The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, has said President Bola Tinubu has done well in his two years of governance.

Bagudu stated this in a feature interview for an upcoming TV documentary marking President Tinubu’s second anniversary.

The Minister declared that the government’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” is working and winning over investors at home and abroad.

“This is two years well spent. Mr President confronted Nigeria’s economic realities with bold and necessary choices—tough as they might be—and those measures are now yielding results,” he said.

In a statement on Wednesday from the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Bagudu stated that the reform-driven economy has seen four consecutive quarters of GDP growth, exchange rate stability, and a resurgence in private sector confidence.

“We have seen four quarters of successive economic growth, stability in foreign exchange, and appreciation by Nigerians and the international community. Rating agencies have consistently appreciated what we are doing,” he stated.

According to him, foreign and domestic investors have responded positively to the government’s economic agenda, particularly in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure.

“We have seen investors from Brazil, Belarus, and Saudi Arabia increasingly entering our agricultural space. The world economic community and multilateral institutions are putting more faith in our economy,” he said.

Bagudu said the renewed interest stems from the administration’s commitment to credibility, transparency, and structural change.

“Investors want to see good policy—can I get paid back? Are the numbers credible? Is the environment transparent? That’s why they appreciate when they see quarterly GDP growth.

“For the first time in 25 years, Nigeria is refining oil. Mr President was courageous enough to allow crude sale in naira to our refiners. This is a testament to his belief in our economy,” he argued.

Bagudu described removing fuel subsidies and unifying the foreign exchange market as transformative decisions restoring fiscal sanity.

“We were losing 5% of our GDP on fuel subsidy—money going to just a few. Mr. President took the courageous step to end it.

“The foreign exchange reform removed uncertainty and favouritism. We now have a fair market—willing buyer, willing seller—which has generated revenue growth and boosted private sector confidence,” he insisted.

Bagudu said the 2024 and 2025 budgets balance fiscal responsibility and strategic investment in priority sectors.

“We have increased spending in health, education, infrastructure, security, and technology. The 2024 budget achieved significant deficit reduction, and more importantly, it showed that we are serious—and the markets believed us,” he said.

He emphasised President Tinubu’s respect for the rule of law, even in managing inherited debt and Central Bank financing.

“Mr President inherited ₦22.7 trillion in Ways and Means financing, but he insisted on respecting the Central Bank’s independence. That discipline is earning us credibility globally,” he emphasized.

The Minister credited the Presidential Economic Coordination Council and the Economic Management Team-led by President Tinubu and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, with ensuring coherent, results-driven governance.

“This is teamwork. The President is the chief coordinator. He understands the global economic context, and the private sector respects him. We’re not just doing government-to-government coordination—the private sector is part of this reform effort,” he added.

While acknowledging that the reforms may feel challenging in the short term, Bagudu likened the process to a necessary fitness regimen.

“Our economy is like a body going to the gym. It might feel painful now, but the muscles of progress are forming.

“Mr President is saying: ‘I’m ready to take the pain so our children and grandchildren will inherit a more prosperous Nigeria.’ This isn’t just economic reform—it’s a moral responsibility,” Bagudu added.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has removed Elie Bitar, a foreign national, from the wanted list for crypto bridge exchange (CBEX) fraud.

On April 30, the anti-graft agency declared Bitar wanted over the alleged fraud perpetrated on the CBEX trading platform.

The EFCC published the wanted notice across social media platforms.

In the now-deleted notice, the anti-graft agency mentioned Bitar’s age as 41, while his last known address is at “Eng. George Enemoh Crescent, Lekki Phase 1, Lekki, Lagos State”.

In April, reports emerged that CBEX users could no longer withdraw their funds, after which many Nigerians who had invested in the platform reportedly lost their funds.

The anti-graft agency had previously declared eight Nigerians wanted for the alleged CBEX fraud. The suspects are Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Johnson Okiroh Otieno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro Kabera, and Serah Michiro.

Recently, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) published a report stating that the EFCC had erroneously declared Bitar wanted because the name of his company — CBEX Solutions Limited — is similar to the fraudulent scheme.

