The Abia State Government says it will convert the proposed new Government House at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, into a five-star hotel.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, said this during a media tour of the site on Thursday.

Kanu also revealed that a new governor’s office and lodge will be built at the current Government House Complex.

He addressed claims that the current Government House is rented, saying, “And let me debunk another lie. Before now, they said that the current Government House was a rented apartment. But it is not a rented apartment.

“That property was acquired, duly acquired by the state government, but those people who were in office before now were busy paying themselves rent from government coffers, deceiving the public that they were paying rent for a Government House.”

The commissioner said the building project, which was claimed to be completed and commissioned by the last administration, is not livable and was never meant to be a residential building.

He stated, “This place appears inhabitable. There are no wardrobes anywhere. Most of what we saw were just halls, empty halls.

“Did anybody see any wardrobe on any of the floors? There were no wardrobes. So this place was never meant to be a residential house.

“And one begins to wonder, the person or persons who designed this so-called Government House. One wonders what they had in mind when they designed this kind of Government House and expected a governor to come and live in this kind of place.”

Kanu stressed that only one floor appears finished, while the rest are still incomplete.

He added, “And there is only the first floor that appears to have been finished. The rest of the floors were not finished.”

He also accused a former commissioner, John Okiyi Kalu, of spreading false information.

“Of course, when Dr. Alex Otti spoke about this Government House a few days ago, John Okiyi went to Arise, to, as usual, spew falsehood. Almost everything he said was a lie. Now I brought you people (pressmen) here to see for yourselves and to confirm what Dr. Alex Otti said.”

He described the building as unsafe.

He said, “You can see a lot of the places were not plastered, and the elevator was not installed. The whole place looks dangerous. If anybody missteps there, you can fall through the place to your death.”

Kanu said the previous government rushed the construction just to impress the public.

“Granted, you will see a few furniture here. But that is as much as you can see. Nothing on the next floor. They misused the resources of the state to put up this gigantic edifice that is meant to achieve nothing, so to speak. This place is not habitable.”

He also noted that the location of the building poses security risks because it is surrounded by other buildings.

He called on Abians to ignore the opposition and keep supporting Otti.

“Otti, being a responsible governor, would not allow waste and would never misuse the resources of Abians,” he said.

At least N20.03bn was spent on the maintenance and operations of the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to December 2024, The PUNCH reports.

This was as the new presidential jet purchased last year has been flown to South Africa for refurbishment and upgrades.

Findings by our correspondents from GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, revealed that for 2024, the payouts amounted to N14.15bn, representing 71 per cent of the allocations for the fleet in the 2024 fiscal year.

Most disbursements were labelled ‘Forex Transit Funds,’ usually funds allocated for foreign exchange requirements to facilitate international transactions and engagements.

For the Presidential Air Fleet, such funds cover expenses related to operations abroad, including fuel purchases, maintenance or services in foreign currencies.

“When aircraft on the fleet are abroad, payments are often made in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency to ensure we have uninterrupted operations,” a government official explained.

In July 2023, N1.52bn was disbursed in two tranches of N846m and N675m for ‘Presidential air fleet forex transit funds.’

The following month, N3.1bn was disbursed in three tranches of N388m, N2bn, and N713m for the same item. In November of that year, N1.26bn was released to the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account.

The first overhead for 2024 was in March, when N1.27bn was disbursed twice, amounting to N2.54bn. The transit account received N6.35bn in April, N4.97bn in May and N210m in July.

In August, N5.60bn was released in six separate disbursements, the highest frequency that year. The monies were paid into the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account, including a N168m transfer made on September 11 and 19. From December 7 to 24, 2025, N469.72m was released in eight tranches.

In April, the transit account received N5.08bn; this came around the same time the President was on a two-nation tour to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

Although Tinubu arrived in the Netherlands in a state-owned Gulfstream AeroSpace 550 Jet, the aircraft could not proceed to Saudi Arabia due to unspecified technical problems. He reportedly continued his journey on a chartered private plane.

At the time, the President’s Boeing 737 business jet was undergoing maintenance. It was later replaced with an Airbus A330 purchased for $100m in August through the service-wide votes.

The nearly 15-year-old plane, an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (MSN 1053), is “spacious and furnished with state-of-the-art avionics, customised interior and communications system,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said, adding “it will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”

However, The PUNCH observes that since February 2025, the President has been using a San Marino-registered BBJ (REG: T7-NAS).

