Author: The Whistler Newspaper

Malian authorities have arrested soldiers suspected of collaborating with jihadi and separatist fighters in last week’s coordinated attacks on military bases across the country, in a development that has exposed potential treachery within the ranks of the country’s own armed forces.

A prosecutor at a military tribunal near the capital Bamako confirmed that five suspects had been identified, including three active duty soldiers, one retired soldier, and a soldier who was killed during fighting near the main army base in Kati, 15 kilometres outside Bamako.

“The first arrests have been successfully carried out, and all other perpetrators, co-perpetrators, and accomplices are actively being sought,” the prosecutor said in a statement read on state television Friday.

The coordinated assault on April 25 struck at the heart of Mali’s military government, which came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021. The attacks were carried out by militants linked to al-Qaeda and separatist Tuareg rebels.

The al-Qaeda linked insurgent group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, known as JNIM, has called on Malians to rise up against the government and transition to Sharia law, and has vowed to besiege Bamako. Security sources said the group had set up checkpoints around the city of four million people.

Fighting spread across multiple cities including Gao, Sévaré, Mopti and Kidal, with rebel forces claiming control of significant territory before Malian forces pushed back. The Africa Corps, Russia’s military contractor operating in Mali, withdrew from Kidal following the assault.

Military leader Assimi Goita said in a televised address that the situation was under control and vowed to neutralise the insurgent groups behind the attacks. The arrests of serving soldiers suggest the security breach runs deeper than an external assault.

Mali has been embroiled in conflict since 2012, with the security situation worsening significantly after the withdrawal of French and UN forces and the subsequent reliance on Russian military support.

Mali Arrests Soldiers ‘Linked’ To Coordinated Militant Attacks On Bases is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Ojo Adekimi, has vowed to deploy operational, intelligence and tactical resources to ensure that masterminds of Saturday’s attack on a police mobile force camp at Tenebo in Kaiama are tracked and brought to book.

Three police officers were killed in the attack while several others sustained injuries.

Reacting to the incident, the CP said, “The heinous and cowardly act, which claimed the lives of three gallant police officers and left several others critically injured, is strongly condemned in its entirety.

“The fallen officers paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, bravely standing to defend the safety and security of our communities. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

The command extended condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased officers.

“We also pray for the swift recovery of the injured personnel currently receiving treatment. No words can fully capture the pain of this loss, but the command stands firmly with the bereaved families and assures them of our unwavering support.”

Kwara: CP vows to track down bandits behind killing of three policemen

A content creator, Mr Mark Chidiebere Justice, has been declared missing days after posting viral videos alleging poor feeding conditions for troops battling Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

Justice, popularly known by his social media handle @justicecrack, was reportedly abducted on Tuesday shortly after dropping his kindergarten-aged daughter at school.

His wife, Theresa, recounted the circumstances surrounding his disappearance in an emotional interview with journalists.

“My husband left home on Tuesday morning to drop our daughter at school, but he has not returned since,” she said tearfully.

“I became worried because he is not someone who stays out overnight. Moreover, the car he used that morning has also not been found.”

Theresa explained that initial inquiries led to conflicting accounts about her husband’s whereabouts. “One of his friends told me he was in a meeting that took longer than expected,” she said.

“But when I contacted another close friend, he insisted there was no such meeting and expressed concern about his disappearance.”

She added that subsequent information suggested her husband may have been forcibly taken. “I later learnt that he was blindfolded, his hands tied behind his back, and driven to an unknown location,” she alleged.

“He was reportedly left under the scorching sun for hours in that condition.”

A friend of the missing content creator, who identified himself simply as “Ghana,” suggested that Justice’s disappearance could be linked to the viral video he posted, which highlighted the alleged poor nutritional quality of meals provided to soldiers fighting insurgency in the North-East.

According to him, Justice’s vehicle, a Hyundai, was reportedly sighted near a security formation in the Asokoro area of Abuja shortly after he went missing.

