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  • Bello Turji on the run, many terrorist commanders killed – Defence Minister

    Bello Turji on the run, many terrorist commanders killed – Defence Minister

    The Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru, has said that the notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji has been on the run as a result of sustained offensives by the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in recent time.

    Badaru stated this during a Ministerial Briefing on the activities of the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja.

    He said that troops also killed several key terrorist leaders such as Maza Barume Madaro; Kachalla Alhaji Dati; Bani Wala Burki; Kachalla Dogo Kwaden; Chairman Hanazuma; Kachalla Bandiyo; and Maiyara Madaci.

    Others killed include Alhaji Karki; Kachalla Makore; Zakiru and Okachalla Azarailu.

    According to him, troops are neutralising these bandits by the day, and the leaders are going down by day. And they are on the run.

    “Recently, there has been a renewed impetus to all our operations across the country, translating into commendable achievement, specifically in the Northeast.

    “Inspote of the  recent short-lived desperation of the terrorists, troops have responded excessively and turned a devastating blow across the theatres,’’ he said.

    Badaru assured Nigerians of the commitment of the military to address all the prevailing security challenges, adding that they were doubling their intelligence to nip them in the bud.

    He said that Nigeria’s security challenges were deeply rooted in decades-long social and political fractures, economic dislocation, transnational borders influence, and global terrorism metrics that continue to mutate beyond classical military doctrines.

    “Accordingly, addressing those threats requires a multifaceted approach, combining military efforts with social and economic development, regional cooperation and remorse governance, to ensure lasting peace and stability.

    “President Bola Tinubu’s firm directive, that ‘Enough is Enough’, signals enforcement of political will, which also charges us to double our effort in collaboration of all stakeholders towards overcoming the security challenges in this nation.

    “Thus, under the leadership and direction of the President, the Ministry of Defence has coordinated joint efforts through intelligence sharing, coordinated various kinetic and non-kinetic efforts to defeat the insurgents,’’ he said.

  • Ghana president to sack ministers who fail to declare assets

    Ghana president to sack ministers who fail to declare assets

    Ghana’s president on Monday said he sanctioned over 40 of his ministers and appointees for failing to declare their assets, as the country’s new leader continues with an anti-corruption drive.

    Since his swearing-in in January, President John Mahama has promised a crackdown on graft as he navigates the country’s exit from a moribund economy.

    In April, authorities charged a former top security official with skimming millions of dollars from a cybersecurity contract.

    Monday’s move meanwhile was seen as the first major test of Mahama’s newly launched code of conduct for government officials.

    Those found in breach of the asset declaration deadline, which was March 31, must forfeit four months’ salary — three as a penalty and one as a mandatory donation to the newly established Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as “Mahama Cares”.

    “If by close of day Wednesday, May 7, 2025, any of you still fails to declare your assets, count yourself automatically dismissed,” the president said during a speech in Accra.

    The new code of conduct applies to all political appointees, including ministers, deputies, presidential staffers and Mahama himself.

    Public corruption remains a widespread concern not just in Ghana but the wider region.

    Corruption allegations trailed Mahama’s previous tenure as president, from 2012 to 2017, although no charges were formally filed against him.

    Good governance watchdogs have lauded the move as unprecedented in the country’s history.

    “This is one of the most comprehensive and enforceable ethical frameworks ever announced by a sitting Ghanaian president,” Emmanuel Wilson Jr, an anti-graft advocate with the organisation Crusaders Against Corruption, told AFP.

    In his speech, Mahama promised the sanctions “are not cosmetic. They will be enforced. And I will not hesitate to act firmly and decisively, no matter who is involved.”

    Key provisions of the code include mandatory asset declarations, the prohibition of conflicts of interest, a ban on appointees purchasing state assets, restrictions on receiving gifts above GHS20,000 ($1,500) and strict approval protocols for official travel.

    A public portal is being established to allow citizens to confidentially report violations of the code.

    Corruption scandals plagued former president Nana Akufo-Addo’s tenure, adding to the fiscal pressures Ghana finds itself under today as it navigates a financial crisis, including the recovery from a 2023 debt default.

  • EFCC prevented us from providing food to VDM – Friends claim

    EFCC prevented us from providing food to VDM – Friends claim

    Friends and associates of popular Nigerian social media personality and influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), have voiced concern over the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) refusal to allow them to provide him with food.

    Recall that VDM’s legal representative, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, in a statement, alleged that VDM was arrested by EFCC operatives on Friday.

    The arrest has sparked outrage online and raised questions about a certain bank’s alleged complicity in what critics describe as a targeted crackdown.

    In a five-minute video released by Koko Pee, one of VDM’s close friends, he revealed that the EFCC denied him the opportunity to bring food to VDM, stating that the Commission would provide food themselves to him.