Sources who spoke to one of our correspondents confirmed that the primary aircraft had been flown to South Africa to change its livery to reflect the office of the President.

“The last I heard is that they took it abroad, I think to South Africa, to change the body design. You know it doesn’t have the green white green,” one source said, asking to remain anonymous.

“It’s not only the body paint. I learned they are doing some refurbishment on it,” a second official stated.

The new Airbus A330 is just one of several aircraft currently on the Presidential Air Fleet, arguably one of Africa’s largest, with around 11 aircraft of various makes and models.

Until August, it comprised the 19-year-old B737-700 (BBJ) and a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550. The BBJ was acquired during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at $43m, but became a money guzzler as it aged.

The presidential fixed-wing fleet includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605. Three of the seven fixed wings are reportedly unserviceable.

The rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force but supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Since 2017, budgetary allocations for the PAF have shown a growing trend, with one exception in 2020. The allocation for the fleet increased from N4.37bn in 2017 to N20.52bn in 2024, showing a 370 per cent rise in running costs. In 2022, maintenance expenses for each aircraft ranged from $1.5m to $4.5m annually.

In 2018, the fleet’s budget rose significantly by 66.13 per cent to N7.26bn, driven by a substantial increase in capital project allocations while maintaining similar levels for recurrent costs. This upward trajectory continued into 2019, slightly increasing the total allocation to N7.30bn.

The exception came in 2020, when the budget dropped by nearly 7 per cent to N6.79bn, primarily due to decreased overhead costs, a reflection of the global economic impacts of lockdowns and disruptions in operations.

By 2021, however, the budget surged dramatically to N12.55bn—a record increase of 84.83 per cent from the previous year. The 2022, 2023 and 2024 appropriation acts earmarked N12.48bn, N13.07bn and N20.52bn respectively.

On his way to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa, a foreign object damaged the cockpit windscreen of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s Gulf Stream aircraft during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.

According to Lee Aerospace, manufacturers of Gulfstream jet windshields, these thick, multilayered structures comprise varying layers of glass and transparent acrylic, built to withstand collisions with a 2 kg object.

However, damage to the windshield must have affected its inner layers. While specific prices for replacement can vary based on supplier, labour rates and regional costs, estimates suggest that a single windshield replacement for a G550 can range from $50,000 to $70,000 for part and labour costs.

In an interview with our correspondent, the General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, blamed the meteoric rise in the allocations for the PAF on the age of some of the fleet’s aircraft, the declining value of the naira, and the Nigerian Air Force’s “commercial use” of aircraft.

Ohunayo explained, “The cost will definitely increase over the years because, for one, this issue of the naira against the dollar. As the naira keeps falling to the dollar, we will see a rise in cost because most of the costs of training crew and engineers and replacing aircraft parts are all in dollars.

“Also, some of these aircraft are not new. The older the aircraft, the higher the cost of maintenance and operation. Lastly, during these past years, terrorism and insecurity have increased in Nigeria, which has also affected the cost of insuring the aircraft.”

The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, argued that the administration’s spending habits were contrary to Nigerians’ expectations of frugality.

“What we are getting from this administration is the opposite of our expectations. We thought we would have an administration that would be frugal in spending and very meticulous at implementing its budget. But what we are getting is an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy, that doesn’t see anything wrong in living big in a poverty-stricken nation.

Adeniran further said, “It is a reenactment of the Shagari administration, whereby they bought the biggest Mercedes Benz and made themselves as comfortable as possible without considering how much the masses are suffering.

“So when you look at a Vice President saying he’s not travelling [to Samoa] again because there was a splinter on the windscreen of his private aircraft. Why should that be the case?

“First and foremost, we need to be represented at such an international meeting, where we should be well represented by the first two citizens of this country. He abandoned that, which means we would have lost certain representation that we deserve at that forum. Two, money will have been spent on advance parties that went ahead of the Vice President. But he abandoned the journey altogether.”

The CEO of Centurion Security Limited, John Ojikutu, justified the figure considering all related expenses.

“That’s not a big deal. If they are going to go and repair, particularly for C-checks, it’s always around that range. They will fly it abroad, but fuel, catering, and hotel bills are also involved; pilots will fly it back, and the figure likely includes far more than the direct cost of repairing the aircraft,” Ojikutu explained.

