Year: 2025

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered a major drug cartel operating under the cover of an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, seizing illicit substances valued at over N1bn during a raid.

 

NDLEA agents, between Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, stormed the five-storey hotel, operating as The Hook Hotel, Caesar Hotel, and Caesar Lounge at 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street.

 

A statement on Sunday by the NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi said the raid led to the recovery of 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 417.3 kilograms and worth N1,042,500,000 in street value.

 

Babafemi said three suspects: Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh were arrested during the operation, while two others, Noble Philip and his partner Kenneth, remain at large.

 

“Items suspected to be proceeds of illicit drug trade recovered from the premises housing The Hook Hotel also known as Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge located at 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street, off Elsie Femi Pearse Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, include: Toyota Prado Landcruiser Jeep (Lagos AKD 472 OZ); Toyota Sienna Vehicle (Lagos KJA 79 HJ); Volkswagen Delivery Van (Lagos AAA 525 JE); Kia Ceranto Car (Lagos BDG 860 GQ); Grand Caravan Dodge (Lagos APP 847 YF); 74 new TV sets; 10 used TV sets; and 13 refrigerators, among others, “ he added.

 

In another operation, he said, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence on Wednesday, April 23, seized consignments of opioids being moved from Kano to the Niger Republic and Yobe state through Jigawa.

 

“The psychoactive substances were being moved in a Toyota Sienna vehicle marked ABJ 182 NW at about 2:30 am on Wednesday along Kano- Ringim road, Gumel town, when anti-narcotic officers on patrol intercepted them with two suspects: c 28, and Shuaibu Umar, 29 arrested.

Recovered from the Sienna vehicle were 200,000 pills of tramadol 250mg and 217,500 capsules of pregabalin. A swift follow-up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the supplier, 41-year-old Jamilu Muhammad, at his residence located at Mil Tara, Layin Technical area of Kano while an additional 1,584,000 pills of tramadol 250mg stacked inside a Nissan 18-seater bus marked DAL 372 XA and a room in his house were discovered and evacuated. This brings the total number of the recovered opioids to 2,001,500 pills, “ he added.

 

Babafemi stated that barely a week after NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation uncovered 20 parcels of cocaine concealed inside religious books going to Saudi Arabia at a logistics company in Lagos, the operatives have again intercepted another shipment of 46 wraps of cocaine weighing 547grams hidden in body cream going to the Middle East country.

 

“The seizure was made on Wednesday, April 23 at a courier firm in Lagos.

 

“Another consignment intercepted the same day includes: 1.8kg pentazocine injection and 60 grams bromazepam tablets heading to Canada, “ he added.

 

At another operation in the Seme border area, Babafemi said three Ghanaian ladies were arrested with drugs.

 

He said, “At the Seme border area of Badagry, Lagos, three Ghanaian ladies were on Sunday 20th April arrested at the Gbaji checkpoint by NDLEA operatives while attempting to smuggle a combined 4.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis into Nigeria. The suspects arrested include: Haziza Zubairu, 42; Samirat Mustapha, 43; and Jamila Salifu, 26.”

 

Canada elects a new government on Monday to confront annexation threats from the United States and deal directly with President Donald Trump, whose trade war has defined the campaign.

 

The Liberal Party, led by new Prime Minister Mark Carney, looked set to lose easily to the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre until the US president’s attacks on the country sparked a sudden reversal in poll forecasts.

 

Carney, 60, has never held elected office and only replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister last month. He had a lucrative career as an investment banker before serving as the central bank governor in both Canada and Britain.

 

Carney has argued his global financial experience has prepared him to guide Canada’s response to Trump’s tariffs.

 

He has also promised to revitalise internal trade and expand Canada’s economic opportunities abroad to cut reliance on the United States, a country Carney says “we can no longer trust.”

 

The United States under Trump “wants to break us, so they can own us,” he has warned repeatedly through the campaign.

 

“We don’t need chaos, we need calm. We don’t need anger, we need an adult,” Carney said in the campaign’s closing days.

 

Poilievre, a 45-year-old career politician, has tried to keep the focus on domestic concerns that made Trudeau deeply unpopular toward the end of his decade in power, especially soaring living costs.

 

The Tory leader has argued Carney would bring a continuation of what he calls “the lost Liberal decade,” arguing that only a new Conservative government can take action against crime, housing shortages and other non-Trump issues Canadians rank as priorities.

