witness said Kanu was arrested and several items, including broadcasting devices which were set up in the room, were confiscated.

In the footage, Kanu admitted to setting up the radio station, which he said was registered with the UK government.

He said it was “illegal” to broadcast in Nigeria since he had not registered with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Kanu also admitted that the radio was funded by supporters from different parts of the world and that he makes his account public to the UK government.

In another statement made by the separatist leader and read in court, Kanu said he was interrogated by the DSS “without legal representation” as required by law.

All exhibits were tendered through the witness and admitted into evidence.

The newly elected President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, has accused Seyi, son of President Bola Tinubu, of attempting to take his (Isah) life.

He also accused the president's son of disrupting the inauguration ceremony of the association scheduled to hold at The Wells Carlton Hotel in Asokoro, Abuja.

Isah, who emerged as NANS President at the association’s national convention held on February 27, 2025, made the allegations on Tuesday in a phone call to SaharaReporters, claiming that his life was under immediate threat.

"At The Wells Carlton, Seyi Tinubu and his thugs are around to scatter our inauguration," Isah alleged.

"Seyi has just ordered for me to be assassinated after the plea to buy me with money failed."

According to the students leader, Seyi Tinubu allegedly instructed the hotel management to shut down operations, effectively locking guests inside and halting all movements to and from the premises.

"He has instructed the management to shut down everything. They have just informed me," Isah said.

"The inauguration was supposed to take place at 11am and the hall is already filled up. He is in front of my hotel room now to murder me with his security. My life is under threat."

One of the students leaders, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, described the situation as “deeply troubling and an attack on the democratic process within the student movement.”

“This is not just about Atiku Isah. It’s about protecting student leadership from elite interference and violence,” he said.

The NANS convention earlier this year was reportedly marred by factional disputes and allegations of external influence, raising tensions ahead of the planned inauguration.

On April 22, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) wrote to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting adequate security for the upcoming inauguration of its new executive committee on April 29, 2025.

The association is seeking to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition into office for its newly elected leaders.

In a letter addressed to the Inspector General, Comr. Atiku Abubakar Isah, who emerged as the President of NANS at the association’s 27th February National Convention, had disclosed the importance of maintaining order and security during the event.

The letter, which was signed by Comr. Atiku Abubakar Isah, read, "Following the emergence of Comr. Atiku Abubakar Isah as President alongside other members of the National Executive Committee of the Association at the 27th February National Convention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), we wish to implore your office to avail us adequate security as we are set for official inauguration into office on the 29/04/2025."
The association, which serves as the registered body responsible for the welfare of Nigerian students in tertiary institutions, expressed its desire for a rancor-free inauguration process, seeking the support of the police to facilitate a peaceful event.
"Please be assured, Sir, of our esteemed regards as we look forward to working together with your office to achieve a rancour-free inauguration," the letter stated.
The NANS leadership hopes that the presence of security forces will help in maintaining order and protecting all attendees during the inauguration ceremony.
The request comes at a time when student bodies across the country are working hard to ensure that their leadership transitions are peaceful and free from any disruptions.
The newly elected NANS leadership, under Comr. Isah, has expressed its commitment to representing the interests of Nigerian students and addressing key issues affecting their educational and social well-being.

The Oyo State Police Command on Saturday said it has uncovered a human trafficking syndicate in Ibadan, rescuing its 83 victims.

The police public relations officer, Adewale Osifeso, disclosed this to journalists in Ibadan.

Mr Osifeso said the rescued victims comprised 57 males and 26 females, including an infant.

He, however, said further investigation into the incident was ongoing, promising to update the public accordingly.

It was gathered that the victims were rescued from a residential building in the Orogun area of Ibadan, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.

According to an anonymous source, the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were allegedly brought to Nigeria under the false pretence of securing employment opportunities.

The source alleged that the traffickers extorted large sums of money in United States dollars from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of an elaborate and deceitful scheme.

Unrest within the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party could see Kemi Badenoch booted out as leader after poll ratings for the party have dipped ahead of next week’s local elections.

The Tories are expected to lose a significant number of seats in the elections.

Polls indicated that Badenoch has performed poorly and focused on the wrong issues in the six months she has served as Tory leader.

More than two dozen members of parliament told Bloomberg that the British-Nigerian is not the right person to take the party into the next general election due by mid-2029.

Last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to victory, ending 14 years of Conservative rule in the UK.

The Tories, who are looking to make a comeback, believe Badenoch should be replaced with Robert Jenrick, the right-wing shadow justice secretary.

Jenrick has voiced ambitions to unite the right-wing vote and reduce competition from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, signaling internal challenges putting Badenoch’s leadership under significant pressure.

The decision also comes as Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform Party has consistently outperformed the Tories in recent polls, threatening to replace them as the main force on the right.

Badenoch has focused on several issues that critics consider the “wrong” or problematic priorities for the Conservative Party at this time.

She has concentrated heavily on opposing what she terms “left-wing nonsense”, including excessive regulation and identity politics.

Critics say she has failed to demonstrate clear, detailed policy frameworks and has focused instead on broad conservative principles and cultural issues, raising concerns about the party’s ability to present a comprehensive political agenda to voters.

Three people were killed when bandits attacked Illela-Baraya Village in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday evening.

The attack, which took place around 10pm, saw a large number of bandits storm the village, shooting sporadically and causing panic among residents.

According to security reports, three victims were brutally killed during the assault.

Intelligence sources told a counterinsurgency expert, Zagazola Makama that "the bandits, in large numbers, launched the attack at about 2200hrs, fatally injuring the three victims."

Security operatives were immediately deployed to the scene to confront the attackers.

"A team of security operatives were swiftly deployed to the scene and engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat without managing to rustle any livestock," the sources said.

Despite the quick response, the injured victims later died. "The victims succumbed to their injuries and were confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital," the sources added.

Troops recovered some items from the scene of the attack.

"Three empty shells of AK-47 ammunition were recovered at the scene," the intelligence sources stated.

After the attack, the area was combed thoroughly and patrols were intensified to forestall any further incidents.

The authorities have not yet issued an official statement, but security has been heightened across neighbouring villages to prevent further attacks.

Local residents expressed fear over the latest violence, calling for more proactive measures to protect communities across the region.

The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, and a Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, are facing possible prison sentences in the United States after pleading guilty to charges of COVID-19 relief fraud.

Oba Oloyede, a US-based accountant and information system expert, was appointed the new Apetu in July 2019.

The monarch and Oluwasanmi were arrested in early 2024 for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently obtain $4.2m in COVID-19 relief funds.

The two men were charged with 13 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.

They were arraigned before Justice Christopher Boyko of the US District Court of Ohio.

Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported the arraignment of Oloyede while residents of Ipetumodu were at a loss over his disappearance from the community after a trip abroad.

Our correspondent had reported that there was anxiety in the community after the 62-year-old was absent from several important festivals that required his presence.

