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The abductors of Pastor Samson Ndah Ali of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Mararaba Aboro, located in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have freed him.
However, the kidnappers have reportedly retained the church’s financial secretary, Yusuf Shehu Ambi, who delivered the ransom to them.
Naija News understands that Pastor Ali, aged 30, was whisked away from his residence in the early morning hours of April 8, just two weeks after his church assignment.
The abductors had initially requested a ransom of ₦100 million.
An anonymous source, citing safety reasons, informed Daily Trust that the elderly church official had gone to deliver an undisclosed amount of money to facilitate Pastor Ali’s release but was subsequently detained by the kidnappers.
“The pastor was freed, but the kidnappers decided to detain the man who brought the ransom. We don’t know why, and the community is in shock,” the source said.
However, security authorities have yet to issue any response on the development as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State Government has reported the successful rescue of a 400-level student at the Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Augustine Madubiya, who was kidnapped from an off-campus hostel.
Naija News understands that police operatives located and rescued the student in the Dakingari forest within the Suru Local Government Area after tracking the kidnappers.
Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Umar Tafida, along with Police Commissioner Sani Bello and Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Zaiyan Muhammad, visited the site of the abduction at the off-campus hostel.
In announcing the rescue, the Deputy Governor emphasized the state’s dedication to ensuring the safety of students in all higher education institutions throughout Kebbi.
Tafida mentioned that the rescued student had been taken to a hospital for a medical assessment.
The State Commissioner of Police provided additional information, stating that the kidnappers abandoned the student due to ongoing pressure from law enforcement. He also confirmed that no ransom was paid for the student’s release
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the public to disregard a purported list of ambassadorial nominees currently circulating on social media, describing it as false and misleading.
In a statement issued recently, Acting Spokesperson of the Ministry, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, clarified that the appointment of ambassadors remains the exclusive prerogative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that no official nominations have been made.
“Kindly disregard the frenzy about the ambassadorial list,” the statement read. “Be rest assured that, when it is ready, Mr. President will transmit the list of nominees to the National Assembly for screening and confirmation.”
The ministry assured Nigerians that the public will be duly informed through the appropriate channels once a legitimate list is finalized.
This clarification comes amid heightened public interest in Nigeria’s diplomatic representation, especially following the recall of all ambassadors in September 2023.
Your Actions Undermine Democratic Institutions – NBA Knocks Sole Administrator, Relocates Conference From Rivers
AFOLABI
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has announced that it will relocate its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu due to the recent declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.
In a statement signed by NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN), General Secretary Mobolaji Ojibara, and AGCPC Chair Emeka Obegolu (SAN), the association expressed that while there had been widespread excitement about Port Harcourt being the host city, the appointment of a sole administrator—who is a retired military officer—has created a situation that no longer allows the Garden City to host the conference.
The NBA stated that despite the soaring registration numbers indicating high enthusiasm for the event, the governing style of the sole administrator, which the association describes as military-like, has undermined democratic processes. The NBA noted that although the administrator is dressed in civilian attire, his command-style governance disregards constitutional provisions, court decisions, and ongoing litigation.
The statement read, “Indeed, prior to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, registration figures had soared, reflecting the excitement and eagerness of members to attend. However, the unfortunate turn of events in Rivers State has understandably stalled the momentum and affected advanced preparations for the conference.
“Currently, Rivers State is being governed by a retired military officer, appointed as a Sole Administrator, who operates with a command-style approach that disregards constitutional provisions, court decisions, and pending litigation.
“His actions have undermined democratic institutions and processes, flouting the rule of law with impunity. Though clad in civilian attire, he governs as though the state is under military rule.”
It further stated that this development prompted members to demand a change in venue, leading to an emergency session of the NBA National Executive Council (NEC) on March 27, 2025. The meeting resulted in a unanimous consensus that the NBA could not, in good conscience, proceed with the AGC in a state governed unconstitutionally by a Sole Administrator.
The NBA also expressed concerns that the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State violated Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, and that the suspension of elected officials and democratic institutions contravened Sections 11 and 188 of the Constitution.
The association argued that the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency, executed via a voice vote instead of the constitutionally required two-thirds majority, amounted to a subversion of the Constitution.
In light of these undemocratic developments, the NBA concluded that Port Harcourt could no longer be considered a justifiable venue for the 2025 AGC.
