Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr. Fola Adeola, has commended Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, and his wife, Mrs. Feyisola Abiru, for investing in the future of young Nigerians through the SAIL Empowerment Foundation, describing the initiative as a ‘worthy legacy’ built on service, selflessness and a commitment to humanity.

Adeola gave the commendation on Wednesday during a visit to the SAIL Innovation Lab in Ikorodu, where he inspected the facility and interacted with young beneficiaries of its various programmes.

Describing his visit as worthwhile, the renowned banker and philanthropist said the decision by the Abirus to commit their resources to empowering people outside their immediate family demonstrated a rare understanding of what it means to leave a lasting legacy.

‘Whenever we decide to commit to causes bigger than ourselves, we are building a legacy. What you are doing is for children whose parents you may not even know. For society to survive, we must care for others, particularly the less privileged,’ Adeola said.

He noted that the resources invested in such an initiative could easily have been devoted to personal comfort and luxury, but the Abirus had chosen to prioritise service to humanity.

‘The money used for this great cause could have been used to service a luxurious lifestyle, but you chose service and humanity above self. This is a useful endeavour,’ he said.

Adeola urged beneficiaries at the SAIL Innovation Lab to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the facility, stressing that the beneficiaries were fortunate to have such an initiative in their community.

‘Neighbours and those living around here are indeed fortunate. I hope they will maximize the great opportunities here,’ he added.

Drawing parallels between SAIL and his own philanthropic journey, Adeola recalled the establishment of the FATE Foundation in 2000, an initiative he founded to support aspiring entrepreneurs and promote enterprise development.

He described philanthropy as a noble ecosystem that may not always attract the glamour associated with conventional endeavours, but whose impact remains enduring.

‘It is a world of charity, a completely noble cause. It is a completely different ecosystem that is not ‘sexy’. Beneficiaries will always remember the pathway,’ he said.

Adeola expressed delight at witnessing the work being done at SAIL, saying the experience had left a strong impression on him. ‘I am glad I came here. I should have come here with my son and wife to witness this remarkable feat. May your kindness count for you,’ he said.

Addressing participants at the innovation lab, Adeola also shared his personal story of rising from humble beginnings to becoming one of Nigeria’s foremost bankers, entrepreneurs and national icon.

He recalled that his mother placed a tray on his head as a nine-year-old boy to hawk goods on the streets, an experience that shaped his understanding of resilience, perseverance and the power of determination.

He urged the young beneficiaries not to surrender to the adversities they may encounter in life, encouraging them instead to discover their talents and develop their gifts.

According to him, successful people do not possess two heads; rather, they distinguish themselves through discipline, determination and the willingness to make the most of their opportunities.

In his remarks, Senator Abiru described Adeola as his boss, mentor and a major influence on his professional and public-service journey.

Abiru recalled that he began his banking career at Guaranty Trust Bank under Adeola’s tutelage, spending 10 years in the institution and learning valuable lessons that have continued to shape his approach to leadership and service.

‘This inspiration you see here today was learnt from him. He is my pillar of inspiration, my mentor and guardian, even in public service,’ Abiru said.

Picture a scenario in which Nigeria succeeds. Where will you be standing?

Before we explore such a possibility, picture another playscript: where the Nigerian sits at a table to ‘brainstorm’ or ‘jawjaw’ with foreign diplomats of the British, French or American consulate.

Some wonderful imagery you have there, perhaps. Mine encompasses promising male and female Nigerians speaking from the left side, right side, or both sides of the mouth.

Like the proverbial prodigal who points out his ancestral home with the accursed left finger, these characters forget that no foreign ambassador operating on our native soil, was appointed primarily to advance Nigeria’s prosperity ahead of his homeland’s. No foreign consulate truly empowers Nigerians ahead of its own citizens. Every imperialist state, in the end, is driven by selfish interests.

Why, then, should Nigerians imagine themselves exempt from this universal law of international relations?

This is why we must all unite in uncommon wisdom. The Nigerian conversation must mature beyond endless criticism and caustic riposte: ‘If Nigerian happens to you, eh?’ or a penchant for anti-Nigerian maleficence.

Public discourse must surpass the malignant soapboxes of pessimism. Nigeria won’t prosper by our masterful lamentation and cataloguing of corruption, insecurity, unemployment, inflation, among other national or private disappointments; shall we commit to a more fruitful venture? No society succeeds simply because its citizens perfected despair.