Meanwhile, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, argued that the new Airbus 330 aircraft and the costs of maintaining the air fleet are not for the President’s comfort but in the interest of Nigerians.

“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property…the President did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it, but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.

“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago. There was a time when the President went to Saudi Arabia, and the plane developed some problems. The President had to leave the Netherlands with a chartered jet.

“Nigerians should try to prioritise the safety of the President. I’m not sure anybody wishes our President to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand it over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.

The presidential aide said he discussed with the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, on the faulty plane (Boeing 737 jet), and he said the maintenance costs were excessive because of the age of the aircraft, hence the need for another plane.

Felicitations from world leaders greeted the emergence of Cardinal Robert Prevost (Pope Leo XIV) as the 267th Bishop of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV was elected on Thursday after the fourth ballot cast by Cardinals in the conclave, which began on Wednesday.

The 69-year-old Prevost is the first American Pope in the history of the Catholic Church.

He succeeds Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025 (Easter Monday).

Pope, who is of the religious order of St Augustine, was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982, by Archbishop Jean Jadot, at the Autustinian College of Saint Monica.

The new Pope, born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.

On September 26, 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis.

In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy and in 2020, a member of the Congregation for Bishops.

On January 30, 2023, the Pope called him to Rome as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, promoting him to the rank of Archbishop.

Pope Francis created him Cardinal in the Consistory of September 30 that year and assigned him the Diaconate of Saint Monica.

Minutes after white smoke billowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti announced to the waiting crowds, “I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope.”

Emerging from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the first words of Pope Leo XIV to the waiting crowds at the Vatican were, “Peace be with all of you.”

After invoking peace, he pledged to work for a united Church faithful to Jesus and to the Gospel.

He said, “Peace be with you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God.

“I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.”

His historic election immediately drew reactions from global leaders, who expressed hope for a papacy focused on unity, peace, and human dignity.

United States President Donald Trump called the appointment a “great honour” for the country and said he looked forward to meeting Pope Francis, describing it as a “very meaningful moment.”

President Bola said the election of Pope Leo XIV opens a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church and the values of love, humanity and charity, particularly to the underprivileged, that it has consistently projected.

The President, therefore, prayed that the Almighty God will continuously shed his light of glory over the new leader of the Catholic Church and grant him good health and wisdom so that he can reach the world with the message of peace and love.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced hope that the new pope would become a strong advocate for migrants, particularly Latin American communities facing adversity in the United States.

Petro noted, “I hope he becomes a great leader for migrant peoples around the world, and I hope he encourages our Latin American migrant brothers and sisters, humiliated today in the United States. It’s time for them to organise.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the opportunity to deepen relations between Israel and the Vatican, expressing a desire for strengthened interfaith ties.

Herzog said, “We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See, and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world.

“May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin noted the shared Christian values between Russia and the Vatican, affirming continued dialogue and cooperation.

“I am confident that the constructive dialogue and cooperation established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop based on the Christian values that unite us,” said Putin.

“Through your role, you provide hope and guidance to millions of believers around the world in these challenging times,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed hopes that the pontificate would strengthen dialogue and human rights.

Polish President Andrzej Duda reaffirmed Poland’s readiness to build on its historic ties with the Vatican, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wished Pope Leo XIV a tenure marked by peace and wisdom.

“We wish that his pontificate be guided by wisdom and strength, as he leads the Catholic community and inspires the world through his commitment to peace and dialogue,” said Leyen.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Thursday, said in a video played in court that the destruction witnessed during the #ENDSARS protest in October 2020 could not have been a result of his broadcasts on Biafra Radio.

Kanu stated this during his interrogation by the Department of State Service (DSS) on July 17, 2021, and the video evidence was played before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The video recording of the session where the DSS investigators, including the witness identified as BBB, interrogated Kanu and obtained a written statement from him, was played in court.

BBB identified Kanu in the video as well as two of his lawyers who were with him during the session, including Alloy Ejimakor.

He, however, admitted making broadcasts in respect of the #ENDSARS protest and other broadcasts on Biafra Radio.

He said the protest that took place in Lagos during the protest was outside the Biafran territory and that the mayhem witnessed during the period could not have been a result of his broadcast.