The statement emphasized that hosting the event in such conditions would amount to tacitly endorsing constitutional violations and the subversion of the rule of law.
The NBA reaffirmed its commitment to holding the 2025 AGC in a state where constitutional democracy is intact, announcing that the conference would now be held in Enugu, known as the historic Coal City.
The association expressed confidence that the city possesses the infrastructure to host a conference of such scale and that the relocation would not compromise their efforts to deliver a successful and impactful event.
This decision comes after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
Following this, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd.) was appointed as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs during the suspension period.
The President of the African Development Bank Akinwumi Adesina has expressed concerns over the migration phenomenon known as ‘Japa’ in Nigeria, saying that Nigeria and the African continent are the biggest losers to the ‘Japa’ trend.
Adesina who spoke on Thursday in an interview on Channels Television, said youths in Nigeria and other 51 countries in Africa don’t need freebies under the guise of empowerment schemes but capital to fund their ideas and translate the same into enduring wealth.
The former Nigerian Agriculture Minister said Africa’s youth swelling is a demographic asset that has to become an economic asset through rigorous investment in human capital development and financing.
According to him, Africa’s youth population was not a problem for the continent because India and China’s population have not been a problem for them, as it is what you do with your population and how you skill them up that matters.
The AfDB boss said that if young people in Africa are skilled with good jobs and social protection, these would turn to prosperity for the continent because the demography has high purchasing power.
He said that in a world of rising tariffs, it is important for Africa to build consumption as part of its gross domestic product.
“In the case of young people and the Japa syndrome, it’s a big loss for us. Young people don’t need freebies; they don’t need people saying: ‘I just want to give you an empowerment programme.
“They have skills, they have knowledge, they have entrepreneurship capacity, and they want to turn their ideas into great businesses. What young people need is not those empowerment programmes; they need capital, they need you to put your money at risk on their behalf.
“We have over 465 million young people between the ages of 15 and 35. Africa should not turn what should be its demographic asset into somebody else’s problem due to the inability to believe in young people and invest in their ideas for continental prosperity.
“I do not believe that the future of our young people lies in Europe; it doesn’t lie in America, it doesn’t lie in Canada, Japan, or China; it should lie in Africa growing well, growing robustly and able to create quality jobs for our young people,” he said.
The Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC) has officially received former Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) chieftain, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naija News recalls that Jandor, the 2023 Lagos State Governorship Candidate of the PDP, resigned from the party on March 3, alleging indiscipline and betrayal by party leaders.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Pastor Gbenga Ogunleye, on Thursday in Lagos, Jandor said he was received by GAC members led by the chairman, Prince Tajudeen Olusi.
According to Jandor, the reception took place in Saudi Arabia.
He said, “In a significant show of unity and goodwill, Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, Jandor, was warmly received by the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC) Chairman, Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Badagry Division Apex Leader of APC and fellow GAC member, Chief Rabiu Oluwa; Sen. Ganiu Olanrewaju Solomon; and Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro.
“The meeting, which was held during the Umrah pilgrimage, served as a symbolic moment of engagement between key stakeholders in Lagos politics, emphasising the importance of unity.
“This encounter reflects a shared commitment to the progress and unity of Lagos State, underscoring the enduring values of collective responsibility and synergy in the furtherance of the vision of the ruling party.”
A prominent figure in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has raised eyebrows over the political maneuvers surrounding the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.
Naija News reports that Galadima claimed that El-Rufai is being used as a placeholder for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, within the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In an interview with AIT, Galadima expressed disbelief over why Atiku, who has had a history of political clashes with El-Rufai, would align himself with the former governor.
He questioned the logic behind the alliance, considering the animosity between the two politicians in the past.
Galadima said, “Did El-Rufai win one local government in Kaduna in 2020? He was a sitting governor in Kaduna when PDP won all three senatorial elections.
“He was a sitting governor in Kaduna when the PDP won 12 out of 14 House of Reps seats, and they won only one, while the other one was won by the Labour Party. That is, as a sitting governor. Now that he’s out and even fighting the governor from outside, how many votes do you think he can win?
“The SDP coalition is ineffective; their activities are merely noisemaking. El-Rufai is actually serving as a placeholder for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar within the SDP.
“I am surprised at Atiku’s willingness to work with El-Rufai. El-Rufai had previously advised Atiku to save his money for his children and declared that Atiku would never become president in Nigeria.
