By Yarima Haruna, Birnin Kebbi The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been accused of waging a personal vendetta against former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami following his release of a statement addressing Chapter 9 of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report. The report, which has been shrouded in mystery, allegedly implicates EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede in several financial irregularities and abuse of office. Malami’s office claims that the EFCC’s recent raids on his offices and private residences in Abuja and Kebbi State are a direct response to his public call for Olukoyede’s recusal…
Author: Khadijah Olowode
Ogun State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has expressed delight over the release of the remaining 130 students of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri community, Niger State, who were held in captivity by kidnappers. The Governor said the development, coming after the earlier release of 100 students this month, is a clear indication that evil forces will not prevail over Nigeria. With the latest release, a total of 230 abducted students have now regained their freedom. Abiodun noted that the successful rescue of the students fulfils President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pledge to ensure their…
By Audu Liberty Oseni Nigeria does not presently have a valid tax law. What exists is merely a bill that has not been properly reconciled and lawfully enacted. The document that has been gazetted and presented as law is not authentic. It did not emanate from the National Assembly. Findings of the Select Committee constituted by the legislature have already confirmed that the version gazetted by the Presidency differs materially from the bill actually passed by both chambers of the National Assembly. Under Nigeria’s constitutional framework, the executive has no authority to make or alter laws. Any post-passage insertion, deletion,…
By Colin Bine An accountant in one of northern Nigeria’s huge bureaucracies sits with a calculator and a clear mind. His job is easy: give away billions. UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has made a decision that should scare every public official in the area. Nigeria now has the sad honour of having more kids out of school than any other country in the world. As of late 2024, the number is 18.3 million, and that is, one in every five children who aren’t in school lives in Nigeria. But this is where the maths gets really weird. UNICEF’s…
Twenty months after a cocaine trafficking cartel led by a couple: Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda was smashed in Lagos and Ogun state by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with multi-billion-naira worth of the illicit drug recovered from them, another leader of the syndicate, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat who went underground since May 2024 has been nabbed in her Lagos home where additional 23.50 kilograms of the class A drug were recovered from her children’s room. The kingpin, Lookman; and his queen Toheebat; were arrested on Saturday, 25 May, 2024 by operatives of a special…
A heartwarming celebration took place during the week as twin sisters, Dr. Mrs. Muhibat Omokehinde Ajala and Mrs. Tohibat Taiwo Bello, mark a major milestone in their lives – their 50th birthday. Dr (Mrs) Ajala is the wife of the immediate past Chairman of Odiolowo-Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area, Honourable Rasaq Olusola Ajala. The duo has been making waves in Rasaq Ajala’s Wife, Twin Sister Celebrate 50 with Philanthropic Feats + Beautiful Birthday Pictures community with a series of philanthropic activities that have touched the lives of many. Over the past week, the twins have visited several institutions, spreading love,…
By Lanre Adewole Christmas surely came early for walking-wealth, Aliko Dangote. He asked for a scalp, the President gave him two heads. The one doing the asking is currently valued at 23.6 billion US dollars. That is half of Nigeria’s total foreign reserves which reportedly stand at 46.7 billion US dollars, a seven-year high. Using the reserves as national financial wellness gauge, it means Aliko Dangote is worth half of his country, translating to about 115 million of Nigeria’s 230 million-strong population. Now-late Ibadan billionaire, Alao Arisekola was roundly saluted in his lifetime as the half of the sprawling city,…
By Abimbola Ogunnaike When Oyedotun Hammed Ayodeji, a Yoruba language teacher at the District Senior College, Meiran in Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State, left his house at I, Irepodun Street, Old Otta Road, Moshalashi, Lagos State on Wednesday, 17 December, 2025, for his place of work, he was oblivious of the danger ahead. He hoped to come back home safe and sound later in the day to meet his wife and one-year old son. Thus, he waved goodbye to his beloved wife, but he never knew it was the last goodbye. It is the usual practice of the wife to…
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria responsible for the electrification of unserved and underserved communities under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Power came under scrutiny in 2023 following internal and external probes into irregular payment practices, misappropriation of funds and abuse of office. In March 2024 this led to the indefinite suspension of the former Managing Director, Ahmadu Salihijo Ahmadu alongside the Executive Management, due to concerns about significant weaknesses in some government systems/operations and financial controls. Law enforcement agencies such tasked with investigating the Agency: the Economic and Financial Crimes…
By Yarima Haruna, Birnin Kebbi Defection tsunami has yet again visited the Kebbi state chapter of the l People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in as Governor Idris received into the All Progressives Congress (APC) fold a Ward Chairman of Nassarawa1, Alhaji Ibrahim namzaba who has been a staunch PDP member for 20 years. The defectors included former state spokesperson of the opposition party, Alhaji Ibrahim uUmmai along side key hitherto uncompromising members of the PDP in Kebbi state. In a short video seen by thegazellenews.com correspondent, the ward chairman who once expelled the current PDP National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki from…