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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced an Easter truce in the conflict in Ukraine starting this evening and lasting till midnight on Sunday.

The short-term ceasefire proposal from Russia comes as President Donald Trump has been pressing both Moscow and Kyiv to agree a truce, but has failed to extract any major concessions from the Kremlin.

“Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin said in televised comments, while speaking to Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov.

Easter, a major holiday for Christians, is celebrated on Sunday.

 

“I order for this period to stop all military action,” Putin said, calling the truce “based on humanitarian reasons”.

“We are going on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow our example, while our troops must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions,” Putin said.

 

He said that Gerasimov had told him Ukraine “more than 100 times… breached an agreement on not striking energy infrastructure”.

Russia on Friday abandoned a moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy targets after each side accused the other of breaking a supposed deal without any formal agreement put in place.

The latest truce proposal will show “how sincere the Kyiv regime’s readiness, its desire and ability to observe agreements and participate in a process of peace talks,” Putin said.

Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them.

AFP

 
Saturday, 19 April 2025 16:03

10 most profitable companies in the world

The profitability of companies is typically judged by their net income, which represents total earnings after all expenses, taxes, and costs are subtracted from total revenue.

There are a few criteria which are considered when comparing the profitability of companies. These criteria include revenue, profit margin and Return on Assets (RoA) among others. Professional analysts tend to focus more on the net income and profit margin to get a clearer picture of how much the company is making. “The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits,” economist Milton Friedman wrote in 1970.

 

The world is filled with companies making profits in millions and billions of dollars. Below, 10 of the world’s most profitable companies are revealed:

1. Saudi Arabian Oil Co.

Saudi Arabian Oil CO., also known as Saudi Aramco, is the national oil and gas company of Saudi Arabia with speciality in the production of petroleum and natural gas. The company’s history can be traced back to 1933. Saudi Aramco most notably operates the Ghawar Field (the world’s largest onshore oil field) and the Safaniya Field (the world’s largest offshore oil field). They also specialise in the production of industrial compounds from synthetic materials, with profits amounting to $300 million.

2. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. specialises in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, utilities and energy, freight rail transportation, finance, manufacturing and retailing services. Berkshire Hathaway’s latest financial reports put its earnings at $424.23 billion, ranking it in second place amongst the world’s most profitable companies.

3. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd.

This company was founded on January 1, 1984 with its headquarters located in Beijing, China. This is a finance-based company that engages in the provision of commercial banking and financial services. As of 2024, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) reported a net income of approximately $59.6 billion for the year. This yearly revenue generation is the third highest in the world.

4. Alphabet Inc. (Google)

The net worth of Alphabet Inc. is approximately $1.91 trillion. This company works in different areas of tech, like the main Google services people use every day, its growing cloud business, and a bunch of other experimental projects. This company has over 135,000 employees worldwide with $96.47 billion in revenue generated in 2024.

5. Apple

Apple is popularly known for its iPhones, iPads, and Mac personal computers, but it has other products like the Vision Pro headset. Apple has successfully created a global community, keeping its users loyal to the brand by creating an ecosystem for users of their various products. With approximately 164,000 employees worldwide, the company ranks fifth on the list of most profitable companies with an annual net income of $36.33 billion.

6. Microsoft Corp.

This company engages in the development of licenses and supports a wide range of software, services and hardware products. Microsoft’s market cap has been on the rise in recent years as a result of the strategic moves in AI, video game systems, and other profit-yielding businesses. Microsoft is regarded as an ageing giant gradually losing its relevance but the annual operating income for 2024 was $109.433 billion.

7. Meta

Meta connects families, friends and even co-workers worldwide through its different platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Oculus, Threads, Messenger and WhatsApp. Meta’s income is primarily driven by advertising revenue from Facebook and Instagram. In 2024, advertising contributed $131.9 billion out of a total revenue of $164.50 billion. This represents 97.8% of Meta’s total revenue. The company also generated AI revenue, contributing to a total revenue increase of 22% year-on-year. Meta-owned platforms are some of the most profitable companies in the world.

8. JP Morgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. provides financial services such as personal and business banking, investment help, financial transaction processing and managing assets. The company offers these services to people, companies, organisations and governments all around the world. JP Morgan Chase made $14 billion in profits in the final quarter of 2024. Its full-year profits reached an all-time high of $58 billion, the most ever in the history of American banking.

9. China Construction Bank Corp.

China Construction Bank (CCB) is a major bank in China, with its headquarters in Beijing. It is one of the country’s top four banks and operates in many countries around the world. CCB provides a variety of financial services to both businesses and individuals. According to China Construction Bank’s latest financial reports, the company’s current revenue (TTM) is $104.14 billion.

