Hollywood couple Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively make first public appearance amid legal battle

Hollywood actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds were spotted in New York City on Wednesday enjoying frozen yogurt, marking their first public outing since Lively demanded a “mini trial” against fellow actor Justin Baldoni for alleged damages.

The couple, married since 2012, appeared relaxed as they shared the treat in the backseat of a car. Reynolds shared photos of the desserts on his Instagram Stories, while Lively reposted them, describing the limited pineapple flavour as “bonkers” and calling for it to become a permanent menu item.

Lively, 38, opted for her signature blonde hair and accessorised with earrings, while Reynolds, 49, wore a light blue shirt and tan trousers. The couple appeared cheerful, exchanging smiles during the outing.

They are parents to four children: James, 11; Inez, nine; Betty, six; and Olin, three. In recent weeks, Lively has shared playful photos of Reynolds on Instagram, including one showing him carrying a $26,000 Hermes handbag, highlighting the couple’s ongoing social media engagement despite their busy schedules.

Earlier this year, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, seeking $160 million in damages over alleged sexual harassment and defamation following the release of the film It Ends With Us. Most of the claims were dismissed by a judge in April 2026.

Lively has since demanded a “mini trial” to determine additional damages for reputational harm and legal fees. Her lawyers argued that expert evidence is required to quantify the alleged losses. Baldoni’s legal team countered, calling it an “alternative trial,” and challenged the claim of reputational damage.

Reports suggest the legal proceedings have already cost both parties around $60 million in legal fees. Lively is seeking to recover her legal costs, as well as triple and punitive damages.

Following weeks of relative privacy, Lively has gradually returned to public appearances. She was seen at the Met Gala, a Fendi event, and the Gucci High Jewelry exhibition in New York.

Jennifer Lopez proud as twin sons get into colleges they applied to despite ADHD

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez has shared that her 18-year-old twins, Max and Emme, who now goes by Oskar, have been accepted into every college they applied to, despite facing challenges with ADHD.

The 56-year-old told Extra that both teens applied to multiple universities and were each awarded scholarships. She did not disclose which college they ultimately chose, or whether they will attend the same institution.

“I am so proud that they set goals for themselves,” Lopez said. “They all got into all five colleges that they applied to. Each one received a scholarship to a school. I just felt like they worked so hard.”

Lopez praised her children for their dedication, noting that she witnessed their efforts from as early as fifth grade. “They have ADHD, so they need to learn differently. There were struggles and tough times, and I’m just so proud of them because they did what they said they were going to do, and they’re good people,” she added.

Promoting her new movie, Office Romance, Lopez described her children as “loving, good-hearted people.” She recalled her parenting mantra, telling them, “‘Doesn’t matter if we get good grades so long as we’re good people.’ And they still sometimes quote that back to me.”

Earlier this month on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Lopez admitted she had been emotional preparing for her twins’ college journey. “Tomorrow one of them graduates [high school],” she told Kimmel, joking, “Don’t talk about it ’cause we start crying.”

Lopez said she is comfortable with them attending separate colleges, adding: “It’s fine. I want them to be happy, go where they want to go, and do what they want to do.”

Midnight gun battle rocks Abuja, as Police foil kidnap attempt after 30-minute shootout

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Residents of Byazhin in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were thrown into panic in the early hours of Friday as heavily armed kidnappers engaged police operatives in a fierce gun duel lasting more than 30 minutes during a foiled abduction attempt.

The dramatic exchange of gunfire erupted around 12:34 a.m. near the Redeemed Church area of Byazhin, close to Paze Hills, after operatives of the FCT Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit swooped on the area following intelligence reports about the presence of suspected kidnappers.

The armed gang had allegedly targeted the residence of a man identified simply as Samson and his wife and were reportedly attempting to force their way into the building when police operatives arrived at the scene.

According to the FCT Police Command, the suspects immediately opened fire upon sighting the security team, triggering a prolonged gun battle.

Police operatives responded with what authorities described as a decisive counteroffensive, forcing the attackers to abandon their mission and flee into nearby bushes with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.

The operation successfully thwarted the planned abduction and ensured the safety of the intended victims.