    “We are here at the EFCC headquarters, trying to take food and go and see VDM. The body that took the beating needs to eat,” Koko Pee said.

    A few minutes later, he released another video while returning from the EFCC headquarters, saying, “There is a standing order for no one to see him or give him food until Monday.”

    At the time of filing this report, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale was unavailable for comment or call. As all number attached to the EFCC social handles proved abortive.

  • Trump posts spoof picture of self dressed as pope

    Trump posts spoof picture of self dressed as pope

    US President Donald Trump posted on Friday a spoof picture of himself dressed as the pope on his Truth Social platform after joking that he would like to be the next Catholic pontiff.

    The president is seen in what appears to be an AI-generated color image, with his right index finger pointed toward the sky, wearing papal regalia, including white robes, a gold crucifix pendant and the miter hat.

    It comes after Trump joked to reporters this week that he would like to be the next pope, just days before cardinals are due to start the conclave to elect the successor of Pope Francis who died on April 21.

    Asked who he would like to succeed Pope Francis, Trump said: “I’d like to be pope, that would be my number one choice.”

    Trump went on to say that he did not have a preference but said there was a cardinal in New York who was “very good.”

    He appeared to be referring to the archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, a theological conservative and fiercely opposed to abortion.

    Trump attended the funeral service of Pope Francis last week, his first foreign trip since returning to power.

    About 20 percent of Americans declare themselves Catholic, and exit polls indicated in November that they voted around 60 percent in favor of Trump.

    Pope Francis had arguably been one of the most powerful moral voices on the world stage critical of Trump.

    When Trump first ran for president in 2016, Francis was unsparing on his signature promise to build a border wall to seal off Mexico.

    Francis told reporters, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.”

    Cardinals will gather on May 7 in a conclave in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope.

  • Shettima departs for Gabon to attend presidential inauguration

    Shettima departs for Gabon to attend presidential inauguration

    Vice President Kashim Shettima will, on Saturday, May 3, depart Abuja for Libreville, Gabon, to represent Nigeria at the inauguration of the country’s president-elect, Brice Nguema.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shettima will attend the event at the instance of President Bola Tinubu.

    The spokesperson of the vice president, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, who made this known in a statement, said Nigeria remains supportive of the peaceful democratic transition in Gabon.

    Nkwocha also reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s broader strategic interest in promoting democratic governance and regional stability in Central Africa.

    He said that the vice president is expected to return to Nigeria after the inauguration.

    NAN reports that Nguema, who had served as Gabon’s interim leader since August 2023, secured a decisive victory in the country’s April 12 presidential election.

    According to final results released by Gabon’s Constitutional Court, Oligui Nguema garnered 58,074 votes—equivalent to 94.85 per cent of the total votes cast.

    Oligui Nguema faced seven challengers in the race, including former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who finished second with three per cent of the vote.

    Other candidates failed to surpass the 1 per cent threshold. (NAN)

  • FCT emergency department places search, rescue team on alert

    FCT emergency department places search, rescue team on alert

    The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has placed its search and rescue team on high alert following expected rains in FCT and neighbouring states.

    The acting Director-General (D-G) of FEMD, Mr Abdulrahman Mohammed, disclosed this on Friday in a statement signed by the department’s Head of Public Affairs in Abuja.

    Mohammed said that the move was to avert avoidable loss of lives and properties, following the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET)’s early warning.

    He said that NIMET had revealed that thunderstorms were being experienced in some parts of Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states.

    He added that the weather alert issued by NiMET, which was expected to last up to May 3, also claimed that FCT and its neighbouring states might experience thunderstorms in the coming days.

    “According to the forecast, strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.

    “Other states that may be affected according to the weather forecast include Edo, Imo, Abia and Anambra states,” he said.

    The acting D-G urged FCT residents to avoid driving under heavy rains, adding that people should equally stay away from trees to avoid the impact of falling branches.

    He further advised that all electrical appliances should be disconnected, especially when it is raining.

    Mohair reiterated the department’s commitment to the protection of life and property.

    He appealed to residents to always use the 112 emergency toll-free number in the event of an emergency.

  • After four years locked indoors, rescued children see sunlight for first time

    After four years locked indoors, rescued children see sunlight for first time

    In a harrowing rescue that has shaken Spain, three young children imprisoned inside a filthy home in Oviedo for nearly four years were finally freed this week, seeing sunlight for the first time in their memory.

    The boys, twin eight-year-olds and their ten-year-old brother, had been locked away since 2021 by their German-American mother and German father, who claimed to be protecting them from illness.

    When police rescued them on Wednesday, the children—barefoot and wearing diapers—stumbled into the garden, hyperventilating and crying as they touched the grass in wonder.

    One even collapsed to the ground, stroking it in disbelief.

