A witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday that no funds from the Kogi State Government were traced to the American International School, Abuja (AISA), in respect of school fees payment for former Governor Yahaya Bello’s children.

Bello is facing a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering, fraud, and the misappropriation of public funds amounting to N80.2bn.

Testifying before Justice Emeka Nwite, the witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, an internal auditor at AISA, stated during cross-examination by Bello’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, that there were no records indicating any wire transfers from the Kogi State Government or its local government areas into the school’s account.

He further confirmed that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear on the list of parents who made payments or in any of the transaction records examined.

Earlier in the proceedings, Justice Nwite dismissed an objection raised by the EFCC regarding the admissibility of a previous judgment delivered by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.

The ruling had favoured the Bello family in a dispute over $1.6m paid to the school.

Justice Nwite held that the EFCC’s objection was premature and deemed the judgment relevant and admissible under Sections 102 and 104 of the Evidence Act, marking it as Exhibit 19.

The EFCC, through its counsel Kemi Pinhero, had argued that the defence could not tender such a document before the prosecution had closed its case.

However, Daudu countered that the admissibility of documents is governed by their relevance, not by the stage at which they are presented. The court agreed, ruling that the prosecution’s objection was speculative and that the relevance of the document could not be ignored.

Further into the cross-examination, Ojehomon confirmed that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear in any correspondence or authorisation letters regarding the payment of $760,910 to AISA. He disclosed that the school had a contractual agreement with Bello’s brother, Ali Bello, concerning the tuition and advance payments for future enrollment of younger children.

The payments in question, totaling $1,606,763.68, were made in two parts: one covering current tuition and another serving as an advance to secure admission slots for younger children starting in August 2022. Ojehomon confirmed that AISA later refunded $760,910.84 to the EFCC.

The FCT High Court judgment admitted as evidence emphasised that AISA was not under any court order to refund the money and that the payments were made based on a contractual agreement with the Bello family. The court ruled that the school could not legally transfer any portion of the fees to a third party, including the EFCC, without a valid court order.

Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter to May 9, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.

One person was confirmed dead and three others sustained varying degrees of injuries on Thursday following a collision between a bus and a truck in Lagos.

The accident occurred along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, opposite the Ace Delight Event Centre, shortly after Green Spring.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident, stating that the injured victims were rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

“A fatal road crash has occurred opposite Ace Delight Event Centre after Green spring, it involved a Coaster Bus and a Truck.

“The sad incident took a life and three other victims were swiftly rushed to the hospital for treatment.

“Recovery of the affected vehicles is also ongoing,” LASTMA wrote.

As of press time, the cause of the accident had not yet been determined.

LASTMA urged motorists to drive with caution and adhere to speed limits to prevent similar tragedies.

“Always drive cautiously at all time and keep to the speed limit,” the agency advised.

Meanwhile, THE WHISTLER reports that a pedestrian was killed over the weekend at Ojota after being struck by a truck while attempting to cross the expressway illegally.

The victim, whose identity remains unknown, reportedly ignored the designated pedestrian bridge and tried to dash across the busy expressway when he was hit by a truck traveling along the main carriageway.

He died on the spot from the impact.

Dubai’s Emirates Group, which includes the Middle East’s biggest airline, announced on Thursday gross annual profit of $6.2 billion, its third record in three years.

The 18 per cent rise in profit, based on strong customer demand, slimmed to $5.6 billion after the UAE’s recently introduced corporate tax, which was applied for a full financial year for the first time.

“The Emirates Group has raised the bar to set new records for profit, revenue and cash assets,” chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in a statement.

The group invested $3.8 billion in new aircraft, infrastructure and technology “to support its growth plans”, the statement said.

Its workforce grew by 9 per cent to an unprecedented 121,223 employees.

The group declared a $1.6 billion dividend to its owner, the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD).

Emirates airline, excluding the group’s other businesses, posted a record $5.8 billion pre-tax profit, up 20 per cent from the year before.

Its revenue grew by 6 per cent, reaching $34.9 billion.

Emirates’ ground services arm Dnata also boasted a record pre-tax profit of $430 million, up 2 per cent from last year.