Kanu confirmed being the founder and leader of IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Kanu said he was not directly involved in the day-to-day running of both organisations (IPOB and ESN), which he said were managed by their states’ coordinators.

During the interaction session, Kanu sought and was granted permission to ease himself.

He went into the restroom, returned a moment later, and the interview session continued.

Kanu said he did not have authority over his members, adding that if he had had authority over them, he would not have subscribed to the referendum.

He said he would have just pronounced Biafra into existence.

In the video, Kanu denied that IPOB was responsible for the violent attacks in some parts of the South East and the killings witnessed.

He said that IPOB was a peaceful and non-violent movement.

Kanu, who said he facilitated the establishment of ESN, explained that the organisation was necessitated by the killings of the people of the South East.

“If you look at what was happening in our land, that was what gave rise to ESN.

“If our people cannot go to the farm, and people are killed in their land, do you sit down and do nothing?

“People can no longer go to the farm; people can no longer carry out their economic activities,” he said.

Kanu faulted the invasion of his house by armed soldiers, which he said accounted for why he left the country for fear of being killed.

He argued that the invasion was unnecessary and also faulted the manner he was arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria.

Meanwhile, BBB, who was the 2nd prosecution witness (PW-2), while being led in evidence by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, narrated how Radio Biafra broadcasts by Kanu led to the killing of eminent Nigerians, including security officers.

The witness said Kanu’s broadcasts led to the killing of a former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak.

BBB said he was part of the DSS team that investigated the complaint made against Kanu by the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.

He said the defendant’s broadcast also led to the killing of a retired judge, Justice Stanley Nnaji and an intending military couple; Sergeant Audu Lucas and Private Glory Matthew.

The witness said Kanu, in one of his broadcasts, ordered his followers to enforce a sit-at-home in all South Eastern states, and in the process, many people who went out of their houses on that day were killed.

He said the investigation revealed that Sergeant Lucas and Private Matthew were not only killed by those who were enforcing Kanu’s sit-at-home order, but they were also beheaded.

The witness said investigation also revealed that before killing Gulak, those enforcing the sit-at-home directive by Kanu blamed him (Gulak) for coming out on a day their leader asked people not to go out of their homes.

He added that, from their investigation, they found that Kanu founded IPOB and ESN, which is the armed wing of IPOB, and that he was the leader of both groups.

“We were also able to establish that he (Kanu) founded Radio Biafra, through which he made inciting comments like the killing of police officers and burning of property,” the witness said.

He added that they also found that Radio Biafra was not registered in Nigeria and that, owing to Kanu’s broadcast, police stations in Cele and Ilasa (both in Lagos) were burnt by his followers.

Not few stakeholders in Kaduna State have continued to voice out their concerns over the alleged uneven disbursement of the $350m World Bank loan secured by the immediate past administration of the state under the leadership of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Said to be most hit by the alleged injustice occasioned by the uneven disbursement of the loan are 12 local government areas in the state.

These council areas have been identified to be left in the lurch, years after the much-touted Urban Renewal Road projects initiated by the immediate past administration of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai took off.

Arewa PUNCH investigations revealed that despite the continued repayment of the $350 million World Bank loan secured under El-Rufai’s government, not a single kilometre of road has been said to have been completed in the affected LGAs, some of which are among the poorest in the state.

Field investigations and corroborated testimonies from community leaders and government insiders point to widespread neglect in areas such as Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Ikara, Jaba, Kagarko, Kajuru, Kauru, Kudan, Makarfi, Sanga, Soba, and Zangon Kataf.

Arewa PUNCH sources further alleged that the projects in these LGAs either never took off beyond the flag-off stage or were outrightly abandoned shortly after the groundbreaking ceremonies.

Unimpressed by the outcome of the situation, several civil society groups and opposition lawmakers in the state have raised concerns over the opaque manner in which the loan was managed, especially in relation to equitable distribution of infrastructure.

Comrade Phelimon Andrew, a transparency advocate based in Zango-Kataf, called for a legislative audit of the Urban Renewal Programme.

“We can’t keep taking loans for political PR. The communities have the right to know where every dollar went,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that although the World Bank facility was secured to fund El-Rufai’s flagship Urban Renewal Programme, said to be an ambitious infrastructural plan meant to modernise urban and rural Kaduna State, however, the execution has remained lopsided.

