Category: News

 

A self-acclaimed President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Atiku Abubakar Isah, has said the claims he made against President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, are false.

In a statement on Wednesday, Atiku addressed the claims which he made in a video that went viral on social media.

In the video, he alleged that Seyi Tinubu and the Minister of Youths and Sport, Ayodele Olawande, invited him to Lagos, where he was offered N100 million to support President Tinubu.

He stated that he rejected the offer, leading to his abduction on April 15, 2025.

According to Atiku, after he was abducted, he was stripped naked and thoroughly beaten up, adding that the Managing Director of the Nigerian Television Authority ( NTA) was aware.

He said he was also taken to the NTA where an “involuntary statement purportedly abdicating my position as NANS President was obtained under duress.”

However, in an apology letter to Seyi Tinubu, shared on his Facebook page, Atiku described his claims as untrue.

This was as he shifted the blame for his allegation against the President’s son to the duly-elected NANS president, Ladoja Olusola.

He said, “It has become imperative to note that the offer of N100,000,000 which was alleged was made to me to support President Tinubu was clearly untrue as Ladoja Olusola, who was desperate to get me out of my legitimate position as the duly elected President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), fed me the lies and half truths for the sole purpose of achieving his selfish agenda of taking over the reigns of the student body through the back doors.

“It was also Ladoja Olusola, who warned me that Mr Seyi Tinubu could order my killing and thereafter instruct the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to bury the matter.”

Atiku also described his claim that Seyi Tinubu led thugs to the venue of his inauguration as false.

He said, “I made these claims owing to the picture of Seyi Tinubu painted to me by Ladoja Olusola who swore to me that Seyi was doing everything to ensure I am not alive to serve my tenure as NANS president. Infact, I later found out that Mr Seyi was nowhere near the venue.”

Meanwhile, in a chat with our correspondent, NANS Public Relations Officer, Samson Ajasa, stated that it is absurd that Atiku wants the world to believe that he took advice from the same person he formed a faction against.

“Of course it is natural for him to shift the blame after realising that his allegation against Seyi Tinubu couldn’t stick. How can you base your claims on an advised allegedly received from the same Ladoja Olusola you formed a NANS faction against? I’m glad the media can now see him for who he is,” Ajasa said.

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Police in Delta State have arrested two brothers, Maxwell Mathew and Samuel Mathew for allegedly kidnapping and robbing a man identified as Patrick Omoregie at Abraka in Ethiope-East Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that the two-man gang who has been terrorising Abraka community, abducted the victim and withdrew N70m from his bank account at gunpoint.

The suspect also dispossessed the victim of his GLC 300 Benz, an iPhone 16 Plus, and N150,000 in cash.

Human rights activist, Comrade Israel Joe, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, May 6, 2025 said the suspects were arrested in a hotel at Benin-City, Edo State, while planning to sell the victim’s vehicle.

The suspects confessed that they used part of the money to pay their mother’s rent in Abraka.

The police have recovered about N30m out of the N70m allegedly transferred from the victim’s bank account.

The matter was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Delta State Command for further investigation.

Joe called on the Delta State Police Commissioner, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, to ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution of the suspects to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.

Gulshana Riaz Khan, a 21-year-old girl has allegedly married at least 12 men, only to vanish within hours, taking away jewellery, cash and other valuables she received in the multiple marriages.

Each incident follows a near-identical script. The wedding takes place, the groom and his family are full of hope, and before the celebrations can settle, the bride is “abducted” where she disappears with the loot.

In real life, Gulshana is married to Riyaz Khan, a tailor from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, who reportedly receives a 5 per cent share of her gang’s earnings.

On Thursday, her run came to an end when Ambedkar Nagar police arrested her along with eight members of the syndicate near Kasadaha village.

Gulshana and her gang confessed to defrauding at least 12 families. Their strategy included fake identities, fake documents and emotional manipulation of families struggling to find matches for their sons.

Once the “settlement amount” was received, the bride vanished. Police have filed cases under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery

Bride by day, con artist by night: 21-year-old UP woman held for duping 12 men she married

A 21-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, known by aliases like Kajal, Seema, Neha and Sweety, has been arrested for duping at least 12 men in a state-wide wedding fraud.

