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The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed that armed men attacked the Kogi family home of the embattled Senator representing Kogi Centeal, Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s family compound was similarly attacked in April, but no arrest was made at the time.
This confirmation came after the arrest of one suspect, Jose Suberu, at the scene of the family home of the suspended Senator in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area on Tuesday.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Kogi, SP William Aya, said the suspect had confessed to being part of the attack.
“Yes, it is true and one suspect, Jose Suberu was arrested at the scene. Efforts are on to arrest the fleeing others,” Aya said.
The media office of Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, revealed that the armed men vandalised several windows.
It reads in part: “However, with the swift intervention of officers from the local police station, community vigilantes, and concerned youths, the attackers were repelled and one suspect was apprehended.
The statement further disclosed that Suberu, a native of the community and described as a ritualist, confessed that this was his third time participating in attacks on the senator’s family residence.
“A cutlass and charms were recovered from him. Other suspects involved in the attack, reportedly armed with dangerous weapons, remained at large at press time,” it added
It also allegedly linked the suspect to political opponents of the lawmaker.
However, a mob reportedly attempted to lynch the suspect before he was rescued and handed over to the men of the Nigerian Police.
The United Nations has listed Nigeria and 12 other countries as hunger hotspots facing an imminent famine if urgent humanitarian interventions are not taken.
Nigeria was listed among countries of very high concern, alongside Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar.
Others include Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Chad, Somalia, and Syria.
Expressing concerns over worsening hunger conditions in several parts of the world, the UN in a new report titled ‘Hunger Hotspots’ released on Monday, under the aegies of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme, identified countries experiencing the most severe levels of food insecurity.
It warned that conflicts, economic shocks, and climate-related disasters are driving millions towards starvation.
The report said that food crises will worsen over the next five months except access to aid is urgently expanded while humanitarian operations are adequately funded.
According to the report, Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali are at the highest risk of slipping into famine-like conditions, with the UN noting that the situation in these regions has reached critical levels.
The UN agencies warned that without increased global support, the humanitarian efforts currently underway could falter due to growing insecurity and significant funding gaps.
The report noted ongoing armed conflict, displacement, inflation, and insecurity as key factors exacerbating food shortages across affected regions, including some parts of Nigeria.
UN said that although the situation in Nigeria is not yet classified as a full-blown famine, but without sustained humanitarian access and livelihood support, millions could face catastrophic hunger in the coming months.
The global standard for officially declaring famine stipulates that at least 20 per cent of a population in a defined area must be suffering from extreme food shortages, 30 per cent of children must be acutely malnourished, and two out of every 10,000 people must be dying daily due to starvation or malnutrition-related disease.
World leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday made efforts to push US President Donald Trump to back away from his punishing trade war that poses a risk to global economic stability.
The G7 consists of leaders from Britain, United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy.
At a summit where host Canada hopes to avoid stoking Trump’s anger, and with attention on events in the Middle East, leaders still urged the US leader to reverse course on his plans to slap even steeper tariffs on countries across the globe as early as next month.
“Several participants asked to end the tariff dispute as soon as possible. They argued that this dispute weakens the G7’s economies and in the end will only strengthen China,” a senior German official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The six other countries urged Trump to end his trade conflict as soon as possible, telling him that his protectionist policies were only “damaging to ourselves,” the official added.
Most countries represented at the G7 are already subject to a 10 percent baseline tariff imposed by Trump, under a temporary easing of higher rates, with European countries and Japan also slapped with additional levies on cars and steel and aluminum.
Britain in May was the first country to sign a preliminary deal with Washington to avoid deeper tariffs, and the two leaders at the G7 said they had agreed on the accord’s final points and signed the agreement.
“I like them. That’s the ultimate protection,” Trump told reporters after a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the G7 sidelines.
Trump opened a folder to display the signed documents, only for the paperwork to slide out and spread across the ground.
“Oops, sorry about that,” he said as Starmer scrambled to gather up the loose sheets and stuff them back in the folder.
– ‘Get it done’ –
The trade issue is of particular interest to Canada after the Trump administration announced several extra levies on Canadian imports in recent months, throwing the country’s economic future into deep uncertainty.
