Category: PM News

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested over 100 partygoers, including controversial socialite and nightclub owner Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike, during a midnight raid at a drug-fuelled party in Lagos.

The dramatic operation took place in the early hours of Sunday, 26th October 2025, when NDLEA officers swooped on Proxy Nightclub, located at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, where a full-blown drug party was underway.

NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed that cartons of illicit substances, including Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and laughing gas, were recovered from the party venue and the club’s storage area.

According to Babafemi, the raid followed credible intelligence that the upscale nightclub was hosting a ‘drug rave.’

Undercover NDLEA operatives reportedly infiltrated the party around 11 p.m. on Saturday, 25th October, before moving in at about 3 a.m. in line with the agency’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Babafemi said all suspects, including Pretty Mike, were taken into custody for screening as investigations continue.

The Lagos bust was part of a series of coordinated operations across the country as the NDLEA intensified its clampdown on drug trafficking and abuse.

In Taraba State, operatives arrested Auwal Musa (26) and Salihu Bala (22) at Dan-Anacha checkpoint on 21st October with 450,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 concealed in a truck loaded with building materials heading from Onitsha, Anambra State to Mubi, Adamawa State.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway seized 162.2 kilograms of skunk on 24th October, while another 128 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance were recovered in Keffi, Nasarawa State, from Abubakar Muhammad, 55, on 22nd October.

The agency also arrested a mother of two, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, during a raid on her Lekki residence on 17th October, recovering 500 grams of the high-grade cannabis variants. Effiong was said to have supplied elite areas including Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and VGC.

In another Lagos operation at the Seme Border, NDLEA operatives on 22nd October arrested Jacob Ojugbele with 55 kilograms of skunk at Ashipa, Badagry, while Amusa Oluwabukola was caught with 121.3 litres of skuchies, a cocktail of blackcurrant drink, cannabis, and opioids, at Itoga, Badagry.

Meanwhile, in Zamfara State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Gummi-Anka Road arrested Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, with an AK-47 rifle and 1,746 rounds of ammunition meant for AK-47 and GPMG rifles.

The suspect, who was moving the weapons from Sokoto to Bagega forest in Anka LGA, has been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), lauded the officers involved in the successful operations and urged them to maintain the agency’s ‘balanced approach’ in its ongoing war against drug abuse and trafficking.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned Nigeria to guard against rising debt and fiscal risks even as it praised the country’s ongoing economic reforms during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington D.C.

The Fund upgraded Nigeria’s 2025 growth forecast to 3.9 percent from 3.4 percent, citing stronger fundamentals, improved oil production, and growing investor confidence.

However, it cautioned that high debt costs and weak revenue could threaten recovery.

‘Nigeria’s policy reforms have been significant, but the next phase requires policy consistency and credible debt management,’ said Abebe Selassie, IMF’s Africa Director.

CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso said inflation had dropped to 18.02 percent in September – the lowest in three years – while the naira had stabilised and foreign reserves now exceed $43 billion.

He vowed that reforms would continue despite political pressures.

The IMF described Nigeria’s rebound as ‘real but fragile,’ projecting inflation to ease to 23 percent in 2025. It warned, however, that fiscal deficits may rise to 3.7 percent of GDP in 2026 as debt servicing crowds out development spending.

Selassie urged Nigeria to boost non-oil revenues, digitalise tax collection, and maintain transparency in borrowing. He noted that high debt costs across Africa are eroding funds for health, education, and infrastructure.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva commended Nigeria’s progress on exchange rate reform and anti-corruption measures but called for stronger action against illicit financial flows.

Cardoso also disclosed plans to restructure the China currency swap deal and confirmed that Nigeria now records a trade surplus of six percent of GDP, driven by export growth and local production.

Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite said the government was focused on job creation and youth empowerment through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and the digital economy.

UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu, speaking at a panel on Artificial Intelligence, urged African leaders to harness digital technology for inclusive growth, warning that ‘AI must democratise prosperity, not deepen inequality.’

IMF chief Georgieva concluded: ‘Nigeria is on the right path. The reforms are difficult, but staying the course will determine how much of today’s progress translates into jobs and prosperity.

A Lagos lawyer identified as Victor Azubike Awah has been arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on stealing , obtaining money by false pretence, using false documents and issuance of dud cheque to the tune of N27m.

