A 7-Year-Old boy has been found alive after surviving five days in a game park inhabited by lions and elephants in northern Zimbabwe, according to a member of parliament.

The ordeal began when Tinotenda Pudu wandered at least 23 km (14 miles) from home into the "perilous" Matusadona Game Park, said Mashonaland West MP Mutsa Murombedzi on X.

He spent five days "sleeping on a rocky perch, amidst roaring lions, passing elephants, eating wild fruits", she said.

Matusadona game park has about 40 lions. At one point, it had one of the highest lion population densities in Africa, according to African Parks.

The Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority confirmed the incident to the BBC but said the boy was seven-years-old rather than eight, as the MP had said, and walked 49 km (30 miles) from home.

Murombedzi said the boy used his knowledge of the wild and survival skills to stay alive.

Tinotenda survived his ordeal by eating wild fruit. He also dug small wells into dry riverbeds with a stick to access drinking water - a skill taught in the drought-prone area.

Members of the local Nyaminyami community started a search party and beat drums each day to try and guide him back home.

But ultimately, it was park rangers who managed to find him.

On his fifth day in the wild, Tinotenda heard a ranger's car and ran toward it, narrowly missing it, the MP said.

Luckily, the rangers returned, spotted "fresh little human footprints," and searched the area until they found him.

"This was probably his last chance of being rescued after five days in the wilderness," said the MP.

The park is over 1,470 sq km (570 sq miles) and is home to zebras, elephants, hippos, lions, and antelope.

Across social media, people have been praising the young boy for his resilience.

"This is beyond human comprehension," one person wrote on X.

Another user wrote: "He's going to have one hell of a story to tell when he gets back to school."

A Zambian police officer reportedly under the influence of alcohol released 13 detainees to celebrate the New Year, sparking a manhunt for the escaped suspects.

The BBC reported that Inspector Titus Phiri allegedly took cell keys from Constable Serah Banda at Leonard Cheelo police station in Lusaka on New Year’s Eve, freeing individuals held for crimes including assault, robbery, and burglary.

Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga described the incident, stating, “In a state of intoxication, [Phiri] forcibly seized cell keys… unlocked both the male and female cells, and instructed the suspects to leave, stating they were free to cross over into the new year.”

Following the escape of 13 out of the 15 detainees, Phiri himself fled the station. The officer has yet to address the allegations.

This unusual incident drew parallels to a 1997 episode when the late High Court Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees.

Judge Chanda criticized the prolonged detention of suspects, some held as far back as 1992, without trial. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” he declared at the time.

Reacting to the latest case, lawyer and former presidential spokesperson Dickson Jere commented on Facebook, “I keep laughing each time I picture the scenario – comical! But then, I remembered a similar incident in 1997.”

The Kano State Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Hashimu Suleiman Dungurawa, has warned Present Bola Tinubu that he would be voted out in 2027 if he fails to change his economic policies.

Speaking to newsmen in Kano, the NNPP chieftain stated that his party would have victory in the 36 states of the federation and the presidential election in 2027.

He claimed that Nigerians are now queuing behind the party, waiting patiently for the next general election.

Dungurawa said, “With these your harsh anti-masses policies, and your stance on them, just prepare for defeat in the next general elections. You either change them or we Nigerians together will change you.”

Speaking further, he said, “From the podium on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu started reeling out anti-masses policies, and as if we offended him, he kept slamming such policies on us up till today.

“Therefore with these problems and many more created by the APC government, it is just a matter of time but we are going to ensure that Tinubu is out in 2027 and Kwankwaso, a true democrat, comes in.”

He said his party has opened offices and had formed structures in the states and local government across the federation, stressing that the development is a clear indication that NNPP would win both state and federal seat come 2027.

According to him, NNPP recorded tremendous successes in 2024, and is on course to achieve more in 2025.

“You are all living witnesses that we are lucky to have a God fearing governor who has restructured Kano in terms of infrastructure, empowerment and human development.

“Kano can now compete with any modern city globally, especially with the state of the art facilities made available in the metropolitan and rural areas,” he added.

Dungurawa maintained that the only challenge the party is facing is alleged plans by the Federal Government to make the country a one-party system.

He advised the Federal Government to intensify efforts in introducing policies that would alleviate the sufferings of the people.

Former senator, Babafemi Ojudu has revealed how President Bola Tinubu secretly recorded a Jewish lawyer detailing the massive looting orchestrated by former military ruler Sani Abacha in the 1990s.