10. Agricultural Bank of China

Established in 1951, this is a Chinese state-owned company specialising in financial service provision and multinational banking services. According to the Agricultural Bank of China, its current revenue (TTM) is $98.71 billion, with more branches in rural China than all the banks in the United States.

[Vanguard]

On 13th July 2023, Benjamin Best Nnayereugo ((aka Kilaboi) was alleged to have brutally murdered his girlfriend, Miss
Augusta Oseodion Onuwabhagbe, a 21-year-old undergraduate of Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State.

After the heinous act, Benjamin escaped and left the country. but we have continued to track him with a view to having him brought to Nigeria and prosecuted for murder.

The cause of justice would surely be served by the confirmation that Benjamin was extradited from Qatar to Nigeria this morning through the combined efforts of the offices of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the InspectorGeneral of Police and the International Police National Central Bureau.

We thank the government of Nigeria for collaborating with our law firm in the successful extradition of the murder suspect.
We are particularly indebted to the mother of the deceased, Mrs Okonye Cordelia Nneji, who furnished us with vital information on the movements of the suspect since he escaped from Nigeria two years ago. This is a challenge to all Nigerians to always pursue the cause of justice in order to end impunity in the country.

Having confirmed that the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department has completed an investigation into the cold murder of Miss Onuwabhagbe, we hereby call on the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr. Lawal Pedro SAN, to fast-track the prosecution of the suspect. 2023, Benjamin Best Nnayereugo ((aka Kilaboi).

 


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The Daily Graphic’s Success Story
As I was saying, the Daily Graphic is a Ghanaian state-owned daily newspaper published in Accra Ghana. The newspaper was established along with the Sunday Mirror in 1950, by Cecil King of the London Mirror Group. With a circulation of more than 150,000 copies daily, the Daily Graphic is the most widely read newspaper in Ghana till the present. In 1979, the newspaper was renamed the People’s Daily Graphic under Jerry Rawlings for a few years to “remind the people that it belongs to them”. The newspaper also publishes two weekly entertainment newspapers, namely The Mirror and Graphic Showbiz. Graphic Sports, the most read sports newspaper in Ghana, is also a product of the company. The company also publishes the Junior Graphic, aimed at a younger audience and the Graphic Business, a business and financial newspaper, the Graphic Advertiser, a free ads newspaper, and the Nsɛmpa, a regional weekly for the Ashanti region.

Between Nigeria’s Daily Times and Ghana’s Daily Graphic:
When Nnamdi Azikiwe (“Zik”) launched his powerful West African Pilot in 1937, dedicated to fighting for independence from British colonial rule, established newspapers such as the Nigerian Daily Times (as it then was), lost a large part of their market. The Daily Times responded to the Zik’s challenge by raising some foreign capital for restructuring its operations, especially investing in the editorial team. By the end of the World war II in 1945, the ‘Daily Times” was remarkably hostile towards colonial rule. 

And so it came to pass that in 1947 the London-based Daily Mirror Group headed by Cecil King bought the Daily Times (from Adeyemo Alakija) the Gold Coast Daily Graphic, the Accra Sunday Mirror and the Sierra Leone Daily Mail. In other words, both the Daily Times and Daily Graphic began a journey together in 1947 under a common ownership, Cecil King. But it is a paradox of history today that while one is still thriving in the hand of its current owner, Ghanaian government, the other, Daily Times has been destroyed by its owner, the Nigerian government. 

It will interest the young readers to note that the Nigeria’s Sunday Times, a weekly title in Daily Times Nigeria Limited actually sold close to a million copies when Mr. Gbolabo Ogunsanwo (of blessed memory) was its Editor in this same country. 

In the same vein, the New Nigerian established in January 1966 by the North’s iconic regional leader, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, was also a very influential and profitable newspaper the federal government that took over the Daily Times also compulsorily acquired and ruined. The rubble is there to lament on too in Kaduna and Ijora, Lagos. The federal military government of Nigeria acquired 60% of the Daily Times and its main rival, the New Nigerian, on September1, 1975, the year they also compulsorily acquired three regional universities (University of Ife, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria) without rhyme or reason.

