News & Announcements

The top diplomat for the European Union said on Monday that instability in the nuclear-armed nation is “not a good thing” and pointed to Wagner’s aborted mutiny as evidence that Moscow’s war in Ukraine is splintering Russian power.

“What has happened during this weekend shows that the war against Ukraine is cracking Russian power and affecting its political system,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.

“Certainly it’s not a good thing to see that a nuclear power like Russia can go into a phase of instability. It’s also something that has to be taken into account,” Borrell told journalists.

He said, “The most important conclusion is that the war against Ukraine launched by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and the monster that Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him”.

“The monster is acting against its creator, the political system is showing the fragilities and the military power is cracking,” Borrell said.

When the EU’s foreign ministers met in Luxembourg for their monthly meeting, they were trying to process the effects of the revolt.

Tobias Billstrom, the foreign minister of Sweden, described the turmoil as a Russian “internal matter.”

He stressed that helping Ukraine regain its territories was the “most important thing.”

The assassination of a butcher named Usman Buda by radical Muslims over a purportedly blasphemous remark made against an Islamic prophet has prompted the Sokoto State Police Command to open an inquiry into the incident.

The butcher made the remark at 8 a.m. on Sunday at the Sokoto Main Abattoir following a dispute with another vendor.

An irate mob surrounded him after hearing his remark, beat him until he was rendered unconscious, and then they departed the scene.

In an effort to save the victim, the police invaded the scene and hurried him to the Usmanu Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, where he passed away while receiving care.

ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, the state police public relations officer, responded to the development by saying that efforts were being made to apprehend the runaway suspects.

He said, “A distress call was received around 09.20am that one Usman Buda of the Gwandu Local Government Area, a butcher at the Sokoto Abattoir, allegedly blasphemed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). As a result, he was mobbed and attacked.

“Upon receiving the information, the Commissioner of Police, Area Commander Metro and Divisional Police Officer, Kwanni, led a team of policemen and all other operational commanders to the scene.

“On arrival, the mob escaped the scene and left the victim unconscious where he was rescued and taken to the Usmanu Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital Sokoto for treatment and was later confirmed dead. Meanwhile, an investigation is on to arrest the perpetrators.”

Several Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists have been reportedly killed in airstrikes by troops of Air Component Operation Hadin Kai, in the Sambisa Forest axis of Bama Local Government Area.

Sources said the terrorists were eliminated in air strikes carried out on the night of June 21, 2023, in Amchille in Geizuwa.

Counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama confirmed the strikes noting that the air component carried out the strikes following credible intelligence of terrorists planning to launch an attack.

“The jets successfully struck the camps, killing most of the terrorists while a few escaped,” he said.

He disclosed that the damaging Airstrikes had forced over 50 of the Boko Haram and their family members from Mairambiri, Zaramari, Bula Tuja, Bula Marwa, Bula Daloye, Kajiri, and Gare villages to surrender to troops of 202 and 151 Battalions of the Nigerian Army.

“On the same day one Mohammed Yahaya 30 years old terrorists from Gobara village in Sambisa general area and his two wives surrendered to the troops of 192 Battalion in Pulka in Gwoza local government,” he said.

Nollywood star actress, Regina Daniels’ billionaire husband, Senator Ned Nwoko has revealed to everyone that cares to listen how he narrowly escaped death.

According to the billionaire lawmaker, he was supposed to be part of the passengers who died or went missing in the submersible to see the historic Titanic that sunk centuries ago.

Nwoko who made the shocking revelation on Friday, June 23, 2023 following the unfortunate incident that led to the death of five passengers aboard the Ocean Gate submarine, said he missed the trip because of his official assignment.

While mourning his friend, Hamish Harding, a British businessman who was among the five passengers of the ill-fated vessel, Nwoko said;
“We both went on a very dangerous expedition to Southpole Antarctica a few years back. He was a gulf stream pilot who flew across the world in a record-breaking Guinness world record for circumnavigation of the earth some years ago.”

