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Spain’s government has approved a sweeping plan to grant legal status to up to 500,000 undocumented migrants, a move aimed at formally integrating them into the country’s workforce and broader society.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the decision, describing it as both “an act of justice” and a practical necessity for Spain. In a letter shared on social media, the socialist leader said the initiative seeks “to acknowledge the reality of nearly half a million people who already form part of our everyday lives”.

Under the proposal, eligible migrants will receive a one-year residence permit that can be renewed.

Applicants must demonstrate they have lived in Spain for at least five months and possess a clean criminal record. The application window runs from 16 April to the end of June.

Sánchez also emphasised the broader contribution of migrants, saying they help “build the rich, open and diverse Spain that we are and to which we aspire”. He added that regularising their status would support the economy and sustain public services, particularly as Spain faces an ageing population. The prime minister further noted that Spain’s history of emigration makes the policy a morally appropriate step.

The Funcas think-tank estimates there are about 840,000 undocumented migrants currently in Spain, most of them from Latin America.

The policy has drawn mixed reactions. The conservative opposition People’s Party (PP) has vowed to challenge the plan, arguing it rewards illegal migration and could encourage more arrivals. The party claims the government’s projections are too low, suggesting as many as one million migrants could seek legal status, and labelled the proposal an “outrage”.

Support has come from other quarters, including the Catholic Church, which has backed the legislation.

For many migrants, the scheme offers a pathway to stability. Ricardo, a Bolivian graphic designer who has struggled to secure consistent work, said: “This is going to benefit a lot of people, give them access to work and to a better quality of life. And it means more money for the Spanish state and more workers will be legally available for employers.”

Spain has previously implemented similar regularisation programmes under both Socialist and PP governments. The most recent was in 2005, when 577,000 people were granted residency under a Socialist administration.

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President Bola Tinubu has joked about sending the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to ‘the other side” (the opposition) to “scatter them”.

Read Also: Insecurity rising over 2027 elections, to distract Tinubu — Akpabio

President Tinubu said this on Tuesday during his speech at the inauguration of the Nigeria Revenue Service, NRS, headquarters in Abuja.

Tinubu said: “Senate President, I will send you to the other side to represent me. And then you can scatter them to any way you want.

“They’re confused!”
Also, he ended his speech with: “God bless Nigeria, God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria and the tax collectors.”

Meanwhile, during his speech, Senator Akpabio alleged that the recent surge in insecurity across Nigeria is politically motivated and linked to the 2027 general elections.

Furthermore, Akpabio commented on the reactions provoked by an alleged social media post by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan.

He said: “How do you win an election when you don’t have a structure? No political party is stable again in this country.

“Then they changed and attacked the people going to do the election. Then they brought out a tweet where the INEC chairman (allegedly) said, ‘Victory is sure’. But he didn’t say victory is sure for APC or PDP.

“But the man said it’s manipulated and nobody wants to hear.

“For me, whether manipulated or not, he said victory is sure. He was not chairman of INEC then; he was just a lecturer, and anybody can support whoever he wishes to.”

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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola will leave the club at the end of this season, the Premier League side announced Tuesday.

The Spaniard joined the south coast club in 2023 and led them to their equal highest top-flight finish of ninth last season, earning their highest points tally of 56, and reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals.

“It has been an honour to manage AFC Bournemouth and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” said Iraola in a club statement confirming his departure.

The 43-year-old Spaniard joined in 2023, replacing then head coach Gary O’Neil.

But his contract expires after the end of the current campaign and talks over a new deal were unsuccessful despite Bournemouth reportedly wanting to keep Iraola at the Vitality Stadium.

The Spaniard, one of the most highly-regarded coaches in Europe, may now leave the Cherries for free at the end of the campaign.

Iraola has been linked with a return to Spanish side Athletic Bilbao as well as Manchester United.

He spent 12 years at Bilbao as a player, making over 500 appearances for the club.

Tuesday’s announcement came just days after Iraola, who has six games left at Bournemouth this season, oversaw a superb 2-1 win away to Premier League leaders Arsenal last weekend.

Iraola’s final home game will be against Manchester City on Sunday, May 17, ahead of a trip to Nottingham Forest on the last day of the Premier League campaign.

He could bow out on a high by securing the first European qualification in Bournemouth’s history.

The Cherries are currently 11th, two points adrift of a seventh-placed finish, which would get them into next season’s Conference League.

