Author: Tahir Ahmed

The Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita Campaign Organization has condemned the arrest of social critic, Dr. Bashir Kurfi by police in Katsina State. A statement by the spokesman of the group, Abubakar Ahmed described the arrest of the critic as a “blatant violation of his human right and freedom of speech.” The group called for the immediate release from detention or be charged to court if authorities have a case against him. It alleged the arrest was part of efforts by the state’s APC leadership “to silence all voices that attempt to checkmate its operations,” particularly on insecurity. According to the…

The House of Representatives was on Wednesday thrown into a rowdy session as lawmakers clashed over a motion seeking to summon President Bola Tinubu to explain the alleged non-funding of constituency projects. The motion, moved by Alex Mascot Ikwechegh (LP – Abia State), called on the President to appear before the House over the persistent delay in funding constituency projects across the country. The motion was seconded, while another lawmaker proposed an amendment that the House suspend plenary for one week until the issue was resolved. The proposals sparked a heated debate on the floor of the chamber. Yusuf Gagdi…

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, says he may not be alive to contest the poll, alleging that the government is frustrating his activities and targeting opposition figures. Obi made the remarks during an interview on With Chude, which media personality Chude Jideonwo posted on X on Wednesday. Responding to a question on whether there was a possibility he might not be a candidate in 2027, Obi said, “Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you. “Every single thing I do for a living, this government is…

NATO allies showcased surging defence spending with new arms contracts worth billions at a summit in Turkey on Tuesday as they sought to placate US President Donald Trump’s fury over Europe’s response to the war with Iran. The two-day gathering at Ankara’s sprawling presidential palace comes a year after NATO members pledged to ramp up security-related spending to five percent of GDP under pressure from the US leader. NATO chief Mark Rutte has insisted European countries are “delivering” by bolstering military budgets and moving to take more responsibility for the defence of their continent in the face of Russia. In…

Independent petroleum marketers say pump prices could fall below N800 per litre if the government restores their right to import fuel directly, as the Federal Government pushes the downstream sector to pass on falling global crude prices to consumers. The projection came from Abubakar Maigandi, the national president of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, after a closed-door meeting in Abuja between the government, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, and major industry players including the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, TotalEnergies and Eterna Plc. Maigandi said marketers had already cut prices by N125 per litre nationwide and could…

By Abubakar Ojima-ojo The Nigerian government has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate Meta, X, Google’s parent company Alphabet, and several generative AI platforms over allegations that they are undermining Nigeria’s media industry through anti-competitive practices. The directive, conveyed in a letter from Information Minister Mohammed Idris, follows a joint petition from the Nigerian Press Organisation, an umbrella body comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers. The petition accuses the companies of dominating the digital market in ways that…

Police have arrested the father of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the supposed director-general of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, along with a family friend, deepening a scandal over an alleged ₦1.3 billion “ghost agency” linked to the presidency. Operatives, reportedly from the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja, stormed the family home in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Monday and took away Adeyemi’s father and a visitor, according to human rights lawyer Femi Falana and neighbors who spoke to The Punch. Adeyemi’s mother was left in shock and had to be moved by neighbors, one witness said. Falana questioned why police…

Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says the office of the SGF should have detected and stopped any correspondence from an alleged non-existent federal agency before it reached President Bola Tinubu. Lawal spoke on Monday during an interview on Arise Television while commenting on the controversy surrounding the alleged presidential foreign investment promotion council (PFIPC). The presidency had described the PFIPC as a fictitious organisation after allegations emerged linking its promoter, Adeniyi Adeyemi, to bribery involving senior government officials. Lawal said the verification procedures in the office of the SGF were designed to identify agencies…

By Abubakar Ojima-ojo Cristiano Ronaldo said that he won’t rush into a decision about his future following Portugal’s exit to Spain in his last World Cup match on Monday. The 41-year-old Portugal great said on the eve of the last-16 encounter, which his team lost 1-0, that this was his final World Cup. Asked afterwards about what comes next, he said: “It was my last World Cup, yes, but I’ll have time to think about the rest, to be with my family, not make rash decisions, and just get on with life.” The Portugal captain and one of the best…

A Police Inspector, Dr. Obodo Paul Ikechukwu, has reportedly died after he was involved in a fatal road accident allegedly involving a police convoy in Enugu State. The deceased, who hailed from Nkpologu in Enugu State, was serving in the Operations Department of the Enugu State Police Headquarters at the time of the incident. Details surrounding the circumstances of the accident remain unclear, but sources said the inspector was fatally injured after being struck by a vehicle in a police convoy. Dr. Obodo, who was also a PhD holder, was described by colleagues and associates as a dedicated officer whose…