After investigating, Saturday PUNCH confirmed that the monarch was being held by the US authorities.

According to court documents obtained by our correspondent, Oloyede and Oluwasanmi submitted falsified applications for Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loans under the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act between April 2020 and February 2022, using fake tax and wage documents to secure funds meant to support struggling businesses during the pandemic.

The Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by issuing loans to small businesses and non-profit entities experiencing revenue loss due to the pandemic.

The Act also authorised the US Small Business Administration to issue advances or grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses.

Oba Oloyede, who was based in Medina, Ohio, before his enthronement, was accused of using some of his companies, including Available Tax Services Incorporated, Available Financial Corporation, and Available Transportation Company, to defraud the government through the COVID-19 relief fund.

Oluwasanmi was also accused of using his companies: Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated to obtain millions of dollars, which he later diverted for his expenses, in breach of US federal laws.

According to court documents, Oba Oloyede and Oluwasanmi, among other things, fraudulently obtained the sum of $3.76m from the US Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loans scheme.

After about one year in court, the duo pleaded guilty to some of the charges and might face some prison sentences.

On April 10, Oluwasanmi, through his counsel, Henry Hilow, pleaded guilty to counts one, 11, and 12 of the indictment.

In the said counts, Oluwasanmi was accused of using some of the proceeds of the fraud to purchase a commercial property on 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio, through wire transfer, and transferring money into Dayspring transportation brokerage account.

“Guilty plea entered to counts 1, 11 and 12 of the indictment. Plea agreement executed. Sentencing set for July 2, 2025, at 10am in Courtroom 9A. Defendant’s bond to continue with same conditions as previously ordered,” the document read.

On Monday, April 21, Oba Oloyede submitted his guilty plea before the court.

The court fixed Thursday, April 24, for the hearing of his pleas.

Oba Oloyede’s long absence from his community has been generating reactions from community leaders and chiefs, especially after he reportedly demolished the town’s palace with a promise to build a befitting one upon return from his trip before his arrest.

With the report of his trial in the US, some residents are demanding that the state government investigate the matter and intervene.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu failed to attend the burial of his brother, Pa Oladejo Sangodele, who was laid to rest recently in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State, SaharaReporters has learnt.

According to a source close to the Sangodele family who spoke with SaharaReporters on Thursday, Tinubu deliberately avoided the burial ceremony to prevent raising suspicions about his factual family background.

The source, who asked not to be named due to the sensitive nature of the matter, revealed that President Tinubu and Pa Sangodele were brothers.

The source told SaharaReporters that Tinubu is the last child of the family. After Alhaja Abibat Mogaji took him to Lagos, his name was changed, and he was raised there.

The source explained that after settling in Lagos, he later brought Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State governor, to join him. But it has always been a family secret that Sangodele was his brother, the source added.

"Tinubu's actual surname is Sangodele and he is indeed from Iragbiji as many people already know. Pa Sangodele, who died, was his brother. Former Osun governor Oyetola, whom Tinubu sent to the wake, is the son of the first child of Tinubu's mum.

"Tinubu is the last child. After Tinubu was taken to the late Iyaloja of Lagos, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, who raised Tinubu in Lagos, and he became settled there, he took Oyetola to join him there. Tinubu basically raised Oyetola, sent him to school, married for him.

"That is why he trusts him, especially because when Tinubu returned from exile in the 90s, what he met surprised him. Oyetola had managed all his interests left behind well, even while Tinubu was not around," the source added.

Meanwhile, Engineer Olalekan AbdulRahman, Executive Director at the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, revealed on Thursday via his official Facebook account that he joined his mentor and boss, Oyetola, to attend the Christian Wake held in honour of the late Pa Akanbi Oladejo and Mama Moradeke Adesola Sangodele in Iragbiji, Osun State..

"This evening, I joined my mentor and boss, the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Isiaq Adegboyega Oyetola, to grace the Christian Wake service held in honour of Pa Akanbi Oladejo and Mama Moradeke Adesola Sangodele, in Iragbiji,” he said.

“Pa Oladejo Sangodele until his demise was an uncle and a father figure to my mentor.”

"While addressing the audience, H.E. Oyetola described Baba as a thoroughbred disciplinarian who will not compromise on anything he thinks is right.

"He prayed for the deceased to find rest with their creator," he added.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu, whose early life has often been shrouded in mystery and controversy, has never publicly acknowledged any siblings from Iragbiji.

His official biography focuses on his political journey from Lagos, where the influential businesswoman and political matriarch, Alhaja Mogaji raised him.

Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu has the highest number of extremely poor people globally, says the World Bank’s Africa’s Pulse report of April 2025.

“Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest extreme poverty rate globally, and a large share of the poor is concentrated in a few countries,” the report stated.

According to a chart in the report, Nigeria accounts for 19 per cent of extremely poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa, while the Democratic Republic of Congo has 14 per cent, Ethiopia 9 per cent, and Sudan 6 per cent.

It added, “About 80 per cent of the world’s estimated 695 million extreme poor resided in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, compared to 8 per cent in South Asia, 2 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific, 5 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa, and 3 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

A further breakdown by Peoples Gazette shows that Nigeria’s 19 per cent of the 560 million extremely poor in Sub-Saharan Africa represents 106 million people. This also amounts to 15.25 per cent of the world’s estimated 695 million extremely poor.

The report lists Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and war-torn Sudan as the four countries “within Sub-Saharan Africa, with half of the 560 million extreme poor in 2024.”

The World Bank also predicted a grim future for Nigeria, stating that more Nigerians will be plunged into poverty under Mr Tinubu’s watch by 2027.

This comes a month before Mr Tinubu’s second year in office. He assumed office on May 29, 2023, announcing fuel subsidy removal and later, exchange rate unification.

Barely a week ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that Mr Tinubu’s economic policies are yet to yield tangible benefits for Nigerians, as poverty and food insecurity remain widespread.

The IMF said though reforms introduced by the Tinubu-led government “have put the Nigerian economy in a better position to navigate this external environment,” the country still faces economic uncertainty.

“The outlook is marked by significant uncertainty. Elevated global risk sentiment and lower oil prices impact the Nigerian economy. Looking ahead, macroeconomic policies need to further strengthen buffers and resilience, while creating enabling conditions for private sector-led growth,” the IMF said.

Mr Tinubu’s economic policies—primarily fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification—have triggered unprecedented economic hardships in Nigeria.

In August 2024, thousands of Nigerians staged a 10-day nationwide protest against bad governance and hunger. However, Mr Tinubu has repeatedly said that the hardships are a necessary sacrifice for long-term economic recovery.

No fewer than six persons were reportedly killed in a renewed clash between members of the Ezza community in Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State and their Effium neighbours in Ebonyi State.

The crisis between the two communities has lingered for decades, defying all efforts to bring an end to the conflict.

A source from the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the fresh clash erupted on Saturday at about 2:30 p.m., when armed men, believed to be from neighbouring Effium, stormed Ezza community, shooting sporadically.