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The Police on Tuesday, dragged two men before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly stealing an iphone worth N250,000.

The defendants are: Awoyemi Fawaz, 27; and Ibukun Akode, 28.

The duo whose addresses were not mentioned, are standing trial on charges bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, ASP Edet Ekpo told the Court that the defendants committed the offences on April 3, at about 6.00.p.m, at Ilogbo-Eremi community, Oko-Afo, Badagry expressway, Lagos.

He alleged that the defendants conspired to steal an iphone 7 belonging to a complainant’ one Basirat Lapado.

According to the prosecutor, the defendants were later caught and handed over to police for prosecution.

The offences contravene the provisions of sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Nurudeen Layeni, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 each, with two sureties each in like sum

He held that one of the sureties must be a community leader.

The court consequently, adjourned the case until May 20, for mention.

Two Docked Over Stolen N250,000 iPhone is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Segun Sowunmi, convener of The Alternative, has reacted to the emergence of a consensus candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 governorship race in Ogun State

On Monday, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, was announced on Monday by Governor Dapo Abiodun during a strategic caucus meeting of party leaders and stakeholders, where succession plans ahead of the 2027 governorship election were discussed.

Reacting in a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Sowunmi raised concerns about the political arrangement that produced the lawmaker as the party’s guber candidate.

In the statement titled “From Magbon to Now: We Will Not Be Conquered. Ogun’s Line in the Sand,” he suggested that the process was more of an imposition than a genuine consensus.

“Yes, a political party has the right to choose its internal mechanisms, even if that means adopting ‘consensus’ as its preferred pathway. But across every serious political system where consensus has credibility, it rests on one indispensable foundation: integrity. Without that, consensus degenerates into imposition,” he said.

He further stated, “That is precisely the issue before us. Those now attempting to foist this arrangement on Ogun State bring with them no demonstrable record of integrity… In such circumstances, what is being presented as consensus is, in reality, a crude instrument of control.”

He warned that the development signals a broader threat to democratic values in the state.

“This is how state capture begins. And it must be resisted,” he said, adding that the situation presents “a defining test… of the resolve or complicity of a people once known for their independence.”

Drawing historical parallels, Showunmi referenced past resistance movements to underscore his argument.

“The decline of the Oyo Empire reminds us that no system, however entrenched, is beyond challenge. The legacy of the Egba United Government affirms that our people built institutions of governance strong enough to command respect even from external powers. And the Ijebus themselves demonstrated this fiercely guarded independence in the Anglo-Ijebu War the so-called Magbon War where they chose resistance over submission in the face of imperial pressure.,” he noted.

He concluded by urging citizens to reject what he described as political imposition, saying “We cannot, in this generation especially within the framework of a democracy accept the status of a conquered people.

What is unfolding may be presented as process, but it is experienced as humiliation,” he said.

The post Sowunmi warns of ‘state capture’ following Adeola’s emergence as Ogun APC consensus candidate appeared first on Vanguard News.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has urged airlines operating in the country to be more transparent in communicating flight delays, especially when operational issues cause disruptions. The call was made in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, via his X handle. Achimugu cautioned airlines […]

The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Ali Isa, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing internal challenges and what he described as the hijacking of the party by undemocratic forces.

In a resignation letter dated April 14, and addressed to the Chairman of Kindiyo Ward in Cham, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, the lawmaker said his decision takes immediate effect.

The letter, which was signed by the Minority Whip and made available to newsmen in Gombe, stated that his exit followed careful consideration and wide consultations with key stakeholders.

According to him, the decision is driven by concerns over the direction of the party, alleging that its structure had been taken over in a manner inconsistent with its founding principles, leading to factional leadership.

He explained that after consulting with his family, political associates, and supporters, he concluded that his political future, as well as that of his constituents, would be better served outside the PDP.

The lawmaker further stated that his constituents deserve a political platform that guarantees their interests and long-term aspirations.

He expressed appreciation to the PDP leadership and members for the opportunity given to him to serve, noting that he remains grateful for the platform that enabled his election into the National Assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that  Isa represents Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

(NAN)

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A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit filed by Paul Arochukwu Ogbonna and another applicant against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), seeking the release of the long-awaited forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The suit,with a suit number CS/236/2022, was instituted in 2022 under the aegis of Social Action, following the refusal of the then Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to provide the group with access to the audit report.

The plaintiffs had approached the court to compel the ministry—formerly overseen by Godswill Akpabio—to make the document public.

