Four Years After, Troops Recover Remains Of Soldier-couple Abducted, Killed In Imo State

By

-

April 25, 2026

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

It goes down as one of the most chilling killings in the history of Imo State.

A couple of the Nigerian Army was abducted by blood thirsty hoodlums in Imo State, and murdered in a most gruesome manner.

Both of them, Master Warrant Officer Linus Musa Audu and Private Gloria Mathew, were in Imo State to celebrate. Audu was coming to perform the traditional wedding of his betrothed, Gloria.

But as they approached Orsu, they were abducted. The abduction took a turn for the worse when their abductors identified them as personnel of the Nigerian Army.

They tortured and killed them. In doing that, whichever group killed a daughter of Imo State, and a son-in-law, has committed an abomination. In Igbo land, one never kills one’s in-law.

Since then, their bodies had been missing. No trace. No arrests. No group claimed responsibility. But the horrible incident happened at a time Orsu area was a no-no because of the alleged activities of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network, ESN. It was, also, the period when they said they did not want to see anybody in uniform – military, paramilitary and Police in the South-east. That explains why Security Agencies put the blame on IPOB/ESN. But it is an allegation IPOP and ESN have strongly, and consistently denied.

Nigerian Army Couple remains — **The recovered remains of the victims from shallow graves.**

However, on Saturday April 25,2026 the Nigerian Army announced a startling discovery – the recovery of the remains of the soldier-couple. It was a sad, but heart-warming discovery.

The Military authorities said the recovery was part of the fall- out of coordinated operations by troops of the 82 Division that dismantled a camp belonging to the IPOB and its militant wing the Eastern Security Network.

According to the statement, the remains of couple- soldiers – Master Warrant Officer Linus Musa Audu ,and Private Gloria Mathew, were recovered by troops after dismantling the suspected terrorist hideout on Thursday, April 23.

The Military stated that the remains of the victims were recovered from shallow graves within the IPOB/ESN camp area along the Ubaha Orsu axis of Orsu Local Council of Imo State.

“Acting on credible intelligence, the operation, conducted on April 24, 2026 along the Ubaha Orsu axis of Orsu Local Government Area was part of a deliberate clearance and search mission aimed at dismantling IPOB/ESN hideout within the region and locating the remains of two personnel of the Nigerian Army, Master Warrant Officer Linus Musa Audu and Private Gloria Mathew who were brutally abducted and murdered by IPOB/ESN terrorists in May 2022 while en route for their traditional wedding.

“Troops, while advancing towards a suspected IPOB/ESN hideout, came under heavy attack by armed criminals.

“Demonstrating resilience, the troops decisively engaged the terrorists, successfully repelling multiple ambushes and forcing the criminals to flee in disarray.

“The encounter further exposed the desperation

and criminal nature of the hoodlums which continue to target innocent citizens ,and security personnel alike”, the Army stated.

According to the statement, following a search conducted after the successful clearance of the terrorists camp, several shallow graves were discovered and subsequently excavated. Several human remains recovered.

The statement noted that part of the human remains were those of the late solder-couple Audu and Mathew.

According to the Army authorities, the couple’s remains have been secured for detailed forensic analysis, including DNA testing.

“Following the successful clearance of the camp, troops conducted a thorough search of the area and made a grim, but important discovery of shallow graves suspected to contain the remains of slain personnel. The graves were carefully excavated and the suspected remains were recovered.

“The recovered remains have since been secured for detailed forensic analysis, including DNA testing to conclusively establish their identities.

‘Efforts are also ongoing to liaisie with the families of the fallen personnel to ensure proper identification and facilitate burial arrangements in honour of their sacrifices”, the Army added.

Presidency Defends Borrowing, Says Nigeria Requires $100 Billion Annually For Proper Infrastructure

By

Ayodele Oni

-

April 25, 2026

0

By Ayodele Oni

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended the administration’s fiscal strategy, explaining that the government’s borrowing is intentionally directed toward critical infrastructure development.

He was responding to comments made by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, regarding the Federal Government’s borrowing pattern under the current administration

Sanusi had criticised the government’s continued reliance on borrowing despite the removal of fuel subsidy, describing the situation as economically inconsistent.

He argued that while subsidy removal was expected to ease fiscal pressure and reduce the need for borrowing, the anticipated financial relief has not translated into a significant reduction in government debt dependence.

He also questioned the justification for continued spending on supporting foreign refineries, noting that Nigeria, as an oil-producing nation, should be advancing local refining capacity instead.

Reacting in a statement shared via his official handle, Bwala defended the administration’s fiscal strategy, explaining that the government’s borrowing is intentionally directed toward critical infrastructure development.

