Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has cried out on the need to restore the integrity of the judiciary in Nigeria.

According to George, some politicians have compromised the integrity of the judicial system, and there are allegations that some judges are even on the payroll of influential politicians.

He, therefore, called on the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to ensure the integrity and esteemed status of the judiciary is restored.

George made the call in a statement on Sunday “The Time to End Judicial Rascality is Now.”

The former military governor of Ondo State added that it is worrisome and embarrassing that courts in the country have frequently been giving conflicting rulings on the same matter, with the situation now becoming an embarrassment to Nigerians.

He cautioned that if left unchecked, these actions could destabilize the country’s democracy.

He said: “I congratulate you on your confirmation by the Senate and your swearing-in by President Bola Tinubu as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. As a bonafide Lagosian and jurist from a family of legal luminaries, I strongly believe the judiciary will benefit from your wealth of knowledge. With you at the helm, I am hopeful the judiciary will reclaim the prominence it once had from the 1950s to the 1980s.”

Raising the alarm on what he described as “judicial rascality” emerging from courts, George noted the urgent need to curb the current trajectory and avoid “judicial anarchy.”

He explained: “Judicial decisions today are becoming embarrassing. We have instances where a court, miles away from the scene of political conflict, issues confusing rulings, leaving Nigerians bewildered. While appellate courts have the power to overturn lower court decisions, we are seeing a disturbing trend where lower courts, without jurisdiction, issue counter orders, creating judicial chaos.”

George advised the CJN to convene a National Judicial Council (NJC) meeting with state and federal judges to address these inconsistencies and restore public confidence in the judiciary.

He hoped for a return to the time in the 1950s to 1980s when the integrity of the judiciary was above board.

He singled out some past Chief Justices, including Justice Adetokunbo Ademola, Justice Teslim Elias, and Justice Kayode Eso, for resisting external pressures and maintaining the integrity of the judiciary during their times.

“From the 1950s to the 1980s, judges were revered and feared for their impartiality. It was unheard of to attempt bribing a judge. But today, some judges are openly accused of being on politicians’ payrolls,” he said.

The PDP chieftain, however, lamented that in many political cases since 1999, judges have been accused of delivering judgments that serve the interests of powerful individuals rather than justice.

He questioned the delivery of judgement based on “technicalities” that undermine the will of the people. He condemned the trend where just a few judges determine the final verdict in an election participated by millions of voters.

“How can three, five, or seven judges decide the outcome of elections for millions of Nigerians? What is the essence of voting if judges impose their will over the electorate’s choice?” he queried.

George stressed the need for the judiciary to be vigilant and avoid rulings that could undermine the democratic process, saying judicial officers wield such extensive powers.

“Judicial institutional strength is key to Nigeria’s development. Judges must resist pressure from politicians and remain impartial. They hold the power of life and death after God, and their judgments must reflect that responsibility,” George stated.

He urged the CJN to take urgent action to restore the credibility of the judiciary, and save Nigeria from politicians who are bent on compromising the judiciary for their own selfish interests.

“Today, some politicians who are no better than criminals have compromised the judiciary. This is dangerous for our electoral system and for the future of Nigeria. The time to end judicial rascality is now,” George concluded.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed why he moved for the removal of Uche Secondus as the national Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Secondus, an elder statesman, was the Chairman of the PDP National Working Committee in 2017 and was suspended by the party in 2021.

The former governor of Rivers State, while addressing his followers and members of the PDP in Port Harcourt on Saturday, said he kicked out Secondus because as National Chairman, he wanted to bring Tele Ikuru to run for the governorship position of the state.

Wike further stated that he does not regret kicking Secondus out of office.

According to him, “Why did we kick out Secondus? We kicked him out because he wanted to bring his cousin Tele Ikuru. Get out, get out, who are you?

“We kicked him out. I have no regret about it. And it’s true. We kicked him out. I heard some leaders say, ‘how can a ward Chairman remove a national chairman?’

“No ward Chairman removed a national chairman. What the ward did was suspend him from the party. When you’re suspended from the party, can you hold that position? People don’t even understand the facts.”

Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force on Sunday reportedly fired shots and deployed tear gas to forcibly disperse protesters gathered at the Lekki Tollgate, in Lagos State.

Naija News reports that the demonstrators had assembled to commemorate those who lost their lives during the October 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality.

According to eyewitness accounts, the peaceful procession was interrupted when police officers began shooting into the air and deploying tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Many protesters fled the scene, while at least two individuals were arrested.

