Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has stated that it is impossible for a political coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, April 28, Keyamo characterised the coalition plans by some political elites as “a storm in a teacup” that would not survive the strength of the All Progressives Congress (APC) structure.

“There is no tsunami coming,” Keyamo declared. “I think it’s a storm in a teacup. I respect these people, but if you look at the political history of Nigeria… I have campaigned for two presidents, so I have knowledge of the demography. It is impossible for you to do a coalition now to unseat the present President (Tinubu).”

Keyamo was responding to remarks made by Labour Party chieftain Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed and other northern figures, including former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, who have hinted at forming an opposition coalition.

Baba-Ahmed had accused the Tinubu administration of overseeing widespread rot and urged Nigerians to seek alternatives in 2027. Some elements within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have also been rumoured to be exploring a merger, although several PDP governors have distanced themselves from the idea. Former Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose described the coalition discussions as “a dead horse” and “a waste of time.”

When asked if the APC could withstand the alleged political “tsunami,” Keyamo insisted the coalition talks were either misguided or too late. “There are two different things they are talking about — a merger or an alliance. They should be very clear. If it’s a merger, forget it, because it’s too late to start a merger now,” he said. “With the process you have to go through — to register, get a new identity and all that — and with elections just around the corner by next year’s end, it is not feasible.”

Keyamo pointed to historical precedent, recalling that after the 2011 elections, President Tinubu had swiftly initiated merger talks with then-General Muhammadu Buhari, a process that took years of negotiation and coordination. “The moment we lost the 2011 elections, Tinubu flew to Kaduna and met General (Muhammadu) Buhari. It was a long process before the APC was birthed. These people (current coalition proponents) are not experienced enough,” he said.

“The President you are seeing now has gone through all of these, so he is just smiling and looking at all of them; he understands,” Keyamo added.

Addressing the influence of mass movements, particularly the Obidient movement associated with Peter Obi in the 2023 elections, Keyamo said, “The Labour Party was built around him and the Obidient movement. Go back to history — even Chief (Obafemi) Awolowo and Dr (Nnamdi) Azikiwe, despite being heroes, could not transcend the complexities of Nigerian elections without structures.”

He dismissed the notion of a rising wave of youth mobilisation threatening Tinubu’s re-election chances. “Under what platform?” he queried. “Did you see what happened in the 2023 elections? Despite the naira redesign policy and petroleum scarcity that were against our party, the structures of the APC held firm. It was like a house built on solid rock,” he said.

Keyamo further noted that President Tinubu enjoys “more friends in the North than in the South-West,” a factor he believes will again prove decisive in the forthcoming election. Following the recent defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the APC, Keyamo revealed he had surrendered party leadership in the state to the governor.

“Whether I have to make sacrifices like yesterday where we surrendered (party leadership in Delta), it is all irrelevant so long as we are strengthening APC the more for the re-election of Mr President,” he said.

The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who is among the top politicians in the emerging opposition coalition, has declared that the alliance does not require the backing of state governors to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Kano, El-Rufai, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), emphasised that the coalition’s strategy is centred on grassroots mobilisation rather than courting political elites.

“We are trying to offer Nigerians a real alternative — something different from what they have seen before,” El-Rufai said. “A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have many more votes than one governor or even 36 governors combined,” he added.

His comments come amid the rejection by the PDP Governors’ Forum of any merger or coalition talks ahead of the next election. After a high-profile visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was accompanied by El-Rufai and other coalition members, speculation had mounted that PDP governors might align with the opposition bloc. 

But following a meeting in Ibadan attended by the party’s acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and several governors, the forum publicly distanced itself from the idea.

“We are not merging with anyone. We are focused on rebuilding our party for the future,” the forum stated.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom added another twist days later when he publicly pledged support for President Tinubu to complete his eight-year tenure during the launch of the Akwa Ibom–Cross River section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

“We believe in continuity, and Akwa Ibom will stand with Mr. President to complete his eight years in office,” Eno said.

This was swiftly followed by defections to the APC by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Atiku’s 2023 running mate Ifeanyi Okowa, and their allies, in a development widely seen as a blow to the opposition's efforts.

Reacting to these defections, El-Rufai insisted they had no impact on the coalition’s strength.

