Renowned legal luminary and elder statesman, Afe Babalola (SAN), has announced his decision to withdraw a criminal defamation suit filed against rights activist and author, Dele Farotimi. The lawsuit, brought before an Ado Ekiti Magistrates’ Court, stemmed from allegations of defamatory statements in Farotimi’s book titled Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System. The court granted Farotimi bail for ₦30 million. Babalola’s decision to withdraw the case follows a visit to his residence at Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, accompanied by other prominent Yoruba traditional rulers. The visit, which took place on…
Author: TheStories
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has criticised the alleged arrest of Muhuyi Rimingado, Executive Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), reportedly by the officers of the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) Monitoring Unit. In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, CISLAC alleged that the arrest was a case of ‘corruption fighting back’. The organisation also cautioned that such actions would undermine Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts and erode public trust in state institutions. Rimingado’s arrest was reportedly linked to the PCACC’s ongoing investigation into properties allegedly associated with a prominent figure within the…
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to attend the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, scheduled to commence on January 27. The President’s plane touched down at 10:20 p.m. local time (8:20 p.m. Nigerian time) and was warmly received by Tanzania’s Foreign Minister, Amb. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, and Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires to Tanzania, Amb. Salisu Suleiman. The two-day summit, jointly hosted by the Tanzanian government, the African Union, the African Development Bank Group, and the World Bank Group, aims to address Africa’s energy challenges and advance universal energy access. The first day will feature ministerial-level discussions where participating…
One person has died and six others were injured in a dynamite explosion that occurred in Sabon-Pegi in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger. The Police Public Relations Officer in Niger, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Minna on Sunday. He said that the explosion, which occurred at about 7:30 am, was reportedly caused by dynamites kept in the area by a suspect for mining activity. Abiodun said the blast affected about 12 houses in the area and caused widespread destruction. He said the victim, identified as Fatima Sadauki, lost her life in the explosion, while the…
The African Union Commission’s (AUC) Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS) has been advancing a transformative agenda for peace, security, and governance across Africa. By Ekemini Ladejobi Under the leadership of Amb. Bankole Adeoye, the current AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, the department has reinforced the AU’s role as a proactive, unified force in addressing continental challenges. PAPS is one of six portfolios rationalized and established during the Eleventh Extraordinary Session held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 17–18, 2018. The department was created by merging the Political Affairs and Peace and Security departments, which…
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, en route to the United Kingdom at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. This was contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja. Babafemi stated that the consignment was concealed in a duvet and packaged for export through the cargo shed of the Lagos airport. He added that two suspects linked to the attempt to export the consignment to the UK were promptly arrested following the discovery…
The ambitious target set by African heads of state to provide electricity access to 300 million people by 2030 is under intense scrutiny. Over 1,000 participants are expected at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, which will begin in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on January 27, to discuss the feasibility of this goal. “It’s a tight journey because 2030 is only five years away, and we must deliver actual connections, not just expected ones, to 300 million people by 2030,” said Mr. Daniel Schroth, the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. Schroth emphasized the urgency…
China’s Consul-General in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, announced that China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.0% in 2024, marking both qualitative economic development and reasonable quantitative growth. This growth, she said, has provided a strong momentum for global economic recovery and international development cooperation. Yuqing made this statement during the 2025 Chinese New Year reception and the “One World, One Spring, Huaxing Shines” Spring Festival gala held on Saturday night in Lagos. She emphasized that the Spring Festival, the most significant traditional holiday in China, is not only a celebration for the Chinese people but for the entire world. “From…
Despite its Muslim-Muslim composition, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has acknowledged inclusiveness in President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its balanced power-sharing stance between Christians and Muslims. During CAN’s quarterly meeting on Saturday, the association also commended the government’s efforts to improve security in northern Nigeria. Its northern chairman, Yakubu Pam emphasised the association’s appreciation for the strides made by the administration while reiterating their desire for key leadership positions, such as the vice presidency, to reflect Nigeria’s religious diversity. The group expressed satisfaction with ongoing security improvements in the region, urging the government to declare a complete state of emergency on…
In a decisive move to curb escalating insecurity in Sokoto and Zamfara States, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, recently visited the region, giving a crucial directive to the military: capture notorious bandit leader, Turji, dead or alive. The impact of this visit and directive has been profound, significantly advancing the military’s ground and air operations in these two states, where banditry and insurgency have long been rampant. A bold directive to capture Turji Turji, a notorious bandit leader with a long history of terrorizing communities in Sokoto, Zamfara, and surrounding regions, has been a central figure in the…