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PDP Lashes Governor Abdulrazaq Over Continued Silence On Offa Explosion

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AbdulRahman-AbdulRazaq
Governor Abdulraham AbdulRazaq.

By Akinwale Kasali

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kwara State Chapter, has tackled Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq  of Kwara over his continued silence on the Offa Explosion that claimed many lives and destroyed properties.

The PDP faulted the Kwara State Government in what it described as a lack of official response following the explosion that occurred in Offa, the headquarters of Offa Local Government Area, leaving residents anxious and seeking clarity on the incident.

It would be recalled that on Christmas day, explosions rocked parts of Offa Community, damaging property and prompting security agencies to cordon off affected areas as investigations commenced.

In a statement issued in Ilorin and signed by the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, the opposition party said the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration has failed to address the public or offer reassurance since the incident.

The PDP expressed sympathy with the people of Offa, especially the Olofa of Offa, Mufutau Gbadamosi, Esuwoye I, as well as residents, business owners and communities affected by the explosion.

“It is unfortunate that while residents ran for their lives in fear and confusion, the state governor and his government were conspicuously missing in action, both physically and in communication,” the statement read.

According to the party, there has been no official explanation, no security briefing, no visible government presence at the scene, and no word of reassurance to residents of Offa and other parts of the state as of the time the statement was released.

“This dangerous vacuum of leadership has fuelled panic, rumours and widespread anxiety among innocent citizens,” the PDP said.

It maintained that a responsible government would have promptly visited the affected area, carried out an on-the-spot assessment and provided clear information to the public.

“Sadly, in Kwara today, citizens are abandoned to social media speculation because their government has failed in its most basic duty of providing leadership in times of crisis,” the statement added.

The PDP further described as unacceptable the governor failure to address the people, that no state or local government official has visited Offa to identify with victims, and that security agencies have not adequately briefed the public.

It characterised the situation as “irresponsible, insensitive and reckless governance,” particularly during a festive period when citizens should experience peace and safety.

The party called on the Governor to “urgently return from Abuja, visit Offa to assess the situation, and support affected residents.”

“The Governor must brief the people of Kwara on the true situation in Offa and convene a joint security clarification to put an end to the growing panic,” the statement said.

It stressed that the people of Offa deserved truth, protection and leadership at such a critical moment, rather than silence.

US Airstrike: ADC Tackles President Tinubu For Outsourcing His Constitutional Responsibility; Demands Report On  Casualties

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Bolaji Abdullahi and Bola Tinubu

By Akinwale Kasali

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has blasted  President Bola Tinubu for allowing the United States of America, USA, airstrikes in Sokoto State.

The ADC stated that there is urgent need for President Tinubu to address its domestic challenges, and tackled him for outsourcing his constitutional responsibilities to the US.

Bolaji Abdullahi, Spokesperson for the ADC wrote on X Handle (former Twitter) that: “President Bola Tinubu has outsourced his most important constitutional responsibility, effectively taking a back seat in a vehicle that he is constitutionally assigned to drive.

“When the President of Nigeria appears compelled to report himself to another head of state, even tagging a foreign President in a Christmas Day message, Nigerians are entitled to ask who is truly in charge of our country?”

On Christmas day, the United States conducted airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Nigeria’s Sokoto State in what officials described as coordinated action with Nigerian authorities to counter jihadist threats in the northwest.

The US Africa Command said the strikes targeted ISIS‑linked positions after Washington and Abuja shared intelligence, though information on casualties and the precise role of Nigerian forces has been limited and sparked debate over sovereignty and communication.

The ADC acknowledged the broader security context in the country, urging President Tinubu to swing into action and address the situation.

“The African Democratic Congress, (ADC), recognises the serious security challenges confronting Nigeria and affirms that the protection of Nigerian lives and the defeat of terrorism must remain a central national priority.

“We, therefore, support all lawful and effective measures aimed at saving lives and restoring security,” the party said.

The ADC further raised its concerns about foreign military involvement.

“Nevertheless, the ADC reiterates its long-standing opposition to the physical operation of foreign military forces on Nigerian soil.

“We must not allow our desperation today to compromise the sovereignty of our country in whatever form or guise.”

It clarified its position regarding the recent airstrikes, framing them as a last-resort measure,

“It is in this context that we accept the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) airstrikes on ‘terrorist locations’ in Sokoto State on Thursday, December 25, 2025, only as a desperate measure that must not be allowed to substitute for a Nigeria-led action against its domestic security challenges,” the party asserted.

The Party criticised the All Progressives Congress, APC, led Tinubu administration on its handling of national security.

The ADC explicitly attributed the reliance on foreign action to administrative failings.

“As an anomaly, the action can only be justified in the context of the historic incompetence of the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in dealing with the nation’s security challenges.

