Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Thursday, said in a video played in court that the destruction witnessed during the #ENDSARS protest in October 2020 could not have been a result of his broadcasts on Biafra Radio.

Kanu stated this during his interrogation by the Department of State Service (DSS) on July 17, 2021, and the video evidence was played before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The video recording of the session where the DSS investigators, including the witness identified as BBB, interrogated Kanu and obtained a written statement from him, was played in court.

BBB identified Kanu in the video as well as two of his lawyers who were with him during the session, including Alloy Ejimakor.

He, however, admitted making broadcasts in respect of the #ENDSARS protest and other broadcasts on Biafra Radio.

He said the protest that took place in Lagos during the protest was outside the Biafran territory and that the mayhem witnessed during the period could not have been a result of his broadcast.

Kanu confirmed being the founder and leader of IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Kanu said he was not directly involved in the day-to-day running of both organisations (IPOB and ESN), which he said were managed by their states’ coordinators.

During the interaction session, Kanu sought and was granted permission to ease himself.

He went into the restroom, returned a moment later, and the interview session continued.

Kanu said he did not have authority over his members, adding that if he had had authority over them, he would not have subscribed to the referendum.

He said he would have just pronounced Biafra into existence.

In the video, Kanu denied that IPOB was responsible for the violent attacks in some parts of the South East and the killings witnessed.

He said that IPOB was a peaceful and non-violent movement.

Kanu, who said he facilitated the establishment of ESN, explained that the organisation was necessitated by the killings of the people of the South East.

“If you look at what was happening in our land, that was what gave rise to ESN.

“If our people cannot go to the farm, and people are killed in their land, do you sit down and do nothing?

“People can no longer go to the farm; people can no longer carry out their economic activities,” he said.

Kanu faulted the invasion of his house by armed soldiers, which he said accounted for why he left the country for fear of being killed.

He argued that the invasion was unnecessary and also faulted the manner he was arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria.

Meanwhile, BBB, who was the 2nd prosecution witness (PW-2), while being led in evidence by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, narrated how Radio Biafra broadcasts by Kanu led to the killing of eminent Nigerians, including security officers.

The witness said Kanu’s broadcasts led to the killing of a former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak.

BBB said he was part of the DSS team that investigated the complaint made against Kanu by the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.

He said the defendant’s broadcast also led to the killing of a retired judge, Justice Stanley Nnaji and an intending military couple; Sergeant Audu Lucas and Private Glory Matthew.

The witness said Kanu, in one of his broadcasts, ordered his followers to enforce a sit-at-home in all South Eastern states, and in the process, many people who went out of their houses on that day were killed.

He said the investigation revealed that Sergeant Lucas and Private Matthew were not only killed by those who were enforcing Kanu’s sit-at-home order, but they were also beheaded.

The witness said investigation also revealed that before killing Gulak, those enforcing the sit-at-home directive by Kanu blamed him (Gulak) for coming out on a day their leader asked people not to go out of their homes.

He added that, from their investigation, they found that Kanu founded IPOB and ESN, which is the armed wing of IPOB, and that he was the leader of both groups.

“We were also able to establish that he (Kanu) founded Radio Biafra, through which he made inciting comments like the killing of police officers and burning of property,” the witness said.

He added that they also found that Radio Biafra was not registered in Nigeria and that, owing to Kanu’s broadcast, police stations in Cele and Ilasa (both in Lagos) were burnt by his followers.

Not few stakeholders in Kaduna State have continued to voice out their concerns over the alleged uneven disbursement of the $350m World Bank loan secured by the immediate past administration of the state under the leadership of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Said to be most hit by the alleged injustice occasioned by the uneven disbursement of the loan are 12 local government areas in the state.

These council areas have been identified to be left in the lurch, years after the much-touted Urban Renewal Road projects initiated by the immediate past administration of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai took off.

Arewa PUNCH investigations revealed that despite the continued repayment of the $350 million World Bank loan secured under El-Rufai’s government, not a single kilometre of road has been said to have been completed in the affected LGAs, some of which are among the poorest in the state.

Field investigations and corroborated testimonies from community leaders and government insiders point to widespread neglect in areas such as Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Ikara, Jaba, Kagarko, Kajuru, Kauru, Kudan, Makarfi, Sanga, Soba, and Zangon Kataf.

Arewa PUNCH sources further alleged that the projects in these LGAs either never took off beyond the flag-off stage or were outrightly abandoned shortly after the groundbreaking ceremonies.