A tailor husband who takes a cut from the frauds

In real life, Gulshana is married to Riyaz Khan, a tailor from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, who reportedly receives a 5 per cent share of her gang’s earnings. On Thursday, her run came to an end when Ambedkar Nagar police arrested her along with eight members of the syndicate near Kasadaha village, under Baskhari police limits. Police seized Rs 72,000 in cash, a motorcycle, a gold mangalsutra, 11 mobile phones and three fake Aadhaar cards.

The gang, comprising five women and four men, included individuals from Haryana, Jaunpur and Ambedkar Nagar. All played roles in the operation, from posing as relatives to managing logistics. Among the arrested were Mohanlal (34), Ratan Kumar Saroj (32), Ranjan alias Ashu Gautam (22), Rahul Raj (30), Sanno alias Sunita (36), Poonam (33), Manju Mali (29) and Rukhsar (21).

Popular social media activist, Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, VDM, has regained his freedom from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

According to report VDM has been in the custody of the anti-graft agency since he was arrested in Abuja on Friday.

There has been uproar across the nation with Nigeria youths demanding his immediate and unconditional release.

EFCC said on Tuesday that the arrest followed a series of petitions against the activist, claiming that several invitations were communicated to him but he failed to honour them.

In an update on his official Facebook page on Wednesday evening, an activist cum politician, Omoyele Sowore, said “VDM Released”!

Also Verydarkman has reacted to allegations of financial malfeasance which led to his arrest by the EFCC.

In a viral video recorded by his lawyer after his release this evening, VDM expressed disbelief over the charges of money laundering brought against him, questioning why such accusations would be directed at someone who is not wealthy.

“How would they level allegations of money laundering on someone who doesn’t have money? I have done so many charity, they wonder how, they don’t know I use debt for charity. Anyway, we are outside, with my lawyer of course.” he said

An unidentified American woman has narrated how two Nigerian internet fraudsters popularly known as “Yahoo boys” duped her of a huge sum of money in romance scams.

The not-so-little above 50-year-old woman also declared her love for Nigerian men, describing them as the “sexiest and most handsome men on this planet” despite her heartbreaking experiences.

In a viral video on Sunday, the woman spoke about how she met one of the scammers in 2020 on TikTok.

She displayed the young Nigerian’s picture and the one he used for his unsuspecting victims, adding that she got to know about his real identity and his girlfriend whom he is planning to get married to after he mistakenly dialled her contact with his Nigerian line.

“Back in 2020, I met this man, I was with him for ten months, and I got sick of him because he was always demanding money. He always wanted more and more, so I decided to say enough was enough because one day he made a mistake and called me from a Nigerian phone number, and he was trying to play it off that it was his friend’s number.

“So when I was finally done that I didn’t want to have anything to do with him again, he opened up to me. Now, he is about to get married to his Nigerian girlfriend (showed their picture).

“May God bless them and hopefully they have a long life together. God will bless their relationship. I also congratulated him. And I hope everything goes well for him,” she said.

Narrating her second experience, she asserted that it was with a young boy who played smart on her with another identity but later opened up that he did that to help his sick mother who later survived because he could foot the hospital bills.

The white woman said, “This second was a little different. He was more polite and considered my feelings, but then after a year with him, he decided to come out and tell me the truth that he was a young Nigerian boy trying to put himself through school and his mother was very sick. And he kept thanking me because I saved his mother’s life.”

“That one doesn’t hurt me much because I know that the money went for good. The other guy, that’s not good because I used to see videos of him throwing money around and spending it on Nigerian hook-up girls. I’m over it. I will bounce back one day.

“I still have love for the Nigerian people, the men are the sexiest and most handsome men on this planet. I pray that nothing like this ever happen to me again because now I know all those secrets. They destroyed my life financially. Please be safe in that country because I know that a lot of the people there are struggiling. But you have to remember that a lot of American women are struggling too because it is difficult being a woman here and struggling too especially when you don’t have partner.”

(Punch)

A Kenyan woman, Akinyi Helen, has opened up about the alleged betrayals she experienced at the hands of her ‘jealous’ younger sister.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, May 3, 2025, Helen revealed that she raised her sister like a daughter after their parents separated, ensuring that she received an education.