So, as as a crisis of coherence is fuelling agitatio for restructuring in the troubled federation, I would like to advise Nigeria’s Information and
National Orientation Minister Alhaji Mohammed Idris (as I did to his predecessor, Alhaji Lai Mohammed) to lead the charge to restructure the public broadcasters –As for the national broadcasters, this is a time to restructure with a view to privatising them ultimately. What good do the NTA, FRCN and VON still serve the federal government that underfunds and mismanages them? What did government want to achieve for NTA when it recently appointed the serving National Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC as Chairman of NTA Board of Directors? The optics is quite terrible for the station on this curious appointment. Don’t get it twisted, the not-so-independent broadcasting corporations, still keep some of the brightest and the best broadcasters who have ironically been working in bondage. On Friday this week, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike had a media chat, on almost all the private television stations. The NTA was represented but the NTA could not follow its live coverage because the Wike’s media chat clashed with a live coverage of the First Lady’s event elsewhere, which NTA had to carry live but others could ignore for commercial reasons. That is how public officers and our First Ladies have been holding the same NTA, FRCN and VON hostage as ‘government stations’. Behold, the same FRCN, NTA trained and built the John and Sola Momohs, the James Audus, the Yaya Abubakars, the Abike Dabiris, the Eugenia Abus, the Cyril Stobers, etc.

Here is the thing, government has ruined the brand reputation of the public broadcasters as they are inevitably tied to the apron strings of the Information and National Orientation Ministry and the presidency. The DGs of NTA, FCRN and VON and their Executive Directors, News (EDN) are always under pressure from above. Some officials from state intelligence services who serve as ‘monitoring spirits’ and some president’s men are always calling the DGs, EDNs any time they (monitors) spot what they tag as radical views and programmes. They have tagged the stations as government stations that should not broadcast dissenting and radical viewpoints, not as public broadcasters as the BBC and SABC, Africa are regarded in the public space.

What is more, technology has disrupted the dubious national security fear the military authorities used to hold on to the organs. First, the authorities can muster some robust political will to sell their major shares (of NTA, FRCN & VON) to the members of staff and some interested Nigerian investors. Yes, I mean resourceful investors who can rebrand the broadcasters into a truly African Voice that can also project the culture of the black race in global context. 

As I was saying in 2023 here, that radical move will be a reassuring signal that indeed the federal government is irrevocably committed to restructuring of the troubled federation. This certainly is a time for the federal government to free the long-suffering NTA, FRCN and VON and let them go and prosper in the field where Aljazeera too, owned by Qatar (through a public trust), is serving the interest of the Middle East.

The amiable Minister of Information and Nation Orintation should begin restructuring with one thing needful today: restructuring of the internal governance system that will take away the public broadcasters from the obnoxious civil service structure, civil service salary scale and civil service rules and regulation/financial instructions. This has been the blight that has robbed the public broadcasters of experienced personnel and institutional memories. Most of the broadcast journalists who should have been building and rebuilding the brand reputation have retired into obscurity. Not many of the broadcasters, specifically newscasters and anchors can compete with the private ones that have the latitude to hire brilliant experts they also train to learn, unlearn and relearn rudiments of digital journalism that is shaping journalism into just digital conversations that have empowered even citizen and solution journalists. The Nigeria’s retrogressive civil service structure that is shaping a mediocre public sector in Nigeria cannot therefore restructure its public broadcasters to serve the public interest that viewers will always respect. The Minister is lucky at this time for one reason: most of the powerful people in Abuja have interests in private radio and television stations. They will show interest in an executive bill that will restructure the public broadcasters into a world-class brand that can serve at least the black people of the world that they are expecting Nigeria to lead. Remember that the iconic Nelson Mandela’s word on marble on this and its implication for the present leadership in Nigeria: Read Madiba again as he told a Nigerian diplomat before he flew away in December 2013: The world will not respect Africa until Nigeria earns that respect. The black people of the world need Nigeria to be great as a source of pride and confidence…’

So, we should move from rhetoric to action on how Nigeria can lead the black race and Africa. Restructuring of the public broadcasters should be the starting point. This is what an ancient word from a Middle East leader of all time says about this: “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. The implication of this quote is that you can’t transform and innovate until you are ready to renew your mind(set) and adapt to the current reality. The media ecosystem now favours radical revamping of Nigeria’s public broadcasters into a global brand that can be competitive and respectable like the BBC and SABC, Africa that South Africans too respect even during elections. Meanwhile, to save the FRCN’s moribund FM stations nationwide, they should be privatised immediately. They are all over the country but they aren’t viable anymore. The authorities may not know this inescapable reality.

As for “Daily Times” recovery, it is a time for it. It is a national monument that should not be allowed to die like Nigeria Airways, Nigeria’s National Shipping Lines, Nigeria’s National Fertilizer Company, Onne, Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s Newsprint Manufacturing Company, Oku Iboku, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria’s Alluminium Smelter Company, Akwa Ibom, even Ondo State’s Glass Manufacturing Company, Igbokoda. There are clauses of recovery from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) documents to the winners of the bids for the privatised companies then. The Tinubu administration should revisit the privatisation policy that has made Nigeria to be the world’s most notorious graveyards of privatised companies, yes companies that could have enhanced Nigeria’s exceptionalism. Specifically, let’s use the ‘Daily Times’ as a starting point; The Daily Graphic (Ghana) that shares some fate with the ‘Daily Times’ (Nigeria) is still thriving. Let’s inquire into why the company could not be run and what happened to all the multi-billion tangible assets of the great Daily Times’ that Adeyemo Alakija, et al, would have been proud of in the great beyond! Let’s ask: what happened to the incredibly rich library resource of the Daily Times in Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos?

