Category: PM News

Three women whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton beach have now been formally identified as ‘beloved’ sisters from London.

They are identified as sisters Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walter, 31, from the Uxbridge area of London, Sussex Police said.

Emergency services were called to the beach near Black Rock car park off Madeira Drive at around 5.45am last Wednesday, 13 May, where the bodies of three women were sadly recovered from the sea nearby.

After extensive enquiries, the women have now been formally identified as: 36-year-old Jane Adetoro, 32-year-old Christina Walter and 31-year-old Rebecca Walter.

Sussex Police said, as of present, there is no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or criminality, but specialist detectives are working hard to gather the full facts and circumstances of their deaths.

While detectives have found no evidence of foul play thus far, they are reviewing extensive CCTV footage and conducting local inquiries to trace the women’s final movements.

Authorities are urging anyone with information, particularly those near Madeira Drive between late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, to contact them to assist with the ongoing investigation.

Their father Joseph has released the following tribute: “Today, with a heart full of sorrow and love, I pay tribute to my beloved daughters — Jane, Christina, and Becky — whose lives ended so tragically far too soon.

“No words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives. Jane, Christina, and Becky were more than daughters to me; they were my joy, my strength, and the beautiful light that filled our family with happiness and love.

“Each of you was unique and precious in your own special way. Your smiles brightened dark days, your laughter brought comfort, and your presence made life more meaningful. Though your time on earth was short, the impact you made will remain in our hearts forever.

“Jane, your strength and loving spirit will never be forgotten. Christina, your kindness and beautiful heart touched so many lives. Becky, your warmth and joyful soul brought happiness wherever you went. You were deeply loved, and you will always be deeply missed.

“The tragedy of losing all three of you has left an emptiness that words cannot heal. There are days when the grief feels unbearable, yet I hold tightly to the memories we shared — the laughter, the conversations, the love, and the bond that death can never take away.

“Though you are no longer here beside us, your spirits live on in our hearts every day. Love like yours never dies. You will forever remain a part of our lives, our prayers, and our memories. Rest peacefully, my precious daughters — Jane, Christina, and Becky. You may be gone from our sight, but never from our hearts. Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever remembered.”

Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, Divisional Commander for Brighton and Hove said: “The thoughts of everyone at Sussex Police are with the family of Jane, Christina and Rebecca following the devastating loss.

Nigerian entrepreneur and socialite Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu does not fully trust him because he is Igbo.

Speaking in a chat with Peller on Tuesday evening, Cubana Chief Priest said one of the reasons he would not expect open reception from the President is his previous support for Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election.

“Let me tell you, as I am now, Tinubu doesn’t really trust me as an Igbo man. He looks at me with one eye. He is still like ‘this one that has worked for Peter Obi before’,” he said.

Cubana Chief Priest earlier picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives nomination form to run for the Orsu/Orlu/Oru East Federal Constituency in Imo State. He lost his bid to secure the APC ticket but later told followers he never fully contested in the first place.

As the Imo State Coordinator of the City Boys Movement, the nightlife promoter said he threw his weight behind Tinubu, citing a desire not to “lose for a second time” with Peter Obi. He added that he believes strongly that Obi stands no chance of winning the 2027 presidential election.

The news of his failed attempt and political pivot quickly drew social media attention, with users mocking his move and suggesting he had underestimated the ruthlessness of Nigerian politics.

Following the primaries, Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, sent a message of encouragement to Cubana Chief Priest via Instagram, which the socialite later reposted. Seyi advised him not to be discouraged by the outcome, noting that setbacks often pave the way for future success.

Cubana Chief Priest explained that while he previously supported Obi, he abandoned the former Labour Party presidential candidate because he believes Obi cannot defeat Tinubu in 2027.

“I worked for Peter Obi in 2023 but I had to abandon him because I know he cannot beat Tinubu,” he stated.

Former Anambra State governor, Obi stated this on Tuesday night after completing a presidential screening exercise conducted by the The former Labour Party presidential candidate said democracy allows every qualified Nigerian the right to contest elections, stressing that he was not preoccupied with who may eventually join the 2027 race.

“Democracy is about people offering themselves for service and being voted for,” Obi said.

His remarks come amid increasing political conversations over whether Jonathan may return to frontline politics ahead of the next general election.

