Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

President Bola Tinubu has rescheduled his official visit to Kaduna State, opting instead to travel to Benue State on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed on Monday. “The President’s visit aims to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction,” Onanuga stated. According to him, Tinubu was scheduled to visit Kaduna State on Wednesday to commission various state government projects.…

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, rejected an application by the Federal Government to issue a bench warrant against suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in an alleged defamation case against her. The government is prosecuting Akpoti-Uduaghan on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello. When the matter was called on Monday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. D.D. Kasue, told the court that the matter was for arraignment but that the defendant was not in court. Kasue told the court that he served the charge on the defendant’s counsel which meant that the defendant was…

U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his tough stance on immigration, demanding a sweeping expansion of arrests and deportations by federal agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, the Republican president called on ICE and other agencies to do all in their power to carry out what he described as the single largest Mass Deportation Programme in History. Trump specifically targeted Democrat-led cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, urging the federal agents to step up enforcement efforts. The president’s hard-line approach has sparked widespread protests across several…

Justice Halilu Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on Monday granted bail at ₦2 billion to a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. Justice Yusuf granted the bail after Emefiele was arraigned on an eight-count charge in which he is accused of among others, unlawfully acquiring a housing estate comprising 753 units, allegedly stealing and taking control of billions of naira in proxy accounts. In the ruling, Justice Yusuf noted that Emefiele had been granted bail in three other criminal cases pending against him and that there was no evidence that he had…

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has arrived in Benue State and ordered the immediate deployment of additional tactical teams to the region following a wave of deadly attacks that have left scores dead. A brief statement posted by the Nigeria Police Force on Monday via X confirmed the development. “IGP arrives Benue, orders for additional deployment of tactical teams,” the statement said. The deployment comes amid mounting public outrage and calls on social media for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Benue, following a two-day killing spree by suspected herders. Recall that at least 45…

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has fired back at critics branding the 10th National Assembly as a “rubber stamp,” insisting that lawmakers were not elected to engage in a brawl with President Bola Tinubu. Speaking during a live programme on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Sunday, the former Edo State governor and current senator representing Edo North dismissed the label as not only unfair but also a misrepresentation of the role of legislators in a democracy. “There’s a perception that the National Assembly is a rubber stamp? So if we start boxing the presidency just to prove independence, then we become a…

Angry youths on Sunday stormed the Wurukum food basket roundabout to protest the alleged killing of scores of residents by suspected herdsmen in Yelwata, in Benue State. The protesters converged on the Wurukum food basket roundabout Makurdi as early as 8 am to demand action over the alleged killing on Saturday in Yelwata. They were later joined by a social media influencer, Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan. Speaking to journalists, one of the protesters, Solomon Amande, said Benue youths were angry at the deafening silence of President Bola Tinubu, and the governor of Benue State despite the killing of…

The Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the Young Progressives Party has expelled its state secretary, Kelvin Umoh, over allegations of gross misconduct, blackmail and other actions considered inimical to the peace, unity and integrity of the party. The party also announced the appointment of Mr. Moses Antigha, as the acting secretary of the party in the state. This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a general meeting of the party held in Uyo the state capital on Sunday. The meeting presided over by the Acting State Chairman, Elder Wisdom Udoka, accused Umoh of allegedly convening secret…

The Lagos State Government said the rising traffic from articulated trucks on the Lekki-Epe corridor has prompted enforcement of a technology-based electronic call-up system. The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement by Mrs Bolanle Ogunlola, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Transportation. Osiyemi revealed that enforcement of the e-call-up system will begin from Monday, June 16, to manage truck movement in the affected corridor. The Lekki-Epe axis hosts major investments including the Dangote Refinery, Lekki Deep Sea Port, and key oil and gas infrastructure. Due to the presence of only one major…

Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has proposed a partnership with Montefiore Einstein Medical Centre, New York, United States to advance the country’s healthcare services. Kalu made the proposal while hosting the President of the centre, Dr. Philip Ozuah, and his team on a courtesy call on Friday in Abuja. Ozuah, an outstanding Nigerian and a global leader in healthcare delivery also serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Montefiore Medicine, the umbrella organization for Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine based New York. It will be recalled that the Deputy…