Archive July 2, 2025

Coalition: Malami Dumps APC For ADC, Blames FG For Governance Failure

By in News, Nigeria News

A former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and is now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Malami announced his defection in a statement titled “To the Good People of Kebbi and Fellow Nigerians” shared on Wednesday via his official social media handle.

He said his decision followed “wide consultations and deep personal reflection,” stressing that it was not driven by personal ambition or grievance, but by “a deep love for our nation and concern for the hardship our people are facing daily. ”

“Nigeria is bleeding. Insecurity has taken over our homes, especially in the North. Banditry, kidnappings, and terrorism have become part of our lives, while the government prioritises politics over the safety of its citizens,” he said.

Malami also cited the country’s worsening economic conditions as a reason for his departure.

“Prices of basic food items have tripled. The poor can no longer feed their families. Jobs are disappearing. Young people are hopeless,” he lamented.

He further accused the Federal Government of abandoning good governance, alleging that “merit has been replaced with political patronage in critical appointments. ”

“Governance has been abandoned. Appointments, projects, and policies are now guided by political loyalty, not national interest. I cannot remain part of a system that watches in silence as Nigerians suffer and die,” he said.

READ ALSO: Coalition Members Enemies Of Nigeria, Will Take Country Backwards – ADC’s Kachikwu

On why he chose the ADC, Malami said the party represents “justice, inclusion, competence, and national renewal”.

He expressed optimism that, with the support of Nigerians, the party could help chart a new course for the country.

“I believe that through this coalition, and with the support of Nigerians, we can create a better future for our beloved nation,” he added.

He also assured the people of Kebbi State of his continued commitment to their welfare and political advancement, noting that his move to the ADC would help amplify their voices and better protect their interests.

Following the recent defection of three PDP senators—led by Adamu Aliero—to the APC, Malami is now considered one of the leading opposition figures in Kebbi State.

Earlier on Wednesday, members of a newly formed opposition coalition met at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, where they formally adopted the ADC as their operational platform for the 2027 general elections.

The coalition introduced former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim secretary, following the resignation of Ralph Nwosu.

Present at the meeting were key political figures, including Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (Labour Party), former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, Dele Momodu, Senator Ireti Kingibe, and others from the PDP, SDP, and LP.

Diddy’s sentencing delayed until October as he’s found guilty on two charges

By in Entertainment News, News

Disgraced rapper Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs has been denied bail. His sentencing will take place in October.

The hip hop mogul had been found not guilty of racketeering and of sex trafficking former girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another woman referred to as ‘Jane. ‘ As the verdict, decided by eight men and four women, acquitted him of the most serious counts, he dropped to the floor.

But as he was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, relating to Ventura and Jane. During the two-month trial, the court heard how Diddy flew people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act.

However, he was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, relating to allegations that he forced his former girlfriends into drug-fuelled sex encounters, which had been known as ‘freak offs. ‘ Now, he has been denied bail by judge Arun Subramanian.

The judge denied bail just a minute after re-entering the court. He said he “sees no reason to reach the opposite conclusion now”.

Diddy has been behind bars since he was arrested in September (AP)

Subramanian said: “At trial, the defence conceded defendant’s violence in personal relationships, saying ‘it happened’ in relation to Cassie Venture and Jane. “

He also said there was violence and illegal conduct after the searches of Diddy’s homes, when he knew he was under investigation. “This highlights a disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence,” he added.

Diddy’s attorney, when discussing a motion to release him, told the judge that the disgraced musician had been looking at spending the rest of his life behind bars – but has now been acquitted. “Mr Combs has been given his life by this jury,” said Marc Agnifilo.

He went on to add that Diddy would be “nothing short of a fool,” if he violated any conditions set by the court, should he be released. He commented: “He treasures, I assure you, the opportunity that he has been given, and he will not run afoul of anything this court imposes on him. “

Diddy's lawyer argued he should be released from custody and be able to walk out of the courtroom today
Diddy’s lawyer argued he should be released from custody and be able to walk out of the courtroom today (AP)

Agnifilo stated that Diddy “should be released on appropriate conditions,” as he had been acquitted on racketeering and sex trafficking. The musician is believed to be considering returning to his home in Miami, where he would abide by the conditions of his release, should he be released. “Is your proposal that he leave this courtroom and walk outside? ” asked the judge, to which Agnifilo replied, it is.

Moments before the verdicts were delivered following days of deliberation, Diddy asked the courtroom to pray for his family, and this was received with applause. When the news was delivered, he fell to his knees, with his head down in his chair, appearing to pray after avoiding the strongest sentence – life in prison for the highest charge.

Diddy’s family, who had supported him throughout the case, clapped and cheered. His defence lawyers hugged one another, and Diddy then stopped and embraced his lawyer, Brian Steel. The mixed result came on day three of deliberations.