Items recovered from the scene included an AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 magazine and seven rounds of live ammunition believed to have been abandoned by the fleeing suspects.

The rescued couple was evacuated from the area and taken to the General Hospital, Gwarinpa, where they received treatment for trauma-related distress before being placed under protective custody.

Confirming the operation, the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said the swift intervention of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit prevented what could have become another high-profile kidnapping incident within the nation’s capital.

“The armed suspects were attempting to forcefully gain entry into a house with the intention of abducting the occupants. Upon sighting the police team, the suspects opened fire, prompting a decisive response from the police team,” she said.

She added that “a fierce gun battle ensued for over thirty minutes, during which the police operatives successfully repelled the attackers and foiled the kidnapping attempt.”

FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, commended the operatives for their bravery and professionalism during the operation.

He also reassured residents of the command’s determination to sustain the fight against violent crime and directed enhanced surveillance patrols in the area to prevent any further security breaches.

The latest incident underscores growing concerns over kidnapping activities around the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, even as security agencies intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating within and around Abuja.

Meanwhile, police authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely intelligence capable of assisting security agencies in combating crime across the territory.

Gunmen invade Ondo, abduct Pastor’s son after midnight rampage

Panic swept through Idogun community in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State in the early hours of Friday after heavily armed kidnappers stormed the area, destroyed buildings and abducted a nine-year-old boy during a terrifying midnight attack.

The attackers, suspected to be bandits, reportedly invaded Ugbosi Quarters in Idogun at about 1:30 a.m., firing repeatedly into the air and sending terrified residents fleeing into nearby bushes and neighbouring communities for safety.

In the chaos that followed, the gunmen allegedly targeted the residence of a pastor, Mr. Isaac Olaosebikan, and abducted his nine-year-old son, Victor Olaosebikan, after the cleric narrowly escaped death by fleeing into the surrounding forest.

Witnesses said the community was thrown into confusion as the attackers moved from house to house, shooting sporadically and smashing properties in what residents described as one of the most frightening incidents to hit the area in recent times.

The assailants also reportedly damaged at least two residential buildings during the raid while attempting to gain access to occupants.

A resident said many villagers abandoned their homes and spent the night in neighbouring communities amid fears that the attackers could return.

Confirming the incident, the Ondo State Police Command said it had launched a massive manhunt for the kidnappers and commenced a coordinated search-and-rescue operation to secure the release of the abducted child.

Police spokesman, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the attack was reported to authorities by the victim’s father and another resident, Mr. Joel Owalekan, whose house was also targeted by the gunmen.

According to him, the attackers forced their way into the pastor’s residence, but the cleric escaped into the bush, leaving behind his son who was subsequently whisked away by the armed men.

“The Ondo State Police Command has commenced an intensive manhunt for suspected kidnappers who abducted a nine-year-old boy during a violent attack on residents of Ugbosi Quarters, Idogun,” the police spokesman said.

He disclosed that police operatives, in collaboration with personnel of the Amotekun Corps, immediately swung into action, combing forests and suspected escape routes in a desperate bid to rescue the child and apprehend the kidnappers.

The Command said relevant exhibits had been recovered from the scene while investigations were ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, has directed tactical teams, intelligence units and other security assets to intensify efforts toward the immediate rescue of the victim and the arrest of those responsible.

Police nab 3 suspects with large quantities of drugs in Delta

By Ayorinde Oluokun

Police operatives have arrested three suspected drug traffickers with recovery of large quantities of hard drugs in two separate operations in Delta State.

SP Bright Edafe, the spokesperson for the Command who revealed this in a statement on Friday said one of the suspects, Obinna Nwosu was arrested on 3 June 2026 by operatives of the Special Enquiry Unit deployed on stop-and-search duty at the First Niger Bridge Head, inward Asaba, the state capita.

According to the statement, the police operatives intercepted a Mercedes truck with registration number KRV 837 ZN driven by Nwosu who claimed he was transporting plumbing materials.