State-owned Emirates Group operates the world’s largest long-haul carrier.

As of March, it had 314 aircraft pending delivery, including 61 A350s and 205 Boeing 777x, the statement said.

It said it was retrofitting 219 aircraft at a cost of $5 billion to make up for delayed aircraft orders.

Sheikh Ahmed had previously said the group was retrofitting 90 per cent of its fleet to make up for the delays.

AFP

The Senate leadership on Thursday cautioned the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, against making public statements that could create friction between the  National Assembly and the executive led by President Bola Tinubu.

The warning came after Badaru publicly dismissed a planned two-day national security summit by the Senate, stating that such gatherings were unnecessary in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

Speaking at plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele criticised the minister’s comments, warning that such remarks could undermine legislative initiatives and strain relations with the Presidency.

At a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Badaru had said the armed forces were already better equipped and more sophisticated than insurgents, and emphasised that effective strategy, not summits, was the key to national security.

“Strategy is far more important than a summit,” the minister said. “The summit will give input for the strategy, but operational orders come from the Defence Chiefs, not from public discourse.”

Reacting, Akpabio expressed disappointment, stating that open criticism of the Senate’s resolutions could worsen the already dire security situation.

“If the Ministry of Defence has any issue with any Senate resolution, it should not address it in the marketplace,” Akpabio said. “It should reach out to the Senate President or Senate elders. Such public remarks could lead to unnecessary executive-legislative conflict.” 

Akpabio commended the 10th Senate for staying focused on national priorities despite distractions.

Earlier, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the minister’s remarks as demoralising and unhelpful.

“We are elected to work for the people and support the President’s agenda. But when we are falsely portrayed or publicly undermined, it becomes difficult to build synergy,” Bamidele said.

He added, “That the Minister of Defence could describe a Senate-backed national security summit as unnecessary is troubling. Summits may not be perfect, but they remain critical avenues for gathering diverse perspectives to inform strategic decisions.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Thursday called on President Tinubu to order the deployment of additional security personnel to Plateau State, following recent attacks on Bokkos and Bassa local government areas.

The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance jointly sponsored by lawmakers Ishaya Lalu and Daniel Ago.

Lalu decried the repeated violence and mass killings in Jos and surrounding communities, stating that the recent attacks have left many dead, thousands displaced, and livelihoods destroyed.

“These incidents represent a troubling pattern of violence in Plateau State that has persisted for years, despite previous interventions,” Lalu said. “The situation has resulted in a worsening humanitarian crisis, with inadequate relief and support for displaced persons.”

The motion, when put to a voice vote by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, received overwhelming support.

The House urged the President to immediately deploy additional security forces to the affected areas to prevent further bloodshed. It also called on the National Emergency Management Agency and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons to supply relief materials, medical aid, and establish proper IDP camps.

Furthermore, the House mandated its Committees on National Security, Defence, and Police Affairs to investigate the root causes of the persistent attacks and submit a report with recommendations within four weeks.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs was also tasked with developing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan to rebuild destroyed homes, schools, and healthcare facilities in the affected communities.

The Cardinal Conclave has elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new Pope of the Catholic Church.
Naija News disclosed important information of the new Pope who has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.

Date of Birth: Sept. 14, 1955

Nationality: American and Peruvian

Position: Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops; president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America under Francis

Experience: Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru; head of the Augustinian religious order

Made a cardinal by: Francis

Brought to Rome by Pope Francis in 2023 to lead the powerful Vatican office that oversees bishop appointments globally, the 69-year-old Chicago native is now the leader of the Catholic Church.

What makes Prevost particularly intriguing is his dual identity: while American by birth, he has lived most of his ecclesiastical life in Peru, where he became a citizen in 2015 and served for years as a bishop and then archbishop of Chiclayo. This Latin American connection helps soften the long-held taboo against electing an American pope, given the global dominance of the U.S. on the political stage.

A humble Augustinian at heart, Prevost has kept a notably low profile since arriving in Rome, even as his influence has quietly grown. Twice elected as the top leader of the Augustinian order, his leadership was recognized early by Francis, who appointed him to the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and later to oversee bishop nominations — one of the most critical responsibilities in the Church.