Obi also rejected claims that he had emerged as the consensus presidential candidate of the NDC, clarifying that the party’s nomination process remained transparent and open to all interested aspirants.

“How can it be based on consensus? The party opened up the expression of interest forms for people to buy. I bought the form. As the party said, I’m the only one who expressed interest. That’s it,” he explained.

The former governor praised the screening committee chaired by former Ebonyi State governor, “At NDC, we are choosing to do things properly. When we say there is going to be a screening, there is going to be a screening. That is democracy in action,” Obi stated.

In a separate post shared on his official X account, Obi disclosed that the screening exercise lasted more than two and a half hours, during which party officials thoroughly examined his credentials and questioned him on his plans for Nigeria.

According to him, the committee reviewed his degree certificates, NYSC credentials and age declaration documents before eventually clearing him and issuing him the party’s presidential nomination form.

“During the process, I also addressed questions regarding my vision for a new Nigeria and the type of leadership our nation urgently needs right now,” Obi wrote.

He further commended the NDC leadership for what he described as its commitment to internal democracy and due process.

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, said he will be Bournemouth’s biggest supporter when they play Manchester City on Tuesday night.

Arteta spoke after Arsenal F.C. defeated Burnley F.C. 1-0 on Monday. The win moved Arsenal closer to winning the Premier League title.

Arsenal will become champions if Manchester City fail to beat AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is Arteta’s childhood friend, and his team is unbeaten in 16 matches.

When asked if he would support Bournemouth, Arteta replied: “The biggest ever!”

He added: “For Andoni, the players, and the Bournemouth supporters, we all know how important it is if they get a good result.”

Bournemouth head into the match in strong form, having gone 16 games unbeaten in all competitions, which has boosted their confidence ahead of the big clash.

Manchester City, however, remain one of the toughest teams in the league and will be aiming to secure all three points to keep their title hopes alive.

The result of the match could have a major impact on the Premier League title race, with Arsenal waiting closely for the outcome.

If Bournemouth manage to get a positive result, Arsenal could be crowned champions depending on how other results go in the final stretch of the season.

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Security operatives had already made contact with abductors of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and are pursuing them in operations being conducted across forest corridors, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Armed bandits had attacked some schools and abducted students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State last Friday.

Onoja in the statement, assured Nigerians that ongoing operations are targeted at rescuing abducted victims and neutralising criminal elements.

He added that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, extended condolences to the government and people of Oyo State as well as families of victims affected by the recent attack on some schools in Oriire Local Government Area.

He described the abduction of innocent children and staff as reprehensible, assuring that the Armed Forces were deploying all necessary resources to ensure their safe and unconditional rescue.

“The full weight of the Armed Forces is being brought to bear to ensure the safe return of all abducted victims,” he said.

Onoja urged Nigerians to remain calm, united and continue to support security agencies with credible information.

He also insisted that current intelligence does not support claims of that there is an established or structured terrorist base in the South-West region.

He said the military had earlier conducted a comprehensive clearance operation in the Old Oyo National Park, neutralising criminal elements operating within the area.

“The incident in Oyo State remains an isolated criminal act and does not indicate the presence of an entrenched insurgent structure in the region.

“The Armed Forces caution against narratives capable of creating unnecessary panic or emboldening criminal elements,” he said.

He added that joint operations involving other security agencies and local vigilantes were ongoing to flush out criminal elements and restore normalcy.

He emphasised that community cooperation remained critical, noting that human intelligence from residents would aid ongoing rescue efforts.

“The Armed Forces will not relent until all abducted victims are rescued and those responsible are brought to justice,” he added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

OYS/YMU

Fresh violence erupted across southern Lebanon on Monday as Israeli airstrikes and Hezbollah attacks continued despite the commencement of a new 45-day U.S.-backed ceasefire extension aimed at halting the worsening conflict.

Lebanese security sources and state media reported multiple Israeli air raids targeting several locations in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah announced new attacks on Israeli military positions, underscoring the fragility of ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war.

The latest escalation came as Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed that more than 3,000 people have now been killed since hostilities resumed on March 2.

According to official figures released on Monday, the death toll in Lebanon has risen to 3,020, including hundreds of women, children and healthcare workers.

The war, reignited amid the broader U.S.-Israel confrontation with Iran, has continued largely along the Israel-Lebanon border despite repeated international mediation efforts.

