Data from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) reveals that out of 84,283 inmates across the country’s 244 correctional centres, 57,288 are still awaiting trial.

The figures show that 55,924 of these awaiting trial inmates are male, while 1,364 are female.

Only 32% (26,995) of the inmates, including 26,530 males and 465 females, have undergone trial.

NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Umar, acknowledged congestion as a significant issue in the correctional facilities. He highlighted ongoing efforts with the judiciary to expedite trials and noted that NGOs are offering pro bono legal services to help inmates without legal representation get their cases heard.

Bidemi Kosoko, Nollywood actress and daughter of veteran actor, Prince Jide Kosoko has opened up on her personal life.

The mother of three got candid on how difficult it was to lose her mum at a tender age, the toll it took on her as a mother and how her husband becoming a pastor almost crashed their marriage.

The movie star, in an interview with her colleague, Biola Bayo on the Talk to B podcast revealed that her husband’s calling as a shepherd in his church almost made her divorce him.

According to Bidemi Kosoko, when she met her husband, he no where near a shepherd until God called him. The actress said she didn’t see herself as a pastor’s wife which made it quite difficult for her to come to terms with her new reality leading to crisis in their marriage.

Addressing reports that she got married late, Bidemi Kosoko stated that she got married at the age of 32, which wasn’t what she planned.

She confessed that she had always loved early marriage and had desired to get married at age 25 or 26 and be done giving birth at age 32, but things didn’t go as she planned.

In Bidemi Kosoko’s words:

“It is not like I married too late. I got married at 32. I have always loved the idea of getting married at 25 and 26, by that 32, I was supposed to be done having kids at 32 then face my life and career.

My husband is a shepherd in his church, this has been his calling. I didn’t marry him as a shepherd and this is something that almost broke our marriage because I don’t see myself in that Pastor’s wife shoe”.

Speaking on her mother’s death, Bidemi noted how her mother died at age 6, which affected her as it wasn’t easy growing up without a mother but her famous dad, Jide Kosoko, did all he could to stand in as both her father and mother. She added:

“I lost my mum when I was 6. She died in 1992.

When I started menstruating, I couldn’t tell anybody. I cut pieces of clothes to package myself, not because there was no money to buy things I was supposed to use but because I refused to speak out.

If I had a mom, she would have noticed definitely. Of course, it wasn’t easy growing up without a mum but I thank God for the father I have.

My name is Abidemi because my dad wasn’t around when my mum had me. He was in London for a performance or show”.

Bidemi also addressed claims of her reducing her age and expressed how much she loves her kids. She added:

“People always say I am lying about my age especially when my dad wished me a happy birthday and revealed my real age, which left people in doubt.

I love my kids so much and I am the type of lady they call ‘Werey Olomo’. I always want my kids to be around me. So they are my hand bag, we go everywhere together. I stopped traveling because of my children. I can’t leave them alone for a long time”.

In a recent interview on Daddy Freeze’s podcast, popular music executive Paulo Okoye, revealed that Grammy Award-winning artist Burna Boy is the richest musician in Nigeria.

According to Paulo Okoye, Burna Boy earned between $70 million and $80 million in 2023 alone.

During the podcast, Paulo discussed Burna Boy’s modest team structure, noting that the artist’s immediate support network includes only his mother, sister, and a few close associates.

He highlighted that despite his immense wealth, Burna Boy remains humble and avoids boasting about his financial success.

In addition to commenting on Burna Boy’s financial status, Paulo Okoye also addressed rising star Rema, suggesting that the young artist has a tendency to overprice himself.

The spiritual head of the Inri evangelical church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has prophesied that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 'will die' if it decides to 'hand' Atiku Abubakar the presidential ticket for the 2027 election.

Legit.ng reports that Atiku, a former vice president, is a serial presidential aspirant having contested unsuccessfully for president of Nigeria six times: in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.


The 77-year-old ran in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primaries in 1993 but lost to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. Atiku's last two presidential pursuits have been through the PDP.

