U.S. Pressures West African Nations to Accept Deported Migrants Amid Trump Talks

​Trump Says He ‘Could’ Return Wrongfully Deported Man But Declines to Act

In a recent ABC News interview marking his 100th day in office, President Donald Trump acknowledged that he “could” facilitate the return of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Despite a Supreme Court order mandating the administration to assist in Ábrego García’s return, Trump has not committed to taking action. Ábrego García, who had legal work authorization and no criminal record, was deported in March 2025 due to what the administration later admitted was an “administrative error.” He is currently detained in El Salvador’s high-security prison, CECOT. During the interview, Trump suggested that Ábrego García had gang affiliations, referencing a photo purportedly showing MS-13 tattoos. However, experts have questioned the authenticity of the image, noting it may have been digitally altered. The administration’s refusal to comply with court orders has drawn criticism from lawmakers and human rights advocates, who argue it undermines the rule of law and due process. Senator Chris Van Hollen highlighted that El Salvador’s continued detention of Ábrego García is influenced by U.S. payments under a bilateral agreement. ​ A federal judge previously ordered the Trump administration to provide details on efforts to return Ábrego García, but that order was temporarily halted pending further legal proceedings. ​AP News The case continues to raise concerns about the administration’s immigration policies and adherence to judicial mandates.

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Nigerian Banks Raise SMS Alert Fees to ₦6 Amid Telecom Tariff Hike

Nigerian Banks Raise SMS Alert Fees to ₦6 Amid Telecom Tariff Hike

Effective Thursday, May 1, 2025, several Nigerian banks will increase their SMS transaction alert fees from ₦4 to ₦6 per message—a 50% hike. This change follows the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) approval of a 50% increase in telecom service tariffs, including SMS charges, due to rising operational costs faced by telecom operators.​ Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has communicated this adjustment to its customers, citing the increased telecom rates as the reason for the fee hike. Similarly, Ecobank Nigeria announced an increase in its SMS notification charges from ₦5 to ₦6 per message, effective May 1, 2025.​ Customers who prefer to avoid these charges can opt out of SMS alerts by updating their preferences through their respective banks’ official channels. Alternatives such as email alerts are often available at no additional cost.​ This development comes amid broader economic challenges, including a national inflation rate of 24.23% as of March 2025, impacting both consumers and service providers.​

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Akpabio Chairs New Pro-Tinubu Movement Ahead of 2027 Elections

Akpabio Chairs New Pro-Tinubu Movement Ahead of 2027 Elections

A new political platform, the National Council for Presidential Support (NCPS), has been launched in Abuja to rally nationwide backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and support his expected bid for re-election in 2027. The Council, which seeks to consolidate and coordinate the efforts of various pro-Tinubu groups, aims to boost grassroots mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The President of the Senate, Senator Dr. Godswill Obot Akpabio, chairs the NCPS and serves as its Grand Patron, while Maj. Gen. (Barr.) Garba Audu (rtd) also holds a prominent leadership position within the Council. Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Hon. Muttaka Ibrahim, the National Coordinator, described the NCPS as a unifying movement dedicated to continuity, stability, and democratic progress in Nigeria. “Our mission is to mobilize national support, coordinate strategic policy implementation, and provide visionary guidance to ensure President Tinubu’s re-election and Nigeria’s continued progress,” Ibrahim stated. He concluded with a call for broad national participation: “Together, let’s build a brighter future for Nigeria.”

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Spain Closes Surrogacy Loophole, Bans Registration of Foreign-Born Children by Embassies

The Spanish government is tightening enforcement of its long-standing ban on surrogacy by prohibiting its embassies and consulates from registering children born through the practice abroad. New regulations, set to take effect Thursday, will cancel all pending registration cases and bar diplomats from accepting foreign birth certificates naming Spanish citizens as parents of surrogate-born children. Although surrogacy has been illegal in Spain since 2006, Spanish couples have long bypassed the ban by securing court rulings in countries where surrogacy is legal and presenting those documents at consulates to register the child in Spain. That loophole closed in December 2023, when Spain’s Supreme Court declared the practice of recognizing foreign surrogacy rulings as illegal. The crackdown comes amid growing political consensus against surrogacy. While rare in Spain’s polarized politics, the move has united voices from both the far right and far left, who oppose the practice on ethical and feminist grounds. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s left-wing government has been especially vocal, labeling surrogacy a form of exploitation in recent legislation and court submissions. In the 2023 reform of Spain’s abortion law, surrogacy was described as “violence against women,” and the Supreme Court echoed this sentiment, calling it a violation of the surrogate’s moral integrity and a commodification of children. The new regulations require that a child’s legal parentage can only be determined after the child arrives in Spain. In such cases, only the biological parent — typically the father — may be registered, while the non-biological partner must apply for adoption after the surrogate formally relinquishes custody. Spain is not alone in cracking down on surrogacy. Italy, under right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has criminalized traveling abroad for the purpose of surrogacy and restricted birth certificate registrations to biological parents only — a move seen as part of her broader campaign targeting LGBTQ+ families. Further restrictions in Spain are expected in a forthcoming human trafficking bill, which could codify even stricter measures against surrogacy.