“The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) would emerge as the larger vehicle to unite opposition parties in the 2027 presidential election.”
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has predicted that the outcome of the 2027 election will be a huge lesson for some people.
According to him, some people are planning to use ‘fake news’ to win the 2027 election.
The APC chieftain, who is a known supporter of President Bola Tinubu, however, insisted that such persons are in for a shocker before 12 noon on election day.
“It looks as if FAKE NEWS is what some people plan to use to win elections in 2027. Please encourage them to continue.
“By 12 noon on Election Day, some people will learn lessons they will never, ever forget in a hurry. Make we de play,” Igbokwe wrote on his Facebook account.
Meanwhile, a prominent figure in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has raised eyebrows over the political maneuvers surrounding the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.
Naija News reports that Galadima claimed that El-Rufai is being used as a placeholder for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, within the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In an interview with AIT, Galadima expressed disbelief over why Atiku, who has had a history of political clashes with El-Rufai, would align himself with the former governor.
He questioned the logic behind the alliance, considering the animosity between the two politicians in the past.
No fewer than 211,000 candidates on Thursday sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination Mock exam conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board across designated Computer-Based Test in the country.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed this while monitoring the exercise at a CBT centre in Bwari, Abuja, revealed that the results of the mock examination will be released on Friday.
“They will have the results tomorrow. The results will be ready. Those who finished, we are working now on their results, but we want to compare with the second batch, the third batch, and so on. And see that everything is working well. But later by tomorrow, they will have the results,” he said.
Explaining the purpose of the UTME Mock, Oloyede said the exercise was aimed at testing the board’s readiness for the main examination and experimenting with new strategies to improve the process.
“The word is mock, and we want to say so far so good. What we want to do is to try some things. As students are getting wiser, we are also getting better.
“Because we are doing certain things to ensure that those things are done. So we are trying to make sure that when we go for the exam, we will have taken experience and taken some lessons from our experience at the Mock level. So, so far, so good,” he said.
The Registrar, who said the only way to pass UTME is by studying hard, expressed concerns that some candidates are patronisng rogue websites in order to cheat in the exam, adding that JAMB has also opened a decoy website targeting such individuals.
“We need to let the students know that the best way to pass the examination, UTME in particular, is to study. We are aware of some rogue websites asking people to come and pay that they can help.
“It cannot work. We have also opened our own rogue website. And as of this morning, about 180 students have paid.
“So those students, because to attempt to cheat is already an infraction. So those who paid into that account, looking for questions, we are going to deal firmly with them. And many of the institutions, UTME is not a school-based examination.
“We register students individually. And that is why we tell the students, do not give (out) your registration number. Do not register by proxy.
“Do not give your registration number to anybody. Because some of these schools want to be able to brag that, oh, my 10 students from my school scored 280. There was a state where even the governor of a state was misinformed, and they were celebrating nothing. So this type of thing that people want to cut corners, we are abreast of all this. And we are doing everything possible (to stop it).
“We have about 180 of them. And we are going to deal with them firmly. We are going to cancel their results, both UTME and DE,” Oloyede said.
He advised candidates to steer clear of fraudulent websites and individuals claiming to offer assistance during the examination.
“Some of them are paying N30,000 for something that will never work. And to some, when I look at those who have paid to us this money, I smile,” he added.
Recall that the 2025 UTME is scheduled to commence on April 25 at approved CBT centres across the country.
As exclusively predicted by The PUNCH, the Dangote refinery has informed marketers and its customers of a downward review of its ex-gantry loading cost to N865 per litre.
The new price is a reduction of N15 from N880 per litre sold by the facility on Wednesday.
Our correspondent gathered that the refinery informed its customers in a notice sent out on Thursday morning.
A Pro forma invoice was sighted by our correspondent and checks into petroleumprice.ng also confirmed the development.
Recall that marketers had exclusively informed our correspondent that the 650,000 barrels refinery was anticipated to lower its petrol loading costs by the end of this week, further contributing to the reduction in fuel prices.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, reassured the public of the price drop while commenting on the Federal Executive Council’s directive regarding the naira-for-crude agreement.
On Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council, after an initial delay, directed the full implementation of the suspended Naira-for-Crude agreement with local refiners.
It said the initiative with local refineries is not a temporary measure but a “key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining.”