The residents, while expressing their frustrations over the current state of the abandoned Urban Renewal Road Projects, lamented that the initiative now lies in various stages of disrepair, disrupting livelihood and daily commuting.

“This road was supposed to be completed under El-Rufai’s administration years ago,” said Musa Yakubu, an okada rider in Sabo Tasha, “Now, it’s just a dust trap in the dry season and a muddy mess during the rains,” Yakubu bemoaned, adding, “we spend more money fixing our vehicles than making profit.”

Gimbiya Musa, a shop owner near the uncompleted stretch of road around Television Garage to Sabo Tasha bridge, also lamented the significant drop in patronage.

“Ever since the road was dug up and abandoned, customers now avoid this area. Business has dropped by more than 50 per cent. We were excited at first, but now, it feels like they just forgot us.”

Residents of Kauru, too, have voiced out their concerns. “We see abandoned construction equipment every day, rusting by the roadside. It’s a constant reminder of a broken promise,” said Ezekiel Haruna, a community leader.

“Children now play on half-graded roads, and people have started throwing waste into open drains that were meant to relieve stormwater,” observed another resident in Zitti Village in the Zango Kataf Local Government Area.

For many, the unfinished roadworks have become a symbol of neglect. “El-Rufai gave us hope that Kaduna would be transformed,” said Fatima Bello, a school teacher, “But what we were left with were potholes, traffic jams, and dust storms,” she pointed out.

“This present  administration of Uba Sani must probe the previous administration of Nasir el-Rufai to tell Kaduna State citizens the truth about what happened to the $350 million World Bank loan that it secured,” Garba Habibu from Birning Gwari declared.

A top government source in one of the ministries directly involved in projects, but who does not want his name in print for fear of a possible attack or sanction alleged that while the Kaduna North reportedly benefitted from nearly 76 per cent of the projects, residents in the South and Central senatorial zones were left with incomplete and deteriorating roadways.

Similarly, a youth leader in Kaura, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, also queried what he termed as the injustice in the uneven disbursement of the loan.

“This is not just about bad governance. It is about injustice. How can we be paying back a loan and have nothing to show for it?”

He pointed out that among the most glaring cases is the Yarbwan-Kafanchan road, among others, which were initially designed as a signature project to boost connectivity into Southern Kaduna and which construction began with much fanfare but has since been stalled, “leaving commuters stranded during rainy seasons and sight of local businesses bearing the brunt of a failed promise.”

In Birnin Gwari, an area plagued by banditry and poor infrastructure, residents informed Arewa PUNCH that the road projects would have significantly eased movement and enhanced security if completed.

Another senior source within the Kaduna Government House, who equally spoke under the condition of anonymity, confirmed that “no single project initiated by the El-Rufai administration reached completion stage” in the listed LGAs.

“Some areas didn’t even have the contractors mobilised. All the attention were on projects that had media visibility within the Kaduna metropolis,” the official disclosed.

Meanwhile, community leaders from the neglected LGAs are calling for immediate government intervention, warning that continued neglect may fuel further social discontent.

Efforts by our correspondent to get a response from the current administration of Governor Uba Sani were unsuccessful as calls and messages to key officials in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure were not returned as at press time.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied taking a final decision on the leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Specifically, INEC denied recognizing any specific persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP).

It also said it is yet to reach a final decision on the National Secretary position of the PDP.

The electoral body added that it is yet to reach a decision regarding the disputes within the Labour Party.

The position of INEC was made known in a statement released on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, following the emergence of a report that the electoral body has reinstated Julius Abure and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP) respectively based on information from its website.

It also claimed INEC has recognized Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the PDP.

However, Oyekanmi refuted media reports suggesting it had acknowledged specific individuals as the National officers of the two affected parties.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to some media reports claiming that the Commission has recognised certain persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP). The reports also inferred that the Commission has restored a particular individual as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), referring to the listings on the Commission’s official website.

“However, the reports are false and misleading. The Commission has not made any decision in respect of either the LP or PDP.

“The names of the National Officers of the LP had previously been uploaded to our website following a court order, not related in any way to the latest judgement of the Supreme Court. In the same manner, the name of the National Secretary of the PDP on the same website was neither deleted nor reinstated.

