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Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has alleged that some paid blackmailers are propagating negativity against him.
Obi denied having a private meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Rome over an alleged N225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank.
He described the claims as false, malicious, and baseless.
In a statement on X, Obi said he was in Rome for the lying in State of late Pope Francis and the inauguration of Leo XIV
According to Obi: “It’s obvious that the biggest business for blackmailers now is talking about Peter Obi from every negative perspective.
“Even my solemn spiritual trip to Rome has been twisted into yet another blackmail campaign by merchants paid ostensibly to propagate anything negative against Obi.
“One such individual, whose entire life revolves around blackmail, falsely claimed that I went to Rome to have a private meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding a purported ₦225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank. These claims are not only baseless, malicious, but entirely false.
“Let me categorically state that I have never sought an audience with, nor met, President Tinubu since he assumed office, except about 1 minute meeting at the arena of Saint Peter’s Basilica Rome during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV, where I was seated behind, and had to respectfully greet him, and other dignitaries present.
“I was previously in Rome on the 9th of May for the lying in state of Pope Francis. Immediately after the mass and exchanging pleasantries, I went straight from Vatican City to London, and then back to Nigeria.
“The self-proclaimed “blackmailer-in-chief” and others who thrive on spreading pain and falsehoods have also claimed that I own Fidelity Bank. For the record, I do not. Throughout my career, I have served as Chairman/Director of 3 banks/Financial institutions, of which Fidelity is one of them.
“Fidelity has over 500,000 shareholders, none of whom hold a majority stake. What this blackmailer seeks is to harm these hard-working Nigerians and cause them needless distress.
“To those peddling these falsehoods, and engaging in blackmail, I offer a simple prayer: May God grant you the virtues of gratitude and understanding to know that we came here with nothing and will go with nothing, that they cannot profit from their evil ways. A new Nigeria is POssible.”
Abia State Governor has again said that his opponents, including some officials of the immediate past administration in the State, are noise makers.
This is even as he accused the Okezie Ikpeazu administration of allegedly paying N9.8 billion to a contractor for the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba, which he said was not delivered.
Otti stated this in at Umuagbai Secondary School in Aba on Wednesday during a thanksgiving and carnival organized by the Aba community in celebration of the completion of Port Harcourt Road and other projects done by the Abia State government in Aba.
“So, listen to the response. In 2017, they awarded this Port Harcourt Road. The amount at that time was N9.8 Billion. And they paid out the entire money. But the road was not done.
‘So, when in 2025, the road cost N36.5 Billion, they started making noise. So, I said, since you people understand mathematics, the average exchange rate in 2017 was N333 to a Dollar. Now, if you apply that, the N9.8 Billion was actually USD29 million equivalent”, Otti said.
He used the event to announce that 20 electric buses, which have been procured by his administration, would be rolled out in the next two months.
Otti further rewarded a Tricycle driver in Aba, who returned N2.4 Million Naira forgotten by a passenger in his keke and commended him for the honest act.
Earlier, the convener of the carnival, Onyeka Ernest Udeajah and the State Chairman, Cooperative Motor Union, Mr. Chukwuma Azodo, respectively, said that the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road revived many collapsed businesses
Human rights activist, Hamdiyya Sidi Sharif has been found in critical condition at Bakura Hospital in Zamfara State, after being declared missing since Tuesday morning.
Her lawyer, Barrister Abba Hikima, confirmed the news in a Facebook post, stating that she is currently under the watch of security personnel.
He added that it is evident she was abducted, considering the dire condition in which she was found.
Hamdiyya was last seen after she left to buy food items in Sokoto town, and efforts to locate her had been unsuccessful until now.
Hikima called on the Zamfara State government and security agencies to ensure her safety and conduct a thorough investigation.
This development comes amid ongoing security challenges across Northwestern Nigeria
Lagos State Government has identified Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Lekki as the three areas with the highest incidence of crime within the state.