Awa and his company, Sparkan Ives Limited, were arraigned before Justice O.A.OKunuga of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

One of the counts reads: ‘ That you, Victor Azubike Awah, sometime between October, 2024 and February, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of 27,000.000.00 (Twenty Seven Million) from Mrs. Onwuekwe Chioma Genevieve under the false pretence that you have a plot of land advertised for sale, which pretence you knew or ought to have known to be false thereby committed an offence Obtaining Money by False Pretence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.’

The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty ‘ to the charges when they were read to him.

In view of this, prosecution counsel,A. M. Dambuwa, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional Centre.

The defendant represented himself during the proceedings.

Justice Okunuga adjourned the case till December 17 and 18, 2025, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of the trial.

The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s custody.

Before the flashy cars, hit singles, and the Zanku craze that swept Africa, Zlatan Ibile was just another teenager staring at a failed Mathematics and Accounting result and a future that suddenly looked uncertain.

‘I was supposed to go to university in 2011 or 2012,’ the rapper told Nandi Madida on Apple Music 1. ‘But I didn’t have my complete papers. My dad is a pastor, and I used to play drums in church, but I never thought I’d become an artiste.’

Failure, for the young Zlatan was ignition. With nothing else to lose, he followed a friend to a studio. ‘The first song I recorded was rubbish,’ he admitted with a laugh. ‘But when I played it for my siblings, they made me feel like Jay-Z that day.’

That spark turned into an obsession. Nights of scribbling rhymes replaced failed equations, and by the time he won a rap competition in his first semester at university, Zlatan’s destiny had flipped. ‘I didn’t even believe anyone could win a car through music,’ he recalled. ‘Out of 140 contestants, I won. That was when I started taking rap seriously. That moment changed my life.’

Now a household name, the ‘Symbol of Hope’ crooner says his new album speaks for every dreamer who’s been written off too early. ‘I see how my music inspires others not to give up,’ he said. ‘If I can do it, you can too.’

A driver with the Nigerian Railway Corporation in Lagos identified as Ekene Ofielu has been jailed 18 months for stealing over N6.9million from HabariPay Ltd, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO).

Ofielu was arraigned before Justice Rahman Osodi of the Special offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, October 20,2025 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and possession to the tune of N6,995,944.

One of the counts reads: ‘That you, Christopher Ekene Ofielu, on or about October 2023, Lagos, within this honourable court, used your Habaripay Squad account created for criminal activity and transferred the sum of N6,995,944 into your Access Bank account 14864072356, property of HabariPay Ltd.’

He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charges when they were read to him

In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Abubakar Dambuwa, called on Adams Adze, an investigator with the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.

In his review, Adze said the defendant was arrested, following a petition dated September 26, 2023 submitted by HabariPay Ltd to the Commission.

He also stated that Ofielu had capitalised on a system glitch to make the unauthorized withdrawal.

The prosecution counsel, thereafter, informed the court of a plea bargain entered into by the defendant, and also urged the court to convict the defendant accordingly.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mercy Akhabue, prayed the court for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

‘My Lord, he is remorseful and is a first- time offender,’ he added.

After listening to both parties, Justice Oshodi convicted Ofielu on the count of stealing and sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment, starting from October 20, 2025.

Justice Oshodi, however, gave the convict an option of a fine in the sum of ?1.5 million provided he fully restitutes the stolen amount to the tune of N 6,995,944 to HabariPay Ltd within seven days from his Access Bank account No. 14864072356, failing which the jail term of 18 months would apply .

The court also ordered the restoration of the convict’s Eco Bank salary account.

Justice Oshodi further ordered that the convict’s biometric data be registered in the Lagos State offenders’ register.

The convict was ordered remanded at the EFCC custody pending the execution of necessary documents.

Northern youths, on Friday, gathered at Ansar-Ud-Deen Society Mosque, on Sanusi street, Sabon Gari, Kano, where they held special prayers as part of activities to celebrate the 40th birthday of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu.

The youths who gathered under the auspices of Youth Alliance for Northern Development (YAND), prayed God to grant Seyi Tinubu the grace and mercy of long life and prosperity as he celebrated his 40th birthday.

The Convener of the group, Seyi Olorunsola, told journalists that the special prayer session was part of activities to honour Seyi Tinubu on his 40th birthday celebration.

He said ‘we decided to honour the first son of this country for the good things he has been doing to northern youths and youth across Nigeria.

