Author: Vincent Osuwo

Donald Trump’s campaign announced on Friday that it had raised about $53 million in online small-dollar donations after he was convicted in his New York hush money trial, claiming that the conviction had galvanised his support “like never before.”  According to the report, the unprecedented haul amounted to more than $2 million per hour. Senior campaign officials Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles claimed in comments that more than a third of the total came from new contributions to the campaign, hailing an “outpouring of support from patriots across our country.” The advisors called the Thursday court ruling a “sham trial…

Abba Kyari, a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, has been released from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory after 27 months of confinement.  He was incarcerated after being arrested on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for alleged involvement in an international drug gang. He, along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu were charged on March 7, 2022. The suspended police officer and the IRT members pleaded not guilty, but Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted. Despite many applications, the…

Nigerian politician and activist Aisha Yesufu publicly rejected the newly adopted national anthem, opting to sit during its recitation at a recent event. Yesufu posted a video of her protest with the hashtag #NotMyNationalAnthem on her X account on Friday. This decision came after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, reverting to the old anthem “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.” Commenting on the adoption of the old national anthem, Yesufu, in a statement on X, said, “What Tinubu cannot destroy in Nigeria does not exist.” She also berated Tinubu for allegedly being “draconian” in his handling…

Peter Obi has described as appalling the gruesome attack on soldiers by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, in Obikabia, Abia State.  While expressing his condolences to the bereaved families and the good people of Abia State, Obi, in a statement on Tuesday, noted that “our failure as a nation to protect our citizens and security personnel is a clear dereliction of duty and a sign of the deficiency of the Nigerian state.” Chronicle NG reports that several Nigerian soldiers were murdered in an ambush by gunmen suspected to be sit-at-home enforcers on Biafra Heroes Day,…

The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, a civil society organization comprised of lawyers, has announced its intention to launch a lawsuit in the Federal High Court challenging the newly approved National Anthem Act, 2024.  The legislation, which was signed into law on Tuesday, reinstalled the former national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’, which the organization hopes to contest through legal action. The body of lawyers announced their decision on Friday in a statement signed by its secretary, Tonye Jaja, arguing that the law’s enactment failed to meet the necessary constitutional conditions, rendering it invalid. The statement read, “The…

The Lagos State Government said Monday that its ongoing outreach will reach at least 50,000 residents in order to mitigate the effects of economic hardship on Lagosians. The outreach, dubbed ‘Alafia Eko’, began yesterday and will span six health districts, with specified locations for each. The state administration also stated that the second outreach phase will begin on June 6, with each health district hosting four outreach events in the first phase. Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Advisor to the Governor on Health, explained the significance of the programme and stated that each event will target 1,000 citizens, totaling nearly 25,000…

Nigerian activist turned politician, Aisha Yesufu, has berated Yahaya Bello for allegedly hiding like a rat, following the fraud charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC.) The former governor, who seems to have gone into hiding, was accused of stealing over eighty billion naira in funds that belong to Kogi State. Recall that the EFCC failed in its initial bid to arrest the ex-governor at his Abuja residence as the former governor was whisked away by the incumbent and his successor, Usman Ododo. Asking about his whereabouts, Yesufu, in a video shared on her X…

The Nigerian Army responded on Friday to the killing of five troops sent to safeguard people in Abia State.  In a statement to newsmen, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of carrying out the heinous deed yesterday. The Army vowed to respond fiercely to the killing of its personnel at a checkpoint in Abia State. The statement by the Army reads,“Troops of OP UDO KA deployed at Obikabia Junction Checkpoint in Obingwa Local Government Areas adjourning Aba metropolis in Abia State were attacked and sadly killed by terrorists of IPOB…

The federal government has obtained a $500 million loan from the World Bank to support power distribution companies (DisCos).  According to a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the loan will bridge financial shortages in the distribution segment, which is regarded as the most troublesome in the business. “This funding supports the Nigerian Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), aimed at improving the financial and technical performance of the DisCos. “The DISREP is designed to enhance the financial and technical operations of the DisCos through capital investment and the financing of key components of their Performance…

Womanifesto, a group of women’s rights organisations, has asked for the immediate release of Chioma Okoli, a woman held since September 2023 for alleged defamation of Erisco Foods Limited. In a statement signed by over 150 organisations, including the Women Advocates and Research Documentation Centre (WARDC), the Purple Woman Foundation, and ActionAid Nigeria, the group criticised Okoli’s ongoing arrest, which has cost her pregnancy and livelihood. The group also criticised Erisco for putting money ahead of Nigerians’ health and well-being and urged the government to investigate the company’s goods and labels. They demanded justice for her as well as an…