1. The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday watched a video recording in which an Islamic cleric, standing trial over the coup plot, told investigators that he warned the suspected conspirators that their plan would fail and that they would eventually be betrayed.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik also ordered a joint trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of statements and video recordings the prosecution sought to tender against the six defendants
2. The United States has identified Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin as critical fronts in its 2026 counterterrorism strategy, warning that extremist groups operating across Africa remain a growing threat to global security. In the strategy document, the US government said parts of Africa, including West Africa, the Sahel region, the Lake Chad Basin, Mozambique, Sudan and Somalia, have witnessed a resurgence of terrorist activities following the collapse of ISIS strongholds in Iraq and Syria.
3. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of the Africa-France Summit scheduled to hold between today and tomorrow in the East African country. The President ’s aircraft landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, at about 12.15am local time and was received by Nigerian and Kenyan government officials.
4. African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar yesterday faulted the zoning of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC presidential ticket to the South. He described the move as a setback to plans by opposition parties to displace President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
5. Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested three female suspects during a raid on drug hideouts in Ogbomoro and Ugolo communities in Warri metropolis. PUNCH Metro on Monday gathered that the operation was carried out by operatives attached to the Effurun Area Command following credible intelligence.
6. The All Progressives Congress, APC, screening committee for the Rivers State House of Assembly has dismissed the list of cleared and uncleared aspirants for the 2027 elections, noting that the list did not emanate from the committee. It was earlier gathered that the committee had released a list of successful and unsuccessful aspirants to stand for the primaries of the party and that 98 people were screened.
7. Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike on Monday, washed his hands off the controversy surrounding the screening of aspirants by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, insisting that as a non-member of the party, the matter was entirely outside his purview. On the emerging political alignment in Rivers State ahead of 2027, Wike said his rainbow coalition would be guided by electoral pragmatism rather than fixed party loyalties.
8. Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso has dismissed suggestions that his exit from the African Democratic Congress has created a damaging split in the opposition. He said he and Atiku Abubakar may yet work together before the 2027 general election.
9. The Independent National Electoral Commission says it will deploy over 1.4 million National Youth Service Corps members for the 2027 general elections nationwide. Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the NYSC leadership in Abuja on Monday. He met the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, to strengthen electoral collaboration.
10. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has warned that poor implementation of its 2025 agreement with the Federal Government could trigger fresh action across Nigerian public universities. ASUU President, Mr Christopher Piwuna, gave the warning on Monday at a news conference held after the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Yola.