Bitar co-founded CBEX Solutions Limited, a company focused on conducting retail studies for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies.

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said Bitar’s name has been removed from the wanted list, citing the availability of new information.

“Ellie Bitar of CBEX Solutions Ltd., who was earlier declared wanted, has since been removed from the list owing to new information that does not support his inclusion in the wanted person’s list,” the statement reads.

“The Commission is making good progress in its investigations. Law enforcement agencies across the world are collaborating with it in tracking and arresting all the wanted persons. The EFCC will not relent in bringing every actor involved in the fraudulent dealings to book.”

Oyewale said the anti-graft agency is “gaining important ground” in the search for the eight persons declared wanted over the CBEX fraud.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) chapter, has threatened legal action against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over the widespread failure recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Chairman of ASUU-UNN, Comrade Óyibo Eze, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen in Nsukka on Wednesday.

Oyibo said the massive failure which mostly affected candidates from the South East, was a deliberate attempt by JAMB to stop children from the zone from getting admission.

“My office has been inundated with protests, calls and visits by parents and the general public on this deliberate massive failure in 2025 JAMB examination.

“ASUU will challenge this result in High Court if JAMB fails to review the result and give candidates their merited scores .

“JAMB knows that children from South East must score higher before they can get admission whereas their counterparts in some parts of the country will use 120 JAMB score to get admission to read medicine in universities in their area.

“In the JAMB recently released result, out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 examination, over 1.5 million candidates scored less than 200 and majority of these are from the South East and Lagos State where many Igbos reside,” he said.

He called on governors from the South East to rise up and challenge this injustice targeted towards preventing children from the zone from gaining admission into higher institutions in the country.

“The governors in the zone should not sit and watch JAMB toy with academic future of our children.

” I am not against the board punishing those found guilty of exam malpractice but JAMB should not, because of these few candidates, fail the whole candidates in an exam centre,” he said.

The ASUU boss said that it was unbelievable and unacceptable that in the whole University Secondary School, Nsukka, no candidate that sat for the exam scored up to 200 in the UTME.

“This school has superlative students who have excelled in academics both inside and outside the school, how come all of them scored less than 200 in the exam.

“Even if JAMB discovered one or two candidates for exam malpractice, is that enough reason to fail all others who have prepared very hard for that exam,” he said.

Oyibo advised JAMB to act fast to do the needful by reviewing the result as that massive failure had become a national issue which might attract national protest if nothing urgent was done.

There is tension in parts of Ogun and Lagos states over rumours that there is deadly rice in circulation.

Parents and relatives send voice messages to their loved ones, warning them against buying or consuming rice at this time because a foreign trader had invoked the spirit of Ogun deity after her two trucks of rice were stolen and smuggled into Nigeria.

In various voice notes forwarded to our correspondent, the speakers maintained that two trucks of rice were stolen from a neighbouring country and were later smuggled into Nigeria through the Idiroko border and the Seme border.

It was stated that the owner of the bags of rice, a woman, contacted some Ogun worshipers in Ghana to lay curses on whoever buys or consumes the alleged stolen rice.

In a voice note, it was rumoured that some Customs officers and a soldier had died in Badagry, Lagos State.

It was also alleged by another sender on WhatsApp that over 70 persons had died in the past few days after buying or consuming the said rice.

Imported rice from the Benin Republic remains one of the most consumed staples in Nigeria, especially by children and the youth.

As the warnings keep getting to people in Ogun and Lagos, they pass the same to their loved ones, emphasising to them that rice must not be consumed or bought at this time.

A resident in the Ipokia Local Government of Ogun State, Morayo, told our correspondent on Wednesday that some parents went to schools, telling the food vendors not to sell rice to their children.

As some individuals tried to debunk the rumour, more voice notes came from different people, claiming their alleged confirmation of the deaths.

This has left many confused as to whether to buy rice or not.

However, the Nigerian Customs Service in Lagos and Ogun debunked the claims, saying there was no deadly rice in circulation.

