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How Tinubu secretly recorded Jewish lawyer who exposed Abacha’s looting – Babafemi Ojudu

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Babafemi Ojudu, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to former President Muhammadu Buhari and senator, has recounted how President Bola Tinubu secretly recorded a Jewish lawyer exposing the looting carried out by Sani Abacha, a former military ruler, in the 1990s.

Ojudu narrated the incident in an interview with Edmund Obilo, while speaking on his recently published book titled, ‘Adventures of A Guerrilla Journalist’.

Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, is reported to have diverted around $5 billion during his time in power.

These funds were hidden in foreign bank accounts in countries including the US, UK, and Switzerland.

The funds, which the federal government has been gradually recovering over the years, were stashed in foreign banks, including those in the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

In the interview, Ojudu recalled meeting Tinubu while he was in exile in the UK while working as a journalist.

He said Tinubu took him to meet the Jewish lawyer who had promised to provide key information about Abacha’s corruption and those involved in the looting.

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Ojudu, unable to write during the conversation, said he tried to memorise as much as possible.

However, midway through the discussion, Tinubu excused himself to use the bathroom and returned after a brief absence.

Ojudu said Tinubu later revealed he had secretly switched the recording tape while in the bathroom, making sure the lawyer did not notice the change.

“I was excited as a newsman. We went there and sat before the lawyer. He (the lawyer) kept reeling out how Abacha was stealing, and who was helping him,” he recounted.

“The name that was constantly mentioned was the Chagoury brothers. I was so excited but I felt so bad that because I couldn’t write. I needed to take notes. I kept trying to memorise whatever I could.

“Midway to the engagement, our brother (Tinubu) excused himself to go to the bathroom and came back. After about two hours, the engagement came to an end and we hailed a taxi to return to his house.

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“While there, I said what you took me to listen to today was super exclusive but unfortunately I will have to talk to you when we get home so that if you remember some things I will note them down.

“He said to me: Don’t worry yourself. I had a tape recorder with me. That time I went to the bathroom, I went to change the recording from side one to side two. That is why I flushed the toilet so that the man would not know that I was changing the tape.”

Ojudu described Tinubu as a “strategist” who would do whatever it took to achieve his goals.

He, however, said Tinubu tried to stop the story from being published.

“He (Tinubu) is a strategist. He does what he has to do to get what he has to get. I love to work with people like that, who will always find a solution,” Ojudu added.

“We got home and ate. He was on the couch and slept off. I rifled through him and took the tape and then woke him and said I was leaving.

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“About 8pm when I got to my hotel, I quickly changed my flight to the following morning.

“He (Tinubu) called me at 8pm and said: Femi where are you, I can’t find that tape. I said it was with me. He said: what are you doing with it? I said I am going home tomorrow to publish it. He said if you publish it; you are dead. I said I would publish it and let them kill me.

“So, I got back to Nigeria and played the tape to some of my staff, gave them assignments on what they should check and we ran the story. It was a story that shook Abacha.”

Ojudu, once an ally of Tinubu, revealed in the interview that he opposed Tinubu’s presidential bid in 2022 and chose not to vote for him in the 2023 elections.

The politician said his decision not to support Tinubu’s ambition was not a betrayal.

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Lifestyle

Aisha Achimugu: From Business Powerhouse to Paris Style Icon

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Paris has always had a way of making fashion feel less like clothing and more like theatre. And when the world’s style aristocracy gathered for the Spring/Summer 2027 season, Nigerian high flying businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, arrived with the kind of polished glamour that commands attention without demanding it.

Against the timeless backdrop of the French capital, Achimugu stepped into the world of Paris Fashion Week in a look that married sophistication with modern femininity. Her ensemble was defined by a refined silhouette, impeccable tailoring and the kind of carefully considered styling in which every detail appeared deliberate. The proportions were elegant, the finish luxurious, while her accessories added just the right measure of sparkle and personality.

Her beauty look complemented rather than competed with the outfit. Immaculately styled hair, luminous makeup and a poised, confident bearing completed the picture, allowing the clothes to retain their quiet authority. It was a lesson in restraint: nothing appeared excessive, yet every element, from the jewellery to the finishing touches, contributed to the overall effect.