The video in question had gained significant traction after being picked up by several television stations, including Arise TV, amplifying its reach and sparking public debate.

As of Saturday, May 2, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for Justice’s disappearance, and there has been no official statement from security agencies regarding the incident.

Missing Creator JusticeCrack’s Car Spotted At Military Facility is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination form for the 2027 general elections ahead of the Kogi Central senatorial contest.

Bello reportedly received the forms on Saturday and has emerged as the party’s consensus candidate for the seat.

He is expected to face the incumbent senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Bello served two terms as governor of Kogi State before handing over to the current governor, Usman Ododo.

Both Bello and Akpoti-Uduaghan have been having running battle since she indicated interest to contest the senatorial election when Bello was governor.

Despite emerging as a senator in 2023, the right has continued with allegation that Bello wanted to eliminate her, an allegation the former governor has denied.

Bello Picks Kogi Central Senatorial Form To Contest Against Natasha is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The United Nations has sounded a fresh alarm over the deteriorating safety of journalists around the world, warning that attacks on media workers are reaching a level that threatens the foundations of free and democratic societies.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk delivered the warning in a message ahead of World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3.

He said journalism has become an increasingly dangerous profession, with media workers being bombed in their vehicles, abducted from their offices, imprisoned, and dismissed from their jobs for doing their work.

Roughly 330 media workers are currently detained worldwide, alongside approximately 500 citizen journalists and human rights bloggers.

Türk warned that laws on defamation, cybercrime, disinformation, and terrorism are being weaponised not to protect the public but to silence and intimidate journalists.

No fewer than 14 journalists have been killed since January, and only about a tenth of journalist killings over the past two decades has led to full accountability.

Türk identified armed conflict as the highest risk environment for journalists, pointing specifically to Gaza. His office verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists since October 2023, with many more injured. Lebanon has emerged as the deadliest country for media workers so far in 2026.

The crisis is not limited to war zones. Türk highlighted his recent visit to Mexico, where reporters covering corruption, environmental harm, and organised crime face grave dangers extending to their sources and families. He also raised alarm over what he described as growing transnational repression, citing attacks on Iranian journalists living abroad as a recent example.

Online harassment remains a particularly acute threat for women journalists, three quarters of whom have faced abuse including smear campaigns and threats of sexual violence.

Reports of online violence against women journalists have doubled since 2020. Türk warned such targeting risks creating what he called a disinformation society, where journalists are forced to obscure facts simply to stay safe.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres added his voice, noting that press freedom is under unprecedented strain globally from economic pressures, new technologies, and deliberate manipulation. He said governments must do more to protect journalists, shield them from surveillance, investigate violations, and ensure those responsible are held to account.

The Reporters Without Borders 2026 World Press Freedom Index found that for the first time in its 25-year history, over half of the world’s countries fall into the difficult or very serious categories for press freedom, with the overall average score at its lowest ever recorded level.

UNESCO’s latest report on global trends in freedom of expression reveals a 10 percent decline in freedom of expression worldwide since 2012, a setback it says is comparable only to the periods surrounding the two World Wars and the late Cold War era.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day global conference, themed “Shaping a Future at Peace,” is being held in Lusaka, Zambia on May 4 and 5.

The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was awarded to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, in recognition of its work documenting the targeting of journalists in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, during which 32 journalists have been killed and 556 violations against media workers recorded.

UN Warns Attacks On Journalists Threaten Press Freedom Worldwide is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) is all set to take perhaps one of the boldest steps to transform Nigeria’s oil-rich, yet backward region. It is the hosting of the maiden Niger Delta Economic Investment Summit and Exhibition 2026 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The summit, scheduled for May 19-21, is themed ‘‘Driving Investment, Innovation, and Industrial Growth in the Niger Delta’’.

For those truly passionate about developing the Niger Delta, the proposed summit should have come much earlier to address the troubling issues of human capital deficit and underdevelopment in the region. Nevertheless, it’s better late than never.

