Author: Amina Mohammed

On Friday, China jailed former Premier League star and men’s national coach Li Tie for 20 years for bribery, snaring one of the country’s greatest football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sports. President Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting campaign against deep-seated official corruption since coming to power over a decade ago. Anti-graft authorities took aim at the sport industry in 2022 and have announced a string of convictions for former football administrators this week. In the highest-profile case to date, a court in central Hubei province said Friday that Li had been sentenced to “fixed-term…

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it is proposing several electoral reforms in 2025 which will see the phasing out of use of Permanent Voter Cards during elections, and the introduction of Diaspora voting. The commission said the proposed reforms were the conclusion of a meeting by the Chairman, Prof, Mahmood Yakubu, with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja on Thursday. INEC said the proposals will soon be presented to the relevant committees in the Senate and House of Representatives. Yakubu said, “Among the major highlights of the commission’s recommendations is the imperative of legal clarity in result management, with…

The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has set January 7, 2025, to decide on the objection raised by former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, regarding the $4.5bn and N2.8bn fraud charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Emefiele, along with his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is facing 26 counts filed by the EFCC before Justice Rahman Oshodi. At Thursday’s hearing, Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), argued that the court lacked territorial jurisdiction to hear the case in Lagos. He contended that the alleged offences, including abuse of office, were committed outside the jurisdiction…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed ECOWAS’ commitment to the welfare of citizens in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, emphasising that wisdom and diplomacy are essential to reintegrating the nations into the regional bloc. Speaking on Wednesday during a state visit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu, who serves as ECOWAS Chairman, highlighted the challenges posed by the reluctance of the affected countries to establish clear transition plans. “Our relationship of mutual respect will continue as we reappraise the situation in the three countries. What I can assure is that we will not give tolerance…

Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup by FIFA on Wednesday, underlining the Gulf kingdom’s growing influence in world sport despite criticism of the country’s human rights record. At the same time, a virtual Congress of world football’s governing body confirmed that Morocco, Spain, and Portugal will be joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup, which will also see three games played in South America. AFP

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday declared the seat of Senator Monday Okpebholo, representing Edo Central Senatorial district, vacant. This comes as Senator Okpebholo bids farewell to the 10th Senate, following his election as Governor of Edo State. Akpabio also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections as soon as possible to fill the vacant seat. This move is aimed at ensuring that the people of Edo Central Senatorial district continue to have representation in the Senate. Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the declarations after a valedictory session for Okpebholo organised by the Senate. Akpabio urged Okpbeholo…

An Allied Air Cargo aircraft on Wednesday suffered a tyre burst causing it to skid the Runway 22 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday. The plane with registration number 5N-JRT had five passengers on board, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said in a statement. FAAN spokesperson, Obiageli Orah, said the passengers were rescued and taken to the hospital for medical attention. She explained that the airport has temporarily shut down the runway following the incident. The incident was said to have caused significant disruptions, with several departures delayed as authorities work to clear the affected…

Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence from ECOWAS Member States are meeting in Nigeria for the 53rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial Level. The meeting is held at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission Headquarters in Abuja. The 52nd meeting of the MSC was held in July and it focused on addressing regional security and political issues. It also highlighted democratic transitions and peaceful elections in various member states. The 53rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council is chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador…

Katcha Local Government Council Chairman, Danlami Saku has died in an auto crash. A statement by the Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago revealed this on Wednesday. The late Saku was said to have died in a ghastly motor accident around Kwakuti, on the Minna-Suleja road. According to the statement, Bago said he received with rude shock the news of Saku’s death, describing it as “heartbreaking”. The governor said the demise of the LG chair is a sharp reminder that all creatures are from Allah and unto Him they will return at the appointed time. Bago commiserated with the family of…

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has announced updates to its immigration visa process, effective January 1, 2025. Applicants with scheduled interviews will now need to visit the Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the application procedure. The embassy shared on its official X page that “For applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, applicants are required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the immigrant visa process. It wrote, “This new process is designed to help you prepare for your visa interview and to prevent significant delays in processing your immigrant visa.”…