In a video shared on his known X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, August 15, Ayodele said in the event Atiku emerges as the PDP’s presidential flag-bearer again in 2027, the party "is dead”.

The cleric said: “PDP, if you want to fail, give Atiku your presidency. You will see that you will fail. It is going to be a cheap victory for APC.

Atiku is not the answer for the PDP in 2027. He is not the answer. If you try Atiku, then, politically, PDP is dead. That is the end of PDP.”

[Source: www.legit.ng]

Peter Obi, flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, has criticised the exorbitant cost of governance in Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He highlighted that an average PhD holder would have to save for years to afford the N160 million SUVs driven by lawmakers.

Obi, in a series of posts shared on his X page on Friday, August 16, 2024, said the reckless spending by the government is the reason for the decline in the standards of the university education system.

The former Anambra state governor lamented that while a Grade 2 lecturer might earn just N150,000 per month, an average lawmaker takes home about N21 million monthly, revealing a stark disparity between the government’s prioritisation of education and its extravagant expenses.

Recall that former President Olusegun Obasanjo alleged that federal lawmakers now fix new salaries and allowances for themselves.

The Nigerian Senate quickly refuted his claims. Interestingly, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), in a statement, disclosed that each senator collects a monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1.063 million; this further sparked a fresh debate in the polity.

Reacting to the controversy over lawmakers' actual salaries, Obi tweeted: "If fortunate, one might be employed as a lecturer in Grade 2 with a monthly salary of around N150,000, often paid irregularly, totalling N1,800,000 annually. In stark contrast, our legislators, whose required educational qualification is merely a secondary school certificate, receive a monthly salary of N21 million, which is more than the 10 years' salary of a PhD holder.

"This disparity is the root of the problem. Additionally, legislators are provided with SUVs worth N160 million from the public purse. For a PhD holder to afford such a vehicle, it would take over 85 years of saving every kobo earned. The solution lies in shifting our society from a consumption-driven mindset to a production-oriented approach, where hard work, innovation, and talent are valued and rewarded."

A purported 2027 presidential campaign poster featuring Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, and Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President, has been dismissed as a “figment of people’s imagination” by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR).

The spokesman for the group, Yunusa Tanko stated, “It’s just people’s imagination. There’s no hint of a presidential run, but we’re working for the good of the people.”

The disputed poster, which has been circulating online, shows Saraki as the presidential candidate and Obi as his running mate, with the slogan “Let’s restore our country back, come 2027.”

It should be noted that both Saraki and Obi have yet to officially declare any intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Saraki is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Obi is still a member of the Labour Party (LP), having defected from the PDP during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.

The Presidency is aware of failed attempts by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., a Chinese company, to take over offshore assets of Nigeria through subterfuge.

Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement, said Zhongshan misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching Nigeria’s presidential jets in its judgment against Ogun government. 

He faulted the use of the presidential jets which were on routine maintenance in France.

According to him, the presidential jets are assets of a Sovereign entity protected by diplomatic immunity, which forbids any foreign court from issuing an order against them.

“We are convinced the Chinese company misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law,” he said.

He said the Federal Government was not under any contractual obligation with the Chinese company.

“The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State government.

“The Federal Government is fully aware of efforts being made by the Ogun State government to reach an amicable resolution on the matter,” said Onanuga.

He said the company had no solid ground to demand restitution from Ogun government based on the facts regarding the 2007 contract between the company and the state government to manage a free-trade zone.

He said that when the contract with Ogun was revoked in 2015, the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the land earmarked for a free trade zone. 

According to him, while the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was working with the Ogun government on an amicable resolution, Zhongshan obtained two orders from the Judicial Court of Paris.

He said the court orders were dated March 7, and August 12, but no notice was duly served on the Federal Government of Nigeria and Ogun government.

“This arm-twisting tactic by the Chinese company is the latest in a long list of failed moves to attach Nigerian government-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions,” said Onanuga.

He said unscrupulous and questionable individuals were falsely presenting themselves as investors with the sole objective of undercutting and scamming governments in Africa.

He said the same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed.