In a statement by the NCS, Seme Area Command, Public Relations Officer, Isah Sulaiman, said the narrative was entirely false, misleading, and did not reflect the reality of the matter.

“The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area command, has been drawn to a widely circulated unfounded and baseless allegation claiming that the Command seized and distributed bags of rice without the knowledge of the purported owner, who then allegedly invoked traditional powers leading to the death of individuals, including a soldier at Badagry.

“The command wishes to categorically state that this narrative is entirely false, misleading, and does not reflect the reality of the matter,” the statement said.

It disclosed that the command had always adhered to NCS Standard Operating Procedures for disposing of seized goods, which is guided by transparency, due process, and strict adherence to extant laws and guidelines.

“It is instructive to say that no incident within the Command’s Area of Responsibility or among personnel corroborates the false claims of deaths resulting from rice consumption linked to the NCS.

“Unfortunately, some unscrupulous elements wearing the garment of journalism (a credible profession) to disinform members of the public with baseless, fictitious and malicious accusations to score cheap points instead of the social responsibility they are supposed to uphold,” the command added.

The NCS urged the general public to disregard this “unfounded story and refrain from spreading false information that could incite fear or tarnish the image of the security agencies working tirelessly to safeguard the nation.”

Our correspondent learnt that rumour has spread to Abeokuta, Ibadan, and other states, creating fears among rice consumers.

A technical review conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has revealed that a critical oversight in server updates, coupled with human error, led to the invalidation of results for 379,997 candidates in the five states of the South East and Lagos State who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

JAMB partnered with the Educare Technical Team, an independent tech partner, to verify the scale of the impact. Data was gathered from over 18,000 candidates, and after cleansing, about 15,000 authentic response logs were analysed.

The revelation was made during a high-level technical review session held on Wednesday at JAMB’s headquarters in Abuja.

The emergency meeting, chaired by JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, was convened in response to the widespread outcry that followed the release of unusually low scores from the 2025 UTME the previous Friday.

Data revealed that over 1.5million candidates out of the 1.9million candidates, whose results were released by the board, scored less than 200 marks.

According to the report, the error was rooted in the uneven deployment of a critical server patch required to support major innovations introduced in this year’s UTME.

While these upgrades were correctly applied to servers in the Kaduna (KAD) cluster, they were not deployed to the Lagos (LAG) cluster, which services Lagos and the South-East region.

This led to widespread mismatches in answer interpretation and validation.

“Over 14,000 of those records were traced to the affected centres under the LAG server cluster,” the report confirmed, adding that internal and external audits showed significant overlap in results, supporting the conclusion of systemic malfunction.

“As a result, approximately 92 centres in the South-East and 65 centres in Lagos — totalling 157 centres — operated using outdated server logic that could not appropriately handle the new answer submission/marking structure. This affected an estimated 379,997 candidates, whose results were severely impacted due to system mismatches during answer validation,” the report stated.

It added, “This review, conducted with thoroughness and transparency, signifies JAMB’s resolve to uphold the sanctity of its examination processes. Going forward, stronger deployment validation protocols and real-time monitoring mechanisms will be implemented to prevent such oversights.

“In summary, JAMB opened its systems to independent reviews to restore public confidence and ensure the reliability of the UTME for all stakeholders. And we hereby report, that this incident was neither a system failure nor administrative manipulation, but an outright human error.”

Speaking during the press briefing in Abuja, Oloyede broke down in tears while addressing issues surrounding the results, admitting that the errors were caused by a systemic failure.

He stated that the affected 379,997 candidates would resit the examination.

“In simple terms, while 65 centres (206,610) were affected in Lagos Zone (comprising only Lagos), 92 centres (173,387) were affected in Owerri Zone, which includes the South East states.

“In clear terms, in the process of rectifying this issue, the technical personnel deployed by the service provider inadvertently failed to update some of the delivery services. Regrettably, this oversight went undetected prior to the release of the results.”

Speaking further, Oloyede noted that the board was able to isolate the affected centres, adding that a resit would be organised for the affected candidates.