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The real strength of Achimugu’s Paris appearance, however, was in the details. The interplay of texture and silhouette gave the look dimension, while the accessories provided those subtle flashes of glamour associated with the best society dressing. There was an understanding of proportion, balance and occasion, a recognition that at Paris Fashion Week, being noticed is not necessarily about wearing the loudest look in the room.

For Achimugu, fashion has never seemed like an afterthought. It is part of the persona, the jewellery, the sculpted silhouettes, the luxurious textures, the immaculate finishing and that unmistakable confidence of a woman comfortable in her own skin.

Her Paris appearance offered yet another glimpse into the glamorous lifestyle of the Felak Concept Group boss, whose public persona has over the years straddled business, philanthropy, high society and fashion.

In the city, amid the fashion houses and international style elite, Achimugu appeared more than as a spectator but as a Nigerian woman confidently occupying a global fashion space. Her look spoke in the sophisticated language of Parisian dressing, polished, assured and intentionally glamorous, while retaining the unmistakable confidence of a woman bringing her own sense of style to the occasion.

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And as the lights of Paris dimmed on another fashionable season, her appearance left behind the unmistakable impression of a woman who understands that fashion, at its most powerful, is as much about presence as it is about clothes.

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Lifestyle

70-year-old ex-Kogi senator Ocheja marries best friend’s granddaughter

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A video from the wedding of former Kogi East Senator Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja and his new wife has surfaced online.

According to a report by Punch Online, the white wedding was held in Abuja on September 19, 2026

Ocheja, 70, is said to have held his traditional wedding with his new wife, identified simply as Winifred, on September 13.

The traditional ceremony was followed by their white wedding on September 19.

Ocheja is seen in the video dressed in matching colours with Winifred as they danced together.

The former senator appeared cheerful as the couple shared an intimate moment while guests watched and celebrated with them.

A photo from their white wedding has also surfaced online, showing Ocheja dressed in a white suit and black bow tie.

Winifred, said to be the granddaughter of Ocheja’s best friend, wore a sparkly wedding gown and held a bouquet as she posed beside her husband.

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Ocheja is a Law graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He ventured into politics in the early 2000s.

He represented Kogi east senatorial district in the national assembly between 2011 and 2015 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ocheja later resigned from the PDP and announced that he had joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Lifestyle

How I manage Davido’s finances, spending habits — Sharon Adeleke

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Sharon Ademefun Adeleke, the elder sister of Afrobeats superstar, Davido, has revealed how she manages her brother’s finances and her unconventional approach to marriage.

Sharon disclosed this while appearing on the Morayo Show, adding that she regularly discusses Davido’s finances with him, particularly his spending on cars and jewellery.

“One of the major things I’m always getting on my brother is jewellery and cars. My God!” she said.

“Me and him will sit down. We will have a finance meeting every week because I think it is important for him to know how his money is being spent.

“And I will now say, ‘David, please, no more cars, no more jewellery.’ Twenty-four hours later, you will start seeing it on the blogs that he bought another car.”

Sharon, a mother of three, also spoke about her marriage, saying she made it clear to her husband from the outset that she did not intend to follow a traditional approach.

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“When I met my husband, I explained to him that there isn’t going to be a traditional kind of marriage,” she said.

“I remember, I think in the first few months of us dating, I cooked and all the things. When he was eating, I was like, ‘Oh babe, are you enjoying the food?’ He said yes.

“And I said, ‘Good. Now you know I know how to cook, but I don’t like cooking, and I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”

The entrepreneur revealed how she built her wig-making business. She said she learnt to make wigs out of frustration with the difficulty of securing skilled hairstylists and wig makers, who were often fully booked.

“I learnt how to make wigs because I was frustrated because really good hairstylists and wig makers are always busy. Even if you drop your things with them, every week they will still be busy,” she said.

“So, one day I said, ‘What is this wig making? Let me just try.’ At that time, there was maybe one video or two compared to now, when if you go on YouTube, you can find thousands of videos about wig making.

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“I was heavily pregnant and very bored, so my husband took me to the beauty shop, and I bought all the pieces. I just started trying, and then I started doing it more and more. Then my friends started asking me to make wigs for them.”

Sharon said she believes people sometimes discover their businesses unexpectedly rather than through careful planning.

“I’m a big believer that when God gives you a business, you kind of fall into it sometimes. It is not something that you planned,’ she said.

“When I started going into it, I started going for training all over the world.”

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