Category: PM News

Femi Soneye, respected journalist, media entrepreneur, and former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, has announced the launch of his new biweekly podcast, The Exchange with Femi Soneye.

The Exchange will spotlight some of Nigeria’s and Africa’s most influential voices, spanning politics, business, entertainment, and civil society.

With Soneye’s decades of media experience and insider access, the show promises bold conversations, rare insights, and candid perspectives on issues shaping the nation and the world.

‘The Exchange is more than just another interview program, it’s a space for open, meaningful dialogue,’ said Femi Soneye.

‘Listeners will hear the human side of leaders and changemakers, beyond the headlines.’

The podcast will feature 20-25 minute episodes released twice a month and will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Audiomack, and other major platforms.

A 33-year-old driver, Lawrence Kantiok has been sentenced to two months imprisonment in addition to paying N10 million compensation for stealing 50,000 thousand dollars from his boss, Chijioke Chukwu in Abuja.

Kantiok was docked before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Wuse, Abuja on charges bordering on criminal breach of trust and theft by servant by the police.

The Prosecution counsel, Bale Nimnan, had told the court that the plaintiff reported the matter through a written petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 7, Abuja on Aug. 31.

Nimnan said that Kantiok, the driver to the plaintiff, stole the said sum from the car of his boss.

He said the boss had received the money from a Bureau de change to pay his children’s school fees abroad on July 10, 2023.

He added that Kantiok ran away with the car keys and switched off his phone until he was traced and arrested by the police.

The offence, he said, contravene the provisions of Sections 314 and 227 of the Penal Code.

Kantiok pleaded guilty and begged the court for mercy, saying that he took the money because his boss does not cater to his needs.

He also added that part of the money was also stolen from him.

The Magistrate, Abubakar Sadiq sentenced Kantiok to one month imprisonment on each charge to be served concurrently without an option of fine.

Sadiq ordered the convict to pay the sum of N10 million compensation to the complainant, Chukwu and warned him to desist from committing crime and be of good behaviour.

Nigerian government and and Meta Platforms, Inc., on Friday, agreed to settle out of court over the $32.8 million fine imposed against the company for alleged violation of privacy of Nigerians.

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) had filed the suit against Meta Platforms.

But when the matter was called for ruling on Friday, counsel for the parties told Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja of the ongoing plan to settle the matter out of court.

Justice Omotosho had, on July 16, fixed today for ruling on NDPC’s preliminary objection against the suit filed by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

The judge had also scheduled today for ruling on Meta’s request to amend its process.

The NDPC had, on Feb. 18, imposed both a remedial fee of 32,800,000 million US dollars and eight corrective orders against Meta Inc.

The American multinational technology company was alleged to have violated the fundamental privacy rights of its Nigerian users with respect to behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

Dissatisfied with the action, Meta Platforms Inc., in a motion ex-parte dated and filed on Feb. 26, dragged the regulatory agency to court as sole respondent.

In the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/2025 and moved by Fred Onuofia, SAN, on March 4, Justice Omotosho granted one of the two orders sought.

The judge had granted leave to Meta to commence proceedings by way of judicial-review seeking, inter alia, an order of certiorari quashing the compliance and enforcement orders dated Feb. 18 issued by NDPC against the company.

It urged the court to nullify ‘all other investigations, proceedings and actions taken by respondent against the applicant leading to the ‘Final Orders.”

The judge, however, refused to grant Meta’s relief seeking a stay of the proceedings of all matters relating to the ‘Final Orders’ issued by NDPC against it, pending the hearing and determination of the judicial review proceedings.

Instead, the judge made an order of accelerated hearing of the suit.

But NDPC, in a preliminary objection filed by its lawyer and the head, ALPHA and ROHI Law Firm, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, told the court that the suit was incompetent and the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain same.

At the scheduled ruling, Meta’s lawyer, Onwuobia, begged the court to defer the ruling on NDPC’s preliminary objection and the motion on notice to amend their suit.

He told the court that the parties had reached an advanced stage on settlement in this case.

The lawyer said settlement was the option the parties had resolved to opt for, stating that the parties ‘are afraid’ that the ruling might affect discussions on settlement.

‘The draft terms of settlement have been exchanged,’ he said.

He, therefore, urged the court to grant an adjournment for a report of settlement.

NDPC’s lawyer, Adedipe, confirmed Onwuobia’s submission.