 

“You cannot handle another four years of this,” he said over the weekend.

 

Poilievre has critiqued Trump, but insisted ten years of poor Liberal governance had left Canada vulnerable to a newly hostile United States.

 

– ‘A good pick’ –

 

Final polls indicate a tight race but put Carney as the favourite.

 

Surveys have also consistently shown voters view the ex-central banker as the best candidate to deal with Trump.

Jeff Sims, who lives in Quebec near Canada’s capital Ottawa, said he believes Carney has “the pedigree” to be prime minister.

 

“Two central banks under his belt, I think that’s a good pick,” the 46-year-old told AFP on Sunday.

 

At a weekend Conservative rally in the battleground city of Oakville, west of Toronto, Janice Wyner rejected the notion that Carney marked a departure from Trudeau.

Trudeau’s “policies stunk and it’s the same party,” she told AFP.

 

“Canada is just in a mess. I’m 70 years old. It’s not even a country that I recognise and I’m worried for my grandkids.”

 

Like many voters, Nadine Sokol, a 41-year-old who also lives near Ottawa, listed “the threat coming from the US” as her “number one issue.”

 

– Historic turnaround –

 

If the Liberals win, it would mark one of the most of dramatic turnarounds in Canadian political history.

 

On January 6, the day Trudeau announced he would resign, the Conservatives led the Liberals by more than 20 points in most polls, and Poilievre looked on track to be Canada’s next prime minister.

 

But Carney replacing Trudeau combined with nationwide unease about Trump transformed the race.

 

Public broadcaster CBC’s poll aggregator on Sunday put the Liberals’ national support at 42.8 per cent, with the Conservatives at 38.8 per cent.

 

As with US elections, national polling numbers may not predict a result.

 

The performance of two smaller parties — the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) and the separatist Bloc Quebecois — will be closely watched.

 

In past elections, strong NDP performances in Ontario and British Columbia, and a good showing by the Bloc in Quebec, have curbed Liberal seat tallies, but polls suggest both smaller parties could be facing a setback.

Nearly 29 million of Canada’s estimated 41 million people are eligible to vote. A record 7.3 million people cast advanced ballots.

 

In the massive G7 country which spans six times zones, polls open at 8:30 am local time in the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

Canadians will elect 343 members of parliament, meaning 172 seats are needed for a majority. The Liberals won a majority in 2015 but have governed with a minority since 2019.

 

AFP

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he wanted Russia’s Vladimir Putin to “stop shooting” in Ukraine and sign a peace deal, one day after the US leader met Ukraine’s president at the Vatican.

 

Trump, who boasted before his inauguration that he could halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine within one day, has launched a diplomatic offensive since taking office to halt the fighting.

 

Those efforts have so far failed to yield any results.

 

“Well, I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal,” Trump said in response to a question on what he wanted from Putin.

 

Trump was speaking on the tarmac at Morristown airport before boarding Air Force One bound for Washington, having attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome on Saturday.

 

“We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it,” Trump added, likely referring to a US-proposed peace plan for the more-than-three-year-long conflict in Ukraine.

Trump had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the funeral, where the two leaders spoke face-to-face for the first time since a disastrous televised meeting in the White House in February.

 

After their brief talk in St Peter’s Basilica, Trump cast doubt over whether Putin wanted an end to the war, which has devastated swaths of eastern Ukraine and killed tens of thousands of people.

 

Trump also said on Sunday that he thought Zelensky was ready to give up Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula captured by Russia in 2014, as part of efforts to agree a peace deal.

 

“Oh, I think so,” said Trump in response to a question on whether he thought Zelensky was ready to “give up” the territory.

 

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, claimed to have annexed four eastern and southern territories of the war-battered country despite not having full military control over them.

 

AFP

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, announced on Sunday that the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain aims to increase local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria to at least 70% by 2030.

 

In a video shared on X, Pate explained that the initiative also aims to significantly increase the number of full-time employees working in life sciences manufacturing, with the current workforce of approximately 20,000 set to grow by tens of thousands.

 

The minister also highlighted the establishment of Nigeria’s new pharmaceutical manufacturing training institute, Empower Academy Nigeria, in partnership with Empower Swiss, Geneva.