Here is the thing, we should not allow those who have mismanaged their backgrounds and enterprises to continue to deceive us into believing that print media editions of newspapers and magazines aren’t selling anymore as anybody can say about ‘Daily Times’. Let’s not get it twisted, though the political economy of a free press has been devastating in Nigeria, that doesn’t mean that we should allow poor and dubious managers of enterprises to be telling us that Nigeria wouldn’t have been a good print media environment if the Newsprint Manufacturing Company in Oku Iboku, Akwa Ibom State had been made to survive till the present. So what or who killed the newsprint company in Oku Iboku? For now, let’s keep our eyes on viability of NTA, FRCN, and VON as public broadcasters that can serve the public goods game through purposeful restructuring.

 

If politicians in the opposition camps truly dream of a replay of 2015 election during which a ruling party was dislodged, developments within their ranks, lately, suggest that such aspiration may remain a tall order, SEYE OLUMIDE and ONYEDIKA AGBEDO, write.

One year, 10 months and a day to the February 20, 2027 national elections, there are strong indications that the desire of the opposition to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may end up as a mirage. Unlike the opposition parties that struck a merger deal that eventually birthed the APC on February 6, 2013 (more than two years before the March 28, 2015 presidential and National Assembly elections), and were able to organise and defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the poll, the current crop of opposition parties appears to be “full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” Their leaders, apparently narcissistic about their political ambitions, are glaringly working at cross purposes, a development that would only hand President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a second term in office on a platter if they fail to quickly retrace their steps and begin to pull ideas and resources together towards their often-mouthed ambition to send the APC parking from Aso Rock in 2027.

Addressing a press conference on March 20, this year, to condemn the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Tinubu, former vice president Atiku Abubarkar, a chieftain of the PDP, announced the formation of a coalition against Tinubu and his party ahead of the 2027 elections. Opposition figures that attended the press conference included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal; former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, who defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) recently; National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ahmeh, Convener of the Alternative, Segun Showunmi; Tanko Yinusa, who represented Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, and former national vice chairman, APC, North West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, among others.

Since then, there has been no serious move known to the public towards fortifying the so-called coalition. What has come to public glare, instead, are staccato voices from the opposition camps that paint a picture of disarray and lack of unity of purpose.

For instance, governors elected on the platform of the major opposition party in the country, the PDP, after a meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, last Monday, ruled out the party’s involvement in any coalition or merger ahead of the 2027 elections.

The governors declared that any political party or individual seeking a bigger platform is free to join the PDP, insisting that a party with 12 governors and solid structure could not take itself into a merger with parties of lesser and or weaker structures.

Reading a communiqué on behalf of his colleagues at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said: “Noting the nationwide speculations about a possible merger of political parties, groups and/or associations, the Forum resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger.

“However, the PDP as a major opposition party welcomes any party, persons or groups that are willing to join it with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027.”

A day after the meeting, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who hosted it, appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme to buttress that Atiku’s coalition motive was unknown to PDP.

The governor said: “We didn’t just wake up and say me as XYZ in the party just draw the party into any arrangements when the party organs do not have clue on what you are doing.

“They have no clue of what is in this coalition. They also have no clue whether this is personal or whether you are doing this in the best interest of the party and the people of Nigeria. Those are critical.

“There must be a process. If the managers of the party, the organs of the party are going into a merger or coalition, there’s need for the managers of the party to know.

“But, if you have individuals, it is still within their right to associate with whoever they want to associate with. However, as a party, we haven’t gotten there. Our first assignment is to put the party on a sound pedestal.
“Politics is a game of interest. You must be interested; you must have alignment with the wider organs of your party before you go out to meet other people.”

Last Tuesday, the South-South PDP Youth Amalgamation also threw its weight behind the PDP Governors’ Forum. The group condemned the reported political alliance between Atiku and el-Rufai, describing it as a desperate move by political jobbers to regain lost relevance.

In a statement by its convener, John Albert Clarkson, the group dismissed the alliance as a “last-ditch effort” by two political figures desperate to remain relevant in an evolving political landscape that increasingly rejects their brand of politics.

Clarkson accused both Atiku and el-Rufai of lacking political credibility and consistency, alleging that their careers have been defined by broken promises, opportunism, and contradictions.

