The Nigeria Police Force has announced the dismissal, arrest, and prosecution of several officers allegedly involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion, and other criminal activities in Rivers State

In a statement released on May 14, 2026, the Force disclosed that the affected officers were linked to cases of conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office, and unlawful operations within Rivers State and surrounding areas.

First Syndicate (Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa) Investigations revealed a criminal syndicate involving Inspectors Ayanniyi Jelili, Durojaye Francis, and Olayemi Titus. The officers were accused of conducting illegal stop-and-search operations in Port Harcourt, where victims were allegedly abducted and forced to transfer money from their bank and cryptocurrency accounts.

Three other officers, Inspector Awele Ogbogu, Inspector Prosper Aghotor, and Corporal Favour Onwuchekwa are currently at large.

During the operation, investigators recovered three Toyota Sienna buses allegedly used for the crimes, along with the sum of N7,338,800 linked to the illicit activities.

Second Case (Department of Operations, Rivers State Command)

In a separate incident, five other officers formerly attached to the Department of Operations, Rivers State Command, Inspectors John Okoi, Eyibo Asuquo, Udo Ndipmong, Bright Nwachukwu, and Anele Ikechukwu were dismissed after internal disciplinary proceedings for alleged kidnapping, extortion, and official corruption.

Their cases have been forwarded for prosecution.The Nigeria Police Force reiterated its commitment to ridding the institution of bad elements.

“The leadership of the Force under the Inspector-General of Police remains resolute in its determination to identify, expose, and remove criminal elements from within the institution,” the statement said.

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The Kwara high court in Ilorin has sentenced Ajiboye Olayinka, the general overseer of the Mission House of Divine Land of Joy and Prayer Ministry, to life imprisonment for r@p!ng three minors in his church premises.

On Wednesday, Hammed Gegele, the trial judge, convicted Olayinka of multiple offences bordering on unlawful sexual intercourse with minors, illegal abortion, and unlawful possession of firearms.

According to Punch, Gegele described the pastor as a “pedophile and philanderer”, who took advantage of religion to manipulate and sexually abuse underage girls in his care.

The trial judge said the pastor repeatedly impregnated some of the victims and forced them to terminate the pregnancies while threatening
them not to report.

The judge said the victims were asked to swear oaths of secrecy with the Bible under threats of death should they disclose the incidents to anyone.

Gegele recalled how one of the victims told the court how the pastor rap*d her inside the generator house, while using anointing oil as a lubricant.

The trial judge said the victim told the court that the pastor often woke her up from sleep after vigils to have sexual intercourse with her.

“The convict turned his victims into sex machines, abusing them physically and mentally,” the judge said.

“One of the victims narrated how the defendant took her to a generator house where he forcefully had sexual intercourse with her afterapplying anointing oil as lubricant.”

Gegele sentenced the defendant to three separate life imprisonment sentences for offences relating to unlawful sexual intercourse with minors.

The trial judge sentenced Olayinka to 14 years imprisonment for carrying out illegal abortions for his victims.

Gegele ordered that the pump action gun recovered from the convict be forfeited to the federal government.

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Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has explained that he abandoned his long-standing ambition to acquire English Premier League club Arsenal in order to channel resources into completing his $20 billion Dangote Refinery project.

The billionaire industrialist made the disclosure during a recent podcast interview with Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management.Dangote said Arsenal was valued at approximately $2 billion at the time he was seriously considering a takeover.

However, he faced a critical choice between investing in the club and ensuring the timely completion of his major industrial projects, including the refinery, fertiliser, and petrochemical plants.

“Should I put my $2 billion in Arsenal and now allow the business to suffer? Or should I complete the business? Then I can continue to remain a very big supporter of Arsenal,” he said.

He noted that Arsenal’s valuation has since risen significantly, making the deal even less attractive. “Today they are worth billions and it’s not really worth my while at all,” Dangote added.

Despite stepping away from ownership, the Dangote Group chairman remains a passionate supporter of the Gunners.