 

He emphasised that this step marks a major leap forward in Nigeria’s efforts to localise the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, benefiting the country’s economy and the wider region under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

 

PVAC, launched as a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Agenda in October 2023, is under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

 

In his statement, Pate said, “Only a few days ago, the foremost Swiss academy, the Empower School of Health Geneva, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a regional training hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Nigeria, which will be launched very soon. It will be named Empower Academy Nigeria. This historic development would not have been possible without the critical work of the Presidential Initiative to unlock the Healthcare Value Chain.”

 

He further added, “Since its establishment by the President in October 2023, under the leadership of its National Coordinator, Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, PVAC has led to several high-value investment commitments and has set ambitious goals to increase local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria to at least 70% of locally consumed pharmaceuticals and a large portion of the vaccines we consume by 2030. The initiative also aims to boost the workforce in life sciences manufacturing by tens of thousands, establish at least two plants for biologicals, five new medical supplies and diagnostics platforms, and double Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market share in Africa to at least 15%.”

 

Pate further revealed that over 70 new healthcare manufacturing companies are currently partnering on 22 large-scale projects, which are in negotiations with international financiers, thanks to the support of PVAC.

 

He acknowledged the contributions of his colleagues, Minister Jumoke Oduwole and Minister John Enoh, who are co-leading the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, for their role in facilitating the initiative.

 

He explained that the Empower Academy Nigeria would address the country’s significant workforce shortfall in areas such as advanced manufacturing, regulatory sciences, and quality assurance.

 

The academy will deliver state-of-the-art curricula, train sector-specific faculty and students, and assist regulatory authorities like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in developing and training on standard operating procedures that will strengthen the sector sustainably.

Pate also pointed out that Nigeria was on track to secure at least €1bn in European Investment Bank financing, alongside $1bn in African Bank financing, to support incoming manufacturers in the health and life sciences sector.

 

He stated, “This is one of the main reasons why the first focus of the new institution, Empower Academy in Nigeria, is the training of industry professionals on qualitative local drug production in high-demand and high-mobility sectors. Following that, training will be expanded to accommodate knowledge transfer in support of the local production of pharmaceutical excipients, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, and advanced dosage forms such as inhalers, extended-release medications, and dermatological patches.”

 

Noting that much of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is concentrated in Lagos and Ogun states, Pate said that Empower Academy will be strategically located to promote balanced development across the country, offering mobile training solutions applicable to all regions.

He added, “With a mandate and capacity to train and upskill thousands of professionals annually, underpinned by cutting-edge equipment and world-class facilities, Empower Academy in Nigeria will advance best practices in process engineering, regulatory compliance, quality control, environmental monitoring, business management, entrepreneurship, supply chain and distribution, as well as customer support.”

 

Pate revealed that Empower Academy Nigeria will offer certification courses in partnership with regional bodies and international organisations, including the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centres for Disease Control, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and the International Federation of Pharmacists. Courses will be taught by trainers with 10 to 20 years of experience.

 

The effectiveness of the institution will be measured by key performance indicators aligned with global best practices.

 

He also noted that, as part of the Memorandum of Understanding with Empower School of Health in Geneva, there will be significant co-investment in the establishment of Empower Academy Nigeria, with additional grants expected from other partners.

 

Pate concluded by emphasising that Nigeria is charting a new path for other nations to follow in providing end-to-end solutions for pharmaceutical and biological manufacturing.

 

He reiterated the government’s commitment to empowering professionals and advancing the nation’s pharmaceutical capabilities.

 

He said, “This is a Nigerian renaissance in full motion and in real time, and this administration is driving tangible improvements to empower all Nigerians so that we all become the change we have always sought. I thank you for keeping faith with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I assure you that our nation’s commitment to uplifting the well-being of our people and growing our national economy through the health sector is resolute.”

An Ondo State Magistrate Court, sitting in Akure has ordered the remand of two men, Adebowale Adegboye, and Idowu Akinseye in prison custody for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl (name withheld).

 

While Adegboye is the father of the victim, Akinseye is her stepfather.

 

The duo were alleged to have had carnal knowledge of the victim at different times in Akure, the state capital before they were arrested by the men of the state police command.

 

Also, a medical doctor, Israel Ojo, who allegedly aborted the pregnancy for the victim, was arrested and charged to court alongside the other two defendants.