‘We all are aware that Seyi Tinubu has been a beacon of hope to the Nigerian youth. He has used his personal resources and wherewithal to emancipate and empower the Nigerian youth.

‘By the grace of God, we shall be holding a special dinner in his honour on Saturday during which northern youths will gather and celebrate his kind gesture and goodwill. During the dinner, we shall also distribute education materials to selected schools across the state.

‘There is no gainsaying the fact that Seyi Tinubu deserves this honour; and we are proud to associate with him. We are celebrating Seyi’s 40th birthday who, despite holding no elective office, has continued to champion educational and humanitarian causes, thereby serving as a moral example to the younger

generation.’

Sheikh Abdullateef Oyebamiji Emiabata who led the prayer session, prayed God to grant the celebrant longer life in good health to enable him continue to promote youth empowerment, social responsibility and national unity.

The cleric who read some verses from the Holy Quran, also prayed for continued peace and economic growth and stability in the country.

Also speaking, one of the youth leaders, Isyaku Rabi’u, said the decision to celebrate Seyi Tinubu’s 40th birthday was in recognition of his commitment towards promoting youth empowerment.

‘It is on record that Seyi has facilitated more than 50 appointments for the youth especially in the North. So, as youths, we felt it necessary to appreciate and celebrate him,’ he said.

The prayer was attended by many youths and other well wishers from the Northern parts of the country.

Other activities lined up for the celebration include distribution of books and writing materials to students, featuring of music and dancing which will culminate into a dinner on Saturday.

A serious accident was averted on Saturday after operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) rescued a badly injured man when a fully loaded six-tyre truck plunged off the Oshodi Bridge inward Mile 2.

The truck, bearing registration number AKD 135 YK, was said to be conveying toner printing materials when it reportedly suffered a brake failure while descending the Oshodi-Oke Bridge, before veering off and crashing into the ditch near the terminal below.

Confirming the incident, Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at LASTMA, said the agency’s prompt intervention prevented what could have been a major tragedy.

‘Our men arrived at the scene within minutes, rescued the injured victim, and quickly restored traffic flow around the affected area,’ Taofiq said.

He disclosed that the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, while the truck driver was apprehended and handed over to policemen from Makinde Police Station, Oshodi, for further investigation.

The scene, he added, was cordoned off to avert secondary accidents, and the wreckage was cleared to ensure free vehicular movement.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Bakare Oki, commended his officers for their swift and professional response, describing it as proof of the agency’s readiness to safeguard lives and maintain order on Lagos roads.

Oki cautioned motorists, particularly heavy-duty truck drivers, to maintain their vehicles regularly and comply with all safety standards, especially during the ember months when accidents tend to increase.

He added that LASTMA had strengthened its 24-hour traffic management operations, deploying recovery trucks and emergency units to key locations across the state to ensure quick response to emergencies.

‘Our officers remain on high alert to protect lives and property, and to keep Lagos roads safe before, during, and after the festive season,’ Oki assured.

A major tragedy was averted in Kogi State on Friday evening after security operatives swiftly responded to a fuel tanker accident along the Felele Expressway in Lokoja, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed.

According to Mr. Tenimu Etuku, the FRSC Sector Commander in Kogi, the incident occurred around 5 p.m. near the Crusher area when a fuel-laden truck heading to Abuja got detached from its head and rolled into a ditch.

‘Nobody was hurt or killed in the accident. The tanker driver and his assistant escaped unhurt,’ Etuku told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said FRSC officials immediately arrived at the scene and called for reinforcements from the Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and a Mobile Police unit to secure the area.

‘The security cover was necessary to prevent residents from gaining access to the tanker and attempting to scoop fuel, which could trigger a fire outbreak,’ he explained.

Etuku warned against a repeat of similar tragedies in Niger and Jigawa States, where lives were lost after people tried to scoop fuel from fallen tankers.

‘Some individuals initially attempted to scoop the fuel before our personnel arrived, but they were promptly dispersed,’ he said, adding that the site had been fully cordoned off by security agencies and community leaders.

‘The community leaders and the security agencies have agreed to ensure nobody goes into the ditch to scoop fuel,’ Etuku added.

He appealed to residents of Crusher community to resist any temptation to collect the spilled fuel, warning that such an act could result in a deadly fire disaster.

The Delta State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education recently organised a two-day netball seminar for secondary school teachers in Udu Local Government Area.