But a search of the vehicle by the police operatives led to the recovery of 13,000 sachets of 100mg Tramadol, 100 sachets of 225mg Tramadol, 100 sachets of Swinol, 300 sachets of Rohypnol, 60 sachets of Codeine Phosphate tablets, and one hundred 100 tablets of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), popularly known as “Molly”.

Edafe said the suspect has been taken into custody and investigations aimed at identifying other persons connected to the illicit consignment is ongoing.

The spokesperson added that on the same date, operatives of the Command Anti-Vice Squad (CAVS), acting on credible intelligence, raided a suspected drug distribution point at Alegbo Community, Owa-Alero, in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State during which two suspects identified as Henry Edward and Okwudili Kingsley were arrested.

The Delta Police Command spokesperson said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were allegedly operating a drug distribution network within the area.

He listed hard drugs recovered from them to include five gallons of fermented cannabis mixture popularly known as “Monkey Tail”, as well as large quantities of substances suspected to be Indian hemp and other illicit drugs.

The suspects and exhibits are in police custody while further investigations are ongoing.

Edafe quoted Delta Commissioner of Police CP Yemi Oyeniyi as commending the operatives for their diligence and professionalism.

“He reiterated the command’s resolve to sustain aggressive operations against drug trafficking and other organised crimes, noting that illicit drugs remain a major enabler of cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping, and other violent offences.

“He further urged members of the public to remain vigilant and support the Police with timely and credible information capable of aiding crime prevention and detection.”

Senate row ends: Gatchalian takes helm, Cayetano yields

The monthlong leadership crisis in the Senate ended on Wednesday after Sen. Sherwin ‘Win’ Gatchalian secured the votes needed to be formally elected Senate President during a special session of Congress.

This development significantly undercuts a pending Supreme Court challenge questioning the legitimacy of the chamber’s reorganization and raises the likelihood that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will proceed without institutional uncertainty.

Gatchalian’s election became possible after Sen. Joel Villanueva left the minority bloc and joined senators backing a leadership change, providing the crucial 13th vote required under the Constitution to elect a Senate President.

The vote gave the Gatchalian bloc the majority it had lacked since the Senate’s controversial June 3 reorganization, which triggered a constitutional dispute and prompted allies of then Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to seek Supreme Court intervention.

Cayetano captured the Senate presidency on May 11 after his faction, composed mostly of Duterte allies, ousted Sen. Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III after it attained a slim majority when Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa suddenly reappeared to support him after six months of hiding.

On June 3, the third day the Cayetano bloc boycotted plenary sessions in retaliation to the Sotto group’s walkout during the May 27 session, the surprise appearance of Sen. Francis Escudero enabled the 11-member Sotto bloc to establish a quorum and subsequently installed Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and, as such, designated him as acting Senate President.

Cayetano concedes

A few hours before Wednesday’s special session, Cayetano acknowledged that the numbers had shifted against him.

‘The arithmetic has changed. The Constitution has not,’ Cayetano said in a statement posted on social media, adding he would not stand in the way of the election of a new Senate President once the majority secured the required votes.

His concession came shortly before senators formally elected Gatchalian, effectively ending questions over who legitimately headed the chamber and whether actions taken by rival blocs could withstand constitutional scrutiny.

Cayetano allies-Senators Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Camille Villar, Mark Villar, Robin Padilla, and Christopher ‘Bong’ Go-were absent during the opening of the special session and the election of Senate officers.

Dela Rosa, who went back into hiding on May 14, remains out of public view amid efforts to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, while Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is detained at the Quezon City Jail and suspended for 90 days by the Sandiganbayan.

Some opposition senators, including Marcoleta, Marcos, Legarda and Go, later attended the Commission on Appointments session. Pia Cayetano, Legarda, Marcos, Go and Camille Villar joined the afternoon plenary.

Implications for SC case

The leadership vote has immediate implications for the petition filed on Tuesday by Cayetano and eight other senators seeking to nullify the June 3 Senate reorganization.

The petition argued that the restructuring of Senate leadership and committee assignments violated constitutional requirements and Senate rules. It warned that unresolved questions over Senate leadership could cast doubt on major institutional actions, including the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

Wednesday’s developments substantially altered that landscape.

