Former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, has been remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre after his arraignment before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama on allegations of abuse of office and corruption involving about ₦13.9 million. Justice Peter Kekemeke ordered Umar’s remand on Thursday after the Federal Government filed a four-count charge accusing him of using his position to obtain undue financial benefits while serving as Chairman of the CCT. According to the prosecution, Umar allegedly received ₦5.5 million through his wife’s bank account in 2021 from a contractor awarded the contract…
Author: National Update
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has praised the people of Ekirin-Adde in Ijumu Local Government Area for demonstrating what he described as the power of community-driven development, urging other rural communities to embrace similar self-help initiatives. Represented by his deputy, Comrade Joel Salifu Oyibo, at the 2026 Ekirin-Adde Day celebration, the governor applauded the community as it launched a ₦750 million development fund to finance critical infrastructure and social projects. Ododo described the initiative as a model of grassroots participation in governance, saying it reflects the determination of the people to shape their future through…
Fresh cracks have emerged within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State as party members have formally petitioned the national leadership, urging it to block any move that could see former Senator Sabo Nakudu emerge as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election. The petition, submitted by members from Gwaram Local Government Area, warned that allegations previously published in connection with an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) could become a major electoral liability for the party if not addressed. Jointly signed by Abubakar Sani (ADC Membership Card No. JI-GWA-GW-71427) and Ibrahim…
As Nigeria intensifies its anti-corruption campaign, public affairs analyst Dr. Ephriam Attah has cautioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against allowing media narratives or public opinion to shape criminal prosecutions, insisting that only painstaking investigations backed by credible evidence can secure justice and strengthen public confidence in the rule of law. Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, Attah said the success of the anti-graft war should be measured not by high-profile arrests or sensational allegations, but by convictions secured through solid evidence capable of withstanding judicial scrutiny. He argued that corruption cases built on weak investigations risk collapsing in…
The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has unveiled TaxPorta, a digital tax administration platform designed to simplify tax payments, improve service delivery and boost voluntary tax compliance across the nation’s capital. Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement with commercial banks and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) operating under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in Abuja, Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Michael Ango, described the platform as a major step in the agency’s drive to modernise tax administration through technology. Ango said commercial banks and treasury-funded MDAs remain critical partners in the tax system, noting that…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the move as a “political smokescreen” rather than a genuine anti-corruption exercise. In a statement issued on Tuesday, HURIWA alleged that the investigation had been compromised by the President’s public comments dismissing allegations against his Chief of Staff, **Femi Gbajabiamila>, before the anti-graft agency commenced its probe. Signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group argued that such remarks created the impression…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused security agencies of attempting to criminalise investigative journalism, alleging that the reported arrest of SecretsReporters journalist Stanley Ugagbe and the police invitation extended to the newspaper’s publisher, Fejiro Oliver, represent a dangerous escalation in what it described as growing intimidation of the media. In a statement issued on Tuesday, HURIWA condemned the alleged abduction, incommunicado detention and continued harassment of Ugagbe, while expressing concern over reports that Oliver had been invited by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre over allegations bordering on espionage and computer-related offences linked to investigative…
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called for fair and transparent treatment of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, warning that any perception of selective justice could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s institutions. Obi’s intervention followed a viral video in which El-Rufai’s wife, Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, tearfully appealed over what she described as the treatment meted out to her husband. In a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday and titled, “A Wife’s Tears, A Nation’s Conscience: Let Justice Have a Heart,” Obi said the emotional video highlighted the need for justice to be…
Nearly two weeks after a Kogi schoolteacher allegedly died from injuries sustained in separate assaults over the punishment of a pupil, the police have arrested three suspects and concluded investigations into the case. The Kogi State Police Command said the suspects would soon be arraigned on charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide over the death of Mariam Usman, a teacher at Brains Minds Nursery and Primary School, Ugbamaka, in Olamaboro Local Government Area. Police spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said detectives from the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department unravelled the circumstances surrounding the teacher’s death after…
The Senate on Wednesday blocked a motion to investigate the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council after Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin ruled that lawmakers should await the outcome of the ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. The decision came after a prolonged exchange between Barau, who presided over plenary, and Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu (Kano South), who sought an inquiry into how the council, which the Presidency has publicly disowned, received over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Rising under Orders 9 and Rule 9(c) of the Senate Standing Orders, Kawu argued…