After a meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Canadian government indicated that the two sides could come to a trade truce deal in the next 30 days.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will also have her face-to-face time with Trump as her country tries to renegotiate its three-way North American free trade agreement that also includes Canada.
While there is little expectation that the summit will see a breakthrough in the trade negotiations between the US and the rest of the world, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is part of Trump’s delegation.
Dozens of countries are locked in negotiations with Washington to clinch some sort of trade deal before the US imposes stinging reciprocal tariffs, threatened for July 9.
But US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week said that the date could be pushed back later for countries thought to be negotiating in good faith.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters he would team up with his counterparts from France and Italy to discuss the US trade threat with Trump directly.
A source at the summit said that French President Emmanuel Macron urged the American leader to quickly end the trade conflict once and for all.
The European Commission handles trade negotiations for the 27-country bloc, and the EU’s trade chief Maros Sefcovic was also attending the summit, accompanying the delegation of EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
The EU institutions are official members of the G7, and during the morning session, von der Leyen argued to the leaders that “tariffs — no matter who sets them — are ultimately a tax paid by consumers and businesses at home.”
Von der Leyen also met with Trump one-on-one on trade issues in a sit-down that US officials said was at her request.
“We instructed the teams to accelerate their work to strike a good and fair deal. Let’s get it done,” she said in a post on X.
The Canadian Government has taken bold steps to address the pressing labour shortages in the province of New Brunswick by securing a significant increase in its immigration allocation by almost three times.
New Brunswick will now welcome 4,250 permanent resident nominations, a substantial jump of 1,500 from the earlier allocation set by the Canadian government in February.
The NB quota is 250 higher than the British Columbia’s provincial immigration for 2025.
The province aims to prioritize the health, education and construction sectors and will ensure that newcomers are matched with high-demand roles, creating a win-win scenario for both employers and immigrants.
It is instructive to note that construction is a cornerstone of NB’s economy, considering the ongoing projects which require skilled trades people such as carpenters, electricians, and plumbers.
NB is not just opening its doors to newcomers; it is also ensuring they have the support they need to thrive without delay.
Hundreds of youths as well as older men and women from the Ndokwa area of Delta State on Monday blocked the Kwale axis of the Ughelli-Asaba highway to protest over 16 years of darkness.
The protesters chanted songs of grievances and displayed placards with various inscriptions, such as ‘Light Up Ndokwa Nation’, ‘Electricity in Ndokwa Land: Enough is Enough; Nepa No, IPP Yes’, among others,just as they disrupted vehicular movement for many hours as travellers were caught in traffic gridlock.
They lamented their experience of years of power outages in Kwale and other communities of the Ndokwa nation, demanding the step-down of the Independent Power Plant, Okpai, to provide electricity to their communities.
The people who were dispersed with tear gas by men and offiders of the Nigerian Police around 9 am later mobilised to continue with the protest.
One of the protesters, Mr Enubuzor, who lamented that the Independent Power Plant, Okpai, had been supplying electricity to over nine states, decried that the host communities had been in darkness for over a decade.
“It is painful that we have something that can generate electricity for us, but we are suffering. Our people are tired of buying fuel to power our generators.
“Most of our leaders are not living with us here to know what we are experiencing. If you look around, there is gas flaring everywhere, and at night, we cannot sleep because of the heat.
“What we are saying is that the leaders should give electricity to Ndokwa. Let them light up Ndokwa so that we can benefit from the IPP,” he said.
In his response, the Publicity Secretary of the Ndokwa Neku Union, NNU, the apex social and cultural organisation of the Ndokwa nation, Mr Azuka Odainike, said the union “is not against the protest, but it is the timing that we are against.”
According to him, the union had on Sunday set up a standing committee on the step-down of power.
“The union wants to interface with the protesters because government is already responding to fast-track the step-down of the IPP.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Command, SP. Bright Edafe, justified the need to shoot teargas in a protest that is violent.
“Any protest that people will go and block the highway and burn tires is no longer peaceful. They were burning tires and stoning vehicles,” he said.
The Nigerian military has deployed aerial surveillance across Makurdi and its environs in the wake of the deadly attacks on Yelwata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on Saturday.