“He descended into the Mariana. He also invited me on his space shuttle last year and this very Titan ill-fated adventure but I was tied down with national duties.”

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, has urged Nigerians to calm down and remain unified, saying the assaults on her over her photo with President Tinubu were needless.

She claimed that the debate about why her photo with President Tinubu appeared on her Twitter account so late demonstrates how divided Nigerians are.

Okonjo-Iweala was responding to remarks made on social media on her photos from the just finished Paris Economic Summit with other foreign leaders as well as her photo with President Tinubu.

Nigerians criticized the WTO chief for failing to include a photo of President Bola Tinubu in the images from her Friday meeting with the presidents of several other countries.

She later posted her picture with Tinubu on Saturday morning.

The head of the WTO responded by stating that the controversy has revealed how divided Nigeria has become.

She said in the tweet, “Nigerians, please relax! Re Paris, Interesting attacks from both sides. This sadly shows the depth of polarisation in our society.

“I post photos in the order received by accompanying staff or colleagues. Reading more into it is unwarranted. Let’s unite to build our country, not attack.”

President Tinubu had the chance to project his advocacy for expanding the fiscal wiggle room, economic justice for Africa, and the urgency of addressing the pressing issues of poverty and climate change on a global stage at the Paris summit, which was organized by President Emmanuel Macron.

At least 31 people are believed to have died in a gas explosion in a disused mine shaft in South Africa’s Free State province that happened on May 18 but has only now come to light, authorities said on Friday.

The dead are believed to be from neighbouring Lesotho – which reported the incident to South African authorities – and died in a ventilation shaft in Virginia mine in Welkom city, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) said.

It was not clear what caused their deaths but the DMRE said an investigation into the incident with the help of Harmony Gold – the previous owner of the mine which ceased operations in the 1990s – determined that methane levels were very high in the ventilation shaft.

Authorities in Free State were being prevented from sending a search team into the mine to retrieve bodies because there were still dangerously high levels of methane gas in the shaft, the department said in its statement on Friday.

It said it was considering various options to “speedily deal” with what was “a unique and strange situation”.

Illegal prospecting is rife in South Africa’s old gold-mining areas, where miners go into closed and often dangerous mine shafts to dig for deposits. The activity usually happens as smalltime pilfering or as networks run by organised crime.

“These guys are heavily armed, and that’s the difficulty [with policing them],” said Nathi Shabangu, spokesperson for mining and energy minister Gwede Mantashe, referring to the criminal gangs. “It is a big challenge, and cannot be solved within a day or overnight.”

The government department said it had received information that three bodies had been recovered after they were brought to the surface by other illegal miners. Another 16 suspected illegal miners who were also in the shaft have handed themselves over to authorities, police said.

Sihle Maake, Harmony’s spokesperson, said the company viewed the incident – which occurred on May 18 – as a criminal matter and has handed it over to the South African police for further investigation.

“Harmony is working with the DMRE to provide direction on the next steps,” Maake said.

In the current trial of certificate forgery, Peter Mbah, the governor of Enugu State, declined the invitation to appear before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The trial is the result of a request made by Alex Amujiogo, a candidate for the People’s Redemption Party.

Mbah was reported to have ignored all summonses in the trial, which reopened on Friday after the Tribunal mandated substituted delivery of a subpoena on Mba through his attorney.

However, Amujiogo said, “This Honourable Tribunal had, on June 22, 2023, made an order that the subpoena be served on Peter Mbah through his counsel. We have since done that for him to appear today.

“My Lord, it is obvious that he is not in court under the pretence of immunity.

“And today is my last day for me to close my case; my hands are tied and I have no choice but to close my case.”

When asked about his next line of action, Amujiogo noted, “It is now left for the tribunal, in the course of this matter, to know the next step that they will undertake as regards his refusal or inability to appear today before the Tribunal; let us watch and see the battle will be like, between the tribunal and the governor.

“It has two legs- the tribunal can exercise its power of sanctions against the person who refuses his order; you also know that judgement is always at hand; it is the last option. The ball is in the court of the Tribunal to do things one way or the other.”