The training event which was held at the premises of Ovwian Secondary School, Udu, was co-sponsored by the Francis and Fidelia Ibhawoh Foundation and CSED (Community Sports and Educational Development) Initiative.

The training event was attended by 58 teachers that were drawn from government and private secondary schools in Udu Local Government. As well as teachers from Army Day Secondary School Effurun in Uvwie LGA and College of Commerce Warri, who were specially invited by the event organisers. Teachers from Otokutu Secondary school Otokutu in Ughelli South LGA also attended the training event.

The training which included theory and practical sessions was delivered by coaches Edema Fuludu, Beauty Obamwonyi and Onome Fuludu, who are Netball Africa certified coaches.

They were supported by Ruth Opuene, who is a netball coach with Bayelsa State Sports Commission. Apart from being taught basic netball skills, the 7 positions of netball and the roles of each player, participants were taught how to mark a netball court.

The major highlight of the training course was the session on safeguarding of students and athletes that take part in sports.

The netball training was concluded with a practice session involving two groups of teachers who tried to practicalize their new knowledge of the game.

The Chief Inspector of Education (C.I.E.) Udu LGA, Mr Samson Ochuko Omosonwhofa and the Principal of Ovwian Secondary School, Mrs Ochuko Gere, were full of praises for the organisers of the training event for bringing the game of netball to the attention of their enthusiastic teachers.

They urged the teachers to positively impart the knowledge gained from the training into the sport programmes of their various schools, for the benefit of their students and local community.

Netball is the only sport that was initially designed for girls and women, but in recent time, World Netball, has tried to make it a more inclusive sport by encouraging boys and men to play and enjoy the game.

World Netball is currently engaged with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the host city (Brisbane) of the 2032 Olympic Games in high level discussions in respect of featuring netball at the Games. The current highest level netball is being played is at the Commonwealth Games.

There is also a Netball World Cup, the last edition was held in 2023 In Cape Town (South Africa).

It would be recalled that the game of netball has been on a malfunctioning life support machine in Nigeria, until CSED Initiative stepped in by launching their ‘Project 2027’ netball programme in July 2022.

The Major aim of ‘Project 2027′, is to bring the game of netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school children by training and equipping one thousand teachers.

These teachers are expected to use their knowledge of netball and further online CPD training to introduce the game to their students.

As well as use students’ participation in sports to promote learning and to meet the PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) needs of their students.

At the end of the training event, certificates of attendance, free netball equipment (netball balls, rims and whistle) were freely distributed to the teachers. The Udu netball training recorded the highest number of teachers to be trained in netball in Nigeria.

It also takes the number of teachers and coaches trained so far by CSED Initiative and their sports for change partners to well above the 500 marks.

Special mention has to be made about the role the Chief inspector of Education (C.I.E.) Udu LGA, Mr Samson Ochuko Omosonwhofa played in mobilising the teachers to attend this record-breaking netball training event.

The Sokoto Zonal Coordinator of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Ahmadu Bello, has charged dealers in precious metals and stones within the Sokoto Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to ensure they conduct their activities lawfully to avoid conflict with the law.

He stated this in Sokoto recently, at a one day capacity building workshop jointly organised with the German Agency for International Corporation (GIZ) aimed at equipping the dealers with requisite provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering Financing of Terrorism AML/CFT regime and highlighting the roles of Designated Non-Financial Institutions Businesses and Professions(DNFBPS) under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 with participants drawn from Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto states.

In a paper titled ‘Money Laundering Vulnerabilities in the DNFBPS Sector’, Bello noted ‘that dealers in Precious Metals and Stones (DPMS) have a unique risk profile with regard to money laundering and terrorism financing because they trade in transferable items of value’.

The zonal coordinator encouraged the dealers to stay on the right side of the law as illicit mining, trafficking and smuggling of minerals have become rampant within the zone. ‘Illegal gold mining has been identified as one of the underlying drivers of conflict in the North, especially in Zamfara and recently Niger states’ he said.

While highlighting red flags and money laundering indicators to participants, Bello reminded the dealers of their obligations including internal policies, procedures and control; customer due diligence proportionate to identified risk; rendition of Cash Transaction Reports (CTR’s) to SCUML and more.

In an earlier presentation, the dealers were equally taken through the objectives of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act) 2022; offences and penalties; functions of SCUML; location of SCUML offices; limitations to make or accept cash payments; customer identification; suspicious transaction reporting, and so on.