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Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Sunday Steve Karimi, has expressed appreciation to the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his emergence as the party’s senatorial candidate for the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued on Monday after the Senatorial primary result, Karimi described his victory at the recently concluded […]

The post Kogi West: Karimi appreciates APC leaders after clinching second-term ticket appeared first on Tribune Online.

Manchester United’s second goal in Sunday’s Premier League win over Nottingham Forest should have been disallowed for handball, the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) has admitted.

The referees’ body contacted Forest on Monday to confirm there had been a misjudgement by referee Michael Salisbury, who rejected a video assistant referee (VAR) review to rule out the goal.

The ball came off the arm of United forward Bryan Mbeumo before the Cameroon international saw a shot blocked by a defender.

Team-mate Matheus Cunha moved on to the loose ball and fired a shot past Forest keeper Matz Sels to score.

Salisbury was sent to the pitchside monitor by the VAR, Matt Donohue, to disallow the goal.

But Salisbury decided the handball was accidental and stuck by his on-field decision of goal.

It put United 2-1 up in a game they went on to win 3-2.

“From the angle I was standing at, it looked like he caught the ball,” Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White said after the game.

“Whether he scores or not, for me it was still a handball.”

Referees’ boss Howard Webb spoke to Forest to explain that while there could be justifiable reasons to judge this was not handball, a better decision, and one that would be expected, is for it to be disallowed.

The Premier League has a more lenient approach to handball, understanding the natural movements of players, but the VAR review should have been accepted.

Webb’s view was shared by former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann.

“While I think that it is commendable to see a referee stick with his original decision, I believe that football’s expectation is Mbeumo controlling the ball, especially when it leads to a goal, outweighs the possible deflection off Mbeumo’s hip,” Cann said.

“Mbeumo does control the ball [with his hand] and while he’s not the scorer himself, football’s expectation is for that to be disallowed.”

It was only the 17th time in seven seasons – and the fourth this season – that a referee has rejected the advice of the VAR at the screen.

PGMO Admits Handball Error On Man Utd Goal Against Forest is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

 

FALSE AND MISLEADING REPORT: THE 8TH ANAMBRA ASSEMBLY DID NOT PASS ANY NEW BURIAL LAW

The attention of the Anambra State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Nkem Udeze Ph.D has been drawn to a misleading publication making the rounds, particularly a sensational headline by Punch Newspapers claiming that Anambra State has introduced a “new burial law” banning the presentation of cows, goats and other condolence gifts.

For the records, this publication is FALSE, misleading and a gross misrepresentation of facts.

The 8th Anambra State House of Assembly did not pass any new burial law. No such bill was introduced, debated or passed by the current Assembly.

The existing burial regulatory framework being mischievously referenced by some media platforms was enacted into law in 2019, long before the inauguration of the present 8th Assembly. Since the inauguration of the current House, no amendment whatsoever has been made concerning the areas sensationally reported in the media.

It is therefore irresponsible and professionally unethical to attribute a non-existent “new law” to the present Assembly simply to generate traffic, controversy and public outrage.

At a time when fake news and distorted headlines are becoming a serious threat to public trust and social stability, media organizations must understand that journalism is a sacred responsibility, not a tool for clickbait sensationalism.

The Anambra State House of Assembly remains committed to transparent, people-oriented legislation and will continue to engage citizens openly on every law legitimately before the House.

We urge Ndi Anambra and the general public to disregard the false narrative and rely only on verified legislative information from official government channels.

Signed:

Franklin Osankwa ANIPR 

SA| Office Of The Speaker 

ANHA

Former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Delta North Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general election.

Okowa defeated incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko in the party’s direct primary election conducted across wards in the nine local government areas of the district.

Announcing the results, the Delta State National Assembly Primary Election Committee of the APC said Okowa secured a landslide victory with 113,309 votes, while Nwoko polled 2,612 votes.

Chairman of the committee, Eugene Odo, declared Okowa winner of the contest.
“Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, having secured the highest number of votes in the APC senatorial primaries in Delta North, is hereby declared winner of the election,” Odo stated.

The outcome sets up Okowa, a former vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the APC standard-bearer for the district in the 2027 polls.

In Delta Central Senatorial District, incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone also secured the APC ticket after defeating former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

Dafinone scored 116,252 votes against Omo-Agege’s 3,643 votes in the primary election.