The summit’s theme captures its objectives, which are consistent with the region’s development needs in a profound way. For instance, it seeks to mobilise $5 billion in structured investments over a period of five years, and create no fewer than 500,000 jobs within the same time frame. In furtherance of its job creation agenda, the NDCCITMA has designed an economic diversification framework to reduce over-reliance on the oil and gas sector. This would entail pushing investments into non-oil sectors such as agriculture and agro-processing, gas value chains, logistics, tourism, digital innovation, and the blue economy. The idea is to diversify the economy, build critical infrastructure and create jobs in the Niger Delta.

Why the Economic Investment Summit and Exhibition Matters

The Niger Delta economy is faced with an uncertain post-oil and gas future, as its vast non-oil sectors have been largely untapped over the years. Besides hosting the highest gas reserves in Africa, the region is endowed with sprawling arable land for cultivation, marine biodiversity, and a coastline of 853 kms waiting to be harnessed to herald a flourishing blue economy. Leaving all these economically viable sectors dormant has amounted to locked value, indeed a wasted opportunity.
Consequently, the Niger Delta economic landscape has been characterised by a weak industrial base and low enterprise development. SMEs are struggling with capital, while jobless youths roam the streets in search of non-existent opportunities.

For many youths, this reality means a choice between illegal refining and no income at all.
Today, thousands are engaged in oil bunkering, artisanal crude oil refining, and other economic activities that undermine peace and energy security in the Niger Delta. Many are in these illegal economic spaces not by choice, but because there are no other ways to make ends meet. This is the ugly narrative the NDEIS intends to change for the overall good of the region.

The Summit’s Envisioned Prospects

The NDCCITMA is a special-purpose vehicle created by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2024 to scale up human capital and enterprise development across Nigeria’s nine oil-producing states. Through NDDC funding and supervision, it has designed industry-friendly skill development programmes and has graduated cohorts in technical skills. The 10,000-youth internship launched in January 2025 is now in its second cohort stage. No doubt, the forthcoming investment summit takes its comprehensive economic development blueprint to the next level of implementation.

Beyond mere speculation, the 500,000 jobs to be created after the forthcoming summit is a reality. Already the NDCCITMA and the NDDC have identified dozens of investment-ready projects for showcasing before local and international investors at the summit. Once deals are closed, these projects will take off and absorb youths that have been trained in diverse skills, while others waiting in the queue will be given the same opportunity in no distant time. This will gradually pull youths away from illegal economic spaces, create decent jobs for them, and foster sustainable peace, security, and development in the Niger Delta.

Measurable Outcomes: The Lagos Proof.

Measuring the positive impacts of the forthcoming summit is not rocket science, the Lagos model explains it all. In recent years, Lagos has organised several similar summits that have delivered concrete, trackable benefits to the state economy. Coming on the heels of the Lagos summits have been closed deals and investment inflows.

1. Infrastructure and Investment Deals

The 2024 Lagos Investment Roundtable, for instance, resulted in a multi-billion dollar MOU with the Abu Dhabi Ports Authority for the construction of the Lekki Free Trade Zone. Some of the major infrastructure projects birthed by the Lagos investment summits are the 4th Mainland Bridge, Lekki Toll Road Concession, and the Lagos Blue Line and Red Line Rail Projects. Others include Phase One of the Lekki Deep Seaport, Island Power Plant, and the Rent-to-Own Housing Scheme designed to benefit over 4,000 residents.

2. Health and Agriculture
The positive outcomes of the Lagos summits are also visible in the health and agricultural sectors. The 110-bed Maternal and Child Centre at Eti-Osa, 10-Storey Doctors’ Quarters at the Lagos General Hospital, and the rice mill at Imota are some of the projects designed to boost food security and human development index in Lagos State.

