A former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai escaped an attack from some members of the Boko Haram terrorist group, a lawmaker Ali Ndume has disclosed.

Ndume said the convoy of the ex-COAS was attacked by the terrorists in Borno State on Friday.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ndume said the attack on Buratai’s convoy raises concern about the boldness of the insurgents and the escalating insecurity in the Northeast.

While details of the attack and casualties remain unclear, the lawmaker said the ex-COAS’ convoy was attacked near a major military base in the state.

He said the insurgents had ambushed Buratai’s convoy leading to gunfire between the troops escorting him and the group members.

“We are in a dire security situation. Just two days ago, Buratai was attacked at the front operations base in Borno. His team responded gallantly, but the insurgents managed to destroy several military assets,” Ndume stated.

He also stated that the insurgents were said to be targeting aMine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPVs), tanks, and machine guns belonging to the military.

“The situation in Borno is deteriorating rapidly. Insurgents now move freely, torching and stealing military equipment. It is becoming a full-blown crisis,” he said.

Ndume further called for stronger approaches against the terrorists in the region to actualise the desired peace and stability.

Sources within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have claimed that the party is demoralised and confused about how to resolve its lingering crisis.

A source told Daily Sun that the party feels impotent in taking any action against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, due to fears of retaliation.

The source claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) do not want opposition in the country to function.

“If we sack Wike from the PDP, we are the ones who will suffer. Are you not seeing what the minister is doing to us? He will go and seal our office and revoke our certificate of occupancy because of ₦7 million. It is these kinds of things that are demoralising us. It is very clear that the All Progressives Congress does not want the opposition parties to function, so this is just part of the plan to snuff the life out of us. See what is happening in the Labour Party where they have three factions. Also, see what is happening in the New Nigeria Peoples Party. Can’t you see that it is following the same pattern?” one party insider lamented.

“People keep asking why we have not sacked Wike? Is it easy to sack him while he is the minister of the FCT? If we sack him, we won’t even be able to hold any meeting in Abuja. If we go to Legacy House, he will send people to send us out of there,” an insider added.

However, despite the challenges, the aforementioned publication has learnt that PDP officials are optimistic that the crisis will be resolved through their planned national convention scheduled for August in Kano. The party plans to hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on June 30, following their previous open meeting at Legacy House. Party officials describe the August convention date as “sacrosanct” and believe fresh leadership elections will automatically resolve the ongoing internal conflicts.

“The only way forward is to have our convention in August. Once we elect our leaders, then he is gone. That is what we are planning, and it will work,” a source said

A former presidential candidate, Martin Onovo, has stated that it would be nearly impossible for any single opposition party to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections without a strong coalition.

Onovo, who ran for president in 2015 under the defunct National Conscience Party, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

“The only way to defeat the All Progressives Congress in 2027 is through a united front — a powerful coalition of opposition forces,” he declared.

Onovo threw his weight behind the ongoing coalition efforts spearheaded by former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, calling it a step in the right direction.

“I was the brain behind the largest coalition ever in the Fourth Republic, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP). Coalition is the only way. A united minority is stronger than a divided majority,” he said.

He expressed confidence that a well-structured alliance could hand the APC a massive defeat at the polls.

Onovo said, “The coalition will win the 2027 election with 99 per cent of the votes if it is not self-sabotaged. Take it to the bank — it will succeed and defeat the ruling party convincingly, if they do it well.”

On mid-term performance, Onovo scored the Tinubu-led administration low, particularly on security and basic welfare delivery.

“Not much has been achieved in terms of tackling insecurity or improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he noted.

He advised the President to refocus on the core needs of Nigerians, urging him to use the remainder of his term to take concrete action.

Onovo emphasised the need for competent hands in governance, rather than political loyalists.

“We need competent people in positions, not loyalists. Let’s get the right people, right strategies, and an ethical environment, while the President provides leadership and takes responsibility.”

“We need the right commanders with effective strategies in both security and economy to end the suffering. We must not sacrifice performance for loyalty,” he added.

