News
BREAKING: Senator Azuta-Mbata emerges as Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General

John Azuta-Mbata, a former Senator for Rivers East constituency, has been elected President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The election, held on 10 January 2025 at the Old Government Lodge in Enugu, saw delegates from Rivers State unanimously nominating Azuta-Mbata for the position.
His emergence follows the zoning of the role to Rivers State after the passing of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who represented Imo State.
Azuta-Mbata, the first Ikwerre native to serve as Rivers East Senator under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, assumes leadership at a pivotal moment for the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
In his acceptance speech, he expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him, pledging to foster unity among Igbo people and tackle key challenges facing the community.
His election is seen as a milestone in reinforcing inclusivity and regional representation within the Igbo-speaking regions.
News
Tinubu commiserates with Ododo over father’s death

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep condolences to Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, following the death of his father, Alhaji Momohsani Ododo, on Monday, August 18, 2025.
In a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, the President extended his sympathies to the Ododo family, their friends, and the people of Kogi State during this period of grief.
In his message, Tinubu said, “My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved, acknowledging the profound loss felt by the Ododo family and the broader Kogi community.”
Alhaji Momohsani, who passed away at 83 after the 2pm Muslim prayers, was described by the President as a revered community leader whose legacy lives on through the achievements of his children.
Tinubu urged Ododo, his family, and the entire Ododo clan to take solace in their patriarch’s life of service to God and the moral and religious values that guided him.
He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed and God’s comfort for the bereaved family, friends, and associates.
Crime
Owo Bombing: Court Approves Protection for Witnesses

……As court sets September 10 for bail ruling.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has approved protection measures for witnesses expected to testify in the trial of five suspects linked to the June 5, 2022 bombing at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The ruling followed an ex parte application by the prosecution, led by Calistus Eze, under the Terrorism Prevention Act 2022.
The accused—Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar—face a nine-count terrorism charge related to their alleged ties to the East African terrorist group Al-Shabab. The attack resulted in over 40 deaths.
Prosecutor Eze emphasized the severity of the charges in support of witness protection. The defendants’ counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, raised no objections.
Separately, Abdullahi Muhammad filed bail applications for the suspects, which the prosecution opposed. Eze argued that due to the suspects’ suspected foreign terrorist links, there was a high risk they might abscond if granted bail. He also cited concerns about potential threats to the six witnesses and doubts over the reliability of any sureties.
The prosecutor informed the court that the Department of State Services (DSS) has approved visitation rights for the suspects’ families while in custody.
During the hearing, Eze also notified the court of the Attorney General’s appointment of Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ayodeji Adedipe as the new lead prosecutor. The case file transfer is ongoing.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until September 10 for a ruling on the bail application.
News
President Tinubu earning N1.5m monthly, Ministers N1m – RMAF
You cannot pay a minister less than N1m per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things.

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has hinted at plans to review the salaries of political office holders in Nigeria, describing current earnings as inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated in the face of rising responsibilities and economic challenges.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu presently earns N1.5m monthly, while ministers receive less than N1m — figures that have remained unchanged since 2008.
“You are paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria N1.5m a month, with a population of over 200 million people. Everybody believes that it is a joke,” Shehu said.
He added, “You cannot pay a minister less than N1m per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things. You pay either a CBN governor or the DG ten times more than you pay the President.
That is just not right. Or you pay him [the head of an agency] twenty times higher than the Attorney-General of the Federation. That is absolutely not right.”
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