April 2025 | Page 17 of 45

Tinubu Returns From France Today – Presidency

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago04 mins

President Bola Tinubu will return to Nigeria today from his work visit to France, the Presidency has said. The President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Monday. Tinubu left Nigeria on April 2, 2025, for Paris, France, on a short work visit. According to the Presidency, Tinubu used the retreat to review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary. The President’s latest trip had been faulted by major opposition leaders who criticised him for being away despite the rising insecurity in the country, especially in Benue and Plateau states, where scores of residents have been killed in attacks on several communities. A former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, had asked President Bola Tinubu to end his trip to France and address the spate of insecurity in Nigeria. Atiku questioned Tinubu’s continued stay in the European country despite the spate of killings across Nigeria. “While Tinubu dines under chandeliers in the land of good governance, the country he governs is spiraling into chaos. Plateau has turned into a killing field — over 100 lives lost in relentless attacks,” his spokesman, Paul Ibe, said in a statement on April 17. Similarly, a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, urged Tinubu to suspend his France trip and urgently return to Nigeria to address the deteriorating security situation, particularly in Plateau and Benue states. He also said the primary duty of any government is securing the lives and property of its citizens, and one wondered why the type of retreat was going on in another country where peace had been secured by their leaders, “while blood continues to flow in our country”. “I am compelled at this time in our lives as a nation to call on our retreating President’s attention to the security challenges at home, which entail that he immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country.” “In the two weeks you have been away, over 150 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity across Nigeria, especially in Plateau and Zamfara states. “I therefore urge Mr President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and rush home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the new Nigeria the nation seeks,” he said. But the Presidency noted that the Tinubu had 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.

In Pope Francis’s Death, The Poor and Migrants Have Lost A Friend

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago02 mins

Former President Muhammadu Buhari joins Christians all across the world in mourning the demise of the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, who departed the earth on Easter Monday. In a reaction to the news of the death, the former President said Christians in Nigeria and all over the world would miss the exemplary leadership of the church by a Pope who served the poor and the weak, and cared much about migrants and refugees. “He was a Pope who strove to build a beneficial, complementary relationship between the followers of the world’s two greatest religions — Islam and Christianity. “Just hours before his demise, he made a call for an end to the war in Gaza. I hope Israel and Hamas will heed this call in final respect to the Pope who had the distinction of bringing climate change to the Vatican, and recognising the Palestinian State,” said the former President. The former President wishes for a new leader who will build on the inspiring legacies of Pope Francis.

Tinubu Mourns The Passing of Pope Francis

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago04 mins

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. President Tinubu stated this in an hearfelt massage penned to the Vaticans. “A humble servant of God, tireless champion of the poor, and guiding light for millions. His passing, coming just after the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, is a sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians. “His Holiness served the Church and the Master of the Church until the end. In 2013, he stepped onto the global stage with a message of mercy, urging us to see the face of Christ in the marginalised, the refugees, the migrants, and the forgotten. “He challenged the powerful to act with justice, called nations to welcome the stranger, and reminded us that our common home—this Earth—is a gift we must protect for future generations. “He was an instrument of peace who deeply embodied the message of Christ: love for God and love for humanity. In a time of division, he built bridges between faiths and the rich and the poor. “He was a steadfast advocate for the developing world, where he consistently spoke against economic injustice and ceaselessly prayed for peace and stability in troubled regions. “His encyclicals were not only doctrinal and seminal but also timely and relevant. Through his pastoral letters, the Pope offered spiritual clarity and hope in an increasingly complex world. He charted a path of renewal for all humanity through his words and deeds. “In my 2025 Easter Message, I joined the Christian faithful in thanksgiving for the convalescing Pontiff. I was happy to watch his appearance to deliver the traditional Easter Sunday blessing in St. Peter’s Basilica. “Alas, the Lord called him home a day after, making the world lose its most trenchant voice for justice and action against climate change. May the good Lord, whom he served with all his might, receive him into His eternal bosom. “As we mourn the late Pontiff, let us also celebrate his legacy. Let us honour him not with words alone but with action: by lifting those who are down, healing our communities, and defending the dignity of every person. “On behalf of the government and the people of Nigeria, I extend condolences to the Catholic Church, the global Catholic community, and the Christian faithful. “May God Almighty grant His beloved servant eternal rest.”

