South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison for sending drones into North Korea, a move prosecutors argued was aimed at creating a pretext for his disastrous martial law declaration in 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence on Friday.
DAILY POST recalls that Yoon was given life in jail in February for leading an insurrection to “paralyse” the National Assembly with his martial law declaration.
In April, special prosecutors said Yoon’s effort to “fabricate wartime conditions” with the drones had undermined state security.
According to the prosecutors, the operation heightened tensions with North Korea and led to the leak of classified information – including details about force capabilities – after the drones crashed, Yonhap news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the ex-president has appealed against the insurrection conviction, insisting that he declared martial law “solely for the sake of the nation”.
His legal team denied the charge involving the drones, saying there was “no prior order or subsequent approval” by him for the drone operation cited by prosecutors.
They also argued that the operation was a response to North Korea sending balloons carrying trash across the border that year and was “a legitimate act of self-defence” unrelated to Yoon’s martial law declaration.
The lawyers dismissed the prosecution’s claims as a “speculative and false novel”.
United States forces on Thursday shot down two Iranian drones that were attempting to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
According to NBC News, an American official revealed this on Thursday with no other details provided on the targeted vessels or any damage resulting from the incident.
“It appears Iran has attempted to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz tonight. US forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones. Traffic flow through the Strait continues,” the official said.
This came a few hours after US President Donald Trump said Washington was close to reaching an agreement with Iran on ending the war.
According to him, the agreement could be signed very soon, adding that Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner would represent the US at a possible signing ceremony in Europe.
Famous Nigerian music star, Burna Boy and his Colombian counterpart, Shakira, have performed the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, “Dai Dai”.
The duo performed at the opening ceremony of the tournament on Thursday at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday.
The ceremony took place an hour after the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
DAILY POST reports that the World Cup, which has 48 teams competing for the first time, is co-hosted by Mexico alongside Canada and the US.
While Burna Boy delivered a high-energy performance of “Dai Dai”, Shakira took to the stage with the opening verse of the tournament’s official song following J Balvin’s performance.
…178 MDAs Without Governing Boards, 119 Others Fail To Submit Financial Reports
…50 Federal Agencies Face ICPC Investigations Over Procurement, Recruitment Breaches
A comprehensive compliance assessment of federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has uncovered widespread deficiencies in governance structures, financial accountability, procurement practices and anti-corruption frameworks across the public sector.
The report prepared by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for the 2025 fiscal period reviewed 357 MDAs.
THE WHISTLER analysis of the report revealed that nearly half of the institutions assessed lacked clearly articulated organisational values, mission and vision statements accessible to staff, raising concerns about institutional culture and direction.
According to the findings, 169 MDAs, representing 49.13 percent, do not have core values, mission and vision systems for staff understanding, while 191 MDAs (55.52 percent) have not domesticated policies regulating the acceptance of gifts, donations and hospitality.
The assessment also highlighted serious governance gaps. A total of 178 MDAs were found not to have instruments establishing governing boards or councils, while 39 MDAs currently operate without boards or oversight structures in place.
Strategic planning and performance monitoring also emerged as weak areas. The report disclosed that 106 MDAs (30.81 percent) lack strategic plans, while 157 MDAs (45.64 percent) do not have effective monitoring systems and failed to conduct monitoring and evaluation of their programmes and projects.
Anti-corruption mechanisms appeared particularly weak in many of the establishments. The report noted that 289 MDAs, representing 84.01 percent, do not encourage Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) to conduct System Studies or Corruption Risk Assessments.
Anti-Corruption Deficit
Similarly, 241 MDAs (71.22 percent) have not domesticated whistle-blower policies, while whistle-blowing policies in 270 MDAs (78.49 percent) are either inaccessible or unavailable to stakeholders.
Financial management deficiencies were also discovered to be widespread. The report found that 101 MDAs (29.36 percent) do not have guidelines governing staff advances.
In addition, 65 MDAs (18.9 percent) fail to ensure timely retirement of advances, while 83 MDAs (24.13 percent) grant fresh advances before previous ones are retired.
The report further stated that a total of 119 MDAs (34.59 percent) failed to render financial reports to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) during the period under review.
Forty-two MDAs (12.21 percent) were found not to comply with regulations on the remittance of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while 80 MDAs (23.26 percent) violated provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
Internal and external audit compliance also remained problematic. Sixty-three MDAs (18.31 percent) failed to conduct internal audit activities as required, while 115 MDAs (33.43 percent) did not submit annual audited accounts to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and the National Assembly.
The report further revealed that 61 MDAs (17.73 percent) lacked externally contracted auditors engaged through due process.
On procurement, the report showed that 88 MDAs (25.58 percent) did not conduct annual needs assessments before procurement activities, while 35 MDAs (10.17 percent) lacked annual procurement plans aligned with the Public Procurement Act 2007 and approved budgets.
Also, 115 MDAs (33.43 percent) failed to conduct market surveys during the year under review, while 76 MDAs (22.09 percent) did not provide external partners and stakeholders with ethics and compliance principles, including sanctions for violations.