Against this backdrop subsists the imperative for optimism. Consider, for instance, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s projection of a $1 trillion Nigerian economy by 2030. One trillion dollars is, no doubt, a figure so enormous that it immediately divides opinion. To some, it signifies bold leadership. To others, it is another populist gimmick in the tenor of the ill-fated Vision 2010 and Vision 2020, among others.

Yet, the question is no longer whether Tinubu’s government can build a trillion-dollar economy driven by expanded productive capacity in infrastructure, energy, maritime, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, solid minerals, petrochemicals and other non-oil sectors, or whether the projection is too grandiose or insufficiently ambitious.

For the average Nigerian, it has become more urgent to ask: Where do I fit into the economy that is being imagined?

If the Federal Government succeeds, even by a smidgen, in transforming Nigeria into a larger productive economy driven by manufacturing, technology, energy, agriculture, creative industries and private capital, where exactly do I stand? Where do you stand?

Entire generations have been conditioned to think only in terms of government performance, waiting for government to either disappoint or pleasantly surprise us. Yet, as Nigeria undergoes radical economic transformation, fortune won’t visit those who merely malign or applaud policy from atop their soapboxes, online and offline.

When China industrialised and opened its economy, millions smartly repositioned themselves before Europe realised what was happening. When the Gulf States transformed deserts into financial and logistics capitals, prosperity smiled first upon those who anticipated change rather than those who debated its possibility.

Are you merely observing history or set to profit from it? This is a more uncomfortable question because it removes us as citizens from the gallery of chronic lamentation and places us inside a more urgent narrative.

President Tinubu’s projected $1 trillion economy won’t be accomplished via public spending alone but through synergy with private capital; yet, Mr President must understand that beyond grand pronouncements and gestures of implementation, his trillion-dollar economy may be doomed to fail if it simply fetes the political and corporate business class, and locks out, as usual, average Nigerians. His grand and ambitious projections must be facilitated to accommodate every class of citizen. It mustn’t be hijacked by party stalwarts, henchmen and loyalists.

Again, this brings us back to the question: If the project succeeds, where will you and I be standing? I choose to answer this as a journalist.

For the average journalist, to profit from Tinubu’s trillion-dollar economy may forever be a mirage. If the ‘math is simply not mathing’ and the future looks bleak for you even amid such ambitious and monumental projections, it’s about time you looked inwards and took a more progressive, radical turn perhaps.

There is a profound, suffocating sadness in watching an estate that once produced giants get reduced to a gathering of hungry mice. The trillion-dollar economy should never be one in which journalists fight and fall over one another in the digital public square, jostling like market scavengers for crumbs of attention, while it should be the other way round. The jury is out on who is to blame, but I dare say that our fate would improve when we start approaching our duty as a witness and quit trading our skills like mercenaries.

Whether as commissioned apologists for crooked politicians, publicists for superficial entertainment celebrities, praise-singers for predatory banks, or digital mercenaries for murder convicts on trial, the modern Nigerian journalist has become a tragic caricature of the fringe player. Even those who parade themselves on late-night television as courageous truthtellers are often engaged in nothing more than a cynical audition. They do not rail against power structures from a place of deep, decolonial moral vision, but with the desperate hope that their principals in the opposition will, by some radical stroke of political fortune, grab state power and employ them as the new official attack dogs of the state. It’s often subtle and at times, brazenly perpetrated to the applause or attacks of the media audience.

If we must profit from a Greater Nigeria, then we must be liberated from economic distress. The latter has been responsible for the media’s professional and ethical rut.

Several reporters are trapped in a system that treats them with institutional scorn, salaries inadequate to foot basic living expenses, even while being viewed with inexplicable hostility by the very society they claim to serve. Many veterans, unless they secure patronage from the political class, hardly enjoy a storied twilight. Most are caught in a mad scramble for entry-level or mid-cadre public relations gigs and government media assistant roles.

It is a damning cycle. You spend twenty years and above chasing deadlines, breathing the dust of campaign trails, and ruining your eyesight under the flickering neon lights of poorly funded sub-editing pools, only to realise you cannot afford the simple decencies of life, let alone its finer graces. It doesn’t matter if you are excellent or mediocre at this craft; your fate is sealed in a concrete cell of poverty from which escape is a nightmare.

