The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered Oba Otudeko to take a plea in the charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The order was given by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on Monday.
Recall that EFCC had filed a 13-count charge against Otudeko and three others over an alleged N30 billion loan fraud.
At the hearing of the matter, the judge said Otudeko must take his plea before an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction on the case can be decided.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case to May 8.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Omoyele Sowore, has thrown his support behind Ushie Rita Uguamaye, also known as Raye, the National Youth Service Corps member facing backlash over her viral video criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Sowore, in a video shared on X on Monday, revealed that he had met with Uguamaye in Lagos and would be accompanying her to the NYSC Local Government Inspector’s office alongside a team of attorneys.
“The journey with youth Corper, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, has commenced in Lagos.
“She is scheduled to appear before the LGI (Local Government Inspector) today and we will escort her to their offices. We are all en route with attorneys,” Sowore captioned the video.
The corps member had recently gone viral after posting a video on TikTok where she lamented the country’s worsening economic conditions and openly criticised Tinubu’s leadership.
She later alleged that she had received threats over her comments, sparking widespread debate on free speech and political dissent in Nigeria.
She also shared a screenshot of an invitation from the NYSC, summoning her to appear before the LGI office at Eti Osa 3 on Monday at 10:00 a.m
Sowore’s involvement has further amplified the situation, drawing more attention to Uguamaye’s case and the potential repercussions she may face from the NYSC or other authorities.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the NYSC regarding the matter.
Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has described his father as the greatest president in Nigeria’s history.
In a video that went viral on Monday, Seyi made the remark while addressing a gathering of youths in Adamawa State.
“It was never politics, but they keep coming for me, they keep coming for my family, they keep coming for your father, they keep coming for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the greatest president in the history of Nigeria,” he said.
He further praised his father’s leadership, claiming he had prioritised youth empowerment and economic growth.
“He is the only president that has kept your people at home, from when he was governor to when be became president, the only president that considers youths, the only president that created a platform for young people to fly.
“The only president that created an economy that has benefitted everybody, the only president that is not trying to enrich his own pocket,” he stated.
Seyi has recently been seen distributing food items during visits to northern states.
Earlier in March, he joined Kano residents, including the state chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Hashimu Dugurawa, in breaking the Ramadan fast.
He has also visited Yobe State as part of his engagements with youths.
21-year-old Sebastien Beauzile from Laurelton, Long Island, has become the first person in New York State to be cured of sickle cell anemia using the innovative Lyfgenia gene therapy.
This pioneering treatment, administered at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, offers a beacon of hope for countless individuals battling this debilitating disease, Forbes reports on Sunday.
Lifelong struggle
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder characterized by misshapen red blood cells that can obstruct blood flow, leading to severe pain and potential organ damage.
Beauzile’s battle with this condition began at just four months old, with frequent hospitalizations due to intense pain crises.
According to New York Post, he described the agony as “10 out of 10,” with his back feeling “like somebody was either pulling on it or hanging on it,” and his chest feeling “like somebody is sitting on it.”
Gene therapy breakthrough
Lyfgenia, developed by Bluebird Bio, represents a significant advancement in gene therapy.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2023, Lyfgenia works by extracting the patient’s own blood stem cells, genetically modifying them using a virus to insert functional copies of the hemoglobin gene, and then reintroducing these modified cells into the patient’s bloodstream.
Sebastien Beauzile
NY Post reports that Dr. Jeffrey Lipton, who is the director of pediatric hematology oncology and stem cell transplantation at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, hailed the therapy as a cure, stating, “Other drugs modify the disease, but this is a cure… I suspect this will replace bone marrow transplants in time.”
Treatment journey
Beauzile’s treatment process began in early 2024 and spanned nearly a year.
It included chemotherapy to prepare his body for the new cells.
Despite initial apprehensions, he embraced the opportunity, saying, “At first, it was a little nerve-wracking. But the doctors spoke to me about it, told me what the side effects.”
In late December 2024, the genetically modified cells were successfully re-infused.
By January 13, 2025, Beauzile reported feeling like a new person, stating, “When I got my cells, it feels like a second birthday.”
Life after treatment
Since the therapy, Beauzile has embraced activities previously hindered by his condition, such as working out and traveling.
He now aspires to return to school to pursue a medical career … aiming to support children facing similar health challenges. Expressing his gratitude, he remarked, “I’m not in pain anymore.”
New era in treatment
The FDA’s approval of Lyfgenia in December 2023 marked a significant milestone in the treatment of sickle cell disease.