He stated that Nigeria requires an estimated $30 billion to $100 billion annually to bridge its infrastructure deficit, adding that current revenue levels are insufficient to meet this demand without external financing.

He wrote, “Your Royal Highness, we are simply borrowing to invest in the most important areas of our economy, with infrastructure being the most crucial of them all.

“The lack of proper infrastructure needs at least $30 billion to $100 billion every year, but what we’re currently spending is not enough, so we have to borrow money.”

Bwala maintained that the objective of the borrowing is to stimulate long-term economic growth through strategic investment in key sectors, particularly infrastructure. He further referenced emerging improvements in domestic refining capacity and petroleum exports, describing them as positive indicators for the economy.

Tunde Ayeni, Billionaire Fmr. Chairman of Skye Bank, In EFCC Custody

By

Adesina Soyooye

-

April 25, 2026

0

By Adesina Soyooye

Billionaire businessman, Tunde Ayeni, is reportedly in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Ayeni, a former Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, was picked up on Thursday in Abuja over an alleged fraud running into billions of Naira and millions of US Dollars.

The Commission is said to be probing alleged diversion and misappropriation of about N36.5 billion in addition to $36 million.

The huge amount was, reportedly, obtained from Polaris Bank Plc via companies linked to the Skye Bank Chairman.

There has, however, been no statement from either the anti-graft Commission or Ayeni’s Counsel..

‘Expedite Action’, Obidient Movement Urges Supreme Court

By

The Source

-

April 25, 2026

0

The Obidient Movement like to make passionate appeals to the Supreme Court of Nigeria for a Swift Judicial Resolution of Opposition cases before it.

The Movement wants to remind the apex court that justice delayed in this matter is effectively democracy denied.

The current leadership vacuum in the main opposition coalition has left thousands of party faithful in a state of flux and risks disenfranchising a significant portion of the electorate who look toward the ADC and its coalition partners as a credible alternative for national governance.

”The apex court is the last refinery of justice, at a time when the political landscape requires absolute clarity, any prolonged delay in pronouncing a final verdict on the ADC leadership crisis provides room for mischief, fuels factionalism, and undermines the preparations for a robust multi-party contest in the coming elections”

The Obidient Movement notes that the legal battle between the contending factions is no longer a mere internal affair as it has become a matter of national interest which the apex court should be conscious of in its decisions.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the voting public require a settled leadership to engage with, particularly as primary windows and coalition negotiations begin to take shape.

We therefore like to make an urgent call to the Supreme Court requesting an expedited and definitive ruling on the leadership dispute currently paralysing the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

As the 2027 electoral cycle approaches, the continued ambiguity surrounding the party’s executive structure—following the court’s decision to reserve judgment on April 22—threatens not only the internal stability of the ADC but the broader viability of opposition consolidation in Nigeria.

A swift and clear pronouncement from the Supreme Court will stabilise the political atmosphere and allow the ADC and the wider opposition movement to focus on the essential task of nation-building.

We remain confident in the wisdom of the apex court and trust that the judiciary will remain the steadfast guardian of our democratic process.

E-sign.

Dr Yunusa Tanko. National Coordinator.

Yahaya Bello: Akpoti-Uduaghan Reminds EFCC Of Fmr. Gov’s Case, Says He Wants To Steal Her N1b, But Won’t Get ‘Shishi’

By

Adesina Soyooye

-

April 25, 2026

0

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Yahaya Bello

By Adesina Soyooye

A defiant Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has rejected the judgement of a Lokoja High Court in a libel and defamation case instituted against her by a former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

The Honourable Justice A. S. Ibrahim of a Lokoja High Court had, on Friday, April 24, 2026, delivered judgement in suit number “HCL/16/2023 instituted against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan by Bello for alleged defamation in an interview she granted to Arise Television on November 4, 2022.

In the judgement, the Court awarded the sum of N1billion against Akpoti-Uduaghan in favour of Bello.

The Court held that: “The interview granted by the defendant on 4/11/2022 on Arise TV programme of ‘The Morning Show’ is defamatory to the claimant’s character and reputation.

“The said interview of 4/11/2022 in which the defendant described the the claimant as a murderer, killer, perpetrator of evil acts, and a terror to the people of Kogi State was without justification.

Aside from restraining the defendant from further issuance of the defamatory statements against the claimant on TV or Radio Stations.

The Judge, therefore, awarded the sum of one billion Naira as damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

But in a defiant, swift response, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan dismissed the award of N1bn as waste of time and said it was procured.

According to her, she will not pay a kobo to Yahaya Bello because he does not deserve it. Instead, in that response, she added a letter for the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where she reminded them of Bello’s case before the Commission. She said in addition to the case, Bello was now trying to get hold of her one billion Naira, and assured that she will not pay “shishi”.