    “They were scared of the outside world. When they saw a snail, they went crazy,” a police officer recounted emotionally. “We have given three children back their lives,” said Chief Inspector Francisco Javier Lozano.

    Authorities described the home as a “house of horrors,” filled with trash, pet excrement, and hoards of unused medication.

    The boys slept in caged beds and had never been to school. Neighbours, unaware children even lived there, finally alerted police after hearing faint voices inside.

    The family had reportedly isolated themselves during the Covid pandemic and never re-emerged.

    Police found the children unkempt but not malnourished, and speaking mostly English. They are now in protective care under the Government of the Principality of Asturias.

    Their parents, aged 48 and 53, have been arrested and are being held without bail. Authorities are investigating possible charges including child abuse, illegal detention, and violation of fundamental rights.

  • Vested interests behind recent fake stories on NiMet – Moshood, activist

    Vested interests behind recent fake stories on NiMet – Moshood, activist

    A Lagos based human rights activist, Ogunniyi Afeez Moshood, has described as unpatriotic and reckless, recent media publications aimed at tarnishing the image of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet and its management led by Prof. Charles Anosike.

    The activist spoke to some journalists in Abuja on Friday while reacting to a report by an online news platform which claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was probing the Director General of NiMet for contract fraud running into billions of Naira.

    While dismissing it as false and malicious, Moshood made reference to a similar report recently, which claimed that the Minister for Aviation, Barrister Festus Keyamo, SAN, had called on President Bola Tinubu to sack Prof. Anosike, saying there was no such call by the Minister, adding that such reports were not only wicked but unpatriotic.

    He said that the recent story which insinuated that the NiMet Chief Executive Officer, was being questioned by the anti-graft agency over alleged contract fraud and similar ones, must be the handiwork of disgruntled elements at NiMet who are desperate to force themselves into power by all means, using the instrument of blackmail.

    According to the publication under reference. an interrogatory correspondence by the EFCC, dated March 28, 2025, had requested Prof. Anosike to provide information regarding the list of contracts executed by NiMet from 2023 to date.

    But Moshood said although the EFCC wrote to the NiMet management; that the letter was not addressed to Prof. Anosike but to the agency with attention to the Heads of Procurement and Human Resources Departments, adding that the letter requested the two directors to supply information basically on two issues, namely, contracts awarded in 2021 and travel documents.

    He noted that this was contrary to the claims in the publication that EFCC requested for documents for contracts from 2023.

    The activists also said that the heads of Procurement and Human Resources, have supplied the EFCC with the documents as requested.

    He said- “It would be noted that while the EFCC wanted information on contracts awarded in 2021, Prof. Charles Anosike assumed office as Director General of NiMet in December 2023.

    “It was also found that NiMet does not have the resources to award contracts worth ‘Billions of Naira,’ as contained in the report, in view of its statutory allocations of the agency.”

    According to him, there have been media reports in recent past, that an internally vested interest has been colluding with detractors to tarnish the image of NiMet management with special focus on the office of the Director General of the Agency and made reference to an Abuja based Labour Dispute Resolution analyst, Wakili El-Habib, who he quoted to have said in an opinion piece, that two top management staff of NiMet are in bed with vested interests, while using a few labour leaders to prosecute an underbelly agenda against the management of the agency.

    Ogunniyi Afeez Moshood however praised workers of NiMet who he described as hardworking, committed and dedicated citizens who are patriotically working day and night, to ensure safety of Nigeria’s airspace and other aspects of national security.

    He commended the management of NiMet, and especially its Director General, Prof. Charles Anosike for the various giant strides recorded within less than two years that he was appointed by President Bola Tinubu and urged him to ignore detractors while remaining focused on his mandate. Adding that the President has his independent mechanism to monitor the performance of those he appointed into critical leadership positions.

  • Otti inaugurates Abia Electricity Board,vows to pull Umuahia out of national grid

    Otti inaugurates Abia Electricity Board,vows to pull Umuahia out of national grid

    UMUAHIA- Abia state Governor,Dr. Alex Otti has inaugurated a five man board of the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency, ASERA, with a charge for the agency to complete the negotiations with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company ,EEDC, and acquire the Umuahia ringed – fence area.

    The membership of the board include; Mr Onyegbule Emeka – Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ikowu Ukwu – Executive Director, Engr. Iheanyi Eze – Executive Director, Onwuegbule Kareem Eberechukwu – Non Executive Director and Dr. Joy Oti – Non Executive Director.

    Inaugurating the members of the board at the Government House, Umuahia, Otti vowed to pull Umuahia from the national grid, stressing that he is determined to ensure that power problem in the city is solved.

    He said; “We are at the final stages of negotiations with EEDC, the idea for us is to acquire the Umuahia ringed-fence and that includes Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ikwuano, Bende, Ohafia, Isuikwuato, Umunneochi and Arochukwu.

