Former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Shekarau announced his defection into the ruling party on Sunday.

Born on November 5, 1955, Shekarau, a veteran Nigerian educator and politician, served as the Governor of Kano State from 2003 to 2011.

The ex-Kano governor also served as Minister of Education from 2014–2015, and a Senator for Kano Central from 2019 to 2023.

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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced that American negotiators will travel to Pakistan on Monday to continue discussions aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Iran.

In a post shared on social media on Sunday, Trump reiterated his administration’s readiness to reach a resolution, describing the offer on
the table as “a reasonable deal.”

However, he warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger severe consequences, including potential strikes on key infrastructure in Iran.

The US leader also accused Tehran of breaching the existing two-week ceasefire, alleging that Iranian forces carried out attacks on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz.

“I am offering Iran a reasonable deal,” Trump said, adding that if the proposal is rejected, “the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR NICE
GUY!”

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A roadside hawker has been killed in a traffic accident at Okokomaiko, while seven other people were injured in another crash at Ogudu inward Toll Gate, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed.

In a statement, LASTMA said both incidents happened in different parts of the state and its officials responded quickly to manage the situations and assist those affected.

The fatal crash at Okokomaiko involved a Lexus Jeep with registration number SMK 674 HY, resulting in the death of an adult male hawker.

Officials of the agency who arrived at the scene promptly secured the area and removed the body from the road to restore order and prevent further danger to other road users.

Police officers from the Ketu Division later took over the scene and moved the remains to the Badagry Mortuary for necessary procedures.

At Ogudu inward Toll Gate, LASTMA officers also attended to another crash involving a Mazda commercial bus, marked MUS 231 YA, and a Lexus
Jeep with registration number FKJ 23 HL.

Seven passengers sustained injuries in the collision and were rescued at the scene.

Operatives from the Ogudu Police Division supported the emergency response, while officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) took the injured victims to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities said all vehicles involved in both incidents have been handed over to the police for further investigation to determine what led to the crashes.

Reacting to the incidents, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged motorists to be more careful on the road.

He advised drivers to follow traffic rules, avoid speeding, and stay alert at all times, especially at night when visibility is often
reduced.

“LASTMA remains resolute in its commitment to safeguarding lives and ensuring seamless traffic management across the State,” the statement
said.

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Former Kogi lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye, has declared that

he would defeat President Bola Tinubu in a credible election, while stressing
that his main focus is backing a united opposition candidate.

Melaye made the remarks during an interview on Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, where he criticised the current administration and expressed confidence in alternative candidates.

“My brother, anybody among those interested in presidency in ADC would do one million times better than Tinubu. They can never be a worse president than Tinubu,” he said.

Speaking on his own chances, the former senator insisted he could unseat the President under a transparent process.

“Me, Dino Melaye. Let’s go on a free and fair election,” he stated.

“I will beat him flat in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Despite his confidence, Melaye said his immediate priority is not necessarily personal ambition but ensuring a united front against the current government.

“My own for now is that we must send Tinubu away. Whoever emerges from consensus or from a primary, I will support,” he said.

He also alleged that the President may not be willing to allow a credible electoral process.

“Let him allow a free and fair contest. And if he doesn’t allow it, we will make him conduct our election. Because he doesn’t want election. He wants to be Kabiyesi. He wants to be Igwe,” he added.

On coalition talks, Melaye dismissed speculation about joint tickets, saying the priority is national interest.

“I am not interested in any joint ticket or non-joint ticket, we are only interested in rescuing this country,” he said.

The former lawmaker also raised concerns about governance, alleging undue influence by non-elected individuals, particularly the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu.

“My son will not interfere with governance. My son will not summon DGs of parastatals and agencies of government and ministers,” he said.

He further criticised what he described as the growing visibility of Seyi Tinubu in public affairs, referencing comments by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.

“Even our respected Wole Soyinka complained about him. You have seen the City Boy Movement and what they are doing,” he said.

Melaye maintained that opposition figures are already strategising ahead of future elections, stressing that unity will be key to achieving their goal.

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In 2018, two different legal advice from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) said the office was unable to establish any evidence linking Bukola Saraki, a former senate president, to the tragic Offa robbery incident.

The legal advice, issued June 22, 2018 and August 23, 2018, was signed by Mohammed U.E., director of public prosecutions of the federation, on behalf of the AGF.

Abubakar Malami was the AGF and minister of justice at the time the legal advice was issued.

WHAT HAPPENED IN OFFA?

On April 5, 2018, multiple banks were raided, and a police station was attacked in Offa, a town in Kwara state, resulting in 33 fatalities, including a pregnant woman and 12 police officers.

After the incident, the police arrested six suspects in connection with the armed robbery.

Michael Adikwu, suspected mastermind of the robbery attack and dismissed police officer, died in custody.

Some days after the robbery incident, the police invited Saraki and alleged that Ayoade Akinnibosun, the gang leader, claimed that the gang members were political thugs to Saraki.

The police also alleged that Akinnibosun claimed that he got vehicles and monetary gifts from Saraki through Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former chief of staff to Abdulfatah Ahmed, ex-Kwara governor.

Speaking during the parade of suspects, Akinnibosun told journalists that his group had been working for Saraki since he was a governor.

The gang leader also told journalists that Saraki was not aware of their involvement in the armed robbery attack.

During a court hearing in March 2019, Akinnibosun alleged that Abba Kyari, then deputy commissioner of police, asked him and the other accused to implicate Saraki and that he was threatened to make confessional
statements.

In September 2024, a high court in Kwara found the five defendants guilty of illegal possession of firearms, armed robbery, and culpable homicide connected to the Offa incident. They were sentenced to death.

The defendants were Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran.