This was disclosed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN, during a ministerial press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, to mark the second year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
Citing data from the Lagos State Criminal Information System, LCIS, Pedro noted a worrying concentration of criminal activity in the state’s commercial and residential hubs.
“Between January 2024 and May 2025, the top three crime locations in Lagos State were Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Lekki,” the Attorney-General said.
Pedro further disclosed that the LCIS has documented a total of 74,962 criminal cases and inmates across Lagos State from 2018 to May 2025.
He raised concerns about the burden on the state’s correctional infrastructure, which is currently overstretched.
According to him, Lagos correctional facilities are operating at 106 percent over capacity, with a total inmate population of 9,096 as of May 2025, significantly surpassing the designed capacity.
Highlighting the role of the LCIS, Pedro described the platform as a transformative initiative designed to digitise and streamline criminal justice processes, enhance efficiency, and support data-driven policy-making
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said that his counterpart from the Labour Party, Peter Obi, is in some secret serious talks and plans to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
According to him, Tinubu will have no choice but to return to wherever he came from after the 2027 presidential election.
The renowned international lawyer and media executive said that speculations and rumours being spread on social media concerning one coalition or the other should be ignored, adding that more solid plans were going on underground.
Speaking on Channels Television, Adewole insisted that the 2027 presidential battle is for Nigerians to decide and not about defections and propaganda by politicians of like minds.
He said that what is certain was President Tinubu is not a match with Nigerian people, adding that anyone backed by Nigerian people, himself included, would defeat the incumbent leader.
He said that at the moment, Tinubu has a good trajectory to losing the 2027 presidential election and of going back to wherever he originally came from.
According to Adewole, Nigerians have given Tinubu two years to put his acts together and allowed him to experiment with some things that no government will get away with in the past, adding that with two more years to go, the President’s body language shows he needs more than prayers to succeed.
He said, “What is going on now is going on quietly. The leaders of the parties are meeting. The real people, who have control over their political structures, are meeting. It is not something that we want to discuss on the pages of newspapers, but everybody has their own style of operation.
“What we understand, and which is commonsensical political science, is that there must be one grand leader, a challenger against President Tinubu in 2027.
“That person who is the candidate must carry along a large swatch of the disadvantaged and unhappy Nigerians, politicians have many ideas about how to arrive there. The SDP is talking to people outside our party, and I think we are making a lot of progress.
“What is being reported about the personal travels of different people is not what is going on. What is going on is discussion along ideology, methodology and accommodation, and when that time is right, what we are doing must be a surprise to the government in power. There is a solid plan to unseat President Tinubu.
“But it’s not the one about a series of collateral pictures of courtesy calls. It’s underground. A lot of Nigerians are not aware.
“It’s not that if you meet somebody at the airport, you take a photo together and say, ‘yes, coalition’ that is not it. Its infantile.
“It is something that is deep, because in addition to having a genuine grounds on behalf of Nigerian people against the non performing government APC, even we who are in the position have differences, and we must work out those differences first before we can go and challenge the person who is now there.
“But if we don’t work out our differences first, clearly, we’ll later discover in the middle of the subway that we are incongruous.
“They [the APC] should be worried first about not serving Nigerians well. They should be. They shouldn’t be too worried about losing the election. They should be worried about disappointing the people.”
Asked if Peter Obi is part of this conversation that they are having, he added, “I don’t think he wants anybody to be talking about what he’s doing, because he appears to have more discipline than other people.
“So you don’t see him. He goes away. Peter Obi goes quietly. He has meetings with people he doesn’t expose to the media. He’s a highly disciplined person. He knows what he’s doing. He has his own plan. I’m working with anybody who loves Nigeria.”
Asked if he will be able to step down for Peter Obi, for the interest of Nigeria, Adewole added, “that will come later, but for what I see, I like what he’s doing, he hasn’t said he doesn’t like what I’m doing. He’s serious minded. He is having meaningful discussion, quiet discussion, honorable discussion, not that I have a discussion with you, and I go to tea on Tiktok, as I put it in there.”
