An Abuja High Court sitting at Garki, on Tuesday, ordered the arrest of the Director of Investigations and Prosecution of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Mr. Joseph Eriki, over his alleged involvement in a land fraud.

Justice Suleiman Belgore issued a bench warrant against the FCTA boss, following his failure to appear before the court to enter his plea to a nine-count charge the Federal Government L preferred against him and 11 others. 

Other defendants in the matter are: Boniface Agwu, Ikechukwu Kanu, Prince Isaac Omoluwa, Nwaimoneye Augustine Onyisi, Surajo Aliyu, Ogbole Michael, as well as five companies; Super Structure Limited, Bonatec Electrical Company Limited, Weatherfield Engineering Marine Services Limited and Asher Information Services Limited.

FG alleged that the defendants had sometimes between 2019 to 2024, conspired among themselves to defraud a firm- Etha Ventures Limited, of plot 461 to 470 and 486 to 496, Sabon Lugbe, East Layout, Abuja.

They were accused of using a forged land document to defraud the firm, an offence contrary to section 366 of the Penal Code, 2009, and punishable under section 364 of the same Act.

Specifically, FG alleged that the FCTA Director, willfully and with the intent to defraud, falsified information about the plots of land and presented the forged documents to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

When the case was called on Tuesday, government prosecutor, Mr. David Kaswe, told the court that the defendants are currently on administrative bail.

He told the court that though they were duly informed of the charge against them, all efforts to bring them for arraignment proved abortive.

Consequently, relying on section 124 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, he applied for the court to issue a bench warrant against the defendants as a last resort to compel their attendance for trial.

In a brief ruling, Justice Belgore ordered the arrest and production of the defendants before the court on June 4.

Education abroad is a great way to expand your horizon as a Nigerian and close the knowledge gap.  Finland offers high-quality education, innovative research opportunities and an excellent standard of living. This makes it a great option for foreign students looking to get quality education without having to worry about language barrier, because most courses are taught in English.

Over the years, the European country has gained popularity among Nigerian students as it has renowned schools that prioritise high education standards, making their certificates recognised worldwide, whilst being affordable. This article highlights ten (10) of the best courses to study in Finland.

1. Computer Science

Studying computer science is considered the best choice, mostly for international students. Finland is known for its innovative tech industry, it is home to major tech brands like Supercell, Nokia and many more. One can diversify into software engineering, programming, data science, AI, cybersecurity and many more. The University of Helsinki is one of the major universities with great strength in AI and data science.

2.  Engineering

Studying engineering in Finland offers a wide range of perks that make it one of the most attractive destinations for both EU and international students. Studying engineering in Finland involves close collaboration between universities and top tech/industrial companies like Nokia and others, with majors like mechanical, chemical, electrical, biomedical, environmental, and industrial engineering. All these majors are taught in world-class universities and in English.

3.  Business and Management

Degrees in business administration, marketing, HR, accounting, finance, logistics, and more can be majored in when studying Business and Management.  Some schools that offer this course include Aalto University, Hanken School of Economics and Tampere University. Admission is based on grades, English proficiency and tuition fees.

4.  Medicine

Though competitive, it has its perks. Medical degrees are offered to become a licensed doctor or conduct medical research. Several top universities like University of Helsinki, University of Oulu, University of Eastern Finland are go-to places to study medicine. Medical students gain hands-on experience early in their studies, working in well-equipped Finnish hospitals with access to advanced healthcare systems. Global recognition is one of the major perks of studying in Finland.

5.  Nursing

Studying nursing in Finland is a hands-on and meaningful experience. You get to learn in real healthcare settings like hospitals and clinics, often from early in your studies. Some programmes are taught in English, but since you’ll be caring for patients, learning Finnish is essential. The training is practical, people-centred and focused on safety and modern healthcare practices. After graduation, nurses are in high demand both in Finland and across Europe. The Finnish nursing qualification is recognised throughout the EU, and the country offers a strong support system for healthcare workers.

6.  Natural Science

If you’re passionate about nature, the environment or how the world works, Finland is an inspiring place to study natural sciences. The education is research-driven and encourages curiosity and critical thinking. Whether you’re into biology, chemistry or environmental science, you’ll have access to modern labs and real-world research projects. One unique perk is Finland’s natural landscape with its forests, lakes and wildlife, which offers an incredible outdoor lab for fieldwork and exploration, especially in environmental sciences.