This gene therapy offers a one-time, single-dose infusion as part of a hematopoietic (blood) stem cell transplant, providing a potential cure for patients aged twelve years and older with a history of vaso-occlusive events.
Dr. Banu Aygun at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, emphasized the transformative potential of Lyfgenia, stating, “When gene therapy became available when it … so that he can dramatically change his … .”
Looking ahead
Beauzile’s successful treatment not only transforms his life but also offers hope to countless others battling sickle cell anemia.
As gene therapies like Lyfgenia become more accessible, they hold the promise of revolutionizing the treatment landscape for genetic disorders, providing cures where only symptom management existed before.
This groundbreaking case, according to multiple media reactions, underscored the potential of gene therapy to change lives and paves the way for broader applications in the future.
Three months without crisis
Beauzile received the treatment on December 17th 2024 and has not had any symptoms of sickle cell anemia since, leading his doctors to believe that the treatment has likely cured the disease.
Sickle cell anemia is a serious, inherited disorder of red blood cells which mostly affects Black and Hispanic people.
According to Forbes, there are over 100,000 people with the disorder in the U.S. and the condition causes a range of symptoms including blood clots and strokes and a resultant reduction in lifespan of 20 years on average.
It is caused by inheriting defective copies of a hemaglobin gene causing hemaglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells to be sub-functional.
The defect causes red blood cells in affected people to be sickle, or crescent shaped instead of disc shaped as normal, limiting the cells’ ability to carry oxygen.
Sickled red blood cells are also more prone to clump together and cause blockages to blood vessels, causing severe pain and tissue damage.
Previously, people with sickle cell anemia have been mostly treated with therapies which can control, but not cure the disease.
Some people have been cured by giving them bone marrow transplants from external donors, normally a close relative without sickle cell anemia, but the procedure does not always work, comes with a host of side effects and a risk of dying.
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT), also known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), is currently the only potential cure for sickle cell anemia.
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 1 in 20 children under 16 receiving bone marrow transplants for sickle cell anemia have died, and 1 in 10 of people 16 years or older.
“Sickle cell is a debilitating, often-overlooked disease. But treatments like Lyfgenia are changing that,” said Jeffrey Lipton.
Lyfgenia works by extracting the patient’s own blood stem cells, genetically modifying them using a virus to paste copies of functional hemaglobin into the cells and then giving the patient chemotherapy to clear out the old, dysfunctional cells before infusing the new, modified ones back into the body.
The red blood cells then produced from the transplanted, modified blood stem cells are then completely normal.
Lyfgenia gene therapy cost
“Mr Beauzile is not the first person to be successfully treated with Lyfgenia in the U.S. Lyfgenia and another genetic-modification based cell therapy for sickle cell anemia, Casgevy (Vertex pharmaceuticals) were both FDA-approved in late 2023 for the treatment of sickle cell anemia in patients 12 and older, following impressive clinical trial results.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a notice accusing the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, of alleged misconduct.
The lawmakers justified their actions based on the Nigerian Constitution, according to the notice obtained by Channels Television.
The notice read, “In compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws, we the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly hereby forward to you a Notice of Gross Misconduct by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State in the performance of the functions of her office.”
The Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Sweetcrude Limited, publishers of SweetcrudeReports, is pleased to announce the launch of the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’. This prestigious awards ceremony aims to recognize and celebrate individuals and companies that have made significant contributions to the development of Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry.
Awards Ceremony Details
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the NCDMB’s world-class conference hall, situated at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, beginning at 6 pm prompt. The event will hold at the sidelines of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF), scheduled for May 20-22, 2025.
Selection Criteria
Unlike other awards in the Nigeria oil and gas industry, the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’ will be determined by verifiable accomplishments, using defined metrics set by the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate and other operational directorates and divisions of the NCDMB.
Awards Categories
The awards categories include:
– Nigerian Content Icon of the Year
– Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award
– Nigerian Content International Upstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Indigenous Upstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Midstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Downstream Operator of the Year
– Nigerian Content International Service Company of the Year
– Nigerian Content Indigenous Service Company of the Year
– Nigerian Content Innovator of the Year
– Nigerian Content Financial Services Provider of the Year
– Nigerian Content Media Organization of the Year
. Women in Leadership Award for Promoting Gender Equality and Empowerment
Benefits for Awardees
Awardees will enjoy commensurate benefits, including media exposure and prominent display at the headquarters of the NCDMB, among other benefits to be determined by the Board.
