Category: News

The development was disclosed on Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a statement published on its official X account, following the court’s ruling delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The ruling comes months after, in early January, the same court granted an interim forfeiture order over 57 properties valued at N213.2 billion allegedly linked to Malami and two of his sons, pending the conclusion of forfeiture proceedings.

The EFCC said it has now secured a final forfeiture order covering 48 of the disputed properties, describing the judgment as a significant milestone in its efforts to recover assets believed to have been acquired through illicit means.

According to the anti-graft agency, Justice Abdulmalik held that the Commission had successfully demonstrated that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and that there was no evidence they were acquired through legitimate sources of income.

“The Commission had successfully established that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were not acquired with lawful sources of income,” the statement reads in parts.

The forfeiture order comes against the backdrop of Malami’s ongoing N8.7 billion money laundering trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

On December 30, Nairametrics reported that the former Attorney-General, alongside other defendants, was remanded in prison after his arraignment, although he denied allegations that he unlawfully acquired several high-value properties at the centre of the case.

Eight days later, on January 7, 2026, the Federal High Court granted Malami, his wife and his son bail in the sum of N1.5 billion each.

As part of the bail conditions, Justice Emeka Nwite directed that the defendants provide sureties who own verifiable properties in Maitama or other parts of the Federal Capital Territory. The court also ordered them to surrender their international passports and barred them from travelling outside Nigeria without prior judicial approval.

Malami, his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, are standing trial in a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering involving several billions of naira.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the EFCC accused the defendants of conspiring to conceal, disguise and retain proceeds of alleged unlawful activities in violation of the Money Laundering Act.

One of the counts alleges that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the alleged illicit origin of more than N1.014 billion kept in an account with Sterling Bank Plc.

The prosecution also alleges that the former Attorney-General used proceeds of unlawful activities to acquire several properties, including a residence at No. 28 Bagudu Kaltio Crescent in Gwarimpa, Abuja; Plot 13, Ipent 7 Estate in Abuja; a commercial plaza with supporting facilities near Birnin Kebbi Market; a 100-hectare parcel of land along the Birnin Kebbi–Jega Road; and Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nassarawa Road GRA in Kano.

According to the EFCC, the assets identified in that count alone are valued at about N415 million.

To prove its case, the Commission has indicated that it will rely on testimony from about 10 categories of witnesses, including officials from Zenith Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Bureau de Change operators and EFCC investigators who handled the probe that culminated in the filing of the charges.

President Bola Tinubu has announced a federal initiative to deliver more than 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying the programme will also generate in excess of 300,000 jobs as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s housing deficit.

The president made the revelation on Tuesday during the opening of the 20th Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) in Abuja, speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

President Tinubu framed the housing push as a shift from policy promises to tangible implementation under his Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria recognises housing as a strategic national priority and is committed to sustained, whole-of-government support for the sector,” Tinubu said, according to a statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the SGF, Yomi Odunuga.

Tinubu said the administration’s approach combines strategic housing projects and public-private partnerships. He highlighted progress on major Renewed Hope Cities in Abuja, Lagos and Kano and said additional housing estates and cities are being developed across the six geopolitical zones.

Describing housing as “more than a social necessity,” the president said it is “an economic asset, a driver of productivity, a source of dignity, and a foundation for national stability.”

He added that successful delivery will require coordinated action across land administration, finance, infrastructure, urban planning, industry, social welfare, and intergovernmental collaboration.

To attract private capital, the federal government is implementing reforms to improve land administration, strengthen financing frameworks, enhance project structuring, and promote transparency, Tinubu said.

He said the administration is also strengthening long-term housing finance through institutions such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

“Nigeria welcomes serious partners who are ready to build, finance, and innovate at scale,” the president said, urging both local and international investors to take advantage of opportunities in the country’s housing market while complying with national laws.

Tinubu further stated that Nigeria will continue to engage continental institutions, including the African Union and Shelter Afrique, to help address Africa’s housing needs.