After the Tribunal session, Anthony Ani, the Peoples Democratic Party’s main attorney, told press that the petitioner did not follow the law’s requirements when serving the subpoena.

If the petitioners behaved properly, he claimed, the governor would be willing to show up.

According to Ani, “The petitioner has not complied with the mandatory provisions of the law; the default provision, respecting election petitions, is the Federal High Court Rules, which is very clear in service of Subpoena Testificandum or Duces Tecum.

“Now, when you serve a subpoena, that subpoena should have been filed alongside the originating process, that is the petition.

He added that when a case is filed, Order 3, Rule 4 of the Federal High Court Rules should be served to the witness who is being subpoenaed with Form 1A, explaining that Form 1A requires the witness to file a witness deposition under oath, and then served to the witness who is expected with their pleadings.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, the first respondent, was given until June 24, 2023 to present its case before the tribunal presided over by Justice K. M. Akano.

In order to combat assaults on schools, Amnesty International has stated that it will work with the federal government.

In addition, AI said that it has noticed a sudden increase in incidents of violence against children in educational settings. Parents of kids who had either died, had grave injuries, or found themselves in a very tough situation as a result of peer and teacher bullying came into contact with the organization.

This information was presented by AI on Thursday in Abuja during a one-day stakeholders dialogue on preventing violence against children in schools.

Isa Salihu, the organization’s acting country director, said that AI wants to put an end to violence against children in schools. He added that the organization will compile ideas and suggestions put up by stakeholders on this issue and develop these suggestions into a policy paper.

Salihu stated, “All the ideas that will be tabled before us at the end of the meeting will be used to write policy suggestions to the Nigerian government and to meet and engage the in-coming minister of education to make sure that there is a strong policy that will protect children from violence in schools.

“We observe that in recent years, there has been a spontaneous rise in cases of violence against children in schools. We have been in contact with parents of children who have either died or severely injured or were put in a very difficult situation because of bullying by teachers, and peers.

We evaluate the issues before examining the causes of the incidents.

Recalling three significant incidents of children dying in their schools under highly contentious circumstances, he made clear that the conclusion was that the institutions were either negligent or continued to use outdated and ineffective corporal punishment, which exposed children to violence.

He lamented the poor state of Nigeria’s judicial system and asked people in positions of power to make it their job to see that it is fixed.

He remarked, “The reason why we are not aware of the scale of the violence in schools is because many parents believe that even when they speak out or seek justice, they will not get it.

“That is why they don’t have confidence in the justice and criminal justice systems of this country because there is a lack of capacity of the police to conduct thorough investigations, a lack of cooperation between the police and the courts, and corruption.

“We want to also engage people in the judiciary to ensure that they give priority to the issues of children.”

The mother of Keren Akpagher, a 14-year-old victim of Premier Academy who was raped by Vivienne Akpagher, described her story in an emotional voice. She described how her daughter was discovered to have been raped and molested, which led to her death.

Additionally, Mrs. Akpagher disclosed that the results of the autopsy revealed that her daughter had also been sodomized.

She said, “During her medication, I discovered that she was raped. I was with her when she passed. She was discovered to have been molested, raped, and sodomised in the autopsy carried out by the doctors.

“I am a victim because I have not gotten that justice that I need to survive. After all, before I survive I must get the justice that will lead to my healing. I haven’t started. I am still fighting to understand what happened to me.

“When I was growing up my mom told me that education was everything but I look at her in the face and say it is the least of what I think. I used to think having an education but it’s overrated because where we get that education is no longer safe for vulnerable children.”

She claimed she was overly trusting because parents put so much faith in the schools, but the outcome was unpleasant. She recommended parents to talk to their kids frequently and watch out for warning signs.

A renowned felon named Kabir Bala was put to death by the Joint Security Team in Kogi State in connection with the passing of Salome Abu, the female leader of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the state’s commissioner of police, Akeem Yusuf, revealed that on Wednesday, Bala met his demise in Ejule in the state’s Ofu Local Government Area.