With 13 senators physically present and voting for Gatchalian, the majority bloc was able to demonstrate compliance with the constitutional requirement that a Senate President be elected by a majority of all 24 members.

The election was quickly recognized by senators from both camps, including several who had sided with Cayetano.

Legarda, one of the petition’s signatories, publicly acknowledged the legitimacy of the new leadership.

‘They have 13 votes so we respect, appreciate and recognize the 13 votes to elect the officers of the Senate. It’s correct now, it’s legal now,’ she told reporters.

She nevertheless maintained that the Supreme Court case remains pending, formally manifesting during plenary that Cayetano would serve as minority leader ‘without prejudice’ to the final resolution of the petition.

Pia Cayetano likewise recognized the constitutional basis of the leadership change.

‘When you have 13, you lead. When you don’t follow the rules, that’s when we have a problem. But when you adhere to the Constitution and the rules, no problem,’ she said.

Go also accepted the outcome.

‘Majority rules. This is a collegial body. Let’s move on with the new leadership,’ he said.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo called for reconciliation, saying senators should ‘set aside all the differences and work again.’

The broad acceptance of Gatchalian’s election by senators from both camps may complicate efforts to convince the Supreme Court that the Senate remains under a constitutional cloud.

While the petition challenges the validity of the June 3 proceedings, Wednesday’s vote appears to have cured the central issue raised by critics of the reorganization-the absence of the constitutionally required majority to elect a Senate President.

VP impeachment trial

The matter carries particular significance because the Senate is constitutionally mandated to convene as an impeachment court once articles of impeachment are transmitted by the House of Representatives.

Questions over Senate leadership had fueled concerns that proceedings involving the Vice President could face procedural challenges from either supporters or opponents of the impeachment complaint.

By securing a clear majority, Gatchalian’s bloc strengthened its claim that the Senate is operating under constitutionally recognized leadership, potentially insulating future actions of the chamber-including impeachment proceedings-from challenges to its institutional authority.

Majority consolidation

Wednesday’s reorganization also consolidated control of key leadership posts and committees among senators aligned with the new majority.

Former Senate President Sotto was elected Senate President pro tempore, while Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri formally assumed the post of majority leader and chair of the committee on rules. Senators JV Ejercito and Villanueva were named deputy majority leaders.

The majority also approved a broad committee reorganization.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo was named chair of the blue ribbon committee, with Senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo Lacson as vice chairs. All senators were designated members except Senator Escudero, whose alleged links to the multibillion-peso flood control controversy are under investigation.

Ejercito took over the powerful finance committee, which scrutinizes the national budget, while Sotto assumed the chairmanships of the ethics committee and the national defense and security panel.

The bloc likewise secured key positions in the Commission on Appointments, the Senate Electoral Tribunal and the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), further reinforcing majority control of the institution. Pangilinan was appointed as representative to the JBC, which reviews nominations for vacancies in the Supreme Court, other judicial bodies and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Stability after infighting

In his acceptance speech, Gatchalian sought to project stability after weeks of political infighting, describing the Senate presidency as a responsibility anchored on ‘institutional stewardship and public accountability.’

He also extended an olive branch to senators who remained in the minority.

‘This is not just the majority. This is a Senate composed of 24 senators,’ Gatchalian said, pledging to reach out to all members of the chamber.

Malacañang welcomed the development, with Palace press officer Claire Castro congratulating Gatchalian and expressing hope that Congress could now focus on priority legislation during the special session called by President Marcos.

The Palace also thanked the House of Representatives under Speaker Faustino Dy III for attending the special session, which was convened to tackle administration-backed measures but ultimately became the venue where the Senate’s leadership dispute was finally resolved.

Solons hope Senate leadership row resolution brings back work mode

Ranking members of the House of Representatives have expressed hope that the resolution of the Senate’s leadership squabble will allow Congress to return to work and also focus on the task of holding Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

In a statement on Wednesday, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V said he hopes the Senate can now devote its attention to the impeachment proceedings and on discussion of important measures, now that Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has been elected Senate President.

Gatchalian was elected, along with other officers of the Senate, during the special session called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which was held earlier.

‘It’s high time we focus on work. I hope that includes the work for the upcoming impeachment trial,’ Ortega said.