She wrote on her Facebook page: “Dear Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, kindly hurry up. Do you know he procured a Kogi State High Court judgment of ₦1 billion against me yesterday? Can you imagine him thinking I would pay so he can add to the stolen monies he would refund? Yeye… shi shi he no go see.”

At the time of filing this report, it is not known if she plans to appeal the judgement but many saw her response as disrespectful to the Judiciary.

Lassa Fever: Oyo Moves To Curtail Spread …Five Cases, One Death Recorded

By

Ayodele Oni

-

April 25, 2026

0

By Ayodele Oni

The Oyo State Government has intensified effort to curtail the further spread of Lassa fever in the state as it confirmed five cases including one fatality.

Speaking at a press briefing in Ibadan on Friday, the Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said the state had activated its emergency response framework to manage the situation.

She disclosed that confirmed cases are currently receiving treatment at designated facilities, including the Infectious Disease Centre in Olodo and the isolation unit of the University College Hospital.

According to Ajetunmobi, the response aligns with national and global health protocols, with coordination from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation.

The government has also activated an Incident Management System and Emergency Operations Centre, alongside a multi-sectoral response team involving health, environment, agriculture and information agencies.

She added that surveillance has been stepped up, with more than 200 contacts identified and placed under monitoring, while isolation centres have been fully operationalised.

Essential medications, including Ribavirin, have also been prepositioned to support treatment efforts.

To curb the spread, the state has strengthened infection prevention and control measures, including the provision of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and the enforcement of safe burial practices.

Environmental interventions such as sanitation, fumigation and decontamination of affected areas are ongoing, while health personnel continue to receive training on outbreak management.

Residents were urged to adopt preventive measures such as proper food storage, maintaining clean surroundings, avoiding contact with rodents and promptly seeking medical care if symptoms like fever, vomiting or bleeding occur.

Edo Police Rescues Nine Kidnap Victims, As Ondo Command Frees 13-Year Old From Abductors

By

Ayodele Oni

-

April 25, 2026

0

By Ayodele Oni

The Edo State Police Command has said that its operatives have rescued nine victims from two kidnapping incidents in the state, just as the Ondo state command rescued a 13 years old girl from her suspected abductors.

In a statement by the Spokesperson of the Edo state Command, Eno Ikoedem, said that five victims, including three in the GUO bus incident were rescued.

She stated that two other victims were also rescued from another incident that occurred along the Benin-Lagos expressway.

According to her, the command also successfully rescued four other kidnapped victims, who were abducted earlier this month and held in captivity within the Imiegba forest in Agenebode in Edo North.

The statement read, “The Edo State Police Command is pleased to inform the general public that all five victims abducted during the recent kidnapping incident along the Benin–Lagos Expressway have been successfully rescued alive.

“This breakthrough was achieved following the immediate and massive deployment of tactical teams, intelligence assets, aerial surveillance, and other operational resources by the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, to the affected corridor.

“The sustained rescue efforts, coordinated bush-combing operations, and strategic dominance of the area exerted pressure on the kidnappers ultimately leading to the safe rescue of all five victims.

“They have since received medical evaluation and treatment, and reunited with their families.

Also, the command also successfully rescued four other kidnapped victims who were abducted and held in captivity within the Imiegba forest in Agenebode.

“They have likewise received medical attention and are safe making a total of nine kidnapped victims rescued.”

And in Ondo state, personnel successfully intercepted a suspected child trafficking operation and rescued a minor along the Owena axis of the State.

Command spokesman, Abayomi Jimoh stated that “On the 23rd of April, 2026, at about 1844hrs, a Toyota Hummer 18-seater commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja was intercepted at the Owena Checkpoint by personnel of the Nigerian Army.

“The vehicle, which was fully loaded with waybills, was driven by one Akomolafe Tope ‘M’, aged 59 years, alongside a conductor, one Sunday Ismaila ‘M’, aged 48 years.

“Upon thorough scrutiny, a 13-year-old girl was found in their custody under suspicious circumstances.

“Preliminary questioning revealed that the suspects could not provide credible or verifiable information regarding the identity, origin, or destination of the minor, thereby raising strong suspicion of child trafficking.

“The suspects were immediately taken into custody, while the minor was rescued and placed under protective care.

“The case has since been transferred to the Gender-Based Offences Unit of the Command for discreet and comprehensive investigation while the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.”

UBTH Raises Alarm Over Surge In Underage Pregnancies

By

Ayodele Oni

-

April 25, 2026

0

By Ayodele Oni

The Management of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Benin City has lamented the surge in underage pregnancies, amid paternity crisis.

A Consultant in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecologist, Charles Uwagboe, raised the alarm when he featured on a Radio programme in Benin on Friday.

