Author: Vincent Osuwo

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of two staff members of the National Assembly, Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Adam Goni, for their involvement in a job scam worth ₦4.8 million. According to a statement issued on Wednesday by ICPC spokeswoman Demola Bakare, the case stemmed from the victims’ petition, ICPC/P/NC/1056/2022. The suit said that the defendants, together with another suspect still at large, gathered ₦4.8 million to arrange false job offers. Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court 55, sitting in Asokoro, Abuja, convicted the duo of defrauding two…

Two UN food agencies warned on Wednesday that millions more people worldwide could risk famine, as funding shortages exacerbate already grave conditions. According to a joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme, conflict and violence are generating acute food insecurity in the majority of the countries listed as at risk. The Rome-based agencies identified Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen as the worst, “where populations face an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger.” Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria were also listed as “very high concern,” along…

Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, stated on Wednesday that the notion of legend Lionel Messi returning to the Catalan giants is “unrealistic.” The 38-year-old Argentine superstar made a surprise cameo at Camp Nou on Sunday night, telling fans he hoped “one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.” Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer and appearance maker, left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 due to the club’s dire financial situation. “Out of the utmost respect for Messi, the professionals at the club,…

Former Gabon first lady and son of the country’s deposed leader, Ali Bongo, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday. Sylvia Bongo, 62, and Noureddin Bongo, 33, both prosecuted in absentia, were convicted of misappropriation of public funds, among other crimes. The wife of Ali Bongo, whose family dominated the Central African country with an iron fist for 55 years, was accused of influencing her husband to pilfer state funds. However, she denied the charges. Her son and co-defendant, Noureddin, described the trial as a “legal farce” in an interview with AFP last week. On Wednesday, Noureddin decried…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a six-count charge against 27-year-old Innocent Chukwuemeka Onukwume for allegedly calling for a military coup in the country. The accusations, filed in the Federal High Court in Abuja under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/610/2025, pertain to posts made by Onukwume on his verified X account (@theagroman) in October 2025. According to the DSS, the posts advocated for the ouster of the ruling All Progressives Congress, the suspension of the federal government, and military intervention in the country. DSS counsel A.M. Danalami filed a complaint on Tuesday alleging that Onukwume’s conduct violated Sections 46A(1) and…

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has asked the Federal Government to pay the Super Eagles’ outstanding allowances and incentives, following the national team’s boycott of a training session in Rabat over unpaid dues. Obi criticized the government’s reluctance to swiftly recompense the athletes who patriotically raised the national flag and brought pride to the country in a post on X on Wednesday. He wrote, “It is truly unfortunate that our Super Eagles, who consistently give their best in representing our dear nation, are being owed their allowances. “We always seem to find money to waste on needless lavish spending and…

Joe Igbokwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, has weighed in on Tuesday’s heated encounter between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer in Abuja, describing the officer’s conduct as “horrible” and “representing evil.” In a social media post on Tuesday, Igbokwe defended Wike’s actions at the disputed Gaduwa land site. He warned that the incident exposed deeper issues of corruption and entitlement surrounding land ownership in the nation’s capital. He described the uniformed officer’s behavior as disturbing and symbolic of a larger rot. He said, “What this small boy displayed today has…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued certificates of return to the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, and his deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim. Kenneth Ikeagu, the Supervising INEC National Commissioner in charge of the Anambra State election, delivered the certificates to them on Tuesday in Akwa, two days after Soludo and his deputy were proclaimed the vote winners. The issue of certificates of return confirms Soludo and Ibezim as Anambra State’s re-elected governor and deputy governor, respectively. While presenting the certificates, Ikeagu said, “We are here to present the certificates of return to the Governor and Deputy Governor of Anambra…

Turkey reported on Wednesday that all 20 personnel on board a military cargo jet that crashed in Georgia while returning from Azerbaijan had died. The plane took off from Ganja airport in western Azerbaijan on Tuesday afternoon and crashed shortly after crossing into eastern Georgia, according to the defense ministry. It stated that there were 20 passengers on board, including the aircraft crew. “Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on 11 November 2025 due to the crash of our C-130 military cargo aircraft, which had taken off from Azerbaijan to return to Turkey,” Defence Minister Yasar Guler said in a statement…

Goodluck Ibem, the President General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, has supported the Federal Government’s decision to have Ike Ekweremadu, the former Deputy Senate President, complete his prison term in Nigeria. After trying to transport a 21-year-old street seller from Lagos to Britain for a kidney transplant for his daughter Sonia, Ekweremadu was found guilty of organ trafficking in the UK. Under the UK Modern Slavery Act, he was given a term of nine years and eight months in May 2023 and is still incarcerated; his wife, Beatrice, was given a sentence of four years and six…