Throughout the ongoing trial, Diddy had pleaded not guilty to all allegations made against him. Diddy appeared overwhelmed as the court adjourned for at least a few hours. He wiped his face, turning and kneeling at his chair, his head bowed in prayer. In the audience, his relatives stood and applauded as he faced them.

“I’ll be home soon,” he said, adding: “I love you, baby. ” He went on to say: “I love you, mom. ” Diddy has been behind bars since his arrest in September. His lawyers argued that the acquittal on the most serious counts changed the legal landscape enough that he should get bail.

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Insecurity: Yobe Govt, Military Shut Down Weekly Markets In Yobe East

By in News, Nigeria News

About eight weekly markets in Yobe East Senatorial District have reportedly been shut down following renewed attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents across parts of the region.

Findings by Channels Television revealed that commercial activities were halted last week at Bumsa Market in Gulani Local Government Area, as well as Goniri, Gujba, and Katarko markets in Gujba Local Government Area.

Similarly, trading did not take place at Katarko Thursday Market and Kukareta Tuesday Market in Damaturu LGA, along with the popular Geidam Wednesday Market in Geidam LGA.

However, the Yobe State Government, in a statement issued through the Security Adviser to Governor Mai Mala Buni, Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam (Rtd), said only three markets—Katarko, Kukareta, and Buni Yadi—were affected by the temporary closure.

READ ALSO: Kano Govt Bans Scrap Imports From North-East After Deadly Explosion

“This is to inform the general public that Katarko, Kukareta and Buni Yadi weekly markets have been temporarily closed for operational reasons,” the statement read in part.

“This is to enable some proactive engagements and consolidate the successes recorded in the ongoing counter-insurgency operation in the state.

“This temporary measure became necessary to achieve some set targets to improve the security situation in the affected areas and the state in general. ”

The Security Adviser appealed for public cooperation, assuring that efforts are ongoing to hasten the operation and minimise the discomfort caused by the market closures.

Kano Govt Bans Scrap Imports From North-East After Deadly Explosion

By in News, Nigeria News

The Kano State Government has announced an immediate ban on the importation of scrap materials from Nigeria’s Northeastern region following a deadly explosion that killed 15 workers at a scrap site in Gidan Karfe, located along the Eastern Bypass in Kano.

The decision was disclosed by the Kano State Commissioner for Internal Security, Ibrahim Umaru, during a meeting with the Scrap Dealers Association of Nigeria held in Kano on Tuesday.

According to Umaru, the tragic incident was linked to explosive devices that were unknowingly transported from the Northeast—a region long plagued by Boko Haram insurgency.

“It has become necessary for the state government to take this decision in order to avoid further loss of lives,” the Commissioner said. “The Northeastern states have been faced with Boko Haram insurgency for quite some time, and this has unfortunately led to some scrap dealers unsuspectingly moving explosive devices into Kano State. ”

READ ALSO: Kano Gov Renames Institute, Commission After Athletes Killed In Road Accident

FILE: Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, briefs journalists in Abuja on January 12, 2024.

He stressed that the state would work closely with the relevant agencies to monitor the movement of scrap materials and ensure the safety of residents.

In response, the Chairman of the Association of Scrap Dealers in Northern Nigeria,  Aminu Hassan, expressed the association’s support for the government’s action, while calling for capacity building for members to prevent similar incidents.

“We urge the state government to provide proper training to scrap dealers so that we can identify and avoid moving dangerous items,” Alhaji Hassan said. “Our association has already issued a directive to all members to stop bringing scrap materials from war-affected areas. ”

The explosion at Gidan Karfe sent shockwaves through the city, with eyewitnesses describing scenes of chaos and destruction.

The most secure ton on record – breaking down Gill’s masterclass

By in News, Sports News

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Matthew Henry
BBC Sport journalist at Edgbaston
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It was, statistically at least, the most secure Test century on record in England.

Rookie India captain Shubman Gill, with all of the noise in the background and on the back of a punch-to-the-stomach defeat last week in Leeds, defied England on day one of the second Test at Edgbaston.

The hosts will have sensed their moment to push further into the ascendency in this series when winning the toss and choosing to ‘have a chase’.

But Gill responded with a controlled 114 not out to better some modern-day greats and help his side close on a respectable 310-5 in Birmingham.

“The way he is batting has been incredible to see,” said team-mate Yashasvi Jaiswal, who shared a stand of 66 with his captain.

So, what exactly did Gill do?

Gill would have been forgiven for leaving Edgbaston on Tuesday with his head in a spin.

In his pre-match news conference he fended question after question about his team selection this week – mostly about whether his star bowler Jasprit Bumrah would play.

The travelling India press pack is large and unrelenting and Gill struggled to sate them. The message was muddled. His batting in Birmingham 24 hours later was not.

Having spoken about wanting to compartmentalise batting and captaincy before the series, Gill strolled to the middle and played an innings with a false shot percentage of just 3. 5%. The average in England is 12%.

It makes it the most controlled ton on these shores since analysts CricViz began recording such statistics in 2006.