He said: “The people were going about their normal business when Effium fighters from Ebonyi State invaded Ezza around 2:30 p.m., shooting indiscriminately.

“The attack was unprovoked, and no one can explain why they chose to invade the community, especially during the Easter season.

“As we speak, about six persons have been killed and several others injured. It’s even more painful because women and children are fleeing their homes when they should be enjoying the Easter holiday.

“The situation remains tense. The attackers are still in the community, shooting and looting valuables and food.”
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful.

The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of seven individuals following an ambush by armed hoodlums along the Obbo-Aiyegunle/Osi Road in the Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.

The incident occurred at about 6:30 PM on Saturday, April 19, when a Sienna bus with registration number FFA 50 XD, en route from Abuja to Offa, was intercepted by about eight gunmen who abducted all seven occupants, including the driver.

A statement released on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, revealed that police operatives responded swiftly in collaboration with local vigilantes after receiving a distress report.

"The vehicle was recovered and moved to the nearest police formation. During a coordinated search of the surrounding bush, three children aged between two and twelve years were found and safely rescued," SP Ejire-Adeyemi said.

According to the police, one of the rescued children was able to provide vital information about her guardian, leading to the successful reunion of the rescued minors with their relatives.

While the fate of the remaining victims remains uncertain, the police assured the public that no stone is being left unturned in the ongoing rescue efforts.

"The Kwara State Command has intensified efforts through discreet investigation, intelligence gathering, and sustained bush combing to track down the perpetrators and secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims," said SP Ejire-Adeyemi.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, also expressed the Command’s resolve to ensure the safety and protection of all residents in the state.

“We are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators of this act to justice and reuniting the victims with their families. We urge members of the public to provide any useful information that may assist in this operation through the established channels of the Kwara State Police Command,” CP Ojo stated.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation.

In his Easter message delivered on Sunday, Bishop Kukah warned that the country is slowly turning into a vast national morgue due to incessant killings and widespread violence.

He lamented the scale of human suffering across the nation, describing the current climate as marked by “a culture of brutality and savagery never witnessed in the history of our dear country.”

Kukah used the metaphor of the crucifixion to illustrate the extent of national pain, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene and rescue citizens from what he termed “this cross of evil.”

“Mr. President, we all admit that you neither erected this cross nor initiated our collective crucifixion. However, Nigerians have been left bleeding and dangling on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for far too long,” he said.

The Bishop condemned the increasing frequency of kidnappings, killings, and other forms of violent crimes across the country, stating that no household or community remains untouched by the wave of insecurity.

“A dark pall of death hangs languidly from north to south. Every day, innocent citizens are kidnapped and held under the most inhuman conditions. Nigeria is reaching a breaking point,” Kukah warned.

He further criticized the government’s approach to economic hardship, particularly the reliance on palliative distributions, which he said erodes the dignity of citizens.

“While we agree that removing fuel subsidies was a necessary decision and acknowledge the availability of more domestic resources, the reality is that farming has become one of the most dangerous occupations in Nigeria for over a decade. Mere palliatives are insufficient. What Nigerians need is sustainable access to food and security,” he stated.

Calling for urgent reforms, the Bishop urged President Tinubu to enshrine food security as a fundamental human right.

“Make food security a constitutional right for all citizens. Mr. President, please bring us down from this painful cross of hunger,” he appealed.

Despite the grim picture, Bishop Kukah encouraged Nigerians to hold on to hope, reminding them of their collective responsibility to drive out the darkness engulfing the nation.

“The structural deformities, iniquities, and corruption of our country must not be an excuse to lose hope. We are the light of the world, a city set on a hill. With the light of Christ, we can build a society that reflects the will of our Creator,” he said.

He concluded his message with blessings for the nation and a call for renewed faith in the country’s potential.

“I wish you, Mr. President, and all Nigerians, a blessed and happy Easter,” he added.

Valentine Ozigbo, an aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Anambra, has filed a lawsuit against the party over the outcome of the poll.

Ozigbo, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Anambra 2021 governorship election, described the APC primary held on April 5 as “a fraud” and “a well-scripted illusion”.

Ozigbo filed the lawsuit at the federal high court in Awka, the capital of Anambra, challenging the legitimacy of the exercise.

The suit, which names the APC, Nicholas Ukachukwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants, seeks to nullify Ukachukwu’s nomination and compel the party to recognise Ozigbo as the rightful candidate.

According to the court document made available to journalists on Friday, the suit was filed on Wednesday.

Filed through his legal team led by Umeh Kalu, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and B.C. Igwilo, SAN, the suit includes supporting documentation from the party’s constitution, internal communications, and delegate registers.

The originating summons asked the court to determine whether the APC violated its rules by allowing Ukachukwu’s candidacy.

Also, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, Ozigbo said the party failed to conduct a legitimate primary and instead orchestrated a process filled with irregularities and violence.

“When institutions falter, it is the duty of conscience to rise,” he wrote.

“I have taken that stand—not for self, but for truth, for justice, and for Ndi Anambra.”

He said what took place in Anambra was not a primary election but a manipulated process backed by a fake delegate list.

“A contrived delegate list filled with names unfamiliar to even the most seasoned party leaders was used for the guber primary,” he added.

“Real APC members were locked out while chaos reigned.

“There was no accreditation, no order; just thugs, violence, and a herd of hired hands masquerading as delegates.”

He said the result of the primary election had already been decided before the process began.

Ozigbo said the withdrawal of three aspirants from the race showed they recognised the process as fraudulent.

“A primary is the party’s prerogative, yes; but the party must comply with its own rules. It must not make a mockery of its own constitution,” he said.

He said Ukachukwu did not meet the minimum requirements to contest.

“And yet, the party machinery was twisted to serve his ambition,” he said.

“Now, Ukachukwu parades himself, declaring the theatre of deceit that April 5 represents as ‘free and fair’.”

“It is an insult to the intelligence of our people and a stain on the integrity of our party.”

Ozigbo said the APC in Anambra is in crisis while the party leadership remains silent.

“The house is on fire—mass resignations, lawsuits, broken trust—and the so-called candidate dances, oblivious to the smoke and embers,” he said.

He said he had exhausted the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms, including letters to the appeal committees.

“This is not to chase shadows or titles but to defend the values that matter: justice, fairness, and due process,” he said.

“It is not merely my candidacy at stake but the soul of our party and, by extension, our democracy.”

He said he is not desperate for power and has only sought what is just.

“I believe the APC can be a home for reform, for leadership, for progress,” he said.

“But we must be courageous enough to clean our house when wrong is done. We cannot afford to decorate deceit with silence.”

He said his goal is not to destroy the party but to strengthen it.

“Our aim is not to fracture the party but to fortify it; to restore its integrity, renew its credibility, and secure its future as a vehicle for true democratic leadership,” he added.

“Let history record that when a corrupt process attempted to masquerade as legitimacy, we did not stay silent.”