Unimpressed by the outcome of the situation, several civil society groups and opposition lawmakers in the state have raised concerns over the opaque manner in which the loan was managed, especially in relation to equitable distribution of infrastructure.

Comrade Phelimon Andrew, a transparency advocate based in Zango-Kataf, called for a legislative audit of the Urban Renewal Programme.

“We can’t keep taking loans for political PR. The communities have the right to know where every dollar went,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that although the World Bank facility was secured to fund El-Rufai’s flagship Urban Renewal Programme, said to be an ambitious infrastructural plan meant to modernise urban and rural Kaduna State, however, the execution has remained lopsided.

The residents, while expressing their frustrations over the current state of the abandoned Urban Renewal Road Projects, lamented that the initiative now lies in various stages of disrepair, disrupting livelihood and daily commuting.

“This road was supposed to be completed under El-Rufai’s administration years ago,” said Musa Yakubu, an okada rider in Sabo Tasha, “Now, it’s just a dust trap in the dry season and a muddy mess during the rains,” Yakubu bemoaned, adding, “we spend more money fixing our vehicles than making profit.”

Gimbiya Musa, a shop owner near the uncompleted stretch of road around Television Garage to Sabo Tasha bridge, also lamented the significant drop in patronage.

“Ever since the road was dug up and abandoned, customers now avoid this area. Business has dropped by more than 50 per cent. We were excited at first, but now, it feels like they just forgot us.”

Residents of Kauru, too, have voiced out their concerns. “We see abandoned construction equipment every day, rusting by the roadside. It’s a constant reminder of a broken promise,” said Ezekiel Haruna, a community leader.

“Children now play on half-graded roads, and people have started throwing waste into open drains that were meant to relieve stormwater,” observed another resident in Zitti Village in the Zango Kataf Local Government Area.

For many, the unfinished roadworks have become a symbol of neglect. “El-Rufai gave us hope that Kaduna would be transformed,” said Fatima Bello, a school teacher, “But what we were left with were potholes, traffic jams, and dust storms,” she pointed out.

“This present  administration of Uba Sani must probe the previous administration of Nasir el-Rufai to tell Kaduna State citizens the truth about what happened to the $350 million World Bank loan that it secured,” Garba Habibu from Birning Gwari declared.

A top government source in one of the ministries directly involved in projects, but who does not want his name in print for fear of a possible attack or sanction alleged that while the Kaduna North reportedly benefitted from nearly 76 per cent of the projects, residents in the South and Central senatorial zones were left with incomplete and deteriorating roadways.

Similarly, a youth leader in Kaura, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, also queried what he termed as the injustice in the uneven disbursement of the loan.

“This is not just about bad governance. It is about injustice. How can we be paying back a loan and have nothing to show for it?”

He pointed out that among the most glaring cases is the Yarbwan-Kafanchan road, among others, which were initially designed as a signature project to boost connectivity into Southern Kaduna and which construction began with much fanfare but has since been stalled, “leaving commuters stranded during rainy seasons and sight of local businesses bearing the brunt of a failed promise.”

In Birnin Gwari, an area plagued by banditry and poor infrastructure, residents informed Arewa PUNCH that the road projects would have significantly eased movement and enhanced security if completed.

Another senior source within the Kaduna Government House, who equally spoke under the condition of anonymity, confirmed that “no single project initiated by the El-Rufai administration reached completion stage” in the listed LGAs.

“Some areas didn’t even have the contractors mobilised. All the attention were on projects that had media visibility within the Kaduna metropolis,” the official disclosed.

Meanwhile, community leaders from the neglected LGAs are calling for immediate government intervention, warning that continued neglect may fuel further social discontent.

Efforts by our correspondent to get a response from the current administration of Governor Uba Sani were unsuccessful as calls and messages to key officials in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure were not returned as at press time.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied taking a final decision on the leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Specifically, INEC denied recognizing any specific persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP).

It also said it is yet to reach a final decision on the National Secretary position of the PDP.

The electoral body added that it is yet to reach a decision regarding the disputes within the Labour Party.

The position of INEC was made known in a statement released on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, following the emergence of a report that the electoral body has reinstated Julius Abure and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP) respectively based on information from its website.

It also claimed INEC has recognized Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the PDP.

However, Oyekanmi refuted media reports suggesting it had acknowledged specific individuals as the National officers of the two affected parties.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to some media reports claiming that the Commission has recognised certain persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP). The reports also inferred that the Commission has restored a particular individual as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), referring to the listings on the Commission’s official website.