Ojudu shared the account during an interview with Edmund Obilo while discussing his book, Adventures of A Guerrilla Journalist.

Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, is estimated to have diverted around $5 billion into foreign accounts, including banks in the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland. Over the years, the Nigerian government has been working to recover the stolen funds.

Recounting his experience as a journalist in exile, Ojudu said he met Tinubu in the UK, where the latter introduced him to the Jewish lawyer.

The lawyer, according to Ojudu, promised to provide critical information on Abacha’s corruption and those complicit in the looting.

In a surprising twist, Ojudu revealed that Tinubu excused himself midway through the meeting, claiming he needed to use the bathroom. Unknown to the lawyer, Tinubu used the brief absence to switch the recording tape in the device capturing their discussion.

He said, “I was excited as a newsman. We went there and sat before the lawyer. He (the lawyer) kept reeling out how Abacha was stealing, and who was helping him.

“The name that was constantly mentioned was the Chagoury brothers. I was so excited but I felt so bad that because I couldn’t write. I needed to take notes. I kept trying to memorise whatever I could.

“Midway to the engagement, our brother (Tinubu) excused himself to go to the bathroom and came back. After about two hours, the engagement came to an end and we hailed a taxi to return to his house.

“While there, I said what you took me to listen to today was super exclusive but unfortunately I will have to talk to you when we get home so that if you remember some things I will note them down.

“He said to me: Don’t worry yourself. I had a tape recorder with me. That time I went to the bathroom, I went to change the recording from side one to side two. That is why I flushed the toilet so that the man would not know that I was changing the tape.”

Ojudu described Tinubu as a “strategist” who would do whatever it took to achieve his goals.

He, however, said Tinubu tried to stop the story from being published.

“He (Tinubu) is a strategist. He does what he has to do to get what he has to get. I love to work with people like that, who will always find a solution,” Ojudu added.

He stated, “We got home and ate. He was on the couch and slept off. I rifled through him and took the tape and then woke him and said I was leaving.

“About 8pm when I got to my hotel, I quickly changed my flight to the following morning.

“He (Tinubu) called me at 8pm and said: Femi where are you, I can’t find that tape. I said it was with me. He said: what are you doing with it? I said I am going home tomorrow to publish it. He said if you publish it; you are dead. I said I would publish it and let them kill me.

“So, I got back to Nigeria and played the tape to some of my staff, gave them assignments on what they should check and we ran the story. It was a story that shook Abacha.”

A former political ally of President Bola Tinubu, Professor Usman Bugaje, has said the Man of the Year award given to the President would not erase the suffering he caused the citizens.

The former national secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Professor Bugaje, said the Tinubu he knew when they were both in ACN was different from the man who has become President.

In an interview on Arise News on Thursday, Bugaje claimed that President Tinubu moved from being a progressive politician to almost a monarch.

“ThisDay has every right to declare whoever it wants as man of the year, and I don’t quite know what criteria and what methods they followed to arrive at that conclusion, but for all I know and for all many Nigerians who remember President Tinubu is the suffering that has been associated with his presidency since he arrived.

“Yes, I used to know him to be man of ideas with books around and we used to engage because if you remember I was the National Secretary of AC, which later became ACN, while I was still the National Secretary. So I had occasion to interact very closely and fairly consistently for a long period of time.

“I find all that has evaporated. I don’t see the ideas, I don’t see the dynamism, I don’t see that progressiveness. I see somebody who is almost turning into a monarch,” he said.

The Islamic Scholar condemned President Tinubu’s stance on the Tax Reform Bill during his media chat with selected journalists. He stated that the Tax Reform Bill was not submitted to the National Assembly in line with rules.

“In the last media chart, if I got it right, he did talk about the tax bill being sacrosanct. How can it be sacrosanct? This is a bill in front of the National Assembly. Even at that, not properly presented to the National Assembly, because when the Senate presented it was not on the order paper. And you can’t discuss by parliamentary rules and procedures any matter which is not already in the order paper. So this idea to smuggle things and this idea of coming through the back door creates a lot of suspicion,” he stated.

Bugaje advised the government to focus on ensuring food security and not taxation. He said without food security, there would be no peace in the country.

He continued, “I can go on, but let me make three points if you please. And this is not just about the President Tinubu. It covers almost all our political, if you like, leaders, or if you like the leadership that this democracy has produced in the last 25 years, characterized by three things.

“And whatever man of the year you become and whatever thing you want to do, unless you capture these things or you address these issues, is very difficult for anybody, no matter how well-intentioned. The fact that we don’t have an appreciation of the future.