To cope with this terror, many swallow their pride and pretend. They mask their unethical acts as sacrifices made in pursuit of the public good. They tout themselves as patriots while holding the coattails of the shadiest politicians and corporate fraudsters. It gets infinitely scarier when this desperation is exploited by imperialist forces.

Enter any foreign consulate or embassy reception in Victoria Island, and you’d see carefully selected journalists, rights activists and intellectuals displaying a wild, unprompted diarrhoea of the mouth. Over coffee and pastry, glasses of smoothies and imported wine, they talk down on their own country, eager to prove their sophistication by dissecting the pathology of their homeland for the amusement of foreign diplomats.

The consulates, operating with the cold intelligence of old empires, exploit this pathetic penchant for disloyalty and easily conscript these broken ‘patriots’ into willing tools of discord, turning them into agents who spread institutional cynicism under the guise of ‘investigative journalism.’

Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ede Dafinone, has called for greater unity, cultural preservation and strategic networking among the Urhobo people, saying the nation can only achieve its full potential when its people work together and deliberately prepare the next generation for leadership.

Dafinone made the call during a visit to the Ovie of Udu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Engr. Michael Ogheneovo Orugbo, JP, KP, Okporua I, where he sought the monarch’s prayers, blessings and counsel on his continued service to Delta Central and the advancement of the Urhobo nation. The senator said his office remained open to traditional rulers and urged them to engage him whenever there were issues requiring his intervention at the national level.

Responding to concerns raised by the monarch on the need for effective representation and development, Dafinone said he regarded his Senate position as a platform to create opportunities for his people rather than a personal possession. He stressed that the people of Delta Central needed to benefit from his growing network in Abuja, particularly in employment, education, government contracts and other legitimate opportunities.

According to him, human-capital development has been a major priority of his representation, especially because first-term legislators often lack the financial and political leverage available to more experienced lawmakers. He disclosed that since his emergence as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character, his office had facilitated federal employment for some Urhobo people within two months, with more opportunities expected.

Dafinone said his approach was not limited to employment, explaining that he had also pursued scholarships, accommodation, contracts and other opportunities for qualified constituents. He assured the people that his office does not charge for assistance, warning that anyone attempting to extort constituents in his name would face consequences.

He also highlighted projects executed across Delta Central, saying he had deliberately ensured that interventions were spread across the district’s wards. He disclosed that projects had reached 83 of the 85 wards, with plans to cover the remaining two, while major interventions included a 53-bed student hostel at FUPRE, a railway halt at Egbo-Urhe in Ughelli South, a maternity ward at Ughelli General Hospital, an Accident and Emergency Ward at Sapele General Hospital.

The senator, however, said his ambition went beyond conventional constituency projects, stressing the need for landmark industrial investments capable of creating long-term economic opportunities for Urhobo. He disclosed that he had recently spent four days studying the situation at the Delta Steel Company, Ovwian-Aladja, and he is preparing a memorandum to be submitted to the Government for intervention.

Dafinone said the future of DSC required a comprehensive technical assessment to determine whether the plant could be revived as an integrated steel facility or whether its infrastructure could be transformed into a modern manufacturing and industrial village.

He said the objective was to establish the actual condition of the facilities, identify equipment that may have been removed and determine the financial viability of restarting production.

He also appealed to Urhobo traditional rulers and leaders to take cultural preservation seriously, particularly the documentation of the Urhobo language, traditional marriage rites, funeral ceremonies and the proper presentation of kola nuts. Dafinone said he had sponsored the Urhobo Language Competition for two consecutive years and would sponsor it for a third year, in honour of the late Senator Pius Ewherido , whom he credited with initiating the competition.

The senator expressed concern that some Urhobo cultural practices were gradually being distorted or replaced by traditions from other ethnic groups. He recalled an occasion where people at a traditional Urhobo prayer were asked to remove their caps, stressing that such developments demonstrated why cultural practices needed to be properly documented and transmitted to younger generations.

Dafinone further urged Urhobo people to redefine wealth around service, legacy and collective advancement rather than personal accumulation. He said his late father, Senator David Omueya Dafinone, left him a name and reputation that he was determined to uphold, adding that his personal ambition was to elevate the Urhobo nation and prepare a new generation capable of sustaining its progress.

