News
“You are not qualified to speak about fighting corruption” -PDP tells Tinubu
“This statement by Senator Tinubu is completely sacrilegious and an assault on the sensibility of Nigerians, having regards to his records of alleged corruption and having been described variously as an embodiment of corruption in his public life.”

Following president-elect Bola Tinubu’s declaration that his administration will make corruption less attractive, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told him that he cannot speak on the issue.
A statement from Tinubu’s camp after his commissioning of some judiciary projects in Rivers State, had quoted him saying: “You don’t expect your judges to live in squalor, to operate in squalor and dispense justice in squalor. This is part of the changes that are necessary. We must fight corruption, but we must definitely look at the other side of the coin.
“If you don’t want your judges to be corrupt you got to pay attention to their welfare. You don’t want them to operate in hazardous conditions.”
Tinubu commended Wike for his foresight in providing judges and magistrates the best working and living conditions. He noted that with such provision, the governor had shown sufficient support for the fight against corruption, particularly, in the judiciary.”
But speaking at a press conference at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the party and indeed all sensible Nigerians are alarmed, scandalized and embarrassed by Tinubu’s statement. According to him,
“This statement by Senator Tinubu is completely sacrilegious and an assault on the sensibility of Nigerians, having regards to his records of alleged corruption and having been described variously as an embodiment of corruption in his public life.”
He alleged that it is in the public domain that as Governor of Lagos State, Senator Tinubu promoted and institutionalized corruption as an act of governance.
The PDP spokesman added: “It is on record that Senator Tinubu is alleged to be deeply involved in the infamous cases involving Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LLP, allegedly owned and controlled by him and through which over N100 billion belonging to Lagos State was reportedly stolen through shady tax collection deals.
“It is also public knowledge that there have been numerous allegations and evidence of corruption and complicity by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the declaration of Senator Tinubu as the winner of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election. Today Nigerians and indeed the world believe that that declaration was a product of the corruption of the Process, Institutions and the Law by the APC and its Presidential candidate.
“It is therefore ludicrous that an individual who has been widely alleged to be an enabler and beneficiary of corruption can attempt to put himself forward to Nigerians as a champion of anti-corruption. Of course, corruption cannot fight corruption!
“If indeed Senator Tinubu is desirous of fighting corruption, the starting point should be that he publicly and personally address Nigerians on the numerous allegations of corruption, including the Alpha Beta cases and alleged improper acquisition and conversion of Lagos State Government landed properties worth billions of naira to himself, family, associates and cronies.
“Clearly, Senator Tinubu’s pontification or claims on corruption is a further attempt to corrupt, cultivate, patronize, lure and compromise the Judiciary ahead of the commencement of the hearing of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Monday, May 8, 2023 and nothing more.”
The PDP therefore called on the judiciary to be wary of attempts by the APC and the president-elect to patronize them in the course of the discharge of their Constitutional duties as impartial arbiter, particularly in the pending Petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
culled: Vanguard
Crime
JUST IN: Defence Headquarters nab two security personnel aiding terrorists in North-East

Two security personnel aiding terrorist operations in the North-East have been arrested, the Defence Headquarters has announced.
The Director, Media Operations at the Defence Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, explained that the two personnel are from hybrid forces who had been working alongside troops to combat insurgency in the region.
He further explained that the men were arrested during operations from April 26 to 29 across Bama, Kukawa and Madagali LGAs.
According to him, the military personnel were among four terrorist logistics suppliers arrested by the troops.
Kangye described the action of the arrested men as “betrayal”, warning commanders to sensitise their personnel against acts that could sabotage ongoing military efforts.
“In a well-coordinated operation conducted from 26–29 April 2025 in Bama, Kukawa, and Madagali LGAs of Borno and Adamawa states, troops intercepted four terrorists’ logistics suppliers.
“Sadly, two of them were confirmed to be members of the hybrid forces,” the Defence Headquarters spokesman said.
“Commanders are therefore to sensitise hybrid forces personnel to desist from colluding with or encouraging terrorist acts capable of sabotaging our operations,” he added.
Kangye added that in another development, troops, in conjunction with hybrid forces, carried out offensive operations including fighting patrols, raids and clearance missions in Gwoza, Dikwa, Bama, Chibok, Gujba, Geidam, and Yunusari LGAs of Borno State.
According to him, several terrorists were killed during the operations, six kidnap victims were rescued and caches of arms, ammunition, motorcycles and bicycles were recovered.
Kangye further explained that in the South-South, troops also achieved significant success in curbing oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta, saying that they recovered over 86,000 litres of stolen crude oil, 72,000 litres of illegally refined diesel, and over 2,600 litres of petrol.
He stated that troops destroyed dozens of illegal refining sites and seized boats, storage tanks, tricycles, mobile phones and seven vehicles.
News
2025 World Press Freedon Day: NHRC seeks AI alignment with human rights principles