“However, the reports are false and misleading. The Commission has not made any decision in respect of either the LP or PDP.

“The names of the National Officers of the LP had previously been uploaded to our website following a court order, not related in any way to the latest judgement of the Supreme Court. In the same manner, the name of the National Secretary of the PDP on the same website was neither deleted nor reinstated.

“As a law abiding institution, the Commission is carefully studying the judgement of the Supreme Court on the Labour Party and will communicate its decision to the public in due course.”

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly criticised the governors of Anambra and Enugu states, Chukwuma Soludo and Peter Mbah, for organising elaborate receptions for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remains in detention.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA described the ceremonies as “politically motivated” and “insensitive”, particularly in light of what the group referred to as the unjust arrest and prolonged detention of Kanu by the federal government.

President Tinubu recently visited both Enugu and Anambra states, commissioning projects and participating in state-organised events marked by pomp and pageantry.

His latest stop was in Anambra, where he was received at the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri, by Governor Soludo and other dignitaries.

HURIWA, a pro-democracy and civil rights group, criticised the governors for failing to use the opportunity of the president’s visit to raise critical issues affecting the South-East region, especially the continued detention and trial of Nnamdi Kanu on treason and terrorism charges.

“We are not against the president visiting any part of the country,” HURIWA said.

“However, it is disturbing that governors from the South-East would organise extravagant state-funded events without addressing the insecurity and marginalisation that have plagued the region.”

The group accused Soludo and Mbah of ignoring the widespread calls for Kanu’s release, including from political and traditional leaders across the region, and of instead focusing on personal political gain.

“Chukwuma Soludo even claimed that releasing Nnamdi Kanu would not reduce insecurity in the South-East. This level of indifference is not only misguided but also betrays the trust of the people they were elected to serve,” the statement added.

HURIWA further alleged that while governors from other regions prioritise their regional interests in negotiations with the federal government, their South-East counterparts have shown little commitment to addressing the region’s developmental challenges or advocating for equitable representation in national appointments and infrastructure projects.

The group called on Southeast leaders to realign their priorities and focus on protecting the rights and interests of the Igbo people, rather than staging public events that appear to endorse the continued marginalisation and persecution of their constituents.

President Tinubu is expected to commission several projects during his Anambra visit, part of what the state government describes as a showcase of “legacy achievements” under the Soludo administration.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has disclosed intentions to give away nearly all of his $200bn wealth, leaving only one per cent for himself, as he shuts down the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Microsoft co-founder stated on Thursday in a post on his personal blog, Gates Notes, that the foundation, which is considered to be among the most significant charitable organisations globally, will close its doors by December 31, 2045.

“People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them.

“There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people,” he said.

He added, “That is why I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned. I will give away virtually all my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world. And on December 31, 2045, the foundation will close its doors permanently.”

In a chart shared in the blog post, Gates revealed that he plans to give away 99 per cent of his wealth by 2045, leaving just one per cent, or about $1.6bn, for himself and his family.

Founded in 2000 with his now ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, the foundation has spent over $100bn on global health, education, and poverty alleviation, helping to fund vaccine development, medical research, and emergency aid around the world. 

He also notes a shift from the original plan.

“This is a change from our original plans. When Melinda and I started the Gates Foundation in 2000, we included a clause in the foundation’s very first charter: The organisation would sunset several decades after our deaths. A few years ago, I began to rethink that approach.

“More recently, with the input from our board, I now believe we can achieve the foundation’s goals on a shorter timeline, especially if we double down on key investments and provide more certainty to our partners,” he stated.

Daily Mail reports that the remaining one per cent of his fortune may ultimately go to his three adult children: Phoebe, Rory and Jennifer.

Outlining the foundation’s achievements, he said, “I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished in our first 25 years.

“We were central to the creation of Gavi and the Global Fund, both of which transformed the way the world procures and delivers lifesaving tools like vaccines and anti-retrovirals. Together, these two groups have saved more than 80 million lives so far. Along with Rotary International, we have been a key partner in reviving the effort to eradicate polio.

“We supported the creation of a new vaccine for rotavirus that has helped reduce the number of children who die from diarrhea each year by 75 percent. Every step of the way, we brought together other foundations, non-profits, governments, multilateral agencies, and the private sector as partners to solve big problems—as we will continue to do for the next twenty years.”

