News & Announcements

The convoy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was attacked in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Wednesday.

In a video seen on social media, a group of people was seen running in different directions as gunshots rent the air.

The presidential campaign trail of the opposition party landed in Borno, an All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled state, on Wednesday.

Our correspondent saw vandalized vehicles in the convoy of Atiku at Ramat Square in Maiduguri, the state capital.
The spokesman of the Atiku Campaign, Senator Dino Malaye, blamed the attack on the ruling party in Borno.

Melaye lamented that more than 70 people were hospitalized.
“They wanted to prevent us from holding the campaign, as we speak, 74 people were injured and hospitalized.
“Several vehicles were vandalized by APC thugs.”

The APC is yet to react to Melaye’s allegation as of the time of filing this report.

Daily Trust correspondent saw hundreds of suspected political thugs at strategic locations along Maiduguri/Kano road.

Nigeria-born WWE star, Omos Tolulope Omogbehin, has paid an emotional surprise visit to his family in Lagos.
Omogbehin returned home 15 years after he travelled abroad where he made his name.

As posted on Nairaland Forum, Omos’ return home to Lagos was a very touching one for all his family members as his mother can be seen holding him tight like a small baby.
The 7ft 3inch giant is the only Nigerian international currently competing in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) RAW, division

Having signed with WWE in 2019, Omos is a former college basketball player for the University of South Florida and for Morgan State University, where he played for a year.
Omos was also a former Raw Tag Team Champion in WWE, holding the title with AJ Styles during the summer of 2021.

About 15 traders and artisans were feared dead as fire gutted the popular Onitsha drug market, popularly known as Ogbogu International Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha on Tuesday.

The inferno, which started at about 12 noon, destroyed goods and buildings worth over N10 billion according to a trader in the market, Mr. Amobi Okanume.

Okanume, who said that the cause of the fire was unknown, said it was the first time the market was suffering a fire disaster.

According to him, the fire had caused a lot of damage before the arrival of firefighters from Onitsha and neighbouring Asaba in Delta State.

Another trader in the market simply called ‘Ozigi’, claimed that the fire started when an explosion occurred in one of the buildings at the Chemical Line of the market.

Chidinma Ojukwu, the suspect in the murder of Usifo Ataga, Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, had a sexual relationship with her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu.

Olusegun Bamidele, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, disclosed this Tuesday to a Lagos High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, while being cross-examined by Chidinma’s lawyer, Onwuka Egwu, during trial-within-trial.

Chidinma is standing trial for the murder of Ataga who died on June 15, 2021. She is charged with murder, stealing, and forgery alongside Chioma Egbuchu, her sister, and one Adedapo Quadri.

Bamidele, who is a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) serving with the homicide unit of the state criminal Investigating department (SCID) Yaba, while testifying in the trial on October 29, 2022, had narrated to the court the findings of his investigation team and how Chidinma confessed to killing Ataga during a scuffle in his hotel room.

At the instance of Chidinma’s legal team, the court ordered a trial-within-trial to ascertain whether Chidinma’s statement was made under duress and adjourned the matter till Tuesday.

During cross-examination, Bamidele told the court his team stumbled on intelligence that Chidinma was involved in an amorous relationship with his foster father, Ojukwu.

“In the course of our detention of Mr. Ojukwu, we stumbled on intelligence that there was an amorous (sexual) relationship between the first defendant (chidinma) and her foster father.
“That gave us a hint that Mr. Ojukwu was not sincere and that he was aware of the offense that Chidinma is standing trial for today.

“We found that she was concealing the real information. We also established that the mother of the first defendant never approved the custody of the first defendant to Ojukwu and it was on this basis that we charged him to court alongside the three defendants at the Magistrate Court so that the court could decide if he should get bail or not,” he said.The case was adjourned till November 10.

A Tanzanian fisherman who broke open a crashed plane in Lake Victoria to save 20 people has been appointed by President Samia Suluhu into the country’s Firefighting and Rescue brigade.

Jackson Majaliwa was one of the first responders at the site of the plane crash on the morning of Sunday, November 6.
He was also awarded 1 million Tanzanian Shilling ($430) for his efforts that led to the saving of lives. A small passenger plane crashed Sunday morning into Lake Victoria on approach to an airport in Tanzania.

Of the 43 people on board the Precision Air flight, 19 people died and 24 survived. Most of those who survived owe it to Majaliwa’s heroic act.

From his hospital bed on Monday, Nov. 7, the fisherman told the BBC that he had panicked as he saw the plane approach from the wrong direction before plunging into the lake.

He rushed to the scene with three fellow fishermen and helped open the rear door by smashing it with a rowing bar which helped passengers seated towards the rear of the plane to be rescued.

Mr Jackson said he then moved to the front and dived into the water. He and one of the pilots then communicated with each other by making signs through the cockpit window.

He told BBC: “He directed me to break the window screen. I emerged from the water and asked airport security, who had arrived if they have any tools that we can use to smash the screen.

“They gave me an axe, but I was stopped by a man with a public announcement speaker from going down and smashing the screen. He said they were already in communication with the pilots and there was no water leakage in the cockpit,” Mr Jackson said.