‘Maybe things will simmer down and at the end of the day, as I said, we can get back to our work,’ he added.

Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos also congratulated Gatchalian after his election, saying that the House looks forward to working with the new Senate President.

‘On behalf of the House, we would like to congratulate Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian. We look forward to working with him,’ Marcos said in an ambush interview.

‘I have worked with him, and I know how level-headed he can be. So I think that’s exactly what this current political climate needs, especially there in the Senate, level-headedness and just the need for all of us to really get back to work,’ he added.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña said he is looking forward to seeing how Gatchalian will steer the Senate after a ‘month-long political circus.’

‘I would like to congratulate the newly elected Senate President, Win Gatchalian. Now that the month-long political circus and partisan chaos wrought by the former Senate leadership has ended, we hope to see SP Win steer the upper chamber in its work,’ Cendaña said.

‘A lot of work was pending, like important bills and things left unaddressed, but we trust the new leadership’s ability. Let’s get back to work!’ he added.

Gatchalian was elected Senate President after Senator Joel Villanueva joined the 12 current members of the new Majority bloc.

The new majority consists of Gatchalian, Villanueva, Majority Leader Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, Senators Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, Bam Aquino, JV Ejercito, Francis Escudero, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, and Lito Lapid.

READ: Gatchalian is new Senate president https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2247753/fwd-gatchalian-now-senate-president

The Senate faced several tumultuous and tense moments since former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano assumed office. Last May 11, Duterte was impeached for a second time by the House, but the Senate became the center of storylines after Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s suddenly returned to the plenary hall, after six months of absence.

Dela Rosa was also seen running down the Senate’s staircase to evade arrest by pursuing National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel serving an arrest order from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Senator’s attendance proved to be significant as it gave Cayetano 13 votes-the minimum number of votes needed to have him installed as Senate President, replacing Sotto.

Then, on March 13, violence erupted in the Senate after gunshots were heard inside the facility. This was the same day that the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted by the House to the Senate.

Cayetano’s camp defended the actions of acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca, as the latter was supposedly just trying to defend the Senate from NBI personnel.

However, it was later revealed that Aplasca was the one who opened fire at NBI personnel who were asked by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to secure their building – which sits adjacent to the Senate. Both the Senate and the GSIS building are inside the GSIS complex in Pasay City.

Initial reports from police also deemed that Aplasca’s actions were an overkill.

Then on May 26, the Minority bloc walked out of the session after the former Majority-led by Cayetano and Senator Rodante Marcoleta, pushed for the discussion of a proposed amendment of the Senate rules.

Marcoleta’s amendment seeks to allow senators not physically present to participate and vote remotely during plenary deliberations. The Minority, before walking out, questioned the rush to amend the rules, and as to why the amendment was contained in a motion instead of a formal resolution.

As a retaliation, the Majority bloc did not attend the session on June 1 and 2. On June 3, House lawmakers like Deputy Speaker Albee Benitez said that the Senate was on the verge of violating the 1987 Constitution, as there is a provision stating that the Senate cannot adjourn its session for more than three days without informing the House.

This scenario was avoided after Escudero, who is part of Cayetano’s bloc, showed up, giving the Senate a quorum to hold session. Positions were also declared vacant, paving the way for Gatchalian’s election as Senate President Pro Tempore and Zubiri being picked as the Majority Leader.

Gatchalian justified that 12 senators are already a majority under the condition that only 22 out of 24 senators are available-since Senator Jinggoy Estrada was detained on plunder raps, while Dela Rosa is considered a fugitive.

The inability of the Senate to hold session on June 1 and 2, however, proved costly as several legislative matters were left pending. This forced the President to call for a special session, so that Congress could address pressing bills.

MKO and the relentless ghost of June 12

Last Friday, June 12, I attended the world premiere of MKO at Sheffield DocFest, held in the city of Sheffield. Ose Oyamendan’s documentary revisits the life and fate of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, and his tragic death five years later in controversial circumstances. I had been invited by Pastor Tunde Bakare, whom Oyamendan recognised as the project’s most important supporter: always calling, always encouraging, always insisting that the work must be brought to completion against the odds.