However, in return, her sister allegedly had an affair with her partner.

She claimed that despite forgiving her sister, the girl allegedly began a covert campaign to destroy her reputation, recruiting friends to turn against her and spreading lies behind her back.

According to Helen, she discovered that her sister had been texting the father of her child, repeatedly asking him for money.

“How do people deal with jealous sisters? This lady is my younger sister. We share the same mum. I’m 13 years older than her. So I’ve always considered her like my daughter,” she wrote.

“A lot happened during my teenage days and our parents separated. I decided to take my siblings and live with them. I educated my sister until she graduated.

My sister repaid me by sleeping with my man. That’s why I low-key hate marriage because part of me feel men are just evil people. Who does that? I forgave my sister but then her jealousy continued growing each day. She recruited her friends to hate me. On my face she acted innocent, very soft spoken but behind the scenes, she told people I was an evil sister.

I started using sea salt October last year and by December my sister couldn’t hide the hatred she had towards me anymore. I had even paid for a vacation in Mombasa and I ended up leaving her there.

Recently, she was all over texting the father of my kid asking for money and I let it slide. She made it a habit and I had to put a stop to that nonsense. This lady is now very salty trying to ruin everything for me.

When I say I don’t want kids anymore. I don’t want my daughter to go through the bullshit I go through in the name of siblings. What do I do to this lady? I’m posting here because I got no family to share this with. I’m a loner.

 

The Federal Government has inaugurated a reform committee to initiate a comprehensive overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

 

This move marks a significant step toward strengthening the scheme’s structure, relevance, and impact, geared toward aligning it more closely with national development goals and the evolving needs of Nigerian youths.

 

The inauguration ceremony was held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja and was attended by key stakeholders from government, civil society, and the private sector.

 

In his address, the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, emphasized the vital role the NYSC has played in fostering national unity and youth development since its inception in 1973.

Olawande noted, however, that the time has come to reassess and modernize the Scheme to reflect contemporary realities and challenges.

 

“The issue of safety of corps members, infrastructural deficits, and the broader question about the relevance of the scheme in an increasingly dynamic socio-economic landscape are some of the challenges faced. But these also present opportunities that demand urgent, visionary, and determined action,” he said.

 

Comrade Olawande stated that the mandate of the Committee is clear: To undertake a comprehensive review of the NYSC Scheme with the aim of transforming it into a more secure, innovative, and impactful institution.

 

The Committee is expected to critically examine the current operations of the Scheme and propose far-reaching reforms that ensure its responsiveness to the evolving aspirations of Nigerian youth.

 

He further stressed that the review’s outcome must align with broader national development objectives, positioning the NYSC as a strategic tool for youth empowerment and nation-building.

 

The Committee has been given specific terms of reference, which includes:
Reviewing all existing policy documents, reports, and legal frameworks guiding NYSC operations; Engaging with stakeholders nationwide through consultations and public forums;

Recommending legal, policy, and institutional reforms to the NYSC Act and its operational guidelines; Proposing a framework for improved funding, monitoring, and evaluation; Submitting a comprehensive report to the Honourable Minister of Youth Development within the agreed timeframe.

 

Also present at the event, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, proposed the introduction of a Teachers’ Corps and Medical Corps for NCE-certified graduates and healthcare professionals respectively, particularly those willing to serve in rural areas for a two-year (optional) period.

 

He explained that the Teachers’ Corps would help bridge educational gaps and provide a pathway to government employment, while the Medical Corps would bolster healthcare delivery in underserved communities, addressing critical issues such as maternal and child health.

 

In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, underscored the importance of restructuring technical and vocational skills training to align with students’ academic development.

 

She emphasized that such alignment would empower youth to make meaningful, long-term contributions to their communities and the nation at large.

 

 

Residents of Aleelo Village in Akufo, Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, have lamented how they have to trek several kilometres to access potable water.

They disclosed this on Tuesday during the inauguration of a well donated by Namatai Tembo, a student of IITA International School, Ibadan.

The Village Head, Musliu Olabanji, said the village had no access to potable water before the donated well.