Despite decades of impact, the Gates Foundation has drawn criticism from some who say Gates holds too much sway over global health funding decisions.

But, in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, he remains unapologetic, saying, like any private citizen, he can choose how to spend the money he earns

“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,” he said.

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has advised the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi to resolve the internal issues in his party before commenting on national issues.
He questioned how it is possible to resolve the crisis of Boko Haram and other national issues while the crisis in the LP remain unsolved.

Akpabio stated this while responding to Obi’s recent comments that the “labour of our heroes past is all in vain.”

Obi, in his tribute on Wednesday during the Memorial Lecture and Day of Tribute for Edwin Clark in Abuja expressed concern about the current state of Nigeria, stating that the sacrifices of past leaders such as General Gowon and former President Jonathan were in vain.

However, speaking on Thursday, during the Valedictory Session in honor of the late politician, Akpabio asserted that while social media can be a tool for communication, it is largely unregulated and often used to sow division.

He urged Obi and other presidential aspirants to first resolve their party issues before focusing on the national stage.

He said, “If you cannot resolve the crisis in your Labour Party, how can you solve the crisis of Boko Haram or other major national issues? I urge those aspiring to lead Nigeria to first address the issues within their own parties.”

He also took the opportunity to highlight his achievements as a former governor, saying, “I can proudly speak about the dualized thoroughfares in my city, the international hospitals, and the digitalized governor’s offices. I also initiated free and compulsory education and worked towards religious unity by sponsoring over 5,800 Muslims and over 12,000 to 15,000 Christians on pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem.”

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has stated that the Nigerian government is working closely with the Finnish authorities to extradite Simon Ekpa for prosecution over offences allegedly committed against the country’s national security and sovereignty.

The AGF disclosed this on Thursday during the quarterly stakeholders and citizens’ engagement programme organised by the Ministry of Justice at its headquarters in Abuja.

He assured stakeholders that Ekpa’s case would not be abandoned, emphasising that, upon his extradition to Nigeria, the state would pursue the matter diligently.

“Simon Ekpa’s offence is a cross-border offence. If he committed an offence there and committed another one here, we cannot request his release to us until they have dealt with him. After that, we can request his extradition,” he said.

Fagbemi reiterated: “Simon Ekpa committed offences both there and here.”

The AGF further stressed that one of the Ministry’s critical mandates is to foster collaboration and cooperation with the international community to ensure that criminals find no safe haven.

He highlighted successes in extraditions, citing the cases of Hassan Bun Hussein Abolore Lawal and Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, extradited to the United States in January and March 2025, respectively.

Additionally, he mentioned the extradition of Benjamin Nnanyereugo, also known as Killaboi, from Qatar to Nigeria in April 2025 to face murder charges for the killing of Augusta, his girlfriend.

On terrorism, Fagbemi revealed that the Ministry successfully conducted 237 terrorism cases between December 9 and 13, 2024, leading to the prosecution and conviction of 226 suspects.

He announced the establishment of a Joint Case Team on cybercrime to foster inter-agency collaboration, improve investigations, and ensure effective prosecutions in line with global best practices.

The AGF highlighted notable progress in asset recovery and management, including the gazetting of the Proceeds of Crime Regulations, 2024, which standardises automated asset forfeiture management.

He said a National Database on Asset Recovery and Management was also developed to ensure transparency.

He reported that Nigeria executed an Asset Sharing Agreement with the United States on January 10, 2025, resulting in the repatriation of $52,882,018.95. Of this, $50 million will fund the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) Project, aimed at providing electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians, while the remaining $2.88 million will support counter-terrorism capacity building.

The minister noted that discussions are ongoing with jurisdictions such as the United States, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and France to repatriate additional funds.

The AGF further disclosed that the Ministry is reviewing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act to better protect vulnerable groups, adding that proposed reforms include enhanced victim protections, revised penalties, and a Victims’ Support Fund.

He stated that the Ministry secured six convictions for sexual and gender-based violence, including the conviction of Peter Nwachukwu, husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu.

To address child-sensitive justice, the AGF highlighted the review of the Borstal Institutions and Remand Centre Act, 2004, and the development of the Children and Youth Correctional Institutions Bill, 2004.

He said the reforms aim to rehabilitate and reintegrate children involved in terrorist activities in line with international child rights standards.

He also emphasised the importance of collaborating with civil society, traditional institutions, and other stakeholders to uphold restorative justice approaches that prioritise the welfare of women, children, and vulnerable persons.

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