According to him, settlement discussions have advanced appreciably.

The senior lawyer urged the court to adjourn so they could return with settlement terms that the court would adopt as a ‘consent judgement’ for the parties.

Justice Omotosho, in response, held that since the court encouraged settlement, he was inclined not to deliver the planned ruling.

He, subsequently adjourned the matter until Oct. 31 for either a ruling or adoption of terms of settlement.

The regulatory agency, in its objection dated April 10 and filed April 11 by Adedipe, urged the court to either strike out or dismiss the case.

Adedipe, in two grounds of argument, submitted that the originating summons filed by the company is incompetent for non-compliance with the mandatory provision of Order 34 Rule 6(1) of the FHC (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

Quoting the provision, the lawyer said: ‘No ground shall be relied upon or any relief sought at the hearing, except the grounds and reliefs sought in the statement.’

He also argued that the suit, as presently constituted, is grossly incompetent and academic, the reliefs sought therein, not being capable of activating the jurisdiction of the court.

‘The suit is liable to be struck out/dismissed, in limine,’ Adedipe had argued.

The fine against Meta came as one of the measures by the NDPC to protect Nigerians’ data under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.

The annual three-day music festival, AfroNation, has announced its headlining artists for the 2026 edition of the festival.

AfroNation, on Instagram, revealed that Nigerian artists Asake, Olamide and Wizkid will be headlining the event alongside South Africa’s Tyla.

This announcement stirred excitement amongst fans as previous editions have proved to be memorable experiences for fans with performances from Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Megan Thee Stallion and so many others.

The festival is set to unite the African diaspora with a celebration of dance, food, fashion, music, in Portugal in 2026.

Nigerian media personality and former reality star, Uti Nwachukwu popularly known as Sir Uti, has weighed in on the disqualification of a Big Brother Naija housemate, Faith.

The dramatic disqualification, which happened on Thursday, occurred after a clash between Sultana and Faith.

Sir Uti on his X handle, spoke about labeling the instigator of a conflict as a victim. He claimed that such behaviour could be narcissistic and dangerous.

‘Could she have acted better – YES! Could he have handled it better? YES!. A trigger is just as grave as a reaction. It is incredibly narcissistic to label the one who triggered/created/fueled the situation a VICTIM and then label the one who reacted (without hitting the other) – an Abuser. This is not defending anyone. It’s analysing what we all watched live-not internet clips. Learn the lessons and dead sentiments – this is 2025, let’s be guided,’ he stated.

A 25-year-old Point of Sale (POS) operator, Ganiyat Ajibawo, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly diverting ?2.2 million belonging to her employer, Olayinka Kadiku, in Lagos Island.

According to police investigations, the alleged fraud occurred on 15 August 2025 when Kadiku reportedly handed over the sum to Ajibawo to deposit into his account.

However, instead of carrying out the instruction, she allegedly transferred the money into her personal account and subsequently went into hiding.

Her employer later discovered the missing funds and reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Lion Building Police Division.

Acting on intelligence, officers tracked down the defendant at a hideout, leading to her arrest.

Ajibawo, a resident of Odunlami Street, Lagos Island, was charged with stealing under Section 287 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015, in a case marked P/14/2025.

Police prosecutor, Reuben Solomon, told the court that the defendant had betrayed the trust of her employer by converting the funds for personal use.

When the charges were read, Ajibawo pleaded not guilty. Presiding Magistrate Mrs N. Oseni Wahab granted her bail in the sum of ?200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Pending the fulfilment of her bail conditions, the court ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre. The matter was thereafter adjourned for further hearing.

Nigerian singer Seyi Shay has stirred controversy after revealing that she was once a member of the Illuminati, a secret society often linked to the entertainment industry.

The ‘Right Now’ crooner made the disclosure during a recent appearance on the OffAir Podcast with Gbemi and Toolz, where she reflected on a phase of her music career.

In a video clip from the show that surfaced online Thursday, Seyi Shay explained that her entry into the group coincided with a defining stage in her career.

‘That’s when I was in the Illuminati. That’s when I joined the Illuminati. That’s when it was official,’ she said.

The singer, whose real name is Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua, added that while many fans may not be aware of such affiliations, people within the music industry often recognize those who have such ties.

‘People know who they are. it’s not the fans, guys. It’s the people in the industry. It is not the fans. It is the people that work with me, work with her, work with this one, work with that one,’ she stated.

