The fragile unity of Nigeria’s opposition alliance suffered another blow on Monday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) intensified its investigations into senior African Democratic Congress (ADC) members, prompting accusations of political witch-hunting. Former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, a prominent figure in the coalition pushing to replace President Bola Tinubu in 2027, was grilled at the EFCC’s Abuja headquarters over alleged cash withdrawals totalling ₦189 billion. EFCC operatives claim the withdrawals breached the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. “He arrived around 11:30 a.m. and is currently being questioned over these transactions,” an official disclosed. ADC’s…
Author: Podium Reporters
President Donald Trump has granted a 90-day extension to the current trade truce with China, a move that postpones the return of higher tariffs on Chinese imports and potentially shields American consumers from price hikes in the run-up to the November elections. Administration officials confirmed the decision to major US outlets on Monday, noting that the new deadline will fall in early November. The White House has not yet released the official order or offered public remarks. The existing truce was forged in May after both countries endured months of escalating tariffs, some reaching triple-digit rates. Without Monday’s intervention, the…
Officials from the Nigerian Presidency have debunked reports alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is facing serious health issues that have hindered his ability to govern. The allegations surfaced through a report by the Nigerian Institute for Investigative Journalism, which claimed that unnamed insiders confirmed the President was bedridden and that arrangements were being made to fly him abroad for treatment. The same report argued that his supposed ill-health had caused inefficiencies in governance, with Vice President Kashim Shettima filling in at multiple state functions. Addressing these claims in an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday, AbdulAziz AbdulAziz, Senior Special…
Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, the influential leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the sanction imposed on Fuji music star, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as Kwam 1, after an in-flight dispute. FAAN spokesperson Obiageli Orah revealed that the incident occurred on ValueJet Airlines Flight VK 201 from Abuja to Lagos, where Kwam 1 was accused of bringing alcohol on board, contravening Nigerian aviation regulations. An altercation with a flight attendant reportedly followed. In swift response, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo…
A Lagos court has ordered the remand of Comfort Emmanson at Kirikiri Correctional Centre after she was charged with physically assaulting a cabin crew member aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos. The arraignment followed investigations and evidence collection, including passenger-captured videos showing Emmanson confronting and striking a crew member. Tunde Moshood, media aide to Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, SAN, confirmed the development on his X handle: “The more reason the flying public should be more careful, the unruly passenger on the Uyo–Lagos bound Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and she’s now cooling…
President Bola Tinubu has commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for maintaining its World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3) rating for medicines and vaccines regulation in non-producing countries. This recognition comes after a WHO re-benchmarking exercise held from May 28 to May 30, 2025, which assessed NAFDAC’s compliance with global regulatory standards. NAFDAC had originally achieved the ML3 ranking in 2022, becoming the first African regulatory agency to secure it in this category. The 2025 confirmation followed a detailed re-benchmarking in November 2024 and five follow-up Institutional Development Plan (IDP) review sessions…
Ibom Airlines Limited has placed a lifetime travel restriction on a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, after she allegedly refused safety instructions, verbally abused crew members, and later assaulted them during a Sunday Uyo-to-Lagos flight. The airline revealed in a statement that shortly before departure from Uyo, Emmanson was told to switch off her phone in compliance with standard procedures but “bluntly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement.” A nearby passenger eventually switched off the device, triggering “a verbal tirade” from her. Although the situation was calmed mid-flight, tensions reignited upon landing in Lagos. Ibom Air said Emmanson “stepped…
Since its inception in May 2024, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has extended financial assistance to 449,039 students nationwide, according to fresh statistics released on Monday, August 11, 2025. The scheme, designed to cover both tuition and personal expenses, has disbursed ₦86,347,458,384 so far. Tuition payments totalling ₦47,629,338,384 were channelled directly to 218 institutions, while upkeep allowances amounting to ₦38,718,120,000 were credited to students. The daily performance data from the fund’s dashboard shows robust participation: 731,140 students have signed up on the portal, and 720,732 have completed loan applications successfully. This translates to a 98 percent application success rate.…
By Donald Kumun At the Progressive Digital Media Summit, held under the auspices of the Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Social Media, Hon. Dada Olusegun, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, was recognised as the “North-Central Governor of the Year” in honour of his outstanding antecedents. It came as no surprise to those who have closely followed Benue’s impressive digital transformation since May 2023. The award, later presented to him at Government House, Makurdi, was not the result of anyone’s personal recommendation but a recognition naturally accorded…
Nigerian states experienced a substantial increase in foreign debt servicing payments during the first half of 2025, spending approximately N235.58 billion, marking a 68.4 percent rise from the previous year’s N139.92 billion. This rise is largely attributed to the naira’s depreciation, which inflates the local currency cost of repaying dollar-denominated obligations. January 2025 saw the highest single-month outflow at N40.09 billion, over three times the January 2024 figure. Subsequent months maintained elevated payments, with a notable consistency in the second quarter. Lagos State continues as the major contributor, disbursing nearly N50 billion, more than doubling several other states due to…