Author: Festus Adeloye

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Saturday said charges against human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore are criminal. NPF said Sowore will soon face them in a competent court. Police said he was arrested based on credible, corroborated allegations involving criminal offences such as forgery, cyberstalking, and other infractions currently under active investigation. The arrest, the police said, was effected in full compliance with extant legal provisions, and with strict adherence to constitutional safeguards, due process, and the rights of the suspect. The police also denied allegations of torturing Sowore following his recent arrest in…

Former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, has described the late Audu Ogbeh as one of the most effective national chairmen in the history of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).   Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, passed away on Saturday at the age of 78. In a personal tribute, Ibori praised the late Ogbeh as a humble and unassuming gentleman who valued integrity above money or personal gain. Reflecting on their political history, Ibori recalled that during his bid for re-election as governor in 2003, Ogbeh was given direct instructions to block his candidacy. However, Ogbeh,…

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to either release Omoyele Sowore immediately or charge him to court. In a statement posted on his X handle on Friday, Obi expressed deep concern over the detention of the activist, who voluntarily honoured an invitation by the police for questioning. According to him, the conduct of the police has the potential to erode public confidence in the institutions. The former Anambra State Governor said, “I was deeply disturbed to learn of the arrest of Mr Omoyele Sowore @YeleSowore…

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN said the Abuja airport incident involving Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde K1 was a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides which could have led to serious fatalities. Keyamo stated this in an X post on Thursday, shortly after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced it had blacklisted the musician for six months over the Tuesday incident. He said both the musician and staff of ValueJet involved in the incident breached standard safety protocol as required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The minister said, “I have…

Ghana’s defence and environment ministers were killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday, the Ghanaian presidency said, hours after the armed forces reported a chopper carrying three crew and five passengers dropped off the radar. Edward Omane Boamah became President John Mahama’s defence minister earlier this year shortly after Mahama’s swearing-in in January. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed was serving as the minister of environment, science and technology. Everyone onboard was killed in the accident, authorities said. “The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country,” said…

Dr Doyin Abiola, a veteran journalist, former Managing Director of National Concord, and wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, died at the age of 82. She died around 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday after a long illness, according to family members. Dr. Abiola, a pioneer in Nigerian journalism, was the first woman to become editor, then managing director/editor-in-chief, of a national daily newspaper. Her employment at National Concord lasted more than three decades, during which time she influenced media debate and trained a generation of journalists. Born in 1943, Dr. Abiola obtained a degree in English and Drama from the…

Civil Rights Group for All International has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja, to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the chief financial officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum CompanyLtd (NNPCL), Mr Dapo Segun, for alleged financial fraud. The group, in a suit filed, yesterday, said the failure of the anti-corruption agency to investigate the CFO in connection with the acquisition of the OVH Energy by the NNPC and the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries amounted to failure of its statutory duty and therefore constitutes an abuse of powers, ultra vires. The…

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have joined forces to address Nigeria’s worsening learning crisis. At a high-level policy dialogue held in Abuja, top education officials from across the country, including state commissioners for education and heads of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) emphasised the need for urgent solutions to the country’s education challenges. At the event, UBEC executive secretary, Aisha Garba, said Nigeria is experiencing an education crisis of great magnitude. According to her, millions of children are still out of school, and many of those enrolled are not acquiring the foundational…

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min says he will leave the club this summer after 10 years. The South Korea international joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has scored 173 goals in 454 appearances. He was captain when Tottenham beat Manchester United in the Europa League final in May to clinch their first trophy in 17 years. The 33-year-old, who is under contract with Spurs until 2026, is in advanced negotiations with Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC. Son described the decision as “the most difficult one I have made in my career” as he spoke to media alongside new manager…

US President Donald Trump has officially imposed a new 15% import tariff on Nigeria and several other African countries, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, Ghana, Malawi, Lesotho, and Madagascar. This development was announced in an Executive Order issued by the White House on Thursday, titled “Further modifying the reciprocal tariff rates.” According to the order: “These modifications shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m.” The Executive Order also included varied tariff rates for other countries. South Africa, Libya, and Tunisia were each hit with higher…