The Social Democratic Party, SDP, has said that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was not representing it in the coalition talks being held ahead of the 2027 election.
DAILY POST reports that after his fallout with the presidency, El-Rufai dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for the SDP in March.
The immediate past governor of Kaduna State has since been campaigning for an opposition coalition to wrest power from President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party in 2027.
El-Rufai, as a member of the SDP, is said to have been reaching out to other opposition politicians and other political leaders in the country to join him in the party to form an alliance against the APC.
However, the 2023 SDP’s presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has distanced the SDP from El-Rufai’s coalition campaign, saying the party was not in any coalition talks led by someone else.
Adebayo said that the leadership of the party has not assigned anyone to speak or negotiate on its behalf.
While speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Adebayo said, “The SDP is not involved in any coalition led by somebody else, but I can tell you, and the SDP is led by Alh. Shehu Gabam and Olu Agunloye, he has not given me an assignment to do coalition on his behalf. He’s not given any assignment to my senior brother, El-Rufai. El-Rufai is not representing SDP in any coalition.”
When asked if the SDP is entering a coalition, Adebayo said the party is waiting, planning and considering options.
“The SDP is waiting, is expressing its own understanding of how best it will come together and remove this person and cause the APC and non performing president called Bola Tinubu.
“The SDP has plans, and we are looking at various options. And we realize that at the end of the option, we will need a political party that is viable,” he added.
Recall that in April, Adebayo said El-Rufai and other opposition parties who joined the SDP would not be allowed to hijack the party for personal fight against President Tinubu.
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party PDP, Adewole Adebayo says he will not step down for former vice president, Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 election.
Adebayo disclosed this on Wednesday night during an interview on Channels TV following speculation that Atiku may use SDP as platform to run for the 2027 presidential election.
He clarified that Atiku or any other politicians can only join the party and follow due processes to secure the party’s ticket.
He said, “I will not step down for Atiku Abubakar and he has not said that anybody should step down for him.
“Neither me nor Atiku Abubakar can use the SDP. The party belongs to the Nigerian people, nobody can use it.
“What can happen is that those who believe in the ideology of the party can come to the party. We are not available to be used, if you want to join us, you can join us”.
DAILY POST reports that opposition bigwigs have resolved to come together via a coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the coming election.
Atiku, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-rufai are the notable figures spearheading the movement
Popular Nigerian actress, Ekene Umenwa, has revealed that some cabal in Nollywood once told her to trade her Christian faith for success.
She made this disclosure in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
Recounting the pressure she faced from the unnamed individuals, Umenwa stated that she refused to compromise her faith and return to Jesus, whom he referred to as her father for comfort.
Sharing a video of her vibing to the popular gospel song, ‘No Turning Back’, she said “When I came to Nollywood many years ago with my Jesus, I was told by some folks to drop Jesus & Mary to move with the flow so that I can make it. TheY said Ekene this game no be Jesus Jesus oo.
“I was like chimo, is that so? Never. I ran to my father, and Jesus told me to move, ahead ahead. I thank God today that many people have joined me to proclaimed Jesus in Nollywood”.
DAILY POST reports that the actress became famous for her role in the 2013 movie ‘Black Choir’. And has featured in over a hundred films
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede has admitted that human error, not system glitch, caused the mass failure of South East and Lagos Candidates.
He had earlier blamed system glitch for the failure of South East and Lagos candidates.
However, his excuse was condemned by South East senators and House of Representatives members.
The body has been called to cancel the examination and reschedule a new exam for all candidates.
Speaking with chief external examiners, civil society organisations, and tertiary school stakeholders on Wednesday in Abuja, Oloyede said the error did not target any ethnic group.
He, however, agreed that certain individuals had made the error, but refused to reveal their identities.