Barrister Nusa Amagbor, Secretary of the Delta State National Assembly Primary Election Committee and returning officer for the election, confirmed the result.

“Based on the authenticated results before me, Senator Ede Dafinone scored a total of 116,252 votes, while his opponent scored 3,643 votes,” he said.

“Having satisfied all the requirements of our great party and secured the highest number of valid votes cast in this primary, Senator Ede Dafinone is hereby declared winner of the Delta Central Senatorial District primary election.”

Meanwhile, the Ned Nwoko Campaign Group has raised concerns over the conduct of the Delta North primary, urging party stakeholders to ensure fairness and allow the will of party members to prevail.
In a statement issued by its

Director-General, Ekene Kerry, the group alleged that the primary process was manipulated to deny Nwoko a return ticket in favour of Okowa.

Okowa Floors Nwoko To Secure APC Delta North Senatorial Ticket is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, on  Monday,  May 18, 2026  officially handed over recovered monetary exhibits totaling ₦837,485,389.00 to the Katsina State Government.

The handover followed separate investigations into two major cases involving stolen public funds belonging to the state.

In the first case, the Commission recovered ₦547,015,389.00 ( Five Hundred and Forty Seven Million,  Fifteen Thousand,  Three Hundred and Eighty Nine Naira)  following a petition from the Katsina State Government regarding the criminal diversion of nearly ₦1.3 billion in statutory tax remittances.

 The funds, which originated from international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and ALIMA, were systematically diverted into a private bank account by six Board of Internal Revenue Service (BOIRS) personnel and three bank employees.  Following the investigation, 12 suspects were charged to court. Six  of the suspects have already been convicted after pleading guilty, while the remaining six are currently standing trial at the Katsina  State High Court.

In the second case, the Commission recovered ₦290,470,000.00 ( Two Hundred and Ninety Million,  Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira)  traced to a systemic fraud uncovered by a 2021 intelligence report. The investigation revealed that former Sub-Treasurer,  Sani Lawal BK and former Deputy Sub-Treasurer Saadu Maiwada in the office of the  Accountant General of Katsina State  colluded and diverted the sum to their personal companies through unauthorized, substantial cash withdrawals from the Katsina State Sub-Treasury Expenditure Account. Investigation also revealed that no services were rendered, nor  any contracts awarded to warrant the withdrawals.

The suspects had since been charged to court and arraigned on July 11,  2023 on offences bordering on  money laundering and misappropriation of funds in both Federal and State High Courts.   Trials have commenced and witnesses are testifying before the courts. 

The handover ceremony took place at the Kano Zonal Directorate, where the Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC,  ACE1Friday S. Ebelo, presented the recovered funds to Dr. Kabir Abdullahi Yantumaki, Executive Director of Standard and Compliance,  Katsina State Internal Revenue Service.

Speaking during the ceremony,  Ebelo reiterated the Commission’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that public funds are protected and that individuals entrusted with their management are held accountable. He noted that the recovery was a  result of painstaking investigative work by the hardworking officers of the Commission. He also urged the Katsina State Government to utilize the recovered funds judiciously for the benefit of Katsina State citizens.

 “This money belongs to the people of Katsina State, and I will urge that same be used for the betterment of the people of Katsina State,” he said.  He urged public officials to adhere to due process and warned that the EFCC would continue to track all forms of financial malfeasance.

Receiving the drafts, Yantumaki expressed gratitude to the EFCC for its diligence and professionalism.   He assured that the recovered funds would be properly channeled into the state’s consolidated revenue account for the benefit of citizens.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries held across the three senatorial districts of Ogun State on Monday were conducted peacefully, orderly and without any reported incident, contrary to earlier insinuations by one of the aspirants over alleged planned violence.

As early as 8:00 a.m., party members trooped out in large numbers to the designated collation centres across the 236 wards in the state to cast their votes for candidates of their choice in an atmosphere described by observers as calm and well-coordinated.

In Ogun East Senatorial District, Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged victorious as the sole contestant after his rival, Senator Gbenga Daniel, stepped down from the race a few hours before the exercise, citing perceived hostility — a claim many party members and voters dismissed as unfounded.

At several wards visited across the district, party faithful were seen openly queueing behind Governor Abiodun in affirmation of his candidacy, while electoral officials conducted the exercise peacefully.

