IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has demanded that her Senate probe be aired live, emphasizing that Nigerians deserve full transparency in the process.

Referred to the Senate’s Ethics and Disciplinary Committee after a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seating arrangements, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated she is prepared to face the panel but insists the proceedings must not be held behind closed doors.

In a statement on her Facebook page on Thursday, she noted that she had previously refrained from commenting on Senate matters but now feels compelled to speak out.

She urged Nigerians to closely follow the probe, assuring that she would advocate for complete openness.

Bose Ogulu, mother and manager of Nigerian singer Burna Boy, has been nominated for Manager of the Year at the 2025 Music Week Awards.

The prestigious awards ceremony is set to take place in London, United Kingdom, on May 8, 2025. The organizers announced the nomination on Wednesday, February 26.

Ogulu will compete for the award alongside other top industry managers, including Neil Hughes, Alistair Goldsmith, and Wes Banton.

Notably, she previously won Manager of the Year at the 2022 Artist & Manager Awards in London. 

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has called on external solicitors to assist in recovering assets from closed banks. NDIC Managing Director, Dr. Bello Hassan, made the appeal at a seminar in Abuja, emphasizing the role of asset recovery in settling uninsured deposits, contractor claims, and liquidation dividends.

He cited the collapse of Heritage Bank, highlighting the complexities of bank liquidation and the need for legal expertise. He stressed that NDIC plays a dual role in litigation, representing depositors and creditors while pursuing debt recovery.

Dr. Hassan reaffirmed that legal support is crucial to fulfilling NDIC’s mandate, particularly in orderly bank liquidation. He praised external solicitors for their efforts, noting that their contributions have improved legal diligence, judicial decisions, and public awareness of deposit insurance in Nigeria. 

Stakeholders have emphasized the need for sustained efforts, collaboration, and ethical conduct in tackling corruption in Nigeria.

At the 38th Anti-Corruption Situation Room in Abuja, EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, and NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr called for a unified approach to fighting corruption at both national and subnational levels.

Olukoyede stressed that governance should be a responsibility, not a means of amassing wealth, attributing high levels of public sector corruption to this mindset. He urged citizens to refrain from defending corrupt individuals and instead support anti-corruption agencies.

ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu outlined a three-pronged strategy for combating corruption: enforcement, prevention, and public awareness, while Sawyerr highlighted the importance of technology in reducing corruption risks.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, called for greater public involvement in the fight against corruption, urging EFCC to mobilize workers, intellectuals, and youth to demand accountability.

Meanwhile, HEDA Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju stressed that Nigeria’s major challenge is not a lack of laws but the political will to implement them effectively. 

Some Lagos State lawmakers have reiterated their stance against the return of embattled former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.  

While moving around the Assembly premises to assert their presence, the lawmakers, speaking through the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, Steven Ogundipe, urged party leaders to clearly communicate their position on the situation and how it should be resolved.  

Despite their appeal for guidance, the lawmakers firmly maintained that they no longer want Obasa as Speaker.  

Meanwhile, Obasa, who arrived shortly after the lawmakers had left, insisted that he remains the legitimate Speaker. He added that while he has no objection to being removed, the impeachment process must be conducted lawfully and correctly. 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned the public about fraudsters using its logo and name to operate fake TikTok accounts aimed at deceiving unsuspecting individuals.

According to the EFCC, on Thursday, February 27, 2025, these fraudsters hosted a live session on TikTok to attract traffic and defraud users. They reportedly managed six fake accounts, falsely presenting them as official EFCC handles. Some of the fraudulent account names include:

EFCC of Nigeria

EFCC Lagos

EFCC Delta

EFCC of Benin

EFCC of Jos

EFCC Saga

The Commission has clarified that it does not have an official TikTok account and has urged the public to disregard any EFCC-affiliated accounts on the platform.