He insisted that he had taken responsibility on behalf of those who committed the error.
“I’m not interested in the ethnic identity of those who committed the mistake. As far as I’m concerned and to the best of my knowledge, there was no sabotage. There was no glitch. What happened was a human error committed by certain individuals.
“It does not matter to me whether they are Igbo or not. What matters is that they are diligent workers for the service providers. They committed a mistake, and we rectified it. I’ve accepted the mistake on behalf of everybody,” he said
The Federal Government has offered a N5 million cash reward for any information that leads to the recapture of the seven inmates who escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesha, Osun State, on Tuesday.
Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS, DCC Abubakar Umar disclosed this in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja.
He said; “In order to encourage public participation, the Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the general public that a reward of N5 million is being offered to anyone who provides useful information that leads to the recapture of the fleeing inmates from the Medium Custodial Centre, Ilesha, Osun State.
“The Service urges members of the public to report any information they may have regarding the whereabouts of the inmates at large to the nearest security agencies. All information will be treated with utmost confidentiality and anonymity.
“NCoS Public Complaint Response Desk: complaintresponsedesk@corrections.gov.ng
“Email: info@corrections.gov.ng or 07087086005, 09060004598, 08075050006”.
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Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Ilorin has sentenced 23-year-old serial internet fraudster, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, to 24 months in prison with no option of a fine.
Olalekan, a native of Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was convicted on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 after he was found guilty of the two-count charge of offences bordering on cybercrime, including cheating and impersonation preferred against him by the Ilorin Zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of N124,402,322 (One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million, Four Hundred and Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-Two Naira) found in Olalekan’s Wema Bank account, a white Mercedes Benz ML350 valued at N30 million, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max used in perpetrating the crimes.
The convict was accused of impersonating many foreign nationals including Joshua Compbell Novak, through fake Gmail and TextPlus accounts between August and December 2024. Through these fraudulent identities, he defrauded victims, including Allisa Motazedi and Brittany Boggess, of $100,000 and $1,000, respectively.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, between August 2024 and December 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Joshua Compbell Novak via your Gmail account and TextPlus number with the intent to obtain a total sum of $100,000 from Allisa Motazedi, which you did obtain, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(IV) of the same Act.”
Olalekan pleaded guilty to both counts.
Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, led an investigating officer, Paul Aniebonam, in evidence narrating how the convict created fake online profiles to deceive and defraud unsuspecting foreign victims.
Aniebonam confirmed to the court that proceeds of the fraudulent activities were used to acquire the luxury vehicle in October 2024, while over N124 million in his bank account was traced to similar illicit transactions.
He also tendered key exhibits including the bank statement, car documents, mobile device, and four extra-judicial statements made by the defendant.
Justice Awogboro sentenced Olalekan to 12 months imprisonment on each count, to run consecutively. The court also granted the final forfeiture of all traced assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The case originated from a report by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which alerted the EFCC to Olalekan’s cybercriminal activities
Several young Nigerian professionals gathered in their hundreds at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding the deportation of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Group CEO, Mele Kyari, to face allegations of corruption during his time in office.
The protesters, under the aegis of Young Professionals Forum (YPF), said Kyari’s presence in Nigeria is required in the probe of the financial activities of the national oil company during his tenure as group chief executive officer.
Barrister Sambari Benjamin, who spoke for the protesters, noted that Kyari’s alleged corrupt practices have had far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s economy, particularly the country’s energy sector.
According to the protesters, Kyari’s tenure was marked by alleged deliberate obstruction of local refining initiatives, disregard for national interests and personal enrichment.
They further alleged that Kyari’s actions as NNPCL boss had crippled national productivity and drained Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves. They equally alleged that it has increased the vulnerability of consumers to adulterated petroleum products.
The Young Professionals Forum urged the UAE government to refuse Kyari residency and asylum. The protesters in the same vein requested that Kyari be blacklisted to prevent his escape from justice.