The Ministry of Finance disclosed this in a statement published on its official X handle titled, “Update on the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira Initiative.” The statement was released following a meeting on Tuesday between the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and representatives from Dangote Refinery, a major beneficiary of the agreement, to review progress and address ongoing implementation matters.
The committee said the policy is not temporary but a long-term plan to cut Nigeria’s dependence on foreign exchange for petroleum.
It added that the initiative is not a temporary or time-bound intervention but a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining and bolster energy security.
The statement read, “The Technical Sub-Committee on the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative convened an update meeting on Tuesday to review progress and address ongoing implementation matters.
“The stakeholders reaffirmed the government’s continued commitment to the full implementation of this strategic initiative, as directed by the Federal Executive Council.
“Thus, the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative is not a temporary or time-bound intervention, but a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining, bolster energy security, and reduce reliance on foreign exchange in the domestic petroleum market.”
Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, says 23 indigenes of the state are currently on death row in Indonesia due to drug-related offences.
Soludo spoke on Wednesday, while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to support his re-election bid.
“Go to Indonesia, 23 Ndi Anambra are on death row there for drug-related offences,” he said.
“These native doctors will deceive you that they will prepare a charm that when you carry drugs and enter the airport, the white man’s scanner will go blind.
“These young people believe them and today, many of our people are languishing in jail across the world.”
Soludo warned against the deceptive practices of some native doctors, noting that anyone who claims to have such powers would be arrested by the state government.
“If he makes one person a millionaire, we will bring Anambra people and line them up. Don’t you want an Anambra where everyone will be a millionaire? I will equally present myself because I need money too,” he said.
“One of the native doctors who is in detention, his son is a waiter in a hotel in Nnewi. If it was that simple, why didn’t he make his son a millionaire?
“One of them that we arrested has sworn that he is just a content creator, yet he has used things like these to deceive our young people that you can become rich without doing any work, as far as you have done oke Ite (money rituals).”
Soludo reiterated the negative impact of such beliefs on young people.
“That is why you see young people who wake up in the morning and retire to beer parlours drinking, hoping to get rich later in life,” he added.
The governor clarified that the state is not against traditional worshippers but against those engaging in dangerous practices.
“We are not against traditional worshippers; what we are against is people who are doing dangerous medicines and charms,” he said.
“We have always known those who are into traditional practices, they have things they believe in, and they were about the most upright people then.
“Those were people who believed that if you did the wrong thing, you could be killed by the gods of the land. But what these new crop of criminal native doctors are doing is deceit, and we will not allow that to continue.”
Soludo reiterated his commitment to the ongoing clampdown on native doctors promoting oke-ite (get-rich-quick charm).
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Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, has narrated the events that led to the remand of Alabi Quadri, a teenager who went viral in the buildup to the 2023 presidential election.
In February 2023, Quadri dominated social media discourse after he was pictured stretching his arms in front of the motorcade of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the election.
Obi, who stood through the open roof of his car during a campaign stop in Lagos, had responded to the teenager’s gesture with a broad smile.
Recently, an activist posted on X that Quadri is currently languishing in Kirikiri prison for an offence he did not commit.
The activist said Quadri was returning home from work when he was forcefully taken to the police station by some young men over claims that he was among a group of robbers in the community.
The post caught the attention of many Nigerians, including Obi and Effiong. The human rights lawyer had promised to intervene.
Providing an update, Effiong said he and Quadri’s family members visited the teenager at the custodial centre on Wednesday.
He said the teenager has been in custody since January.
Effiong relayed that the teenager’s mother attributed Quadri’s ordeal to the entitlement of some street urchins to the largesse he reportedly received after making the headlines in 2023.
The lawyer said because Quadri refused to “properly settle” the street urchins, they plotted to get back at him.
Effiong said the teenager was subsequently “abducted” by the street urchins.
“After abducting Alabi, the same area boys who have been threatening to deal with him for not sharing the money he was gifted dragged him to the Amukoko Police Station (Pako Police Station), where he was detained,” Effiong said.
“The area boys initially claimed that Alabi was one of the young men who had been involved in street fights.
“However, it came as a rude shock when the Police took him before a Magistrate along with four other individuals who are complete strangers to him, alleging that he conspired with them to commit ‘armed robbery’ with cutlasses.
“The police in the charge sheet alleged that the two victims were robbed of money and four mobile phones.