A similar atmosphere played out in Ogun Central Senatorial District, where Senator Shuaib Salisu emerged as the consensus candidate. APC members were seen queueing in front of his posters across various voting centres monitored during the exercise.

In Ogun West, the same orderly process was witnessed as Hon. Jimoh Olusola Odugbele coasted to victory amid massive support from party members.

The election also went peacefully in Remo North Local Government Area, with party leaders and members applauding the orderly conduct of the exercise across the council area.

Across the LGA, voters turned out massively for the primary elections held at the various ward secretariats. Reports gathered from the field indicated that Governor Abiodun maintained a commanding lead with overwhelming margins, while Senator Daniel trailed distantly.

Declaring the result in Ward 9, Ode Remo, the Presiding Officer, Mr. Opeyemi Odunsi, announced that Governor Abiodun polled 1,116 votes, while Senator Daniel recorded zero vote.

Similarly, in Ward 10, Governor Abiodun secured 714 votes as against Senator Daniel’s zero vote. The result was announced by Oladipupo Ogunsanya.

In Ward 2, Isara, Governor Abiodun polled 532 votes, while Senator Daniel again recorded zero vote. The result was declared by the Presiding Officer, Yusuf Asenuga.

Speaking after participating in the primary election at Ward 3, Iperu, in Ikenne Local Government Area, Governor Abiodun dismissed insinuations of planned attacks or violence during the exercise.

The governor, who secured 810 votes out of the 812 accredited party members in his ward, said the exercise across the state had remained peaceful, transparent and credible.

“I want to debunk the perception some people are trying to create. Someone claimed that he withdrew from the race because of perceived or planned violence.

“We had an election here on Saturday. Even though it started a bit late, I monitored the exercise across the 236 wards in the state and the 103 wards in Ogun East.

“I did not hear that anybody stepped on anyone’s toes. The process was free, fair, and transparent. It was an election, not an affirmation. In an affirmation, people simply say yes or no, but here, people voted, results were collated, and winners were announced,” he said.

Abiodun maintained that there was nothing unusual about aspirants stepping down from contests, describing such decisions as noble and voluntary.

“This morning, I received text messages from aspirants in Ogun West saying they were no longer contesting. Last night, I also received multiple messages from aspirants in Ogun Central stepping down for another aspirant, and none of them claimed it was because of perceived or planned violence.

“So, if an aspirant in Ogun East steps down, we will clap for him, applaud him, and consider it a noble gesture.

“But for him to begin to mischaracterise the situation by claiming he stepped down because of planned violence is very disturbing,” he added.

The governor further stated that the prevailing peace across the state during the primaries reflected the stability his administration has sustained over the years.

“Normally, around this period in Ogun State, there would have been a total breakdown of law and order. The centre would not hold anymore, and people would be harassed left, right, and centre, perhaps because they were not towing the line of one person or another.

“Today, everybody in Ogun State is going about their normal activities peacefully,” he stated.

Recalling his political experience, the governor noted that he contested and won the 2019 governorship primary through the direct primary system despite the turbulence that characterised the process at the time.

“Today, seven years into my tenure as governor, I am once again presenting myself to serve my people in the Red Chamber,” he added.

He also appreciated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, the media and party members for ensuring a peaceful and successful exercise across the state.

Speaking while announcing the result at Ward 3, APC representative, Prince Waheed Adedotun, disclosed that out of the 837 registered party members in the ward, 812 were accredited, while Governor Abiodun polled 810 votes.

He added that no other candidate was represented at the exercise as all voters queued behind the governor.

APC senatorial primaries peaceful across Ogun as Abiodun dismisses allegation of violence

The family of Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, and Senator Lawal Adamu, representing the central part of the state, have protested the continued detention of the leader of the African Democratic Congress. 

In a statement on Monday, they expressed displeasure with the action of the Department of State Services over El-Rufai’s detention. 

Recall that upon arraignment, El-Rufai was granted N100 million bail; however, he was whisked away by the DSS. 

Reacting, El-Rufai’s second wife, Asia, said the family was traumatized by the development and lived daily under the shadow of threats and surveillance.

“We now live in constant fear. Every day we get a threat—DSS is coming to raid your house, ICPC is coming to raid your house, and police are coming to raid your house. You are being followed. Our phones are tapped,” she said.