Also in attendance was Kola Abiola, the first son of the late business mogul, who spoke with evident emotion about his father’s enduring legacy. Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who flew into the United Kingdom that day specifically for the event, was also present, again at the invitation of Pastor Bakare. It was, in every sense, a room heavy with history.

As one might imagine, it was a poignant and deeply emotional experience on several levels. The documentary brought into view important actors and silences around June 12, including General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the Head of State under whom MKO’s infamous meeting with American diplomats took place. Susan Rice, the American diplomat associated in the public memory with that final encounter, declined to speak to the documentary crew.

This piece is not a formal review of the documentary, and I will not rehash its main storylines. Instead, I want to offer a few reflections on the things that struck me most as I watched it. None of these is, by itself, a groundbreaking revelation. Some may even sound familiar. The real insight, as I see it, lies not in the novelty of the individual parts, but in the story they tell when placed together.

General Ibrahim Babangida emerges in the documentary, as he does in most established narratives, as the archvillain of the June 12 tragedy. As much as viewers could tell, he appeared to have made some kind of peace with his villain status among Nigerians. There is no serious question that he bore the primary responsibility for the annulment. He supervised the destruction of the biggest democratic hope Nigeria had ever known.

Thirty-three years later, the Nigerian state is still reeling from that original violence against the popular will, haunted by the relentless ghost of June 12 and by the traumatic enactment of what could have been but may never be.

Part of what made June 12 so powerful was not simply that MKO won, but the manner and meaning of the mandate. It cut across region, religion and ethnicity in a country perpetually held hostage by those very fractures. It suggested, however briefly, that Nigerians could imagine themselves as citizens before they were conscripted back into ethnic groupings, faith and fear. That is why the annulment was not only an assault on one man. It was an assault on a rare national possibility.

Yet the documentary also sharpened something else. Babangida was not acting in a vacuum. He was battling, or at least negotiating with, a coalition of desperate and powerful forces he either could not resist or would not resist. The documentary suggested that his own life may have been on the line if he refused the demands of the military and political cabal pressing for annulment.

Even if one accepts that account, it does not mitigate his responsibility, let alone absolve him. The logic is simple. It is absurd to imagine that a man whose professional identity was built around bravery, sacrifice and putting one’s life on the line in defence of the nation would, at the country’s most decisive democratic moment, retreat into naked self-preservation. Either Babangida did not believe enough in a democratic Nigeria to sacrifice for it, or he was actively complicit in the historic move to kill the country’s brightest democratic possibility.

The foreign actors also come into sharper view, with considerable taint and blemish. For all the lip service to liberal democracy, Western powers did little of consequence to help Nigerians reclaim the mandate freely given on June 12. The documentary’s own framing is apt: the question of who killed Abiola cannot be separated from the question of who abandoned Nigerian democracy.

Of course, there were sanctions, statements and diplomatic gestures. But the overall response to the Abacha regime and its brutality was muted. It was too cautious, too self-interested, too unwilling to match democratic rhetoric with democratic courage.

It appears Western governments, led by the Clinton administration, were unsettled by MKO’s vocal advocacy of reparations for slavery and colonial exploitation. Surprise, surprise. American political leaders, Democrats or Republicans, were never going to be enthusiastic about that proposition. They also seemed uncomfortable with MKO’s nationalist posture, including his repeated insistence that Nigerians must take primary responsibility for solving Nigeria’s problems.

He was not opposed to foreign assistance, mind. But he believed Nigerian experts should lead Nigeria’s renewal. That confident and defiant stance, a deliberate break from the paternal West-Africa relationship, did not endear him to the powers that preferred African leaders who understood their place in the old hierarchy.

In the end, the dream of June 12, and all the hope it represented, was killed by a coalition of forces within and outside Nigeria. Many of them were covert. Some never had the courage to put their names and faces to arguably the most consequential annulment in Nigeria’s post-independence history. But hidden hands are not innocent hands. Silence, in moments of historic crime, can also be complicity.

The ghost of June 12 has refused to yield. It pursues the Nigerian state with relentless force, condemning citizens to a Sisyphian contemplation of what could have been, leaving us grasping in desperation at a democratic dream that once seemed imminent, but now feels painfully distant, perhaps even lost.