Advisory Board
The Awards are superintended by an advisory board headed by prominent and accomplished industry players, including Dr. Ernest Nwapa, pioneer Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Dr. Omar Farouk, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organization, Mr. Tony Attah, erstwhile Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Ltd, and Mr. Wole Akinyosoye, former Zonal Operations Controller, Department of Petroleum Resources. The role of the advisory board is to confirm the authenticity of the winners and to give further gravitas to the awards.
Commenting on the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’, Mr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary of the NCDMB said “the time has come to identify and celebrate pillars of Nigerian Content who shall serve as a shining example of what is expected of others in the industry”.
He noted that the Awards are being launched just when oil and gas industry players are gearing up to mark the 15th anniversary of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICD) Act 2010.
Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Director Monitoring and Evaluation at the NCDMB also remarked that the ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’ will motivate and reward Nigerian Content compliance among entities in the oil and gas industry. He said the Board had mulled this event for a few years, and the launch signified NCDMB’s conviction that companies and individuals who extend themselves to develop Nigerian Content and comply with extant regulations should be identified by the regulator and celebrated, to serve as a beacon of motivation for other industry players.
On their part, Sweetcrude Limited has promised that the Awards will feature glitz and glamour, to signify the importance and contributions of Nigerian Content to the national economy.
Chinese internet search giant Baidu released a new artificial intelligence reasoning model Sunday and made its AI chatbot services free to consumers as ferocious competition grips the sector.
Technology companies in China have been scrambling to release improved AI platforms since start-up DeepSeek shocked its rivals with its open source and highly cost-efficient model in January.
In a post on WeChat, Baidu announced the launch of its latest X1 reasoning model — which the company claims performs similarly to DeepSeek’s but for lower cost — and a new foundation model, Ernie 4.5.
Baidu also made its AI chatbot Ernie Bot free for individual users more than two weeks ahead of schedule. Previously, users had to pay a subscription to access the company’s latest AI models via Ernie Bot.
Ernie 4.5 “outperforms” US-based OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 model in “multiple benchmarks”, while Ernie X1 features “enhanced capabilities in understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution”, Baidu said.
The Beijing-based company was one of China’s first to roll out a generative AI platform publicly, in 2023, but rival chatbots from companies such as TikTok owner ByteDance and Moonshot AI have since gained more users.
Baidu faces stiff competition in the consumer-facing AI sector where startup DeepSeek shook up the industry at home and abroad with a model that performed comparably to competitors such as US-made ChatGPT, but cost much less to develop.
Since then, Chinese companies and local government agencies have rushed to incorporate DeepSeek’s open-source model into their work, while other technology companies have been playing catch-up.
Baidu itself has integrated DeepSeek’s R1 reasoning model into its search engine.
In February, WeChat owner Tencent released a new AI model that it claimed answers queries faster than DeepSeek, even as it incorporated its rival’s technology into its messaging platform.
The same month, Alibaba, which has partnered with Apple to develop AI for the US company’s phones in China, said it would invest 380 billion yuan ($52 billion) in AI and cloud computing over the next three years.
Alibaba this month also released a new version of its AI assistant app powered by its open-source Qwen reasoning model.
Baidu has also announced plans to follow DeepSeek’s lead by making its Ernie AI models open-source from June 30.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has said plans are underway to introduce specialised software aimed at ensuring that students with disabilities in higher institutions can fully take advantage of its loan scheme.
Managing Director/Chief Executive of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement on student loans in Benin City, Edo State, according to a statement by the Fund on Sunday.
Sawyerr emphasised that the Act establishing the loan scheme guarantees equal opportunity for all, adding that NELFUND will collaborate with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to ensure more inclusivity.
“We want to see how we can make it easier for those visually impaired so that they can actually apply for the loan. We are looking at a specific software we are going to use,” he said.
During the event, which brought together religious leaders, parents, persons with disabilities, government officials, teachers, and community representatives, Sawyerr described the initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a transformative step for education in Nigeria.
Addressing concerns about loan repayment in the event of a beneficiary’s death, he said, “The law says that if the very person dies, that loan is not transferred to the family or anyone else. The loan is wiped out.”
Sawyerr reiterated the government’s commitment to making tertiary education accessible to all Nigerians, stating that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came up with this initiative that no Nigerian student anywhere in Nigeria should be deprived of the opportunity to gain tertiary education because of lack of money.
“In order to actualise this vision, he set up this agency, Nigeria Education Loan Fund. He has funded it, he has put political will behind it, having created a structure through an Act of Parliament that effectively says that we are to go and look for these students, those who are about to drop out, those who are considering not furthering after secondary level, that we should look for them and if money is their issue, we should try to solve it. We’ve been doing that.”