“We stood up. We spoke out. We acted for justice, for our children, and for the future we all deserve.”

Ukachukwu, a former house of representatives member, clinched the ticket at the party’s primary election conducted on April 5, after defeating Ozigbo and other contenders by a landslide.

While Ozigbo secured 67 votes, Edozie Madu and Johnbosco Onunkwo got 8 and 26 votes, respectively.

The Anambra governorship election will be held on November 8.

Suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have destroyed a bridge linking Ngirbuwa to Gonori in Gujba LGA of Yobe.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, that the attack happened around 10:30 pm on Thursday.

The insurgents were said to have used an improvised explosive device (IED) to bring down the remaining part of the bridge.

“This act of terrorism has disrupted movement between the two communities,” Makama quoted one of the sources as saying.

An official of a local vigilante group in Gujba town also confirmed the attack under the condition of anonymity.

He said the bridge came under attack shortly after the gunmen entered Goniri village.

A village head, who also asked not to be named according to the publication, confirmed that the bridge linking Ngurbuwa and Goniri — said to be the oldest in Gujba — was bombed.

He said residents are suffering while attempting to cross to their communities due to the destruction.

Some residents of Ngurbuwa have appealed to the Yobe state government to deploy additional security personnel to protect the remaining bridges in the area.

On Tuesday, ISWAP fighters detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) on Mandafuma bridge, along Biu-Damboa road in Borno state.

The explosion was aimed at hindering military reinforcements travelling through the area and disrupting the movement of motorists and passengers along the route.

At least 17 people have been killed in a fresh attack on several rural communities in two Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State.

Our correspondent gathered that the attacks were simultaneously carried out in Gbagir of Ukum LGA and other villages in Logo LGA between Thursday night and early hours of Friday.

Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Catherine Anene, said security agencies within Sankera axis comprising Logo, Ukum and Kastina-Ala LGAs were still engaging the bandits as they retreat back to the forest around Taraba axis.

Anene said, “On 17/4/2025 at about 2100hrs, information was received that a large number of suspected militia had invaded Sankera axis of Benue state with intention to attack communities around Gbagir, Ukum Local Government Area. Upon receipt of this report, the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Police command, CP. Steve H. Yabanet FCID, psc (+) ordered tactical teams to move to the area and join forces with police officers on ground and other security agencies to forestall the attack.

“Following this order, a team of officers moved to the area and engaged them. While the attackers were being repelled in the early hours of today, they shot sporadically at unsuspecting farmers as they came across them. Five (5) persons were recovered at Gbagir area and taken to the hospital where they were confirmed dead.

“Unfortunately an unsuspected simultaneous attack was carried out in Logo where twelve (12) persons were killed before the arrival of the police, making a total of seventeen persons. However, Security agencies within Sankera axis are still engaging the bandits as they retreat back to the forest around Taraba axis.

“The CP warns social media users that are reporting unconfirmed reports and inciting the general public to desist from such actions that are capable of creating unnecessary tension in the state. He reiterates his commitment to fight the attackers and encourage the good people of Sankera to continue to cooperate with the police as the operation is ongoing.”

Residents also confirmed that the military was currently bombarding the bandits in Kastina-Ala, Ukum and Logo LGAs with helicopters seen hovering over the areas.

No fewer than 390 repentant Boko Haram members graduated from the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration programme in Gombe State.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, said this during the graduation in Malam Sidi in the Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe State on Thursday.

He said that the graduating clients arrived at the camp in July 2024 and went through various rebuilding activities of the programme, which reshaped them and made them ready for reintegration into society.

Represented by Maj.-Gen. Sunday Makollo, Musa said that the non-kinetic approach by the Federal Government is positively impacting military operations in the Northeast.

He restated the Army’s commitment toward tackling security challenges in the country and ensuring peace and security.

He urged the clients to be agents of peace in their respective communities, while warning them against violating the oath they took and their allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

On his part, the Commandant of the DRR Camp, Operation Safe Corridor, Col. Abiodun Johnson, said that the clients comprised six foreigners and 384 Nigerians who had been rehabilitated and were ready for reintegration.

Johnson said, “A further breakdown of the 390 clients shows 13 clients hailed from Adamawa, one from Akwa-Ibom, 19 from Bauchi State, 218 from Borno, one from Cross River, one from Edo, five from Gombe, five from Jigawa.

“Others are 15 from Kaduna State, 14 from Kano State, seven from Katsina State, three from Kebbi and five from Kogi, two from Nasarawa, five from Niger, one from Osun, two from Oyo.

“Four from Plateau, five from Sokoto State, three from Taraba, 47 from Yobe and eight from Zamfara.

“The foreign clients include one from Cameroon, one from Chad and four from Niger Republic.

“Similarly, six clients are Christians and 384 are Muslims. This information is essential for management planning and the reintegration process.”

He explained that during the DRR programme, the clients were trained in various skills of their choice, ranging from welding, tailoring, carpentry, bakery, laundry and electrical repairs, among others.

He said that the training was to quicken their reintegration into society and discourage them from going back to crimes.

The camp commandant said that the clients had confessed their past, denounced their membership of the insurgent group and swore an oath of allegiance to be loyal, obedient and responsible citizens.

The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Zubaida Umar, said the Federal Government is committed to addressing insecurity in the country.

Umar commended the resilience of the armed forces for using kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in the country.

She lauded President Bola Tinubu for the political will and for approving the expansion of OPSC to cover the six geo-political zones, especially with the inclusion of the North-West and the establishment of the DRR camp in Zamfara State.

Umar, represented by NEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Cdr. Abang Oyong, donated food and non-food items to the clients.

According to her, the items will help to stabilise them after the DRR programme and enable their seamless reintegration into society.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that each of the clients got a starter pack according to their area of training and N50,000.

The items donated include 400 bags of rice (25kg), 400 bags of maize (25kg), 400 bottles of vegetable oil, 40 cartons of seasoning, and 40 cartons of tomato paste.

Others are 20 bags of iodised salt, 400 pieces of bath towels, 800 pieces of plastic plates, and 800 pieces of plastic spoons.

President Bola Tinubu said on Thursday that he has moved from France to London and is actively involved in governance and running Nigeria well from Europe.

A statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga on Thursday said Mr Tinubu has been “overseeing critical national issues” from abroad, while assuring citizens that governance proceeds without interruption.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fully engaged in Nigeria’s governance even though he is away in Europe,” the statement read.”

It added, “The president left Paris for London at the weekend and has maintained constant communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national matters, including directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in some parts of the country.”

The statement said Mr Tinubu will return to Abuja and resume his presidential duties at the Aso Villa after the Easter holiday.

“The president’s commitment to his duties remains unwavering, and his administration continues to function effectively under his leadership,” it said.

This comes amid criticism that Mr Tinubu has been on holiday abroad while Boko Haram, bandits and gunmen, raid Borno, Zamfara and Plateau States, respectively.