Former presidential aide, Garba Shehu, has rejected ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s claim that the late President Muhammadu Buhari was once nominated by Boko Haram to serve as their mediator in peace talks with the Federal Government.

In a strongly worded statement on Friday, Shehu described Jonathan’s assertion as ‘false and politically motivated,’ suggesting the former president was attempting to rewrite history as part of his 2027 presidential ambition.

‘To be president in 2027, Goodluck Jonathan should look for another story to tell Nigerians,’ Shehu said.

‘Muhammadu Buhari was never nominated by Boko Haram. On the contrary, Shekau routinely denounced and threatened him, and their ideologies were diametrically opposed.’

Shehu recalled the 2014 Kaduna bomb attack where Buhari narrowly escaped death in an assault blamed on Boko Haram.

‘His campaigns were built around restoring security and defeating terrorism, not representing their cause,’ he noted.

Quoting the late Buba Galadima, then CPC National Secretary, Shehu reminded Nigerians that Buhari had at the time dismissed the reports as speculation.

Galadima had clarified that: ‘He (Buhari) said he had not even heard about it, and since nobody contacted him, he would not speak to the press.’

The rumour, Shehu explained, stemmed from a 2012 press conference staged by a Boko Haram faction led by Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who claimed Buhari and other northern elders were acceptable mediators.

The statement was swiftly disowned by Abubakar Shekau, who declared Abdulaziz had ‘no mandate.’

At the time, CPC’s late publicity secretary, Rotimi Fashekun, also accused Jonathan’s PDP government of exploiting the alleged nomination for political gain, calling it ‘a gambit to distract Nigerians from the massive looting under their watch.’

Shehu warned Jonathan against using ‘false narratives’ as political capital: ‘Mr Jonathan, you are making a false start. Buhari never spoke for Boko Haram, he fought them.’

RemoteWorkPadi, a remote job board for African professionals, is preparing to launch an upgraded version of its platform on October 6, 2025. The platform, which first became public on March 31, 2025, has focused on helping Africans access verified remote job opportunities while reducing exposure to fraudulent listings.

The initiative was founded by Alice Awobite Joshua, Africa’s No 1 Remote Work Coach and product manager. She explained that the platform was created in response to the rise of scams and fake job offers. According to her, every listing on RemoteWorkPadi undergoes a vetting process to ensure legitimacy, and the tools provided are tailored to support African jobseekers in navigating the global market.

Since its initial release as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), the platform has attracted more than 13,000 signups across the continent, with over 500 monthly active users. Its approach of prioritizing quality over quantity has distinguished it from other job boards that often host large numbers of unverified positions.

The upcoming version, RemoteWorkPadi V2, introduces artificial intelligence features designed to simplify the application process. These tools include the ability to generate tailored cover letters, scan job descriptions for Applicant Tracking System (ATS) keywords, write recruiter and negotiation emails, optimize LinkedIn profiles, and create keyword focused bullet points for resumes.

The platform’s team describes the new version as an advanced system aimed at providing African professionals with stronger support in securing opportunities across Africa, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

With the official launch date approaching, users of the platform and new jobseekers are awaiting the release. ‘African talent is world class, and all we’ve been missing is access and support,’ Alice said, noting that the new version is intended to bridge this gap.

About RemoteWorkPadi

RemoteWorkPadi is a career platform that connects African jobseekers with verified remote job opportunities. It provides listings, application tools, coaching, and community support. Since its introduction in March 2025, the platform has signed up over 13,000 users and continues to expand its reach.

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom has recovered an AK-47 riffle from two suspected hoodlums apprehended along Idoro Road in Uyo metropolis.

The Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said that the suspects were apprehended on Thursday.

John said that personnel from the command intercepted the two suspects while on routine patrol along Idoro Road by Abolin Junction.

‘They were intercepted while loitering in a dark spot. After an instant search, one fabricated revolving AK-47 rifle and one jack knife were found on them,’ she said.

The police spokesperson said that the suspects could not provide any reasonable explanation for being in possession of the arms.

‘They falsely claimed to be security guards, but they could not present uniforms, means of identification, or any credible source for the firearm,’ she said.

She said that the suspects were currently undergoing further interrogation, and would be prosecuted after police investigation.

John reiterated the command’s commitment towards protecting the lives and property of Akwa Ibom residents.

She urged members of the public to remain vigilant, and to promptly report suspicious activities and movements around their neighbourhoods to security agencies.