“The value of both the physical cash and four phones is N579,000 only.
“I spent about two hours interviewing Alabi about the veracity of the charges brought by the police.
“Speaking objectively, we all left Kirikiri with a strong conviction that this gentleman is just another victim of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
“The last point that we want to state on the record is that Alabi is a Minor. He is less than 18 years old.
“Currently, Alabi has appeared before the Magistrate on three occasions.
“The court remanded him along with the four strange individuals who are all adults at the custodial centre pending legal advice by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).”
The lawyer said his team will do everything “legally permissible” to secure the release of the minor.
Festus Onifade, a lawyer, has withdrawn a suit against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, challenging the recent hike in subscription fees for DStv and GOtv services.
On February 24, MultiChoice officially announced an increase in the subscription prices of DStv and GOtv packages, with effect from March 1.
The adjustments saw prices increase by up to 25 percent across various packages, with DStv Compact rising from N15,700 to N19,000.
Compact Plus increased from N25,000 to N30,000; DStv Premium moved from N37,000 to N44,500 and GOtv Supa Plus moved from N15,700 to N16,800.
The announcement, which came nearly one year after the firm’s subscription rates were hiked, led to public criticisms.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2025 and filed on February 27, Onifade asked the court to declare that Multichoice’s eight-day notice period for the tariff increase was “unjust, unfair, unreasonable, illegal, grossly inadequate and a breach of the claimant consumer rights”.
He also said Multichoice ought not to have increased the bouquet prices since there is a pending appeal on the same subject before the court of appeal.
He prayed the court for an order mandating and compelling Multichoice Nigeria to suspend the price increase for non-compliance with the provision of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was also joined in the suit as the second defendant.
However, in a notice of discontinuance dated and filed on April 7, the lawyer said he would no longer be proceeding with the suit.
“Take notice that the claimant hereby wholly discontinues this suit against the defendants,” the notice reads.
Meanwhile, a federal high court in Abuja has fixed May 8 to deliver judgment in the suit filed by the FCCPC challenging the price hike.
The Ondo police command has recovered three headless corpses from a river in the Odigbo LGA.
Locals reportedly stumbled on the decomposing bodies on Wednesday — with some lodged on the riverbanks.
Eyewitnesses said the victims may have been murdered and dumped in the river by suspected kidnappers.
A former youth leader in the community, who identified himself as Shileola, said he was shocked by the incident.
“I was shocked when I first heard about it over the phone. I rushed to the scene, hoping to identify the victims through their clothing or any other means, but all efforts proved abortive,” he said.
He speculated that the victims may have been killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped in the river, noting that there have been no reports of missing persons in the area.
Shileola urged residents to be security conscious.
Ayanlade Olayinka, spokesperson of the Ondo police command, confirmed the development.
“I can confirm to you that some three bodies were recovered at the river in Odigbo. And immediately it was reported at the Ore Division, the DPO of that division moved a detective to the scene where the three bodies were recovered,” Olayinka said.
“Upon recovering the bodies, they were taken to the morgue at General Hospital and the DPO summoned the community leaders and all interest groups to ensure the identification of the body.
“But, we have not seen anybody to identify any of the bodies and it is believed that those bodies were brought there and dumped at that site by some unknown men. So we believe that it did not actually happen in Ondo state.
“The area it happened bordered a lot of states, both Ogun and Edo states. So we believe the body is not from this state. However, it was dumped in that river.”
Olayinka said further details would be provided as investigations continue.
Literary legend, Wole Soyinka has expressed his sadness over the outcome of the administration of the 47th President of the United States of America, Donald Trump.
In an interview with Laura Collins-Hughes which was published in the New York Times, Soyinka said what is happening in the US currently should not be happening in such a progressive nation.
Recall that in 2016, the Nobel Laureate had threatened to destroy his American green card should Trump win the election at that time.
However, speaking to Collin-Hughes, “I just feel very, very sad that what’s happening in the States should be happening in such a potentially progressive country.”
Speaking on whether he feels safe in the US following the tense political atmosphere involving the nation and governments of other countries, he said, “Oh, I’ve lived in a constant state of nonsafety.
“So I’m used to that. If I’m walking through the street and they pick me up, I have no problem whatsoever. You know, my laptop is where it is. It’s up in the clouds,” Soyinka added.