“When government spokesmen speak and when ministers address us on issues around their own mandate, their ministries, they don’t seem to have the figures. They don’t seem to have the idea of the previous efforts. There is no vision. We can’t see.

“Let me just use one or two things to illustrate that, if you please. One, 2023, the grains deficit, just grains, that’s food that Nigerians eat, the deficit, that’s the difference between consumption and actual production, was about 30 million metric tons. Since then, we have had floods in Maiduguri, floods in Jigawa, floods in Taraba, floods in Zamfara, floods in so many other places, insecurity has escalated.

“So that must have affected us. So what is our grain deficit this year? And what are the measures to address this grain deficit? If you can’t have food, you can’t have peace. And you cannot talk about reforms, you cannot talk about taxation. So I don’t see a conversation that demonstrates a proper understanding of the issues in agriculture.”

The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi has visited Nigeria’s former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, at his Minna residence in Niger State.

Obi, in a post on his X account on Thursday, confirmed the visit, which came after his meeting with Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi.

The Labour Party leader revealed that his discussions with Babangida revolved around key national issues. 

“After leaving Jigawa State, I traveled to Minna, Niger State, to visit a father figure, elder statesman, and leader, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, at his residence. It was an opportunity to wish him a Happy New Year and exchange thoughts on national matters.

“General Babangida’s wisdom and insights remain invaluable, and I always cherish the opportunity to meet him and benefit from his guidance and advice,” Obi shared.

Nigerian telecommunications companies have proposed a 100 per cent increase in their tariffs, pending approval from the government.

The proposal, which has been submitted to the Nigerian Communications Commission, aims to address rising operational costs, including inflation and increased service delivery expenses.

The disclosure was made by the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday.

However, the CEO expressed that it remains uncertain whether the Nigerian Communications Commission—the telecom regulator, will approve the proposal.

According to Toriola, the proposed tariff hike is necessary for the sustainability of the industry, which has been facing significant financial pressures due to rising operational costs.

“We’ve put forward requests of approximately 100 per cent tariff increases to regulators. I doubt they’re going to approve that quantum of increases because they are very, very sensitive to the current economic situation in the country,” Toriola said.

Despite the challenges, Toriola expressed optimism that regulators would make the right decision, taking into account the realities of the sector.

The CEO emphasised that the focus is on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry, rather than short-term profitability.

“I believe we’re all on the same side, the policymakers, the regulators, our Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, and the industry. We’re united because we share concerns about a few fundamental issues. First, human rights, are critical to driving any economy. Without a sustainable industry, the broader economy and the well-being of the people will be negatively impacted.”

The proposal comes amid rising costs for telecom companies, driven by factors such as inflation, exchange rate fluctuations, and the increasing price of key operational inputs like diesel, power generation, and raw materials.

Toriola highlighted the pressure these rising costs have put on telecom businesses, making it difficult for many companies to maintain profitable operations.

Earlier this week, operators issued a statement warning that service disruptions are imminent unless tariffs are adjusted to account for escalating operational costs.

The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo described the telecom sector as “under siege,” citing soaring operational costs driven by inflation, volatile exchange rates, and rising energy prices.

He noted that despite these challenges, tariffs have remained unchanged, leaving operators struggling to maintain quality service and expand their networks.

The telcom chief warned that without an immediate tariff adjustment, operators may resort to service shedding, leading to limited availability of telecom services in certain areas.

The first call for a tariff adjustment was made in April 2024, but no significant progress has been achieved.

In response to the growing financial strain, ALTON and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria issued a joint statement urging the Federal Government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders.

The associations emphasised the need for a framework that balances consumer affordability with operators’ financial sustainability, following 11 years of tariff stability.

With a shared commitment to preserving the sector’s future, operators are calling on all stakeholders to act before it’s too late, warning that failure to do so will risk the survival of one of Nigeria’s most critical industries.

THE Bishop of Ifako Diocese, African Church, Rt Rev. Isaac Akin Falana, has raised the alarm over the high rate of divorce across the country while suggesting measures to address the problem.

Falana called for urgent measures to nip the development in the bud.

He said this in a short sermon during the wedding ceremony of Oluwaseun Babatunde and Folorunsho-Alaba Obadeyi in Lagos.

The cleric, who expressed worry over the high rate of divorce among couples in the country especially weddings held in Churches and Mosques, said it is wrong for young couples to consider divorce as the best solution to any minor disagreement in their marriage.