He was emphatic that foreign companies were trying to defraud Nigeria with the collaboration of some bureaucrats.

“Zhongshan appeared to have sold the judgment they got to a venture capitalist seeking to make money by embarrassing the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu.

“We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately.

“Nigerian government will always work to protect our national assets from predators and shylocks who masquerade as investors,” said Onanuga.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the contract between Ogun and Zhongshan to manage a free-trade zone was executed in 2007. 

The parties entered into a dispute in 2015, and arbitration began in 2016.

By 2019, the arbitration hearing had been concluded.

The Arbitral Panel awarded over 60 million dollars against the Federal Government of Nigeria, a co-defendant, when all Zhongshan had done was build a perimeter fence around the free-trade zone.

Based on legal advice, the Ogun government resolved to resist the enforcement of the award.

The resistance was successful in eight different jurisdictions. There are pending appeals against recognition orders issued in both the US and UK. 

Ogun State also engaged Zhongshan in settlement discussions on reasonable terms.

The last meeting, held in September 2023 in London, was attended by several officials of Ogun, including Gov. Dapo Abiodun and Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General/Minister of Justice.

Zhongshan’s initial reasonable readiness to consider Ogun State’s offer was surprisingly reversed by the second day when it insisted on the government paying the full arbitration debt.

This led to a breakdown of the mediation, with parties agreeing to meet again in the first quarter of this year.

But Onanuga said since then, Zhongshan has been evasive.

“Instead, it embarked on a series of enforcement proceedings, which the legal team appointed by the Federal Government and Ogun successfully opposed.

“In cases similar to the present one, where Zhongshan obtained an ex-parte order, Ogun State successfully set aside the orders.

“Ogun has not given up on a reasonable settlement option, with the most recent letter sent to Zhongshan last week.

“Zhongshan only responded after obtaining this latest illegal order,” said Onanuga

The presidency has clarified claims that a member of President Bola Tinubu‘s Economic Coordination Council, Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, is one of Malta’s biggest importers of petrol.

Naija News reported that the chairman of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Aliko Dangote, had claimed that officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), oil traders and terminals had established a blending plant in Malta.

However, the group chief executive officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, immediately denied Dangote’s claim, saying he did not have any vested interest in any plant in Malta.

But a report from The Cable disclosed that one of the biggest importers of petrol from Malta is Aliu.

In an interview with the aforementioned publication, Aliu denied any wrongdoing in his business practices and promised a full response to the newspaper’s questions.

According to an insider who shared confidential documents with the publication, over 200,000 tonnes of petrol from Malta were discharged into the Matrix jetty in Warri, Delta state, in July 2024 alone.

Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in a statement via X on Saturday, said Aliu has been in the petrol business for over 20 years, and it would be wrong to accuse him of importing bad fuel into the country.

Ajayi clarified that Aliu as an active player in the downstream sector, had nothing to do with his membership in President Tinubu’s economic council.

The statement reads, “It appears @thecableng just wants to create a storm in a teacup because I can’t seem to understand the link between where Matrix Energy imports petroleum products from and the Chief Executive’s membership of President Tinubu’s Economic Council.

“The man has been in the business for over 20 years. It is not enough to accuse someone of importing bad fuel into the country without evidence just because another businessman, seeking to protect his own turf, made the allegation.

“Matrix is an active player in the downstream sector. Whatever business arrangement the company has with NNPC has been on for many years before the current administration that is barely a year old.

“The company runs over 150 retail stations across the country and is reported to have three vessels for its operations. Matrix Energy, arguably, owns one of the largest independent product storage facilities in Nigeria.

“Certainly, it wasn’t the CEO’s membership of President Bola Tinubu’s Economic Council that made him an active player in the sector where he has operated for over twenty years.

“Members of President Tinubu’s Economic Council are drawn up from leaders of big businesses in critical sectors of the economy. Other members of the Council announced on March 27, 2024 include Mr. Segun Agbaje, Group CEO of GTBank Holding Company, Aliko Dangote, Mrs. Funke Okpeke, Tony Elumelu, Patrick Okigbo, Ms Amina Maina, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Dr. Doyin Salami among others.”