He said he still follows the team closely and wears an Arsenal jersey including one signed by the captain on match days.Dangote has been linked with a possible Arsenal takeover for over 15 years.

A longtime fan since the 1980s, he had publicly expressed interest in buying the club once his refinery provided sufficient liquidity, but no formal bid was ever made.

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Instagram users will no longer be able to send fully private messages as the platform begins phasing out its end-to-end encryption (E2EE)
feature worldwide.

The move represents a dramatic reversal for Meta, the social media giant that owns Instagram. The company did not issue a public announcement about scrapping the Instagram rollout.

Instead, it quietly updated its app’s terms and conditions in March, notifying users that encrypted messaging would no longer be supported after May 8, 2026. Affected users were advised to download any media or messages they wished to retain.

“End‑to‑end encrypted messaging on
Instagram will no longer be supported after 8 May 2026,” it reads.

“If you have chats affected by this change, you will see instructions on how to download any media or messages you may wish to keep.”

The company had long promoted E2EE as the ultimate safeguard for user privacy.

End-to-end encryption is widely considered the most secure
method of digital communication, ensuring that only the sender and recipient can read messages.

However, Meta has faced persistent criticism from child protection groups and law enforcement advocates, who argued that it enables the spread of harmful content, including child exploitation material, without
authorities being able to intercept it.

With E2EE deactivated, Instagram will gain full access to the content of all direct messages exchanged on its platform, including images,
videos, and voice notes.

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Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), has narrated how operatives of theEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly stormed his office, dragged him out and arrested him.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Ekpe, who is also the deputy chairman of the hospital’s medical advisory committee, said the
incident occurred while he was processing a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.

He said the anti-graft agency had requested verification of the report, prompting him to review the document alongside the head of the hospital’s internal medicine department.

“The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department,” Ekpe said.

The professor of cardiothoracic surgery added that following the findings, he prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026.

He said an EFCC operative visited his office the next morning to collect the document.

“I told him that the response was ready in draft. I showed him the draft,” he said.

The doctor said he informed the operative that the document
still needed approval from the chief medical director (CMD) of the hospital
before it could be officially signed and released.

“He pretended to have accepted that,” Ekpe said, adding that the officer later returned with another armed operative and informed him that he was under arrest.

“I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit,” he said.

Ekpe alleged that the operatives refused to allow him to wait for a staff member he had sent on an errand before taking him away.

“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office,” he said.

The surgeon said he cried out while being dragged, attracting hospital workers to the scene.

He said the operatives prevented him from speaking or making calls, making it impossible for him to explain the situation to colleagues who
gathered around.

He said members of staff of the hospital initially blocked the operatives from taking him away, after which reinforcement was allegedly
called in.

“I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around,” he said.

Ekpe said some staff members were beaten before he and four others were forced into an EFCC van, adding that tear gas and live ammunition were fired during the chaos that followed within the hospital premises.

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyeso Wike, has responded to criticism over his recent visit to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, saying he does not engage in what he called “politics of enmity.”

Speaking to journalists during a project inspection on Wednesday, Wike said his visit was not a political meeting but a personal and respectful interaction between acquaintances.

He was inspecting ongoing road projects in Karu, Apo-Karshi, and Kubwa, where he stressed the need for timely completion of the works.

When asked why there was no official explanation after his visit to the APC chairman, Wike said he is not required to publicly explain his private movements or social visits.

According to him, people are free to relate with others regardless of party differences, adding that not every interaction must be turned into political news.

He questioned why a private visit should become something “the whole world” must be informed about.

Wike also rejected the idea that politicians from opposing parties, such as the APC and PDP, should avoid each other completely.

He recalled that he and Yilwatda had worked together in the past, saying their relationship goes back years before Yilwatda became APC chairman.

He said: “We’re all colleagues before he left for the chairmanship of APC. So what I should do anytime I see him is to hide? Anytime he sees me, he should run away so people will not say something?”