“The fact that one governor from the PDP has defected means nothing. We are not counting on governors to win elections. We are counting on the people,” he said.

“A governor has only one vote. Nigerians — millions of them — have more power than 36 governors combined. It doesn’t matter if you gather all the governors together; if the people of Nigeria say they are not with you, it is over,” he said.

He pointed to Tinubu’s own experience in Lagos during the 2023 election. “The president had a sitting governor in Lagos — and still lost Lagos. So, what is the real value of a governor?” he asked.

Reflecting on his own past, he admitted: “I was the governor of Kaduna State. I fought hard to deliver President Tinubu in my state, but I lost. That taught me a hard lesson — that elections are ultimately decided by the people, not by political figures.”

El-Rufai affirmed that the new coalition would be driven by citizens. “Governors do not determine election results. The people do. We want the SDP and our coalition to remind Nigerians of that fundamental truth,” he added.

On whether the coalition has begun discussions about its 2027 presidential candidate, El-Rufai made clear that such talks were premature.

“Our focus now is not on selecting candidates. It is on building the platform first. We have told all those with presidential aspirations: put aside your ambitions for now. Join us as equal members and help us build a credible alternative,” he said.

He acknowledged that those with strong followings are welcome, but warned against allowing ambition to drive the process.

“If and when all opposition groups come under the SDP, we will have that conversation. But for now, we must work together to build something Nigerians can trust,” he said.

Rejecting the politics of regionalism, El-Rufai said the coalition was looking beyond geographical origins in its search for leadership. “I no longer care where the president comes from. I want a candidate who can offer real solutions to Nigeria’s problems and excite Nigerians enough to come out and vote,” he stated.

He warned of dire consequences if the country’s trajectory remains unchecked.

“We are facing an existential crisis. It is not about North or South anymore. It is about survival, unity, and progress. Whoever can deliver that — wherever they come from — will have my support,” he said.

On the PDP governors’ refusal to join the coalition, El-Rufai clarified that a merger with the PDP was never on the agenda.

“From the beginning, our intention was never to merge with the PDP. We have been very clear about that. The PDP is a spent force. It is a party targeted for destruction, and, frankly, it has almost succeeded,” he said.

El-Rufai said the coalition aims to give Nigerians a fresh alternative, not a rebranded version of existing parties with longstanding crises.

“We are not looking at political parties that are already ravaged by internal conflicts. We are building something fresh, something that will inspire hope. When Nigerians look at the faces involved, they will hopefully say: ‘Yes, maybe this time it will be different.’ That is the goal, and it is ongoing,” he added.

He disclosed that efforts were underway to unite various opposition forces under the SDP platform.

“Our objective is not to merge political parties. We have been through that before, and we know how long and complicated that process is. What we are trying to do is bring like-minded people — who believe Nigeria needs real change — under one umbrella,” he said.

Explaining the choice of the SDP, he said it was based on an assessment of parties likely to survive deregistration by INEC.

“As you know, INEC now has the power to deregister parties without any elected member at the state Assembly level,” he explained. “We assessed the ones that cannot be deregistered, and concluded that the SDP ranked highest. It has pedigree, it has history — but it still needs building.”

He stressed the difference between forming and building a party.

“Forming a party is easy. Building a party — registering members, holding congresses, building leadership from the polling unit to the national level is the real work,” he said.

El-Rufai underscored the coalition’s commitment to internal democracy.

“What destroyed previous parties in Nigeria is a lack of internal democracy and the stranglehold of godfathers. We want to eliminate that. The APC started with hope, but it became controlled by one or two people. We want a party that no one owns, where everyone has a voice,” he said.

