1. Details have emerged at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal sitting in Paris on how a contractor transferred $500,000 to former vice President Atiku Abubakar’s wife in 2003, a few months before the purported award of a phantom contract to his company.
Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, in his evidence before the tribunal,said the money was transferred to the account of Jennifer Douglas, a wife of Atiku at the time.
Although Adesanya claimed that the January 2003 transfer was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for the former VP, the tribunal noted the ” close connection in time between the moment the USD 500,000 payment was made to the wife of Vice-President Abubakar on 30 January 2003 and the alleged award of the BOT contract to Sunrise on 22 May 2003.”
2. Aminatu Abiola, stepmother of Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state, has rejected claims that her stepson has any ties to Ekiti state. Abiola spoke in a viral video on Friday, dismissing insinuations that Yayi is from Ekiti state.
3. The Chinese-must-go protest staged by some traders at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos on Tuesday has triggered apprehension among Nigerians resident in China and traders doing business at the foremost complex in Lagos State. The traders, from videos obtained by our correspondent, were seen protesting against alleged infiltration of their retail businesses by the expatriates, demanding their exit.
Findings revealed that the Nigerian community in China was immediately thrown into panic mode immediately the provocative videos surfaced online.
4. Troops of the Northeast Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have killed four terrorists and foiled attacks by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Borno State. The attacks were foiled at the Gajiram FOB in Nganzai Local Council and the Mairari FOB in Guzamala Local Council of the state
5. Teachers in Nigeria’s 117 Federal Unity Colleges are expected to return to the classrooms following the suspension of industrial action by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos. The development followed an agreement between the Federal Ministry of Education and organised labour to suspend the proposed concession.
6. The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a prominent politician, Prince Ikechukwu Oloto, popularly known as “Okanga Mo,” in Nsukka. Responding to inquiries on Friday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said Oloto was found in a pool of blood with deep suspected machete cuts to his head and stomach.
7. The All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State has dismissed the relevance of the emerging “Rainbow Coalition” in the state, saying it has the structures and grassroots support to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections. The state APC chairman, Warman Weri Ogoriba, stated this in a statement yesterday, saying the party remained united and firmly rooted across the eight local government areas and political wards in the state.
8. The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has urged African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race over ICC arbitration revelations. The council alleged that proceedings before an International Chamber of Commerce tribunal in Paris had raised serious questions about the former Vice-President’s role in the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project controversy.
9. Benue State Police Command on Friday rescued nine passengers who were earlier kidnapped along the Ankpenchi-Ogobia Road in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state. The State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, revealed this during a press conference held at the state headquarters in Makurdi.
10. The Federal Government has opted for a low-key celebration for the country’s 66th Independence Day anniversary, with President Bola Tinubu scheduled to address the nation on October 1. This was disclosed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in a statement made available to reporters on Friday.