7.  Mathematics and Statistics

In Finland, studying math and statistics isn’t just about numbers, it’s about learning how to solve real-world problems. The programmes give you a solid theoretical base, but they also connect with areas like data science, economics and technology. You’re encouraged to think deeply and creatively. Thanks to Finland’s focus on tech and digital innovation, math and stats grads are in demand in sectors like finance, AI and research. It’s a great path if you enjoy logical thinking and want to make sense of complex systems.

8.  Social Science

Social science in Finland gives you the tools to understand how societies work, from politics and human rights to economics and social change. The teaching is research-based, but also very connected to real-world issues like sustainability, inequality and public policy. Many programmes are in English, especially at the master’s level, and you’ll study in a society known for equality and a strong welfare system. It’s a great environment if you want to make a difference or work in areas like policy, NGOs or international organisations.

9.  Art and Design

Finland has a global reputation for clean, thoughtful design and if you’re creative, it’s an amazing place to study art and design. What you get in Finland is education that combines artistic freedom with technology and sustainability. Aalto University, in particular, is world-famous for design. Students work in inspiring studios and labs, often collaborating with companies or communities. Whether you’re into visual arts, product design, or fashion, you’ll be encouraged to experiment and develop your unique style.

10.  Architecture

Studying architecture in Finland means blending creative ideas with practical, sustainable designs. Finnish architecture is known for its simplicity, harmony with nature and smart use of space and that’s exactly what you’ll learn in class. Programmes focus on both the artistic side of architecture and technical skills like digital modelling and structural design. It’s a great choice if you want to create spaces that are both beautiful and functional, with a focus on future-friendly building.

Abductors of the three members of the Deeper Life Bible Church in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, have reportedly demanded a N15million ransom for their release.

Recall that the church members were abducted Monday evening while returning from Bible Study at Kasemola area, in Ogbese community. 

A family source told newsmen that the abductors have opened line of communication with the family and the leadership of the Deeper Life Bible Church.

The source said: “Yes, they have contacted us and have demanded for a ransom of N5 million per victim.
“We are raising money from well wishes and church members to be able to pay the ransom.”

Meanwhile, the church leaders have organised prayer warriors to intercede for the release of the kidnapped church members.

A source in the church, who confirmed the development said: “We have reported the incident to the police and Amotekun Corps in the state.”

Contacted, the state police command spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed the abduction of the three church members.

Ayanlade said that police detectives were already combing the forest to locate and secure their release.
According to him, “I can confirm to you that there is an issue of kidnapping but I cannot confirm the number of the victims for now,”

He noted that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the culprits and bring the situation under control.

French President Emmanuel Macron denied, on Monday, having a domestic dispute with his wife Brigitte after a video appeared to show her shoving his face away when they touched down for a visit to Vietnam.

He blamed disinformation campaigns for trying to put false meaning on the footage. 

The Elysee had been hoping that the visit to Vietnam would showcase France’s reach into the Indo-Pacific, but it has been shadowed by the incident which occurred as the doors of the presidential plane swung open after landing in Hanoi Sunday. 

This is the third time this month that Macron has been the subject of viral video footage at a time when France says it is being targeted by repeated disinformation attacks as Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine.

It was falsely claimed Macron took cocaine on a trip to Kyiv alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Images images also emerged purporting to show Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dominate the French leader in a handshake.

Brigitte sticks out both her hands and gives her husband’s face a shove, according to footage shot by the Associated Press news agency.

The French president appears startled but quickly recovers and turns to wave through the open door. But with most of her body hidden by the aircraft, it is impossible to see his wife’s facial expression or body language.

“My wife and I were squabbling, we were rather joking, and I was taken by surprise,” he said.

Now it’s “become a kind of planetary catastrophe, and some are even coming up with theories,” Macron told reporters. 

‘Calm down’

Macron testily referred to the other incidents, including the images shot on a train to Kyiv where some accounts falsely claimed he shared cocaine with Merz and Starmer.

But the object Macron removed from the table when the media entered was a tissue.

Erdogan, meanwhile, was filmed holding the president’s finger at a summit.

“For three weeks… there are people who have watched videos and think I shared a bag of cocaine, that I had a fight with the Turkish president, and that now I’m having a domestic dispute with my wife,” said Macron.

“None of these are true,” he said. 

“Everyone needs to calm down,” he added.

After the incident in Hanoi, the couple proceeded down the staircase for the official welcome by Vietnamese officials, though Brigitte Macron did not take her husband’s arm when he offered it.

The video circulated rapidly online, promoted particularly by accounts that are habitually hostile to the French leader.

Macron’s office initially denied the authenticity of the images, before they were confirmed as genuine. A close associate of the president later described the incident as a couple’s harmless “squabble”.