I was abroad when the CBEX scandal broke: somehow, I tend to be out of town when Nigerians get into very serious trouble but it has been my singular misfortune, and this has happened so many times for close to four decades, to discuss other people’s misfortune. Occupational hazard, I guess. The choice I have made. The job that I do- worrying about community headache, including other people’s self-inflicted migraine for which my job requires me to take analgesics on other people’s behalf. The story as told is that a group of con artists operating under the auspices of a group registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as ST Technologies International Limited, even listed with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering had set up fancy offices in Lagos and Ibadan, recruited staff, and asked Nigerians to bring money and get 100% returns on investment in 30 days. Nigerians rushed to CBEX, that is Crypto Bridge Exchange. They talked about the beautiful offices and the certificates of registration that they saw. They invested money, which as at the last estimate stood at N1.3 trillion. Even when they were warned in April 2024 by Hong Kong financial authorities that CBEX was a Ponzi scheme, a fraudulent financial arrangement, Nigerian investors and the regulators failed to heed the warning. They took their money to CBEX. One morning, the CBEX system stopped working. The investors and depositors could not gain access to their investments. Over N1.3 trillion was lost. The fancy offices of CBEX suddenly shut down and the managers disappeared into thin air. 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has now declared about eight of the CBEX managers wanted. They are reportedly on the run, of course with their loot. The fact that this has happened under the watch of the security agencies, and the regulators, specifically the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), whose officials failed to do due diligence and placed Nigerians at risk is scandalous enough. It speaks to the failure of law enforcement, regulation and institutions in Nigeria.  

But the deeper issue is the greed and poverty of the average Nigerian. Our people are so poor that they would do anything to make the extra buck. The menace of rape, kidnapping and ritual killings has been linked for example to the shamanist belief that you can become rich overnight by using harvested human body parts. Traditional spell-binders deceive those who want to get rich quick with that story and there have been killings in the land. Prosperity pastors tell the congregation that the church is not for the poor, and that even our Lord Jesus Christ had no serious interest in the poor. These same prosperity pastors in Nigeria have not said much about the Catholic Pontiff, Franciscus, who was buried over the weekend and who was known for his simplicity, humility, and commitment to the values of peace, equality, justice, and inclusion. Once upon a time in Nigeria, ordinary people questioned the source of anybody’s wealth, but now, you just must be rich to be considered a citizen who deserves the community’s attention. The emergent nouveaux riche class in Nigeria may not have an evident means of income, they spend money for a living, they marry the most beautiful girls in town, and they are better secured than the Nigerian state itself.  It is this collapse of everything sane and sensible that has driven the average Nigerian to the embrace of CBEX and similar schemes.  Wealth by any means possible is Nigeria’s national ethic codified in the reign of 419 as it is called, and the triumph of laziness and ostentation. 

There is also something tragically wrong with public memory.  In the 1980s, a certain fellow - Umanah Umanah introduced a Ponzi scheme called MMM. By 2016, MMM crashed after the managers had stolen over N18 billion. The people cried and protested as they are doing now. But by 2022, another Ponzi scheme, MBA Forex had again swindled the people of amounts close to N213 billion. The story is the same. People weep. A few persons commit suicide. Everyone laments, but when another Ponzi scheme shows up, the same fortune chasers of Nigeria, who would rather gamble than work harder and be honest. They would look for quick, unreasonable profit, and they would get swindled again. The IMF/World Bank at the end of the recent Spring Meetings in Washington DC warned that poverty is bound to get worse in Nigeria by 2027 – 57% of the population would live below the poverty line. The tragedy of this, already well lamented by NACCIMA and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is that more Nigerians would become desperate, seek unorthodox means of getting rich, and gamble away their lives. This is why I think that public advocacy is important: to let young persons who appear to be the most vulnerable know that there are no short, overnight cuts to success or financial gain. 

There should be a national programme on financial intelligence and investment, and even more so, we need to address the people’s lack of trust in Nigeria’s financial system. The banks are not serving us well! Nigeria is probably the only country in the world where people deposit their hard-earned income, and they end up daily being told that there is no money in the bank vaults whenever they go to the banks to withdraw money.  A few years back, Nigerians were encouraged to embrace digital banking, and financial inclusion. Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) were introduced, and crowds were reduced in the banking halls. But the ATMs no longer work satisfactorily, the charges for basic transactions have been increased, the people have found better service in alternative banking services. The irony is that the banks are posting huge, alarming, end-of-quarter profits, and those who work in the banks appear far more prosperous, happier and more joyous than the hardworking people who ask them to help keep their money. There is a moral crisis in Nigerian banks. We would need to reassure the people, and rebuild their faith in the financial intermediation system. 

