NEWS

A United States district court has sentenced Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, a former general manager at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (now NNPC Limited), to 87 months in prison for receiving a $2.1 million bribe linked to oil drilling rights in Nigeria. Okoronkwo, 58, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States of America, was convicted over a payment made by Addax Petroleum, a subsidiary of China’s state-owned energy giant, Sinopec. In a statement issued on the website of the US Department of Justice, the United States government on Monday, February 23, said the trial judge, John F. Walter, also ordered Okoronkwo to pay $923,824 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and to forfeit assets traced to the proceeds of the crime. The statement said: “Paulinu...

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, has arrested 12 suspected illegal immigrants in Ilorin. The spokesperson for the corps in the state, ASC 1 Ayoola Michael Shola, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.\According to him, the twelve suspected illegal immigrants from Mali were apprehended in Akerebiata area in Ilorin on Sunday, February 22, around 10: pm following a tip-off from concerned members of the public.“The suspects, identified as Umar Sangari (25), Bubu Bill (43), Modibo Keita (26), Mahmud Jaalo (22), Bakare Sumonu (20), Saiku Dubia (28), Panda Aboubacar (32), Malle Siaka (24), Seku Barry (34), Lamine Bakou (27), Baye Bolly (24), and Zuman Traore (26), were reportedly occupying a two-bedroom apartme...

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not belong to any single individual, including President Bola Tinubu.Kalu made the assertion on Wednesday in Umuahia while speaking to party stakeholders during the APC ward congress in Abia State. He urged members to prioritise unity and solidarity as preparations begin for the 2027 general elections, emphasizing that the party is collectively owned by its members.According to him, the congress was organised as a harmonisation process aimed at ensuring inclusiveness and giving stakeholders a sense of belonging in choosing leaders from the ward level up to the local government and state levels.He explained that harmonisation promotes relevance and shared r...

The administration of Abba Yusuf has declared Sunday, March 1, as the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday for all public and private primary and secondary schools in Kano State.The announcement was contained in a statement released on Wednesday by Musbahu Aminu Yakasai, Director of Public Enlightenment at the Kano State Ministry of Education.According to the statement, the decision is in line with the approved 2025/2026 academic calendar, which schedules the end of the second term for Saturday, February 28.Yakasai confirmed that both day and boarding schools across the state are to begin the Sallah holiday on March 1. He advised parents and guardians, especially those with children in boarding schools, to make necessary arrangements ahead of the break.He specifically urged par...

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has disclosed that more than 1,700 African nationals are currently fighting for Russia in the ongoing war with Ukraine, alleging that Moscow used deceptive recruitment tactics to draw them into combat.Speaking at a joint press briefing with his Ghanaian counterpart, Sybiha said Ukrainian authorities have begun engaging African governments to prevent their citizens from being misled into joining the conflict. He noted that Ghana is expected to assume the chairmanship of the African Union next year.According to Sybiha, Russia appears to be targeting African citizens for participation in what he described as a deadly conflict. He stated that Ukrainian data shows over 1,780 individuals from 36 African countries are serving in the Russian militar...

]President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, decorated Tunji Disu as the acting Inspector-General of Police.The ceremony took place at 4pm at the President’s office.In attendance were the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and the immediate past IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.His appointment came just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would have reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.However, under the amended Police Act, which allows Inspectors-General of Police to serve a four-year tenure regardless of age, Disu may remain in office until 2030.Tinubu, who pinned the new insignia on Disu’s uniform, commended the outgoing IG...

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress in Edo State, Ken Imasuagbon, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently rein in members of the All Progressives Congress in the state following the reported attack on opposition figures in Benin.Imasuagbon made the call on Wednesday while reacting to a reported attack on the ADC secretariat and the residence of a former governor of the state, John Odigie-Oyegun, in Benin, where the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and other political stakeholders were meeting.Describing the development as a dangerous sign for democracy, Imasuagbon warned that the President’s failure to check alleged excesses by APC members in the state could plunge Edo into chaos.He said, “It is deeply troubling that Edo State is wi...

\The former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, could not be arraigned on Wednesday over his alleged unlawful interception of the phone communication of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.This follows the failure of the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce El-Rufai for trial.It will be recalled that the former governor, who was initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—which is also investigating money laundering allegations against him—was later transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).While in ICPC’s custody, the court gave the DSS the nod to dock him on a three-count charge that bordered on alleged threat to national security.When the case ...

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has refuted allegations linking the group to attacks on Christians, stressing that its core mandate is to safeguard the interests of herders nationwide.Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, MACBAN’s National President, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, described the association as inclusive and not motivated by religious or ethnic considerations.Addressing claims of religiously driven violence, he said the organisation comprises members from various ethnic groups and faiths, including Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, as well as adherents of Islam and Christianity.He insisted MACBAN should not be portrayed as a sectarian body, noting that it represents herders regardless of tribe or religion.Reports last month indicated that ...