Akwa Ibom Police Rescue 2 Day Old Baby Sold for ₦800,000

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago02 mins

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested members of a suspected child trafficking syndicate and rescued a two-day-old baby allegedly sold for ₦800,000. The arrest was made during a routine patrol along the Nsit Atai/Oron Road, where officers intercepted a Mazda vehicle with three occupants—two women and a man—alongside the newborn. The vehicle’s occupants were unable to provide a credible explanation for being in possession of the infant. According to the police spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, the two women, Nasikpo Sonia Labere and Inemesit Okin Akpan, confessed that they had been sent from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by two individuals—identified as Waazor Godwin and Lilian Duru—to collect the baby from a woman named Grace Inyang in Oron. Their statements led police investigators to uncover more details about the illicit operation. Subsequent investigations resulted in the arrest of Alison Eduno, who allegedly facilitated the transaction. Police also apprehended the baby’s mother and grandmother, 20-year-old Blessing Walter and 55-year-old Grace Walter, respectively. Both women, residents of Oti Oron, confessed to selling the newborn for ₦800,000. The rescued baby has since been handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare in Uyo for care and protection while the investigation continues. All suspects involved are currently in police custody, as authorities work to dismantle the trafficking network.

U20 AFCON: Flying Eagles Arrive in Cairo, to play Young Pharaohs in Friendly on Tuesday

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago02 mins

Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles have arrived in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo as the seven-time African champions get set for 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations finals starting in the North African country on Sunday. A delegation of 24 players and nine officials led by Head Coach, Aliyu Zubairu touched down at the Cairo International Airport aboard Egypt Air flight on Sunday evening. The team is lodged at Jewel Sports City and Aqua Resort, and are expected to have their first training session on Monday evening. Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles will square up to host nation, the Young Pharaohs of Egypt on Tuesday evening as part of their build-up to the Africa U20 Cup of Nations billed to take place 27th April – 18th May. The match is slated for 5pm local time (4pm Nigeria time) at the Cairo International Stadium. Nigeria get their campaign underway against Tunisia at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Thursday 1st May. The Africa U20 Cup of Nations serves as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA U20 World Cup finals scheduled for 27th September – 19th October in Chile. All four semi-finalists at the tournament in Egypt will represent Africa at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals.

Nigerians React as Presidential Aide Applauds First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s Humility for Kneeling to Greet Afenifere Leader

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago01 mins

Nigerians are reacting to a recent post by Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, in which he praised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for showing humility by kneeling to greet Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti. The gesture took place in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during a recent visit. Dare shared a photo of the moment on social media, commending the First Lady for her respectful conduct. However, the post has drawn mixed reactions online. While some praised the act as a sign of cultural respect, others criticized Dare for highlighting it in an official capacity. Critics argued that such displays, though personal and symbolic, are not matters of national importance and should not be amplified by government officials.

Wike’s Aide Fires Back At Falana: How Many Major Cases Did You Win To Become SAN

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago06 mins

Self-appointed human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has been challenged to list the number of major cases he won and what he has done for the development of the legal profession that qualified him to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), apart from being an “arrangee and errand lawyer.” Lere Olayinka, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, who threw this challenge in a statement on Monday, said “it is funny and ridiculous that in the mind of Falana, only those who have handled cases in trial court or appellate court are lawyers, and that a lawyer must have handled cases in trial or appellate court to be qualified for appointment as a Life Bencher.” Olayinka, who said the FCT Minister got his membership of the Body of Benchers on merit, having contributed immensely to the advancement of legal education, asked; “Apart from going on television to make noise, what has Falana contributed to the legal profession? Even the SAN that he got, was it not an afterthought? Was it not years after his mates had gotten SAN? He said; “As Governor of Rivers State, Wike, was instrumental to the establishment and infrastructural development of the campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt, which is the best centre for legal education in Nigeria today. He also played major roles in the development of facilities at the Yenagoa campus of the Nigerian Law School by constructing a state-of-the-art 1,500 capacity hall and 200-bed male and female hostels, among other interventions. “Now that he is FCT Minister, he is constructing a 10-unit housing quarters for the Nigerian Law school, Bwari, Abuja. He has also provided operational vehicles to the school to improve its operation. “The question is; what has Falana done for the legal profession? Even in Ekiti State, where he is from, he has not contributed anything. “The Bar Center in Ado Ekiti was built by Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) while the one in Ikere Ekiti was built by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN). Also, Aare Afe Babalola has been sponsoring Nigerian Bar Association annual lecture for years and has been assisting lawyers in Ekiti with medical treatments in his Ado Ekiti teaching hospital. What has Falana done? Nothing! “Did Falana not fail as a politician when he went to Ekiti to contest for governor and failed woefully?” Olayinka, who counselled lawyers like Falana to stop misleading their clients, pointed out that he (Falana) lied onNational Television by saying that the Supreme Court judgment on Rivers State “had nothing to do with who is the authentic Speaker of the House” when the issue of defection of the 27 members of the House of Assembly was determined by the Supreme Court. “It was on the basis of the Supreme Court judgment that Justice Emmanuel Obile of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt dismissed the suit filed by the Labour Party against the alleged detection, saying that the Supreme Court’s ruling had finalized the issue of defection. “But Falana went on television to lie and deceive his client that the Supreme Court didn’t rule on the defection. “The same Falana said three members of the Rivers State House of Assembly can carry out legislative functions despite the provision of Section 96 (1) of the 1999 Constitution that ‘The quorum of a House of Assembly shall be one-third of all the members of the House.’ “If as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, you could tell your client that Section 96 (1) of the Constitution of Nigeria is useless and in a House of Assembly of 32 members, three can sit, questions need to be asked as to how exactly you qualified as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” Olayinka said.