He particularly criticised Atiku’s frequent defection between parties in pursuit of power, and el-Rufai’s controversial tenure as governor despite his reformist posture.

The youth group expressed full support for the stance of the PDP Governors’ Forum for rejecting what it called an “ill-conceived coalition.” Reiterating its faith in the PDP’s capacity to lead the country, the group said: “The PDP, under the stewardship of principled leaders, is better positioned to guide Nigeria towards genuine development. We urge all Nigerians to unite under the banner of the PDP and reject political opportunism in favour of purposeful leadership.”

On the same day, at the flag-off of the Akwa Ibom segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, expressed full support for the Tinubu administration, declaring that the President would complete two terms in office.

Eno, who was elected on the platform of the PDP, while speaking at the event, said: “Let me end by assuring our president, our people-loving president, that he will complete eight years because we are going to stand by him.

“And this is the truth. He cannot start this work and abandon it. Somebody else may not finish it.
“Bible says who is this mountain that is standing before Zerubbabel? The hand that has started this work that hand shall do what? Shall complete it!

“Our prayer for Mr. President is good health to finish the work that he has started and commission this work, so that this work will not be abandoned.

“It will not be like the East-West Road. This one will be finished, and the hand that has started it will finish it in Jesus’ name.”

Meanwhile, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, whose party is being touted as the likely platform to be adopted by the coalition, recently urged Nigerians to watch the motives of defecting politicians.

Adebayo, who has become one of the strong voices against the Tinubu administration in the country, appears not to be comfortable with the gale of defections to his party.

Speaking in a recent interview, he said: “If you listen to the narrative of those who are changing parties, it suggests that they are moving for things that affect them personally, not really because of things that affect the people.

“There may be others who are moving quietly, who have not expressed the purpose and the reason they are moving. But those who have given interviews, spoken extensively and given background to why they are changing positions, all boil down to personal ambition, personal grievances, some unrealised promises and all of that. So, it’s a bit on the personal side.”

Surprisingly, Atiku does not see these developments as a setback but rather as a call to wider consultations. Reacting particularly to the stance of the PDP governors through a statement by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, he noted: “This is not a setback. The project continues. It’s a Nigerian project with Nigerians at its heart. It’s difficult to derail something when the people have taken ownership of it.”

A chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, believes that it may be too early to dismiss the coalition arrangement. He, however, pointed out that the opposition parties are not showing enough courage and determination to defeat the ruling party.

On his part, the National Vice Chairman Southwest of the PDP, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, said the party is not in any disarray as some people are thinking. “Whatever the governors and or anybody, including Atiku and others are saying is still subject to what the National Executive Council of the party will come up with after its convention,” he noted.

A former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, said the opposition has been whipping up ethnic sentiments as one of the factors they plan to use to oust the incumbent in 2027.

While noting that the strategy would not work, he emphasised the need for the opposition parties to articulate their points appropriately if they really want to get the incumbent president out in 2027.

Meanwhile, a political group, Nigeria Renaissance Group (NRG), which is affiliated to the Labour Party (LP), has challenged the leadership of the opposition parties to put their houses in order. The group particularly charged the LP to put its home in order for a good showing at the polls in 2027.

In a statement signed by his Convener, Comrade Isa Yakubu and Secretary, Mr. Tunde Isaac, the group decried the high level of indiscipline within the party despite its potential.

According to the NRG, this was a major drawback for the party in the 2023 general election, as indiscipline negatively impacted its chances at the polls. The group added: “Unfortunately, there were no sanctions to nip the scenario in the bud, which created a negative image in the eyes of the voting public before the elections.

“Indeed, many started querying whether the once promising party would be able to meet the yearnings of Nigerians with the rancour within the system should the party win elections. Recall that some officials, including the former national publicity secretary, Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, endorsed candidates of other political parties.

“The same Arabambi even went to court to testify against elected members of the party including the House of Representatives member representing Amuwo Odofin, Olawande George and even our candidate in Oshodi Isolo, Oke Joe.
“If these are not anti-party activities, we do not know what to call the several attempts to kill the party. Recall that the same individuals through the Lamidu Apampa faction escalated the act to the election petition tribunal and caused the party so much pain.

“The world, including Peter Obi’s former spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, watched in amazement as these people did their best to bring down the party. Unfortunately, Arabambi in particular was seen with our party chairman, Julius Abure, at different occasions while the crisis was on.

“Going by the outcome of our last convention, he had ceased to be our publicity secretary as a replacement had since taken his place. Going forward, we wish to advise the party to start a fresh process of rebuilding by reaching out to LP groups with large numbers across the country, especially Lagos States towards bragging about a stronger, vibrant and formidable party.

