Author: The Whistler Newspaper

The recent pronouncement by the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, that the governors of the South-East Region endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election does not represent the position of the generality of the people of the region.

The House of Representatives candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency of Enugu State, Barr Ike Elshadai, stated this during a chat with THE WHISTLER in Enugu on Tuesday.

Quoting him, “Assuming that South-East governors collectively endorsed President Tinubu, the people will still be the ultimate deciders. Governors can rally round to make their own pronouncements in their capacity as individual persons, but at the end of the day, democracy is about the people. Even the thirty-six state governors cannot overwhelm the majority of Nigerians in any election. The year 2027 will boil down to how the people feel about the incumbent irrespective of the positions of governors.”

He said Gov Uzodimma might be speaking on his personal ground because one of the governors in the region, Gov Alex Otti of Abia State, was quick to counter him. “It therefore doesn’t show that there was any such collective deliberation. Even if that were to be the case, it also brings about the capacity of one person to be speaking on behalf of the generality of the people of the state”.

He interrogated the capacity of a governor to enjoy full support of the entire people of his state. In his words, “Have you ever seen where governors took one position, and the people followed that line? In South-East, not many of these governors can say that. It is a political statement.”

He made a reference to a statement credited to the presidential candidate of NDC, Mr Peter Obi, when he reacted to APC having thirty-one governors. Obi had replied, “Make it thirty-six; I will dash him the rest five”. Obi had argued that he won elections without having a councillor on his side.

Ike said, “Our history shows that no one person has ever been a spokesperson for the Igbo. It was the reason why the British found it difficult to control us during the colonial era. It is unlike the North where an Emir’s pronouncements stand for his people. Even if the governors made the statement, what water does it carry? Since when did we start seeing governors speak for their states on every matter? Let’s agree that their people gave them mandates; it does not mean that these governors control the will of their people. Rather, there should be consultations on specific issues. What consultations were made between the governors and their people before those assertions were made? It is not surprising that they share blind loyalty to the party. You cannot say that all of those states are actually APC. We are not even talking about how they came into the party: whether their election processes were organic or fair.”

On claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress deserves South-East support due to the establishment of the South-East Development Commission, the Reps candidate said, “Even with the South-East Development Commission, we are not better off now than before. It is true that some states in the Eastern Region have done well. The governor of Abia State is an example. But as a group, what can we boast of? When we talk about development, I don’t agree that people should cite instances of boreholes and streetlights. Those things were there even before now. Then how do streetlights cascade to the living index?”

He referenced some accusations of ethnic bigotry against the Tinubu administration, and asked, “How many Igbos are in key positions? We are quick to celebrate an ideation, but we don’t wait to see the result. I’m yet to see a tangible result of South-East Development Commission. Before now, there were similar bodies said to be executing such for the benefit of South East. How well did they fare?

“We talk about living index; is South-East better now? I don’t agree. How has security fared in the region? Food inflation is about 17.6% higher than before. How many persons can say they can now afford food better than before? These issues are affecting the whole of Nigeria. It is all about party people playing blind loyalty to sentiments. In some states, there might have been some improvements, but not to say that the FG has done the best they could do. There are certain aspects that nothing has been done.”

2027: NDC Reps Candidate Counters S’East Governors On Tinubu Endorsement is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Activists in Imo have called for the immediate cancellation of the 2026 Common Entrance and Primary Six First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC,  examinations in the state, following what they termed poor planning, inadequate logistics coupled with unconducive conditions that subjected pupils to severe hardship.

In an open letter addressed to the State Commissioner for Education, the SAVE IMO group, led by  Ebubeagu Ekenulo, accused the ministry of mishandling the examinations held on July 17. 

The group pointed out that the decision to schedule both examinations on the same day was evidence of poor planning which placed pupils who sat for both exams at a disadvantage.

“Scheduling both high-stakes examinations for the same day was a reckless decision, “Many pupils sat for both. It set them up to fail before they entered the hall. This was not an error. It was a disregard for educational standards,”the letter alleged.

The group also alleged that pupils at several examination centres were forced to write their papers in darkness after hours of delays, with some reportedly relying on torchlights, candles and car headlights provided by their parents. 

According to SAVE IMO, some centres were still conducting the examinations as late as 8pm, prompting worried parents to visit schools over concerns about the safety of their children and the integrity of the exercise.