It is in this context that I consider recent attempts to strengthen the Nigerian Deposit Investment Corporation (NDIC) instructive.  Established in 2006 (NDIC Act No 16 of 2006), the agency is a regulatory body with the responsibility to protect depositors’ funds, and ensure that when and if a bank fails, the customer is at least entitled to some form of protection. There is a devil in the amount of insurance that the NDIC can guarantee, sometimes less than one percent of a liquidated bank customer’s deposit, or the maximum insured limit of N5 million - but the principle is that the customer is assured of a certain level of protection. The NDIC is a liquidator, with the mandate to look into the assets and liabilities of a failed bank. It also acts as some kind of moral and legal police. The high and mighty in Nigeria like to take loans from the banks, in fact many of them are habitual debtors – they borrow money and they insist that because of their position in society, they are entitled to borrow other people’s money and refuse to pay back. 

The NDIC has had cause to intervene in such cases in the past, collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria, to protect depositors. At the moment, to be precise since Friday, April 25, 2025, the NDIC began the disbursement of N46.6 billion as the first tranche of liquidation dividends to depositors of the defunct Heritage Bank, including funds exceeding the insured limit of N5 million. There are about 50 Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) currently in liquidation, 546 Microfinance banks, and 55 Primary Mortgage Banks. NDIC recovers assets, takes back loans and advances from debtors by deploying Debt Recovery Agents (DRAs) and assists depositors to realize their investments. Between January 2024 and February 2025, the NDIC has recovered over N35 billion in assets – risk assets, physical assets and investments. 

Those who patronize Ponzi schemes, overnight millionaire, money doubling, betting outfits do not have this kind of protection. There is a body called the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which regulates the capital market, but it looks like they are asleep for the most part in that agency and would seem helpless where Ponzi schemes such as CBEX are involved.  Regulatory and law enforcement agencies must be alive to their responsibilities to protect the common good. Their regulatory frameworks and the enabling Acts need to be reviewed. There is a sense in this latter regard that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can learn from the example of the NDIC. I mentioned that there was a devil in the operations of the NDIC, but what may appear as an improvement in that agency’s operations can be traced first to leadership, and second to the strengthening of the framework which grants NDIC a broader scope for operation, to wit - the enhancement of the asset recovery and powers of the agency by the NDIC Act of 2023. 

The Act was signed into law on May 26, 2023 by President Muhammadu Buhari basically as it were to strengthen the NDIC in the discharge of its mandate – one of the very few good things that Buhari did when he was alert enough to pay attention! The relevant amendments are in Sections 26 which deepens NDIC’s powers to set off debts, 27 which grants the agency powers to call up Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), 48 – on powers to foreclose legal or equitable mortgage where an obligor fails, and the power to take possession and foreclose or sell. Sections 57, 76 – powers to act as liquidator, Section 58 – appointment of Debt Recovery agents; Section 64 – powers to freeze assets of debtors, and 66 – power to track and trace assets and debtors.

The caveat must be added however that while a stronger legal framework can enhance the effectiveness of regulatory agencies and public institutions generally, leadership also matters. The best practice legal backing for an institution would yield no positive results if the leader of the agency does not function and the institution itself is not primed for success. Nigeria has been revising its electoral law since 1999, for example, virtually all the issues about representation, technology, process, verification, eligibility, procedure and collation of results have been debated, but two years to the next general elections, we are still on the same question of electoral reform. It is a reflection of the episodic, ad hoc, manner in which Nigeria functions that long after 2027, we would still have cause to ask for further reforms. The Nigerian professional political elite is not willing to change its colours. Leadership counts. But Nigerian politicians will always try to game and cheat the system. This is the DNA of Nigerian politics and it would never change. The personalities will change though. Every season, a new set of characters would show up at all levels, play their part, and as Shakespeare tells us, they would make their exits and entrances forever for good or ill. 