He further urged the President to intensify efforts in the fight against corruption and take meaningful steps to reduce income inequality, which he said were root causes of Nigeria’s insecurity and social unrest.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, of waging a campaign of bitterness against President Bola Tinubu.

The party said Lawal’s failure to secure the vice presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general election was the reason for his disdain for the incumbent administration.

However, Lawal dismissed the claim, stating that he had no interest in becoming the vice president.

The APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Ijeoma Arodiogbu, told Punch that Lawal’s repeated criticism of Tinubu under the guise of opposing the Muslim-Muslim ticket was nothing more than a mask for his personal disappointment.

He also alleged that his decision to join forces with the ongoing coalition championed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, was a carryover of his resentment for the President.

“Babachir was desperate to become Vice President. Nigerians know this. He campaigned vigorously for a Christian from the North to be chosen as his running mate. When that didn’t happen, he turned against the party and the President,” Arodiogbu alleged.

He noted that Tinubu’s decision to pick former Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima as his running mate was a strategic move aimed at consolidating northern votes, even though it triggered a wave of dissent within the party and among Christian leaders.

Arodiogbu stressed that former President Muhammadu Buhari remained supportive of Tinubu and had not been alienated by the President or the party.

“The President has never insulted or criticised Buhari. Even when people like Babachir tried to make him do so during the campaign, he refused. His loyalty has never been in doubt,” he said.

Reacting to the allegation while speaking to the publication mentioned above, Lawal said, “Who said I ever wanted to be Vice President? That’s a lie. I never begged anyone. My position on Tinubu is based on principle, not personal ambition.”

According to him, his opposition to the Tinubu administration was rooted in its policies, which he believed had inflicted hardship on ordinary Nigerians, particularly in the North.

“This is not about me. It’s about policies that are impoverishing Nigerians. The North today looks like a region of internally displaced people. People are suffering,” he lamented.

He accused the Tinubu government of stifling dissent and cracking down on critics, especially those from the North.

“Try offering advice, and they unleash attack dogs on you. This government is now criminalising dissent. People are being locked up for expressing concerns. That is unacceptable,” he said.

The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is being deceived by those surrounding him, and he is aware of the country’s dire situation.
Naija News reports that Ndume stated this on Sunday, June 8, 2025, while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics Today.

The lawmaker said even though the President had acknowledged that things were challenging, not much was being done to help the people.

According to Ndume, many people are unhappy with the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, and those surrounding Tinubu are doing more harm than good to him.

Ndume added that Tinubu drives in cars with tinted windows that prevent him from seeing what is happening in the country.

He said, “The president also is not pretending. He acknowledges there is hardship. He acknowledges that things are very difficult. Even recently he appealed that people should be patient with him.

“But the question is, for how long will we continue to be patient. Things are very difficult and so many things have not been done the way the people are expecting.

“To be honest with you, if you go back to the electorates today, halfway, they’re not happy. I see people lying, telling the President what he wants to hear or maybe some of them, he doesn’t even want to hear them.

“My position on the people surrounding the President is that they are deceiving him, damaging his image and doing more harm than good because the President cannot go out on the streets like myself and know how the people feel.

“Even outside the Villa they’d drive him in a tinted glass that he does not even see what’s going on.

“It is people like us that represent the public that you’ll listen to and you also get your intelligence from the people on ground. Things are bad, very bad in the country.”

No fewer than 34 embassies in Abuja may be shut down by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over failure to pay ground rents for more than a decade.

A publication by the FCTA, obtained by Punch, listed diplomatic missions that have allegedly defaulted since 2014, collectively owing ₦3,662,196 in land use charges.

On May 26, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had directed the commencement of enforcement action against 4,794 properties revoked over non-payment of ground rents, with some debts stretching as far back as 43 years.

But following widespread concerns, President Bola Tinubu intervened, granting a 14-day grace period for affected property owners to settle their debts. That grace period expires today (Monday).

According to the FCTA Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, defaulters who fail to meet the deadline will be subject to penalty fees ranging from ₦2 million to ₦3 million, depending on the location of their properties within the FCT.