Wike explained that the visit also came after Yilwatda had tried several times without success to meet him at his office.

He said that as a busy minister, he receives many visitors, and since the APC chairman could not secure an appointment, he decided to
personally visit him at home instead.

He added that his main focus is delivering his responsibilities and satisfying the expectations of the person who appointed him.

Wike said public opinions or outside speculation do not influence his work as long as he is performing his duties.

“What’s important to me is what I’m doing for my people,” stressing that his results in office matter more than political
interpretations,” he added.

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The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced the commencement of the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms for aspirants seeking elective positions ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Moses Zuwoghe, national chairman; and Ikenna Enekweizu, national secretary; the party announced that the sale of expression of interest forms would commence on May
13 and conclude on May 18, 2026.

The party said the screening and interview of aspirant would take place from May 19 to May 21, 2026.

According to the timetable released by the party, the screening exercise would determine eligibility for the purchase of nomination forms.

The party advised aspirants to attend the screening exercise with their relevant credentials and supporting documents.

The NDC said the sale of nomination forms would commence immediately after the screening exercise from May 21 to May 23, while completed forms must be submitted on or before May 25, 2026.

The party said appeals arising from the screening process would be entertained between May 25 and May 26, while primary elections for various elective offices are scheduled for May 27 and May 28.

The NDC said its presidential primary election would hold on May 29, 2026, in Abuja.

The party said aspirants seeking tickets for state houses of assembly would be screened in their respective states, while screening for national assembly and presidential aspirants would take place at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

The NDC added that governorship primaries would be conducted at the local government level.

According to the statement, all aspirants would be required to sign an undertaking in line with the party’s guidelines and code of conduct.

The party assured members and aspirants of “a transparent, inclusive, and democratic process” in the sale of forms and conduct of primaries.

The NDC said it would adopt the “open secret ballot” system for its primaries to guarantee “credibility, fairness, and internal democracy”.

The party added that its approved nomination fees remain among the lowest among major political parties in the country.

According to the fee structure, expression of interest and nomination forms for state houses of assembly aspirants cost N1 million and N1.5 million, respectively.

The party fixed the fees for house of representatives aspirants at N2 million for expression of interest forms and N4 million for nomination forms.

The NDC said senate aspirants would pay N3 million for expression of interest forms and N5 million for nomination forms.

The party fixed governorship forms at N10 million for expression of interest and N20 million for nomination, while presidential aspirants are expected to pay N20 million and N40 million respectively.

The NDC said female aspirants and persons living with disabilities would pay 50 percent and 25 percent of the fees, respectively, across all categories.

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Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with a former Kano State Deputy Governor and immediate past Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo.

The meeting, which was held in Abuja, also had the member representing Bichi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abba Abubakar Kabir Bichi, in attendance.

In a post on Gwarzo’s verified Facebook page shortly after the meeting, the politicians discussed political developments and affairs in
Kano North ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Today, together with the former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the member representing Bichi Federal Constituency, Abba Abubakar Kabir Bichi, we met with the Vice President of Nigeria, His Excellency Kashim Shettima,” the post stated.

According to the post, discussions centred on politics in Kano North and broader party affairs.

“We discussed politics and political affairs in Kano North, and he wished us success and prosperity in our political journey,” Gwarzo added.

The meeting is coming a few days after Gwarzo was screened as an aspirant for the Kano North Senatorial District seat under the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

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Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has asked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to wait and see the outcome of next year’s general elections.

Kwankwaso made the remark on Monday while fielding questions
during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme.

He was responding to Atiku’s comment in which he said Kwankwaso’s popularity is restricted to Kano State.

“Let’s wait and see the election. I have no issue with that, and I think we have gone past that level now.

“We are in the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) for now, and I know they are in the African Democratic Congress (ADC). I wish them well.

“You see, anybody who is talking about or asking questions about whether our votes will split in Kano is not patient. Let’s wait for the
election and see whether our votes are split in Kano or not,” he said.

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