“Parents stormed schools fearing for the lives of their children and even malpractice. Others became invigilators with flashlights. Is this the standard we now accept for Imo children?

It further alleged that some schools received grossly inadequate question papers, forcing some pupils to complete the examination on another day using the same question papers administered the previously.

The group added that the alleged 24-hour gap created an opportunity for examination malpractice, leakage and compromised examination ethics.

Mr Ekenulo asserted that in any credible examination body, the act alone warrants automatic cancellation.

The group through the letter urged the Education Commissioner to order the immediate nullification of the examinations and conduct fresh examinations within 30 days, under what it described as proper supervision, adequate logistics and humane conditions are put in place.

“Imo children are not an afterthought. Education is not where we cut corners to save money. Failure of the examination process should be addressed,” the letter concluded.

Activists demand cancellation of 2026 common entrance, primary six exams in Imo over anomalies 

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on young people across the state and the country to intensify grassroots…

The post 2027: APC urges youths to drive Tinubu’s re-election campaign appeared first on Tribune Online.

Tijani Al-Ameen has completed a move to Zimbabwean side, Scotland FC, DAILY POST reports.

Al-Ameen joined Scotland FC for an undisclosed fee.

The defender signed a two-year contract with the southern African side.

Al-Ameen last played for Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, side Shooting Stars.

Al-Ameen played a pivotal role in the Oluyole Warriors’ CAF confederation cup qualification.

Shooting Stars will now have to shop for a formidable replacement for the defender ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

NPFL: Al-Ameen leaves Shooting Stars for Zimbabwe’s Scotland FC

Bitget Wallet, a self-custodial crypto wallet built for everyday finance, has surpassed 100 million users worldwide as daily payment users now outnumber traders for the first time in the company’s history.

With Nigeria a leading figure, the shift is supported by a June 2026 International Monetary Fund report which found that the country accounts for roughly 60 percent of all stablecoin inflows into sub-Saharan Africa since 2019, driven overwhelmingly by households and small businesses rather than institutional trading. The country also received about $59 billion in crypto asset inflows between July 2023 and June 2024.

According to Bitget, more than half of the global users are in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa and Latin America, where the wallet increasingly functions as a stablecoin account: a place to hold dollars and get paid into, rather than a venue to speculate.

The pressure behind the numbers is specific. The naira lost more than 40 percent of its value against the dollar in 2024, and conventional remittance corridors into the country still charge 5 to 8 percent per transfer on average.

To address the gap, the platform launched a direct bank transfer feature in Nigeria in November 2025, converting stablecoins such as USDT and USDC into naira and settling instantly across many partner banks. This represented one of the initial attempts by a global crypto wallet to connect stablecoin payments directly into a country’s banking system at scale.

The card numbers follow the same pattern. Bitget Wallet Cards have passed 150,000 issued worldwide, live across more than 50 markets and accepted at over 150 million merchants. Global card spending reached $31 million in the first half of 2026, up 191 percent from the second half of 2025. In emerging markets, where Nigeria sits, card spend grew 416 percent over the same period, more than twice the global rate.

“The next wave of users in markets like Nigeria doesn’t think of this as crypto,” said Alvin Kan, Chief Operating Officer of Bitget Wallet. “They have a balance in dollars, they spend it, they get paid into it, and they move it across borders. The account just happens to be onchain. What the data is showing us is that this is becoming routine, and what starts as routine in these markets tends to define what global finance looks like next.”

Cardholders now average 10 payments a month at roughly $28 each, a frequency that looks like routine debit card use rather than a trading habit.

Initially launched in 2018 as a trading tool tailored for crypto natives, Bitget Wallet has undergone a massive transformation. Features like card issuance, direct bank integrations, and newer QR payment rails did not exist at its last major milestone but now constitute the core product. This shift is driven by the Onchain Payments Matrix, Bitget Wallet’s advanced settlement layer, which has processed more than $177 billion in stablecoin volume across more than 80 payment rails and over 100 currencies.

Bitget Wallet surpasses 100 million users as daily spending outpaces trading activity

…Targets Higher Non-Oil Export Earnings Through SOAR Initiative

The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has launched a new initiative aimed at equipping retiring public servants with the skills, mentorship and market access needed to become successful players in Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

The programme, known as the SOAR Initiative, seeks to transform retirement into an opportunity for entrepreneurship by preparing civil servants due for retirement within the next three to four years to participate across the non-oil export value chain.

Speaking at the inaugural programme on Wednesday in Abuja, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda and the council’s mandate to promote non-oil exports.