He said, “It would be recalled that the Kogi State Government, in October 2018, granted pardon in the prerogative of mercy as part of rehabilitation to one notorious gang leader named Kabir Bala, aka Okwo, in Ejule, Ofu LGA.

“However, the said Kabir Bala remained an unrepentant criminal with lots of atrocities traced to him which includes dealing in illegal arms, kidnappings and killings in the state.

“Several cases had been traced to him such as the burning alive of Mrs Salome Abu, a PDP woman leader in Olu LGA, in her residence on November 2015, at Ochadamu, and the killing of two gala youths, Umoru Abeh and Unerwu Sule on April 20, 2022, at Ejule.”

According to Yusuf, Bala also murdered two men named Muhammad and Dauda on March 3, 2023, as well as the Fulani herders Ibrahim, Haruna, and Shuaibu Wang on Alloma Road in the Ofu LGA in April 2022.

He said, “Other crimes committed by Kabir Bala and his gang included an attack on troops of the Nigerian Navy and dispossessing them of four rifles at the Alloma village on March 4, 2022. However, the firearms were later returned to the Navy following a high-powered intervention.

“Attack on Elisha Aya, a pastor and founder of the Kingdom Faith Assembly, Ejule, on March 18, 2022, who later paid N1m to Bala as a levy for establishing a church; invasion of Egane Fulani settlement; burning of 213 huts; rustled 122 cows on December 25, 2022, and assault on the Lord’s Chosen Church, Ejule, on January 29, 2023, for disturbing his hotel with their service, during which a worshipper, Joy Abuh, sustained a gunshot injury on her left hand.”

According to the police commander, Bala also carried out seven kidnappings along the Itobe-Anyigba Highway between May 5 and May 28, 2023.

According to him, the state security council’s resolution from its meeting on June 20, 2023, to revoke Bala’s state pardon from 2018 and order his immediate arrest for trial alongside known accomplices, should be put into effect.

He added, “Joint operations should be set up comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, DSS, and Civil Defence, to go after Kabir Bala and his gang to arrest them and recover the arms in their possession.

“Today, June 22, 2023, around 04.30am in pursuit of Kabir Bala and his gang members, on sighting the joint security team, opened fire on them and started shooting sporadically.

“The team engaged the hoodlums and Kabir Bala was neutralised in the process while other members of his gang escaped with varying degrees of injury.”

He claimed that among the things taken from his property were an AK-47 rifle with three fully filled magazines, six locally made weapons, two phones, and charms.

He stated that the fight against illicit activity would continue in order to protect people and property in the state.

Governor Peter Mbah has been summoned by the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to testify before it tomorrow about an alleged forgery of his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate.

The Peoples Redemption Party filed the application through its attorney, Mr. Alex Amujiogo, and the order was the response.

In response to his alleged forgery of the National Youths Service Corps Discharge Certificate presented to the electoral umpire, Mbah, who was declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, is coming under increasing pressure from the Labour Party candidate Chijioke Edeoga and the PRP candidate Elder Christopher Agu.

As with the LP candidate, Gov. Mbah was declared the victor of the March 18 governorship election in the State by the PRP candidate Agu.

Agu claims in a petition submitted to the Tribunal that Mbah was ineligible to run for office because, among other things, he allegedly falsified a NYSC discharge certificate.

The PRP’s attorney, Amujiogo, informed the tribunal during the resumed hearing on Thursday that Mbah was scheduled to appear in court as a subpoenaed witness.

However, he claimed that the bailiff of the Tribunal’s evidence proved that it had been challenging to serve Mbah with the summons.

The Tribunal was then urged by Amujiogo in a motion to provide a substituted service of the summons on Mbah through his attorney.

Although the three respondents, INEC, Mbah, and the People’s Democratic Party, objected the application on the grounds that it should have been presented by motion, accompanied by an affidavit during the pre-trial session.

The Tribunal disregarded them, nonetheless.