The defaulting embassies include the Ghana High Commission Defence Section (₦5,950); Embassy of Thailand (₦5,350), Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire (₦5,500); Embassy of the Russian Federation (₦1,100); Embassy of the Philippines (₦5,950); Royal Netherlands Embassy (₦5,950); Embassy of Turkey (₦3,350), and the Embassy of the Republic of Guinea (₦5,950).

Also included are the embassies of Ireland (₦500), Uganda (₦5,950), Iraq (₦550), and the Zambia High Commission, which owes ₦1,189,990.

Other missions on the list include the Tanzania High Commission (₦6,000), German Embassy (₦1,000), Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo (₦5,950), Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (₦459,055), Embassy of the Republic of Korea (₦5,950), and the High Commission of Trinidad and Tobago (₦500).

The Embassy of Egypt (₦5,950), Embassy of Chad (₦5,950), Sierra Leone Commission (₦5,900), High Commission of India (₦150), Embassy of Sudan (₦5,950), Embassy of Niger Republic (₦500), and Kenya High Commission (₦5,950) are also listed among the defaulters.

Others are the embassies of Zimbabwe (₦500), Ethiopia (₦5,950), and Indonesia (Defence Attaché), which has an outstanding balance of (₦1,718,211).

The Delegation of the European Union (₦1,500), Embassy of Switzerland (₦5,950), Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia (₦5,950), China’s Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office (₦12,000), South African High Commission (₦4,950), and the Government of Equatorial Guinea (₦1,137,240) also featured on the list

According to Punch, the Embassy of the Russian Federation, in its reaction, firmly denied any outstanding debts.

“The Embassy pays all bills for the rent of the territory on which the Embassy complex is located in good faith and on time. The Embassy also has all necessary documents confirming payment,” it stated.

Similarly, the Embassy of Turkiye questioned its inclusion on the FCTA’s list, citing a possible administrative error.

A Turkish official told Punch, “We have not received a formal notification about the debt. We regularly make our payments on time, and we will check if we are on the list because of a bureaucratic mistake or a misunderstanding, and will fix the issue as soon as possible.”

The German Embassy clarified that no formal claim or demand regarding unpaid rent had been brought to its attention by the FCTA.

“We understand that you are referring to reports suggesting that the German Embassy in Abuja has outstanding rent obligations. We would like to clarify that no such claim or demand has been formally brought to our attention by the Federal Capital Territory Administration,” the embassy stated.

It further insisted that all official financial obligations relating to the embassy’s premises had been settled as of the end of 2024, adding that there are no known outstanding payments.

The embassy emphasised its commitment to maintaining a respectful and cooperative relationship with the Nigerian government and the FCTA, reaffirming its dedication to transparency and mutual trust.

“Moreover, we can confirm that all official financial obligations relating to the Embassy’s premises have been fully settled as of the end of 2024. There are no known outstanding payments.

“The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany highly values its respectful and cooperative relationship with the government of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory Administration and remains fully committed to transparency and mutual trust,” the statement added.

The Embassy of Ghana also told Punch that, although it had not been officially notified of the development, it would reach out to the Foreign Affairs Ministry to explore ways to resolve the issue.

The embassy stated, “The High Commission has noted the publication but has not been officially communicated to. We will liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter.”

An official at the Sierra Leone Embassy said they were unaware of the issue and would verify the claim.

He noted, “I am not aware and I am not in the office now. On my return, I will inform my authorities to cross-check.”

Concerning the claims by some embassies that they were not indebted to the FCTA, spokesman for the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka, stated, “This claim will be promptly investigated and appropriate action will be taken.”

Commenting on the development, a former Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, referenced the 1961 Vienna Convention and urged caution.

“For the diplomatic premises, if we are to go by the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations, the premises of a diplomatic mission are inviolable,” he submitted.

“But that is not to say that they are not supposed to obey local municipal rules and regulations or the rules and regulations governing such things as relate to property ownership. However, there may be a caveat,” Amedu-Ode said.

He suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should handle the matter diplomatically.

“It is a question of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looking at each one on a bilateral basis and implementing it on a reciprocal basis,” the ex-envoy stated

A senior Naval officer (name withheld) undergoing a course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State, was gruesomely murdered on Saturday, June 7, 2025, near the Kawo Flyover Bridge in Kaduna while attempting to fix a flat tyre on his vehicle.