On Wednesday, Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, decried the heightened insecurity in recent times, berating Mr Tinubu for being in France while Nigeria is on fire.

Mr Obi’s statement follows waves of deadly attacks by Boko Haram, bandits, and gunmen that have left over 150 people dead in the past two weeks in Plateau, Zamfara and Borno.

In a statement by Mr Onanuga on Monday, Mr Tinubu condemned the attack that left over 50 persons dead in Zikke village of Bassa LGA, Plateau State.

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Bashiru, says Nigeria is not running a socialist system where production, transmission, and distribution of electricity are carried out for the free use of citizens rather than for profit.

“Energy is not cheap anywhere in the world. Nigeria is not running a socialist society. Let us get it very right. We are in a globalised economy,” the former Senate spokesman said on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm programme on Tuesday.

Bashiru, who represented Osun Central Senatorial District in the 9th Senate from 2019 to 2023, was responding to a claim made by Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, who lamented the astronomical increase in electricity bill slammed on his house by a distribution company in the nation’s economic nerve centre.

At a meeting with the Rural Electricity Agency (REA) in Lagos on Monday, Hamzat, also a member of the ruling APC, complained that the disco raised the electricity bill to his quarters from ₦2.7m in March to ₦29m in April.

Bashiru said the APC administration has been making efforts to address this age-long infrastructure deficit in the energy sector.

“Of recent, the transmission companies have been unbundled to address the problem of inefficiency and for adequate focus to ensure there is electricity supply for Nigerians,” he said.

“As to the claim by the deputy governor of Lagos State, I don’t know the level of gadgets he has in his house. I wouldn’t know the size of his house and I wouldn’t know the energy requirement that would occasion that huge amount of money and the basis of that bill.

“But it would not be correct to say that that humongous amount would apply to ordinary Nigerians who just run their lifestyle based on watching television, using electricity, and possibly when there is heat, using air condition.”

The APC scribe argued that the claim of the Lagos deputy governor cannot be used as a representative sampling of what ordinary Nigerians are going through.

“You cannot pigeonhole to say people spend N20,000 in a matter of days. What is the cost of generating, what is the cost of transmission? What is the cost of distribution?

“It should be run on the basis of economic efficiency so that the cost of production of the energy itself must be recovered and they must be able to make profit. We are not running a socialist economy,” he said.

For decades, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has been faced with intractable energy challenges, no thanks to an epileptic power supply that significantly affects productivity levels. Despite the privatisation of the electricity sector, power generation, transmission, and distribution have remained bogged with hydra-headed monsters of policy inconsistency, low investments, and operational challenges.

In 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved the upward review of electricity prices with a unit of power costing about N250 for Band A customers. The cost of petrol and diesel which are readily available alternatives have equally increased by fivefold, compounding the dilemma of consumers.

In the same year, NERC granted at least eight State’s Electrify Regulatory Commissions licenses to power plants and power distribution. The states are Enugu, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Edo, Kogi, Oyo and Lagos. More states have been granted the same licence in 2025.

Forty persons have been killed in another attack by assailants on Zike community, Kimakpa in the Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to a Kwall community leader, Wakili Tongwe, the attackers invaded the village in the early hours of Monday and shot sporadically at residents who were scampering for safety after hearing gunshots.

The community leader told Channels Television on the phone that a team of vigilantes, including himself and some security personnel, were on patrol in another community when the attackers invaded the village and started shooting.

Though the security personnel engaged the invaders and succeeded in repelling the attackers, the damage had been done, with about thirty-six persons shot dead and four others dying later.

Some other residents sustained gunshot wounds and are receiving medical attention at the hospital.

Security agencies in the state are yet to comment on the attack, which is coming less than two weeks after fifty-two persons were killed in some communities of the Bokkos Local Government Area of the North-Central state.

Plateau State has, for several decades, been a hotbed of killings, with gunmen sacking entire communities. Experts blame the fight for resources between farmers and herders as a major cause of the attacks.

Fresh tensions have soared in the state since about 200 people were killed at Christmas 2023 celebrations during a bloody attack on a majority Christian village.

In May last year, around 40 people were killed and homes torched in the town of Wase.

ABUJA – As preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum, emerging reports suggest that President Bola Tinubu’s camp is making desperate moves to prevent the defection of key members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), particularly those from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc.

A leaked memo has revealed that President Tinubu is considering drafting former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, a close ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, to persuade the CPC bloc to remain in the APC.

Al-Makura is reportedly being offered a possible APC national chairmanship in exchange for convincing Buhari to intervene and rally his loyalists.

Sources disclosed that Al-Makura has scheduled a press conference for Monday, where he is expected to announce Buhari’s alleged support for keeping his political base within the APC.

This development comes amid growing concerns within the ruling party as several high-profile politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, and ex-Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa, are reportedly exploring alternative political platforms ahead of 2027, citing dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s leadership.

The memo has further exposed the growing internal cracks within the APC and raised questions about the party’s unity and future ahead of the next election cycle.

Efforts by the Progressive Governors’ Forum, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to involve former President Buhari have intensified. Just last week, a delegation of APC governors led by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who also chairs the Progressive Governors’ Forum, visited Buhari in Kaduna to plead with him to prevent the looming exodus.

Notably, Nasir El-Rufai has already publicly claimed to have received Buhari’s blessing to exit the APC. Meanwhile, some former ministers from Buhari’s administration are said to be finalizing plans to join the SDP en masse. In Buhari’s home state of Katsina, several APC members have already defected.

On Friday, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and members of the NWC also met with Buhari—just hours after opposition leaders including Atiku Abubakar, El-Rufai, Tambuwal, and former Minister Isa Pantami held talks with the former president.

The CPC bloc—comprised of key figures like former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami, and ex-Minister of State for Education Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba—has reportedly become disillusioned with the Tinubu administration, fueling speculation of an imminent defection wave.

A mass defection from this powerful bloc could deal a severe blow to the APC’s prospects in 2027, casting uncertainty over its political dominance.

At least eight people have been confirmed dead after an explosive device, reportedly planted by Boko Haram terrorists, detonated on the Damboa-Maiduguri road in Borno State.

SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday, and has left several others injured and taken to the hospital.

Local sources, including Facebook user, Ibn Maigana, have confirmed the attack, shedding light on the long-standing dangers faced by residents in the area.

Maigana, expressing grief, wrote, "Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raju'un. The road to my hometown, Damboa Local Government Area in Borno, has been dangerous and one of the riskiest roads in the country for years now. We've lost exceptional military staff and residents to the criminal elements called Boko Haram."

Maigana further stated, "And today, they planted explosives that claimed the lives of eight innocent individuals on the Maiduguri-Damboa road. This further justifies the call for the intensification of security measures to protect the lives and properties of the citizenry. May Allah protect us from being victimized by ungodly elements and rest the souls of the deceased."