A fresh 45-day truce extension brokered through U.S.-hosted negotiations between Israel and Lebanon officially took effect at midnight on Monday following a third round of talks held on Friday.

However, fighting resumed almost immediately.

Overnight, an Israeli airstrike near the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbeck reportedly killed Wael Mahmoud Abd al-Halim, a commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group allied with Hezbollah.

Lebanese security officials said Halim’s daughter was also killed in the strike.

The Israeli military confirmed targeting the militant commander, saying the operation was carried out after measures were taken to minimise civilian casualties.

Hezbollah, in response, announced that it launched an explosive drone attack targeting an Iron Dome air defence position in the Galilee region of northern Israel.

The group also claimed responsibility for several attacks on Israeli forces operating inside southern Lebanon.

Israeli military authorities confirmed that projectiles and an explosive drone crossed into Israeli territory during the attacks.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes struck more than six locations across southern Lebanon during the latest bombardment.

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military said it had targeted more than 30 Hezbollah positions within 24 hours and issued evacuation warnings to residents of three villages in southern Lebanon ahead of further planned operations.

Israeli forces have continued to maintain a self-declared security zone in parts of southern Lebanon, where military operations and village demolitions are ongoing.

Israel says the buffer zone is intended to protect northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks launched from civilian-populated areas.

According to Israeli authorities, at least 18 soldiers, one defence contractor and two civilians have been killed since the conflict resumed in March.

The conflict has also become increasingly tied to wider regional tensions involving Iran and the United States.

Iran has reportedly demanded an end to Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon as part of broader negotiations surrounding the U.S.-Iran crisis.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has criticised the Lebanese government’s participation in ceasefire negotiations mediated by Washington.

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening diaspora engagement, advancing healthcare development in Nigeria through the introduction of its healthcare investment proposition to the Nigerian-American medical community at the 2026 ANPA Carolinas Symposium held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The ANPA Carolinas Symposium, hosted annually by the South Carolina and North Carolina Chapters of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), convenes over 170 physicians and healthcare professionals for medical and scientific dialogue on issues impacting communities across North America, the Caribbean, and Africa, particularly among people of Nigerian descent.

Speaking at the event, UBA’s Head of Diaspora Banking, Anant Rao, made a compelling case for structured diaspora participation in Nigeria’s healthcare transformation, encouraging attendees to expand their contribution beyond remittances toward long-term institution-building.

“The financial infrastructure required to connect your success abroad to sustainable institutional impact at home has not been intentionally designed for diaspora healthcare investors until now,” Rao said.

During his presentation, Rao introduced the ANPAUBA Diaspora Healthcare Investment Platform — a professionally managed investment vehicle designed to channel diaspora capital into specialist hospitals, diagnostic centres, telemedicine infrastructure, and medical training institutions across Nigeria.

“Every dollar invested delivers a dual return — creating value for investors while contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s healthcare future. We now have the regulatory framework, banking infrastructure, governance structures, and institutional commitment to make this possible,” he added.

Under the proposed structure, UBA will serve as custodian and structuring bank, while United Capital Asset Management, one of Nigeria’s leading asset managers with over 1.2 trillion in assets under management, will act as fund manager.

As part of deepening engagement with the Nigerian-American medical community, Rao also proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UBA and the two ANPA chapters. The proposed collaboration is anchored on six strategic pillars: preferred banking offerings for ANPA members; quarterly financial education sessions; the joint Healthcare Infrastructure Fund; a dedicated ANPA Wealth and Legacy Desk; access to group-rate family healthcare plans through Avon HMO; and a UBA co-matching contribution framework to support qualifying impact vehicles under the Pearl Endowment Fund.

The initiative represents a further expansion of UBA’s diaspora value proposition, which currently includes Non-Resident Nigerian (NRN) accounts in multiple currencies, fixed-income and dollar-denominated investment solutions through United Capital, elder-care trust solutions under the Homeland Anchor Care Trust programme in partnership with Avon HMO, and private wealth management offerings tailored to senior diaspora professionals.

The 2026 ANPA Carolinas Symposium marks another milestone in UBA’s strategic engagement with the diaspora community and reinforces the Bank’s long-held belief that diaspora capital can play a transformative role in accelerating healthcare and infrastructure development across Africa.