A source who spoke to SaharaReporters confirmed the arrests, though the identities of those detained remain unknown.

As of now, the police have not released an official statement addressing the incident or the use of force during the memorial gathering.

Recall that the Lekki Tollgate is the site of the tragic shooting on October 20, 2020, when security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters.

Thousands of youths, in October 2020, gathered in major cities across the country to protest against the constant harassment, killings, and extortion by officers of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian police.

The protest culminated at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where several youths were reportedly killed and many others severely injured following the intervention of the Nigerian military.

In the aftermath of the protests, judicial panels were established across various states to assess and review the protesters’ demands.

However, almost four years later, protest leaders have expressed deep regret that many of the panels’ recommendations remain unimplemented.

President Bola Tinubu has tasked Vice President, Kashim Shettima, with leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

In a statement issued on Sunday by Stanley Nwokocha, the spokesman for the Vice President, it was confirmed that Shettima will represent Nigeria at this significant international gathering, which is set to take place in Apia, Samoa, from October 21 to 26.

The upcoming CHOGM will see participation from King Charles of England and leaders from 56 member countries, all converging to discuss critical issues affecting the Commonwealth.

The theme for this year’s meeting is “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth.”

The statement reads, “The theme will focus attention on how member countries can harness their strengths through resilience, unlocking potential, leveraging the ‘Commonwealth Advantage’, and fostering a connected, digital Commonwealth.”

“At this meeting, Nigeria and other member countries will also elect and appoint the next Commonwealth Secretary-General.

“In line with the Agreed Memorandum on the Establishment and Functions of the Commonwealth Secretariat (revised 2022) and the principle of regional rotation, the next Commonwealth Secretary-General will come from the Africa Region.

“The candidates for the role are from Lesotho, Ghana, and The Gambia, while Nigeria will have a major role to play as the largest African member in this regard.

“Consolidating the progress made at CHOGM 2022, VP Shettima and other world leaders will also deliberate on the global economy, environmental and security challenges, discussing how Commonwealth countries can work together to build resilience, boost trade, innovation, growth, and empower the Commonwealth’s 1.5 billion young people for a more peaceful and sustainable future.

“The Vice President is expected to use the platform provided by the Commonwealth Business Forum to further attract investors to Nigeria, as global experts from businesses and the private sector convene to recommend and champion solutions to global challenges.

“Senator Shettima will also participate in the People’s Forum, the single largest opportunity organized by the Commonwealth Foundation for people to engage with leaders on global development issues. He will also engage in bilateral meetings and other executive sessions.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the camp of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, is fighting him because he refused to join forces with them during the elections.

Naija News reports that Wike spoke during a private luncheon with stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, on Saturday.

The Minister hosted the luncheon in honour of the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers House of Assembly.

The former governor of Rivers State said he refused to support Peter Obi for the 2023 presidential election despite being lobbied so much for support.

Wike said he turned down the lobbyist because Obi would not win the election.

He added that some persons in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who want the party’s presidential ticket in 2027 are also ganging up against him.

Wike boasted that his political enemies would not emerge victorious.

He said, “Peter Obi’s group lobbied me so much. They cannot deny it. And I said ‘look, this one won’t fly.’ ‘Rivers State will not vote for where it’s not going to fly’. There’s also a gang up and I say, ‘look, enough is enough.’ They want to fight us back. They’re fighting themselves.

“There is another gang-up within the PDP who wants to be president and they say, ‘look if we don’t do anything now we have a problem’. I can assure you they will have a problem.

“There is another APC — very prominent. All these people combined, they will lose.”

In a record-breaking deportation flight, 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians were forcibly removed from the UK on Friday, marking a significant surge in immigration enforcement.

According to The Guardian.com/uk The Home Office confirmed the action as part of a broader crackdown on immigration, which has seen the deportation of over 3,600 people since the Labour government came to power in July.

This comes as news emerges that asylum seekers arriving at Diego Garcia, a UK-administered island, before the finalization of a treaty between the UK and Mauritius will be relocated to Saint Helena, a British territory in the Atlantic.

The Chagos Islands treaty, expected to be signed next year, will not apply to around 60 Tamils who have been stranded on Diego Garcia since 2021 and are pursuing legal action over their detention.

While the number of asylum seekers arriving at Diego Garcia has been in the hundreds, it pales in comparison to the tens of thousands who have crossed the English Channel in small boats from northern France in recent years. Just on Friday, 647 individuals made the perilous crossing in 10 boats, pushing the total for the year beyond 28,000.

Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana have been relatively rare, with only four recorded since 2020, and prior flights carrying significantly fewer individuals—ranging from six to 21 people. The recent flight, which saw 44 deportees, more than doubled the numbers seen in previous removals.

The Guardian interviewed four Nigerian men held at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick before their deportation. One of them, who had been in the UK for 15 years seeking asylum, expressed his distress: “I have no criminal record, but the Home Office has refused my claim.” Another man revealed he had been a victim of trafficking and bore torture scars, yet his asylum claim had also been rejected.

Fizza Qureshi, the chief executive of Migrants’ Rights Network, condemned the deportations, citing the speed, secrecy, and lack of legal support. She quoted a detainee who said, “The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives. We have not done anything wrong other than cry for help.”

A Home Office spokesperson defended the move, stating that the government is committed to enforcing immigration rules and ensuring that people without legal rights to remain in the UK are returned.

Bayer Leverkusen and Nigeria striker Victor Boniface on Sunday shared video footage and photos of his smashed car after an accident.

The forward can be seen looking into the camera and then showing what appears to be his arm dripping with blood.

Other images show a black sports car which appears to have been destroyed in an accident. The post has since been deleted.

German tabloid Bild reported Sunday Boniface is “doing well considering the circumstances and is only slightly injured”, citing a source close to the striker.

Boniface wrote on social media on Sunday “god is the greatest” and “god says my time hasn’t come.”

The forward’s club Leverkusen are yet to comment publicly on the news.

The 23-year-old striker joined Leverkusen last season and played a key role as the club broke through for an unbeaten league and cup double — their first ever Bundesliga win — while receiving his debut Nigeria call-up.

This season he has seven goals in 10 games in all competitions. On Saturday, he missed a penalty but headed in the winner in a 2-1 home victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Leverkusen are away at French club Brest in the Champions League on Wednesday.

In a world where success is often measured by wealth, the richest Black people stand out as remarkable figures.

These individuals are pioneers in diverse fields, from business to entertainment, and their achievements not only shatter barriers but also pave the way for others to follow.

Take a look at the top 10 richest Black people in the world:

David Steward $11.4 billion USA

David Lloyd Steward, born in 1951, is an American billionaire entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of World Wide Technology (WWT), which is among the largest African-American-owned companies in the United States. In 2024, Steward was ranked 344th on Forbes’ list of billionaires globally, with an estimated net worth of $11.4 billion.

Aliko Dangote ($11.3 billion)

Aliko Dangote, born on April 10, 1957, is one of the richest Black people in the world. A prominent Nigerian businessman and industrialist, he is notably the first person to build a private oil refinery in Nigeria. As of October 2024, Forbes ranks him as the 211th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $11.2 billion. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his wealth is estimated at $27.7 billion.

Robert F. Smith ($10.8 billion)

Robert Frederick Smith, born on December 1, 1962, is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm. Smith earned a chemical engineering degree from Cornell University and later an MBA from Columbia Business School. Before founding his company, he worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. In 2019, during a commencement speech at Morehouse College, Smith made headlines when he pledged to cover the entire $34 million in student loan debt for the graduating class of 2019.

Mike Adenuga ($6.6 billion)

Mike Adenuga, Nigeria’s second wealthiest person, amassed his fortune through telecommunications and oil ventures. His mobile network company, Globacom, is the second-largest in Nigeria, boasting over 60 million subscribers. In addition to telecommunications, Adenuga’s oil company, Conoil Producing, operates six oil blocks in the Niger Delta.

Globacom also established Glo-1, a 6,100-mile submarine internet cable linking the U.K. with Ghana and Portugal. Adenuga holds a 74% stake in publicly traded Conoil and owns just under 6% of Nigerian bank Sterling Financial Holding.

Abdulsamad Rabiu ($ 4.7 billion)

One of the richest Black people in the world, Abdul Samad Isyaku Rabiu is a prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist. As of 2024, he ranks as Nigeria’s third richest man. His father, Khalifah Isyaku Rabiu, was one of Nigeria’s leading industrialists in the 1970s and 1980s. Abdul Samad is the founder and chairman of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate focused on manufacturing, infrastructure, and agriculture, generating over $2.5 billion in revenue. He also serves as the chairman of Nigeria’s Bank of Industry (BOI).