“Machinery should be put in motion to invite select leaders of the groups to a meeting to chart a way forward for the LP. The party must also, as a matter of urgency, build a strong disciplinary machinery that would ensure sanctions on erring members to build public confidence.”

Amid the confusing drumbeats from the opposition camps, the ruling party has been harvesting from their folds. For instance, last Saturday, members of the Delta Unity Group, a socio-political organisation from the PDP officially defected to the APC. They were led by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, who dumped the PDP on February 5, this year, “due to the deep divisions and factionalisation within the party.”

Speaking at the rally, Nwoko alleged that Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, was planning to dump the PDP for the APC, a claim the governor quickly refuted.

And last Tuesday, the National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, hinted that the leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) leader and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, would join the ruling party soon. He said: “The NNPP is dead. And it will soon be buried very, very soon. I’m hoping that where we will put the dead body, the coffin, has already been constructed.

“What remains now is to dig the grave. And already they are digging the grave very, very soon. Even like that, the so-called NNPP national leader, he too says after losing everyone, he wants to come back to us, we will welcome him, because he’s coming back home.”

Ganduje, who spoke in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Tinubu Support Group to the APC national secretariat, also declared that the so-called coalition against Tinubu ahead of 2027 would soon fall apart, with its leaders eventually returning to the APC.

This was as erstwhile members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), who are among the founding members of the APC, last Wednesday, affirmed their continued membership of APC. It could be recalled that not long after el-Rufai defected to the SDP, words started making the rounds that loyalists of former president Muhammadu Buhari were on the verge of defecting from the ruling party.

But rising from a special meeting in Abuja, the core members of the CPC bloc in APC announced that they were not part of any move to quit the ruling party or join any coalition against President Bola Tinubu and APC.

In a seven-point communiqué released to journalists, the members declared: “Recent misleading narratives suggesting a defection or disaffection among CPC stakeholders are false, mischievous and should be ignored. We remain an integral part of the APC and are fully aligned with its leadership and vision.”

They announced their support for Tinubu, assuring him that “the CPC family remains a vital pillar of the APC and will continue to play a responsible role in its growth and the progress of Nigeria.

“We wish to state categorically that we have neither left the APC nor do we intend to leave. The CPC bloc remains one of the legacy foundations of the APC, and we are resolute in our commitment to the party and its progressive ideals,” they added.

Signatories to the communiqué include Senators Umaru Al-Makura, Ibrahim Musa and Mustafa Salihu, as well as Dr Nasiru Argungu, Dr Dominic Alancha, Aminu Masari, Adamu Adamu, Farouk Aliyu, AlmajiriGeidam, Waziri Bulama and Ayuba Balami.

Others are Osita Okechukwu, Okoi Obono-Obla, Lucy Ajayi, Bala Jibrin, Uche Ufearoh, Yusuf Salihu, Abubakar Maikudi, Mutallib Badmus, Muhammed Datti, Muhammed Etsu, Jerry Johnson and Alkali Ajikolo.

These are pointers that the ruling party is not resting on its oars, but is also working round the clock to reinforce its grip on power. Time will determine whether its strategies would work or whether the opposition would have its way.

The Arewa Youth Council (AYC) has officially disclaimed statements attributed to one Adams Reuben, who allegedly claimed to be the president of the organization.

 

This clarification follows a recent article published in several national dailies on April 18, 2025, titled “Arewa Youths Blast Atiku Over Attacks on Tinubu, Say Ex-VP is Bitter, Hypocritical.”

The AYC stated categorically that Reuben has no affiliation whatsoever with the council.

In a statement jointly signed by Ambassador Dogo Shagari, president of the Arewa Youth Council, and Mallam Abdullahi Bilal, publicity secretary of the council, the group noted that “Even though we are not interested in the content of the said statement, we wish to categorically state that the individual known as Reuben Adams is not a member of our organization and has never held any position within the Arewa Youth Council.”

 

 

The council described Reuben’s actions as unauthorized and misleading, and urged the public and media outlets to disregard any statements purportedly made on behalf of the AYC by him.

The AYC called upon Nigerian security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate and prosecute Reuben for impersonation and related offenses.

They emphasized that such fraudulent representation undermines the credibility and integrity of legitimate organizations like the AYC and could potentially incite public unrest.

“Reaffirming their commitment to unity, development, and national cohesion in Northern Nigeria and beyond, the Arewa Youth Council distanced itself from any remarks that could sow discord or promote hate speech. They stressed their dedication to constructive dialogue, good governance, and youth empowerment.

“The AYC urged media organizations to verify the authenticity of individuals claiming to represent established bodies before publishing their statements. They reiterated that the alleged remarks made by Adams Reuben do not reflect the official position of the council.