The senator said his growing network in Abuja was one of the most valuable assets he could deploy for the benefit of his people, noting that relationships built in the National Assembly had made it easier for him to reach ministers, permanent secretaries and other key officials. He argued that returning for a second term would provide greater leverage because legislative experience and networks become significantly stronger with time.

Earlier, the Ovie of Udu Kingdom urged Dafinone to remain accessible to the people and focus on using his legislative position to attract opportunities to the kingdom and the wider Urhobo nation. The monarch stressed that the senator should not be judged solely by the amount of money distributed to individuals, but by the laws he makes, the networks he builds and the opportunities he brings home. He also called for stronger community engagement, greater support for gas-based industries and proper protection of community and industrial assets, particularly those connected to the steel sector. He urged Dafinone to work with relevant National Assembly committees and government authorities to ensure that Udu and the wider Urhobo nation benefit from the economic opportunities in their domain.

Dafinone said the future of Urhobo ultimately depended on unity, identity, mentorship and succession, stressing that the people could not afford to continue working at cross-purposes. He described Urhobo as one of Nigeria’s significant ethnic groups with highly educated, skilled and successful people across the world, but lamented that the people often appeared marginalised because they failed to work together.

He said, ‘Everyone cannot be the captain of the ship at the same time,’ adding that his present role was to help move the Urhobo ‘ship’ towards its rightful destination before handing over to the next generation.

The Federal Government has processed over N12 billion in five months from the first phase of the National Single Window (NSW) project which commenced on March 27, 2026.

Minister of Industry Trade and Investment Dr. Olajumoke Oduwole made this disclosure in Abuja yesterday.

Oduwole said: ‘The NSW platform has processed about N12 billion in regulated payments, more than 224,600 licences and permits and registered over 11,000 importers and agents since it went live on March 27, 2026.’

Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement on the export component of the NSW project in Abuja, the Minister said more than 8,000 users had also been trained on the platform, providing evidence that the system was gaining acceptance among businesses and government agencies.

She said the experience from the first phase would be used to strengthen the second phase, which is expected to begin in November 2026.

The minister said the Federal Government was determined to use the second phase to remove the delays, duplication and poor coordination that have continued to make it difficult for Nigerian exporters to move goods from production centres to local and international markets.

She said every agency involved in the project must work towards a system in which exporters could complete their regulatory requirements through a coordinated government platform rather than having to deal separately with several institutions.

According to her, the NSW must make it possible for exporters to submit information once, track their applications, make payments and obtain the necessary approvals without repeatedly supplying the same information to different government agencies.

‘Trade does not happen at the border alone. It depends on the system connecting production to market, standards, finance, logistics, regulation, order processes and regional platforms,’ Oduwole said.

She said making the entire system work efficiently was critical to Nigeria’s efforts to diversify the economy, increase non-oil exports and create more jobs.

The minister said an export consultation organised by her ministry in November 2024 identified seven major barriers affecting exporters, with more than half linked to fragmentation, duplication, weak coordination and inconsistent regulation.

She recalled the experience of one exporter who complained that a container had been inspected repeatedly by different government agencies, describing the situation as the kind of unnecessary friction the National Single Window was designed to remove.

Oduwole said Phase Two would therefore bring export permits, certificates, licences, inspections, payments, free-zone procedures and other critical processes into a coordinated end-to-end system.

For exporters, she said, the objective was simple: fewer government interfaces, less paperwork, greater transparency and faster movement of goods from production to market.

She said government agencies would continue to perform their statutory responsibilities, but businesses should not be forced to navigate the internal complexity created by the multiplicity of government institutions.

‘That complexity is ours to solve, not theirs to carry. They should experience the Nigerian government as one,’ she said.

The minister said the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had begun by reviewing its own processes and the systems operated by its agencies and other relevant institutions.

She said the ministry was working with agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders to align processes, identify areas where systems depend on one another and establish the milestones required to build an integrated export process.

Oduwole gave the participating agencies a firm assignment, saying each institution must know what it was expected to deliver under Phase Two, where it stood against agreed milestones, what remained outstanding and which agency or system was responsible for the next action.

She fixed the end of November 2026 as the deadline for the required deliverables.

‘By the close of this engagement, we must know what we own in the Phase Two journey, where we stand against agreed milestones, what remains outstanding, which institutions or systems we depend on and who owns the next action with a firm date,’ she said.

