Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has issued a strong warning to residents against providing any form of assistance or collaboration to insurgents, following a deadly bombing at Jilli market that killed over 50 people.

The governor disclosed that the market had remained closed for five years after intelligence reports revealed it was being used as a major logistics base by terrorist groups. He stressed that the state government only reopens markets or resettles communities in insurgency-affected areas after thorough consultations and clearance with security agencies.

Speaking on the recent incident, Governor Zulum urged citizens to stay vigilant, promptly report any suspicious movements or activities, and refrain from offering any support, direct or indirect to criminal elements operating in the state.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring normalcy across Borno while emphasizing that defeating the insurgency requires the full cooperation of the people.

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The Federal Government has unveiled a major financial intervention in the power sector, with President Bola Tinubu approving a ₦3.3 trillion payment plan to settle long-standing legacy debts accumulated between February 2015 and March 2025.

The initiative aims to restore liquidity to electricity generation companies (GenCos) and gas suppliers, addressing a decade-long crisis that has hampered power generation and supply across the country.

The plan forms part of the broader Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme.

Key Components of the Plan

Initial Disbursement: The government has raised ₦501 billion through a dedicated bond issuance, with ₦223 billion already disbursed to participating GenCos. Additional payments are in progress.

Multi-Phase Settlement: The ₦3.3 trillion represents a verified full and final settlement. Implementation is underway, with 15 power plants from multiple GenCos signing agreements totaling about ₦2.3 trillion so far.

Focus Areas:

The funds target debts owed to GenCos and gas suppliers, aiming to stabilize the national grid, support the transition to service-based tariffs, and drive structural reforms for more reliable electricity delivery.

This financial reset is expected to unlock stalled generation capacity, improve liquidity in the power value chain, and enhance overall electricity reliability for millions of Nigerians. The government has emphasized transparency and accountability in the phased rollout of payments.

Stakeholders, including several GenCos, have welcomed the move as a critical step toward resolving the sector’s chronic challenges. The plan addresses debts that built up over nearly a decade, which had severely affected operations and investment in power infrastructure.

As implementation continues, the success of this intervention could mark a turning point for Nigeria’s electricity sector, potentially leading to improved power supply and greater investor confidence.

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Operations resumed on Monday at a major gas facility in Iraq’s Kurdish region, the Emirati company running the complex said, after more than a month of disruption due to the US-Iran war.

Dana Gas announced “the resumption of production of the Khor Mor gas facility in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, following a period of intermittent operations”, according to a statement published by the Abu Dhabi stock exchange.

On February 28 the UAE company suspended natural gas supplies from the complex as war broke out, authorities in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region had said.

Kurdistan’s electricity and natural resources ministries said the decision was made “due to the extraordinary circumstances and ongoing events in the region, and to protect employees at the Khor Mor field”.

The Khor Mor complex, which supplies most of Kurdistan’s power stations, has been hit several times in recent years in attacks blamed on pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq.

AFP

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The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has raised concerns over the integrity of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, if an alleged X account linked to him turns out to be his after his denial.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Adebayo said the controversy goes beyond technical arguments and touches on public trust in the electoral umpire.

“If it is traced to him and he denies it, then it raises questions about integrity,” he said.

He explained that while digital content can be manipulated, modern forensic tools make it possible to determine the true ownership of online accounts.

“It is well known that in the digital space, you could manipulate anything, but there is forensic tracing of identity,” Adebayo stated.

According to him, the issue can be resolved either through the courts or a legislative inquiry by the National Assembly.

“It is either someone will go to court to challenge his qualification on grounds of partisanship and present evidence or the National Assembly will conduct an investigation, possibly through its INEC committees,” he added.

The former presidential candidate, however, clarified that even if the account is proven to belong to Amupitan, it does not automatically disqualify him from office under the law.

“The requirement is that at the time of appointment, you should not be a member of any political party. It does not mean you could not have been a member in the past or that you did not vote. Someone who voted in 2023 can still become INEC chairman in 2025,” he said.

Adebayo stressed that the key issue remains honesty and public confidence in the electoral body.

“In a simple matter like this, if you are already lying to the public and we are to trust you with determining election outcomes, then it becomes a question of integrity,” he added.

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The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear an appeal filed by the embattled National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Senator David Mark.

Mark is seeking an order staying the execution of the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The apex court, in a hearing notice with appeal number SC/CV/180/2026 between Sen. Mark vs Hon. Nafiu-Bala Gombe and four others, said the proceeding is scheduled for April 14.