“This is what happens when a government behaves as though governance is all about revenue collection and all other issues, including national security and diplomacy, could be treated as an afterthought,” Abudllahi quoted the ADC as saying.

It also expressed concern over how information about the strike was communicated to Nigerians.

“The manner in which Nigerians were informed of this development is equally troubling. When it comes to politics and propaganda, the President addresses the nation directly.

“Yet, when faced with an issue as sensitive, momentous, and consequential as a foreign military strike on Nigerian soil, the primary source of information was a social media post by the American President, while the only information coming from Nigeria was from a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“This reflects a frightening lack of awareness of the historic significance of this incident by the President of Nigeria,” it concluded.

The Party demanded for transparency, urging the government to “inform Nigerians of the outcomes of the strike, including the number of terrorists reportedly killed.”

Fayose Attacks Makinde: You Are “A Small Boy” In Nigeria’s Politics; You Have Become A Political Orphan

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Fayose and Makinde
LR, Ayodele Fayose and Governor Seyi Makinde

Former Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has described Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state as “a small boy” in Nigeria’s politics. The former governor described himself as an “elder statesman” who fought his political battles as governor without the support of any “godfather”.

Fayose’s attack on the Oyo state helmsman came few weeks after his jabs against former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in the aftermath of the former governor’s 65th birthday celebrations attended by the former Nigerian Leader.

The former governor also spoke a few days after Makinde launched a verbal attack on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of being at the middle of the leadership crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The Oyo helmsman had accused Wike, a former political ally, of pursuing personal interests at the expense of the party, saying Wike’s plan to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to power in 2027 has blinded him, and in turn destroying the PDP.

Fayose is a close ally of the FCT Minister and has promised, in a recent interview to survive or sink with Wike. “I’m a Wike person. Anywhere Wike is, that is where I am,” the former governor said in an interview on TVC.

According to him, Makinde has become a political orphan, saying the governor has destroyed all the PDP structure in the South west.

He also claimed that those that worked for Makinde to become governor have also deserted him, accusing the governor of cornering the resources in the state for himself alone.

According to Fayose, “almost everybody who worked for his ascension has been driven away,” noting that the Oyo governor “ has destroyed all PDP structures in the South-West.”

Recall that Governor Makinde and Wike were part of the “G5 Governors” in the PDP who refused to wokk for their party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abukara, because according to them, they wanted power to shift to the South.

The duo alongside three other governors of Benue, Enugu and Abia,  at the time worked for the incumbent, Tinubu who won the election.

Not long after the election, Wike and Makinde parted ways politically, and have since been attacking each other.

The governor said the FCT Minister is angry with him because he refused to work for Tinubu’s re-election.

Debris From Expended Munitions During US Airstrike Hit Communities In Kwara, Sokoto – FG

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Mohammed Idris - Minister of Information and National Orientation

By Ayodele Oni

“16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms”

The Federal Government on Friday doused anxiety being experienced by residents of Offa in Kwara and Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto States following sudden collapse of some structures during Christmas eve.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris in a statement, clarifies that the object that caused explosions and destruction of properties in Offa, Kwara State, was debris from precision-guided munitions deployed during a joint Nigeria United States military operation against Islamic State terrorists in Sokoto State.

Report revealed that explosions rocked parts of Offa on Christmas night, damaging homes, shops and a hotel.

The statement stated that debris from expended munitions used during the operation fell in Offa, Kwara State, and in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, in close coordination with the Government of the United States of America, has successfully conducted precision strike operations against two major Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves located within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State,” the statement read.

According to the government, intelligence reports had confirmed that the locations were being used as assembly and staging grounds by foreign ISIS elements infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region, in collaboration with local affiliates, to plan large-scale terrorist attacks within the country.

The strikes were executed between 12:12am and 1:30am on Friday, December 26, 2025, under established command and control structures, with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the supervision of the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff.

“A total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, successfully neutralising the targeted ISIS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria from the Sahel corridor,” the statement said.

The confirmation aligns with earlier accounts by security sources who had told PUNCH Online that what struck buildings in Offa was a component of a missile fired during the US-backed airstrikes.

Residents of Offa had been thrown into panic on Thursday night after explosions hit two locations in the town, including the Eid praying ground area and around Solid Worth Hotel, damaging buildings.

Although no deaths were recorded, victims reported collapsed walls, blown-off roofs and destroyed shops, while security agencies cordoned off the affected areas.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria reiterates its unwavering resolve to confront, degrade, and eliminate terrorist threats, particularly those posed by transnational extremist networks seeking to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and security.

“The Federal Government assures all Nigerians that it remains firmly in control of the national security architecture and is fully committed to the protection of lives and property,” the statement said.

