Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on Wednesday officially recognized the exit of three of its former members: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic. The trio’s exit became effective on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, upon the expiration of a one-year notice period. However, in the spirit of regional solidarity, ECOWAS asked its member countries to still recognize the national passports of the three countries bearing the ECOWAS logo until further notice. A statement by the ECOWAS Authority said its doors remain open for more engagements with the three countries, requesting its member states to recognize national passports and…
President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after participating in the Africa heads of state energy summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The president departed Nigeria on Sunday to participate in the summit between January 27 and 28. Earlier, Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, said African leaders, the private sector, development partners, and civil society groups would discuss ways to accelerate energy access across the continent during the summit. The summit was hosted by the government of Tanzania in collaboration with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank. Tinubu, who arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja…
As President Donald Trump continues his crackdown on illegal immigrants in the US, about 3,690 Nigerians have been listed for deportation. This was contained in a document compiled by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations released on Tuesday. The agency stated that the data was broken down according to nationality and the number of people faced with deportation. According to the document, Mexico and Nicaragua top the list of nations with massive deportation, with 252,044 and 45,955 illegal immigrants expected to be deported soon. Recall that hundreds of migrants were arrested last week while others flew…
The Katsina State Council of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) on Tuesday declared the withdrawal of nurses and midwives working in the hospitals located along the Frontline and vulnerable areas in the state. The Chairman of the association, Nura Mu’azu made the declaration during a press briefing held at the State Council Secretariat with the title: “Health Worker You Are On Your Own”. According to him, the threat is effective from Thursday 30th January 2025 by midnight until the needful is done. The briefing is coming 14 days after gunmen abducted one of the association’s members,…
Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of paying opposition leaders N50 million each to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process. Atiku disclosed this at a national conference on strengthening democracy, organized by various civic organizations in Abuja on Monday. He, however, cautioned that Nigeria’s democracy was at risk of collapse if urgent action wasn’t taken. According to Atiku: “I want to say it here publicly. I met with a political party leadership in the present opposition, and they told me flatly that this government gives them N50 million each. “If we are not…
Remedy Yange, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Benue state, has been found dead on a street in Lagos two weeks after another was shot and killed by a suspected Yahoo boy in Onitsha, Anambra. A video that began circulating online on Monday shows that the latest death victim, who was not in uniform, slumped and died in an undisclosed part of Lagos on Sunday, an incident confirmed by the EFCC. The video showed his lifeless body surrounded by sympathisers, including police officers who coordinated a search of his bag. It was discovered through his…
The Sokoto State Government has launched the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, aimed at improving educational outcomes for adolescent girls in the state. Governor Ahmad Aliyu, who launched the project on Monday at the Government House in Sokoto, said it was part of the state’s broader agenda to transform the education sector. The governor explained that the AGILE Project would focus on enhancing access to education, life skills training, and financial support for adolescent girls. In his address the commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Professor Ahmed Ladan Ala commended the Governor for his commitment shown…
A retired director in the Procurement Department, Ministry of Aviation, Musa Odiniyan on Monday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that Al Buraq Global Investment was not qualified for the contract awarded for the repairs of Katsina Airport by the Ministry under Hadi Sirika’s leadership. Odiniyan is the fifth prosecuting witness in the trial of the former Minister of Aviation. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Sirika and three others, Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment, on six amended charges bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N2,825,032,220.97. A statement by…
A retired military officer, Major General Bamidele Johnson Olawumi (Rtd.), has issued a strong rebuttal to comments credited to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who alleged that retired military generals are behind illegal mining activities in Nigeria. In remarks reported in the media, Oshiomhole said, “Those involved in illegal mining are people in high places, including retired generals. These are not unknown people. They are well-known people with private armies who protect their illegal mining sites.” The statement has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from retired officers who feel targeted by the sweeping generalization. Reacting in a detailed statement, General Olawumi described Oshiomhole’s…
Some members of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State have expressed dissatisfaction with the election of Mojisola Meranda as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal of Mudashiru Obasa over allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation. Meranda, formerly the Deputy Speaker, was elected Speaker on January 13, 2025, after lawmakers voted out Obasa, who has denied the allegations. A faction within the party representing Lagos West, Progressives Alliance, criticised the decision to shift the Speakership to Lagos Central, calling it an act of “injustice” against Lagos West, which they noted accounts for half of the…