Author: Tahir Ahmed

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to United States President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and other international leaders to intervene over his continued detention, insisting that he deserves a fair trial. El-Rufai made the appeal on Friday, marking his 256th day in detention. In a post on his X account, the former governor called on international institutions, human rights organisations and foreign governments to pay attention to his legal predicament. He maintained that access to justice and a fair hearing were fundamental human rights that should not be treated as privileges. “A fair trial is not…

The Ekiti State Police Command has dismissed reports that human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was kidnapped in Ado-Ekiti. The police said Sowore was rescued by operatives after an altercation with some individuals at a restaurant in the Dalimore area of the state capital. The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. Abutu said preliminary information indicated that Sowore had a confrontation with some individuals at the restaurant, prompting a distress call to the police. He said operatives immediately mobilised to the scene and rescued the activist.…

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission to disclose evidence of alleged irregularities in the voters’ register, warning that the commission must not conceal evidence under the guise of cleaning up the database. Atiku described INEC’s admission that artificial intelligence-generated images and other irregularities entered the register through registration officers as a major threat to the commission’s credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections. He made the remarks in a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu. The former Vice-President demanded that INEC identify officials…

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for nearly $100bn he allegedly borrowed in the past three years. Obi said Nigerians deserved to know how the funds were spent, accusing the President of failing to address the country’s worsening economic and social conditions. The former Anambra State governor spoke in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Friday, during the homecoming ceremony of the NDC national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, and the commissioning of the party’s secretariat. He called on Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress government, which he accused of lacking the…

Binance has reserved more than $6.34bn in company funds to cover users’ potential losses following a security breach, assuring customers that their assets remain protected. The cryptocurrency exchange disclosed this in an update on Friday, saying it was working with law enforcement agencies, token issuers, blockchain intelligence firms and industry partners to trace, freeze and recover additional funds. The company said more than $5bn of the reserved funds were already held in the exact tokens affected by the incident. “We are completing the purchase of the remaining amount by buying token assets through market channels and OTC channels,” Binance said.…

President Bola Tinubu is redirecting Nigeria’s economy from consumption-driven spending to production, innovation and investment, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, has said. Abdullahi said the administration’s economic reforms were designed to strengthen the country’s productive capacity, attract long-term investments and create opportunities for Nigerians. He stated this on Thursday at a workshop organised by the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation in Abuja. The NITDA boss, who is also the national coordinator of the movement, urged Nigerians to support the administration’s reform agenda, saying the country could no longer depend largely on policies that…

Nigerian fintech company OPay has raised $304m from its initial public offering and commenced trading on the New York Stock Exchange, marking a major milestone for the company’s expansion into the international capital market. The company, backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group, sold 16 million American Depositary Shares at $19 each, valuing it at approximately $4bn. The shares were priced at the lower end of the projected range of $19 to $21. The listing comes amid challenging conditions in the global stock market, with inflation and concerns over company valuations weighing on investor sentiment towards new public offerings. Speaking at the…

The Nigerian Air Force has inducted five helicopters to strengthen aerial surveillance and support military operations against terrorism and insurgency across the country. The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, joined President Bola Tinubu at the induction ceremony held at the Presidential Air Fleet, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday. The event also featured the commissioning of newly constructed Presidential Air Fleet hangars. According to a statement issued by Matawalle’s Personal Assistant on Media, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, the newly inducted aircraft comprise two Airbus H125 helicopters and three Agusta AW109 Trekker helicopters. The aircraft are expected to enhance…

Hundreds of sanitation and hygiene entrepreneurs across Nigeria are now better equipped to access finance, and lenders are better prepared to serve them, after the first phase of a programme by the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) and the United Nations Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (UNSHF). Partners came together today to mark these results, as the programme works to build a bankable sanitation and menstrual health market in Nigeria. Over five months, more than 1,000 enterprises applied and 333 enterprises across all six geopolitical zones were trained in seven workshops. They learned the skills lenders look for: separating business and…

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has held talks with local and international defence industry leaders as Nigeria seeks to strengthen indigenous military production and acquire advanced security technologies. Matawalle held the meetings on Tuesday, the second day of the Africa International Defence Exhibition 2026, at Eko Atlantic, Lagos. The engagements brought together government representatives, defence manufacturers and international delegations to explore partnerships and promote technological development in Nigeria’s defence sector. According to a statement signed by his Personal Assistant, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, the minister met with Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Musa Heybet, and General Jeanne of France’s…