Nonetheless, our argument is focused on the need to give government agencies teeth to be able to fulfil their mandate. The NDIC has been strengthened, and its current leadership has been proactive in applying the laws to promote a stable financial system and provide guarantees for bank depositors as it collaborates in doing so with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). There is an unresolved argument about whether or not there is an overlap in the functions of the NDIC and AMCON, but they seem to complement each other. Depositors and investors’ funds are too critical to be left in the throes of the kind of ambiguity that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been projecting. We may have very little sympathy for the people who lost money in the CBEX scheme, but I can understand the desperation of those who are looking for quick prosperity in a very religious country where persons are now being told by at least one Port Harcourt Pastor that the poor do not have a place in the Nigerian church, or with Jesus Christ, and the World Bank is saying that more people will become very poor very soon. Soon, a Nigerian rich man of today may find it very difficult to drive on the streets tomorrow, and that makes him poor within the context of what has been described as multi-dimensional poverty. The poor Nigerian who wants to patronize Ponzi schemes, gambling and betting haunts and dubious investments also needs to be protected. SEC should be strengthened. It needs a root canal to rescue its teeth. 

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has warned that wealthy individuals are turning political parties into personal investments, undermining the democratic process.

Speaking at a technical workshop on the Political Parties Bill (HB1862) in Abuja, Abbas highlighted the absence of ideological foundations in Nigerian political parties, describing them as vehicles for power control rather than democratic institutions.

The workshop, organised by Yiaga Africa and The Kukah Centre with funding from the European Union, focused on addressing gaps in political party regulation.

Represented by Hon Ishaya David Lalu, Abbas stressed that democracy cannot thrive without internal democratic processes for candidate selection.

“In Nigeria, political parties are not founded on any principle or ideology,” he said, noting that they often serve as platforms for power-sharing among elites rather than promoting public interest.

The proposed Political Parties Bill aims to enhance transparency and accountability by establishing an independent body to regulate party activities, including campaign financing.

Abbas argued that such measures would curb the influence of “moneybags” who hijack parties or impose candidates during elections.

He cited the United States’ Federal Election Commission and the United Kingdom’s Electoral Commission as models for effective regulation, contrasting them with Nigeria’s current system, where the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks robust legislative backing to oversee party funding.

In his welcome remarks, Hon. Zakari Dauda Nyampa, chairman of the House Committee on Political Matters, echoed Abbas’ concerns, noting that unregulated primaries often lead to crises within parties.

“This bill is key to ensuring accountability, transparency, and proper regulation of political party funding,” he said, underscoring its importance for Nigeria’s evolving democracy.

In his goodwill message, Samson Itodo, executive director of Yiaga Africa, emphasised Nigeria’s strategic importance in African politics and warned that weak political parties undermine democracy.

“Our parties are built around individuals, not institutions, making them easily captured,” Itodo said, advocating for stronger systems to ensure ideological coherence and public participation.

Also at the event, Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, national chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), called for greater public engagement with the bill, noting that it has yet to be uploaded online for scrutiny.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to thoroughly assess the legislation to ensure it reflects citizens’ aspirations. IPAC plans to convene a General Assembly to discuss the bill and present its position to the National Assembly.

On his part, Fr. Atta Barkindo, executive director of The Kukah Centre, described the bill as a timely opportunity to strengthen internal democracy and institutionalise overdue reforms.

“The quality of political party operations directly impacts the integrity of our elections,” he said.

A General Court Martial (GCM) sitting at the Headquarters of 82 Division of Nigerian Army in Enugu has sentenced a soldier, Private Adamu Mohammed to death by hanging for killing his girlfriend identified as Miss Hauwa Ali, in April 2024.

The military court also sentenced another soldier, Private Abubakar Yusuf to 10 years imprisonment for robbery.

A statement by the Acting Deputy Director 82 Division, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu said the sentences followed due consideration for the offences of murder and robbery for which the soldiers stood trial.

The General Court Martial which composed of 11 members was inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Oluyemi Olatoye on February 18, 2025 to try erring personnel within the Division for various offences.

The President of the GCM, Brigadier General Sadisu Buhari, while delivering the judgment on the first accused, Private Adamu Mohammed, declared that he was found guilty of killing his girlfriend, Miss Ali, an offence punishable under Section 106 (a) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 LFN 2004.

The judgement, which was unanimous, he explained, was arrived at after careful review of the facts before the court, the career and service record of the soldier, and the compassionate plea for mitigation presented by the accused and his counsel.

However, the Court noted that in the interest of societal decorum and justice for the deceased, the law had to be applied to its fullest.