‘Nothing more’

Referring to the past incidents, Macron said: “In these three videos I took a tissue, shook someone’s hand and just joked with my wife, as we do quite often. Nothing more.” 

“We have loads of accounts, anonymous or not, whose frustrations are going to their heads, including news commentators who said this morning that I have the diplomacy of a beaten man,” he added.

He emphasised that all three videos were “completely authentic” but the meanings attached to them were not.

Vietnam is the first stop on Macron’s almost week-long tour of Southeast Asia where he will pitch France as a reliable alternative to the United States and China.

He will also visit Indonesia and Singapore.

The relationship between Macron, 47, and his 72-year-old wife has long been a subject of fascination at home and abroad. 

She was a drama teacher and he a pupil when they met at a private school in their hometown of Amiens in northeast France. A mother of three children, Brigitte divorced her husband and began a relationship with Macron while he was in his late teens.

A high-profile first lady, she has taken legal action to counter false claims on social media about her gender.

Governor Umo Eno has been applauded by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for his bipartisan disposition to governance in Akwa Ibom state following a donation of a Prado Jeep to Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, the chairman of the main opposition party in the state.

Commending the governor for such a rare gesture, the state APC publicity secretary, Barr. Otoabasi Udo, said the party received the gift with excitement, describing the governor’s benevolence as borne out of mature politics.

“The APC Akwa Ibom State, wishes to express our profound gratitude to our amiable governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, on his kind gesture and generosity by doling out to our ebullient state Chairman, Obong Stephen Leo Ntukekpo, a brand new SUV Prado Jeep,” he stated.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the presentation of the car gift took place during the celebration of the governor’s second anniversary at the International Worship Centre. Governor Eno used the opportunity to showcase some spectacular performances within the short space of two years of his administration.

Besides, the governor used the forum to reflect on peace and tranquility in the state achieved by his administration which, he noted, remains the bedrock of development and progress going on in the state. 

He emphasized the fact that a political party, be it A or B, is a mere vehicle upon which a politician mounts to execute his vision for the people.

The APC spokesman enjoined the people not to overheat the polity over his impending movement across party lines.

Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have founded a new fourth-tier Division D Uruguayan soccer club named Deportivo LSM. The former Barcelona teammates and current MLS players unveiled the project on social media, beginning a new chapter of their historic footballing careers.

“Today I want to offer Uruguayan football, which I love and grew up with since I was a kid, the opportunities and tools to help all teenagers and children grow. That’s why, with the club, we want to begin competing in the AUF (Uruguayan Football Federation) world, which is something that excites us enormously and is a huge step forward for me and my family in a project we believe in,” said an emotional Suarez.

The name of the club, LSM, is a representation of the two footballers names.

“This dream doesn’t end here, sharing it with our family, friends, and close friends,” added Messi. “We’ve experienced many things in common since we were kids; we’ve shared so many experiences at the top of football, and that’s why today I’d love to introduce a friend, a teammate. This project is the perfect place to continue sharing our vision of football and to have the same vision since our beginnings.”
The team will train at the Luis Suarez complex, a nearly 20-acre facility with a synthetic turf stadium that has a capacity for 1,400 spectators as well as a 7-a-side pitch with room for 620 fans.

Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered N277 billion and $105 million in 2024.

Fagbemi spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at a summit on asset recovery.

He noted that asset recovery is essential in the fight against corruption, economic crimes, and illicit financial flows.

The AGF said Nigeria had recorded some successes in asset recovery, both at domestic and international levels, in the past couple of years.

“In 2024 alone, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is reported to have reclaimed over N248 billion, $105 million, and 753 duplexes in its asset recovery efforts,” Fagbemi said.

“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is also reported to have recovered N29.685 billion in cash and $966,900 in assets.

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has equally intensified its efforts in seizing assets linked to drug-related crimes, ensuring that illicit proceeds do not fuel further criminal activities.

“Nigeria has successfully repatriated significant funds from abroad, reinforcing our commitment to financial accountability.

“With regard to international recovery and repatriation of assets, which is within the purview of the federal ministry of justice, it is pertinent to state that from 2017 to date, the ministry, working in collaboration with its counterparts and international partners (the US, UK, Bailiwick of Jersey, Ireland, and Switzerland), was able to facilitate the execution of various agreements.

“This led to the payment of fines, recovery and repatriation of assets in the sum of $763,734,000, and 6,472,610 pounds.

“Of these sums, a total of 102.88 million dollars and 2,062,000 pounds (Galactica assets 52.88 million dollars, Glencore fined 50 million dollars, Useni/Miner 2,062,000 pounds) was recovered from 2024 to date.”