He added that after being stopped he “dived back and waved goodbye to the pilot”. But the pilot then indicated that he still wanted to be rescued.

“He pointed out the cockpit emergency door to me. I swam back up and took a rope and tied it to the door and we tried to pull it with other boats, but the rope broke and hit me in the face and knocked me unconscious. The next thing I know I was here at the hospital,” Mr Jackson said both pilots are among the 19 confirmed fatalities.

Anthony Joshua ‘lost faith’ in boxing after the collapse of Tyson Fury talks, Eddie Hearn has revealed.

AJ was in talks about a potential all-British heavyweight clash in December, and Fury set several public deadlines for the fight to be agreed upon, but the deal was never finalized.

Instead, Fury defends his WBC heavyweight title when he takes on Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3.

Promoter Hearn said that the failure to negotiate that battle between Joshua and Fury hit the 33-year-old’s motivation, and it’s meant AJ has had to regroup with an eye to returning to the ring in the first quarter of next year.

However, he dismissed concerns that Joshua could take a whole year off after being unable to take on the 34-year-old Gypsy King.

Hearn told Boxing Social, “He just sort of lost faith a little bit with boxing because he really wanted to fight Tyson Fury.

“That’s the main reason that he didn’t fight this year. It messed up his mojo. He was just p***** off.“You know, he [Fury] got his bluff called really, we feel. What are these people doing?
“They say they want to fight me, now I’ve got a deadline, Chisora gets another month to do the deal, and I had to sign it then.
“So, that’s why you’re going to see him (Joshua) fight may be the end of February, but probably March.”

Joshua is continuing to look at his options for his next fight, after back-to-back losses to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, and Hearn said the boxer was ‘willing to fight anyone.

The promoter hinted that AJ could be in line to take on Chinese boxer Zhang Zhilei in a stadium fight in the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, the center of the 2008 Olympics.
Hearn said that he was looking at the possibility of a stadium fight in China to take advantage of Zhang’s popularity, and it could be Joshua’s return to the ring.

Another possibility mooted was the winner of Dillian Whyte against Jermaine Franklin, who meet at Wembley Arena in London at the end of November.

After months of postponement, a United States court in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, sentenced international fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas popularly known as Hushpuppi to over 135 months – over 11 years — in federal prison.

The US District Judge Otis D. Wright II ordered the 40-year-old convict to pay $1,732,841 in restitution to two fraud victims, according to a statement released by the court on Monday.
The judge said Hushpuppi conspired to launder tens of millions of dollars through online scams and flaunted his luxurious, crime-funded lifestyle on social media.

He pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 10 months after he was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in June 2020.
Hushpuppi has remained in US federal custody since his expulsion from the UAE.

“Abbas bragged on social media about his lavish lifestyle – a lifestyle funded by his involvement in transnational fraud and money laundering conspiracies targeting victims around the world,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.

“Money laundering and business email compromise scams are a massive international crime problem, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement and international partners to identify and prosecute those involved, wherever they may be.”

Before its eventual ruling on Monday, the court postponed Hushpuppi’s sentencing date at least five times in 2022 alone. Hushpuppi was initially scheduled for sentencing on February 14 but it was moved to July 11 and to September 21 before it was postponed to November 3 and finally to November 7.

It had been reported last week that he had been sentenced to jail but it wasn’t until Monday that he was officially sentenced.

The United Kingdom has updated its security alert to its citizens in Nigeria especially as it concerns the Federal Capital Territory.

Recall that the UK had two weeks ago announced that terrorists may attack the FCT soon, advising its citizen to only make essential travels to the capital city of Nigeria.

However, in its latest update on its website on Monday evening, the country said, “The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office no longer advises against all but essential travel to the Federal Capital Territory, including the city of Abuja, but risks remain, and further details about the continued threat from terrorism in this region have been added.

“The FCDO advice against traveling to other areas of Nigeria remains in place.”

The FCDO, in the latest update, advised against all travel to Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State, Kaduna State, Katsina State, Zamfara state, riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

The FCDO also maintained its advice against all but essential travel to Bauchi State, Kano State, Jigawa State, Niger State, Sokoto State, Kogi State, within 20km of the border with Niger in Kebbi State, Abia State, non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States, Plateau State and Taraba State.

“Before you travel, check the ‘Entry requirements’ section for Nigeria’s current entry restrictions and requirements. These may change with little warning. Monitor this advice for the latest updates and stay in contact with your travel provider.
“If you plan to pass through another country to return to the UK, check the travel advice for the country you’re transiting,” it added

Security and the economy took center stage on Sunday as the presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; the New Nigerian Peoples Party, Musa Kwankwaso and Kola Abiola of Peoples Redemption Party squared up at the Arise tv Presidential Town Hall Series on Security and Economy, in Abuja.
However, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party,  Atiku Abubakar, and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Bola Tinubu, failed to show up at the debate organized by Arise TV in collaboration with the  Centre for Development and Democracy at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Although Atiku was represented by his running mate, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Tinubu sent no representative.