On his part, Edo State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, commended the Federal Government for making the student loan scheme a reality.
Idahosa said, “Let me also use this opportunity to thank the President of our dear country, President Bola Tinubu, for this initiative. Because before now, many families go through a lot of challenges to be able to pay school fees for students across the country.
“The thanks also go to my former boss, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. In the 9th Assembly, this bill was sponsored by him and was assented by the President, and that is what gave this opportunity to Nigerian students to be able to pay school fees.
“We as a state government, by the grace of God, we are going to collaborate with you for very aggressive sensitization to ensure that almost all the students in Edo State benefit from the student loan initiative.”
Meanwhile, speaking during the stakeholders’ engagement, Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr Paddy Iyamu, humorously advised parents against having more children simply because the burden of tertiary education costs would be covered by NELFUND.
“To my men folk, don’t begin to fire on because of NELFUND,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Iyamu described the scheme as nearly free due to its zero-interest nature, explaining that repayment would only begin two years after completing the National Youth Service Corps and when beneficiaries are employed, with deductions set at 10% of their salary.
Former Jigawa State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Sule Lamido, has dismissed a call by ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, urging opposition leaders to join the Social Democratic Party.
El-Rufai, who recently announced his defection from the All Progressives Congress to the SDP, made the call in an interview with BBC Hausa.
While he did not mention Lamido by name, he invited key opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, to join him in the SDP.
Responding in a separate BBC Hausa interview on Sunday, Lamido dismissed the invitation as an insult, insisting that the PDP, which he helped build, laid the foundation for El-Rufai’s political career.
“The party we formed, the PDP, is the one that gave birth to El-Rufai.
“You’re not enough to make us leave the PDP,” Lamido said.
He added, “He once said that there are no adults in Nigeria in politics, but now he is calling on us to join him in the SDP.”
The former governor also questioned El-Rufai’s motives for defecting from the APC to the SDP.
“He said he told President Buhari about his decision to leave the APC, but now he is saying that he is one of the adults in Nigerian politics,” Lamido stated.
The former governor argued that the PDP had not done anything to warrant his defection, emphasizing his long-standing loyalty.
“If I was going to leave the PDP, I would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed,” he said.
The former governor also criticised El-Rufai’s leadership style, saying that leadership is not about anger or selfish ambition.
“Leadership is done with patience and vision, and doing things for the peace of the followers and the country as a whole,” Lamido said.
Lamido advised El-Rufai to put patriotism first instead of showing anger towards others, saying, “What should be done is to put patriotism first, instead of showing anger towards someone.”
He added, “The PDP has been working to rebuild its strength after losing the 2015 presidential election.”
The Owu community in the Abeokuta North Local Government of Ogun State has protested what it described as an unfair allocation of electoral wards, despite its significant population and high voter registration figures.
Speaking on behalf of the community under the aegis of the Concerned Apex Citizens of Owu, in a statement on Sunday, Pastor Sola Makinde urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to create at least three additional wards to supplement the existing three, ensuring fair political representation and more effective governance.
Citing figures from INEC’s website, Makinde pointed out that while other communities in the local government—such as Oke-Ona, Gbagura, and Oke-Ogun—have between four and five wards, Owu, despite having 42,264 registered voters (the second highest in the local government), is left with only three wards and 78 polling units.
He emphasized that the current ward structure places undue strain on residents, forcing many to walk long distances to polling units during elections—a situation that discourages participation and fuels voter apathy.
“Part of our discoveries are the unfortunate imbalances in the allocation of only three wards to Owu Community despite our huge population and voter registration strength.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that delineation is long overdue in the Owu community.
“It is crucial for ensuring fair political representation, efficient governance, civic responsibility, and monumental community engagement,” Makinde said.
The group stressed that ward delineation is fundamental to preventing political imbalance and ensuring equitable representation at the grassroots level.
Given its large population, land size, and insufficient polling units, the community is demanding the immediate creation of three additional administrative and political wards.
“Presently, Owu Community consists of three administrative/political wards. However, Owu is duly qualified for at least five wards.
“Through this expansion, we hope to significantly reduce voter apathy and achieve a major milestone in our political and electoral representation, both within the Owu Community and Abeokuta North Local Government as a whole,” Makinde added.
Supporting the demand, former Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government, Mr. Sunday Akintona, also called on INEC to act swiftly.
“This issue has been long overdue. Given Owu’s continuous growth, expansion, and population explosion, INEC must recognize the need for additional wards to ensure fair political inclusion and better electoral participation,” Akintona stated.
