Zekari Umoru, one of the defendants in the ongoing trial of six persons allegedly involved in the plotting of a coup against President Bola Tinubu’s government, on Tuesday said he was deceived by co-suspects. Mr Umoru, a Julius Berger Nigeria Plc employee in the Maintenance Department, Presidential Villa, Abuja, spoke in a video evidence played before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Mr Umoru is the 4th defendant in the alleged treasonable charge. In the video recordings of his extra-judicial statement, Umoru narrated how his contact with individuals later identified as key figures in the case…
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned a legal practitioner, Mike Ikegbunam, before the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu over an alleged N91 million land fraud. Ikegbunam was arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering and obtaining by false pretence before Justice M. T. Segun-Bello. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. The defendant had earlier been arraigned on January 31, 2024, before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the same court, who has since been transferred. At the time, he was granted bail on self-recognition, with a condition that he deposit his Call to Bar…
A British couple is facing 30 years behind bars after allegedly attempting to smuggle two suitcases worth of cannabis into the UK. Holly Cooper and her boyfriend Taylor Johnson, both 20, were arrested in Istanbul, Turkey, on a flight from Thailand. Officers apprehended the pair as they were heading toward their connecting flight to London, at the end of last month. Following questioning they were thrown into an overcrowded holding cell where Taylor was reportedly beaten up by Turkish thugs, sources in his family claimed. The couple, both from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, were later moved to another jail,…
The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the State Primary Healthcare Management Board (SPHCMB), has advanced to Day Four of its ongoing statewide reaccreditation and data validation exercise across Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs). The exercise, aimed at strengthening healthcare quality and accountability, is gaining momentum as assessment teams continue to expand coverage across additional Local Government Areas in the state. Officials said the initiative is focused on ensuring that healthcare facilities meet established standards for service delivery under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and other health financing…
A coalition of youth and student organizations in Kano State has called on party stakeholders to uphold fairness, loyalty, and internal democracy in the allocation of the Kano Central Senatorial ticket ahead of future elections. The groups Coalition for Better Kano, Concern Kano Citizens, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Kano Axis, National Association of Kano State Students (NAKSS), and Northern Student Stakeholders made their position known in a joint statement issued by their leader, Inyass Muhammad Auwal. The statement comes amid growing speculation that the Kano Central Senatorial ticket may be allocated to Ibrahim Shekarau following his recent return…
The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among the media, government institutions, and other stakeholders to address the growing threat of disinformation and misinformation in Nigeria. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the call on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 commemoration of World Press Freedom Day held at Radio House. Idris stressed that collective action is essential to safeguard public trust and maintain national stability, noting that the current administration has prioritised collaboration with media stakeholders and international partners to promote responsible journalism. He described press freedom as a fundamental right guaranteed under the…
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has called for urgent reforms to simplify investment processes and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, warning that delays could undermine Nigeria’s ability to attract both local and foreign investors. The call was made during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Commission, led by the Chairman of its Investment Monitoring Committee, Hon. Enefe Ekene, to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, in Abuja. Speaking during the meeting, Ekene stressed the need for Nigeria to align its investment procedures with global best practices, particularly in business registration and investor onboarding.…
The Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB) has distributed tablets to newly deployed teachers in Smart Schools across the state, as part of efforts to strengthen digital teaching and learning. The initiative is in line with the Kaduna State Government’s vision to modernise basic education and align it with global 21st-century standards through the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in classrooms. The Smart School programme is supported by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in collaboration with the state government. Speaking during the distribution exercise, the Executive Chairman of KADSUBEB, Mubarak Mohammed, who was represented by the…
The Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing taxpayer awareness and voluntary compliance through a targeted sensitisation campaign. The exercise, conducted for associations under the Nomansland Tax Office, focused on educating taxpayers about newly implemented tax laws, proper registration procedures, and the importance of fulfilling civic tax obligations. As part of the outreach, KIRS officials engaged members of key business groups, including the Association of Tyre Dealers, the Food Sellers and Beverages Association, and the Kano State Landlords and Caretakers Association. These groups, largely made up of small and medium-scale business owners, were provided with…
Lamara Garba There is something sacred about ink when it refuses to lie. There is something stubborn about truth when it insists on being heard, even in the presence of guns, prisons, and power. And there is something profoundly human about the journalist, who stands between silence and society, choosing again and again to speak. Perhaps we often forget how this day itself came to be. It was the United Nations, at its 1993 General Assembly, that proclaimed every 3rd of May as World Press Freedom Day, a date set aside not for ceremony alone, but for reflection, resistance, and…