3. Jobs and GDP Growth

With regard to employment generation, the Lagos Employment Summit has created approximately 182,000 direct and indirect jobs, supported 30,000 small businesses, and trained 12,000 young people in tech startups. Job creation has increased internally generated revenues, and boosted the state’s GDP in recent years. By the first half of 2024, Lagos contributed not less than 30% of Nigeria’s total GDP.

Way Forward

These are low-hanging fruits the forthcoming NDEIS & Exhibition stands to reap bountifully. But it must draw copious inspiration from the Lagos summits that have been driven by due process to achieve desired outcomes. Beyond mere ceremony, the Lagos investment summits have focused on transactions – MDAs pitching investors with investment-ready projects at closed-door sessions and incorporating investments into long-term development plans. Moreover, the Lagos summits could not have been successful without the state’s strong culture of public-private sector collaboration which combines technical expertise and capital, and shares risks in project execution.

With its vast natural resource endowment, the Niger Delta is a fertile ground for investments in diverse sectors to drive rapid economic growth and development in the region. It is the failure to invest in the non-oil sectors that has bred poverty in the midst of plenty.

Fortunately, the forthcoming Niger Delta Economic Investment Summit provides the pathway for transitioning from economic backwardness to prosperity. It is indeed a laudable initiative in need of buy-in from the IOCs and other investors, including state governments. It goes without saying, this is the right course to chart in transforming a region where human capital matches natural resource endowment.

Investors are enjoined, therefore, to bring their capital to the deal room May 19. No ceremonies – it’s going to be strictly transactions.

Niger Delta: Aligning Human Capital With Resource Wealth is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Major markets were shut on Saturday following a rally being hosted by the people of Enugu North Senatorial Zone of Enugu State in honour of Gov Peter Mbah.

The rally is being held at Nsukka Township Stadium, GRA. It has people from the seven local government areas of the zone and beyond in attendance.

“We were told to shut our shops today,” a trader along Aku Road told THE WHISTLER. “We are in support of the governor’s visitation, but I can’t justify why we should be forced to close shops. The order was given by the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, who is the host chairman. He wants to draw crowd at the venue, but I think the approach was wrong. The same government is taxing us heavily. We should be allowed to look for money to maintain our shops and pay the taxes before our shops become sealed.”

Nkechi Odo, a food dealer at the neighbouring Ikpa Market, said there was an order restraining them from opening their shops to enable the traders to welcome the governor. “We were communicated not to open shops some days ago. Many complied, though some traders are still operating under cover. I see no reason why traders should be forced to close shops at a time we are struggling to pay the annual tax to the state. The order is however from the LG authorities, and I wonder if Gov Mbah is aware of such directive.”

Meanwhile, as part of the plans to make the event colourful, Nsukka LGA authorities embarked on repainting median and safety barriers along major roads in the metropolis. The authorities also embarked on tidying the premises.

In another development, residents of the area have called on the stakeholders to use Gov Mbah’s visit to inform him about the state of running water and power supply in some parts of Nsukka.

“Those living at Nru and throughout Enugu Road and its surrounding have not had water run in their public taps for almost two years,” says IK Ezeme, a resident. “It is surprising to us. The pumping centre at Prince Oil, by Orba Road, packed up. Till today, no repairs. We were having regular streetlights on this expressway when former Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was in power. We have been in darkness for over two years now. We pray that our stakeholders will use the rally to tell the governor all these. It will be a disservice if they use the forum to bloat their political strength only.”

Osondu Okeke, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, said the visit was for the people of the senatorial zone to thank Mbah for what he has been doing for them.

“Before the Mbah era, no indigene of our zone was a vice chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. But he broke the jinx. We are proud of him. He will be told what we are lacking during the rally, but let’s thank him first. Mbah’s presence is felt in all political wards in the state. His achievements will speak for him,” Okeke said.

Markets Shut As Enugu Senatorial Zone Welcomes Gov Mbah is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, is currently holding an emergency meeting with political stakeholders in Bauchi.

The meeting is taking place at the Bauchi State Government House.