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Obi Doesn’t Need Coalition to Defeat Tinubu If INEC Ensures Free and Fair Elections

The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, does not require any coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party or support from political figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to win the 2027 presidential election. Speaking in an exclusive interview, the Deputy President of the NLC Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, asserted that Obi remains a formidable and widely accepted candidate, capable of defeating President Bola Tinubu in a free and fair contest. Ndubuaku dismissed any speculation about Obi rejoining the PDP, describing the opposition party as a “crisis-ridden and near-empty platform.” He said, “Peter Obi doesn’t need any coalition to win the 2027 presidential election. He is a sellable candidate. If you recall, he was already coasting to victory in the 2023 elections before the controversial glitches. He even defeated Tinubu in his own stronghold in Lagos, which shows Nigerians want him in power.” “For as long as INEC conducts a free and fair election, he will win. He can also leverage his local and international connections to make it happen,” Ndubuaku added. His comments come just days after the Obidients Movement declared unwavering support for Obi, regardless of the platform he chooses to run on in 2027. The National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, emphasised that Nigeria is in desperate need of rescue and said Obi remains the only candidate capable of leading the country out of its current economic crisis. Echoing Tanko’s position, Ndubuaku insisted Obi commands nationwide acceptance across all six geopolitical zones and warned against any return to the PDP. “No serious candidate will consider the PDP as a viable platform at this point,” he said. “Obi is a disciplined man. If people are suggesting he return to the PDP, on what basis? Compare the PDP’s issues with those of the Labour Party. While LP’s crisis—centering around Julius Abure—has been settled by the Supreme Court, the PDP is still battling a hydra-headed crisis. Moving from LP to PDP would be like jumping from frying pan to fire.” He further noted that fears about zoning and power rotation are unfounded, especially in light of Obi’s reputation for performance. “The only reservation some people have is that if Obi wins, he could take the full eight years, which the North fears may disrupt the zoning balance. But we know Obi doesn’t need two years to revive Nigeria. He’s not desperate for power,” Ndubuaku said.

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Serial Investment Fraudster Bags 63 Years in Ibadan

Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on Monday, April 28, 2025 convicted and sentenced Olaniyan Gbenga Amos to sixty-three (63) years jail term for multiple investment fraud. He was convicted alongside his firm, Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited. They were prosecuted on 30-count charges by Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, bordering on obtaining by false pretences, an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. Count 21 of the charge reads: “That you Olaniyan Gbenga Amos and Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited on or about 18th of June, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N995, 000.00 (Nine Hundred and Ninety-five Thousand Naira) only from Bada Titilope, when you falsely represented to him that the money is meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on Investment in 6 weeks (30 working days), which representations you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of Obtaining Money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.” Another Charge reads: “That you Olaniyan Gbenga Amos and Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited on or about 29th of January, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N920, 000.00 (Nine Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) only from Onifade Isaac Olawale, when you falsely represented to him that the money is meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on Investment in 6 weeks (30 working days), which representations you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of Obtaining Money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.” The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him. Consequent upon his plea, the EFCC Counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi opened the case on February 17, 2022 and called eight (8) witnesses, tendered several exhibits that were marked “Exhibits A to H” and closed the case on January 24, 2023. At the end of the prosecution’s case, the defendant filed a “no case submission” but was thrown out as the defendant was ordered by the court to enter his defence. Subsequently, the defendant opened and closed its case on October 17th, 2024 where the first defendant testified for himself and on behalf of the 2nd defendant as a lone witness. The court, after the presentation of the defendants’ case, adopted the final written addresses of both parties as judgment was reserved till April 28th, 2025. At the resumption of the trial on Monday, April 28, 2025, Justice Adetujoye convicted and sentenced Amos to seven (7) years imprisonment on each count of 6, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and 24 but discharged and acquitted the defendant on counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 respectively. Furthermore, the court ordered that the sentence should run concurrently and the convict must restitute the victims. Amos was convicted and sentenced to seventy-five (75) years imprisonment by Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan for similar offence on December 14, 2023. The convict has two other ongoing trials before Federal High Courts in Ibadan, Oyo State.

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EFCC Arrests Socialite E-Money For Abusing Naira

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested businessman and socialite, Emeka Okonkwo, popularly known as E-Money. It was learnt that the anti-graft commission arrested E-Money at his Lagos residence on Monday evening. He was subsequently flown to Abuja. E-Money, who is a well-known figure in Nigerian social circles, is the Chief Executive Officer of Emmy Cargoes Nigeria Limited and Five Star Music. It was gathered that E-Money’s arrest is connected to allegations of naira abuse and defacement of foreign currencies levelled against him by the commission. The socialite was said to have sprayed US dollars, an act that contravenes Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. The EFCC has not confirmed the development.

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Antonio Rudiger Undergoes Successful Surgery

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has successfully underwent surgery on his knee, the club announced on Tuesday morning. He is set to miss up to two months for Real Madrid, meaning he will not be there for the remainder of LaLiga games. He could return for the Club World Cup, according to COPE. The club’s medical report read: “Our player Antonio Rüdiger underwent successful surgery today for a partial tear of the external meniscus in his left leg. The operation was performed by Dr. Manuel Leyes under the supervision of the Real Madrid Medical Services. Rüdiger will begin recovery soon.” Real Madrid now only have three available centre-backs to end the season with. Raul Asencio, David Alaba and Jesus Vallejo, if you want to count him, will be the only three defenders who will play. Castilla defender Jacobo Ramon may get a few opportunities to shine as well. Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni could also have to go back to being a centre-back, even though he has been great at the pivot.

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