But I must return to Pastor Tunde Bakare. Whether or not one agrees with all his views, you would be hard-pressed to find many Nigerians with his unwavering belief that the Nigerian state can still be made to work. He is, of course, a preacher and public intellectual who speaks regularly and forcefully about the Nigerian project. But what I find especially refreshing is that he does more than speak.

The MKO documentary is one example in a long list of projects and interventionsPastor Bakare has been involved with, but it is different in two respects. First, it is a project he supported rather than led. Second, his support was quiet, sustained and relentless over many years until the work came to fruition. In a country where many people only want to be seen at the front of every noble enterprise, there is something instructive about that kind of steady, background commitment. But perhaps even more remarkable is his exceptional ability to bring people together, across a whole spectrum of interests and backgrounds.

That is the kind of positive energy, resilient focus and practical patriotism Nigeria needs to turn the page and exorcise the ghost of June 12 once and for all. But sentiment will not be enough. The new page must begin with the restructuring of Nigeria into a true federation of constituent nations, where power is genuinely devolved, citizenship is meaningful, and the centre no longer sits over the federation like a predatory inheritance.

Otherwise, we will return, like Sisyphus, to the same mountain, rolling the proverbial rock upward in a mad, exhausting and unending repeat.

June 12 was not merely an annulled election. It was a broken covenant between the Nigerian state and its citizens. Until that covenant is renewed on the foundations of justice, federalism and democratic courage, MKO will remain more than a memory. He will remain, in that moment, an accusation. That question still burns.

Anambra’s HIV prevention drug rollout

THE recent deployment of lenacapavir, an HIV prevention drug, in Anambra State signifies a major step in prevention strategy. Lenacapavir, a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) alternative for HIV, is available as an injection administered twice yearly and is the first of its kind globally. It is also recommended as an effective option to daily pills. The rollout in Anambra followed the unveiling of the product in March by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from the World Health Organisation, the Global Fund, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and other partners.

In his remarks at the launch in Anambra, the Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Afam Obidike, said the decision was in line with efforts geared toward eventual elimination of HIV through prevention. He warned against the sale, commercialisation, or deliberate limitation of access to the medicine to the detriment of the underprivileged. As noted by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), lenacapavir is ‘the next best thing’: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk. Anambra’s position as the first subnational entity to officially declare a rollout of the medication represents a focal stance in the fight against HIV/AIDS and potentially highlights Nigeria’s seriousness in promoting HIV prevention programmes.

According to the National Data Repository (NDR), as of May 2026, Nigeria had a population of around 1.6 million patients on treatment for HIV. Of this figure, Anambra ranks 15th among the top 20 states, with over 46,000 patients. Thus, the state’s decision to provide lenacapavir is a necessary and commendable step toward improved accessibility to HIV prevention medicine. This should also serve as a cue for states such as Benue, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos, which collectively have over 489,000 patients on treatment. In a country where access to medical care at the subnational level is already dangerously limited, urgent action is needed. Lenacapavir offers an essential alternative for HIV prevention. This opportunities should be maximised.

It is, however, very essential for the public to be properly educated on what lenacapavir does, as it is not a preventive vaccine. According to Onyema Ogbuagu, Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and Director of the Antivirals and Vaccines Research Program at the Yale AIDS Program, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, lenacapavir ‘inhibits what we call the HIV capsid,’ a conical structure that houses both the genetic material of HIV and the proteins the virus uses to make copies of itself. By interfering with the capsid, the drug prevents HIV from replicating in host cells. Thus, the Anambra government, and by extension the Nigerian government, needs to ensure that messaging on what lenacapavir achieves is not misinterpreted as an excuse for carelessness in sexual activities. The necessary preventive mechanisms-practising safe sex, getting tested, and avoiding exposure-need to be restated, including in local languages, to reach Nigeria’s diverse population.

Significantly, the rollout of lenacapavir speaks to the place of Africa in knowledge production. As the continent with the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world, the launch of lenacapavir, originally developed by Gilead Sciences in the United States, restates the need for African institutions to engage in more deliberate efforts toward research output on HIV prevention and treatment. African countries do not need to remain perpetually dependent on foreign solutions.

