Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the federal government’s request to allow its witnesses to testify behind a screen in the terrorism charges against Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The court’s decision was based on security reasons, with the government’s lawyer arguing that protecting the witnesses’ identities was necessary due to the nature of the charges. Kanu’s lawyer did not object to the application but requested similar cooperation when arguing Kanu’s bail application. The court granted the request, and the first witness of the federal government code named, PWAAA in the matter…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday arrested businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Our correspondent gathered that Achimugu was arrested around 5am shortly after her return from London. Achimugu had been declared wanted in March by the EFCC over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. On Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice I.E. Ekwo, had ordered her to appear before the EFCC on Tuesday, and also to appear before the court on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Her lawyer, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, confirmed her arrest in a message saying,…
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, says his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is informed by the need to build a platform free from godfatherism and internal dysfunction. He said Nigeria urgently needs a credible political alternative to rescue it from existential threats. El-Rufai made the remarks in Kano on Monday while briefing newsmen on why he decamped to the SDP. He said he was in Kano to visit the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and to meet with SDP leaders to strategise on building a strong grassroots political movement in the state. “Kano…
Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging. Justice Nwosu-Iheme found him guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased on April 8, 2022. The judge sentenced Nwachukwu to death while sentencing him after the court had held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty. Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the…
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Kalu, has assured Nigerians of more dividends of democracy from the present government. While highlighting President Bola Tinubu’s legacies in the South East over the last two years, he emphasized the need for the region to align decisively with the centre. Mr. Kalu made the call while unveiling the Renewed Hope Partners (RHP), a multipurpose vehicle aimed at realizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid in Umuahia, the capital city of Abia State. Mr. Kalu said that RHP will play a crucial role in translating President Tinubu’s administration’s national achievements…
Catholic cardinals will meet on May 7 to start voting for a new pope, the Vatican announced on Monday, a week after the death of Pope Francis. So-called “Princes of the Church” under the age of 80 will meet in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new religious leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The date was decided at meeting of cardinals of all ages early Monday, two days after the funeral of Francis, who died on April 21 aged 88. The Church’s 252 cardinals were called back to Rome after the Argentine’s death, although only 135 are eligible…
Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North in National Assembly, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu says the South East should not miss the benefits that accrue from belonging to the mainstream political environment. Kalu, in a post on his official Facebook account, said that President Bola Tinubu was not happy that he could only get 4% vote in the entire Abia State during the 2023 Presidential election. He noted that the President scoring just 4% in the whole of Abia State was a worrisome outcome considering the array of personalities that APC had in Abia State during the polls.…
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has responded to criticisms by a former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, over the early resumption time for its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. Obi had, in a post on X on Sunday, decried reports of candidates, mostly teenagers, being asked to travel to examination centres as early as 6:30 am despite security concerns. He described the situation as “reckless,” citing incidents of accidents and missing candidates, and blamed it on what he called Nigeria’s inadequate investment in education. According to Obi, setting exams for vulnerable teenagers at such early hours was…
Private school owners in Edo State, under the umbrella of the Coalition of Associations of Private Schools (CAPS), staged a peaceful protest on Friday in Benin City to express grievances over an alleged hike in personal income tax. The protest, held at the premises of the Edo State Ministry of Education, saw participants carrying placards and banners demanding the reversal of what they described as an outrageous increase in tax rates—reportedly between 200% and 400%. CAPS comprises several educational bodies, including the Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON), Association for Formidable Education Development (AFED), National Association of Proprietors…
A group of women in Rivers state are protesting the suspension of Siminalayi Fubara, the governor, and the declaration of emergency rule in the state. The protest began early Friday morning with the women chanting slogans and demanding an end to what they perceive as an “unconstitutional state of affairs” in Rivers. During a march to the government house in Port Harcourt, the women also demanded a return to democratic governance in the state. “We want governor Fubara back,” one protester was heard saying in a viral video. ‘We need our democracy restored’, ‘#BringBackFubara’, ‘Obey the rule of law’, and…