Author: Amina Mohammed

The United States has commenced deportation proceedings for Nigerian nationals, with 85 individuals set to arrive in Lagos, while 116 others remain in detention. The Federal Government, through the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has expressed concerns over the process, calling for a more humane approach. Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a statement signed by her media aide, Magnus Eze, on Sunday, disclosed that “with about 201 Nigerians currently detained in US immigration centres and about 85 cleared for deportation,” the government is advocating for adherence to internationally prescribed guidelines. Similarly, she reiterated the government’s stance in a post…

Prince Lukman Gbadegesin, one of the contenders for the Alaafin of Oyo stool, has filed a lawsuit at the Oyo State High Court challenging the appointment of Prince Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin. The suit, filed on February 12, demands the reversal of Owoade’s appointment, arguing that it violates the Chiefs Law of Oyo State, 2000, and the Registered Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961. Gbadegesin is also seeking an injunction to prevent Owoade from assuming the throne or performing any royal duties. Gbadegesin’s suit lists Governor Seyi Makinde, the Attorney General of Oyo State, and 11 others as defendants,…

Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, has revealed that she gave birth to twin boys in 2024, adding to her family, including her nine-year-old daughter. In a recent interview with The Guardian’s Charlotte Edwardes, Adichie spoke about the intense curiosity surrounding her life, the profound losses she has experienced, and the challenges of balancing motherhood with her writing career. Adichie, who has kept the details of her private life under wraps, revealed that she was always cautious about revealing too much, particularly when it came to her family. “I want to protect my children,” she explained. “I’m OK with having them mentioned,…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has intensified its enforcement efforts against the sale of illicit and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, sealing over 3,000 shops within the Idumota Open Drug Market in Lagos in the first week of operations. This was made known in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday by NAFDAC. During the raid, officials uncovered alarming violations, including vaccines stored in dilapidated, unventilated rooms sealed with iron sheets, posing severe health risks. Large consignments of banned and dangerous drugs were also discovered, including Analgin injections, diverted HIV antiretroviral drugs, and expired medicines slated…

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the All Progressives Congress are at loggerheads over allegations of a plot to destabilise the state following a court ruling on the local government crisis rocking the state. At a press conference on Sunday, Adeleke accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of colluding with security agencies to enforce a court order reinstating local government chairmen and councillors elected under the APC. He described the move as an attempt to create unrest in the state, allegedly leveraging Oyetola’s familial ties to President Bola Tinubu. “I called this press conference to alert…

The Nigeria Police Force has neutralised seven terrorists and recovered 23 firearms, along with assorted ammunition, in recent operations across the country. In a statement issued on Sunday via X, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the operations were part of efforts to dismantle criminal networks and enhance internal security. The statement noted that on February 14, 2025, armed men invaded Gobiraje Village in Suru Local Government Area of Kebbi State and kidnapped a 60-year-old man, Umaru Bawa. Police operatives in Kebbi State trailed the suspects to Tundafari Forest in the Dakingari axis, where they engaged the…

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated former Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai on his 65th birthday, describing him as “an administrator, scholar, and politician” known for his “resourcefulness and brilliance.” In a statement issued on Sunday, Tinubu acknowledged El-Rufai’s role as a founding member of the All Progressives Congress and his contributions to the party’s success in three consecutive elections. The statement was signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), on February 16, 2025. “The President acknowledges Mallam El-Rufai’s role in the dialogues leading up to the formation of the APC and his contributions to the success…

A prayer session was on Saturday held at Adefalu Compound, Ojuekun Area, Ilorin, in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State for the repose of the soul of Miss Yetunde Lawal, a final year student of Kwara State College of Education, who was allegedly murdered for ritual purpose by a Facebook friend. The prayer session conveyed by Muslim leaders in the Ojuekun/Sarumi area was led by Imam Alabidun, a popular Islamic scholar in the area. Alabidun, who prayed to Allah to grant rest to the deceased, also urged the parents to accept the death of Hafsat as the wish…

Nigeria’s first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has been elected as a member of the Steering Committee of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development. Mrs Tinubu was elected on Saturday at the 29th Ordinary General Assembly of the organisation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The first lady of Sierra Leone, Mrs Fatima Bio, was elected as the President of OAFLAD, while the first lady of Angola, Mrs Ana Lorenzo, was elected Vice President. Mrs Tinubu joins the eight-member steering committee as one of the two members representing West Africa. Other member nations elected to the committee include Sierra Leone, whose first…

Elon Musk is leading an investment group offering $97.4 billion for the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, marking a new front in his war with the ChatGPT-maker. The Wall Street Journal stated this and added that Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff said he submitted the bid to OpenAI’s board of directors. “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want,” OpenAI chief Sam Altman wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, apparently responding to the offer. Musk, who bought X under its former moniker for $44 billion in 2022, replied to the post by simply writing:…