In January, the court of appeal upheld the conviction and sentence of the five convicts.

Recently, the Kwara government filed a 20-count charge against Saraki and Ahmed over allegations of arming the convicts.

Other defendants in the case are Abdulwahab and Alabi Olalekan, another aide.

Saraki has since denied any form of connection with the armed robbery suspects. He accused AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara,
of attempting to embarrass him.

THE LEGAL ADVICE

Making a reference to Saraki and Ahmed, the first legal advice dated June 22, 2018, and addressed to the inspector-general of police, the OAGF, said it is “unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and suspects”.

The OAGF advised that “further and more thorough investigation” should be carried out to establish whether Saraki and Ahmed approved or knew about the planning and execution of the Offa robbery attack.

“Whether the weapons used for the robbery attack aforementioned were supplied by either the Senate President, Bukola Saraki or the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatai Ahmed Maigida,” the OAGF had said.

“And any other area or areas that may assist in establishing a prima facie case of aiding and abetting crime, or accessory after the fact.”

The OAGF said Olalekan, a former personal assistant to Ahmed on political matters, should be charged for the “offence of illegal possession
of firearms”.

The OAGF also said there was “no evidence is credible enough to sustain any charge based on any offence known to law” against Abdulwahab.

In the second legal advice dated August 23, 2018, the OAGF said there was no departure from the June 2018 legal advice on the alleged involvement of Saraki in the Offa robbery attack.

The OAGF added that the “office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable with death”.

The OAGF again advised that Olalekan should be charged for “illegal possession of firearms” separately from the main suspects involved in the Offa robbery attack.

The OAGF also said the investigation report did not disclose any “collaborative evidence linking” Abdulwahab to the Offa robbery attack.

The police were advised to transfer the case file to the Kwara attorney-general and commissioner of justice for prosecution.

Saraki governed Kwara between 2003 and 2011. He served as the senate president from 2015 to 2019.

Ahmed became Kwara governor after Saraki’s tenure in 2011 and served till 2019.

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Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, has urged the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule examination for the
eight candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)
kidnapped last Wednesday.

The victims were abducted along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue state.

On Sunday, troops of the Nigerian army rescued the remaining victims in a forest at Okere ward in Ohimini LGA of Benue.

Speaking on Sunday at the government house in Makurdi, Alia said 15 people were kidnapped in the attack, but two later escaped.

According to Punch Newspaper, Alia said 13 others were rescued in the early hours of Sunday, adding that eight among the victims are “UTME candidates”.

“Many of the students were travelling to Otukpo. Seven were regular passengers, and 15 were kidnapped that fateful day. One of the victims escaped, and another one escaped the following day,” Alia reportedly said.

“Today, all the remaining 13 kidnap victims were rescued by the security agents with the cooperation of the communities.

“I call on JAMB to look into the case of the eight young students and reschedule dates for them to write their examination.”

On Friday, the Benue state police command said the abducted passengers in the Makurdi-bound commercial bus were not UTME candidates.

In a statement, Udeme Edet, the command’s spokesperson, said
reports describing the victims as UTME candidates were “misinformation and
incorrect.”

On Saturday, JAMB also said the abducted travellers were not UTME candidates.

Fabian Benjamin, the board’s public communications adviser, said in a statement that those involved had travelled to Makurdi to participate
in an ongoing police recruitment exercise and were returning to Otukpo at the time of the incident.

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Eight of the victims rescued from last Wednesday’s Benue Links bus abduction have been identified as candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The victims were among passengers on an 18-seater bus kidnapped on April 15, 2026, while traveling to Otukpo to sit for their examinations.

They regained their freedom early Sunday after spending about three days in captivity.

The rescued individuals, among them three girls, were brought to the Benue State Government House in Makurdi by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ifeanyi Emenari, accompanied by their parents and guardians, for official reception by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The victims appeared visibly exhausted following their ordeal. Meanwhile, documentation processes are ongoing ahead of their formal reception by the governor.Aprokorepublic

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Financial Markets Dealers Association (FMDA), has introduced the Nigerian overnight financing rate (NOFR) to strengthen transparency in the country’s
money market.

In a statement on Friday, CBN said NOFR, a standardised benchmark, is designed to enhance price discovery, improve monetary policy transmission, and deepen Nigeria’s financial markets.

According to the apex bank, the benchmark was formally adopted by market participants during a stakeholder engagement session held on February 27, 2026, and has received regulatory approval.

“NOFR was developed to align Nigeria with global best practices in short-term interest rate benchmarks. It is expected to improve price discovery and transparency while promoting consistent pricing of money market instruments,” CBN said.

“It will enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy, support financial innovation, boost investor confidence, and strengthen risk management across the financial system.

“The introduction of NOFR positions Nigeria alongside leading global benchmarks such as SOFR (United States), SONIA (United Kingdom),
€STR (Eurozone), and TONA (Japan). It also complements African benchmarks such as JIBAR (South Africa).”

The CBN added that NOFR is now operational, with the bank serving as the benchmark administrator, and will be responsible for governance,
transparency, and regular publication of the rate.

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Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that if former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, says his only qualification to contest the 2027 presidential election is that he is a
northerner, then only those in the region may vote for him.

Amaechi was reacting to a recent comment by Atiku, who insinuated that the has not be been duly represented in the nation’s leadership.

Speaking during a chat with Channels Television on Friday, Amaechi warned against those playing regional and ethnicity card, stressing that there more important factors that determines, who leads the country.

He said, “If Atiku Abubakar is saying that the only qualification he has is because he is from the north, then it means that on the election day, the North will vote for him and the South will not vote for him, that is what it means.

“For me, it does not matter whether you are from the North or South. There are other factors that play important roles.”

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