Men and officers of the Nigerian Police in the state also dispersed protesters on Sunday using teargas cannisters.
It was earlier reported that no fewer than 100 persons were feared killed and numerous others injured when terrorists invaded the communities using commercial buses.
Low-flying military aircrafts have been observed hovering over Makurdi and other parts of neighbouring Guma and Gwer West LGAs since Sunday morning.
According to a military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, the aerial surveillance was part of a strategy to monitor developments in the area.
“The air surveillance is to monitor the situation of things around Makurdi and environs so we will know how to tackle it swiftly
“The residents should not panic; the military is on top of the situation,” the source noted.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Emenari Ifeanyi, revealed that the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had assumed control of security operations in Benue State, just as he added that Special Forces are already on ground, and more are expected arrive.
“All the Special Forces are intelligence-based. They will go, no matter where the bandits are, and get them,” Ifeanyi said.
He noted that some units had arrived in Makurdi the previous night, while earlier deployed forces had been stationed in Naka, Apa, Agatu, Daudu, and Yelwata.
“We are in control of the situation, so I’m assuring all citizens of the state that we are in control.
“All the security agencies are with us on this. We have already made some arrests.”
The commissioner pointed out that Governor Hyacinth Alia had provided all necessary logistical support to aid security operations.
He said that the early Saturday attack in Yelwata may have been opportunistic, as a large number of officers had earlier been deployed to other hotspots.
”What you see happening in Yelwata yesterday is because we have taken over Apa, Gwer West and are moving seriously in Agatu.
“They just want to do something to show that they are in control, while they are not, and will never be.
“Whatever is paining you is paining us more. We are here to protect lives and property.
“We have security everywhere now, even in Yelwata, there are tactical teams in the bush even before the attack.
“Give the Special Forces and tactical teams room to work. If you prolong your stay here, you are giving the enemies more time to plan.
“We have intelligence reports of their movement and we are blocking them, and you will see the end result,” Ifeanyi said.
I first heard the name, Hafsat Abiola in 1996 when I was in the penultimate class of my secondary school education in Lagos State, Nigeria following the gruesome murder of her precious and beautiful mother, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
In fact, the location of where the evil elements shot Kudirat Abiola in the head was my daily route back home after school hours along Lagos-Ibadan expressway and close to 7-Up Bottling Company’s factory. This left a very sorrowful imprint on my young mind and it in a way endeared me to Alhaja Abiola in death.
It is therefore, heartwarming that both personalities, Hafsat and her late mother were recognised with National honours by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in commemoration of 2025 June 12 Democracy Day.
Having annulled the June 12, 1993 election adjudged to be the best in Nigeria’s history till date, which the billionaire and business mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, was known to have won, the then Miliary President,General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida announced that he would step down on August 26, 1993.
This led to the emergence of Chief Ernest Shonekan as the Head of the Interim National Government (ING) on August 27, 1993. Sonekan (now late), a man with a very strong corporate background hailed from the same Abeokuta, Abiola’s home town, the capital of Ogun State.
Barely three months after, on November 17, 1993,to be precise, General Sanni Abacha led a palace coup that ousted the Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan. Abacha remained in power until his death on June 8, 1998.
Abacha later arrested MKO Abiola in 1994, and detained him in prison on charges of treason after declaring himself as the President of Nigeria.
No doubt, Kudirat Abiola was a fighter and firm believer in just cause. She died fighting for the stolen mandate of her imprisoned husband.
Incidentally, Abacha died on June 8, 1998 when brightened the hopes for MKO Abiola but he never gained freedom until his death on July 7, 1998, the day he was due to be released from prison.
Under the Abacha Government, a number of pro-democracy activists were killed and many others were imprisoned for daring to protest or question the government. These included journalists and many activists. Some of those who were able to escape from Nigeria to avoid arrest included President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, first Nobel Laureate winner in Africa, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, among others.
In the words of the elders in Yoruba land, Nigeria, where I came from “a cub always looks like its mother.” The death of Kudirat Abiola fuelled an unquenchable desire in Hafsat to go all the way in championing the crusade for civil rights, social justice and equity without bowing threats and intimidation.
