Operatives of the Nigerian Army under HADIN KAI are currently locked in a fierce gunfight with fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province following an attack on the town of Buni Gari in Yobe State.
The details of the battle was made known via the agency’s X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday.
The terse statement reads, “Troops of Operation HADIN KAI currently in a fierce battle against ISWAP attack at Buni Gari, Yobe State. Details later.”
Details later…
The Delta State Police have warned Nigerians to exercise extreme caution in handling their ATM cards, as cybercriminals are now using just the details on the cards to empty victims’ bank accounts.
The police warn that fraudsters now exploit basic card details, such as the card number, expiry date, and CVV, to make unauthorised transactions. Even without physical access to the card or the victim’s phone, these criminals can carry out swift, repeated debits.
The advisory was shared by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday.
He wrote, ” Please take care and be careful in handling your ATM cards. Only a picture of these details in the hands of scammers, your money is gone. They don’t need to have your pin or your phone.
Cybercriminals can drain bank accounts with just ATM card details, Delta police warn
“They are not required to have an OTP. All you will see is debit upon debit until your money is completely wiped out. Take care of your cards, and don’t use your cards to send people on errands to help you buy anything. Don’t say the Police did not tell you. Peace ✌️”
Authorities advise Nigerians to stop handing over their cards to others, avoid sharing images of their cards online or through messaging apps, and regularly monitor their bank statements for suspicious activity.
This warning comes amid a surge in card-related fraud, as cybercriminals become more sophisticated in bypassing traditional banking security measures.
The naira depreciated on Friday at the official market, trading at N1,602.18 to the dollar.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria website showed that the Naira lost N5.49.
This represents a 0.34 per cent loss when compared to the N1,596.69 per dollar recorded on Wednesday, April 30, before the Workers’ Day holiday on Thursday, May 1.
The Naira had remained relatively static for three trading days, from Monday, April 28, to Wednesday, April 30, when it traded at N1,599.95, N1,599.71, and N1,596.69, respectively.
The local currency, which closed the current week on a negative note, had also opened the trading week with a minimal loss of 0.02 per cent.
Veteran fuji musician, Ayinla Kollington, has said that he is the king of fuji without any rival.
He stated this while appearing for an interview on Agbaletu TV. Speaking on why he didn’t attend or contribute to the burial of the mother of another iconic fuji singer, Wasiu Ayinde, aka K1 de Ultimate, Kollington said, “I called him several times, he didn’t pick up and didn’t return the call. I also remembered that when it on New Year’s Day, I also l called him but he didn’t respond. So, I left him alone.
“If it is because he is the head of the princes, it is in his hometown in Ijebuland, not in the Fuji industry. Even if he says he wants to be the head of the fuji industry, there is a song (he sang it), does he want to be God? You became the head of the princes and still want to be the head of the Fuji industry. Why not kill me then, when it isn’t pap that we eat? It isn’t possible, even if he attempts. I, as a person, Alhaji General Kollinton Ayinla, expect death from God come. If the one that I survived from didn’t claim my life, no one can kill me again except death from God comes, like the one that almost did.”
In the video, Ayinla was seen responding to the questions of his relationship with fuji music and stakeholders in the industry.
“When they ask, who is the head of Fuji Music, both here and abroad, it is my name that will be mentioned.” He mentioned that if that were the case, he would have done so publicly for all fuji musicians.
He also mentioned that he is the number one authority of fuji music in Nigeria and abroad, using one of K1 De Ultimate’s songs to reiterate his claims.
I don’t know why some people like to beat about the bush when they know the truth. Some people are looking for network. By the grace of God, K1 has got the network, and he has risen. He is blessed. That doesn’t mean that tomorrow, he would begin to talk about ‘number one, or number two’. I am the authority of fuji music in Nigeria and abroad
We recall that a similar video of his colleague, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 D Ultimate, sharing his experience and journey into fuji music was posted last week on Dele Adeyanju’s YouTube page
Narrating the beginning of his journey into music, he mentioned that it was Sikiru who called him while they were still in the army and told him to begin their music career. He mentioned that it was after he wrote a letter to the Orderly room that he was a bit confident and started singing. He added that although fuji exited before he began singing and he suffered a lot because of fuji music. “It was me and Sikiru that began fuji music”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the allegations of assault and abduction against his son, Seyi.