He called on stakeholders — developers, financial institutions, manufacturers, policymakers and development partners — to use the AIHS 20th anniversary as “a turning point for renewed commitment toward closing the continent’s housing gap.”

The SGF’s office said the programme is expected not only to add to housing stock but also to drive employment across construction, manufacturing, and allied services, contributing to the administration’s broader economic and social objectives. Sun

Videos from the reunions shot by our correspondent captured emotional scenes as parents embraced their children in tears after weeks of uncertainty following 56 days in terrorists’ captivity.

In one of the videos, officials called out the names of the rescued children one after another as family members waited anxiously to receive them.

Names including Testimony, Aliyu Ahmed, Abati Elizabeth and Adeleke Joshua were announced before relatives stepped forward amid tears, prayers and jubilation.

Some parents wept openly, while others offered prayers of thanksgiving as they embraced their children.

One mother, reunited with her child, Testimony, expressed gratitude to God and those involved in the rescue operation.

“I give thanks! My merciful God, I give thanks. I never knew my child, Testimony, would return to me alive. Ah! What am I that You love me so much?

“Our President Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, the police, the army—may God be with them all—as well as the pastors and every single person who fasted and prayed for my Testimony who was lost in the forest. Lord, I thank you. I thank you so, so much,” she said.

Hospital personnel were also seen coordinating the discharge process and assisting families as they prepared to leave with the rescued victims.

The reunions came a day after the rescued pupils and teachers were formally received by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Government House in Ibadan.

Speaking on Monday, the principal of Community High School, Oriire, Mrs Rachael Alamu, recounted the ordeal in captivity, saying the abductors deliberately killed two teachers in an attempt to pressure the government into meeting their demands.

“There were times when we had hope that we would all come out alive. The terrorists killed Mr Michael, the first teacher, on the second day of our abduction, and Deacon, the second teacher, was killed on the first Sunday of June.

“They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted. They already knew that the whole world was interested in our case. We have scars already, and we believe that God will heal us. We appreciate everyone who contributed to this success,” she said.

Alamu said the victims spent most of the 56 days in the open forest under harsh weather conditions while trying to keep the children alive and emotionally stable.

“You can only imagine it. It was not easy. We were in the forest, in the open, most of the time, under the sun and under the rain, with the children. But we kept going because there was no way out.

“We knew it was only God who could help us, and we believed people were praying for us. That kept us going,” she added.

The Federal Government announced on Friday that security agencies had successfully rescued all the abducted pupils and teachers after more than 50 days in captivity during an intelligence-led operation.

The victims had since been receiving medical care and psychosocial support at the Military Hospital in Ibadan before reuniting with their families. Punch

National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee at INEC, Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, told Vanguard on Tuesday amid escalating confusion within the ADC over which faction is authorised to upload candidates for the 2027 General Elections.

He said the commission’s records were unambiguous on the matter, noting that the Mark faction had already been cleared and had acted on that clearance well before a Monday appellate court judgment nullified the group’s state congresses.

“We never issued any access code to the Nafiu Gombe faction. Before the Court of Appeal judgement we had already issued the code to the Sen. Mark faction and they had submitted over 400 names and particulars of their candidates for the national level elections, including the president and his running mate,” Haruna told Vanguard.

Gombe had, in a statement dated July 12, 2026, claimed to have successfully uploaded candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections under his leadership.

“The African Democratic Congress, ADC, under my leadership, has successfully completed the upload of our Presidential, Vice-Presidential, and National Assembly candidates on the INEC portal for the 2027 General Elections.

“This achievement demonstrates our Party’s firm commitment to safeguarding the interests of our founding and legacy members in the face of anti-democratic tendencies. As a Party, the ADC remains resolute in its mission to field credible, competent, and people-centered candidates who will provide purposeful leadership, promote good governance, and bring hope to the Nigerian people”, he said.