“For accurate information and updates, the AYC advised the public to rely solely on communications issued by its recognized leadership,” the statement added.

 [Leadership]

After over three decades of deliberate quietude, former governor of Niger State, Col Lawan Gwadabe has decided to say something about what he knew about the Major Gideon Orkar of 1990.

After avoiding reporters’ recorders and TV cameras for decades, Gwadabe, who bears so many labels that included veteran of coup plots, IBB boy, dangerous soldier etc finally came out of his shell.

He says there’s no better time to talk than now when the 35th anniversary of the aborted coup which shook the very seat of power and almost claimed the life of the then military president, Ibrahim Babangida would be marked.

Secondly, he says the labelling of the coup as ‘Orkar coup’ is not only wrong but unfortunate because Orkar never spearheaded the plot but was only a latter day recruit who at a point even wanted to spill the beans.

Thirdly, he feels that there are people who sacrificed their lives to ensure the continuity of that regime thereby saving Nigeria from bloodshed that have not been recognised or compensated.

He believes people like Babangida’s ADC, UK Bello, deserve national honours for the sacrifice.

Again, he believes that the younger generation of Nigerians has a lot to learn from that episode that it would not be fair to perpetually keep mute over the matter.

But the whisper he had intended just to straighten the records has turned into this interview where he was literally compelled to occasionally step out of his intended area of focus to speak on other issues.

In the preamble, he took us through how things went on March 1, 1995, when he as an ebullient, vivacious and zestful young officer, arrived Jos on an invitation by the military hierarchy in what he thought was going to be a continuation of his debriefing about a report on the Bakassi Peninsula which he was working on.

On getting to Jos however, he was arrested and later charged with plotting to overthrow the government of General Sani Abacha. 

It was the same coup for which the former head of state, General Olusegun Obasanjo and his former Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters, General Shehu Musa Yar’adua were arrested.

Though most of those indicted, especially Obasanjo have consistently denied such a plot and it was later dubbed a phantom coup, some high ranking military officers in the Abacha government like General Ishaya Bamaiyi insisted there was a coup plot.

Like Obasanjo and others, Gwadabe insists he was only framed and there was no conspiracy to overthrow the Abacha government. He did not disagree, however, that he could have been arrested because of his background as one not averse to regime change.

Translation: Being a veteran of so many coups, he could have been arrested to forestall any likely repeat of what he did to Muhammadu Buhari and what he was alleged to have inspired in the Gambia.

To put it in local parlance, it was a case of not allowing the owl to cry in the night in order to save the child from dying in the morning.

Jos, the town where he was arrested holds a special place in his life as that was was where he was born and incidentally, it was in the same town he was reported to have met with Buhari in 1983 to make arrangements for the trip that would eventually launch the latter as Nigeria’s head of state when the coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari succeeded.

Gwadabe was one of those considered as a high flying officer having held choice appointments. He became a colonel at a very young age and was appointed governor of Niger State at the age of 38 and was one of the most influential of the military governors of that era.

His image used to be all over the media as he took responsibilities that were beyond his brief as governor. He was an ‘IBB boy’, which meant that he was one of those very close to the then military president.

Even after Abacha took over the reins of government, Gwadabe maintained that visibility with his coordination of the political affairs for the military ruler and is credited with breaking the ranks of NADECO by getting its chieftains like Chief Lateef Jakande, Ebenezer Babatope etc to take appointments in that administration.

The night of March 1, 1995, took all that from him. Since then, not much has been heard from him except his occasional interventions on policy and political matters. 

With this offer and his soon to be released biography, it appears the era of reticence is over and the former military officer is ready to break the ice.

[DailyTrust]

 

Afrobeats artiste, Davido, has revealed that he and his wife, Chioma, are taking a break from childbearing.

The father of 5 said he is not ready to have more children, stressing that Chioma deserves a break to pursue her career after three children.

The Omo Baba Olowo hitmaker disclosed this in a recent episode of Ride Along With Darryl.

He said, “I don’t want more children now. Me and my wife are taking a break. She needs to get out to work. She wants to do a lot of things like opening her restaurant and launching her spices. I feel she deserves a couple of years off after having 3 kids.”
DAILY POST recalls that the couple welcomed a set of twins, a boy and a girl, in 2023, a year after they lost their first son, Ifeanyi, in a swimming pool accident.

[DailyPost]

 
 
 

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the extradition of Benjamin Best Nnayereugo, popularly known as Killaboi, from Doha, Qatar, where he will face prosecution for the alleged murder of 21-year-old Miss Augusta Onuwabhagbe, a first-class student at Lead City University, Ibadan.