In July 2020, Forbes valued his net worth at $3.2 billion, placing him 716th among the world’s billionaires. By January 2022, he was recognised as Nigeria’s second richest person. In April 2022, he ranked as the fifth-richest person in Africa with a fortune of $6.7 billion, and by January 2023, he climbed to fourth on the continent’s wealthiest list.

Michael Jordan ($3.5 billion)

Widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Throughout his career, his total salary amounted to $90 million, but his earnings from partnerships with brands like Nike, Hanes, and Gatorade have reached an astounding $2.4 billion (before taxes). In 2020, Jordan became a special advisor and investor for the sports-betting company DraftKings and also co-owned a NASCAR team. In 2023, he sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that valued the NBA team at $3 billion.

Oprah Winfrey ($3 billion)

Oprah Winfrey turned her 25-year-long talk show into a powerful media and business empire. The profits from her show, combined with earnings from films like ‘The Color Purple’, ‘Beloved’, and ‘Selma’—which were co-produced by her company, Harpo Productions—have brought her wealth to an estimated $2.5 billion.

In 2011, she launched the OWN cable channel and later sold most of her shares in it to Warner Bros. Discovery in 2020, receiving company stock in return.

In 2015, Winfrey purchased a 10% stake in WeightWatchers, and in 2024, she generously donated her shares to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Winfrey also owns an extensive real estate portfolio, including homes in California and more than a dozen properties, along with 2,100 acres of land in Hawaii.

Patrice Motsepe ($3 billion)

Patrice Motsepe, founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, became a billionaire in 2008, making history as the first Black African to appear on the Forbes billionaire list. In 2016, he established African Rainbow Capital, a private equity firm focused on investments across Africa. Motsepe also holds a stake in Sanlam, a publicly traded financial services company, and is the owner and president of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

In March 2021, he was elected president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the governing body for soccer on the continent. His business journey began in 1994 when he became the first Black partner at Johannesburg law firm Bowman Gilfillan, later launching a mining services company. In 1997, Motsepe acquired underperforming gold mine shafts, which he successfully turned around

Jay-Z ($2.5 billion)

Since becoming hip-hop’s first billionaire in 2019, Jay-Z has significantly increased his wealth, largely due to his successful liquor ventures. In 2021, luxury conglomerate LVMH acquired a 50% stake in his champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, also known as Ace of Spades. In February 2023, he sold a majority of his ownership in his cognac brand, D’Usse, to Bacardi.

Beyond liquor, Jay-Z’s wealth includes assets like an art collection featuring works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, his extensive music catalog, and stakes in companies such as Block and Uber. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2022, he won an Emmy for producing the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Strive Masiyiwa ($1.8 billion)

Strive Masiyiwa faced huge government resistance when he launched the mobile phone network Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in his home country in 1998. He holds a 38% stake in the publicly traded Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, which is part of his larger Econet Group, as well as about 33% of EcoCash, a mobile money transfer company.

Masiyiwa also has an investment in Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a private firm that offers fiber optic and cloud services to telecom companies throughout Africa. His portfolio includes investments in fintech and power distribution companies across the continent, along with stock options in Netflix, where he has been a board member since December 2020. He and his wife, Tsitsi, founded the Higherlife Foundation, which assists orphaned and underprivileged children in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi, and Lesotho.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos have arrested two businessmen for attempting to import and export cocaine pellets and parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis through the airport.

The businessmen: Ihejirika Okechukwu Emmanuel and Iwuagwu Ikedi Victory were arrested as well as a Canada-based nurse Usman Grace Khadijat Olami.

Spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said, “Ihejirika who frequents Thailand from where he claims to be importing fish into Nigeria was arrested on Tuesday 15th October 2024 while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Thailand via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“When he was taken for body scan, the result showed he ingested an illicit drug which proved to be cocaine.

“As a result, he was placed under excretion observation during which he expelled five big egg size wraps of cocaine weighing 400 grams.

In his statement, the 51-year-old suspect confessed that he was to be paid upon successful delivery of the drug consignment in Thailand.

He said he needed the money to boost his fish importation business.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport on Thursday 17th October intercepted a 26-year-old businessman Iwuagwu Ikedi Victory coming from Brazil via Addis Ababa during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight.

His body scan revealed ingestion of illicit drugs. When he was put under observation, he excreted a pellet of cocaine weighing 22 grams.