Procurement BlindSpots
The report also noted that 37 MDAs (10.76 percent) failed to undertake performance certification of ongoing projects and verify supplied goods.
“Significantly, 50 MDAs (14.53 percent) currently face petitions or ongoing investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged infractions involving procurement and recruitment processes.”
“Legal and administrative shortcomings were equally evident. Twenty-one MDAs (6.10 percent) were found to be operating without legal instruments establishing their existence, while 25 MDAs (7.27 percent) do not conduct annual performance reviews and appraisals, resulting in irregular staff promotions,” the report added.
It further stated that 56 MDAs (16.28 percent) still rely largely on manual record-keeping systems, while 15 MDAs (4.36 percent) either lack websites entirely or have not updated them within the last six months.
Capacity development and ethics training remain major concerns. According to the findings, 144 MDAs (41.86 percent) do not have annual training plans, while 149 MDAs (43.31 percent) fail to provide ethics and compliance training for management and staff.
“Furthermore, 195 MDAs (56.69 percent) engage training consultants or firms that are not accredited by relevant regulatory agencies,” the report said.
It also identified weaknesses in ethical standards and staff motivation. Ninety-nine MDAs (28.78 percent) do not have domesticated codes of conduct, while professional codes in 179 MDAs (52.03 percent) are outdated.
The report, which was signed by the Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, noted that 152 MDAs (44.19 percent) lack reward systems for employees.
To address the deficiencies, the report recommended stronger collaboration between the ICPC, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and other stakeholders to improve monitoring and compliance through adequate funding and manpower.
The Commission urged the Federal Government to enforce statutory requirements on the submission of periodic and annual audited reports by MDAs, including the application of sanctions where necessary.
The ICPC, in the report, stressed the need for strict compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2007 and other regulatory frameworks, while recommending urgent legislative action for public institutions operating without enabling laws.
Among other recommendations, the report urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to advise the President on the need to constitute and inaugurate governing boards for statutory institutions.
It further proposed profiling persistently non-compliant MDAs through system studies and enforcement measures, as well as ensuring that the Budget Office and National Assembly make budgetary provisions for Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs).
The report also recommended that the ICPC create a dedicated budget line for monitoring ACTUs and following up on compliance activities to strengthen accountability across government institutions.
THE WHISTLER had on Tuesday, reported an audit showdown between the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate and three federal government agencies on issues bordering on alleged financial infractions.
The heads of the three agencies – Bank of Agriculture (BOA), the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC), and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) were consequently ordered to appear before the Committee to respond to outstanding audit queries or risk sanctions.
The Ebonyi State Government has dismissed as false and misleading claims alleging that it budgeted ₦16 billion for the running of its Abuja Liaison Office. In a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Leo Ekene-Oketa, the government described the allegation by Chika Nwoba as “malicious, fictitious and deliberately misleading.”
According to the aide, Ebonyi State owns a property located in the Central Business District, Abuja, where a 12-storey building previously stood before it was demolished by the state government in 2016.
It explained that the ₦16 billion provision in the 2026 budget is not for the operation of the Abuja Liaison Office but strictly for the development and redevelopment of the state-owned property for the benefit of Ebonyi people.
The aide further clarified that the actual recurrent expenditure for the Abuja Liaison Office remains within its traditional range over the years, with personnel and operational costs estimated at about ₦77 million.
Reaffirming the administration’s position, Oketa stressed that Governor Nwifuru remains committed to transparency, prudent management of public funds and sustained infrastructural development across Ebonyi State.
He urged the public to disregard what he termed misleading narratives and to rely on verified official communications regarding government finances and projects.
Popular Nollywood actor Stan Nze has revealed that more than five phones were stolen at the late Alex Ekubo’s service of songs on Wednesday. He made the disclosure hours after actresses Bam Bam and Susan Peters raised the alarm over their stolen phones at the event.
Reacting to the incident in an Instagram post on Thursday, Stan Nze, who was the MC of the event and a close associate of Alex, disclosed that more than five phones were stolen.
Questioning the conscience of Nigerians, he said, “How can you come to a place where people are mourning and steal from them?”
He further claimed that the average Nigerian is wicked and heartless.
“Plenty of times, we complain about the government and how Nigeria is not working, the killings and the insurgency, which is very, very true.
“But I want to address us as a people today. What are our values? I hear people saying that if we get into government, we will do our best, we will change things and policies. To be honest, I doubt that a lot because of the mindset of the average Nigerian.
“I hosted my dear friend’s service of songs last night, and it was one of the hardest things to do. But at that service of songs, over five phones went missing. I’m saying five phones because I don’t want to exaggerate. At least, I know two people who lost their phones personally, and it got me thinking: how can you come to a place where people are mourning and steal from them?
“What has happened to our conscience as a people? At a point, they had to block the gate so that people would not leave until the phones were found. The government is not our problem. Even if we chase everyone in government out now, who will lead? Who will do the job? How is your own personal life? How kind are you to your neighbour? You’re saying that the government is bad, but you’re wicked.