The cleric urged couples to learn to settle disagreements through dialogue and endurance rather than considering divorce while noting that there is no perfect marriage anywhere.

He said: “Couples should endeavour to study and know their partners very well and strengthen the bond between them.

“Couples cannot behave the same way. They should only try to understand each other, ensure unity and show tolerance. A man is expected to love his wife and a woman is expected to show respect to her husband. These are quite important.”

Falana also emphasized the need for couples to kneel down and pray when there are issues troubling them and jointly seek solutions and find a way to end disagreements and become friendly again.

Father of the bride, who is the Chairman/CEO of Glister Success Ltd, Chief Bamidele Babatunde also told journalists that he was extremely happy and excited to share the wonderful event with the people who are most dear to the couple while wishing Oluwaseun and Folorunsho a happy married life.

… says Nigeria requires selfless, exemplary leadership

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi has said Nigeria requires selfless and exemplary leadership to surmount its socio-economic challenges in order to attain its full potential.

Obi explained that contrary to claims being made by the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, the socio-economic situation in our nation is worsening by the day under its watch.

The former Anambra State Governor said this at a press conference on the state of the nation in Abuja, on Thursday.

Obi said he was speaking from his position as a Nigerian who is interested in the progress of the country.

He said, “The political, economic and security situation of our country is worsening daily, despite contrary positions and claims by the government of improvement in different spheres of human endeavour.

“Our national challenges are visibly worsening. Our nation and its fortunes are in clear reverse. The indices are indicative of our decline, thus: Our national indices tell a disconcerting story Nigeria remains one of the poverty capitals of the world, with over 100 million people living in extreme poverty and more than 150 million in multidimensional poverty.

“The situation has deteriorated significantly over the past 18 months under the current administration.

“As a nation, we have fallen from being the largest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $574 billion and a per capita income of over $3,500 in 2014, to now ranking fourth on the continent.

“Our current GDP is less than 50% of what it was a decade ago, standing at approximately $200 billion, with a per capita income of barely $1,000.

“Nigeria remains one of the most insecure and least peaceful nations in the world, with countless communities and families displaced from their homes and now living in IDP camps.

“According to the Global Peace Index (GPI), Nigeria ranks 143rd out of 163 countries in terms of peacefulness – an indication of a high level of distress. Food insecurity has become our new national norm, making Nigeria one of the hungriest countries in the world.

“Gainfully employed and middle-income Nigerians now spend nearly their entire incomes on feeding, with some even resorting to borrowing just to eat.

“For those living on the margins – low-income earners and the unemployed – the situation is even more dire. The newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 cannot afford a bag of rice or even half a bag of beans.

“As a result, many Nigerians go to bed hungry, while a significant number now rely on palliatives and charitable support. Tragically, this has recently led to several avoidable deaths.

“Nigeria’s ranking on the 2024 Global Hunger Index is 110th out of 127 countries, reflecting a critical level of hunger and food insecurity in the nation.

“We have earned the dubious distinction of being one of the countries with the largest number of people without access to electricity.”

Obi said further, “In 2024, despite abysmal and unacceptable power generation and distribution, the frequency of National Grid collapse increased significantly, with the Grid failing 12 times in 12 months.

“As a result, we are now mockingly referred to as the “generator country.” This persistent lack of adequate energy supply continues to hinder our national development. Corruption, official malfeasance, fiscal profligacy, and the mismanagement of public resources continue to rise astronomically in our country, spreading across all spheres of government. Similarly, nepotism and the disregard for the Constitution, the rule of law, and due process have become the norm.

“Our national debt has risen astronomically, from approximately N15 trillion in 2015 to N100 trillion today. This sharp increase has occurred within the past 18 months under the current administration.

“Ironically, these borrowings are largely allocated to non-regenerative programmes and projects, leaving little to no tangible developmental assets to show for the debt, Inflation remains at an all-time high, businesses are collapsing, and manufacturing companies are barely surviving, further contributing to the already high unemployment rate.

“We hold periodic elections that are no longer genuine. Our electoral processes are visibly flawed, lacking transparency and credibility.

“Although Nigeria is a democratic country, the electoral processes fall far below acceptable standards, with the people’s votes often not counting.

“Suggestions on the way forward. From all indications, Nigeria urgently needs selfless and exemplary leadership across the three arms and tiers of government.

“However, this much-needed exemplary leadership must begin at the very top.

“Since the ultimate responsibility lies with Mr. President, I will direct my attention to him. Mr. President, present-day Nigeria aligns closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful words: ‘We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive actions.”