Another user on X, @OffucialAzzaki, also confirmed the attack, saying, "A bomb blast has just occurred along Damboa road to Maiduguri. Sadly, 8 lives were lost, and several others have been taken to the hospital with injuries. Please pray for the victims."

When SaharaReporters contacted the Borno State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso Kenneth, he said he was trying to gather more information about the incident

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that Senator Ali Ndume revealed that Boko Haram terrorists had taken control of at least three communities in Borno State, effectively replacing the government authorities with their own.

Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, made known during an appearance on Channels Television on Friday, raising concerns about the worsening security situation in Nigeria’s North-East.

"Yes, three," Ndume said when asked whether certain areas in Borno were currently under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.

He had named the communities as Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area, Marte, and Abadam, adding that there are “no civil authorities” in those regions.

“What we are saying is that there is no civil authority there, and the authority is Boko Haram,” he emphasised, describing a dire situation in which the government has lost ground to the terrorists.

The senator’s comments reinforce recent concerns raised by Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who also sounded the alarm over renewed Boko Haram attacks and widespread insecurity.

“As I address this important gathering today, it is unfortunate that the renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities almost on a daily basis without confrontation signalled that Borno State is losing ground,” Governor Zulum had said earlier in the week during a security meeting in Maiduguri.
Senator Ndume backed the governor’s statement, dismissing any attempts to downplay the severity of the crisis.

“From November last year till date, there were over 250 attacks in the state, and somebody is saying we should ignore the governor,” Ndume stated during the live interview.
“We have lost more than 100 soldiers, nearly 300 civilians even though our soldiers gallantly killed 800 of those terrorists within this period,” he added, painting a grim picture of the conflict’s toll.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker also criticised the preparedness of security forces to handle the crisis, blaming inadequate equipment and poor strategy for the continued violence.
“It is like a stagnated situation,” Ndume remarked. “The security agencies are trying their best, but they are not well-equipped to match the evolving threats we are facing.”
Calling for urgent and decisive action, the senator urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency not only on security but also on the welfare of citizens and the nation’s ailing economy.
“Things are getting worse,” Ndume warned.

“The president should declare a state of emergency. Enough of business as usual — our people are dying, and our territories are falling.”

In a ruling that has raised concerns over freedom of expression, a Sokoto Chief Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Faruk Umar, has sentenced 18-year-old social media activist, Hamdiyya Sidi Shariff, to a choice of 12 strokes of the cane, two years in prison, or a ₦50,000 fine.

Hamdiyya was arrested on November 13, 2024, following a social media post in which she expressed distress over the increasing wave of killings and deteriorating security conditions in Sokoto State.

Her comments, made in the context of growing fear and frustration among residents, were deemed inappropriate by authorities, leading to her arrest and subsequent prosecution.

The sentence has sparked widespread criticism from human rights advocates and digital rights organisations, who view it as a heavy-handed response to peaceful online expression.

Many see Hamdiyya’s case as part of a broader trend of silencing dissent, particularly among vocal young Nigerians using social media as a platform for advocacy and accountability.

A human rights activist and chairman of the Northern Star Youth Empowerment Initiative, Hajiya Najatu Muhammad, has condemned the recent Bokkos massacre in Plateau State, calling it a "sheer failure of President Tinubu's All Progressives Congress-led government".

The attack, which occurred between April 2 and April 3, 2025, had claimed over 60 lives and left many communities devastated.

Reacting in a statement made available to SaharaReporters on Friday, titled: "Communities in the Abyss, Country on the Brink," Muhammad criticised the government's response, citing ineptitude and corruption within the security architecture.

She questioned whether the massacre was an isolated incident or a deliberate attempt to destabilise the country ahead of the 2027 genral elections.

"The height of injustice and failure of governance across the country is alarming, to say the least. As Nigeria was preparing to bury the 19 victims of the Edo Massacre, sad news broke out about another massacre. This time in Bokkos, Plateau State. The sheer failure of President Tinubu's APC-led Government is nothing short of horror and terror.

"The question that all Nigerians need to ask is, is this simply a failure of governance or a brutal attempt by the agents of those at the helm of affairs to destabilise the country ahead of the 2027 election? Considering how deeply unpopular and inept this government is, we must all start to ask ourselves deeply alarming questions."

Muhammad highlighted the country's security agencies' failure to intervene during the Bokkos massacre, allowing the attackers to wreak havoc for hours.

She also alleged that the selection of heads of security agencies is based on tribal affiliations and sycophancy, rather than merit.

Claiming that corrupt politicians have diverted the security apparatus to protect their interests, families, and stolen wealth, the activist rebutted the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu's claim that insecurity had decreased by 90% in the past 10 months, calling it "absurd and insincere".

"When senior government and security officials blatantly lie to the public about the nation's insecurity, we are indeed doomed. Following the Bokkos massacre, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, stated that insecurity across the country has been reduced by 90% in the past 10 months is not only absurd and insincere but also underscores the level of detachment these people are from our reality. We must be truly alarmed."

She emphasised the need to address the root causes of terrorism and the failure of Nigeria's security architecture.

She said, "Government officials and security agencies' ineptitude and nonchalant attitude have become the norm. Corruption and corrupt practices across the entire security architecture are now the standard of operations. Nevertheless, as the country is burning, the President is away in France mortgaging our future to a declining globalist French elite.

"Our lives are being taken by marauders and perceived agents of failed governance, at a time when our lives/future and that of our children are being stolen by corrupt globalist elites and their corrupt local stooges. What can be worse than this?" she questioned.

"What is worse is a complete power grab by corrupt political elites that have successfully stirred Nigeria's security outfits away from protecting the lives and properties of citizens towards the protection of corrupt politicians, their families, and their stolen wealth properties. The selection of heads of security agencies is now based on tribal and friendly affiliations. Promotions and postings are based on sycophancy and an open auction system. Beat for bid. This cannot be allowed to continue. No one but these politicians and their families feels safe across the country."

Muhammad urged Nigerians to seek ways to defend themselves, stating, "What is unsustainable, cannot be sustained". "For certain, this government has not only failed but has also lost touch with reality. Nigerians must now start seeking ways to defend themselves."

Her statement concludes with a warning that the government has lost touch with reality and that decisive action is necessary to prevent further crises.

However, she express sincere and deep condolences to the people and Government of Plateau State over the gruesome massacre.

Senator Ali Ndume has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be worried if ex-President Muhamamdu Buhari is not on his side.

Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, the lawmaker said although Buhari has just one vote, he remains an adorable figure in Northern Nigeria.

Ndume spoke after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar led key opposition figures to Buhari’s residence in Kaduna, on Friday.

The senator said he was also planning a visit to Buhari.

He said, “Buhari’s followership has diminished naturally because it is different when you are not in power and after spending like eight years in power. Of course his popularity, everything has diminished, it is natural, but you can’t write him off especially with the Northern masses. The followership of Buhari has been occultic. You cannot explain it.