The minister also warned agencies against using vague descriptions of progress, insisting that every outstanding task must have a clear owner and completion date. ‘Ongoing is not a delivery status,’ she said.

She directed that technical and policy problems should be dealt with quickly, saying incomplete application programming interfaces, pending process decisions and policy issues requiring escalation should all be assigned timelines and resolved early.

Oduwole also called for government systems to be able to exchange information securely where one agency already holds data required by another.

She said the objective was not to take responsibilities away from individual institutions but to remove unnecessary duplication and make the overall process easier for businesses.

The minister said the real test of Phase Two would not be the number of government systems connected to the platform but the experience of exporters using it.

‘An exporter should know what is required, submit information once, track an application, make payment, obtain approvals and move a complete Nigerian product, a compliant Nigerian product, to market with greater speed,’ she said.

She warned that simply putting existing processes online would not be enough. ‘If exporters must still move between disconnected systems, enter the same information or carry approval between agencies, we may have digitised businesses, but we will not have transformed trade,’ she said.

Oduwole said the NSW should become a major infrastructure for improving the competitiveness of Nigerian exports.

She linked the project to President Bola Tinubu’s target of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, saying such an ambition would require a trade system capable of moving goods efficiently and transparently from producers to markets.

She said the expected benefits included increased production, higher export earnings, more value addition and job creation.

The minister said the country’s trade reform agenda must therefore move the export process ‘from fragmentation to flow’ through clear responsibilities, firm deadlines and disciplined implementation.

Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, directed all stakeholders involved in the export component of the second phase of the National Single Window to coordinate their activities, establish clear timelines and meet agreed milestones ahead of the November 2026 take-off.

Adedeji gave the directive at the stakeholders’ engagement on the NSW export project in Abuja on Wednesday, saying the November deadline required every participating institution to understand its responsibilities and deliver them on schedule.

‘In order to meet the November deadline, every stakeholder should know what they’re expected to do, when to deliver on their respective assignments and the expected deliverables ahead of the take-off date,’ he said.

The NRS chairman said the directive applied to all institutions and private-sector participants whose activities form part of the export process.

They include the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), importers, freight forwarders and clearing agents, airlines, shipping lines, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Adedeji said effective coordination among the stakeholders was necessary to ensure that the second phase did not suffer delays caused by disconnected processes or uncertainty over institutional responsibilities.

He said the export component of the National Single Window was particularly important because of its potential to make it easier for Nigerian businesses to access international markets and improve the efficiency of the country’s trade system.

The project is therefore expected to bring together the different regulatory and operational processes involved in exporting goods, reducing the need for businesses to deal separately with multiple agencies.

Afrobeats singer Joeboy has revealed that he would prefer to marry early but would keep the union private from the public until he has at least three children.

The artist made the disclosure during an interview with British media personality Madame Joyce, where he spoke about marriage, timing, and privacy.

‘Personally, I would rather get married early. But if I get married right now, nobody is going to know. Maybe when I have like three kids, people will now find out that Joeboy has a whole family somewhere,’ he said.

The Sip (Alcohol) hitmaker explained that while he fancies marrying young, he does not believe marriage should be based on public opinion or trends.

‘But marriage is not really about whenever it feels cool. If it just feels right to you and you love the person, do it,’ Joeboy stated.

He added that the idea of early marriage became more appealing after watching an interview with Nollywood actor Timini Egbuson, who said he wished he had married earlier despite being known as ‘a ladies’ man.’

‘I saw an interview of Timini. He’s like the ideal playboy; almost all the girls claim to love him, and he was like, he wished he got married early. I was like, if you’re a playboy and you can say this, that means marrying early might actually be nice,’ he said.

Joeboy also noted that having teenage children in his 40s appeals to him.

‘That is not the only identifier for me. But marrying early to someone who you genuinely love is going to be cute. Being 40 and having a 16-year-old kid is cute.’

The protection of children and critical infrastructure must remain central to Nigeria’s security architecture, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, has said.

Ogunsan spoke during his first official visit to the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), where he presented 30 ballistic helmets, 30 bulletproof vests and 100 raincoats to boost the agency’s operational capacity.

He was received with a guard of honour and commended the Corps’ contribution to security in Lagos, urging it to intensify protection of schools and critical infrastructure across the state.

