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Good morning! Newspaper Headlines Today: Refinery fraud: EFCC recovers billions as ex-NNPCL officials face prosecution

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1. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has recovered over N5bn and $10m from contractors and government officials indicted in the fraud in the turnaround maintenance of the nation’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.

It was gathered that the anti-graft agency was working to recover another N10bn and $13m allegedly siphoned through contractors engaged in the maintenance.

 

 

2. Two top leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria, have been arrested by the security agents. Those arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.

 

3. Kano State Police Command arrested no fewer than 288 thugs with dangerous weapons in the four local government areas where the bye-election was conducted on Saturday. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a telephone interview with The Punch on Saturday.

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4. The Peoples Democratic Party in Kano State has condemned the disruption of the ongoing bye-election for the Shanono/ Bagwai State Assembly seat. A statement on Saturday by the party state chairman, Yusuf Ado Kibiya, condemned in strong terms the use of violence or the threat of violence to influence voters and the outcome of the election, saying it is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

 

5. Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, and the leading opposition party in the state, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have clashed over alleged vote-buying in the on-going by-election in the state. The election was held on Saturday across 16 constituencies in 12 states, including Kaduna, across the country.

 

6. A business tycoon and an elder statesman, who was a close associate of late President Shehu Usman Shagari, Alh. Isyaku Ibrahim, is dead. Ibrahim died in the early hours of Saturday at a private hospital in Abuja, aged 88.

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7. The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (FMHUD), has warned the public against falling for the antics of fraudsters with regard to the 753 housing units seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which were forfeited to the Federal Government. In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said it had not engaged any individual or corporate entity to sell the units.

 

8. President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of N16.7 billion for the immediate reconstruction of the Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, which was destroyed by flooding in May this year. Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris announced this in Abakaliki after a meeting with his Works counterpart, Dr. Dave Umahi.

 

9. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Fola Oyekunle has won the Ibadan North Federal Constituency bye-election. The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Abiodun Oluwadare declared the result of the election in the early hours of Sunday in Ibadan.

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10. Security officers in Ogun State on Saturday arrested some people suspected to be Independent National Electoral Commission staff with a huge amount of money ahead of the state bye-election. They were picked up alongside a politician who was allegedly planning to buy votes.

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Tinubu returns to Nigeria after state visit to UK

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President Bola Tinubu arrived in Lagos early on Friday following a two-day historic visit to the United Kingdom.

The president is expected to join Muslim faithful later in the day to mark the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr.

Tinubu and his wife, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, touched down at about 1:15 a.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

They were received on arrival by top government officials and party members, including Lagos State Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside other All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts.

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Tinubu departs UK for Nigeria after historic state visit

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed the the United Kingdom for Nigeria following a high-profile state visit.

This was disclosed on Friday morning by the President’s Special Adviser, Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

“President Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu depart London for Nigeria. President Tinubu and his wife are heading to Lagos for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration,” Onanuga wrote on his Facebook page.

The visit was marked by royal engagements, economic discussions and renewed diplomatic ties.

Tinubu was first received by King Charles III at Windsor Castle, where both leaders held talks aimed at strengthening relations between Nigeria and the UK. The visit featured ceremonial honours, including a carriage procession and a state banquet attended by senior members of the royal family.

At the banquet, Tinubu emphasised the importance of stronger cooperation between both countries. “Nigeria remains ready to deepen its partnership with the United Kingdom in trade, investment and shared prosperity,” he said. “We are committed to creating an environment that supports investors and drives sustainable growth,” Tinubu said.

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On his part, King Charles highlighted the enduring relationship between the two nations. “The United Kingdom and Nigeria share deep and enduring ties. Our countries are bound not only by history, but by a shared commitment to opportunity, enterprise and cultural exchange,” the monarch said.

Beyond the royal engagements, Tinubu also took part in meetings with UK officials, including discussions linked to the government of Keir Starmer, focusing on economic collaboration and investment opportunities.

Speaking on the outcomes of the visit, Tinubu said: “This visit has opened new pathways for cooperation, particularly in infrastructure and trade. We look forward to translating these discussions into tangible benefits for our people.”

A key development from the trip was progress on an agreement involving the rehabilitation of Nigerian ports, valued at hundreds of millions of pounds. According to officials, the project is expected to boost maritime capacity and support economic growth.

Tinubu also acknowledged the significance of the visit, noting that it comes at a crucial time for Nigeria’s economy. “We are determined to reposition our economy through strategic partnerships such as this,” he said.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: 2027 gov poll: Succession firestorm heats up in 10 states

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1. The simmering build-up to the 2027 general elections is rapidly giving way to an expansive and high-stakes succession season in at least 10 states, as governors in their final terms prepare to exit and a new generation of political actors moves to take their place.

Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara) are in the final lap of their constitutionally permitted two-term, four-year tenures, and the battle for their successors has begun across the states


2. President Bola Tinubu on Thursday night departed London after a two-day historic visit at the instance of the royal family. He is expected to land in Abuja on Friday morning.


3. The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on the Nigerian military to adopt a more proactive strategy against terrorist groups in the wake of deadly bombings in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Abubakar made the appeal on Wednesday evening while declaring Friday as Eid-el-Fitr, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.


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4. Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State says the time of Boko Haram informants and their sympathizers is up, vowing that they would be tracked and made to face the full wrath of the law. The governor gave the warning during a state-wide broadcast on Thursday.


5. There was panic at St. Matthias Catholic Church, Agulu, in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, after a fully loaded lorry crashed into the church premises and caught fire. The incident, which occurred late on Wednesday along the Agulu Lake–Golden Tulip Hotel Road, caused gridlock as motorists slowed down while emergency responders battled to contain the blaze.



6. Nigeria has entered into a fresh agreement with the United Kingdom that will enable British authorities to repatriate thousands of failed asylum seekers and convicted offenders to the West African nation. The deal was formalised by Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood during President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to Britain.


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7. Combined security operatives have arrested three suspected bandits linked to the February 3, 2026 attack on Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. The arrest was disclosed on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Ibraheem Abdullateef, in a Facebook post.



8. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Kano Strategic Command, has arrested a suspect and recovered 510 blocks of cannabis sativa in a major pre–Eid-el-Fitr operation. The State Commander, D.Y. Lawal, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics, Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari.


9. Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorized country in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index, 2026, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a non-profit think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The report showed that 750 Nigerians lost their lives to terrorism in 2025, representing a 46 per cent increase compared to the previous year.



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10. The Police Command in Enugu State has detained three suspects in coordinated crime prevention operations across the state, recovering a firearm, ammunition and a tricycle. The command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu. Ndukwe said that on March 15, about 9 a.m., operatives on patrol along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway intercepted an unregistered tricycle.

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