Author: Amina Mohammed

The House of Representatives has dismissed allegations that some federal lawmakers demanded bribes from Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities in exchange for approving their 2025 budget allocations, describing the claims as false and misleading. In a statement issued on Wednesday, House spokesman Akin Rotimi said the report was a deliberate attempt to damage the reputation of the legislature. “The 10th House of Representatives is firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards in all its legislative activities. These values form the bedrock of our operations. It is, therefore, imperative to address the baseless and sensational allegations in the report,…

Junta-led countries Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have officially withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States. They officially exited West Africa’s main political and trade group on Wednesday after more than a year of diplomatic tensions. The withdrawal has shaken ECOWAS, which many consider to be the continent’s most important regional group and this year marks its 50th anniversary. While its leadership said in a statement that the group would “keep ECOWAS doors open” to the three countries, their departure has left the organisation’s future uncertain. The rupture was sparked by the July 2023 coup in Niger, after…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has tackled the protesting bidders alleging irregularities in the car auctioning recently held in different locations across the country. This development is coming on the heels of the conclusion of the exercise, which lasted between Monday, January 20 and Monday, January 27, 2025. One of the auctioned vehicles. Upon conclusion, bidders shared screenshots on various social media showing outrageous amounts as bids, leaving room for many of them to back out on some of the deals. The bidding ranged from N1 billion to N330 billion for mid-range and averagely sophisticated Lexus jeeps and SUVs.…

There was chaos at the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Wednesday when supporters of Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary of the party, and those of Udeh Okoye, who is also laying claim to the office of the national secretary, clashed during the party’s Board of Trustees meeting. The BoT meeting was presided over by the chairman, Adolphus Wabara, and it was attended by other prominent members including the acting national chairman of the party, Umar Damagun; ex-Niger governor, Babangida Aliyu; ex-Kaduna governor, Ahmed Markafi; and ex-Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido. The BoT, being the conscience…

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited said it uncovered a total of illegal refineries and pipelines in one across the Niger Delta. Nigeria recorded over 589 oil spills in 2024, most of which were caused by oil theft. A breakdown of the figures showed that 58 illegal refineries and 19 illegal pipeline connections were uncovered. In a video documentary on the official YouTube channel of the NNPCL on Tuesday, NNPCL said it recorded a total of 159 incidents of oil theft in the region. The discoveries were made in a series of operations that took place between January 18 to…

Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the seventeen-count cybercrime charges brought against him by the Nigerian Police Force. Sowore was arrested by the police and detained at the Intelligence Response Team detention facility in Abuja on Monday, after refusing to accept the administrative bail conditions granted to him by the police. He was invited to the Force Intelligence Headquarters in Abuja over allegations of resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful orders, cyberstalking, and actions allegedly aimed at preventing arrests. Sowore was, however, arraigned before Justice Musa Liman on Wednesday to take…

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade I, has ordered the immediate dissolution of a coronation committee allegedly formed without his approval. In a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, the monarch warned that any further meetings or activities related to the committee would be considered illegal and would not be tolerated. Oba Owoade emphasized that any committee or event related to his coronation must receive prior approval from his office. The statement, titled “Coronation Committee Setup in Oyo Town—Notice of Cease & Desist,” read in part: “Let it be known to all that any committee or activity being set…

In the wake of the Court of Appeal’s ruling affirming the legitimacy of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and Deputy Governor Dr. Olayide Owolabi Adelami, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON, has extended heartfelt advice to the appellant and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last gubernatorial election, Hon. Agboola Alfred Ajayi. Speaking as a brother and friend who has shared robust connection with Ajayi, Ajulo urged him to abandon what he described as a “fruitless and endless pursuit of impossibilities.” He emphasized that, as a seasoned legal practitioner,…

Cadbury Nigeria PLC has reported a pre-tax profit of N2 billion for the fourth quarter of 2024. In its recently released financial statement on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on January 27, 2025, this marks a recovery of 111.73% from the pre-tax loss of N17.3 billion reported in 2023, effectively reducing the full-year pre-tax loss from N28.1 billion in FY 2023 to N14.8 billion for FY 2024. In terms of revenue, the fourth quarter witnessed a significant surge of 87.28% year-on-year, reaching N39.6 billion, compared to N21.1 billion in the same quarter of the previous year. As a result, total revenue…

A presidential media aide Daniel Bwala has faulted ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, for saying the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) lacked internal democracy and active party structures. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bwala said El-Rufai would not have expressed such a position if he were in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu. On Monday, El-Rufai spoke at a national conference in Abuja, saying he no longer recognise the APC and that the party has tended toward a one-man show. “You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up…