As Nigeria joins the rest of the global community to commemorate the 2025 World Press Freedom Day, the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has advocated for the establishment of ethical and legal frameworks to address the myriad of challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence, AI.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Tony Ojukwu, who stated this in Abuja on the 2025 commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day, highlighted the need for regulations that ensure AI development aligns with human rights principles, preventing potential abuses and safeguarding fundamental freedoms.
Accordingly, the Commission proposed issuing an advisory on the use and deployment of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria very soon.
The senior lawyer observed that while AI could be deployed to enhance journalistic activities such as content development, investigative reporting, research and fact-checking, it could also be a source of worry when it is manipulated for misinformation, cyber bullying, emotional abuse and inciting comments.
The Chief Human Rights Officer of Nigeria noted that the theme of 2025 commemoration, “Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media” is apt given the exponential growth of digital communications and utilization of AI in virtually all aspects of life.
According to him, AI tools have greatly impacted on the enjoyment of the Right to Freedom of Expression and the Media by eliminating barriers to timely and effective communication.
AI tools, he said, have at the same time aided the breach of the Right to Freedom of Expression and the Media when applied unprofessionally without deference to ethical regulations.
The NHRC boss urged the Citizens including journalists to take advantage of AI in the most positive and responsible manner to deepen the realisation of the Right to Freedom of Expression and the Media while at the same time avoiding inciting statements against constituted authorities and other members of the public.
In the same vein, the Executive Secretary enjoined those in authority to cooperate with the journalists in the course of discharging their constitutional responsibility, which among others includes holding the government accountable to the people.
He therefore urged all stakeholders to always recognize the press as a critical partner in the democratic process and desist from any form of confrontation and interference with the lawful duties of journalists and other media workers, otherwise they will be found on the wrong side of the law.
The legal luminary commended journalists for courageously discharging their constitutional responsibility despite occasional harassment, intimidation, and seizure/destruction of their working tools by some overzealous security agents.
The observance of the World Press Freedom Day, the Executive Secretary stated, is not an opportunity to apportion blame to any individual, Institution or group of persons but it is a time to reminisce the fundamental principles of press freedom, ponder on the state of press freedom globally, defend the Media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in their line of duty.
The World Press Freedom Day was first celebrated in 1993 on the 3rd of May to remind governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and to remind journalists of their obligation to professional ethics in the course of their duties.
The statement was issued on Saturday by Hajia Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Director Corporate Affairs and External Linkages at the NHRC.
Crime
$3bn refinery fraud: N80bn found in sacked MD’s bank accounts

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the recently sacked managing directors and some top officials of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
The officials were arrested over alleged mismanagement of funds earmarked for the rehabilitation of the facilities. The total amount under investigation is $2,956,872,622.36.
Findings showed that the EFCC is probing the sum of $1,559,239,084.36 allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740,669,600 released for the Kaduna refinery, and $656,963,938 approved for the Warri refinery.
The ex-Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd is Mr Ibrahim Onoja, while Efifia Chu served as the ex-Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd.
This came as impeccable top management sources at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited revealed that N80bn was found in the account of one of the sacked MDs.
Also, operators and experts in the sector lambasted NNPCL for deceiving Nigerians regarding the operations of the refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt and Warri plants, following the poor output from the facilities since their resumption of operations in November and December 2024.
Dashed Hope
NNPCL manages the three refineries for Nigerians. The plants had remained dormant for decades, but the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries resumed operations in November and December 2024, respectively.
However, less than one month after the Warri refinery resumed operations, the plant was again shut down due to safety concerns.
The Port Harcourt refinery, on the other hand, has been operating below 40 per cent of its capacity since its widely celebrated revamp.
On Tuesday, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the new NNPCL management fired the managing directors of the three refineries under its purview.
Some other senior officials of the national oil firm were also asked to leave; among them was Bala Wunti, a former chief of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, a subsidiary of the NNPCL.
The new management also asked many officials with one year to their various retirement dates to leave.
Source: PUNCH
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