“We’re not kind people. We’re not kind with people’s health, not with money, not with sympathy. We’re not kind people. This is a call to all Nigerians to start doing the right thing in our little circles. People were crying over their phones,” he said.
A child playing with a lighter in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Thursday triggered a fire disaster in a three-bedroom flat, DAILY POST reports.
According to the spokesman of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, in Ilorin on Thursday, the incident occurred at about 5:08 p.m. at No. 38, Aduagbemi Street, behind Uniform Company, off Asa Dam Road in Ilorin metropolis.
He disclosed that “the incident involved a three-bedroom flat, where one room was affected by the fire.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a child playing with a lighter and using it to ignite pieces of paper.
“The burning paper subsequently came into contact with nearby combustible materials, resulting in a fire outbreak.
“The fire had already escalated before neighbours noticed the incident and raised the alarm.
“Upon arrival, firefighters swiftly brought the situation under control and prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building and adjoining properties,” he added.
The Director of the State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, advised parents and guardians to keep matches, lighters and other ignition sources out of the reach of children.
He emphasised that children should be adequately supervised at all times and educated on the dangers associated with playing with fire.
The director further urged residents to install basic fire safety equipment in their homes and to promptly notify the service whenever a fire outbreak is discovered, as early intervention greatly reduces the risk of extensive damage and loss of life.
Bayern Munich have handed Arsenal a major summer transfer blow in the battle to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Nathaniel Brown.
According to Bild’s Head of Football Christian Falk, Brown’s proposed switch to Bayern is nearing completion and the defender is expected to join Vincent Kompany’s side for a fee of just under £56m, including bonuses.
This comes after the Bundesliga champions saw off competition from Arsenal to win the race for the fullback.
Brown has established himself as one of the brightest young talents in Germany.
The 22-year-old made the squad list to represent Germany at the World Cup.
Stakeholders from Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State have dismissed allegations that their community is monopolising political positions in the council, insisting that the emergence of Chief Brendan Ani as the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming local government election aligns with established power-sharing arrangements and principles of equity.
The stakeholders made their position known in separate statements issued on their behalf by Ifeanyi Ogenyi, Esq in response to a press conference by a group known as Isi-Uzo Patriots, which criticised the zoning of the APC chairmanship ticket to Eha-Amufu West Development Centre and alleged political imbalance in the local government.
They commended Governor Peter Mbah, the APC leadership in Enugu State and party members in Isi-Uzo for supporting Ani’s emergence during the party’s primaries, describing the outcome as a fair recognition of a community that had, according to them, been excluded from producing a council chairman for nearly three decades.
According to the stakeholders, the narrative that the nomination has sparked anger and division in Isi-Uzo was “misleading” and based on selective interpretation of demographic and electoral data.
They accused some critics of relying heavily on voter registration and turnout figures from the 2023 general elections to diminish Eha-Amufu’s political weight, while ignoring what they described as the “severe security disruptions” that affected the area prior to the polls.
The stakeholders stated that Eha-Amufu endured repeated attacks by suspected herdsmen between 2020 and 2022, leading to loss of lives, displacement of residents and disruption of normal political participation.
Defending the zoning arrangement, they referenced a 2007 political agreement allegedly reached by representatives of the five communities in Isi-Uzo—Eha-Amufu, Ikem, Neke, Mbu and Umualor.
They explained that the agreement reportedly split the local government into two political blocs, Eha-Amufu and Igbo-Ano, and recognised Eha-Amufu’s demographic strength based on population, land mass, voter registration and education figures at the time.
Quoting from the position, they maintained that “Eha-Amufu accounted for about 60 per cent of the population, 55 per cent of land mass and 52 per cent of registered voters,” insisting these figures justify rotational equity in leadership selection.
The stakeholders argued that political offices in Isi-Uzo have not always strictly followed zoning arrangements, recalling earlier periods when key positions were concentrated in certain communities without similar backlash.
They also faulted renewed calls for a return to the old three-development-centre structure, describing such demands as “politically motivated and coming late in the day,” given that stakeholders had long adopted the current framework.
They further noted that the creation of a second development centre in Eha-Amufu in 2015 was intended to reflect demographic realities and improve fairness in political representation.
On current political structure, they maintained that positions are spread across the four development centres, insisting that Eha-Amufu West Development Centre presently holds neither elective nor appointive office.
The stakeholders pointed to what they described as the existing concentration of key offices in Isi-Uzo Central, including the State House of Assembly seat, a commissioner position, and other strategic appointments in the state government.
In their view, denying Eha-Amufu West the chairmanship position would worsen imbalance rather than correct it, arguing that “equity demands inclusion, not exclusion.”
They further alleged that some of the critics of the APC primary outcome had previously opposed the party and only became vocal after the emergence of Ani as the chairmanship candidate.
Reaffirming their stance, they stressed that Eha-Amufu is not in conflict with any other community in Isi-Uzo and urged residents to resist attempts to inflame tensions or distort historical agreements for political advantage.
The stakeholders called for unity across the local government, urging all actors to prioritise peace and collective development while reaffirming support for Governor Peter Mbah’s administration and the APC ahead of the forthcoming local government election.
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