Headlines

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump commenced a final push across key U.S. swing states on Sunday, with less than 48 hours remaining before the close of a closely contested presidential election.

Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump urged his supporters to vote on Tuesday, repeating claims of election fraud without evidence. “The fate of our nation is in your hands. On Tuesday, you have to stand up,” he said.

According to AFP, over 76 million voters have already cast early ballots, with the race heading to a tight conclusion. Polls show several states in a statistical dead heat, making this election one of the closest in recent history.

Despite the high stakes, the campaign strategies of Harris and Trump differ significantly. A final poll by The New York Times/Siena College, published on Sunday, indicated small shifts in battleground states, but results remain within the margin of error in all seven surveyed states.

Harris, focusing on the critical Great Lakes region, spent Sunday in Michigan, making stops in Detroit, Pontiac, and concluding with a rally at Michigan State University. Meanwhile, Trump focused on Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia—states with significant influence in the Electoral College system, which allocates votes based on population.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized drugs valued at ₦4.4 billion, concealed in the lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the seizure in a statement on Sunday.

The drugs were discovered on October 29, 2024, during the cleaning of flight ET900, which had arrived in Lagos from Addis Ababa.

Babafemi stated that the illegal substances, comprising 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilograms, were hidden in nine plastic bags placed inside the waste collectors of the two rear lavatories of the aircraft.

“At least 30 suspects are being questioned in connection with the seizure,” Babafemi said. He noted that the cocaine was part of an international drug smuggling operation involving syndicates operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

Investigations revealed that the drugs were transported from Brazil to Ethiopia by couriers who ingested and later excreted the substances in Addis Ababa. From there, other traffickers attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria via Lagos, but their plan was intercepted with the cooperation of Ethiopian Airlines and airport authorities.

In a related operation, NDLEA officers also intercepted drugs concealed in body cream containers and artworks. On October 28, the agency blocked attempts to export 2.928 kilograms of cocaine, cannabis, and tramadol to Australia, the UAE, and the UK through courier services.

Further drug seizures were made at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, where operatives recovered 754,000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen worth ₦525 million.

The drugs were found in a container from India during a joint examination conducted with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

Abuja-based Human Rights Radio has gone off air to protest the arrest of minors during the #EndBadGovernance protest.

Ahmed Isah, owner of the station, announced this while featuring on the Berekete family, a breakfast programme.

Isah, who used to anchor the radio program every week day, was not in the studio in the morning, due to what he described as a shock he experienced since the condition of the children became known after they were arraigned on Friday.

He called in through the phone around 8 20 am in the live program, where he expressed his anger about the development, and ordered the station to be shut down immediately.

He said the radio station would remain shut till Tuesday when there would be further discussion on the topic, before going off again, till Wednesday when the listeners views on the matter through phone calls, would be entertained.

The Tinubu administration has been under pressure since images of the minors went viral last week.

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday ordered the permanent forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven prime properties, and share certificates connected to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Deinde Dipeolu issued the final forfeiture order after neither Emefiele nor any other interested party contested the initial interim forfeiture. The judge concluded that the former CBN governor could not substantiate any legal income from his time at Zenith Bank or the CBN to justify the acquisition of the properties.

The court noted that Emefiele failed to present documentation proving ownership of the assets. Additionally, companies associated with the properties, including Amrash Ventures Limited, Modern Hotels Limited, Finebury Properties Limited, Fidelity Express Services Limited, H & Y Business Global Limited, and SDEM Erectors Nigeria Limited, did not appear in court to claim the assets.

“The conclusion that can be deduced is that there must be something dark about the acquisition of the properties which Emefiele and the companies do not want to come to light,” Justice Dipeolu remarked. He further ruled that Emefiele had not demonstrated a lawful interest in the assets, which were suspected to have been acquired through illegal activities.

The forfeited assets include:

• Two detached duplexes at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos;
• Undeveloped land measuring 1919.592sqm on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos;
• A bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos;
• A four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos;
• An industrial complex under construction on 22 plots in Agbor, Delta State;
• An eight-unit apartment complex at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, Lagos;
• A full duplex on 2217.87sqm at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The judge ordered these properties to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The National Democratic Front (NDF) on Friday called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to address a growing political crisis in Rivers State, citing concerns over a recent judicial ruling that could impact essential services in the state.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ikenna Ezenekwe, the NDF expressed dissatisfaction with a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Joyce AbdulMalik, which prohibits the Central Bank of Nigeria from releasing monthly allocations to Rivers State. The group criticized the judgment, warning it could obstruct vital services in health, education, and infrastructure, while rural communities could also suffer adverse effects.

The NDF alleged that some political actors are using the judicial system for personal advantage, undermining the credibility of Nigeria’s judiciary. It warned that such actions not only threaten President Bola Tinubu’s administration but also risk damaging the judiciary’s reputation.

“The people of Rivers deserve a judiciary that delivers justice, not political whims,” the statement read. “Madam Chief Justice, the integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary is at stake. Stand with the people, protect democracy, and prevent political manipulation from compromising the last hope of the common man.”

The NDF described the court’s decision as “scandalous,” suggesting that it risks disrupting essential state funding, leaving health clinics, schools, and public safety services in jeopardy.

Reflecting on recent turmoil during Rivers State’s local government elections, which saw conflicting court rulings and widespread destruction of government property, the NDF cautioned that continued judicial manipulation could lead to renewed unrest, possibly resembling past insurgent activities in the Niger Delta.

“This is a pathway to anarchy,” the NDF warned, urging the Chief Justice to act decisively to protect the judiciary and preserve order in Rivers State.