“If Buhari is coming here now, you will see people rushing to see. Everybody including those in the vegetable market will rush here. Buhari is still with the Talakawas

“Tinubu should be worried if Buhari is not on his side. Every number counts and Buhari has one vote. Tinubu should also be worried about my position. Because I have one vote for him. He does not have a vote for me.”

Daily Trust gad reported that there were concerns over the potential exit of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc from the APC.

This was amplified following a recent meeting between former President Buhari and APC governors.

The visit, which took place on Monday in Kaduna, was initially perceived as a routine courtesy call but has since sparked speculation about its deeper purpose.

It was gathered that the governors reportedly sought Buhari’s intervention to halt defections from the party, particularly by key members of the CPC bloc.

The governors’ appeal reportedly arose from growing concerns about potential defections ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defunct CPC, a key bloc within APC, remains highly influential, with Buhari regarded as its central figure.

There are fears within APC that the exit of this bloc could spell disaster for the party on a national scale.

The Monday meeting took place amid a wave of defections by Buhari’s allies from APC to SDP. Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai was the first to publicly announce his departure, claiming he had secured Buhari’s blessing before leaving the party.

Several former ministers who served in Buhari’s cabinet are also reportedly finalising plans to join the SDP, and in Buhari’s home state of Katsina, numerous APC members have already defected to the SDP.

The CPC, founded in 2009, merged in February 2013 with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to form what is now known as the APC.

A source told Daily Trust that the governors feared Buhari’s enduring cult-like followership in the North could become a major liability for APC if he backs his CPC associates. His bloc vote, they feared, could be catastrophic for the party in 2027.

It was gathered that the governors specifically urged Buhari to dissuade his CPC associates from leaving APC. However, the former president reportedly declined to make any such commitment. While reaffirming his loyalty to APC, he insisted that others must be allowed to make their own political choices—a principle he said he has upheld throughout his political career.

Meanwhile, Buhari has said he remains a committed member of the ruling APC.

In a statement by Garba Shehu, his spokesman, Buhari was quoted to have said after Wl-Rufai’s defection, he would never turn his back on the APCy that gave him the platform to become Nigeria’s number one citizen.

The United States Supreme Court has struck out President Bola Tinubu’s petition against Zhongshan Chinese investors for a writ of certiorari to review a judgement that awarded $70 million against the Nigerian government over a botched free trade zone contract in Ogun state former governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Having lost the case at two lower courts, Mr Tinubu had raced to the U.S. Supreme Court in November 2024 to file a certiorari asking senior jurists to review Nigeria’s sovereignty argument that it was an independent state that was not subject to the laws of other nations.

The Supreme Court asked Zhongshan investors to respond to Nigeria’s request for certiorari latest January 27, 2025.

However, the Chinese investors pleaded for additional time, asserting that their lawyers had a full calendar to work on cases for other clients.

In a sudden turn of events, both parties asked to withdraw the application of certiorari late March, a request that the top court granted on April 9.

“Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 46.1, all parties stipulate that the petition for a writ of certiorari in this case be dismissed,” stated court filings seen by Peoples Gazette. “No fees are due to the clerk, and each party will bear its own costs.”

“The parties, therefore, respectfully request that the court dismiss the petition for a writ of certiorari,” stated the joint stipulation signed by lawyers representing the Nigerian government and Chinese investors.

The terms under which both parties agreed to withdraw the case remained unclear.

The Supreme Court granted the motion and struck out the case from docket on April 9, following a joint stipulation by the parties on March 25.

The attorney general of the federation, Lateef Fagbemi, did not immediately return comments to clarify the terms of the agreement, which led both parties to file a joint stipulation to withdraw the case.

The withdrawal will cap years-long controversy between the two parties and threats by the Chinese investors to seize Nigeria’s foreign assets, particularly tens of millions of dollars from its crude earnings account in JP Morgan.

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Tuesday attacked an Abuja-bound bus belonging to GUO Transport Company along the Akunu axis of Ondo State.

The suspected kidnappers injured some passengers and left the vehicle riddled with bullet holes.

SaharaReporters obtained a disturbing video from the scene showing the aftermath of the attack.

Bullet holes riddled the body of the vehicle, and blood was visibly splattered across the front seats, indicating that some passengers were injured during the ambush.

“Make I come make them bring tyre out there. I thank God nothing happened to me. You no see wetin bullet do this place (Let us bring the tyre out of there. I thank God nothing happened to me. Can you see how they damaged the vehicle with bullets?),” the driver said in the video, pointing to damage on the bus caused by bullets.

The attack reportedly occurred between Akunu in Ondo State and Ayere in neighbouring Kogi State, an area notorious for frequent bandit and kidnapper activity, despite regular police checkpoints in the region.

“Kidnappers open fire on Abuja bound GUO bus shortly after driving about 3 minutes passing a police checking point Akunu in Ondo, before Ayare in Kogi state,” an X user who claimed to be privy to the development added.

One passenger could be heard urging others to re-enter the bus so the exhausted driver could rest.

When SaharaReporters contacted GUO Transport through its official WhatsApp line for comment, the company’s automated response said: “Thank you for contacting GUO Transport. We’d love to help, but we’re currently off work hours. We’ll attend to all enquiries in the next working hour.”

As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, had yet to respond to multiple calls and follow-up messages seeking comment.

At least four farmers were in the early hours of Tuesday ambushed and killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ala Elefosan, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The farmers were on their way to farms when the armed herders attacked them at the popular Thirteen-Thirteen settlement.

Aggrieved residents disclosed this on Tuesday during a protest at Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s office in Akure, the state capital.

The latest killing came barely two weeks after five farmers were killed in Aba Oyinbo in the same LGA, forcing residents to storm the governor’s office with the corpses of the deceased in coffins.

Angered by the latest killings, the protesting residents, mostly youths, took the corpses of the slain farmers to the governor’s office in Alagbaka, demanding an end to the incessant attacks by the suspected marauders.

The protesters shut and barricaded the roundabout intersection that led to the governor’s office and the federal secretariat.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the traditional ruler of the community, Taiwo Samuel, lamented the inability of the state government to curb attacks on farmers.

Mr Samuel asked the Mr Aiyedatiwa-led government to allow the residents to protect themselves against external attacks.

“Three farmers were killed in the Thirteen camp in the Ajagbusi area of Ala Elefosan in Akure North Local Council. They were on their way to the farm this morning when the Fulani herdsmen attacked them and shot them. One person was also killed two days ago.

“We purposely brought their bodies to Alagbaka for everyone to see what we are facing and to prevent any form of denial, which we have experienced in the past.

“The killing of our people by these herdsmen is becoming too much. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa promised us that the place would be fully secured after the last incident. With this latest development, the government must allow us to secure ourselves.

“It is disheartening that the government will continue to allow these killings to be going on. What we are certain about is that if we should defend ourselves and kill the attackers, we will be arrested and taken to Abuja,” he said.