The ADC under Mark had accused the Gombe-led group of using forged documents purportedly issued by INEC to falsely claim it had uploaded the names of a presidential candidate and other nominees to the commission’s nomination portal.

The party asked INEC to investigate what it described as forgery and unauthorised use of official documents, warning that the development was capable of creating confusion and undermining public confidence in the electoral body.

Presidential candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, had also criticised INEC over the episode, accusing the commission of allowing the Gombe faction to upload candidates in violation of its own guidelines.

“On 11 July 2026, Nafiu Bala Gombe who parades himself as National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress ADC issued a statement that he has succeeded in uploading the names of his candidates on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

“The uploading of the names of candidates on INEC portal is part of the process of the 2027 General Elections made possible by the granting of access codes to  political parties in line with the umpire’s guidelines. Meanwhile, INEC has been mum, and has not denied or confirmed this obvious contradiction to the law and its own guidelines.

“By granting access code to Bala Gombe, a pretender, laying claims to the chairmanship of the ADC, though the law is not on his side and INEC has since validated the chairmanship of the Sen. David Mark-led exco, the electoral umpire is once again manifesting its partisanship. This was the same thing that the Prof Joash Amupitan-led INEC did when it illegally removed the names of the duly recognised ADC exco following the judicial rascality of Justice Lifu in ignoring a superior ruling of an appellate court”, Atiku had said. Vanguard

A former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge over allegations of forging academic credentials, specifically a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023.

The command disclosed this in a Sunday statement signed by its Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Daniel Ndukwe.

According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 1:20 p.m. on July 9 at All Saints Roundabout, along Abakaliki Road, Enugu.

The statement reads, “Acting on information received from the Command’s Control Room that the driver and conductor had assaulted a traffic police officer on duty, operatives of the Command’s Distress Response Squad (DRS) intercepted and flagged down the vehicle.

“However, instead of submitting to arrest, the driver deceptively slowed down before suddenly accelerating in an attempt to escape.

“In the process, he knocked down one of the operatives and dragged away the officer’s AK-47 rifle, which had become entangled with the vehicle.

“During the ensuing pursuit, the suspects threw the rifle out of the vehicle at IMT Bus Stop along the same road before speeding off.

“The rifle was immediately recovered intact, with its ammunition.”

The police said the suspects were being sought for the offences of conspiracy, serious assault on police officers, dangerous driving, attempted murder, and the snatching of a police rifle.

for the offences of conspiracy, serious assault on police officers, dangerous driving, attempted murder, and the snatching of a Police rifle.

The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has ordered a comprehensive investigation and intensified efforts to arrest and prosecute the fleeing suspects.

He warned the driver and conductor to voluntarily present themselves to the police for proper investigation, as every lawful measure is being deployed to apprehend them.

Giwa further urged the public to disregard misleading narratives surrounding the incident and cautioned against assaulting or obstructing police officers in the lawful discharge of their duties, stressing that such acts are serious criminal offences that will be dealt with decisively in accordance with the law.

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According to the newspaper, the incident occurred on Saturday evening, July 11, 2026, between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The victim’s son, Mr Abiola Owoade, said his father was returning from a visit to his farm when he was intercepted and abducted by the armed assailants.

Shortly after the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly contacted the family using the victim’s mobile phone and demanded a ransom of thirty million naira (N30,000,000) for his release.

However, at about 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, 2026, a search team recovered the victim’s motorcycle, which had been abandoned in a bush.

The family, colleagues and the entire education community in Itesiwaju Local Government Area have expressed deep sadness over the incident and have appealed to the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies to intervene swiftly and secure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Kolawale.

An appeal has also been made to members of the public to provide any information that could assist in ensuring his safe return.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said, “I can confirm to you that a farmer, Mr Owoade Mathew, was kidnapped at his farm in Budo Aare, and efforts are on to rescue the man unhurt and arrest the perpetrator.”