“Given this, the GCM has determined that the accused soldier, 21NA/80/6365 Private Adamu Mohammed, is hereby sentenced to death by hanging for the charge of murder,” Brig.-Gen. Sadisu ruled.

Relatedly, the GCM equally sentenced another Private Yusuf to 10 years imprisonment for robbery at a mall within Enugu.

The Court stated that the panel found Private Yusuf guilty of robbery, punishable under Section 107(1)(b) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 LFN 2004.

“Although the court attentively considered the plea in mitigation presented by the accused and his counsel for leniency, the law was applied to uphold societal decorum and protect the reputation of the army.

“However, due to the inability of the GCM to reach a unanimous decision required to impose the maximum mandatory punishment prescribed under Section 107(2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 LFN 2004, the GCM, relying on the provisions of Section 140 (3) of the Armed Forces Act, hereby sentences the accused soldier, 23NA/85/12116 Private Abubakar Yusuf to 10 years imprisonment,” Buhari said.

He emphasised that the findings and sentences pronounced for both soldiers remain subject to confirmation by the endorsing authority, marking the conclusion of their trials.

The Nigerian Army reassured the public of its unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and professional conduct in the discharge of its duties.

“While the wrong actions of a few do not reflect the values of the institution, swift and decisive measures are always taken to ensure accountability and justice,” he said.

He added that the Army remains dedicated to maintaining discipline within its ranks, protecting the integrity of its operations and fostering trust and confidence among the people.

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Johnson Asiama, has announced that the central bank is set to begin regulating cryptocurrency and related platforms by the end of September 2025.

Speaking at the African Leaders and Partners Forum, organized by the EBII Group during the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., Dr. Asiama explained that the move depends on the passage of the Virtual Asset Providers Act.

This legislation will enable the Bank of Ghana to license and regulate platforms and entities operating within the virtual asset space. 

“To enhance the regulation of these platforms and assets, the Bank of Ghana is establishing a dedicated unit focused on digital assets,” Dr. Asiama revealed.

“This is a technology we cannot prevent, hence the need to move fast to regulate it.”

The forum, which brought together stakeholders from finance, trade, and agriculture across Ghana, the U.S., Europe, and the Americas, aimed to explore strategies to improve trade and investment between Africa and the United States.

A Nigerian couple has been jailed in the United Kingdom after attempting to illegally bring an orphaned baby girl into the country using falsified documents.

Raphael Ossai and Oluwakemi Olasanoye were arrested at Manchester Airport, per a BBC report, after Border Force officers noticed unusual behavior between the pair and the infant they claimed as their own.

Initial checks revealed inconsistencies, prompting further investigation. 

Ossai presented a birth certificate listing Olasanoye as the mother, but officers later uncovered a second birth certificate hidden in the couple’s luggage, naming Ossai’s British wife as the child’s mother.

The incident triggered a complex inquiry into the child’s true identity, which remains unresolved. DNA testing later confirmed that Lucy—an alias given to the girl by authorities—is not biologically related to Ossai, Olasanoye, or Ossai’s British wife.

It was established that Lucy was born in rural Nigeria in September 2022 and placed in an orphanage days after her birth by a young student mother.

Ossai and Olasanoye pleaded guilty to immigration offences and were sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by deportation.

Throughout court proceedings, it emerged that Ossai and his wife had been seeking to adopt a child and had obtained permission to foster Lucy, but did not have the legal right to adopt her or remove her from Nigeria.

Social workers described signs of serious neglect during Lucy’s early months in the UK, noting that the child was emotionally withdrawn, underfed, and struggled to form secure attachments.

Although Ossai and his wife appealed to the High Court to be assessed as Lucy’s carers, citing concerns over her cultural identity if placed with white foster families, the court rejected their application.

Justice Sir Jonathan Cohen ruled that the couple’s deception and unlawful actions had caused Lucy “very significant emotional harm” and ordered that she be placed for adoption within the UK.

Lucy, who has been moved between multiple foster homes since her arrival, will be provided with information about her heritage as part of her upbringing.

The Nigerian High Commission was said not to have responded to repeated requests for assistance during the High Court proceedings, leaving questions about Lucy’s full background unanswered.

The Home Office declined to comment on the individuals’ deportation status but reiterated its commitment to removing foreign nationals who break the law.