Nnayereugo, who was declared wanted by police in October 2023, arrived in Nigeria in the early hours of Saturday following coordinated efforts by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Ministry of Justice, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja, and judicial authorities in Qatar.

In a statement on via X (formerly Twitter), Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, explained that the extradition followed “a petition from the family of the deceased, submitted through their legal representatives dated 29th September 2024.” The case was assigned to INTERPOL NCB Abuja for investigation.

According to police findings, Nnayereugo allegedly murdered Onuwabhagbe at his residence at 24A Abiola Apooyi Street, Oral Estate, Ajah, Lagos on July 13, 2023 before fleeing the country. 

The victim was a promising student with a first-class academic record at Lead City University.

Authorities said the suspect later released an online video purporting to confess to the crime — a move the police described as “a deceptive strategy to derail investigative efforts.”

The police also confirmed that after the suspect was declared wanted by the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on October 13, 2023, an INTERPOL Red Notice was issued for his global apprehension.

Nnayereugo was arrested in Freetown, Sierra Leone on October 20, 2023, under a false identity, “KANU PRINCETON SAMUEL,” but escaped from custody during a prison break on November 26, 2023.

“Further intelligence gathering revealed that the suspect continued to evade law enforcement, traversing multiple regions including West Africa, East Asia and the Middle East, under forged identities before eventually relocating to Doha, Qatar on 24th January, 2025,” the statement added.

 

The police said he lived in Qatar under the alias “TOURE ABDOULAYE” and used a forged Guinean passport to secure illegal employment and conceal his identity.

“Through robust international cooperation and the use of advanced biometrics, INTERPOL NCB Abuja, in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB Doha, confirmed his identity, leading to his arrest by Qatari authorities in February 2025,” the statement noted.

His extradition was secured after an official request was approved by Qatari judicial authorities, following due process coordinated through the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the international collaboration that led to the suspect’s return, describing it as a testament to global cooperation against trans-border crimes.

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, while recognising the strength in the synergy amongst nations to curb trans-border crimes, commended the diligence of INTERPOL NCB Abuja and extended sincere appreciation to the Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Government of Qatar, INTERPOL NCB Doha, and the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar for their invaluable collaboration in securing the fugitive’s return,” the statement read.

Egbetokun also assured the public that the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to ensuring justice in the case, stating, “The Inspector-General of Police further assured the general public of the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to ensuring that the suspect faces diligent prosecution, as part of the NPF’s dedication to justice and the safety of all Nigerians.”

In October 2023, the Lagos State Police Command declared Nnayereugo wanted for Onuwabhagbe’s death. 

At the time, the state police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, described him as “26 years old, approximately 5’9 ft tall and hails from Abia State. He is dark in complexion and speaks English, Igbo and pidgin English fluently.”

[TheNation]

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has officially announced a change in the commencement date of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, now scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 24, 2025, instead of the previously slated Friday, April 25, 2025.

This development was disclosed in a statement signed by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, and shared on the Board’s official X handle on Saturday.

“The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is now set to commence on Thursday, April 24, 2025, instead of the previously scheduled date of Friday, April 25, 2025. This adjustment has been made to accommodate essential commitments by the Board and its partner agencies,” the statement partly read.

In preparation for the exam, JAMB also announced that prospective candidates can now print their Notification Slips, which contain crucial details such as the examination date, venue (centre), time, and other instructions necessary for a smooth examination experience.

“What’s included in the Notification Slip: Examination date, venue (centre), time, other essential details necessary for successfully sitting for the examination,” the statement further explained.

Candidates are encouraged to begin printing their Notification Slips starting Saturday, April 19, 2025 (Today).

 

“Candidates are encouraged to print their Notification Slips starting today, Saturday, April 19, 2025. This will provide ample time for logistical arrangements to access their assigned centres within the chosen examination towns,” it added.

To print the examination slip, candidates are required to: “Visit www.jamb.gov.ng, click on ‘2025 UTME Slip Printing.’ Enter your registration number and click on ‘Print Examination Slip”, the statement advised.

JAMB strongly urged candidates to visit their assigned centres ahead of time.

“It is strongly advised that candidates print their slips and familiarise themselves with their examination centres at least one or two days before the examination date. This preparation will help ensure a smooth experience on exam day,” the Board said.

The Board reiterated that no candidate would be posted outside their selected examination town.

“Examination Schedule: To reiterate, the 2025 UTME will begin on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Candidates are advised to print their Examination Notification Slips at least a day before the exam to confirm their examination dates and locations, making it easier to access their centres on the day of the examination. Please note that candidates will be assigned to centres within their chosen examination towns; no candidate will be placed in a centre outside their selected town”, the statement concluded.

[Punch]