However, subsequent developments altered the trajectory of the case. With the dissolution of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs by President Bola Tinubu upon assuming office, the plaintiffs amended their processes to join the AGF as the appropriate legal representative of the Federal Government.

Delivering judgment, Justice Turaki Mohammed struck out the suit, ruling that it was incompetent as it was originally filed against a non-existent government agency.

Despite the absence of legal representation for the AGF during proceedings, counsel to the plaintiffs, Victor Nweke, addressed journalists after the ruling, expressing dissatisfaction with the court’s decision.

He maintained that the case had been pursued in the public interest and disclosed that his clients are considering further legal steps to ensure access to the audit report.

Speaking in the same vein, Ogbonna, who heads Social Action’s legal team in Rivers State, described the judgment as a setback to transparency efforts.

He emphasized that the suit forms part of a broader anti-corruption campaign and insisted that Nigerians have a right to know how funds allocated to the NDDC were utilized.

The NDDC forensic audit report has remained a subject of national interest, amid calls from civil society groups for its full disclosure, citing accountability and transparency in the management of resources in the Niger Delta region.

Court Strikes Out Suit Seeking Release of NDDC Forensic Audit Report is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Leeds United striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, has revealed what he told the match referee before Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez’s red card.

Leeds defeated Man United 2-1 on Monday, thanks to Noah Okafor’s two goals against the Red Devils.

But one of the major talking points of the match was Martinez’s sending-off.

When asked in the post-match interview about whether the dismissal was justified, Calvert-Lewin said, via SPORTbible: “I don’t know, I don’t make the rules.

“I felt my hair get pulled, and obviously I told the ref, he’s the one who makes the decisions, at the end of the day.

“Unfortunate for him [Martinez], whether he’s meant it or not, I don’t hold any grudges, but it is what it is.”

EPL: Dominic Calvert-Lewin reveals what he told referee before Martinez’s red card

The Tinubu-led government is facing the threat of legal action in the United Kingdom after a group of international legal experts under the banner of Pan African Forum Ltd & Associates, based in London, issued a formal pre-litigation notice warning that it will initiate proceedings in London courts if the government does not immediately and unconditionally release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and provide compensation.

The notice, dated April 14, 2026 and signed by Dr. David Nyekorach-Matsanga, describes itself as a final opportunity for the Federal Government to comply with a 2022 United Nations directive before legal enforcement proceedings begin abroad.

The group is basing its demand on Opinion No. 25/2022 issued on July 20, 2022 by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found that Kanu’s arrest and alleged extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 was unlawful and ruled that his continued detention is arbitrary.

The UN body further recommended that Nigeria should immediately release him and grant him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations in line with international law.

The legal experts argue that the UN opinion is binding on Nigeria as a member state that has ratified key human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

They also cite Nigerian Supreme Court precedents to support their position that ratified international treaties create enforceable domestic obligations.

According to the notice, this obligation did not end with the failure of the previous administration under former President Muhammadu Buhari to comply, but remains a continuing and unequivocal duty now binding on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services since his controversial rendition in June 2021.

In November 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on seven terrorism-related charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

He has since filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging both his conviction and sentence, with the appeal process currently ongoing.

The legal team warned that failure to comply will trigger international legal action, stating in part that unless immediate steps are taken to ensure full compliance with the United Nations directive, including his unconditional release and provision of appropriate reparations, they will initiate enforcement proceedings in competent jurisdictions, including courts in London, to compel compliance and seek redress.

They described the notice as the final opportunity to resolve the matter without what they called heavy litigation and insisted that no rights or remedies under international law have been waived.

The case continues to attract international attention, with critics raising concerns over extraordinary rendition, prolonged detention without trial in the early stages, and broader human rights implications.

The Nigerian government has consistently maintained that Kanu is facing serious terrorism and security-related charges and that due judicial process must be allowed to run its course.

Whether a court in London would accept jurisdiction to enforce a United Nations Working Group opinion against a sovereign state remains legally complex, involving questions of state immunity and the non-binding nature of such opinions, which carry moral and political weight but are not equivalent to enforceable judgments of international courts.

The development comes amid ongoing domestic appeals and continued calls from various stakeholders, including some leaders from Nigeria’s Southeast region, for a political resolution to the matter, while further updates are expected as the government responds and the appeal process continues.

Tinubu Government Faces UK Legal Threat Over Nnamdi Kanu is first published on The Whistler Newspaper