Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Dr Jumoke Oduwole Commends NGX Leadership For Bolstering Nigeria’s Capital Market Growth. The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, has lauded the leadership of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) for its pivotal role in fortifying Nigeria’s capital markets. Speaking at a Closing Gong Ceremony, the Minister praised the NGX for its unwavering commitment to fostering economic growth and investment opportunities. Dr Oduwole acknowledged the contributions of the NGX Chairman, CEO, Board of Directors, and key industry stakeholders, including the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and the Association of Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON).…

Power Restored Across Most Of Spain And Portugal After Major Blackout. Spain’s national power company, Red Eléctrica, has announced the near-complete restoration of electricity across Peninsular Spain, following a significant outage that disrupted critical infrastructure including airports, train services, and traffic systems. By 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Red Eléctrica confirmed that 99 percent of electricity demand had been met and that all substations on the national grid were back in operation—almost 18 hours after the blackout began on Monday. The outage, which extended into neighbouring Portugal, left tens of millions of residents without power across the…

Lagos Signs Landmark MoU To Boost Water Infrastructure. The Lagos State Government has taken a major step towards improving access to clean water with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday with international consortium firms, Belstar and ENKA, for the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply works across the state. The signing ceremony, held at the Alausa Secretariat, was presided over by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab. He stated that the collaboration is a strategic move to tackle longstanding water infrastructure challenges in the state. According to Wahab, the…

Court Orders Aisha Achimugu To Appear Before EFCC Over N8.7 Billion Oil Block Investigation. Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to present herself before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, 29 April 2025, in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged financial crimes. The judge further directed that Achimugu must also appear before the court on Wednesday, 30 April 2025. The ruling was delivered on Monday, 28 April 2025, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/626/2025, which was filed by Achimugu against several Nigerian law enforcement agencies, including the…

Ohanaeze Faction Urges Tinubu To Embrace Peace Dialogue With Pro-Biafra Agitators. A faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to embrace a peace initiative extended by non-violent pro-Biafra agitators, calling for meaningful dialogue to resolve long-standing issues in the South-East. In a statement released in Abakaliki on Sunday, Deputy National President of the Ohanaeze faction, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, urged the President to consider the merits of engaging in peaceful discussions with groups previously associated with Biafra agitation, particularly in light of recent developments. Isiguzoro referenced the recent book, *A Journey in…

Federal Government Raises Alarm Over Rising Cyber Slavery Targeting Nigerian Youths. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has expressed grave concern over the alarming rise in cyber slavery across parts of West Africa, particularly targeting vulnerable Nigerian youths. Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Ministry’s spokesperson, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday. According to him, numerous young Nigerians, including underage teenagers, are being lured out of the country under the false promise of lucrative employment opportunities abroad, particularly in the burgeoning field of cryptocurrency operations. However, rather than legitimate work, these individuals find themselves trafficked…

Catholic Cardinals Set 7 May For Conclave To Elect New Pope. Catholic cardinals have agreed to begin the conclave to elect a new pope on 7 May, highlighting clerical sexual abuse as one of the key challenges awaiting the successor of Pope Francis. The so-called “Princes of the Church” under the age of 80 will gather in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new spiritual leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The decision was reached on Monday morning, two days after the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away on 21 April at the age of 88. …

EFCC Investigates Foreign Currency Seizure At Kano Airport. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Kano Zonal Directorate, has commenced an investigation into the seizure of $86,500 (eighty-six thousand, five hundred United States dollars), 305,150 (three hundred and five thousand, one hundred and fifty) Saudi Riyals, and 200 Euros at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The funds were discovered in an unaccompanied bag suspected to have been smuggled into the country. The interception occurred on Sunday, 27 April 2025, when a clearing agent, Sale Bala, attempted to retrieve the luggage. Upon physical inspection, Nigeria Customs Service…

Tensions were high in Adamawa State on Monday as students of Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, took to the streets to protest the prolonged power outage at the institution. The protest, which began peacefully within the campus, quickly spilt into surrounding streets as students, chanting “We want electricity,” demanded urgent action from the school management and government authorities. Chaos erupted when some protesters clashed with unsuspecting passersby, forcing police operatives to intervene and restore order. Students said they had endured over three months without electricity, which they described as unbearable and detrimental to their academic performance and daily…

Peter Nwachukwu Sentenced To Death For Killing Of Gospel Singer Osinachi Nwachukwu A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, husband of the late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging. Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, delivering judgment on Monday, ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven its case against Nwachukwu, who was convicted of culpable homicide leading to his wife’s death on 8 April 2022. Nwachukwu was first arraigned on 3 June 2022 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on behalf of the Federal Government. He faced a 23-count…

Africa Makes History With Inauguration Of African Space Agency. Africa marked a historic milestone on Sunday, 20 April 2025, with the official inauguration of the African Space Agency (AfSA) during the NewSpace Africa Conference. The prestigious event brought together dignitaries from around the globe, including ministers, ambassadors, and leading figures from the international space community. Dr Valanathan Munsami, former Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and Chair of the African Union Space Working Group, provided historical context to the establishment of the African Space Policy and Strategy. He highlighted Africa’s unique opportunity…

Governor Fintiri Suspends Emir Of Daware Over Corruption And Maladministration. Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has indefinitely suspended the Emir of Daware, Hassan Ja’afaru, following findings of corruption, maladministration, breach of security, and other serious offences. The decision, conveyed in a letter dated 25 April 2025 and signed by the Permanent Secretary for Chieftaincy Affairs, Adama Mamman, comes after a thorough investigation into several allegations levelled against the traditional ruler, who formerly served as District Head of Daware in Fufore Local Government Area. According to the letter, Ja’afaru was found guilty of acts including the confiscation of farmlands…