Military sources said the officer, a senior course student at AFCSC Jaji, had stopped at a bus stop close to the bridge on his way back to Jaji, to change a deflated tyre when the tragic incident occurred.

According to eyewitness accounts, the officer was accosted by an unidentified assailant who demanded his mobile phone. When the officer resisted, he was stabbed in the chest with a locally made knife.

“The attacker appeared suddenly and asked for his phone. When the officer refused, he was stabbed in the chest,” a source said.

The wounded officer was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. His body has since been deposited at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital mortuary in Kaduna.

In a further twist, a local vigilante, Suleiman Dahiru, who attempted to intervene during the altercation, was also stabbed in the hand by the attacker. The assailant, however, was overpowered by a crowd that gathered at the scene.

The assailant was mobbed to death by the crowd who gathered at the scene.

“A local vigilante who witnessed the scene tried to help but was also stabbed. The assailant was eventually overpowered and killed on the spot by passersby,” another source confirmed.

Spokesman of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Lt. Col. Umar Adamu, confirmed the incident, noting that investigations were ongoing to determine the full details surrounding the officer’s death

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has offered US president Donald Trump the chance to live in his house for a week to experience the reality of the war in Ukraine.

After Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump vowed to end the conflict “within 24 hours” of his presidency if he was elected for a second time.

However, the 78-year-old has been unable to do so and has blamed Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky for “starting the war”.

Usyk, who dedicated his victory against Anthony Joshua in 2022 to the people of Ukraine, says Trump can live in his house for a week to better understand the situation in his country.

“I advise American President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and live in my house for one week,” Usyk told BBC Sport.

“Only one week. I will give him my house

The family of the late highlife icon, Mike Ejeagha, has disclosed that they buried the 95-year-old musician barely a day after his death in order to honour his uncompromising final wish.

Ejeagha, popular for his hit classic “Gwo Gwo Ngwo,” died after a prolonged illness on Friday night, June 6, 2025.

By Saturday morning, he was laid to rest in his country home at Umuagba, Imezi-Owa, in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State — in line with his personal instructions.

Speaking on Sunday, the musician’s eldest son, Emmanuel, disclosed that his father had made a wish and warned them not to embalm him after his death.

He added that his father sternly instructed him, as the first son, that when he passed on, nobody should embalm him. 

“I contacted members of my family and informed them that my father made a wish that he should be laid to rest 24 hours after his death.

“I also summoned a meeting of my kindred and we discussed extensively. Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah was informed about it and they all consented that whatever was his wish should be kept.

“There are a lot of consequential results if an elder said something and otherwise was done,” Emmanuel said.

He also disclosed that the veteran musician’s funeral ceremony would be announced soon.

Born Michael Ifeanyichukwu Ejeagha in Enugu in 1930, the self-styled folklore custodian spent more than six decades collecting proverbs and idioms, weaving them into guitar-driven narratives that preserved Igbo oral tradition

Historic Italian football club Brescia will cease to exist after 114 years following its owner’s decision not to honour a debt of three million euros.

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Italian businessman Massimo Cellino has owned the Lombardy club since 2017.

Cellino was previously the owner of English side Leeds, where he was principally known for his swing door policy of managerial ins-and-outs and his problems with the courts.

The 68-year-old had until Friday to pay part of Brescia’s eight million euros in tax arrears and other overdue tax.

Brescia’s failure to pay the sum has resulted in the club losing the right to take part in the Italian league system. 

The club were deducted four points by the tribunal of the Italian football federation (FIGC) for their financial woes.

As a result of this sanction, Brescia, who finished the Serie B season in 15th place with 43 points, dropped to 18th place on 39 points – resulting in relegation to the third-tier Serie C.

Brescia spent 23 seasons in the top flight, most recently in 2019-20, with their best performance being an eighth-place finish in 2000-2001.

Famous past servants of the club include Italian internationals Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Altobelli, Andrea Pirlo and Luca Toni, as well as current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola who played there in 2001-02 and 2003