Author: Amina Mohammed

Brazilian star Neymar on Monday ended his injury-plagued 18 month stay in Saudi Arabia as his club, Al-Hilal said they had “agreed to terminate the player’s contract by mutual consent”. “The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career,” said a club statement posted on social media. The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward played just seven times since joining the club in August 2023, despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year. Neymar, the subject of what is…

Media personality, Toke Makinwa has condemned music super star 2Baba for who he handled separation from wife Annie Macaulay-Idibia. Makinwa expressed  outrage on social media  stating that 2Baba’s actions were unacceptable She warned 2Baba that if he thought Annie was alone, he would have to face the collective opposition of her supporters. Toke wrote: “This is wrong on all levels and you should be ashamed of yourself for bringing this here. Bring it on if you think she is alone, let me tell you here that you will have to fight all of us”. In another post, Makinwa emphasised the importance of women…

Adams Oshiomhole, a former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that retired military generals are allegedly behind illegal mining activities in Nigeria.  Oshiomhole, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior,  made the assertion during the submission of the 2025 budget report by Senator Sampson Ekong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, before the Senate Committee on Appropriations. He expressed concerns that the illegal mining activities, driven by powerful figures, pose a significant threat to Nigeria’s efforts to diversify its economy. “The ongoing illegal mining across the country is being…

The National Identity Management Commission has said that the new National Identification Number card will support government-to-people services and offer multiple functionalities to improve access to government interventions. Speaking on the initiative during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Dr Peter Iwegbu, Director of Card Management Services at NIMC, said the card is designed to ensure the effective delivery of government services, particularly to vulnerable Nigerians. He noted that the card would address challenges in identifying beneficiaries of government interventions, providing a secure and verifiable platform for accessing such services. He stated, “The second programme is addressing the need…

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command arrested two additional suspects on Friday in connection to the abduction of Mrs. Folasade Odumosu, the wife of retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Hakeem Odumosu. The suspects, 27-year-old Agbojule Smart and 30-year-old Keleke Michael, were apprehended by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Special Squad. This was confirmed in a statement issued at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi. According to the Nigeria Police Force, via its official social media handle, “In response to the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D.,…

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he was ready for talks with US counterpart Donald Trump on the Ukraine conflict, fuelling expectations of contact between the two world leaders. “As for the issue of negotiations… we have always said, and I want to emphasise this once again, that we are ready for these negotiations on Ukrainian issues,” Putin told a reporter from Russian state TV Putin added that the 2022 “crisis in Ukraine” — a reference to Moscow’s full-scale military offensive — might have been averted had Donald Trump been US president at the time. “I cannot but agree with…

A United Airlines flight, a Boeing 787-8 traveling from Lagos to Washington Dulles International Airport, declared an emergency on Thursday and made an air return to Lagos. The aircraft, identified with registration number N27903, is over 13 years old and belongs to the US carrier United Airlines. It was carrying 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots at the time of the incident. The flight crew maintained the emergency transponder code 7700, signaling distress, until the aircraft landed safely back in Lagos. Reports from passengers indicated that some sustained minor injuries during the turbulent return. Images and videos shared…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Ikye Orikpo as the new chairman of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital. The Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. He said the new appointee, who hails from Delta State, joins the new board chairpersons announced earlier. The presidential spokesman also clarified a few things about the list of earlier appointed Board chairmen. “Hon. Duro Meseko from Kogi state is the chairman of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute. What appears to be a duplication has been corrected,” the statement read. “Also,…

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court, FCT sitting in Apo, Abuja on Thursday, granted the prayers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to amend charges brought against a former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye and make him take his plea. Agunloye is standing trial by the  EFCC on seven-count charges bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of the Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $6 billion. Earlier on July 1 2024, Prosecution Counsel, Abba Mohammed S(AN) drew the attention of the court to the amended charge, urging the court to accept same and cause the defendant to take…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Friday, withdrew the arrest warrant issued against Ezekiel Thankgod, the former manager of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, accused of alleged $345,000 fraud. Justice Alexander Owoeye had, on 16 January 2025, issued a bench warrant for the music producer’s arrest following an ex parte application by the EFCC seeking to compel his appearance in court to face criminal charges. However, during Friday’s proceedings, the EFCC’s lawyer, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, applied to withdraw the arrest warrant. Buhari explained that since the charges had already been served on Thankgod’s lawyer, Monday Ubani, SAN, in open court,…