The monarch decried how the security challenges in the state had worsened under Mr Aiyedatiwa’s government, stressing that enough and end must be put to the “senseless killings.”

A state police spokesman, Alayande Olayinka, confirmed the attack, saying the tactical teams had been deployed to the area to restore normalcy.

He also vowed that the perpetrators would soon be arrested and brought to book.

The state has witnessed disturbing kidnapping cases, with perpetrators demanding ransom.

Last month, Mr Aiyedatiwa assured that his administration was addressing the security breaches after meeting with security chiefs to curb insecurity.

On Monday, the socio-political group, Afenifere, expressed concerns over the incessant kidnapping and attacks by herders in the South-West, challenging National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu to collaborate with the state governors in mapping our strategies to end the security challenges.

Prominent South-East leaders in the diaspora have accused the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, of orchestrating what they describe as a calculated "ethnic cleansing" of Igbo professionals from Nigeria’s apex financial institution.

In a detailed petition obtained by SaharaReporters, signed by respected South East diaspora figures across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa, Canada, and beyond, the group decried what they called “a blatant, unprecedented sidelining of South Easterners” in the CBN under Cardoso’s watch.

The document references a widely discussed report by journalist and broadcaster Rufai Oseni, which exposed a deep-rooted pattern of nepotism and ethnic bias in the latest round of directorship appointments.

The petition alleged that Governor Cardoso has relentlessly purged the CBN of top South East professionals since assuming office.

In May 2024, all South East directors were dismissed, including Chibuzor Efobi, who headed Financial Policy and Regulation, Dr Scholastica Ozoemena Nnaji of Trade and Exchange, Chibuike Nwaegerue from the Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department, and Nkiru Asiegbu who led the Special Duties unit.

The petitioners say their dismissals were carried out without board approval and disciplinary proceedings, and without the affected officials being informed of any wrongdoing.

Beyond directors, over 20 deputy directors and 15 assistant directors, many of whom were foreign-trained specialists, were also axed.

Among those swept out were Dr Valentine Ururuka, a macro-prudential expert trained at the University of Lancaster; Dr Odim Orji, a leading monetary policy expert; Angela Ofili, an HR strategist; and Christian Eze, another respected HR professional.

The group insists that these terminations were illegal and have opened the floodgates to multiple lawsuits that now embarrass the institution and threaten to impose heavy liabilities on Nigerian taxpayers.

The petitioners further claim that following this purge, the recent wave of appointments to fill the vacant directorship positions was rigged in favour of South West candidates, many of whom allegedly underperformed or never applied for the positions they were eventually given.

They cited the case of Rita Ijeoma Sike, a top performer in the interview for Director of Banking Supervision.

Despite reportedly outscoring her South West counterpart, Adetona Sikiru Adedeji, the position was given to Adedeji, while Sike was moved elsewhere.

In a similar vein, Chikelu Edison Oballum won the interview for the Development Finance Institutions Supervision Department but was sidelined in favour of Monsurat Vincent, who was instead appointed Director of Strategy—a role she neither applied nor interviewed for.

Another high-performing candidate, Paul Ihuoma Oluikpe, ranked among the top two in both Strategy and Corporate Communications Department interviews. Yet he was denied both roles. Instead, the rules were changed mid-process and Strategy was handed to Vincent, while Corporate Communications was merged with Investor Relations and handed to another less-qualified candidate.

Promise Joe-Ibekwe, a promising Southeast woman who competed for Director of Payments System Management, was bypassed in favour of Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, who reportedly never even applied for the role. Likewise, Ifeoma Geraldine Okwor, who was impressed during her assessment for the Banking Services Department, was ultimately ignored while less competent candidates from the South West secured top positions.

The Southeast leaders describe these actions as “a tribal bazaar” where ethnic loyalty trumped national unity and merit. They pointed out that Governor Cardoso, in a single wave of appointments, gave 13 directorships to Yoruba candidates out of 29 departments while leaving the entire Southeast with just one.

In contrast, previous administrations, including that of the embattled former Governor Godwin Emefiele, ensured at least four directors from each geopolitical zone. Even during Emefiele’s controversial reign, regional balance was never this recklessly violated.

In their statement, the petitioners warned that Cardoso’s actions have eroded public trust and could endanger national cohesion. They called on the National Assembly to immediately probe the appointments and reverse what they describe as “institutionalised injustice.”

They also demanded sweeping reforms in the governance of the CBN, including the separation of the roles of the Governor and Board Chairman to prevent what they see as unchecked abuse of power.

The petition closes with a strong message to the Nigerian government and political elite: “The South East has paid its dues in building this nation. We will not tolerate systemic exclusion. We are mobilizing our senators and representatives to act. This injustice will not go unanswered in 2027. Any institution or administration that discriminates against us will face political consequences.”

The document bears the signatures of over 20 influential South East voices in the diaspora, including Elder Chibuzor Nsofor in Hamburg, Aloysius Egwu in California, Prince Ulu Aguchekwa in London, Amara Duru in Helsinki, and Professor Chike Ubani in Missouri, among others.

Gunmen have launched a deadly ambush on a convoy transporting Chinese expatriates and their police escorts to a mining site in Abia State, killing at least three people, including two Chinese nationals and a police officer.

This was disclosed by a security source, Zagazola on his X page on Saturday.

It was reported that the attack occurred in the early hours of Friday, April 4, near the Huan Cheng Mining Quarry site located at Agukwu Amaya, in the Ndundu community of Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Abia State.

According to security sources, the victims were on their way to the site when the heavily armed attackers struck, opening fire on the convoy.

In the ensuing chaos, Mr. Quan and Mr. Cai, both Chinese workers, were gunned down, alongside Inspector Audu Saidu, an officer attached to the 32 PMF in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The attackers also made away with Saidu’s service AK-47 rifle.

One of the sources involved in the rescue operation told SaharaReporters: “It was a coordinated ambush. The gunmen struck quickly, killed the two Chinese men and the police officer, and disappeared with his rifle before help could arrive.”

Despite the ferocity of the attack, security operatives managed to rescue three other Chinese nationals, Mr. Roger Tan (60), Mr. Yu Shangyu (56), and Mr Zhan Weibin (59), who escaped unhurt.

Two others, Inspector Uba Ahmed and Mr. Huang Lijun, weren’t so lucky. Both sustained injuries during the attack, Ahmed from gunshots and Lijun from machete wounds. They are currently receiving treatment at Master Energy Hospital in Uturu.

One police officer, Inspector Igagwu, remains unaccounted for. Efforts are ongoing to track his whereabouts, as security operatives comb the surrounding areas for both the missing officer and the gunmen responsible for the carnage.

The bodies of the deceased victims have since been deposited at Marist Cottage Mortuary in Hopeville, Uturu.

When contacted by SaharaReporters, the spokesperson for the Abia State Police Command, Chinaka Chioma, confirmed awareness of the incident and said the command was fully engaged with the matter.

“We are on the matter and I will get back to you after proper findings,” she said.