The National Peace Committee (NPC) has revealed details of behind-the-scenes maneuvers by partisans and other unnamed elements during the 2023 Presidential Election, disclosing that it came under immense pressure to persuade the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to either halt the collation of results or cancel the election entirely.

The NPC, led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, made these revelations on Friday in Abuja during the public presentation of its 106-page report on the 2023 General Elections, titled ‘Nigeria’s Pursuit of Electoral Compliance: National Peace Committee NPC 2023 General Elections Report’.

General Abubakar highlighted the immense pressure exerted on the committee during the election process as partisan forces sought to influence the election outcome through various means.

According to him, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges faced during the election and recommendations for improving future electoral processes in Nigeria.

Before the public presentation of the report, the NPC had earlier met with INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and other senior management staff of the commission.

During the meeting, they were briefed on INEC’s preparations for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

Other members of the committee are Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (Vice Chairman); Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (Convener); Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; John Cardinal Onaiyekan; business icons, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola; Vanguard Newspapers Publisher, Sam Amuka Pemu; Ameze Guobadia; Idayat Hassan; Dame Priscilla Kuye; Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; Channels TV owner, John Momoh; Roseline Ukeje; and, Fr. Atta Barkindo, its Head of Secretariat.

The report reads, “As the election day progressed, criticisms and counter criticisms became abundant. The NPC was already being faced with a flurry of phone calls and the need to call INEC to order. The Peace Committee was flooded with requests for intervention. Both the Chairman of the Committee, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, the Convener, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Head of NPC Secretariat, Fr. Atta Barkindo, were inundated with calls, requests, and petitions demanding the intervention of the NPC.

“Some of the requests wanted the NPC to prevail on INEC to stop collating election results because there were gross violations and lack of compliance with the electoral act. Others demanded that the tenets of the Peace Accord signed were not adhered to and therefore the Committee should call for cancellation of the election entirely.

“The most significant call was related to the 25% threshold for Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory. Some of the analysts who reached out to the committee asked that the final election result should not be announced because the resumptive president-elect did not score the required 25% as stated in the electoral act. If anything, there should be a runoff.

“For example, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy described the silence of National Peace Committee (NPC) as deafening in spite of the avalanche of election petitions and likely far-reaching outcomes that could follow the decisions. The Centre stated that the NPC led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) had prior to the 2023 elections engaged political leaders on the need for a peaceful and credible election. However, what was missing was a post- election formal statement of the NPC on the outcome of the election and the sort of intervention needed to prevent widespread violence.

“The biggest bone of contention was the significance of the 25% threshold for the FCT, the vacuum created by pre-election legal interpretation that was not given by INEC.

“Within the general context of the mandate of the Peace Committee, there were requests that demanded the Committee to go beyond its mandate and to interfere in an electoral process that only agencies empowered by law can do so.

“The interventions provided by the NPC is purely and squarely moral, particularly in a context that trust deficit is widespread, the culture of impunity and lack of compliance with laws. The mandate is founded on the need to promote peace, prevent widespread violence and encourage parties and candidates to uphold the rule of law.

“The NPC has no mandate to arrest violators of process or interfere with the constitutional duties of INEC. It is set up to provide moral intervention, defined by mediation and moral persuasion to ensure that there is peace. It is also expected to, on behalf of public interest, speak truth to power when things are going terribly wrong. After the presidential elections, the NPC has continued with its engagements with political parties, youth and women led groups, persons with disabilities, the security agencies, traditional rulers and religious leaders, including the Independent State-based Peace Architectures.

“Most people are not aware that the NPC provides only a moral intervention, and it has no constitutional duty to arrest, punish or prosecute any citizen for any wrongdoing. Rather, the Committee has the moral obligation to encourage, persuade and appeal to political actors, community leaders and other stakeholders on the importance of peace. This limited awareness has forced some Nigerians to question the significance of engaging with the NPC if only what the committee brings to the table is moral persuasion. This is a challenge for the work of the Committee.”