Perhaps most tellingly, Francis trusted Prevost with ushering in one of the Church’s most radical reforms, allowing women to help decide which bishops are recommended to the pope. In 2025, he was elevated to the Church’s highest cardinal rank — a clear sign of papal favor.

Known for his joyful demeanor and humility, Prevost still inspires affection in his former diocese. “No matter how many problems he has, he maintains good humor and joy,” said the Rev. Fidel Purisaca Vigil, his former communications director in Peru.

Pope Leo XIV is aged 69 years.

• Full text of Pope Leo XIV’s first speech: ‘Peace be with you’

The following is the full first speech of Pope Leo XIV, given from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica shortly after his election as the new pope and leader of the Catholic Church.

“Peace be with all of you!

Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your heart, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to the whole earth. Peace be with you!

This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally. We still have in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed Rome!

The pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning.

Allow me to follow up on that same blessing: God cares for us, God loves all of us, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God’s hands. Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward.

We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge to reach God and His love.

Help us too, then help each other to build bridges – with dialogue, with encounter, uniting all of us to be one people always in peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!

I also want to thank all the fellow cardinals who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk with you, as a united Church always seeking peace, justice – always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.

I am a son of Saint Augustine, (an) Augustinian, who said: “With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.” In this sense, we can all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.

To the Church of Rome, a special greeting! We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges (and) dialogue, always open to receive (people), like this square, with open arms – everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.

(Switching into Spanish) And if you allow me also, a word, a greeting to all those, and particularly to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, have shared their faith, and have given so much, so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ.

(Switching back to Italian) To all of you, brothers and sisters of Rome, of Italy, of the whole world, we want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer.

Today is the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, to stay close, to help us with her intercession and her love.

So I would like to pray together with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world, and let us ask for this special grace from Mary, our Mother.”

-Reuters

The operators of the helicopter that claimed the life of former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, alongside his wife, son, and three others in February 2024, may soon face criminal charges in the United States, aviation industry operators and experts have confirmed.

The helicopter, an Airbus EC130B4 operated by Orbic Air, LLC, under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135, crashed near Halloran Springs, California, on February 9, 2024.

On board were Wigwe, his wife, Doreen, their first son, Chizi, and former NGX Group Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, along with two pilots, all of whom died in the crash.

A final report by the US National Transportation Safety Board cited “pilot disorientation” and a violation of flight protocols, especially the decision to proceed under visual flight rules in instrument meteorological conditions, as key causes of the crash.

Additionally, a faulty radar altimeter, which had been flagged during a repositioning flight earlier that day, was noted as another potential contributor to the tragedy.

Aviation professionals in Nigeria now assert that the US government is likely to pursue charges of criminal negligence against Orbic Air before a judicial panel of inquiry.

The panel would review the case and determine the extent of liability and also the extent of punishment applicable to the helicopter company.

Speaking to The PUNCH, Capt Muhammed Badamasi, a retired pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways, said the matter was already a legal one, noting the state as the plaintiff and the helicopter company as the defendant.

He said, “It’s already a legal matter. The panel of inquiry will determine whether the crash and the resultant deaths were due to a breach of the company’s safety protocols. If so, it becomes a judicial issue, and charges may follow.”

Badamasi emphasised that any legal process would be handled in the US, noting that agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration,  National Transportation Safety Board, and representatives from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau may be involved as interested parties.

Badamosi emphasised that as legal scrutiny intensifies, the case may become a watershed moment for regulatory enforcement in private charter operations, both in the US and internationally.

Echoing similar views, a retired pilot and current Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Capt Ado Sanusi, said the prosecution will be done by the state after the accident investigation body submits the root cause of the unfortunate incident.

He said, “Once the investigation report is out, the next step lies with the appropriate legal authorities. If negligence is established, it is within their jurisdiction to act accordingly. The role of the aviation industry ends with identifying the cause.”

Sanusi added that the appropriate agency of the state is expected to take up the matter, “but I know that their laws will be considered as appropriate.”

The NTSB’s report detailed how, hours before the fatal flight, a malfunction in the radar altimeter was observed during a transfer from a maintenance facility.

Despite the safety concern, the aircraft proceeded with the passenger flight later that day and ended the lives of six people.