CBEX Scam Identified, Report Reveals Nigerian Connection

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago08 mins

As Nigerian investors in the crashed Ponzi cryptocurrency platform, CryptoBridge Exchange – CBEX continue to gnash their teeth over their losses, Nigerian promoters of the pyramid scheme have been exposed. Although subject to confirmation, an estimated N1.3 trillion was believed to have disappeared when the fraudsters crashed the platform on Monday, days after investors were denied the withdrawal access from their assets wallet. The development has generated nationwide reactions, with the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), pledging to recover the victims’ funds. This is as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) publicly declared that the scheme was unlicensed and had no authority to participate in Nigeria’s capital market. SEC said it’s preliminary investigations carried revealed that CBEX engaged in promotional activities to create a false perception of legitimacy to entice unsuspecting members of the public into investing monies. It further noted that the scheme promised high guaranteed returns within a short timeframe. “CBEX has failed to honour withdrawal requests from their subscribers and abruptly closed their physical offices, amid mounting complaints,” SEC noted. According to a report by an investigative online newspaper, FIJ, it unveiled the identities of some of the promoters of the fraudulent scheme. Prior to its crash, CBEX operated in Nigeria as an affiliate or subsidiary of ST Investment Co., Ltd owned by 55-year-old Briton, Harold David Charles. ST Investment Co. Ltd reportedly partly launched itself into Nigeria and the people’s consciousness through media publications between January 27 and 28, promoting Charles as a thoroughbred investment expert and wealth manager. The cross-published report stated, “It is worth mentioning that ST Investment Co. Ltd has also established an important strategic partnership with CryptoBridge Exchange. With his forward-looking strategic vision, Harold David Charles promotes cooperation between the two parties to provide investors with a safe, efficient and transparent digital asset trading environment.” However, while CBEX was not registered as an entity, it was floated by ST Technologies International, which was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and issued an anti-money laundering certificate with registration number SC 251514550 by the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) on January 26. It has other affiliates which include Smart Treasure and Super Technology, all of which were consistent with ST as initials. According to the report, individuals like Adefowora Abiodun and Oluwanisola Adefowora were both leaders and representatives of CBEX in Nigeria. The newspaper could not establish the relationship between the two either as couple or siblings. Another persons associated with CBEX included Seyi Oloyede and Emmanuel Uko, who were identified as members . Abiodun had on February 10, 2025 led his team to open a CBEX office in Abuja, “I am introducing this platform to you again. It is called ST CBEX platform where we trade everyday, we make money and we live a good life. We encourage our people and we also bring people onboard so that you need to make money [alone], you don’t need to live a good life [alone]. Tell people about it. Let people know, let them come onboard and enjoy life.” Over than two months earlier on November 30, 2024, a scantily-attended seminar was organised in Lagos where the attendees were encouraged to bring their “friends and enemies” to sign up, abandon salaried jobs and earn a month’s salary in a day. One of the team lead at the event was one Victor Solomon, whose name was displayed in a video report. Aside from organising seminars in expensive hotel halls and at roadshows, or dispatching agents to bring in new subscribers, CBEX’s promoters also sponsored other programmes including a school inter-house sports as a strategy to gain people’s confidence in the scheme. One of such is sponsoring the inter-house sports competition of MAXFEM International Schools, Alagbado, Lagos on February 10. Proprietor of the school, Mr Olufemi Stephen Oguntola, said he did not know about CBEX until a friend linked him with a key promoter, Temitayo Oklet (Temitayo Oke), from Ibadan, Oyo State. Oguntola said who knew he was yet to get a sponsor for the sports competition connected him with Temitayo, and they agreed on N400,000 as a sponsorship fee for Yellow House. “He paid it through my friend,” Oguntola told the newspaper. “He told me that ‘ST CBEX House’ was their preferred name, and that was why we wrote it on the children’s sportswear. I had never seen him until the competition day and after that day, I have not seen him again. When I heard of the problem, I called him several times but he ignored my calls.” Oguntola admitted that due diligence on CBEX was not carried out before he acceptedd the sponsorship. “I did not do any background checks. I accepted their offer because a friend of my mine was the link between us. He also invested in the scheme and lost about $10,000, with the exception of the subscribers affiliated with him,” Oguntola said.