England run-getting legends like Sir Alastair Cook, Joe Root and Kevin Pietersen were never this controlled using the same metric. Nor were modern-day greats Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara, who have all peeled off glorious hundreds on these shores in the last 20 years.

Gill’s innings contained just two outside edges off Chris Woakes – both before he had reached 20 – and an inside edge to Brydon Carse that thwarted an England lbw review.

There were three more false shots – any edge, play and miss or stroke mishit – to Woakes and two to Ben Stokes. Otherwise that was it – as close to perfection as anyone has been in recent years in England.

The pitch was the second easiest on record on a first day at Edgbaston – number one was in 2017 against West Indies in case you wondered – but Gill responded with the most controlled of knocks.

How Gill has conquered English conditions

CricViz/BBC Sport

Gill was named Test captain in May despite doubts around the 25-year-old’s record overseas.

In six innings in England he averaged 14. 66 but, batting at number four further from the new-ball movement, he made 147 in his first innings as skipper in the Headingley first Test.

“He has worked on his defence,” Ravi Shastri, India’s coach when Gill made his Test debut, told Sky Sports.

“When he last came to England he played with hard hands and pushed at the ball. Now he allows the ball to come and hit the bat. He is trusting his defence. “

That trust was shown in the middle. He took 125 balls to reach 50 and 199 to reach 100 – both his slowest efforts.

England’s plan to Gill was clear after his success at Headingley: their lines were the straightest they have bowled at a batter in 16 years as the pace bowlers targeted the pads.

“It felt like we were close to getting him lbw where he got a little inside edge,” said Woakes.

“Other than those it felt like he was in control of pretty much everything. Credit to him.

Whose record did Gill beat?

England’s greatest tormentor in the CricViz era has been Steve Smith but even the great Australia does not come close to a century as controlled as Gill’s here.

His lowest false shot percentage in any of his eight Test centuries in England was 9% – a difference of far more than a strip of sandpaper or two.

The previous best came from an unlikely name – former England opener Sam Robson who hit 127 in his second Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley in 2014.

Related topics

  • India
  • Cricket

Nigeria To Deploy Teachers, Doctors, Others To Caribbean Countries

By in News, Nigeria News

Nigeria is set to deploy skilled professionals, including teachers, doctors, and agriculturists, to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean nations under a newly signed Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) Agreement.

In a statement released on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the initiative is part of broader efforts to deepen South-South cooperation and reconnect with the African diaspora in the Caribbean.

The agreement was formalised in Castries, Saint Lucia, with Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), signing on behalf of Nigeria.

Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Acting Permanent Secretary at Saint Lucia’s Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs, signed on behalf of the Caribbean nation.

Describing the agreement as “a great achievement,” Yakub noted that it reflects President Bola Tinubu’s directive to deploy technical aid to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

“This is an outstanding achievement, just days after Mr President’s directive to deploy technical aid to Saint Lucia and the wider OECS,” Yakub was quoted as saying.

The statement noted that, under the agreement, Nigerian professionals will serve as volunteers for two years, with Nigeria covering their allowances and logistics, while Saint Lucia and other host nations provide accommodation and local support.

READ ALSO: Saint Lucia Confers Knighthood On Tinubu For Promoting Africa-Caribbean Unity

Yakub emphasised the diplomatic and cultural significance of the move, stating, “These students who will benefit from the scholarship will have a chance to reconnect with their roots and heritage. ”

The deployment aligns with President Tinubu’s recently unveiled 4D foreign policy—Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography—which seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s global influence through strategic partnerships.

Since the inception of the current administration in May 2023, Yakub revealed that over 300 professionals have been deployed to countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

“Since my appointment in August, we’ve deployed volunteers to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, and other African nations. This programme was nearly dormant, but Mr President revived it with his strong foreign policy vision,” he noted.

Yakub disclosed that additional deployments are ongoing, with four nurses scheduled to depart for Jamaica and six medical doctors set to leave for Grenada on 9 July.

Discussions are also underway with Belize, the Dominican Republic, and the Director-General of the OECS to create a regional framework for further technical cooperation.

The TAC initiative has also shown potential beyond development assistance.

Yakub said, “Jamaica has formally requested 400 experts, who are willing to pay. Instead of importing labour from Asia, they want Nigerian professionals. We are exporting Nigeria’s human capital with dignity, creating opportunities for our people, and reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership across the Global South.

“One of our volunteers in Jamaica popularised Adire (Yoruba fabric design), which has become so popular that Jamaicans now produce it locally, calling it ‘Jadire’. They even export it to the United States. ”

President Tinubu addressed the Saint Lucia parliament on Monday, June 30, 2025.

President Tinubu has been on a state visit to Saint Lucia since Saturday as part of a two-nation tour of the Caribbean and South America.

On Monday, he addressed a special joint sitting of the Saint Lucian Senate and House of Assembly, where he announced a new scholarship scheme for OECS students to study in Nigerian universities from the next academic year.

He also proposed visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports.