A former Edo State Governorship aspirant, Kenneth Imasuagbon, has said Nigeria is losing global respect due to the problem of insecurity and the poor state of its economy.
In a statement by Imasuagbon on Saturday in Benin, the Edo State capital, the politician said the country’s inability to solve its problems is becoming a national embarrassment.
He said, “The world is laughing at us and we are losing global respect. Foreign news headlines mock our pains. We are now seen as a country of chaos, a land where life has little value,” he said.
He noted that the government’s inability to tackle insecurity is preventing investors from coming into the country, which has further compounded the problems of unemployment and poverty.
He added, “This crisis is driving investors away. People don’t put money where they can be killed. The result is joblessness, poverty, and economic collapse. Every gunshot fired by a bandit kills not just a person but also a business idea,” he said.
The educationist said that as a patriotic Nigerian, he cannot stay silent while the country drifts further into darkness.
“At 59, I should be talking about building legacies. But how can we build when nothing is working? Roads are unsafe, schools are closing down, and farmers are scared to go to their fields. What kind of country is this?” he queried.
He urged the government to act quickly and decisively in tackling the challenges facing the nation.
He added, “We need leaders who care, not ones who give excuses, not leaders who are only concerned about elections.
“Nigerians are dying, businesses are collapsing, hope is dying. President Tinubu must wake up. This is not what we voted for.
“Citizens must remain united and demand accountability. We must not allow silence to destroy us. If leaders fail, the people must rise. This is our country. We must fight to make it better.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has condemned the action of a group of women loyal to suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, over their walkout on the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during an empowerment programme in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The minister described the incident as a “show of shame” and an embarrassment to the people of Rivers State.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that the women, led by some sacked local government vice-chairmen loyal to Governor Fubara, walked out of the venue after allegedly being sidelined and replaced on the programme list by loyalists of Wike.
The event, held at the EUI Centre in GRA, Port Harcourt, was organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative and aimed to empower 500 women across the state.
Wike, who is currently in China on official engagements, issued a statement on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.
He described the walkout as a direct insult to the offices of the President and First Lady and offered an unreserved apology to President Bola Tinubu and his wife on behalf of the people of Rivers State.
“As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality yesterday’s show of shame, and we apologise to our First Lady for the embarrassing conduct of those few women who do not represent the character and ideals of the people of Rivers State,” the statement partly read.
The former Rivers State Governor also alleged that the walkout was sponsored by his successor, Governor Fubara, adding that his “shenanigans” — referring to the incident — would not bring peace to the state.
He urged Fubara to “demonstrate honesty by being bold enough to tell President Tinubu what exactly he wants,” stating that the governor’s actions contradicted his peace appeals.
“It is not enough to be visiting people to plead for peace; those who genuinely want peace must work and act for it. These are the same people pleading for peace, yet doing things contrary to their words.
“How can you claim to want peace and at the same time sponsor people to insult everyone, including the President and his wife? All these shenanigans will not bring peace, and I am sure they know that — because they are not sincere in their back-and-forth calls for peace,” he added.
Dozens of outraged passengers, including expatriates, children, and families, were left stranded overnight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after Air Peace abruptly cancelled multiple flights.
Passengers were forced to sleep on cold, hard aluminium chairs in the departure hall, PUNCH Online has confirmed.
Videos and photographs obtained by our correspondent show frustrated travellers protesting the airline’s negligence. Some stood in anger, demanding answers, while others sat helplessly.
Passengers’ anger was amplified by a wave of cancellations that have plagued Air Peace recently, a situation that has sparked a clash between the airline and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
While the NCAA has warned the airline to put an end to its serial delays and cancellations, Air Peace claims the actions are safety-driven and in the interest of the passengers.
Passengers who spoke with our correspondent lamented that their plans were ruined, their patience exhausted, and their voices unheard; they, however, called on the government to intervene and address the growing disruptions in the aviation industry.
The former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Ogun State, Dr. Kunle Ashimi was among those stranded at the airport.
The medical doctor who was scheduled for a 6:00 pm flight on Friday was first shifted to 8:00 pm but remained at the airport till past 3:15 am.
Speaking with our correspondent, Ashimi said, “If it had been a passenger arriving late, they would be penalised or denied boarding entirely. But who holds the airline accountable for this kind of abuse?”
He further said he had booked a hotel in Ikorodu, Lagos, and lamented the financial loss and emotional toll the delay caused him and others.
Recounting different passengers’ painful experiences, Ashimi told our correspondent about an expatriate who missed a once-a-week international connecting flight due to the delay.
Also, a nursing mother, who gave her name simply as Adetoun, said her child has a doctor’s appointment in Lagos very early Saturday morning but has to sleep in the airport hall.
She said, “My child, who is supposed to meet his doctor in the morning, would have to sleep in the airport hall, contending with mosquitoes, which is very painful for me.”
Amidst the outcry, Air Peace aircraft arrived around 3:15 am, eventually landing in Lagos at 4:10 am.
All efforts to get the spokesperson of the airline, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, were unsuccessful. Text messages and calls were not replied to.
Meanwhile, barely 10 hours earlier, the airline had said its decisions to cancel or delay flights are mostly for safety concerns.
Air Peace added that its business priority isn’t profit but safety, even though it has more aircraft than the authority schedules daily.
Air Peace said this in a statement in reply to the warnings by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority for the airline to operate in accordance with its available aircraft, insinuating that the airline was operating more routes than its available aircraft.
Air Peace stated, “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.
Afrobeats megastar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido has once again shown love to his fans, gifting $5,000 to Ghanaian TikToker #Ananzooficial after watching his emotional cover of ‘With You’, a track featuring Omah Lay from Davido’s latest album 5ive.
The video, now viral, shows #Ananzooficial singing with passion and pitch-perfect delivery, capturing the essence of the original track.
Clearly touched, Davido respondedwith the generous monetary reward under the post’s comment section. He wrote, “5K US for OLS, contact #deekay-dmw”.
This spontaneous gesture not only highlights Davido’s generous spirit but also reinforces his reputation as an artist who values and uplifts his fans in real, tangible ways.
In November 2021, Davido raised ₦200 million through a social media campaign and added ₦50 million of his own funds, donating a total of ₦250 million to 292 orphanages across Nigeria. He continued this tradition by donating ₦237 million to 424 orphanages in July 2023, benefiting over 13,000 children. In November 2024, he pledged another ₦300 million to support orphanages and combat drug abuse among youth.
Davido also offered a five-year full scholarship to Morro Suleyman, a Ghanaian student with excellent academic results but financial constraints, enabling him to attend Adeleke University.
In 2018, he donated ₦15 million for the surgery of a staff member at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
5ive, Davido’s April 18, 2025 release, includes 17 tracks and has become a runaway success, amassing millions of streams and sitting comfortably at the top of Afrobeats charts.
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.”
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.