As a result, the subpoena was issued on Mbah through his attorney, and the Chairman of the Panel, Justice K. M. Akano, ordered that he appear before the Tribunal tomorrow, June 23, 2023.

The PRP governorship candidate, meantime, had earlier testified before the Tribunal as PW2 during the session.

Mr. Aliu Muhammed, an official of the NYSC from the National Secretariat in Abuja who also appeared on behalf of the Director-General of the Corps, submitted an affidavit to the Tribunal stating that they were unable to submit the disclaimer the Corps made against Mbah’s certificate due to a Federal High Abuja order.

Muhammad appeared in court as a result of a NYSC summons.

Addressing journalists, PRP lawyer, Amujiogo said, “Our PW2 (Christopher Agu) has already testified before the Honourable Tribunal and he has given a clearer picture, the synopsis of what transpired during the election and we are urging the Tribunal to set aside the purported result in favour of Peter Mbah, the Governor.

“We had an issue of a subpoena against Barr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, in which the Tribunal is urging him to appear before it to clarify certain issues against him, based on his NYSC certificate and other matters.

“Surprisingly, he was not in the Tribunal today and the bailiff informed the Tribunal that he is invading service, he cannot find him, and the security cannot allow him to serve Mbah the subpoena.

“Then, the Tribunal in its own wisdom, after I have applied, has now permitted the bailiff or myself, to now serve Mbah through his counsel, for him to appear before the Tribunal tomorrow, being 23rd of June, 2023 and clarify certain issues against him before the Tribunal and we have already served him the said subpoena through his lawyer, Ik Onuoma today in court.

“So he must obey the summon of the Tribunal by appearing in person tomorrow, Friday.”

The Tribunal also heard the complaint brought by Mr. Chijioke Edeoga, a candidate for governor from the Labour Party.

The Tribunal heard the ongoing interlocutory application over Mbah’s allegedly forged NYSC certificate, which was filed on May 16.

As a result of the alleged falsification, Edoga is pleading with the tribunal to disqualify Mba, an action he believes breaches Section 182(j) of the Nigerian Constitution.

The Petitioners moved their interlocutory application during the Tribunal’s Thursday resumed session through their attorney, Mr. M. J. Numa, and the case was then postponed until Saturday, May 24, when the application would be decided as well as a pre-trial report.

Ifeanyi Ogenyi, one of Edeoga’s attorneys, addressed the media shortly after the Tribunal’s meeting and stated that the proceeding was an extension of the pre-hearing session.

He said “Pre-hearing started on 16th June and continued today; the petitioners brought an application, a motion interrogatories, seeking for answers from the second respondent, that is Mr Peter Mbah.

“Interrogatory is a legal questionnaire; it is seeking for answers to those questions.

“And some of the questions raised by the petitioners to Peter Mbah which we are urging the Tribunal that he (Mbah) should answer are: when and where did he serve? When was he appointed as Chief of Staff, the date? When was he made commissioner for finance in Enugu State? We want to know the duration he served.

“Because in his pleading, in his reply to the petition, he told the Tribunal that he was once Chief of Staff to Governor Chimaroke Nnamani in 2003, we want to know the year and the date he was appointed.

“We equally want him to produce before the Tribunal, the letter of appointment as Chief of Staff, the letter of appointment as commissioner for finance under Chimaroke and the institutions he said he attended; we want to have the documents showing that he attended those institutions.

“And the court is to deliver a ruling on that on 24th of June, that is on Saturday, whether he should answer those questions or not.”

“On their own side, they said ‘No’, they are not going to answer those questions; that answering those questions means that we want him to prove our case for us.

“But that is not the position. It is required under the law that where somebody has made volunteered some information, you can seek for further particulars;

“What we are seeking for is further particulars; he should clarify the Tribunal and our information on those issues he raised in his own pleadings.

“On 24th, we will be here for ruling and possibly conclusion of pre-hearing, and after pre-hearing and report is issued, we can now proceed to a substantive hearing,” he said.