The specific accusation against the victim’s father and doctor read, “That you, Adebowale Adegboye and Israel Oluwafemi Ojo, on the same date, time and place at the aforementioned Magisterial district, did unlawfully procure abortion for the victim and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 230 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria.”

 

Both Adegboye and Akinseye were charged and arraigned before the court on five counts of charges concerning incest, abortion and indecent assault, while the medical doctor was charged with abortion.

 

The charge sheet sighted on Sunday read, “That you, Adebowale Adegboye ‘m’, on December 15, 2024, at about noon in Akure, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit incest by unlawfully having carnal knowledge of your biological daughter (name withheld), and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25 (a) of the Ondo State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law 2021.

“That you, Adebowale Adegboye ‘m’ on December 15, 2024, on the same day, time and place in Akure, within the jurisdiction of the honourable court did have unlawful carnal knowledge of your daughter and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.

 

“That you Adegboye Adebowale, Ayoola Ogunkolade and Israel Oluwafemi Ojo, on January 20, 2025, at about noon in Akure within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court did conspire to commit felony to wit: procurement of abortion and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.

 

Furthermore, the stepfather Akinseye was accused of caressing the victim’s body as well as inserting his left finger in the girl’s vagina, thereby unlawfully having carnal knowledge of the girl.

 

“That you, Idowu Akinseye ‘m’, sometime in the year 2019 at several times at Alade Idanre Magisterial District did unlawfully and indecently deal with your stepdaughter, aged 10 years, as at the time the offence was committed by caressing her body and inserting your left finger in her vagina without her consent, after which you unlawfully had carnal knowledge of her and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 222 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.”

 

In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs Grace Alphonso, ordered that the defendants should be remanded in a correctional centre facility pending legal advice from the state Director of Public Prosecution.

 

She adjourned the case to May 22, 2025, for a hearing.

The President of the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation and former President of Buhari Youth Organisation, Dr Jibril Mustapha, on Sunday urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.

 

Mustapha, who made this call in a statement released on Sunday in Lagos, said Jonathan should heed the calls to run for the office of the president again.

 

“As the nation prepares for the 2027 elections, the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation believes that now is the time for all stakeholders to come together and support a candidate who can genuinely represent the interests of all Nigerians.

 

“We urge former President Goodluck Jonathan to consider this call and to step forward as a candidate who can unite our country and lead us towards a brighter future.

“This appeal comes in light of the numerous challenges currently facing Nigeria, including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and rampant banditry,” Mustapha said.

 

According to him, there is an urgent need for a leader who embodies integrity, inclusivity, and a commitment to national unity.

 

Mustapha added, “Nigeria is at a crossroads. We are grappling with significant issues that threaten our stability and progress.

 

“We need a leader who can bring all Nigerians together, regardless of their background.”

 

He said that the former Nigerian leader, during his tenure, demonstrated a commitment to democratic values and governance that prioritised the welfare of all citizens.

According to him, the group believes Jonathan has the vision and experience necessary to lead Nigeria.

 

“His leadership style is one that fosters inclusivity and economic advancement, which is exactly what our nation needs at this critical juncture.

 

“Under Jonathan’s leadership, we can work towards restoring Nigeria’s lost glory on the international stage and within our borders.”

 

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that BYO is a youth-based supporters group of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan lost his second term ambition to Buhari in the 2015 presidential election.

 

NAN recalls amidst the debate on whether Jonathan was eligible to run again or not, having taken the oath of office twice as President, the Federal High Court in Bayelsa had in 2022 ruled that Jonathan could still contest the presidential election.

The presiding judge, Justice Dashen, who gave the judgment, held that Jonathan’s right could not be stopped by any retroactive law.

 

According to him, the 2007 general election produced the late Umaru Yar’Adua as president and not Jonathan, stressing that Section 137 could not have a retroactive effect to stop him from contesting for the presidency.

 

Dashen ruled that there was no presidential election conducted in the country in 2010 and Jonathan could not be deemed to have been sworn into the office of the president that year.

 

(NAN)

Liverpool have officially secured the Premier League title after a commanding 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

 

The match, played at Anfield, saw Liverpool come from behind after Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke opened the scoring in the 12th minute, assisted by James Maddison.

 

However, it took only four minutes for Liverpool to draw level, with Luis Díaz firing home in the 16th minute following a pass from Dominik Szoboszlai.