He however confessed that he ingested 30 wraps of the illicit drug in Brazil but excreted 29 pellets in Addis Ababa, where he handed them over to another person. 

The suspect revealed that he was to be paid N2.5 million for trafficking the drug.

Also, a Nigerian-Canadian nurse Usman Grace Khadijat Olami was on 4th October arrested by NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport during the inward clearance of Air France passengers from Toronto, Canada via Paris.

During a search of her luggage, a total of 70 parcels of Canadian Loud, weighing 35.70kg were recovered from her.

During her interview, she claimed she was in Nigeria to meet her boyfriend who instructed her to come with the large consignment of the highly sought-after synthetic cannabis.

NDLEA further said, “At the seaports, a total of 162,351 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted from two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos by NDLEA operatives during a joint examination of two containers with men of the Customs Service and other security agencies on Tuesday 15th October.

“Not less than Seven Million, Two Hundred Thousand (7,200,000) pills of Royal 225mg Tapentadol and Carisoprodol worth Three Billion Six Hundred Million Naira (N3,600,000,000) in street value were seized from a watch-listed container from India at Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state on Tuesday 15th October.

“In the same container, 780 cartons of chlorphenamine containing Fifteen Million Six Hundred Thousand (15,600,000) pills of the opioid, were also recovered.

“From two other watch-listed containers equally searched at the port in Onne, a total of 337,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Two Billion Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine Million Naira (N2,359,000,000) were recovered from them on Tuesday 15th and Thursday 17th October.

“This brings the total value of the seized Tapentadol, Carisoprodol and Codeine consignments at the two seaports to Seven Billion Ninety-Five Million Four Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand Naira (N7,095,457,000)”.

In Bauchi state, a suspect Sunday Jonathan Ogenyi, 33, was arrested along Bauchi-Jos road with 76,600 pills of tramadol concealed in false compartments of his Toyota Sienna vehicle marked Enugu JRV 341 ZY.

 

NDLEA operatives in Ondo state on Tuesday 15th October arrested three suspects: Goddey Obizuo; Samuel Aniete; and Kuffrey Aniete at Afo village where 672kg cannabis sativa was seized from them.

A raid at Illushi forest in Esan South East LGA, Edo state led to the destruction of 10,590.36kg cannabis spread on 4.236144 hectares of farmland.

Suspects arrested during the operation include: Benson Upuoni, 65; and Sunday Nwaeboyi, 35.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 15th October arrested Andrew Joseph Anoriode with 3kg methamphetamine and 1.90kg cannabis along Lagos – Ibadan expressway while 241kg of same substance was recovered at Gbaji, Badagry area of the state.

A suspected meth cook, Agbeiboh Oscar, was nabbed same Tuesday at Abule Osun with 265 grams of methamphetamine and different quantities of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine and others.

With the same vigour, Commands, and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Ansarudeen Senior High School, Saki, Oyo State; Government Secondary School, Hayin Gwarmai, Bebeji LGA, kano; Margaret Ekpo Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River; Agbaju Unuhu Community Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; and WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Muhammad Kawu Kudu, Kwara state, among others.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of MMIA, PHPC, Apapa, Lagos, Bauchi, Ondo, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures,

He stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

Veteran Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola has revealed that, despite working alongside many handsome actors throughout her career, she has never felt any romantic attraction towards them.

Akintola shared her perspective during a recent appearance on the NollywoodHardCore show.

“I have never been attracted to an actor. All of you are my brothers; no be my brother na him you be?” she stated, emphasizing her professional mindset when on set. “I just wasn’t attracted to people in the workplace. My frame of mind when I come to work is the frame of mind of an actor who is being professional. So I don’t see you people as ‘dateable’ individuals. We have some really handsome men as actors, but I have never thought of dating any of them. Honestly, in truthfulness.”

In addition to discussing her lack of romantic interest in her male colleagues, Akintola reflected on the challenges she faced when she first entered the industry. She expressed her dismay at the sensationalist media coverage she endured early in her career.

“When I started out, there was a lot of controversy and all sorts of things written about me,” she recalled. “Horrible stuff. There were even rumors saying I don’t wear underwear. News like that flies; it sells. You have more traction from things like that. You have more people buying the papers if it’s papers. People want to read about funny things like that. It’s a little better now, but back then, they just used to cook up stories. I once read a story about myself claiming I was at a hotel off Toyin Street with a Sheikh.”

Akintola’s candid remarks shed light on her commitment to professionalism in an industry often plagued by rumors and sensationalism