“We have decided that all the candidates affected in the 157 centres out of 882 centres will be contacted to retake their examinations starting from Friday, May 16, 2025. These candidates are to be contacted through text messages addressed to their registered phones,” the JAMB boss added.

“I understand that there are three powerful expressions which contain one word, two words and three words respectively. They are please, thank you and I am sorry. So, I appeal to the candidates and those affected by the error of our system to accept this explanation as the truth of the matter without embellishment, PLEASE. I apologise and take full responsibility, not just in words.

“Then, I want to say a big THANK YOU to the Honourable Minister of Education for his unwavering belief in JAMB and what the board stands for. I also appreciate all officers and officials who believe in us for their goodwill in the face of this challenge. We have vowed to uphold integrity as the abiding philosophy of JAMB and we won’t waver or depart from it despite the fact that we are not infallible. I am equally grateful to all stakeholders who have lent us their support and expertise in arriving at a logical conclusion that we have arrived at. And for the inconveniencies, once again, on behalf of JAMB, I say, I AM SORRY to all Nigerians.”

However, calls for the resignation of the JAMB registrar heightened on Wednesday following the revelation.

An education analyst, Jacob Sule, who posted on X via his account @jacobsule asked that the registrar stepped aside.

“A country should not be governed by emotions or personal sentiments. Given the circumstances, the Registrar, Professor Oloyede, should be asked to step aside immediately to allow for a full scale independent and transparent investigation.

“Additionally, the Registrar must publicly retract his earlier statements and issue a formal apology to the affected students who have endured undue stress and discomfort. Accountability and empathy are essential in restoring public trust in our institutions.”

Samoal Fred, also on X, stated, “Instead of shedding crocodile tears, while some irresponsible adults applauded in the audience, Prof. Oloyede should have tendered his resignation.  That was the least he could have done.”

Ajao Olumota, who posted via @MrGatsby, added, “Oloyede should please resign. This is disgraceful from him.”

Funsho Olushola, who posted on X via @abolajijnr, said, “Someone lost her life already. Oloyede should be in jail already. Everyone responsible should resign and face the law. Inept organization.”

Meanwhile, angry parents of underage candidates demanded that their children’s results be released by the board.

One of the parents, who identified herself simply as Mr. Ashaolu, told The PUNCH in Abuja, “We don’t understand why the board has refused to release the results of the under 16 candidates. Why subject these candidates to trauma? They sat the examinations and should have access to their results.”

Mrs Abiodun Ashimolowo added, “My daughter has been bothered. Why will you hold unto their results because they are underage? Where in the world is that done?”

Also, the President, Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Danjuma Haruka, commended Oloyede for openly admitting to the technical glitches that affected the UTME candidates.

Haruka praised Oloyede’s honesty and called on other government agencies to emulate such transparency.

“I commend him for his openness in admitting that a mistake was made. I wish all arms of government would follow the example set by Professor Oloyede,” he said.

However, the PTA is demanding further clarity on the nature of the errors that disrupted the examination.

“Were these computer errors? What specific mistakes were identified? As parents, we would like to see the list of affected candidates so we can be assured that the fault does not lie with our children,” Haruka added.

Describing the incident as damaging to the country’s global image, the PTA boss emphasised the need for JAMB to ensure such disruptions do not occur again. He also called for detailed communication from the board to help reassure concerned parents and students.

“We are ready to accept his apology in good faith, but we need clarity — what went wrong and what has been corrected. Many of the candidates were unprepared or struggled with computer use, but it is important to confirm that the children were not at fault,” Haruka stated.

Meanwhile, The PUNCH learnt that the error was initially discovered on April 25.

It was discovered that there were omissions in the items within the ‘Lagos category’, a code for southern states – excluding the six south south states – but including Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Niger, Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory.

Findings revealed that an update for correction and grading adjustment was instantly made and it was tested on Saturday, April 26; Sunday, April 27 and Monday, April 28.

Following the massive failure experienced by candidates in the recently conducted 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened legal action against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Oyibo Eze, the chairman of the University of Nigeria Nsukka chapter of ASUU, on Wednesday, said the union might be left with no option but to sue JAMB over the conduct and processing of the UTME results.