DAILY POST gathered that the governor is expected to announce his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defection to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

This meeting comes days after Mohammed’s planned defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, collapsed following disagreements over a proposed power-sharing formula.

Although the Bauchi State governor also met with former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, discussions about defection to the ADC were reportedly not part of the meeting.

2027: Bala Mohammed meets political stakeholders in Bauchi

A French Catholic nun was violently assaulted near one of Jerusalem’s most sacred Christian sites last week, drawing condemnation from France, Christian leaders, and the Israeli government, and reigniting a broader debate about the safety of Christians in Israel.

Israeli police arrested a 36-year-old Jewish man in connection with the assault, which occurred Tuesday near David’s Tomb outside Zion’s Gate on the southern edge of the Old City.

Surveillance footage released by police shows the suspect approaching the nun from behind, shoving her forcefully onto a rock, then returning to kick her as she lay on the ground. A passerby intervened to stop the attack.

The victim, a 48-year-old researcher at the French Biblical and Archaeological School in Jerusalem, sustained a severe graze to her head and facial injuries.

The institute’s director, Fr. Olivier Poquillon, condemned the “unprovoked assault” as an “act of sectarian violence” and called on authorities to act swiftly.

Israeli police described the assault as “racially motivated.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the attack a “shameful act” that contradicts Israel’s values of respect, coexistence, and religious freedom.

The French Consulate in Jerusalem strongly condemned the attack and demanded justice. France has called for accountability over what it describes as rising “anti-Christian” violence in Israel.

The Hebrew University’s Faculty of Comparative Religion called the incident a “heinous hate crime” and described it as part of a “deeply disturbing rise in Christianophobia” across Jerusalem and Israel.

The data supports that concern. According to the Religious Freedom Data Center, a Jerusalem-based group monitoring incidents affecting religious freedom, an estimated 181 incidents of harassment targeting Christians, Christian symbols, and Christian institutions were recorded in Israel in 2025, with an additional 44 incidents documented between January and March 2026.

The assault is the latest in a series of incidents straining relations between Christian communities and Israeli authorities. Last month, two Israeli soldiers were removed from combat duty after a photo emerged showing one apparently taking an axe or sledgehammer to a statue of Jesus in a Christian village in southern Lebanon, an incident separate from but related to the broader pattern, drawing rare condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jerusalem police also briefly blocked senior Catholic clergy from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday before granting access for Easter ceremonies.

According to reports, the attack occurred amid a broader pattern in which extremist individuals regularly insult and spit at clergy in religious attire, a trend Christian leaders say reflects a culture of impunity that authorities have been slow to address.

The Latin Patriarchate and Christian leaders in Jerusalem have called on Israeli authorities to take concrete action through legislation, education, and enforcement to address what they describe as a dangerous and growing trend against Christians in the Holy Land.

Attack On Nun Renews Concerns Over Christian Safety In Israel is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Nigerian actress and film director, Oby Kechere, known for her role as Ms Koi Koi in the 2002 comedy classic, Aki na Ukwa, is dead.

National President of Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Uche Agbo, announced the development on Saturday.

Agbo said the actress died on 27th April, 2026, after prolonged illness.

The statement read: “It is with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Madam Cecilia Oby Kechere, Vice Chairman of the DGN Abuja Chapter.

“We were informed yesterday that she passed on Monday, 27th April 2026, after a prolonged illness.

“Madam Cecilia was a graduate of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, a committed professional and a valued member of our guild. Her contributions to the growth and unity of the DGN, particularly within the Abuja Chapter, will never be forgotten.

“On behalf of the National Executive Council and the entire DGN family, I extend my deepest condolences to her family, loved ones, and all members of the Abuja Chapter in this difficult time.

“May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”

She hails from Mbaise in Imo State, Nigeria. Kechere joined the Nigerian film industry, otherwise called Nollywood, in 2001, first-starring in the popular August-Meeting films.

‘Madam Koi Koi’: Nollywood actress Oby Kechere is dead