The Defence Headquarters has confirmed the rise of a new terrorist group called ‘Lukarawas’, which is further escalating insecurity in Nigeria’s northwest region.

Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed this during a military briefing on Thursday in Abuja, where he provided an update on ongoing military operations.

According to Buba, the group originated from the Republic of Niger following the recent coup that disrupted military cooperation between Niger and Nigeria.

He noted that after the political upheaval in Niger, the group began infiltrating northern areas of Sokoto and Kebbi States, exploiting routes from Niger and Mali.

Buba highlighted that before the coup, joint border operations with Nigerien security forces were effective in curbing terrorist activities.

“The terrorists capitalized on the lapse in collaboration between the two nations and leveraged challenging terrains to penetrate remote regions of certain northwestern states and propagate their ideology,” he said.

He further explained that some local communities initially welcomed the group, mistaking their intentions, and failed to alert the military or security agencies about their presence.

Maj.-Gen. Buba assured the public that military forces had intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts to weaken the group.

He also mentioned that the terrorists continue to exploit under-governed spaces to evade capture, hide, and intimidate residents.

“Troops are tracking them down and neutralizing the threat,” Buba added.

Equatorial Guinea’s government has dismissed the Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), Baltasar Ebang Engonga, after the discovery of around 400 explicit videos involving him with high-profile women across the country.

The dismissal, ordered by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, was confirmed by Real Equatorial Guinea, which cited Decree No. 118/2024, issued on November 4.

The decree outlined that Engonga’s removal was due to alleged professional misconduct and personal behavior incompatible with his public role.

The scandal erupted after several videos surfaced online, reportedly showing Engonga in intimate encounters with influential women and relatives, sparking widespread controversy on social media.

Reacting to the scandal, First Lady Constancia Mangue Obiang voiced her disapproval during a meeting with Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue.

The First Lady expressed her concern for the privacy and dignity of Equatoguinean women, urging the government to take swift action to protect them from such incidents.

In a Facebook statement from her Press Office, the First Lady emphasized the importance of safeguarding women’s privacy and rights in the digital age.

She called for proactive measures to uphold a respectful and secure environment for all women, noting that the government has made strides in promoting gender equality but must continue to address issues that compromise the dignity and safety of women.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that Nigerians will only pay their taxes if they can see it is properly utilized.

He asserted that while it is important for citizens to pay taxes, there must be something on ground to show for it.

Wike stated this after inspecting the dualization of Kuje township road.

He explained that the funds his administration is using to construct roads in the federal capital are from FCT’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

He said, “No government will say they have all the resources needed to provide services to the people.

“What is important is that we try to make sure everybody pays his or her taxes.

“What I can tell you about Nigerians is that, when they see that the taxes they pay are being utilised, they reciprocate by making sure they pay their taxes.

“They are however reluctant to pay, when they pay taxes, and nothing is on ground to show for it.”

Speaking on the resources for all completed and ongoing projects in the city centre and area councils, the minister said, “it is a matter of strategy and being prudent with available resources. “

He added that the FCTA was trying as much as it could to continue to increase its IGR.

Veteran Nollywood actor, Bimbo Manuel, has claimed that most of his colleagues flaunting Range Rovers and living in luxurious mansions in Lagos are living a fake life.

The thespian spoke while featuring in a recent episode of the TVC programme, Your View.

According to Manuel, no Nollywood star can buy Range Rover from acting fees.

The 66-year-old said he does not care about living a flamboyant lifestyle because he likes “a humble and realistic life”.

He said, “The actors you see flaunting Range Rovers and mansions in Ikoyi are living fake lives.

“No actor in Nigeria would say he or she can buy a Range Rover from acting fees alone.”

‘I’m Not Rich’

In other news, veteran Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, has spoken on financial disparities in the Nigerian movie industry, expressing curiosity about the lavish lifestyles of some female stars.

Bimbo, in an interview with her colleague, Emmanuel Ehumadu, questioned how her female colleagues fund their luxurious lifestyles, noting that she is not financially buoyant.

The thespian urged fans to question female Nollywood stars on how they make their money, considering the earnings from film sales.

Bimbo Akintola attributed their wealth to alternative sources, including family wealth, business ventures, and romantic relationships with politicians.

Popular comedian Oluwaseyitan Aletile, also known as Seyi Law, has recounted how he found that he was being monitored spiritually by a friend who gifted him a pair of shoes.

He claimed that he was at a vigil in 2016 when God revealed to him that there was something in his house that they were using to monitor him spiritually, which he later found out was a pair of shoes someone gifted him.

He disclosed that his wife bought the pair of shoes after the revelation, and soon after, she became pregnant with their daughter.

The comedian claimed that since the incident, the friend who gifted him the pair of shoes has refused to visit his house despite numerous invitations.

On his X handle, Seyi Law wrote, “I wish it was only a mirror they could use to monitor someone sha. One must be very careful of gifts.

“On the 2nd March 2016, I had a vigil in my room, and as I prayed, God told me there was something in my house that they were using to monitor me and I found out it was a pair of shoes someone gifted me. My wife took it out and burnt it. Prior to that day, I always doubted people who said God spoke to them.”