In January 2025, the federal government and the United States signed an asset return agreement on $52.88 million recovered from the Galactica assets.

The assets were linked to Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum, and her associates.

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

The opposition party claimed the move is driven by Tinubu’s fear of losing the 2027 elections. 

The PDP’s stance was outlined in a communiqué issued on Tuesday after the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja. 

Opposition parties, including the PDP, Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have been hit by a gale of defections in recent weeks.

The development has drawn criticism from various stakeholders, who believe the APC-led government is steering Nigeria toward a one-party state.

However, the main opposition party said it stands in firm resistance to the plot by the president and the APC. 

“NEC stands in firm resistance to the sinister plot by the Tinubu-led APC to turn Nigeria into a one-party totalitarian state, as evidenced by the desperate attempts to stifle and annihilate opposition parties through open siege, threats and intimidation of opposition figures and institutions of democracy in Nigeria,” the communique reads.

“It is clear that this plot is borne out of APC’s mortal fear of inevitable defeat in 2027 due to its dismal failure in government. 

“On the part of the PDP, NEC restates our party’s belief in democracy, the rule of law and the supremacy of the will of the people as expressed through their free and unhindered democratic participation in multi-party politics and governance.”

STATE OF AFFAIRS

The PDP expressed concern over what it described as the “sorry and melancholic” state of affairs in the country under the “irredeemably exploitative, insensitive and anti-people” administration of the APC.

The party condemned the killings, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes in the country, saying the federal government has failed to protect citizens.

The party asked Tinubu to reverse all policies which have brought economic hardship to Nigerians.

“NEC restates the PDP demand that President Tinubu’s administration should rescind all its anti-people policies and take practical steps to address the insecurity and economic recession in the country,” the party said.

The party also ratified the composition of the national convention committee and approved the convention, which will be held from Thursday, August 28, to Saturday, August 30.

It added that the NEC also received and ratified the composition of the committee on the zoning of national offices ahead of the national convention.

The zoning committee members are Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, as chairman; Dauda Lawal of Zamfara as vice-chairman; and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau as secretary.

The national convention committee comprises Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa, as chairman; Ademola Adeleke of Osun as vice-chairman; and Peter Mbah of Enugu as secretary.

The NEC also received the resolution of the south-east zonal executive about the issue of the national secretary and resolved to consider it at the next NEC meeting scheduled to be held on June 30.

A woman who has identified herself as the wife of a deceased Nigerian has renounced her South African citizenship following her husband’s death.

Speaking to News Central in a clip posted on Tuesday, the woman lamented the treatment of other Africans in South Africa.

“From now on I won’t be a South African; I’m ashamed to call myself a South African. I am a Nigerian; call me names; I don’t care,” she said.

“All I’m asking is that the Nigerian government stand and fight for our people.”

The bereaved woman said her two sons for the deceased are scared to attend school in the former apartheid country.

“Is it a crime to be Nigerian? Why did they have to kill my father?” she said, quoting her 13-year-old son. What kind of country is this?”

She also alleged that her husband’s suspected killer is walking free, accusing the South African government of being complacent.

She asked the Nigerian high commission in the country to intervene, vowing not to relent until justice is served.

The deceased Nigerian man was said to have been killed in Pretoria in a case of retaliatory violence.

TheCable could not immediately reach the Nigerian high commission for comments.

Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says bank employees are conniving with hackers to aid cyber fraud. 

Speaking in an interview on TVC on Sunday, Olukoyede said six banks have been targeted in coordinated cyber attacks by hackers.

The EFCC chairman claimed that bank employees grant access to banking portals in which hackers usually exploit from any part of the world they reside. 

Olukoyede said the anti-graft agency had recovered N9.7 billion, N6.7 billion, and N3.7 billion stolen from some banks in Nigeria.

He emphasised that based on the cases handled by EFCC, breaches in banking portals are usually facilitated by bankers who “understand the system”.

“What people do is to get a device. When they plug it into (the banking digital system) in connivance with the insiders — the bank staff”, Olukoyede said. 

“Wherever the other persons are, even if they are outside Nigeria, they will be able to control the platform of the bank. The person can now move money: in a second, they can move billions.

“What they do now is that they won’t move the money out completely. They now distribute it to the accounts of many customers. 

“They have access to those accounts. From those accounts, they will move the money to wallets or POS (terminals) and withdraw the money.

“Many banks are vulnerable. That wouldn’t have been possible without the connivance of the bank staff.”

He added that the EFCC had deliberately maintained silence on the matter to prevent panic withdrawals by customers and safeguard public confidence in the banking system.