Uwagboe stated that “One thing that we have discovered is young girls getting pregnant.

“We have many underaged girls that are pregnant, most of them do not register for pre-natal care before presenting in hospital.

“When the labour comes, they will go and meet Traditional Birth Attendants, (TBA) and quacks. And when complications begin, she will run to UBTH.

“We are advising hospitals that refer patients to the UBTH, to do so in time to reduce the maternal mobility”, Dr Uwagboe said.

The Consultant also encouraged primary and Secondary health institutions to referral patients with complicated and other serious health challenges to show up at tertiary hospitals in time, to minimize preventable mortality rate.

He highlighted some steps the health facility has taken to address the nuance, while urging Nigerians to embrace the federal government Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

“The intervention is extending financial coverage to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (CEmONC) services for vulnerable families across designated health facilities.”

Wike Cannot Choose For Rivers People Who Will Be Their Gov – ADC

By

Suleiman Anyalewechi

-

April 24, 2026

0

Nyesom Wike - FCT Minister — Nyesom Wike

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The opposition Coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has emphasized that only the electorate will determine who will be the Rivers state Governor in 2027.

The party expressed its readiness and commitment to fully participate in the processes leading to the 2027 polls.

The ADC was reacting to comments credited to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister Nyesom Wike, to the effect that at the appropriate time, the preferred choice will be endorsed for the state’s topmost job.

Wike, the immediate past Governor of the state, a couple of weeks back, while denying speculations suggesting that he has endorsed a particular candidate stated that the endorsement exercise will be done by major stakeholders at the appropriate time through the instrumentality of his Rainbow Coalition.( PDP ,APC Alliance)

But speaking in Port Harcourt on Friday, the Rivers State Chairman of the ADC , Chukwudi Dimkpa, noted that the task of picking who presides over the affairs of the State rests on the people and not an individual.

According to him, leadership emergence in a democratic setting is solely determined by voters not individual and or group endorsement.

He emphasized that the ADC, as a veritable opposition platform, is currently positioning itself as a credible alternative anchored on transparency, internal democracy and broad-based participation.

According to him, the ADC is irreversibly committed to building an inclusive political movement that will, at once, reflect and defend the aspirations of Rivers State residents.

While acknowledging the significance of zoning in fostering unity, balance and inclusiveness, between the riverine and upland, Dimkpa, however, underscored the need to promote competence in the governance space of the State.

He, nevertheless, assured that at the appropriate time, the ADC will take decisions that would ensure unity and strengthen democratic arrangements .

With Subsidy Withdrawal, Nigeria Needs Not Borrow – Emir Sanusi

By

Ayodele Oni

-

April 24, 2026

0

By Ayodele Oni

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has raised concerns over the Tinubu-led federal government’s continued reliance on borrowing, despite the removal of petrol subsidy.

Speaking during an interview on News Central TV on Friday, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) warned that weak fiscal discipline could undermine the gains expected from recent economic reforms.

Sanusi, who has long criticised the subsidy regime, reiterated that it was unsustainable and faulted the country’s previous dependence on foreign refineries while domestic facilities remained underutilised.

“Today, we have our own domestic refinery. We are no longer importing petroleum products; we are even exporting to Europe. That is positive for the economy,” he added.

Despite backing the policy direction, the former CBN governor questioned the sequencing and timing of the reforms, particularly the removal of subsidy and liberalisation of the foreign exchange market.

He argued that implementing such measures in a loose monetary environment contributed to the sharp depreciation of the naira.

“Artificial exchange rates, especially when you’re printing money, cannot work. There was going to be a devaluation.

“For me, removing subsidy or liberalising exchange rates, these are good interventions. Were they done at the right time?

“Those are certain questions. Were there other things that should be done that have not been done? These are other issues.

“Liberalising the exchange rate in a loose monetary environment contributed to the currency’s rapid depreciation.

“It’s not enough to say, oh, they removed subsidy. You had to. When you get to a point where 100% of your revenue goes into debt service, you cannot continue. Where is the money going to come from?

“However, if you decide to remove subsidy and liberalise exchange rates in an environment of very loose monetary conditions, before you have tightened money supply, the Naira drops to a bottomless pit. That was a timing issue.

“We’ve removed the subsidy. We’re now spending it. What we should not see is fiscal consolidation. You cannot remove wastages and continue borrowing.

“I’ve said this before. You need to see the benefits. If you’re not paying the subsidy and you’ve got the money, why are we still borrowing and borrowing? What are we borrowing for?”

<img class="tdb-logo-img" src="https://thesourceng.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Source-Logo-292y90.webp" alt="The Source Magazine" title="" width="272" height="90" />