“As a law abiding institution, the Commission is carefully studying the judgement of the Supreme Court on the Labour Party and will communicate its decision to the public in due course.”

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly criticised the governors of Anambra and Enugu states, Chukwuma Soludo and Peter Mbah, for organising elaborate receptions for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remains in detention.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA described the ceremonies as “politically motivated” and “insensitive”, particularly in light of what the group referred to as the unjust arrest and prolonged detention of Kanu by the federal government.

President Tinubu recently visited both Enugu and Anambra states, commissioning projects and participating in state-organised events marked by pomp and pageantry.

His latest stop was in Anambra, where he was received at the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri, by Governor Soludo and other dignitaries.

HURIWA, a pro-democracy and civil rights group, criticised the governors for failing to use the opportunity of the president’s visit to raise critical issues affecting the South-East region, especially the continued detention and trial of Nnamdi Kanu on treason and terrorism charges.

“We are not against the president visiting any part of the country,” HURIWA said.

“However, it is disturbing that governors from the South-East would organise extravagant state-funded events without addressing the insecurity and marginalisation that have plagued the region.”

The group accused Soludo and Mbah of ignoring the widespread calls for Kanu’s release, including from political and traditional leaders across the region, and of instead focusing on personal political gain.

“Chukwuma Soludo even claimed that releasing Nnamdi Kanu would not reduce insecurity in the South-East. This level of indifference is not only misguided but also betrays the trust of the people they were elected to serve,” the statement added.

HURIWA further alleged that while governors from other regions prioritise their regional interests in negotiations with the federal government, their South-East counterparts have shown little commitment to addressing the region’s developmental challenges or advocating for equitable representation in national appointments and infrastructure projects.

The group called on Southeast leaders to realign their priorities and focus on protecting the rights and interests of the Igbo people, rather than staging public events that appear to endorse the continued marginalisation and persecution of their constituents.

President Tinubu is expected to commission several projects during his Anambra visit, part of what the state government describes as a showcase of “legacy achievements” under the Soludo administration.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has disclosed intentions to give away nearly all of his $200bn wealth, leaving only one per cent for himself, as he shuts down the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Microsoft co-founder stated on Thursday in a post on his personal blog, Gates Notes, that the foundation, which is considered to be among the most significant charitable organisations globally, will close its doors by December 31, 2045.

“People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them.

“There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people,” he said.

He added, “That is why I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned. I will give away virtually all my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world. And on December 31, 2045, the foundation will close its doors permanently.”

In a chart shared in the blog post, Gates revealed that he plans to give away 99 per cent of his wealth by 2045, leaving just one per cent, or about $1.6bn, for himself and his family.

Founded in 2000 with his now ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, the foundation has spent over $100bn on global health, education, and poverty alleviation, helping to fund vaccine development, medical research, and emergency aid around the world. 

He also notes a shift from the original plan.

“This is a change from our original plans. When Melinda and I started the Gates Foundation in 2000, we included a clause in the foundation’s very first charter: The organisation would sunset several decades after our deaths. A few years ago, I began to rethink that approach.

“More recently, with the input from our board, I now believe we can achieve the foundation’s goals on a shorter timeline, especially if we double down on key investments and provide more certainty to our partners,” he stated.

Daily Mail reports that the remaining one per cent of his fortune may ultimately go to his three adult children: Phoebe, Rory and Jennifer.

Outlining the foundation’s achievements, he said, “I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished in our first 25 years.

“We were central to the creation of Gavi and the Global Fund, both of which transformed the way the world procures and delivers lifesaving tools like vaccines and anti-retrovirals. Together, these two groups have saved more than 80 million lives so far. Along with Rotary International, we have been a key partner in reviving the effort to eradicate polio.

“We supported the creation of a new vaccine for rotavirus that has helped reduce the number of children who die from diarrhea each year by 75 percent. Every step of the way, we brought together other foundations, non-profits, governments, multilateral agencies, and the private sector as partners to solve big problems—as we will continue to do for the next twenty years.”

Despite decades of impact, the Gates Foundation has drawn criticism from some who say Gates holds too much sway over global health funding decisions.

But, in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, he remains unapologetic, saying, like any private citizen, he can choose how to spend the money he earns

“I think 20 years is the right balance between giving as much as we can to make progress on these things and giving people a lot of notice that now this money will be gone,” he said.