El-Rufai’s wife narrated that earlier in the day, El-Rufai had appeared before Justice Joyce AbdulMalik of the Federal High Court, who granted bail and stood the matter down until 1pm.

She said during the break, El-Rufai was briefly taken to the DSS facility—a move he resisted, insisting that two subsisting court orders from a Kaduna court directed that he be remanded with the ICPC.

“He said to them, ‘I am not going to step down because there are two court orders that the Kaduna court gave that I should be remanded in ICPC. Why are you bringing me here? He said, I am not furniture to be moved,” she recounted.

“He told them that if you want to take me inside DSS custody, you will have to physically force me into doing this because you had an agreement. When Justice AbdulMalik said I should go to DSS in the first instance, we told her that there are subsisting orders. And she said, let DSS and ICPC go and decide who will keep him—and you people decided they are keeping him with ICPC. “What has changed?” she queried. 

Also speaking, Senator representing Kaduna Central, Lawal Adamu, called for el-Rufai’s immediate release, noting that the former governor had willingly returned from Cairo to submit himself to the authorities.

“He was outside this country. He was invited by the ICPC, and he flew all the way from Cairo back to Nigeria to submit himself. We are calling for his immediate release. He deserves to be granted bail on the basis of self-recognition. What is happening is psychological harassment because of politics,” the senator said.

For El-Rufai’s son and member of the House of Representatives, Bello el-Rufai, he said the entire affair was politically motivated, questioning the stringency of bail conditions that he said were deliberately designed to be impossible to meet.

“Who keeps a person for 91 days? Why were the terms of the bail so stringent that they are practically impossible for anybody to meet? Why do you have to say that the Kaduna State Council of Chiefs will have to give an attestation? Why are we saying that it has to be a government staff of level 17, with a house in Asokoro or Maitama? Which civil servant has N100 million? What are we trying to do—are we trying to make people come out so that they can be targeted too?” he asked.

We’re in fear – Family protests El-Rufai’s continued detention

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, May 18, 2026, secured a final forfeiture order of a Hawker private Jet 125 before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja over its link to fraud, corruption and money laundering regarding the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project, MEPP.

The aircraft, with model number 800XP, serial number 258553 and registration number 5N-AMK, was forfeited following an application by the EFCC.

Ruling on the application, Justice Nwite held that no sufficient cause was shown by Valiente Jet Limited, a company owned by Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah, an interested party, why the aircraft should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

“The interested party has not demonstrated with evidence the lawful origin of the funds used to purchase the aircraft,” the judge held, stressing that the disguised manner through which the aircraft was acquired using the name of a Bureau De Change operator who denied knowledge of the nature of the transaction further lent credence to the unlawfulness of the entire transaction.

The court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on November 13, 2025 and directed the Commission to publish the order in a national newspaper for interested parties to show cause why the aircraft should not be permanently forfeited.

Following the publication, a company,   Valiente Limited whose owner is Alhaji Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah filed affidavits to show cause. The application for final forfeiture was supported by an affidavit deposed to by Aminu Abdullahi, an investigator with the EFCC.

According to the investigator, the Commission received intelligence bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering involving Kachallah.

Investigation revealed that sometime in 2021, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, awarded contracts under the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project valued at $114,148,155 (One Hundred and Fourteen Million, One Hundred Forty Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Five Dollars) and ₦23,172,969,904, (Twenty Three Billion, One Hundred and Seventy Two Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty Nine Thousand. Nine Hundred and Four Naira) .

Kachallah, who was then Chairman of the Borno State Rural Electrification Board and a member of the project’s steering committee, used his position and relationship with officials of the NNPCL to engage in illicit dealings connected to the project.

Investigation showed that Kachallah entered into unlawful agreements with China Machinery Engineering Company, CMEC, through companies in which he had substantial interest, and sold privileged bidding information relating to the project in exchange for financial inducements.

The investigation further showed that CMEC was subsequently awarded three contracts under the project valued at $52,120,172 (Fifty Two Million One Hundred and Twenty Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy Two Dollars) and ₦20,213,956,953 (Twenty Billion, Two Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Three Naira).

Part of the contract funds was routed through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited, a Bureau De Change operator, under the false claim that the company was subcontracted by CMEC.