    “So, we are almost done and by the time negotiations are completed, payment would be made and we will pull Umuahia out of EEDC.

    “The original agreement with Geometric before the amendment of the law was that any excess capacity would be sent to the national grid.

    “Our plan right now, because Geometric has a stored capacity of 188 megawatts of energy, though they have three turbines with the capacity of 141 megawatts, the fourth turbine should be on the way any moment from now.

    “At maximum load, we believe that Aba ringed-fence should not require more than a 100 megawatts. So, there is a balance of 88 megawatts.

    “Our proposal is for it to be wheeled into Umuahia rather than sending it to the national grid. If we have 88 megawatts, at least we can guarantee steady supply of power.”

    He noted that industrialization cannot happen without power and assured that electricity is central to the agenda of his administration.

    The Governor narrated how he supported the Geometric power company to come on stream having been on the drawing board for 20 years before its commissioning.

    He assured that the members of the board were selected on merit, adding that he is confident that they would perform, especially as they have an experienced Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr. Ikechukwu Monday, to work with.

    Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the Executive Director of ASERA, Engr. Iheanyi Eze promised to achieve the Governor’s vision about electricity and deliver quality and affordable power for the people.

    He thanked the Governor for the confidence reposed in the board and assured of a robust customer relations system in the agency.

  • Understanding Nigeria’s new wave of jihadist attacks – Report

    Understanding Nigeria’s new wave of jihadist attacks – Report

    Nigeria’s northeast is facing a brutal resurgence of jihadist attacks, which have killed at least 100 people in April.

    The state of Borno in particular, where the Boko Haram jihadist group emerged 16 years ago, remains the epicentre of a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 and displaced some two million people in Africa’s most populous country.

    – Several jihadist groups –

    The Lake Chad basin serves as a crucial strategic corridor for jihadist groups, said Kabir Adamu, director of the Nigerian consulting firm Beacon Consulting, in terms of logistics, recruitment and cross-border attacks involving Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

    – Boko Haram, also known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS):

    The movement was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri, Borno state, by radical preacher Mohammed Yusuf, who attributed Nigeria’s woes to the Western values left by former British colonial powers.

    Boko Haram launched an insurgency in 2009 and took control of significant areas in the northeast.

    Through counteroffensives, the Nigerian army took back some of the lost territories but Boko Haram remains operational in some regions.

    The Al-Qaeda-affiliated group relies heavily on fear-based tactics, targeting civilians, looting villages and conducting kidnappings.

    – The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP):

    This group emerged in 2016 from a split within Boko Haram, with ISWAP opposing the killing of Muslims.

    It is proving to be more organised and more ideological, focusing its attacks on military targets and infrastructure.

    – Other groups are operating in the northwest of the country, near the border with Niger, such as Ansaru, a dissident movement linked to Al-Qaeda, or Lakurawa.

    – It is also worth noting the emergence of other groups, particularly in the northwest and central regions of the country, “which may not be strictly jihadist but utilise similar methods, blurring the lines between criminal and terrorist activities”, said Adamu.

    – Why now? –

    The ongoing resurgence of attacks is linked to several factors, experts said.

    “There were direct calls made by the Islamic State between January and March 2025, urging its affiliates worldwide to intensify their operations,” Adamu said.

    Idriss Mounir Lallali, director of the Algeria-based African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), has seen a “strategic recalibration” by Boko Haram and ISWAP, as the two groups seem to have overcome a period of mutual conflicts.

    The jihadists have adapted their combat tactics, through the use of drones, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), ambushes and coordinated raids, allowing them to intensify operations in rural and semi-urban areas.

    – Weak transborder cooperation –

    Regional efforts in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and west Africa are facing structural weaknesses.

    “Governance has been abandoned in so many of these places,” said Confidence McHarry, from consulting firm SBM Intelligence in Lagos.

    Niger in March withdrew from a task force it had created along with Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad to combat jihadists around Lake Chad, disrupting cross-border patrols and intelligence sharing.

    Chad has also threatened to withdraw from the task force.

    “Without a reinvigorated multinational approach, these gaps risk becoming safe havens for jihadist expansion,” Lallali said.

    – What about the Nigerian army? –

    While Nigerian forces have achieved territorial gains and succeeded in neutralising key jihadist commanders, ISWAP and Boko Haram have both demonstrated significant resilience.

    Many of their fighters have retreated into ungoverned areas.

    “Security forces, while concentrated in key garrisons, have left many border and rural areas exposed,” Lallali said.

    Insurgents take advantage of these vulnerabilities to restore supply routes and rebuild their influence among local populations.

    At the end of April, Nigeria appointed a new leader for anti-jihadist operations in the northeast, General Abdulsalam Abubakar.