Despite the tense atmosphere at that time and the dreadful regime in power, Hafsat, became resolute in the pursuit of the same freedom her parents believed firmly in. After Kudirat’s assassination, Hafsat founded a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in her mother’s memory, the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), a group working to strengthen Nigeria’s civil society.
However, the immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari who in June 2018 declared MKO Abiola the winner of the 1993 Presidential Elections, apologised to MKO’s family and posthumously conferred the highest honour, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) on him is worthy of commendation.
Buhari also shifted the annual Democracy Day celebration from May 29 to June 12 in honour of the sacrifice of MKO Abiola for the democracy we all enjoy today.
As a major step forward from where Buhari stopped, Tinubu in this year’s democracy speech honoured notable other Nigerians, both living and dead for their sacrifices which paved way for 26 years of unbroken democracy.
Good enough,Late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola made the list just as she was posthumously conferred with the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) while her daughter, Hafsat who was at her second year studying at Harvard, United States, when her father was sent to prison by Nigeria’s junta, had Commander of the Order of Niger (CON).
Just as the name of her NGO implies,KIND, Hafsat is an epitome of humility, kindness and generosity whose love for humanity is second to none.
I had the privilege of meeting her when she served as the Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun between 2011 and 2019. She was not just pleasant to people who came her way, including her personal staff but was involved in their well-being and even that of their families.
Hafsat Abiola-Costello is the President/CEO of Women in Africa (WIA) Initiative, a platform connecting leading and high potential women in Africa to facilitate their increased individual success and collective impact. She is also the co-founder of Connected Women Leaders (CWL).
Taking her civil rights crusade further as a mother figure went as far as supporting efforts towards building a climate-safe, inclusive world among women, Hafsat has made a name for herself globally. For instance, she was recently honoured among the 19 women who are working hard to rewrite the rules and reshape the global systems by Leading Ladies Africa in commemoration of the 2025 Workers Day.
The recent rain of honours, awards and recognition on the MKO Abiola’s family, is no doubt, a lesson that it is good to live for humanity. Things may look dark and gloomy at first but there will definitely be light at the end of the tunnel.
In addition, there is a saying that, “the idol that is not introduced to the children will someday get ruined.” This but resses the need to let our young ones get to know the virtues and belief system we hold in high esteem so that they can carry on with it even after the parents demise. The Bible lent credence to this truth when it says, “train up a child in the way ge should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Also, it is instructive to note that posterity does not forget human roles in history, whether good or bad. Salute to the heroes we are celebrating today, both living and dead. And the villains of history also remain in our hearts for bad reasons.
Once again, congratulations to Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello.
Femi Onasanya, a freelance journalist and public relations practitioner wrote via femibimboo@gmail.com
The suspect,Vance Boelter, accused of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers, killing one and her husband, was arrested on Sunday, multiple law enforcement sources have confirmed.
Boelter, 57, was captured in Sibley County after a two-day manhunt.
The Sibley County Sheriff’s Office disclosed that Boelter “verbally” identified himself to authorities searching for him in the area on Sunday evening.
In a facebook post, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office hinte, “The face of evil. After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody.
“Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer.”
Boelter is accused of killing Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis.
He is also accused of shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home.
According to Police documents, at approximately 2:05 a.m., Champlin Police responded to a 911 call reporting a masked individual had shot two people at a residence.
Officers discovered Victims 3 and 4, both of whom had been shot but survived.
Surveillance footage captured a man dressed in police-style tactical gear, later identified as Boelter, approaching the home in a Ford SUV equipped with police-style lights.
The footage, authorities allege, showed Boelter announcing himself as a police officer before entering the residence and shooting the victims.
About 90 minutes later, Brooklyn Park Police, having learned that a legislator was involved in the earlier shooting, were dispatched to another legislator’s home as a precaution.
Upon arrival around 3:35 a.m., officers witnessed Boelter shoot Victim 2 through the open front door just as they discovered both Victims 1 and 2 had died from gunshot wounds.
Authorities found three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9mm handgun, and a list of names and addresses of other public officials in Boelter’s registered vehicle in addition to a ballistic vest, a mask, and a police-style badge, was recovered nearby.