The hearing notice, sent to the parties in the case through the Litigation Department of the Supreme Court on Friday, was sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja.

The hearing date coincides with the date earlier fixed by the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Although the two cases will be coming up on Tuesday, NAN learnt that the lower court may, however, step down the matter or adjourn its proceedings pending the hearing at the apex court, in line with the hierarchy of courts.

Mark, the appellant in the appeal, has named Hon. Nafiu-Bala Gombe, ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Chief Ralph Nwosu as 1st to 5th respondents respectively.

Mark, in the motion on notice filed by his lawyer, Realwan Okpanachi, prayed the court for an order of stay of execution of the appellate court’s judgment pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.

He also sought an order restraining INEC from acting on the Court of Appeal’s judgment by recognising any person(s) other than him and the existing national officers of the ADC, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.

Mark, a former Senate President, further prayed the apex court for an order restraining INEC from tampering with the national leadership structure of the party as presently constituted and represented by him, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

Besides, he sought an order staying further proceedings in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 pending before Justice Nwite at the FHC, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal at the apex court.

The motion on notice was brought by his lawyer pursuant to Sections 6(6)(a) and 233 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Order 4 Rule 1 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2024, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

Giving a 12-ground argument, Okpanachi said the Court of Appeal delivered judgment in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/145/2026 on March 12.

He said Mark, being dissatisfied with the said judgment, filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court on March 16, and that the record of appeal was duly compiled and transmitted on March 31.

According to the lawyer, the appeal has been duly entered before this honourable court as Appeal No: SC/CV/180/2026.

He said one of the orders made by the Court of Appeal was that parties should maintain status quo ante bellum.

“The 1st respondent (Gombe) has been relying on the said order to write to the 4th respondent (INEC), urging it to refrain from dealing with or recognising the appellant (Mark) and other national officers of the 2nd respondent (ADC).

“The actions of the 1st respondent (Gombe) amount to attempted enforcement of the judgment of the Court of Appeal,” he said.

The lawyer, however, said Mark had filed a competent appeal challenging the entire judgment of the Court of Appeal.

“Unless this application is granted, the judgment of the Court of Appeal will be enforced and the appeal rendered nugatory.”

Okpanachi, who submitted that the appeal raised substantial and arguable issues of law, stated that the balance of justice favours the grant of the application

“It is in the interest of justice to preserve the res and protect the authority of this honourable court,” he prayed.

NAN reports that INEC had on April 1 removed the names of Mark and Aregbesola from its official portal and website as ADC’s national chairman and national secretary respectively, following the Court of Appeal judgment.

In reaction to INEC’s decision, Mark filed a motion on notice before Justice Nwite on April 7 through his new lawyer, Sulaiman Usman, SAN, praying the court to order the commission to restore their names as they were prior to the institution of the suit by Gombe.

He also sought an order for accelerated hearing of the case, and the judge fixed April 14 for hearing.

NAN reports that Gombe, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 at the FHC, had sued ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC, and Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

Nwosu was the former ADC national chairman who stepped down for David Mark’s leadership.

Gombe, who was former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC, had urged Justice Nwite to restrain Mark and Aregbesola from further parading themselves as national chairman and national secretary of the party.

The aggrieved ex-deputy national chairman argued that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders breached the provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

The judge had on Sept. 4, 2025, declined to grant an ex-parte motion filed by Gombe seeking to stop the Mark-led leadership of the ADC, pending the hearing of his substantive suit.

Nwite had refused the three prayers sought in the ex-parte motion filed by Gombe and moved by his lawyer, Michael Agber.

Rather, the judge directed Gombe, the plaintiff in the suit, to put all the defendants on notice to show cause why the motion should not be granted.

The judge then adjourned the matter until Sept. 15, 2025, for the defendants to show cause.

However, the Mark-led ADC approached the Court of Appeal, challenging the lower court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit, and the appellate court ordered the parties to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the case.

(NAN)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, offering support to help resolve the escalating Middle East crisis following the collapse of talks between Iran and the United States.

“Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” the Kremlin said in its readout of the call, according to AFP.

The development came as the entire US negotiating team withdrew from failed discussions in Islamabad, with no officials remaining in the Pakistani capital to continue back-channel efforts, a US official confirmed.

Officials said the delegation, including chief negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, departed after marathon talks yielded no meaningful progress on the conflict involving Iran.

During a stopover at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, a US official travelling with Vice President JD Vance said no members of the team stayed behind, despite earlier speculation that further negotiations might continue.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Washington failed to build trust during the discussions.