Seyi has come under fire over allegations of assault and abduction, allegations his camp has firmly denied and described as politically motivated.
At the heart of the controversy is Atiku Isah, a factional President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, who alleged during a press conference in Abuja that he was brutalised and abducted on April 15 after rejecting a N100m bribe allegedly offered by Seyi and the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, to support the Tinubu’s administration.
Isah alleged that after turning down the offer, he was stripped, attacked, and held against his will by unidentified thugs.
The NANS leader said the incident occurred shortly after a meeting in Lagos, where he claimed the bribe attempt was made.
But in a response via his Instagram stories, Seyi denied ever meeting Isah or being involved in any such incident.
He labelled the allegations as a fabrication designed to tarnish his reputation.
“Wow… how can someone lie with so much confidence? An attempt to defame my character. May God be with you, Comrade Atiku Isah,” Seyi wrote.
“I have never held a meeting to discuss any subject matter with Comrade Isah in Lagos or anywhere else in the world. I have never knowingly met him before, nor did I visit any location with thugs. All these allegations are completely fictional,” he added.
In defence of the President’s son, Special Assistant to the President on Student Affairs and a former NANS President, Sunday Asefon, alleged that Isah was being sponsored by political actors, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who he claimed was working to undermine Tinubu’s administration ahead of 2027.
Reacting, El-Rufai on his X handle on Friday, wrote, “What is going on here? Is there a denial by the named culprits or any response from law enforcement agencies or inquiries by human rights organisations? We must ask questions, demand answers and action!! #JusticeforNANSPresident – @elrufai.”
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Asefon claimed that Isah currently resided in El-Rufai’s home and presented photos allegedly showing the student leader in meetings with prominent opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Omoyele Sowore, and Sule Lamido.
“They have now seen that Seyi is a political asset to his father, so they want to destabilise him,” Asefon said.
The presidential aide further dismissed the abduction and torture allegations as a smear campaign orchestrated to discredit the first family.
Asefon insisted that Isah was not the legitimate NANS president, adding that the recognised leader was one Olusola Oladoja.
Reacting to the claims, Isah denied ever staying in El-Rufai’s house and described the accusations as desperate attempts to silence him and brand him anti-government.
He said, “I have not seen El-Rufai in over nine years.
“I visited Atiku after several attempts to reach him, and I met Sowore for the first time at a public birthday event. Does that mean I am working for them?”
He clarified that despite some disagreements with Tinubu’s policies, he still supported the President but would not compromise on truth and accountability.
Atiku, through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, condemned the alleged intimidation of the student leader, warning that Nigeria should not be run like the personal property of the first family.
“It is intolerable that the first family would seek to subjugate NANS or any civil society group through threats, bribes, or brute force.
“The presidency is a public trust, not a private inheritance,” Atiku said.
He also called for an independent investigation into Isah’s claims, urging Nigerians to resist any attempt to silence dissent.
On its part, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, in a statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, dismissed the allegations as “salacious, fallacious, and completely unfounded.”
It said, “This is a proxy war against the President and his family by political opponents who lack the courage to fight openly.”
Afenifere accused Isah of being a front for a broader coalition of anti-Tinubu forces and warned student groups against being used as political pawns.
Justice Sherifat Sonaike of the Lagos State High Court, sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square Annexe, has sentenced Bus Rapid Transit driver, Andrew Ominikoron, to death by hanging for the murder of 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwola.
Ominikoron was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on murder, conspiracy, and rape, in connection with the death of Ayanwola, as well as the sexual assault of Dr. Anosike Victoria and the rape of one Maryland Ojiezelu.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Sonaike ruled that the Lagos State Government, which prosecuted the case, had successfully proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“For the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy upon you,” the judge declared in her pronouncement.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The convict was tried on a five-count charge, including conspiracy, rape, murder, and sexual assault, brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
According to the charges, the incident occurred on February 26, 2022, around 7 pm, near the Lekki-Ajah Conservation Centre, Lekki-Ajah Expressway, Lagos.