The United States President, Donald Trump, has said that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, would do whatever he wanted on Iran when asked about a possible strike.

He praised Netanyahu and defended him over corruption allegations against him.

After giving diplomacy “one shot” to permanently end his war on Iran, Trump sounded remarkably certain about who controls the next step in the Middle East.

Standing before reporters on Wednesday, he proudly declared that Netanyahu would do “whatever I want him to do” on Iran.

Asked what he had recently told Netanyahu regarding a possible military strike on Iran, Trump replied without hesitation.

“He’ll do whatever I want him to do. He’s a very good man. He’ll do whatever I want him to do. And he’s a great guy. Don’t forget he was a wartime prime minister,” Trump said.

The US President defended Netanyahu against criticism over corruption charges in Israel. On many occasions, Trump had appealed for presidential pardon for the Israeli Prime Minister.

“He’s not treated right in Israel, in my opinion,” Trump said.

The US President even joked about entering Israeli politics himself. “So maybe after I do this, I’ll go to Israel, run for prime minister,” Trump quipped.

“I had a poll this morning. I’m right now at 99 per cent in Israel,” he added.

Samuel Ugberaese has been extradited from Nigeria to the United States to face federal charges relating to a cross-border romance scam that defrauded victims in the U.S. and other countries.

Ugberaese was arrested by the FBI following his extradition.

According to court documents, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC) returned the indictment against him on January 22, 2021, and United States Magistrate Judge Brian S. Myers ordered him detained pending trial.

The indictment alleges that Ugberaese, along with co-conspirator Oluwadamilare Kolaogunbule, a naturalized U.S. citizen, orchestrated a romance scam, using false stories and promises to defraud victims into transferring money. They are accused of moving the illicit funds through a network of bank accounts, including those registered to purported export companies, to conceal and disguise the source, ownership, and location of the proceeds.

Ugberaese faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison.

The arrest and extradition were made possible through international collaboration, including the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, South African Police Service, FBI Abuja Attache Office, U.S. Department of State, and Nigerian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, Attorney General’s Office, and INTERPOL Nigeria.

The case is being prosecuted by the Fraud Section of the EDNC U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig handling the proceedings

The Lagos State Government has intensified oversight and performance monitoring across its parastatals and government-owned agencies as part of sweeping reforms aimed at boosting revenue generation, enforcing accountability and strengthening institutional governance across the state.

Permanent Secretary, Parastatals Monitoring Office, PMO, Dr. Aina said the PMO had, within the last one year, embarked on aggressive institutional reforms designed to improve efficiency, transparency and financial discipline across Lagos State agencies, parastatals and government-owned companies.

According to him, the reforms align with the Sanwo-Olu administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda and are aimed at building resilient institutions capable of delivering sustainable governance and improved public service.

“The Parastatals Monitoring Office remains committed to ensuring that all parastatals, agencies and government-owned companies operate in line with established administrative, financial and governance guidelines,” Aina said.

One of the major highlights of the reforms, he said, was the monitoring of 80 revenue-generating agencies through the Parastatals Revenue Generating Meeting, PARGEM, a strategic platform established to track revenue performance, identify leakages and improve collection mechanisms statewide.

The Permanent Secretary disclosed that the state also carried out inspection and periodic evaluation exercises across 70 agencies in 2025, while a fresh exercise covering 75 agencies was already ongoing in 2026.

He explained that the inspections focused on revenue performance, expenditure monitoring, pension compliance, project implementation, financial accountability and adherence to government guidelines.

“In line with our statutory responsibilities, we have continued to strengthen revenue generation mechanisms, monitor compliance, improve inter-agency collaboration and ensure prudent project execution across state agencies,” he stated.

Aina revealed that the PMO also conducted a large-scale project monitoring exercise involving 25 agencies to evaluate ongoing and completed government projects, identify delays and ensure value for money in public spending.

He said the initiative was carried out in collaboration with engineers, builders and architects from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to guarantee compliance with approved standards and specifications.

Aina said the PMO additionally embarked on on-the-spot assessments of 50 agencies to evaluate operational efficiency, succession planning, governance structures and audited financial reports.

The Permanent Secretary stressed that the government would continue to deepen reforms through stronger project monitoring, KPI-driven performance evaluation and enhanced stakeholder collaboration.