According to her, the programme is designed to expose prospective retirees to opportunities in agriculture, fashion, spices and other export-oriented sectors while providing practical support from production to accessing international markets.

“What we are trying to do is, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, to diversify the economy away from oil. We have decided to work with people retiring in the next three to four years and empower them from farm to market access,” Ayeni said.

She noted that many retirees possess decades of experience and valuable skills but often struggle financially after leaving public service due to inadequate preparation for life after retirement.

“We want people to know that retirement is not the end of life. You actually retire to refire. It is an opportunity to move into new spaces and continue contributing meaningfully to national economic development,” she added.

Ayeni explained that the SOAR Initiative would go beyond classroom training by providing continuous mentorship and practical exposure.

She said participants would be guided to identify the segment of the export value chain most suited to their interests and strengths, whether as farmers, processors, aggregators, service providers or exporters.

“There are three modules. This is not just training; it is a school. We will handhold them throughout the process. After this phase, participants will choose the area they want to specialise in, after which we will connect them with successful industry mentors who will work with them for two to three months.

“We will also support them through market information, trade missions, international trade fairs and market access opportunities until they are ready to compete globally,” she said.

The NEPC boss disclosed that about 100 participants were selected for the maiden edition despite receiving significantly more applications from government agencies.

She explained that the council deliberately limited the number of participants to ensure effective learning and closer engagement.

Ayeni also expressed optimism that Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings would surpass last year’s performance despite fluctuations in global commodity prices, particularly cocoa.

She revealed that Nigeria recorded $6.1bn in formal, documented non-oil exports in the previous year but noted that the figure excluded substantial informal cross-border trade.

According to her, the council is collaborating with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to capture exports conducted through border corridors and informal trade routes in the country’s official trade statistics.

“We are expanding the net. A lot of exports move through our borders without being captured in official records. We are working with the NBS and the CBN to document these transactions, and we are making reasonable progress,” she said.

Ayeni added that ongoing efforts to improve market access, including the Federal Government’s air cargo corridor initiative and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), would further boost export volumes, product diversity and destination markets before the end of the year.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Danjuma Caleb, commended the NEPC for introducing what he described as a timely intervention for public servants approaching retirement.

He said the initiative would help dispel the widespread perception that retirement inevitably leads to hardship.

According to him, proper planning and entrepreneurship training would enable retiring workers to make informed investment decisions, reduce financial losses and improve their quality of life after leaving public service.

He expressed hope that the programme would be sustained and replicated across ministries, departments and agencies to strengthen retirement planning within the Federal Civil Service.

Caleb noted that similar initiatives could complement existing pre-retirement programmes and equip workers with practical business skills that would enable them to build sustainable livelihoods beyond government service.

ENDS

NEPC Unveils Programme To Turn Retirees Into Export Entrepreneurs is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The United States has announced that it would discontinue visa services in Abuja and 24 other African diplomatic cities effective August 1, 2026.

A statement by the US Department of State said realignment to regional hubs was part of efforts aimed at boosting national security, cutting government waste and ensuring more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards.

The statement said the administration of President Donald Trump is putting America and Americans first by realigning overseas operations to advance US priorities efficiently and effectively.

“The Department of State is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to advance America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.

“This includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests.

“The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans, and the State Department will continue to provide Americans with appropriate consular services and assistance at diplomatic posts around the world,” the statement read.

Other African diplomatic posts affected by the routine visa realignment include Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville and Lilongwe.

The rest are Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou and Windhoek.

According to the US State Department, the realignment does not change the operating status of any of the embassies and consulates or the important work they continue to conduct on behalf of the American people.

The State Department equally clarified that the policy does not affect any currently valid US visas.

The Department also noted that realigning visa services to hubs has already been successful with several African nations and in Europe.

However, routine visa services, according to the State Department, will continue at US embassies and consulates in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar-Es-Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.

US to stop visa services in Abuja, 24 other African diplomatic posts [FULL LIST]

A Norwegian teenager has been convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in Britain after being recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organised crime group that British prosecutors say is used by the Iranian government to carry out attacks in Europe.

An Old Bailey jury deliberated for 17 hours and six minutes before finding Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, guilty of conspiracy to murder following a retrial.