The prosecution said that Ominikoron had forcibly had sexual intercourse with Oluwabamise Ayanwole before murdering her.
The offences contravened Sections 411, 223, 260, and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Bamise was last seen on February 26, 2022, after she boarded a BRT bus driven by Ominikoron in the Ajah area of Lagos.
Her disappearance triggered widespread outrage and a city-wide search.
Her body was discovered nine days later on Carter Bridge, Lagos Island.
During the trial, the State called 11 witnesses who testified against the convict.
The convict who opened his defence on October 17, 2024, denied raping nor killing Oluwabamise.
Ominikoron, who was led in his defence by his counsel Abayomi Omotubora, told the court that he picked the late Bamishe at Chevron, and at Agungi, he picked three male passengers.
According to him, one of the male passengers was coming forward, and he thought it was to pay him, but then the passenger threw something at his head and showed him a gun, asking him to cooperate.
A prosecution witness, identified as PW-AAA, on Friday, said that Simon Ekpa would soon be brought from Finland to Nigeria to face trial for supporting Nnamdi Kanu, in the agitation for Republic of Biafra.
PW-AAA, one of the Department of State Service operatives who arrested Kanu in 2015 at a Lagos hotel, told Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja in the ongoing trial of Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.
The witness, whose real name was not mentioned because of security reasons, stated this during cross-examination by Kanu’s counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN.
Earlier, the Federal Government also tendered more items recovered from Kanu and admitted as exhibits by the court.
These include one black laptop, two multi-mix transmitters, one mini white Apple iPad with a pouch, one grey Apple iPad with a pouch, one grey MacBook with a pouch, one grey MacBook with the case, one mini drone sound wave speaker, and two mini white speakers.
Others are one large computer mouse, one white adaptor, one laptop adaptor and one carton bag with laptop, two 3G modems, two Glo modems, one Glo Hawaii modem, one MTN modem, one Etisalat modem, one flash drive and one camcorder.
These also included one hand recorder in a black pouch, one MacBook Pro adaptor, one Mic stand, one Phillips headphone, one radio sharp mic with cord, one pro sound mic with cord and one 4G LTE modem.
Others are a bunch of cards, one power adaptor for the mixer, one Easy Blaze white modem, one Samsung phone,1 black Motorola phone and one Nokia phone.
Also found on him are “one black Samsung phone, one black phone, 1 D-Link black modem, one 8GB flash drive, one extension wire adaptor, one pair of shoes, one belt, one pair of ciderwood sneakers and one footwear.
“One black Softech wristwatch, two singlets, one sealed Hermes perfume, one Trinket, one Pokham perfume, one Fredrick Peckham wristwatch, one Diesel wristwatch, one Alexander Christy collection wristwatch, one Club wristwatch.
“Others are a bank MasterCards, copies of documents, one copy of IPOB complementary card, documents tagged IPOB, one white clipper, one bottle of medicine, one Oman perfume, one Mini scented oils, one empty black purse.
“Others are one Nigerian passport bearing the names Okwu Kanu Nwannekaibeya Nnamdi Ngozichukwu and one British passport bearing the name Okwu Kanu Nwannekaibeya, one black purse, one passport holder, one card holder, one box of Rocarden wristwatch and four bundles of cords.”
While being cross-examined, PW-AAA said no weapon was recovered from the IPOB leader during his arrest in Lagos.
He also said that no arms were recovered from the lady arrested along with Kanu.
He said though the recovered items might not be ordinarily offensive, the intention of the defendant might be otherwise.
PW-AAA also told the court that he did not analyse any of the items recovered because his mandate was to effect the arrest and obtain a statement from Kanu.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until May 6, May 7 and May 8 for continuation of cross-examination.
NAN
Nigeria carrier, Air Peace, has said it will cancel and delay more flights due to safety concerns if the need arises.
It said such decisions are not taken for the fun of it.
The airline also said its business priority isn’t profit but safety, though it has more aircraft than the authority schedules daily.
Air Peace said this in a statement on Friday in reply to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s warnings that the airline operate in accordance with its available aircraft, insinuating that the airline was operating more routes than its available aircraft.