“My colleagues in the Iranian delegation put forward constructive initiatives, but the other side was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation,” he said in a post on X.

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The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has debunked reports of a crisis within its fold, describing allegations of mass resignations and non-payment of delegates’ stipends as a “false narrative” orchestrated by mischief-makers.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the State Publicity Secretary, Uche Obute, the party maintained that there was no agitation regarding the welfare of delegates who attended the recent national convention.

Obute described the claims as “concocted stories” designed to distract the party from its goal of securing the highest number of votes in the 2027 general elections.

Addressing the alleged exit of members over claims of marginalisation, the APC stated that the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah had rather strengthened the party’s presence in the state.

The party claimed that Enugu has been transformed into an APC stronghold, with all members of the National and State Assemblies, as well as the 17 Local Government Area chairmen and councillors, now fully aligned with the party.

“The Governor is widely known for his inclusive leadership style, carrying along both members of the old APC bloc and new entrants into the party,” the statement partly read.

The party further clarified that members of the “old bloc” still occupy critical positions, citing the Zonal Woman Leader (South-East), Oby Ajih, and the Deputy National Chairman (South), Ben Nwoye, as examples of its inclusive structure.

The statement added, “Both the old and new blocs are fully accommodated at all levels of party leadership, from the wards to the local government areas and the state structure.”

Reiterating its unity under the state chairman, Martin Chukwunweike, the party urged the public and its members to disregard the reports.

The APC expressed confidence that no amount of “sponsored misinformation” would derail its progress or its commitment to consolidating its dominance in the state ahead of future polls.

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Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has alleged that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, is plotting the removal of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rahidi Adewolu Ladoja.

In a post on X on Sunday, Fayose claimed that the alleged move would begin with official queries against the monarch over his absence at a recent coronation ceremony.

“I heard reliably that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is plotting the removal of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rahidi Adewolu Ladoja. The plot is to commence this week, with Government Query to be issued against the Olubadan, citing his absence at the failed coronation of High Chiefs in Ibadanland two weeks ago, and other allegations,” Fayose wrote.

I heard reliably that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is plotting the removal of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rahidi Adewolu Ladoja.
The plot is to commence this week, with Government Query to be issued against the Olubadan, citing his absence at the failed coronation of…

— Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) April 12, 2026

Describing the governor as a ‘sigidi’, a statuette, Fayose said he would continue watch his ignominious machinations.

“As for us, we will be watching the Sìgìdì of Seyi Makinde tó fẹ́ se eré ẹ̀tẹ́,” he added.

The allegation comes amid recent speculation about a possible disagreement between the monarch and the state government.

Recently, the Olubadan Palace dismissed claims of any rift between the traditional ruler and the governor, describing such reports as unfounded.

In a statement, the palace said, “We wish to make it abundantly clear that there is no rift between Kabiyesi and Olori omo oba of Ibadanland.”

It also addressed reports regarding the monarch’s absence at the coronation event, clarifying that the Olubadan did not deliberately avoid the ceremony.

“In addition, the Olubadan did not travel out of Ibadan to avoid the coronation ceremony. Kabiyesi is hale and hearty in Ibadan and performing the role expected of him as Olubadan,” the statement added.

The palace urged the public to disregard unverified claims and rely on official sources for accurate information.

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Lagos State Government has rescued a young child reportedly abandoned and subjected to neglect following allegations of witchcraft.

The case drew public attention after a disturbing video circulated on social media, showing the toddler in a visibly distressed state.

The child appeared malnourished, clad only in a diaper, and was seen drinking from an unclean container.

The situation was first highlighted by a social media user, identified as @TheGrandmaBoy on X, who raised concerns about the child’s welfare. In the post, the user alleged that the toddler had been abandoned by her mother, who reportedly accused her of being a witch.

“Concerned neighbours raise alarm concerning a three-year-old toddler that has been literally abandoned by the mother, who believes that she’s a witch and deserves to die,” the post stated.

The user further called on relevant authorities to intervene, sharing a location in the Ipaja area of Lagos and alleging that the child was malnourished and living in unhygienic conditions. However, these claims had not been independently verified at the time.

Reacting to the development, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media, Ridwan Ajetunmobi, confirmed on Sunday that the state government had stepped in.

He disclosed that the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, led a team to the location identified in the report to verify the situation.

According to him, the child has since been rescued and is now in the care of the Lagos State Government, while the police have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Authorities assured that further updates would be provided as investigations progress.

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