Big Brother Naija reality star, Angel Smith has hinted that her relationship with her colleague, Soma, has hit the rocks.

The reality star shared a cryptic post hours after Soma’s ex-girlfriend, Hilda Dirisu, came out to accuse him of physically abusing her and attempting to rekindle their relationship despite being involved with Angel.

She insinuated that she had been unlucky with love.

According to her, she has accepted that she won’t be loved in her lifetime.

On her X handle, Angel wrote, “It is Angel always, I have already accepted that the only time I will be loved is when I actually die.”

This is coming barely a few months after BBNaija All-Stars winner, Ilebaye, announced in a viral video with Angel that she and Soma will be getting married in January next year.

It remains to be seen if the wedding will proceed as planned.

Angel previously dated another reality star, Sunday Okonkwo, aka Cross, during the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season in 2021 but their relationship crashed shortly after the show.

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has congratulated Vice President Kamala Harris for her resilience in the last US presidential election.

Peter Obi said Harris contested with courage and strength, even though the will of the American people prevailed.

In a statement, on Thursday, the Labour Party chieftain stated that the peaceful conduct of the US presidential election should inspire Nigeria to abandon outdated electoral practices.

He added he was optimistic that Donald Trump‘s victory would reinforce democracy worldwide and contribute to fostering global peace.

Obi said, “Yesterday (Wednesday), I extended my congratulations to President Donald Trump on his successful return as the 47th President of the United States.

“I am optimistic that his victory will reinforce democracy worldwide and contribute to fostering much-needed global peace.

“I also congratulate Vice President Kamala Harris on her resilience and dedication throughout this political journey.

“She contested with courage and strength, yet in the end, the will of the people prevailed.

“The peaceful conduct of these U.S. elections, along with the efficient transmission and release of results, should serve as an example and an inspiration for us here in Nigeria to abandon outdated practices such as electoral malpractice, vote-buying, election violence, and network disruptions that continue to hinder our democratic process.”

The former governor of Anambra State added, “No democratic election is complete unless the people’s will is genuinely reflected through the ballots.

“As a nation, let us collectively work to restore the integrity of our electoral system and ensure that our process for choosing leaders is free, fair, and reflective of the people’s true desires.”

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has said that it is impossible to fight Corruption in Nigeria with kid gloves.

He stated this when the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters, Jabi, on Tuesday.

According to a statement issued by the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC boss resolved to work with the CCB in the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes, stressing that every effort must be made by stakeholders to build strength against corruption.

Olukoyede, while stating that both agencies have related mandates, added that there is a need for them to strengthen their existing collaboration.

He said, “I don’t see it as a courtesy visit, I see it more for the need for us to strengthen our existing collaboration. It is important for all of us to note that the two agencies are mandate -aligned, we are set up to fight corruption and financial crimes in the land.

“One of the things that we have been talking about with respect to the functions of CCB is the ability to be able to do investigation and to really ensure that investigations and prosecution are pursued very rigorously.

“You don’t fight corruption with kid gloves in Nigeria, it will never work. You don’t plead with people. You don’t beg people; everybody knows that corruption is bad.

“Fighting corruption is what nobody wants to do but somebody has to do it. All of us desire to see a better Nigeria, but a better Nigeria will not just drop from the sky, we have to work for it.

“Foreigners will not come and do it for us, we have to deal with it by ourselves and we have what it takes to deal with it.”

Paul Ibe, spokesperson for the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to establish a dictatorship by undermining and dismantling opposition parties.

Ibe alleged that Tinubu’s goal is to create a one-party state in 2027 by eliminating the opposition parties, including the PDP, Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), while ignoring the widespread suffering of Nigerians.

He described this as part of a broader strategy to maintain political control in the coming years.

In an interview with News Central TV, Ibe also responded to criticisms of Atiku, rejecting the notion that the former Vice President’s ambition is driven by selfishness.

He emphasized that Atiku’s actions are motivated by patriotism and his dedication to Nigeria’s development.

Ibe acknowledged that, like any political party, the PDP has its issues but emphasized that Tinubu’s administration is actively undermining the opposition rather than focusing on effective governance.

Ibe said: “Atiku is not selfish by choosing to run, it’s patriotism.

“Atiku was never selfish, he presented himself for an election, he won PDP’s primary and it was expected that every member of the party including Wike, who is now the man-Friday of APC administration is now being used to destroy the very fabric of the PDP and other opposition party, that’s selfishness, Atiku was never selfish, he was patriotic and committed to the development of Nigeria.

“What we should be focused on now is that Nigerians are suffering, we need to have a country first before talking about aspirations and ambitions.

“It’s insensitive to be talking about 2027 but that’s what Tinubu is doing. Instead of governing, all his calculations are towards how to suppend the opposition parties and destroy the PDP, destroy Labour Party, destroy NNPP, and pave a way for dictatorship and a one party State; that’s what they are focused on, reason they continue to fumble and stumble in the act of governance.

“The PDP like any other party including the APC have their problems, and like I told you, the strategy of Tinubu’s administration is to undermine and destroy the opposition parties.”