The NCAA had earlier on Friday complained about incessant flight disruptions by the airline, emphasizing that while the authority remains committed to supporting airlines, operators must adhere to regulatory standards and global best practices.
According to the statement, the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, told Air Peace to “immediately improve its domestic operations owing to complaints of chronic flight delays and cancellations by the traveling public.”
In its reaction, Air Peace insisted that there was no time it cancelled a flight for the fun of it, adding that safety is a cardinal priority for the airline.
“At Air Peace, safety is and will always remain our cardinal priority. These delays and cancellations are dictated by safety considerations.
“We fully empathise with our esteemed passengers who experience discomfort, inconvenience, or disrupted plans due to flight delays or cancellations.
“However, we do not regret taking operational decisions rooted in the protection of human lives and in strict adherence to safety standards.
“If weather conditions, technical parameters, or operational standards fall short of what is safe, we will not operate that flight,” the airline’s management added.
Also on the warning to the airline by the NCAA DG, for the airline to cut its coat by its size, Air Peace further emphasized it had more aircraft than scheduled for operations daily.
It stated, “It is also important to clarify a key statement allegedly credited to the NCAA, that Air Peace should reduce the size of its operations to align with available aircraft. While we understand the spirit of that recommendation, we must clearly state that Air Peace has more aircraft available than are currently rostered for daily operations.
“Therefore, any delays or cancellations we’ve experienced have absolutely nothing to do with fleet shortage.”
While asserting that the reason that often leads to flight cancellations and delays is beyond the control of any airline, Air Peace emphasized that such decisions are taken in the interest of the passengers.
“It is to be stated that every decision Air Peace has taken since the inception of this airline, whether resulting in a delay, cancellation, or suspension of flight, has been taken in the best interest of safety. And if such situations occur again, we will do the same because we are not ready to compromise safety.
“We do not cancel any flight for the fun of it. It is not our policy to delay or cancel flights without due cause, and when we do, we are often the greater loser financially.
“We will never sacrifice safety for convenience, comfort, speed, or profit,” it added.
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The Chinese Government has announced plans to establish a Chinese Centre at the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, aimed at fostering cultural exchange and cooperation between China and Nigeria.
Yan Yuqing, China’s Consul-General in Lagos, disclosed this while leading a delegation from the Consulate on a visit to UNIPORT.
This was contained in a statement issued by UNIPORT’s Public Relations Officer, Sammy Kpenu, in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Yuqing, who was represented by Liu Hongwu, Director of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, China, expressed confidence that the centre would deepen China–Nigeria relations.
“The centre will further strengthen educational and cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria, providing UNIPORT students with greater access to Chinese resources, training, and opportunities,” she said.
She also announced plans to inaugurate the ‘China Window’, a platform designed to give Nigerians broader access to Chinese language, culture, and academic opportunities.
“Our aim is to open a window through which Nigerians can gain a better understanding of China.
This is part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening educational and cultural ties with Africa, particularly with institutions such as UNIPORT,” she added.
Yuqing expressed optimism that the partnership would yield long-term benefits for both countries.
In response, Owunari Georgewill, Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, commended the Chinese Government for its sustained interest in Africa, particularly in education, culture, and infrastructure development.
He also thanked the Chinese Consulate for selecting UNIPORT from among other universities in the Niger Delta, pledging the university’s full commitment to ensuring the success of the Chinese Centre.
Georgewill noted that with the establishment of the centre, UNIPORT had formally commenced a Chinese Language Programme.
“This is part of our broader initiative to expand our academic offerings to students and to bridge the skills gap in Nigeria’s evolving labour market,” he said.
He added that language exchange initiatives would enhance students’ employment prospects, particularly in Chinese-owned companies operating across the country.
“The growing presence of Chinese companies in Nigeria makes it essential for our people to acquire language and cultural skills that will enhance their employability and competitiveness.
This collaboration is timely, and we must fully leverage the opportunities it presents,” he said.
The UNIPORT VC described the establishment of the centre as a significant milestone in the university’s efforts to promote cultural exchange and cooperation with China.