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has advised the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi to resolve the internal issues in his party before commenting on national issues.
He questioned how it is possible to resolve the crisis of Boko Haram and other national issues while the crisis in the LP remain unsolved.

Akpabio stated this while responding to Obi’s recent comments that the “labour of our heroes past is all in vain.”

Obi, in his tribute on Wednesday during the Memorial Lecture and Day of Tribute for Edwin Clark in Abuja expressed concern about the current state of Nigeria, stating that the sacrifices of past leaders such as General Gowon and former President Jonathan were in vain.

However, speaking on Thursday, during the Valedictory Session in honor of the late politician, Akpabio asserted that while social media can be a tool for communication, it is largely unregulated and often used to sow division.

He urged Obi and other presidential aspirants to first resolve their party issues before focusing on the national stage.

He said, “If you cannot resolve the crisis in your Labour Party, how can you solve the crisis of Boko Haram or other major national issues? I urge those aspiring to lead Nigeria to first address the issues within their own parties.”

He also took the opportunity to highlight his achievements as a former governor, saying, “I can proudly speak about the dualized thoroughfares in my city, the international hospitals, and the digitalized governor’s offices. I also initiated free and compulsory education and worked towards religious unity by sponsoring over 5,800 Muslims and over 12,000 to 15,000 Christians on pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem.”

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has stated that the Nigerian government is working closely with the Finnish authorities to extradite Simon Ekpa for prosecution over offences allegedly committed against the country’s national security and sovereignty.

The AGF disclosed this on Thursday during the quarterly stakeholders and citizens’ engagement programme organised by the Ministry of Justice at its headquarters in Abuja.

He assured stakeholders that Ekpa’s case would not be abandoned, emphasising that, upon his extradition to Nigeria, the state would pursue the matter diligently.

“Simon Ekpa’s offence is a cross-border offence. If he committed an offence there and committed another one here, we cannot request his release to us until they have dealt with him. After that, we can request his extradition,” he said.

Fagbemi reiterated: “Simon Ekpa committed offences both there and here.”

The AGF further stressed that one of the Ministry’s critical mandates is to foster collaboration and cooperation with the international community to ensure that criminals find no safe haven.

He highlighted successes in extraditions, citing the cases of Hassan Bun Hussein Abolore Lawal and Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, extradited to the United States in January and March 2025, respectively.

Additionally, he mentioned the extradition of Benjamin Nnanyereugo, also known as Killaboi, from Qatar to Nigeria in April 2025 to face murder charges for the killing of Augusta, his girlfriend.

On terrorism, Fagbemi revealed that the Ministry successfully conducted 237 terrorism cases between December 9 and 13, 2024, leading to the prosecution and conviction of 226 suspects.

He announced the establishment of a Joint Case Team on cybercrime to foster inter-agency collaboration, improve investigations, and ensure effective prosecutions in line with global best practices.

The AGF highlighted notable progress in asset recovery and management, including the gazetting of the Proceeds of Crime Regulations, 2024, which standardises automated asset forfeiture management.

He said a National Database on Asset Recovery and Management was also developed to ensure transparency.

He reported that Nigeria executed an Asset Sharing Agreement with the United States on January 10, 2025, resulting in the repatriation of $52,882,018.95. Of this, $50 million will fund the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) Project, aimed at providing electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians, while the remaining $2.88 million will support counter-terrorism capacity building.

The minister noted that discussions are ongoing with jurisdictions such as the United States, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and France to repatriate additional funds.

The AGF further disclosed that the Ministry is reviewing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act to better protect vulnerable groups, adding that proposed reforms include enhanced victim protections, revised penalties, and a Victims’ Support Fund.

He stated that the Ministry secured six convictions for sexual and gender-based violence, including the conviction of Peter Nwachukwu, husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu.

To address child-sensitive justice, the AGF highlighted the review of the Borstal Institutions and Remand Centre Act, 2004, and the development of the Children and Youth Correctional Institutions Bill, 2004.

He said the reforms aim to rehabilitate and reintegrate children involved in terrorist activities in line with international child rights standards.

He also emphasised the importance of collaborating with civil society, traditional institutions, and other stakeholders to uphold restorative justice approaches that prioritise the welfare of women, children, and vulnerable persons.