According to him, the people had since stopped going to the only river in the village because of the fear of being killed by an evil spirit.

This, he said, had made the villagers trek several kilometres to nearby villages to get water for their domestic use.

One of the women leaders in the village, Akindele Olatundun, said the donated well was strategic and would help to reduce their stress.

Olatundun said that water from the well would enable them to live a positive and meaningful life in addition to serving the neighbouring community.

She appreciated the donor and appealed to the Oyo State Government and other well-meaning Nigerians to provide them with boreholes in order for them to access potable water and enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Earlier, Tembo, the donor of the well, said the idea of providing rural communities with water came a few years ago when she was in Grade 3.

She said the idea to sink a borehole for communities surfaced during their end-of-year project while in Grade 5, but it was not successful due to its huge financial involvement.

Tembo said they ended up donating buckets and a tank to the community in need of water, a gesture she was not satisfied with before graduating from primary school.

“I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people and communities that are in critical need of water.

“After several searches, we were able to locate Aleelo Village where they really need water, and with the help of my parents and financial support from others, I was able to donate this well water to this community,” she said.

Tembo said she was excited that her dream of providing water to those in dire need of water was successful.

The Head, IITA International School, Ibadan, Shepherd Timothy, said the students’ projects aimed at enabling them to think on their own outside classroom learning.

Timothy said the impact of the project would not only be for the local communities and the school, but the world in general.

He prayed that the donor would be successful in all she does.

The project coordinator, Edith Ekun, said the project was to give students the choice and ownership of their learning.

She said it also gave them the chance and opportunity to research and find out things themselves, without the teachers giving them information to follow.

 

 

The Federal Competitive and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) declared, yesterday, that WhatsApp’s claim of being forced to exit Nigeria due to the commission’s recent order to pay fines amounting to $290 million is a calculated move to induce negative public reaction and potentially pressure the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.

A statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, indicated that the FCCPC had investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).

The statement said: “The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringement of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR. These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.

“Interestingly, Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas ($1.5b) and only recently was asked to pay $1.3 billion for violating E.U. Data Privacy Rules. Elsewhere in India, South Korea, France and Australia, Meta had faced varying penalties for similar breaches, but Meta never resorted to the blackmail of threatening to exit those countries. They obeyed.”

Ijagwu added that the recent affirmation of FCCPC’s final order by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal requires Meta Parties to take steps to comply with Nigerian law, “stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, change your practices to meet Nigerian standards and respect consumer rights, consistent with international best practices”.

The commission noted that threatening to leave Nigeria does not absolve Meta of liabilities for the outcome of a judicial process.

It assured of commitment to its pursuit of consumer protection and data privacy towards ensuring a fairer digital market in Nigeria.

Popular Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo, popularly known as the Queen Mother, has opened up about her recent encounter with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following an official invitation.

In a post shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday, the actress revealed that she was contacted by the anti-graft agency while she was in the United Kingdom, adding that she honoured the invitation and appeared before the EFCC on Monday, May 5, 2025.

She disclosed that she was quizzed on some details, including her daughter’s recently concluded wedding ceremony.

The post shared alongside a picture reads, “I recently had an experience with the EFCC in Nigeria after receiving an invitation letter while I was in the UK. Upon my return, I visited the EFCC on the 5th day of May 2025, where I was asked several questions relating to my personal bio data, career, work experience, and companies, amongst others.”

 

She further stated that the officials showed her a video extracted from her recently concluded daughter’s wedding where guests were spraying naira and foreign currencies.

“The EFCC officials showed me videos extracted from my daughter’s wedding where guests, including colleagues and friends, were spraying Naira and foreign currencies.

“I was asked if I knew this was illegal, and I explained that I thought only abuse or mutilation of the Naira was an offense.”

Iyabo said she was surprised to hear that spraying of foreign currency was also illegal and advised Nigerians to stop spraying and mutilating the naira.

 

“The EFCC officials clarified that spraying money, including on people’s bodies, is prohibited. I was surprised to learn that spraying any currency, including Dollars, is also not allowed.

“Given this experience, I strongly advise against spraying any currency in Nigeria to avoid issues with the EFCC.”