Natland, from Stavanger in south-west Norway, travelled to the United Kingdom on 17 March 2025 after being added to a Signal group chat in which he almost immediately asked “Who is to be killed?” He was arrested two days later at the Briar Court Hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, where police found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and 12 rounds of live ammunition in his hotel room, along with £2,000 in cash.

He had been controlled by an English-speaking boss known as “Agent 47,” a reference to the Hitman gaming and film franchise, and recruited by a 17-year-old in Norway known as “Generalen.”

A message chain showed a figure of €25,000 “in the pot” for the assassination of an unidentified person in England.

Natland told the jury he was not an international assassin and had initially agreed to the plan to fund a drug habit, thinking it was a joke.

“I wasn’t an international assassin. I thought people had this impression and expected me to be this guy. I knew I wasn’t,” he said. He said he had planned to shoot himself in the foot to avoid carrying out the killing.

“Faced with the alternative of being shot in the head, I thought being shot in the foot is better,” he said. The jury rejected his account.

Natland’s recruiter, the teenager known as Generalen, was convicted in Norway in May last year of attempting to contribute to the murder plot.

Three more people have been charged by Norwegian police, with a decision yet to be taken on whether to formally indict them.

The Foxtrot Network is led by Rawa Majid, also known as the Kurdish Fox, who fled to Iran in September 2023 and was subsequently recruited by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence to carry out attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe in exchange for protection and safe haven in Tehran.

Both the United States and United Kingdom have sanctioned the group over its alleged links to Iran.

Norwegian Teen Guilty Of Murder Plot For Gang Linked To Iran is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

A 45-year-old Nigerian, Obinwa Obichukwu, has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in the United Kingdom after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman twice at one of London’s busiest railway stations.

Obichukwu, of Armstrong Close, Hertfordshire, was sentenced by the Inner London Crown Court on July 21 following his conviction on two counts of sexual assault.

The conviction followed an investigation by the British Transport Police, which relied on CCTV footage and the victim’s testimony to establish the offences.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order on the convict and directed that he be placed on the UK Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

According to the police, the offences occurred on the evening of August 20, 2023, near Euston railway station in London.

Investigators said Obichukwu approached the woman as she walked towards the station and struck up a conversation by asking about the music she was listening to. He allegedly put his arm around her shoulder and asked her to return home with him.

Police said he continued to follow the woman along Euston Road, repeatedly grabbing her hand and professing his love despite her attempts to walk away.
The situation escalated when he allegedly prevented her from entering the station and sexually assaulted her at the entrance.

The victim managed to proceed down the escalator towards the London Underground platforms, but Obichukwu reportedly followed her and sexually assaulted her again near the ticket barriers.

She eventually pushed him away, escaped and reported the incident to the authorities.
British Transport Police officers subsequently tracked Obichukwu to his home, where he was arrested.

During the trial, prosecutors relied on the victim’s detailed account, supported by CCTV footage captured at the station. The evidence led the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute him on two counts of sexual assault.

Reacting to the conviction, Detective Constable Daniel Burke described Obichukwu as “a sexual predator” who deliberately targeted a woman travelling alone.

“Obinwa Obichukwu is a sexual predator who targeted a lone woman and attacked her at a busy London station,” Burke said.
He noted that Obichukwu denied the allegations throughout the trial, insisting the encounter was consensual, but the jury rejected his defence.

“He claimed his assault was consensual and took his case to trial, but fortunately the jury saw straight through his lies and he’s now behind bars where he belongs,” the detective added.

Burke reiterated that tackling violence and intimidation against women and girls remains a key priority for the British Transport Police.

He urged members of the public to report incidents of violence or harassment on the railway, assuring that offenders would be brought to justice.

UK Court Jails Nigerian Two Years For Sexual Assault is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Troops of 65 Battalion under the leadership of the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel S Adeojo, have dismantled a suspected illegal bunkering site in the Orile area of Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lt-Col Musa Yahaya.

Yahaya said while acting on credible intelligence, the troops raided the site and arrested six suspected oil bunkerers.

According to him, the operation also led to the recovery of four trucks, one pumping machine, and assorted pipes and drums allegedly used for illegal bunkering activities.

He added that the suspects and recovered items have been handed over to the officers and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Lagos State Command for further necessary action.

“The General Officer Commanding 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adebayo Abdulrahman Babalola, commended the troops for the successful operation and charged them to sustain the offensive against economic sabotage and other criminal activities within the 81 Division area of responsibility,” the statement said.

Troops dismantle illegal bunkering site in Lagos, arrest six suspects