The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has blasted the President’s political opponents, alleging that they are unnecessarily “heating up the polity”. While describing the President’s political opponents as “wannabes”, Dare said they unleashed vitriol on Tinubu while he was away in Tanzania seeking solutions to Nigeria’s energy problems. The presidential aide, however, said Tinubu is not perturbed and will only entertain conversations on how to improve the lives of Nigerian citizens and constructive discourse on building a resilient economy. His comment is coming days after former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai;…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
A Lake Chad Basin counterterrorism and insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, has disclosed that notorious bandit kingpin, Kachallah Bammi Yarma, who was jailed in Niger Republic in 2015, has been released after serving his sentence. According to security expert, Yarma has now returned to Katsina, a state in the northwestern part of Nigeria, nine years later. Makama, who made this known on his X handle post on Tuesday, 4 February, 2025, added that Yarma, regarded as one of the deadliest bandits in the region, was captured in 2015 during the tenure of former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari. The security expert…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)has arraigned Mustapha Mohammed, the Chief Executive Officer of MB Lugga Global Travels and Tours Limited, before a Federal High Court in Gombe on charges of defrauding intending Hajj pilgrims. According to the EFCC, Mohammed fraudulently obtained N144,162,500 from multiple victims under the pretense of securing flight tickets, visas, and accommodation for the 2024 Ramadan Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia. According to the anti-graft agency, Mohammed, in collaboration with Nazifi Sale Idris, who is currently at large, defrauded Hamza Ibrahim Maina of N97,080,000 through his personal Access Bank account (0026323827). Another charge accuses him…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has bowed to pressure of the federal government to halt its planned Tuesday nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunication tariff hike. Also, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers backed the decision of the labour union. The organised Labour signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government after a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on the night of Monday, 3 February, 2025. In the MoU signed by the SGF, Senator George Akume, NLC President, Joe Ajaero; and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi; and the National Secretary…
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, has convicted and sentenced a woman, Benedicta Usen, also known as Mrs Carol Omomoh, to a five-year imprisonment without option of fine for trafficking a lady for prostitution. Justice Ekwo, while delivering the judgment, said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt in respect of each and every allegation in the eight-count change. The judge consequently sentenced Omomoh to two years and six months imprisonment each in counts one, three, five and seven without an option of fine. He also sentenced her in counts two,…
A Lake Chad Basin counterterrorism and insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, has disclosed that Troops of Sector 4, Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, have arrested a suspected gunrunner and recovered arms and ammunition in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. Makama, who made this known in a post on his X account on Monday, 3 February, 2025 stated that intelligence sources told him that the troops, operating under Operation Golden Peace, mounted a snap checkpoint along the Jos–Barkin Ladi highway at Kassa community at about 12:40 a.m. on 3 February, 2025. According to the report, the troops intercepted an ash-coloured…
Famous Nigerian R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has appreciated veteran singer, Seyi Sodimu, for allowing her to sample his 1997 classic ‘Love Me Jeje’ in her Grammy-winning song of the same title. Thegazellenews.com reports that Tems’ ‘Love Me Jeje’ won the Best African Music Performance award over ‘Tomorrow’, Yemi Alade; ‘MMS’, Asake & Wizkid; ‘Sensational’, Chris Brown featuring Davido & Lojay; and ‘Higher’, Burna Boy; at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, 2 February, 2025 Taking to her X handle on Monday, 3 February, 2025 to celebrate her Grammy triumph, Tems appreciated Sodimu for approving the…
Few months after Iyabo Ojo publicly called out Naira Marley over the death of his signee, Mohbad, the singer has shared his old conversation with actress Iyabo Ojo prior to Mohbad’s death. Iyabo Ojo accused Mohbad of bullying the late singer to his death. Mohbad died on 12 September, 2023, and was buried the following day. His body was later exhumed for autopsy by the Lagos State Police Command following public outcry over circumstances surrounding his death. However, in a new development on Monday, 3 February, 2025, Marley in a series of posts on his Instagram story, shared screenshots of…
A French court on Monday, 3 February, 2025 sentenced film director, Christophe Ruggia to two years under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, plus a two-year suspended sentence, for sexually assaulting actress Adèle Haenel when she was between 12 and 15 in the early 2000s. In what is described as #MeToo landmark trial in France, the court ruled that Ruggia “took advantage of the dominant position” he had over Haenel at the time. “During quasi-weekly meetings at your home for over three years, you had sexualised gestures and attitudes,” as Haenel was “gradually isolated” from her loved ones, the court…
The Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN) is worried over the unnecessary noise; misinformation and unfounded allegations credited to the Non-Muslims on the establishment Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel in some parts of the region. The leadership of the umbrella body for Muslims in the southwest is more disturbed that some high personalities in the region including traditional rulers and senior state government law officials were at the forefront of misleading the public on the issue of Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel. We expect that with the intervention of the number one Muslim body in the country, the Nigerian Supreme Council for…