Speaking during a press briefing, Eze noted that the majority of those affected in the released UTME results are candidates from the Southeast region.

He alleged the examination body’s action is aimed at deliberately sabotaging the desire of these candidates to gain admission into tertiary institutions.

“My office has been inundated with protests, calls and visits by parents and the general public on this deliberate massive failure in the 2025 JAMB examination.

“ASUU will challenge this result in the High Court if JAMB fails to review the result and give candidates their merited scores.

“JAMB knows that children from the South East must score higher before they can get admission, whereas their counterparts in some parts of the country will use a 120 JAMB score to get admission to read medicine in universities in their area,” Eze said.

The ASUU leader further called on the governors of the states in the region to stand up to the occasion and challenge the injustice against the candidates from the region

Christian Okeke, a lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, has called for the resignation of Ishaq Oloyede, the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Okeke, while reacting to the recent admission by Oloyede that the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was riddled with errors due to a technical glitch, said JAMB’s registrar should tender his resignation with immediate effect.

The university don also warned that mandating the candidates to rewrite the examination is unacceptable.

Okeke said merely taking responsibility and shedding tears like Oloyede did during the press briefing is not enough for the damage caused by the error in the results released by JAMB.

“He should go extra step by resigning from office and allowing the federal government to reposition the Board for effective service delivery,” the lecturer said.

Also, citing cases where candidates who were supposed to sit for the examination died in accidents, Okeke said the true abilities of applicants were jeopardised by the examination body.

Calling for the release of the true results of the 2025 UTME, Okeke said asking the candidates to rewrite the exams in states across the Southeast and Lagos is incentive

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a national forest guard initiative aimed at reclaiming Nigeria’s forests from terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs.

In a statement released on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare announced that the recruitment and deployment of forest guards will commence immediately, targeting all 1,129 forests across the country.

According to Dare, the forest guards will be well-trained, armed, and mandated to flush out criminal elements using the forests as hideouts for violent activities.

“This is a joint security effort between the federal and state governments. The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment have been directed to take charge and ensure full implementation,” he stated.

Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be recruited into the outfit as part of a strategic initiative to create jobs while enhancing national security.

President Tinubu, in earlier remarks, had vowed that his administration would not cede “an inch” of Nigerian territory to criminal elements, declaring that “the country will take back its forests.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a lawsuit against Professor Pat Utomi over his plan to establish a “shadow government” in Nigeria.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025 and filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, lists Utomi as the sole defendant.

In its filing, the DSS argues that Utomi’s actions are unconstitutional and pose a threat to national security and democratic governance.

According to court documents submitted by a legal team led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), the DSS contends that the proposed shadow government, if allowed to exist, could incite political unrest, increase intergroup tensions, and encourage separatist groups to form similar unrecognized structures.

“The planned shadow cabinet is an aberration and a direct threat to the democratically elected government and constitutional order,” the DSS stated.

The security agency is asking the court to declare the shadow government illegal, stating that it amounts to the creation of a parallel authority not recognized by the 1999 Constitution.

It also seeks a perpetual injunction restraining Utomi, his agents, and associates from further activities related to the shadow government or any similar formation.

Citing Sections 1(1), 1(2), and 14(2)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution, the DSS maintains that governance must only be carried out in accordance with constitutional provisions and that any alternative authority structure is null and void.

The suit follows public statements by Utomi, in which he announced the formation of a shadow cabinet made up of individuals assigned to various roles, including Dele Farotimi as Ombudsman for Good Governance and other figures like Cheta Nwanze and Halima Ahmed as part of a Policy Delivery Unit.

In a supporting affidavit, the DSS said it had monitored Utomi’s activities through intelligence reports and open-source materials.

It claimed his actions were designed to undermine confidence in the elected government and mislead the public.

“The defendant’s statements and the inauguration of a shadow cabinet are capable of weakening public trust in democratic institutions and could fuel public disaffection,” the DSS stated.

The security agency added that the Federal Government had made several efforts to dissuade Utomi from the move, including warnings from the Minister of Information.

However, it said Utomi had remained defiant