‘The NSCDC has won my heart… Look through your mandate, your activities and the services you render to this great country, especially to Lagos. Very outstanding performance you have given the state,’ Ogunsan said.

He stressed the importance of school protection: ‘Our children need to be safe… I want them to go to school and have peace of mind and come back to their parents after school. That’s when they feel the impact of security.’

Ogunsan said the donation was both an appreciation of the corps’ efforts and a call for greater commitment, pledging further operational support as resources became available.

Receiving the items, the NSCDC Lagos State Commandant, Adedotun Sunday Keshinro, thanked LSSTF for its continued support, saying the equipment would motivate personnel and enhance protection of lives, property and critical assets.

Keshinro said the Lagos State Government had, on August 9, 2024, allocated 2,021 square metres of land in Alausa for a new six-storey NSCDC headquarters, but funding constraints had delayed construction. He thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Chief of Staff, Tayo Ayinde, for securing the land, and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for providing another facility at Iponri, which the command has begun refurbishing.

He said the corps, with 50 divisional offices and 10 area commands across Lagos, was committed to maintaining its presence in the state.

The Federal Government has expressed displeasure about the decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to accept and assign for pre-trial hearing a case brought against Nigeria by an unidentified individual or entity.

The Fed Govt noted that, even though the case has been dismissed, its acceptance and assignment of the case for pre-trial hearing by the ICC without complying with its established procedures and standards, raises concerns about the integrity of the court.

It observed that the assignment for pre-trial hearing’was executed without a prior, reasoned threshold determination on the competence of the Pre-Trial Chamber or whether the communication was manifestly frivolous, thereby breaching the foundational procedural safeguards established under the court’s own regulations.’

The position of the Fed Govt on the issue is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), but made available by his spokesman, Kamarudeen Ogundele.

Ogundele quoted Fagbemi as saying that the unmeritorious application bypassed established legal channels and was capable of casting an unnecessary shadow over the integrity of the court’s judicial processes.

Fagbemi reassured Nigerians and the international community that no investigation had been opened by the ICC against Nigeria, or had any adverse finding been made against the Nigerian state or its institutions.

The statement by the AGF is titled, ‘The dismissal in limine by pre-trial chamber II of the International Criminal Court regarding an unauthorized communication on Nigeria.’

It reads in part: ‘The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice wishes to address recent public discourse and procedural records concerning a filing before the International Criminal Court (ICC) titled ‘Formal Communication Requesting Investigation into Systemic Kidnappings in Nigeria as Crimes Against Humanity’ (Document No. ICC-RoC46(3)-01/26).

‘The Federal Government notes with serious concern that on 26th August 2026, the President of the Pre-Trial Division improperly initiated a procedural process by assigning an unverified filing from an anonymous submitter to Pre-Trial Chamber II, purportedly pursuant to Regulation 46(3) of the Regulations of the Court.

This administrative assignment was executed without a prior, reasoned threshold determination on the competence of the Pre-Trial Chamber or whether the communication was manifestly frivolous, thereby breaching the foundational procedural safeguards established under the Court’s own regulations.

‘The Federal Ministry of Justice confirms that following this flawed initiation, Pre-Trial Chamber II, comprising Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala (Presiding), Judge Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez, and Judge Haykel Ben Mahfoudh, issued an official decision on 1st September 2026, unequivocally dismissing the request in limine (at the threshold) on the clear ground that it was not properly before the Court and lacked any legal basis.

‘While the Federal Republic of Nigeria acknowledges the swift decision of Pre-Trial Chamber II to throw out this unmeritorious application, the Federal Government observes with serious concern that the initial processing of this anonymous communication unusually bypassed established legal channels.

‘The activation of internal registry mechanisms based on an unverified filing by an ‘unknown submitter’ represents an unusual and troubling departure from the governing statutory framework of the Rome Statute.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, internal administrative guidelines cannot be used to bypass the strict rules established under the Rome Statute. The authority to evaluate information or request an investigation rests solely with the Prosecutor of the ICC, or through formal referrals by a State Party or the UN Security Council.

‘The Rome Statute gives neither the President of the Pre-Trial Division nor any Pre-Trial Chamber the power to receive anonymous petitions or interfere in the internal security matters of a sovereign nation.