But the supporters of the LP, the NNPP, and the PRP who were unhappy with Atiku’s absence heckled Okowa, stating that the event was meant for presidential candidates only.
Shouting “No representation by proxy,” the supporters prevented the program from kicking off on time as the organizers sought to pacify them.

Speaking on his plans to tackle insecurity in the country, Atiku harped on intelligence gathering and sharing among the security agencies.
Calling for the decentralization of the police, the PDP candidate stressed that the current policing system cannot secure the country.

He said, “We need to emphasize coordinated intelligence gathering and sharing. We need more boots on the ground to address insecurity in Nigeria. We need to evolve policing in Nigeria to ensure that people who have a better understanding of their areas, know how to secure their areas. One centralized police force is unable to meet the demands that we have.

“We need more boots on the ground. We need adequate welfare to ensure that our security agencies are better-taken care of. We also need to address unemployment, otherwise, more young people will be drawn to contribute to the insecurity. Technically, it is very important but the equipment is few. The men in boots must be well trained and paid.”
He highlighted the role of the private sector in the Nigerian project he hopes to lead if elected President of the country.

The PDP presidential running mate also spoke on how his principal would unite and lead the country on the path of development with the support of the private sector.
He added, “Atiku is a successful businessman and a person who runs very successful academic institutions. We have a document, ‘My covenant with Nigeria,’ a common document on behalf of himself, myself, and the PDP.

“The private sector has a role to play. To make progress, we must talk about the unity of this country. Until we are able to unite ourselves and realize that we must think and work together, we may not be able to go through the path that will lead us to new growth.”
On debt, Okowa recalled how former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice president, Atiku, obtained debt relief for Nigeria while in power.

Kwankwaso further pledged to improve national security by encouraging willing youth corps members to join the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
He said, “Some of us who are extended family members of the security in this country is very much worried and concerned, and sometimes even ashamed that today, in 2022, security agencies could not identify locations of terrorists, especially when everybody including the criminals is using telephones, and these telephones are not difficult to identify, and these are the problems.”

The former Kano State governor revealed that he was also angry with the system like every other Nigerian and “it is because of those reasons that some of us are angry to the extent of leaving the PDP and the APC because we feel there are better ways of doing things in this country.”
He added, “We believe the system has failed and that is why we have decided to go to New Nigeria Peoples Party, the unscathed party in this country.”

Responding to a question concerning the tribal bent of some candidates’ campaigns, Kwankwaso stated, “The Constitution of this country has taken care of that. Any presidential candidate that came out in defense of ethnicity, tribe, religion, region has lost the election even before the election.”
The former defense minister observed that for a candidate to win a presidential election, he or she must have won the most popular votes and win in two-thirds or 24 of the 36 states.  “North cannot win elections on its own; South cannot win elections on its own,” he stressed.

Reacting to the opposition by members of the audience to Okowa, Kwankwaso noted that due to the busy schedule of some presidential candidates, there may be a need for their running mate to represent them at events, noting Atiku did well by sending his vice presidential candidate.
He said, “No candidate can boast of saying ‘I will attend all of them.’ Whichever group that is having this sort of thing should accept it. I think the man sitting here (pointing to Okowa) is better than the person who did not come or send any representative.”

The PRP candidate,  Abiola, promised Nigerians that he would not bring the baggage of past administrations and recycled politicians into governance when elected.
While describing himself as a breath of fresh air with no record of holding public office in Nigeria, Abiola stated that he is the best man for the job.

He said, “We are coming to the federal level with a clean slate because we are not carrying the baggage of any administration or any party. We want to use that to turn Nigeria around and fight for the people.
“I never run for governor, state chairman or local government council. The point I am trying to make is that the leadership has tried over the years; so many recycled and different people every time. The leaders stay in one party or they jump parties.

“But for the first time, we have a candidate here in PRP that hasn’t been there or any party at all. Let us try a fresh hand to solve Nigeria’s problem. Now, security is an issue.

United States Attorney’s Office for Central District of California, Los Angeles, says alleged international internet fraudster Ramon Abbas popularly known as Hushpuppi will be sentenced on Monday, November 7, 2022.

“The sentencing is now scheduled for Monday, November 7,” the court’s Director of Media Relations, Thom Mrozek said in a response to an email inquiry by Channels Television on Friday.

This is contrary to viral reports that Hushpuppi had been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
With the November 7 date, the court has postponed Hushpuppi’s sentencing date at least five times in 2022 alone since his conviction for alleged $1.1m Qatari fraud.

Hushpuppi was initially scheduled for sentencing on February 14 but it was moved to July 11 and to September 21 before it was postponed to November 3 and now to November 7.
Hushpuppi, 39, had entered a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to charges including money laundering, and wire fraud, amongst others brought against him by the court.

He risks “20 years’ imprisonment; a 3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense,” according to court documents.
He was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 alongside 12 others and extradited to the US for prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had indicted the suspended Head of Inspector General of the Police Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, in the Hushpuppi case but Kyari had denied the fraud allegations.

Kyari was later arrested by the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in February for alleged drug-related offenses. The NDLEA has since arraigned the suspended deputy police commissioner.

Remanded at the Kuje prison in Abuja, Kyari and his co-defendants hope to get bail at the Federal High Court in Abuja.