Another industry expert, Chris Aligbe, noted that the matter will be prosecuted under American laws, adding that issues of negligence are no longer handled with levity in the aviation industry globally.

He said, “Before now, issues like this happened and the masterminds got away with it, but not anymore, things are changing. The root cause will be determined and prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land.”

A power outage hit several areas of the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands on Thursday, the local council said in a post on the social media platform X.

Early reports suggested that a third of La Palma had been left without electricity, impacting around 30,000 people. The council urged everyone to remain calm and avoid overwhelming emergency services.

The island was not affected by the massive blackout that hit most of Spain and Portugal on April 28.

Spain has asked its own investigators and European Union regulators to investigate the cause of the outage, but whatever the findings, analysts and industry representatives say infrastructure investment is essential.

"The blackout was a wake-up call. It showed that the need to modernise and reinforce Europe’s electricity grid is urgent and unavoidable," Kristina Ruby, secretary general at Eurelectric, Europe's electricity industry association, said.

The European Union's power grid mostly dates back to the last century and half the lines are over 40 years old.

Rising low-carbon energy production and booming demand from data centres and electric vehicles require an overhaul of the grids that also need digital protection to withstand cyber attacks.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will shut down in 2045, following the planned donation of 99% of his remaining $107 billion wealth.

In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, Gates said the decision will allow the foundation to spend an additional $200 billion over the next 20 years, accelerating its global work in health, poverty alleviation, and education.

“I think 20 years is the right balance between giving as much as we can to make progress on these things and giving people a lot of notice that now this money will be gone,” Gates said.

Historic Philanthropy

Gates’ pledge ranks as one of the largest philanthropic commitments in history, surpassing donations made by John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.

Since its founding in 2000, the foundation has already spent $100 billion on critical global initiatives including:

• Creating Gavi, the vaccine alliance
• Supporting the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB, and malaria
• Funding sanitation, education, and disease research

The foundation’s funding has come largely from Gates’ Microsoft wealth and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett, who has contributed 41% of the total funds.

Gates described the foundation as his “second and final career”, stating that the impact of their work in underserved countries has deeply shaped his mission.

Gates also urged other billionaires to step up.

He said: “I’d love to be beat in all of this work. Somebody should try and pay more taxes than I did, save more lives than I did, and give more money than I did.”

The 2045 wind-down will be gradual, with continued investment in scientific innovation, healthcare access, and education for low- and middle-income countries.

Nigeria has paid back all its outstanding debts owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and exited the list of debtors to the organization.

Naija News reports that as of 2023, Nigeria’s IMF debt stood at $1.61 billion. However, through a repayment plan initiated by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the debt steadily declined, reaching $472 million by January 2025, and has now been fully paid off as of May 2025.

This development was confirmed in the latest report from the IMF website, which shows Nigeria is no longer included on the list of nations indebted to the IMF.

The debt-free status of Nigeria was also confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Digital Engagement and Strategy, O’tega Ogra, via a statement released on his ? account.

In the statement, Ogra confirmed that Nigeria has officially cleared all its legacy debt with the IMF.

The presidential aide added that the development is a signal of discipline, reform, and strategic reset by the Tinubu-Shettima administration in restructuring Nigeria’s finances.

He wrote, “Remember my Easter Special, in which I spoke about our improved debt management and financial restructuring, which has given us the capacity to invest more in sustainable infrastructure and policies? Yes, there is an update.

“According to the latest data on the International Monetary Fund Website as of today, May 6, 2025, Nigeria has officially cleared all its legacy debt with the IMF.

“It is a signal of discipline, reform, and strategic reset by the Tinubu-Shettima administration in restructuring our finances to enable us to be better placed for a prosperous future

“As Nigeria closes the chapter on these legacy debt obligations, we are better placed to strengthen our fiscal credibility and show the world, and ourselves, that Nigeria is serious about managing our economy with responsibility and vision.”

Ogra was also quick to clarify that despite offsetting the loans, Nigeria remains a member of the IMF.

“Nigeria still remains a member of the IMF and can approach it at any time if the situation demands. This is definitely not a door slammed shut,” he added.