“We believe that Mele Kyari’s actions have brought shame to our nation and our people. His alleged corrupt practices have had devastating consequences for our economy and our people. We cannot stand idly by while those in positions of authority abuse their power for personal gain.
Speaking during the protest, Benjamin said, “We urge the UAE government to refuse Kyari residency, asylum, and to blacklist him to prevent his escape from justice. The Nigerian people demand accountability and transparency, and we will not rest until justice is served.”
The group stressed that granting Kyari asylum would undermine the rule of law and set a dangerous precedent for other public officials who might seek to escape accountability by fleeing abroad.
The protesters urged the UAE government to uphold its commitment to international cooperation and justice by denying Kyari refuge.
Benjamin added, “The implications of granting haven—whether directly or inadvertently—to Kyari are manifold. Firstly, it would constitute a direct affront to the Nigerian judicial process, which is on the verge of initiating investigations and possible prosecutions against him and his accomplices.
“More devastatingly, this would obviously send an unfortunate message to the people of Nigeria, most especially the youth and emerging professionals— that accountability is optional, that impunity is mobile, as that justice can be conveniently overridden or circumvented by the elites who can afford the financial prize.
“We, the Young Professionals Forum of Nigeria, therefore urge, in the strongest possible terms, that the United Arab Emirates refuse them residency and asylum. Let it not be said that the UAE, a nation of high moral standing, became an escape route for two of the most controversial figures in Nigeria’s contemporary regulatory history.”
Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe has confessed that it is not easy to be a single mother.
She made the confession in an interview on the ‘Real Talk with Kike’ show.
According to her, being a single mother is hard because it is challenging for one person to play the role of two people.
Mercy said she often prays for her kids to have a lasting marriage because she does not wish single motherhood on anyone.
According to the actress, the fear of failure made her tough on her kids while raising them, stressing that she had already failed by being a single mother and did not want to fail as a mother.
The movie star said she did not even want her kids to make mistakes, not realising that it was part of their life journey.
She said, “For me, raising a child as a single mum… shout out to all the single mums out there, you guys are heroes, It’s not easy playing the role of two people. I am very sensitive when I talk about my single mother moment because it wasn’t an easy journey. That’s why anytime I pray for Michelle, I pray for other kids around me that I nurture, that are not my biological kids but they are still my kids. I say to them, especially the girls, that life happens. A lot of us didn’t set out to be like this in terms of our love life but life happens and we hope for the best for our kids. I always tell my children that your first time will be your forever. Because I don’t wish it on anybody, it’s draining.
“I think part of what made me very tough on my kids is that I just didn’t want to fail as a mother because I had failed at this, I didn’t want to fail as a mother. I didn’t even want them to make mistakes, not realising it was part of their life’s journey, I was pushing hard and not giving them a chance to be who they want to be and make errors to gain correction from their errors. I didn’t want people to laugh at me and say a single mum raised them, they can’t do anything good. It’s so draining that financially, emotionally, morally, and mentally you still have to show up.”
The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has sent a message to Nigerian politicians.
He warned them that they wouldn't be taking money to the grave.
Dangote also called on politicians to prioritize job creation for the citizens.
The billionaire businessman stated this on Wednesday at the Taraba International Investment Summit 2025.
He urged leaders to give attention to job creation for the benefit of the citizens.
“Nobody will take a dime to his grave. So if nobody is going to take a dime to his grave, what will give the satisfaction of being human beings is to make sure we impact the lives of other people. Impacting the lives of other people is by massively creating jobs,” he said.
Dangote further pledged that he would continue to invest in Nigeria. He noted that Nigeria is home and all Nigerians have the duty to contribute to its growth.
He stressed that only Nigerians can build their country, adding that he would continue to creat jobs.
“I want to tell the political leaders here, we are ready, we will not go anywhere and invest, this is home. We want to remain at home, we want to keep invsting in Nigeria, we want to keep creating jobs,” he stated