 

Liverpool continued to dominate proceedings with Alexis Mac Allister giving the Reds a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute, assisted by Ryan Gravenberch.

Cody Gakpo added a third in the 34th minute, shortly before picking up a yellow card.

 

At halftime, Liverpool led 3-1 and showed no signs of slowing down after the restart. Mohamed Salah scored in the 63rd minute, again with Szoboszlai providing the assist, to extend Liverpool’s lead to 4-1.

 

The victory was sealed when Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie scored an own goal in the 69th minute, pushing the scoreline to 5-1 in Liverpool’s favour.

 

The match also saw late yellow cards for Harvey Elliott and Tottenham’s Richarlison deep into added time.

The Federal Government has sympathised with the people and government of Iran following the tragic explosion at the Shahid Rajaee Port, located near the Strait of Hormuz, on Saturday.

 

The explosion resulted in the loss of at least 28 lives, with more than 800 others injured.

 

In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa on Sunday, FG conveyed its solidarity with Iran, offering heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

FG also commended the swift actions of emergency responders in the wake of the disaster and urged continued support for those affected by the tragic event.

 

“Nigeria stands in solidarity with Iran during this difficult time and shares in the grief of the families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate incident. We commend the swift response of emergency services and urge continued efforts to assist the injured and affected communities.

 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the entire nation of Iran,” the statement read.

A member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Audu Lauya, has urged ethnic groups to translate the national anthem into their mother tongues to promote patriotism and development in the country.

 

Lauya (PDP – Lau/Karim Lamido/Ardo Kola Federal Constituency) said this at the first edition of the Sungki Yandang Cultural Carnival in Mayo-Lope, the Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State

 

He said that translating the reintroduced national anthem into different dialects would promote understanding and foster unity.

 

Lauya advised other tribes to emulate the Yandang tribe, who sang the three stanzas of the national anthem in Yandang language.

 

He promised to support the youths to secure employment at the federal level, urging those who were qualified to apply in the ongoing Nigerian Army recruitment.

 

The lawmaker also eulogised the Yandang community as a peace-loving and dependable set of people.

 

Sen. Shuaibu Lau (PFP-Taraba North) pledged to facilitate the connection of the Abbare Mayo-Lope to the national grid.

 

Lau said the power would serve as a source of employment generation for the Yandang teeming youth population.

The senator, while commending the Yandang people for their support during the 2023 general election, said that their vote ensured development, peace and stability.

 

He urged the Yandang people to continue to live in peace with one another.

 

Governor Agbu Kefas also promised to rehabilitate, reconcile and reintegrate the Yandang communities displaced by the farmers/herders conflict in 2018.

 

Represented by Timothy Kataps, the Secretary to the State Government, Kefas commended the Yandang community for organising the cultural festival.

 

He announced plans by his administration to enlist the carnival under the state’s cultural calendar.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event attracted the people of Yandang from all walks of life as well as traditional leaders from Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba.

Real Madrid midfielder, Fede Valverde, has apologised to fans following the team’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the final at Estadio de La Cartuja.

 

In a message on Sunday via Instagram, Valverde admitted his disappointment and pledged his continued commitment to the club.

 

“It happened again. And it will surely happen again many more times, because it is the road we are building and it is normal that one falls after so many miles,” he wrote.

 

“It makes me sad, it makes me angry, impotent. I feel like I failed you,” Valverde added, acknowledging the emotional toll of the defeat.

 

Reflecting on a challenging season, the Uruguayan said, “It’s been a difficult year, physically and mentally very tough, but one day I was clear: ‘until my legs don’t give up anymore’. This club doesn’t deserve less.”

 

He assured fans of his dedication, stating, “We’ll be back, we’ll continue and there I’ll be leaving everything for the respect Madrid deserves, its people and everything that involves playing in the most winning team in history.”

Valverde concluded his message by thanking the supporters: “Thank you.”

 

The match itself was a dramatic encounter, with Barcelona emerging victorious thanks to goals from Pedri, Ferran Torres, and Jules Koundé.

 

Real Madrid had fought back through strikes from Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni, pushing the contest into extra time before eventually succumbing.

 

Tensions flared late in the game, leading to a series of dismissals. According to the referee’s report, Antonio Rüdiger, Jude Bellingham, and Lucas Vázquez were all shown red cards and are now set to serve suspensions.