Authorities also said the suspect targeted lawmakers in a planned attack, showing up at their homes wearing a police-like uniform and a mask.
Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a message from Hoffman’s wife on Sunday, saying the state senator was shot nine times and she eight.
Ahead of the 14th Gateway International Trade Fair scheduled for February 7th to 17th, 2025 at the M.K.O Abiola Trade Fair Complex Abeokuta, the Ogun State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA) as the organizer of the annual event, has been charged to fully assume leadership role for the exhibition, mobilise corporate organisations and work towards improving on past achievements.
Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adebola Sofela gave the charge during the Press Conference held in Abeokuta to herald this year’s edition which is themed, “Promoting Business through Partnership” assuring that the State government would not renege in providing enabling environment for the continuous success of the Trade Fair.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola, Sofela who listed past support of the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration to include, the enhancement of the M.K.O Abiola Trade Fair Complex, provision of other critical infrastructure like perimeter fencing, a transformer, consistent financial support among others which had aided the continuous improvement of the event assured that the Ministry would not abandon the Chambers.
“As the organisers of this prestigious fair, I encourage OGUNCCIMA to fully assume her leadership role in ensuring the success of this event. The Gateway International Trade Fair is your fountain, your legacy and your responsibility to uphold. While the government has been instrumental in demonstrating effective strategies in past editions, it is important to reiterate that our primary role is to create enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” Sofela charged.
He continued: “in alignment with our promise, the Ministry has already taken proactive steps in response to your requests, we have reached out to relevant stakeholders. If there are additional assistance required, please do not hesitate to engage us.”
The Commissioner who commended the OGUNCCIMA for its unwavering commitment to promoting trade, investment and industrialization through the Fair urged the Chambers to leverage the industrial hub status of the State by attracting diverse participation from the abundant pool of industries operating in the Gateway State including members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
In his address, the President OGUNCCIMA, Lion Niyi Osiyemi stated that all efforts were in top gear towards meeting set targets for the Trade Fair adding that this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than past editions.
Osiyemi disclosed that the Chambers had embarked on familiarisation tours to create more awareness about the benefits of joining the Business membership Organisation promising to intensify efforts on the area of familiarization with industries ahead of future editions of the Trade Fair.
The Ogun State government has reaffirmed its unwavering dedication to engaging relevant stakeholders and fostering robust partnerships with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in line with the present administration’s drive to continue to solidify the State’s position as Nigeria’s industrial capital.
Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adebola Sofela made the affirmation while meeting with a joint-delegation of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Abeokuta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABEOCCIMA) who paid him a visit in his Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The delegation visited the Commissioner ahead of the First Quarterly Meeting of the NACCIMA which is scheduled to be hosted by ABEOCCIMA in the State capital between February 12 and 13, 2025.
Sofela who was in company of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola and other top officials of the Agency, emphasized his open door policy assuring that the government was willing to support relevant stakeholders that would continue to boost the industrialization of the gateway State.
“We will continue to collaborate with the Organised Private Sector to ensure the State continues to develop, increase the capacity of our industries, provision of jobs for our people which will lead to continuous industrial development of our dear State,” the Commissioner assured.
Sofela while assuring the two Business Membership Organisations (BMOs) of the State government’s support towards the successful hosting of the first quarterly meeting of the NACCIMA in Abeokuta advised the associations to also involve and leverage more of their members for continuous growth.
Speaking earlier, the first National Vice President, NACCIMA, Alhaji Wasiu Olaleye said the visit was to seek the support of the State government for the successful hosting of the Quarterly meeting in Abeokuta appreciating the Commissioner for being value-adding to the International Day of Cooperatives celebration and the 2024 Gateway International Trade Fair which were held last year.
Also speaking, the President, ABEOCCIMA, Mr. Timothy Shorunke lauded the Commissioner for his support and open-door policy as well as the opportunity of meeting him even at short notice.
Other members of the delegation present at the meeting included the First Deputy President of ABEOCCIMA, Pastor Ibrahim Bada, the other two Vice Presidents of ABEOCCIMA; Mrs. Jaiye Akinbo and Alhaji Taiwo Raji as well as Past President, ABEOCCIMA, Mr. Akinola Lawson among others.
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