Wheat dream stalls as finance ministry withholds million-dollar AfDB funds

Nigeria’s ambition to slash its wheat import bill and achieve self-sufficiency has run aground due to a bureaucratic logjam at the highest level of economic governance. For 18 months, critical funding secured from the African Development Bank (AfDB) has sat in limbo, withheld by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

This protracted funding freeze has effectively paralysed the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) initiative, stalling seed development projects in key agricultural states and leaving the country’s food security strategy in jeopardy.

Over the last year and a half, zero wheat cultivation activities were recorded under the NAGS-AP project. Without the timely provision of high-quality inputs and foundational seeds, actual planted acreage is now projected to plummet 35 percent short of the 2026 national target.

The situation threatens to keep Nigeria reliant on Russia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine, Canada, and the U.S. for wheat at a time when the demand for wheat derivatives is rising.

‘There was no activity on wheat under the NAGS-AP project last year because the finance ministry did not release the funds,’ said Oluwasina Olabanji, former executive director, Lake Chad Research Institute.

‘We are going to be seeing high imports of wheat because the lag in activities under the development initiative has led to a decline in our production,’ Olabanji said.

While there are no current production data, the National Bureau of Statistics trade report shows that the country’s wheat imports surged by 23.4 percent last year from N1.45 trillion in 2024 to N1.79 trillion in 2025. This might be due to the lack of funds for 18 months to support local wheat production.

He stressed that the country lacks the political will to drive full implementation, while calling on the government to ensure that the wheat development project is not abandoned but supported to achieve its targeted objectives.

In September 2023, the federal government secured a $163 million credit facility from AfDB for wheat development and production.

The government also secured another $134 million in funding from the African Development Bank for the first phase of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), which focuses on several crops, including wheat.

The country has recently secured another $200 million for the second phase of the NAGS-AP. Despite all these credit facilities, farmers have yet to receive subsidised inputs for wheat production for 18 months.

Wheat farmers across major producing states recorded steep losses last year after promised subsidised inputs failed to arrive, undoing gains in the country’s push for self-sufficiency.

‘Lots of wheat farmers recorded huge losses last year as several of us did everything as regards land preparation only to be left disappointed because the inputs never came,’ Musa Shehu Sheka, national president of the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, said in an interview.

Sheka said the association queried the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and was told the credit facility secured for the program had not been released by the Finance Ministry.

The funding delay has slowed momentum in the wheat sector and prompted many farmers to switch to more profitable crops, he said.

Nigeria produced 43,926 metric tonnes of wheat in 2024, according to the most recent data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). While exact figures are difficult to track, estimates suggest that the country needs 6.8 million metric tonnes annually to meet demand.

Aside from the finance ministry’s failure to disburse funds last year, insecurity has also hampered the country’s wheat production.

‘Insecurity has been a major issue affecting Nigeria’s wheat production in Borno and other key growing regions, which usually suffer from attacks that halt production,’ Sheka said.

However, he noted that under the NAGS-AP programme, states like Cross River have come on board in wheat cultivation, and Jigawa has surpassed Borno as the top producer of the commodity.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has predicted that Nigeria’s wheat production will rise by seven percent this year. USDA based its projections on a decreased rate of insecurity in wheat-growing regions and government support.

‘Wheat farmers are expected to receive increased input subsidies as the 2027 election season nears and candidates seek support from farming communities,’ said the report.

‘Wheat production is expected to increase in MY 2026/27 due to government subsidies reaching farmers in time for the upcoming planting season. This increase will primarily recover from the decline experienced in MY 2025/26,’ it added.

Nigeria is a major market for a species of wheat known as ‘hard red winter.’ There is also a growing demand for soft red winter wheat for biscuits and cookies; hard white wheat for bread and noodles; and durum wheat for pasta.

As at the time of writing, a metric tonne of local wheat sells for N660,000 ($507), while the U.S. hard red winter (HRW) sells for $288 per tonne and the soft red winter (SRW) for $247 per tonne.