‘The Federal Government emphasizes that such procedural breaches risk casting an unnecessary shadow over the integrity of the Court’s judicial processes.

‘Unchecked administrative entertainments of unverified, anonymous requests have the potential to impugn and strain the progress, mutual respect, and constructive cooperation painstakingly built over the years between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the International Criminal Court.

‘Nigeria remains a steadfast State Party to the Rome Statute, committed to international accountability and the rule of law. However, the primary constitutional responsibility for investigating and prosecuting domestic criminal activities, including kidnapping and banditry, resides firmly with Nigeria’s national judicial and law enforcement institutions under the fundamental principle of complementarity.

‘The Federal Government reassures the Nigerian public and the international community that no investigation has been opened by the ICC against Nigeria, nor has any adverse finding been made against the Nigerian State or its institutions.

‘The Federal Government calls on all organs of the Court to adhere strictly to clear statutory procedures to protect the credibility of international criminal justice and maintain the trust of sovereign State parties.’

President Bola Tinubu has mourned the death of the Emir of Zurmi, Alhaji Bello Sulaiman, describing him as a stabilising figure who showed courage in leading his people through severe security challenges.

The monarch, who ascended the throne five years ago, died on Monday.

In a condolence message yesterday, Tinubu said the Emir led the Zurmi Emirate with wisdom, dignity and commitment during one of the most challenging periods in its history.

A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu extended condolences to the Emir’s family, the Zurmi Emirate Council, the Zamfara State Government and the traditional institution across Nigeria.

The President commended Sulaiman’s role in guiding the emirate through insecurity while promoting peace, unity and resilience.

‘His Royal Highness was a stabilising figure whose wise counsel and dedication to peace-building were invaluable not only to Zurmi Emirate but to Zamfara State and our nation’s efforts to restore lasting peace in the North-West,’ Tinubu said.

He prayed that Allah forgive the monarch’s shortcomings, reward his good deeds and grant him Aljannah Firdaus, and asked for comfort for his family and subjects.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets and Flamingos will discover their opponents today, September 3 as the draws for two WAFU B U-17 competitions take place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The draw ceremonies for the WAFU B U-17 Boys’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the second edition of the WAFU B U-17 Girls’ Cup will be staged at the Stade du 04 Août.

The Golden Eaglets will learn their route in the regional qualifying competition as they begin another attempt to secure a place at continental level.

The Flamingos, meanwhile, are among seven teams entered for the second edition of the girls’ competition.

Nigeria will compete alongside Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, hosts Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger Republic.

The draws will provide both Nigerian teams with a clearer picture of the challenges ahead as they prepare for their respective regional assignments.

With a challenge to stakeholders to prioritise ecosystem restoration and shared prosperity, the Nigerian Navy (NN) has celebrated this year’s World Lake Day.

It also called for the protection of lakes and other water bodies across the country.

Speaking on the theme ‘Revitalising our lakes, advancing ecosystem: Resilience and shared prosperity’, held at Bon Pearl Hotel, Jabi Lake, Commander, Naval Base Abuja, Commodore Oluseyi Oladipo, said the celebration was rooted in the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) of President Bola Tinubu.

He said the administration’s agenda mandated the strengthening of civilian assistance and outreach by the Armed Forces of Nigeria, as well as the integration of the military into the rehabilitation of the Lake Chad Basin ecosystem and other water bodies.

He noted that the base had held the maiden edition of the event at the same venue last year, describing this year’s celebration as part of the Navy’s civil-military cooperation outreach, which spans education, healthcare, infrastructure and the environment.

According to him, the event was designed to raise public awareness on the ecological importance of lakes and to encourage government policies that would protect water bodies from pollution, overuse and the effects of climate change, in the interest of the country’s water and food security.

He said the Navy was committed to maritime security in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, in line with the vision of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to build a modern, agile and professional naval force.

The naval commander added that this responsibility extended to protecting internal waters, including lakes that support trade, transportation, food production and the blue economy. He listed the Jabi Lake and Usuma Dam as strategic water bodies within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that the base has prioritised for protection.

He commended the FCT Administration, sister services and other security agencies, as well as public and private sector partners, for their collaboration with the base in promoting security within Abuja and its environs.

Quoting the late Afrobeats icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, he said ‘water no get enemy,’ stressing the need to secure water resources and promote sustainable water management.