Author: Festus Adeloye

Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome Saturday after a Vatican funeral for the “pope among the people” attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners and world leaders including US President Donald Trump. Around 400,000 people packed St Peter’s Square and lined the streets in Rome to say goodbye to the Argentine pontiff, a champion of the poor who had led the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics since 2013. After a solemn funeral in front of hushed crowds, Francis’s plain wooden coffin — a testament to a life of humility — was driven slowly to Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore church,…

Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has said there is no cause for alarm in the recent defection of the party’s vice presidential candidate in 2023, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; and a number of PDP chieftains in Delta State to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The former Senate President, who noted that the PDP would “surely miss” the decampees, however, said the defection would not deplete the fortunes of the party in 2027. He, rather, described the development as “a blessing in disguise”. Senator Wabara who spoke with…

Several world leaders have converged on St. Peter’s Square in Rome as the final funeral rites for Catholic pontiff Pope Francis commenced on Saturday morning. Among the prominent figures in attendance are Prince Williams, United States President Donald Trump; his wife Melania, former President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and French First Lady Brigitte Macron are also present at the solemn occasion. Other notable leaders and royals at the Vatican include Poland President Andrzej Duda Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, Pope Francis’s…

Four persons have been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for their alleged roles in a fraudulent scheme linked to the online trading platform, Crypto Bridge Exchange, better known as CBEX. EFCC issued a public notice on Friday and named the individuals, Seyi Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanisola, and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun. Signed by EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the notice restated its commitment to fighting financial crimes, particularly in the increasingly exploited crypto space. The EFCC disclosed that while Oloyede and Uko were last traced to No. 166, Idimu Egbeda Road, Lagos…

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu has boasted that the leadership of the party in the state will ensure President Bola Tinubu gets Abia votes in 2027. Kalu stated this in Umuahia while unveiling the Renewed Hope Partners office in the state capital, dedicated to the advancement of the party in the state. Kalu said the Renewed Hope office would serve as a hub for all the pro-President Tinubu’s groups to meet and strategize on how to plan for the re-election of the President, adding that the offices which would be spread across the southeast…

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has expressed displeasure and concern over the persistent pattern of unfair, unequal, and heavily skewed federal appointments made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since assuming office in October 2023. This is contained in a statement by the group’s spokesperson, professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere. According to the statement,the appointments have overwhelmingly favored the South West region, to the detriment of the other five geopolitical zones of the country. The statement lamented that the practice did not only undermines the spirit of national unity but also blatantly violates the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has boasted that more governors will defect from the opposition parties to join the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections. He dropped the hint in Abuja when he formally received some decampees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Kano State chapter, led by the Senator representing Kano South, Senator Kawu Ismailia. The former governor of Kano State also exuded confidence on the possibilities of the ruling party win all the forthcoming elections before the 2027 general elections, quipping that the party’s 2027 project “is a done deal.”…

Suspected herdsmen on Friday morning launched a fresh attack on Agbo Vengav community of Udam in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, killing seven people, including women and children. According to reports, several others were missing following the attack by gunmen, which took place around 1:00 am on Friday. A source who pleaded anonymity revealed that a little girl was among those killed while her mother was taken away by the suspected herdsmen. Her whereabouts remain unknown. It was gathered that the gunmen invaded the community when residents had gone to bed. “The attack on the community started…

Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has again shunned an invitation from the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight. Ibas was invited to the meeting initially scheduled for Thursday, April 17, 2025, after the committee was constituted by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. Following Ibas’ absence, the meeting was rescheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025, with the Rivers Sole Administrator ignoring the invitation yet again. Ibas on Thursday attended the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa on Thursday but was absent when the Reps panel convened. Following Ibas’ absence, the meeting was…

Music legend, 2Baba, formerly known as 2Face Idibia, in line with Idoma cultural tradition, formally introduced his wife, Hon. Natasha Irobosa Osawaru, to the paramount ruler of the Idoma Kingdom on Monday, April 21, 2025. The introduction took place during the Idoma Security and Unity Symposium at the Och’Idoma Palace in Otukpo, located in Benue South Senatorial District. Earlier, on April 9, 2025, Hon. Natasha had officially adopted the Idibia surname during a plenary session of the Edo State House of Assembly, where she represents the Egor State Constituency. In a related event, 2Face, also known as 2Baba, introduced Natasha…