What I would have done differently

“Because we all love Nigeria and desire its prosperity, I would like to suggest some actions I would have personally approached differently.

“It is time to confront our national problems boldly, decisively, and with a sense of urgency. My suggestions are as follows: Commence a visible and verifiable reduction in the cost of governance to allocate much-needed resources to critical areas of development, such as security, health, education, and poverty alleviation.

“Aggressive and visible attention should be given to combating corruption effectively. While addressing past corrupt activities, we must ensure proper investigations and recoveries related to missing funds or their sources.

“The focus should be on eliminating current and future official malfeasance through increased transparency and accountability in public procurement and contract award processes, as well as thorough monitoring of execution to ensure that limited resources are efficiently utilized and applied productively.

“All future borrowing must be tied to regenerative investments and visible, productive assets that benefit the nation.”

This, he added will ensure both productivity and the ability to service and amortize such loans, rather than continuing the current practice of accumulating massive debt with no tangible returns, which places undue strain on future development revenue.

Reduce foreign travel, focus more on Nigeria

Addressing Tinubu directly, Obi said, “Mr. President, out of the approximately 580 days you have been in office, it is reported that you have spent over 30%, or around 180 days, on more than 30 publicly recorded overseas trips.

“My appeal is that you dedicate at least 20% of 2025 – roughly 72 days – to visit each of Nigeria’s 36 states for two days each.

“As President, such visits would give you the opportunity to better understand the dire economic and security situations across the country.

“Furthermore, it is time for you to visit our national hospitals. Consider, for example, that your next medical examination be conducted at one of our National Hospitals or Regional Federal Medical Centres, such as the FMC in Sokoto or Birnin Kebbi or Calabar or Umuahia or Akure, among others.

“This will allow you to assess the state of healthcare facilities available to Nigerians. It will also help you understand the condition of our hospitals and clinics, enabling you to make informed decisions on how to upgrade and make them efficient.

“Endeavour to travel by road to observe the condition of most highways. You can take short trips, for example, from Calabar in Cross River State to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, a distance of less than 100 km, or from Benin in Edo State to Warri in Delta State.

“I recall taking President Olusegun Obasanjo on a trip from Awka to Onitsha on a federal highway when I was the Governor of Anambra State.

“That journey prompted him to immediately approve the reconstruction of parts of the road by the Anambra State government, with subsequent reimbursement by the federal government.

“Such actions are immensely valuable. Make both impromptu and planned visits to our tertiary institutions, where our children and future leaders are being trained, are essential to familiarize yourself with the available infrastructure, facilities, and amenities.”

According to Obi, such visits will provide valuable insight into whether the resources of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) are being utilized optimally and what is needed to sustain the education system.

He recalled President Shagari visiting the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, when he (Obi) was a student.

Obi quoted Shagari as telling students that,”I have seen the facilities myself, and I assure you of my intervention.”

He remembered vividly that Institutional facilities improved significantly after this visit because the President kept his promise.

Visit troops in their theatre of operations

Obi also advised Tinubu to “As Commander-in-Chief, visit our military formations and security agencies, especially during their field operations, and provide them with morale-boosting assurances and support for operational efficiency.

“Reiterate that they and their families will always be taken care of.Mr. President, many Nigerians are ‘refugees’ and ‘exiles’ in their own country.

“Visit various IDP camps and assure these Nigerians that they will soon return to their communities, and that you are working hard to restore peace and normalcy to the country. Nigeria is not a war-torn nation.

“The proliferation of IDP camps is a troubling sign. As President, you are no longer the Governor of Lagos State; therefore, consider spending your holidays in different parts of the country.

“Let your next Sallah, Easter, and Christmas holidays be spent in places like Adamawa, Sokoto, Jos, Akure, Yenagoa, or Abakaliki, among others.

“The single most challenging test you face is ensuring that future elections are credible and truly reflect the will of the people.

Speak more directly to Nigerians

“Finally, Mr. President, Nigerians need to hear directly from you, not through your proxies. Quarterly updates on what you are doing to improve the situation in Nigeria is crucial.God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Recall that the LP candidate and his PDP counterpart, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lost the 2023 presidential election to APC’s Tinubu.

Tinubu won in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and also secured enough votes in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival — Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.

Atiku, who has run for the presidential seat a record six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, a first-time contestant, secured an unprecedented 6,101,533. NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kano State governor, finished fourth, claiming victory in his state — Kano. He secured 1,496,687 votes.