Headlines

At least 13 members of a vigilante group have been reportedly killed by suspected Lakurawa insurgents in an attack on the Maori community in Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

According to Daily Trust, the incident occurred when the vigilantes attempted to resist the attackers who were rustling cattle from the community.

A resident, identified as Ibrahim Augie, told the newspaper that the vigilantes mobilised to repel the terrorists but were ambushed and overpowered.

“The vigilantes hid to attack and recapture the rustled cattle, but they didn’t know the Lakurawa had already seen them, and they were shot and killed,” he said.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, Nafiu Abubakar, for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, have scheduled the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for April 9 in Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by Mr. Ibrahim Umar, spokesman of the Peter Obi Media Reach.

According to the statement, the NEC meeting will be followed by an interactive session involving major stakeholders and other key organs of the party.

Expected attendees include Mr. Obi’s 2023 running mate, Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, serving and former senators, as well as all senatorial candidates from the 2023 general election.

Also invited are current and former members of the House of Representatives, 2023 House of Representatives candidates, members of the National Caretaker Committee, and the National Transition Committee.

Other stakeholders expected at the meeting are former governorship candidates who remain in the party, representatives of the NLC/TUC Political Commission, and members of the former National Working Committee.

Umar said the meeting, convened by the two party leaders, has become necessary to clarify issues surrounding the recent Supreme Court judgment.

The Supreme Court had, on Friday, ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction over the internal affairs of the Labour Party.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the Asiwaju of Ijebuland, Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, on his 80th birthday, commending the industrialist for his significant contributions to national development.

In a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described Adegunwa as a longtime friend, seasoned businessman, and philanthropist whose work has impacted people and institutions across Nigeria.

“As he clocks 80, we celebrate a remarkable Nigerian whose investments in key sectors continue to drive economic growth, create employment, and improve livelihoods,” the President said.

Adegunwa, a former Chairman of Sterling Bank, currently serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Essay Holdings Limited, the parent company of Rite Foods Limited. The company operates a modern food and beverage production facility in Ososa, Ogun State.

Tinubu praised Adegunwa’s leadership and philanthropic efforts, highlighting his role in building enterprises that promote both economic development and community well-being.

He prayed for Adegunwa’s continued good health and long life as family, friends, and associates gather to celebrate the milestone.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Ayo Sotinrin as the new Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

The appointment was announced on Friday, April 4, 2025, in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

Sotinrin, a seasoned finance and agribusiness professional, previously served as Group Chief Executive Officer at SAO Group. According to the Presidency, his tenure at SAO Agro was marked by major agricultural ventures, including the development of a 20,000-hectare oil palm plantation and large-scale poultry, aquaculture, maize, and cassava projects in Ondo State.

He also led SAO Capital, where he facilitated over $750 million in infrastructure and development financing, notably securing $200 million for the Akure Water Supply Project.

In the public sector, Sotinrin served as Special Adviser on Environment and Urban Development to the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory from 2011 to 2015. He has also consulted for international development organisations such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, DFID, and USAID.

His private sector experience includes roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland International, Deutsche Bank, and the UK Environment Agency.

Sotinrin holds an Executive MBA from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, a Master’s degree in Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick, and an Advanced Diploma in Environmental Conservation.

The Presidency said the appointment aligns with President Tinubu’s efforts to revitalise the agricultural sector, noting that Sotinrin’s expertise in mobilising capital and driving agribusiness innovation would support the BOA’s mandate for food security and rural development.

A prominent law firm, Crownfield Solicitors, has called for the removal of President Bola Tinubu as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing alleged democratic violations in Rivers State.

In a letter addressed to the regional bloc, the firm accused Tinubu of imposing a “pseudo-military rule” in the state. The letter, signed by Chief Festus Ogwuche in collaboration with the Campaign for Social Justice and Constitutional Democracy in Africa, alleged that Tinubu’s actions violated regional treaties and threatened democracy in West Africa.

The firm claimed that Tinubu, in his capacity as ECOWAS Chairman, suspended democratic institutions in Rivers State and installed a “neo-junta regime.” It argued that these actions contravened key international agreements, including:

• Article 4(g) of the ECOWAS Treaty, which mandates the promotion of democracy and human rights.
• Article 13(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees citizens’ right to participate in governance.
• The ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001), which requires member states to uphold democratic principles.

Crownfield Solicitors warned that Tinubu’s actions set a dangerous precedent that could encourage authoritarian rule in other ECOWAS nations. The firm stated that such developments undermine progress in stabilizing West Africa, particularly amid recent military coups in the region.

“These actions diminish ECOWAS’s credibility and its commitment to democratic governance,” the letter read in part. “If unchecked, they will embolden further violations across West Africa.”

The firm demanded:

• Tinubu’s removal as ECOWAS Chairman for failing to uphold the organization’s principles.
• The restoration of democratic institutions in Rivers State.
• Intervention by ECOWAS leaders to prevent further erosion of democracy.

Copies of the letter were sent to the Nigerian government, the ECOWAS Commission, Parliament, and Court of Justice.

The call for Tinubu’s removal follows his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, citing a protracted political crisis and vandalization of oil facilities. The President also suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly for six months.