 CMEC transferred the sum of $2,070,000 (Two Million, Seventy Thousand Dollars) into the Stanbic IBTC Bank account of Afuwa Integrated Services Limited on Kachallah’s instruction.

Investigation further revealed that forged invoices were prepared in the name of Afuwa Integrated Services Limited to falsely portray that legitimate services had been rendered to CMEC.

 The funds were thereafter transferred to a Brazilian account for the purchase of the aircraft from a Brazilian company.

Kachallah fraudulently used Afuwa Integrated Services Limited to acquire the aircraft before forging documents to transfer ownership to Valiente Jet Limited, a company linked to him.  Although Kachallah opposed the application, claiming  that payments made into CMEC through the bank account of Afunwa Integrated Services was based on contract his company entered into with CMEC to facilitate the award of contract to the latter on the MEPP as well to provide consultancy services to the latter.

The matter was argued by parties on April  30,  2026.  The EFCC which was represented by Iheanacho Ekele SAN, and  O.S. Ujam, further argued that the action of Kachalla violated the provisions of Sections 8, 10, and 53 of the ICPC Act as well as the Money Laundering and Prohibition Act and that the evidence showed that  Kachallah was a public officer appointed by the Borno State Government.

Kachallah was represented by M.E. Oru,  SAN,  and  maintained that  Kachalla was different from his companies that entered into the agreements and that some of the exhibits attached to the EFCC’s affidavit were not admissible.  The submission  was quickly rebutted by Iheanacho  who cited several judicial authorities to show that in cases of fraud or illegality, the law allows the veil of incorporation to be lifted to show persons behind the companies. He relied on the case of Oyebanji vs State. 

He also stated that the documents attached to the affidavit need not be further certified by the authorities of Aondoakaa vs Obot & Anor, Musa vs Jika.

 

In a well considered judgment and being satisfied with the evidence placed before it, Justice Nwite granted the final forfeiture of the aircraft to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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‎The Vice-Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Prof. Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, has expressed delight over the approval of a N300m Animal Feed Reference Laboratory project for the University by the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES).
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‎Prof. Akanwa made this known while receiving a delegation from the L-PRES Team led by the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Prof. Udo Herbert, during a courtesy visit to her office.

The Vice-Chancellor described the project as a major boost to the University’s livestock and agribusiness development drive, stressing that strategic partnerships remain critical to institutional growth and national agricultural transformation.
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‎She noted that MOUAU possesses the requisite manpower, technical expertise, and research capacity to effectively manage the facility and ensure its optimal utilization for impactful research and livestock productivity. “We are grateful to L-PRES and the World Bank for finding MOUAU worthy of hosting this important project.

“The University will maximize the opportunities provided by the laboratory to advance livestock production, feed quality research, and agribusiness development,” Prof. Akanwa stated.
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‎Earlier, Prof. Herbert, the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of MOUAU who facilitated the project, explained that the institution was selected based on its proven research innovations and contributions to agricultural development.

“MOUAU is a strong institution with remarkable research capacity in agricultural value chains. This informed the decision to site the project in the University as N300m has already been earmarked for its take-off,” he said.
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‎Also speaking, the World Bank Co-Task Team Leader (Co-TTL), Chidozie Anyiro, stated that the project would improve livestock productivity, enhance economic stability, and contribute to addressing farmers-herders conflicts through better access to pasture and water resources.
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The L-PRES project is a $500m World Bank-supported initiative with a six-year implementation lifespan aimed at improving livestock productivity, resilience, commercialization of selected value chains, and strengthening Nigeria’s response to agricultural crises and emergencies across 20 states of the federation.
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MOUAU Secures N300m World Bank Livestock Research Project is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ede Dafinone, has emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary election for Delta Central.

Dafinone defeated former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.

According to the official results announced by the APC National Assembly Primary Committee, Dafinone polled 116,252 votes, while Omo-Agege secured 3,643 votes across the eight local government areas in the senatorial district.

The outcome strengthens Dafinone’s bid for re-election ahead of the 2027 general elections and is seen as a significant political setback for Omo-Agege, a former governorship candidate of the party in Delta State.

The results were collated by Hon. Dr. Okiemute E. Benjamin, while Barr. Nusa Amagbor, Secretary of the APC National Assembly Primary Committee, officially announced the outcome alongside committee member, Abimbola Samuel Dart.

Omo-Agege loses Delta Central APC Senate primary to Dafinone