Citizens were urged to remain calm and vigilant as security agencies continue decisive actions against terrorist groups operating within and around Nigeria’s borders.

Why Nigeria Let America Fight Its War

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Lamara Garba Azare

By Lamara Garba Azare

A nation is not merely a stretch of land marked by borders on a map. It is a will. It is authority. It is the solemn promise that those who govern will protect those who are governed. The day a country hands that promise to another power even in the name of security it begins a quiet retreat from its own essence a retreat Nigeria now appears to be making.

This uncomfortable reality was laid bare following the American military airstrike on an alleged ISIL terrorist camp in Sokoto-North West, Nigeria on Sunday 25th December 2025. By the open admission of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria provided the intelligence, approved the operation, and watched as the United States carried out the strike on Nigerian soil. Worse still, Nigerians learned of this act of war not first from their own President, but from the President of another country. History is unforgiving to nations that clap for others while standing aside in matters of their own survival.

Let us not hide behind diplomatic language. Cooperation is not the same as surrender. Partnership does not mean handing over the sword while you hold the scabbard. If Nigeria had the intelligence that led to the bombing of the alleged ISIL camp in Sokoto then Nigeria should have led the operation. Intelligence without execution power is like vision without legs it sees the danger but cannot move toward it.

The primary duty of any government is security. That duty cannot be subcontracted. When a state begins to rely on foreign jets to enforce peace within its borders it sends a dangerous signal to its citizens and to the world that it no longer fully trusts its own strength. And when such sensitive military operations are announced first by Washington rather than Abuja the symbolism is loud humiliating and politically costly.

A philosopher once warned that power given is rarely returned whole. Today it is an American airstrike in Sokoto. Tomorrow it may be decisions taken without even the courtesy of consultation. Sovereignty does not collapse in one dramatic moment. It erodes quietly justified by convenience and defended with excuses.

America too must be spoken to plainly. If this intervention is truly driven by goodwill then goodwill must go beyond missiles and statements. A sincere ally builds capacity not dependency. Where is the complete transfer of advanced surveillance technology. Where are the drones the precision systems and the satellite access that would allow Nigeria to conduct such operations on its own territory without foreign aircraft and foreign command structures. Friendship that keeps one party permanently reliant is not generosity. It is control in soft clothing.

There is also a troubling strategic question Nigerians must not ignore. ISIL and its affiliates have long found oxygen around the Lake Chad axis rather than Sokoto. That region has remained the heart of cross border terrorism recruitment and logistics for years. So why this sudden focus elsewhere. Who selected the Sokoto target and based on whose broader security calculations. In matters of national security silence breeds suspicion and suspicion thrives where transparency is absent.

Leadership is not measured by how many powerful friends a country has but by how firmly it stands on its own feet. A government that truly believes in its people would invest relentlessly in its armed forces equip them with modern tools and trust them to defend the nation with honour and competence. Instead Nigerians are being asked to celebrate a foreign airstrike as proof of seriousness.

But a country that borrows its shield today may wake up tomorrow unable to raise its own. A nation that allows others to fight its battles will soon be told where when and how it may exist.

Nigeria must reflect urgently and honestly. Terrorism must be defeated yes but by Nigerian hands under Nigerian command and for Nigerian dignity. Anything else is a costly miscalculation dressed up as cooperation.

As history teaches us freedom is not lost only through invasion. It is often surrendered through comfort. If Nigeria does not reclaim its security mandate now it may one day discover that what was traded away in the name of safety was the very soul of the state.


Lamara Garba Azare a veteran journalist writes from Kano

New Tax Law: FG Will Not Shift January Implementation Date

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Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, says no going back on the January 1, 2026 take off date of the New Tax Law.

Oyedele made the declaration on Friday after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Aso Rock, Presidential Abuja, the nation’s capital.

He spoke amid the controversy trailing the Tax Law passed earlier this year by the National Assembly and signed by President Tinubu.

The major controversy trailing the Law came after a member of the House of Representatives claimed that the Document has been doctored,  that the copy Gazetted by the Federal government is different from the one passed by the NASS.

Amid the controversy, not a few Nigerians have called on the federal government to shift the implementation date until the allegations regarding  the Law were resolved.

For instance, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN,  in a statement called on the federal government to shelve the plan to implement the Law until the controversies surrounding it are cleared, saying this is necessary to restore credibility and confidence in the Act.

The NASS has during the week demanded that the federal government re-Gazette the copy in the possession of the NASS.

Oyedele, however, stated that the federal government will press ahead with the implementation  despite investigation by the lawmakers, saying the NASS is working with the government to ensure that the areas of concerns were resolved.

He also highlighted the benefits in the Tax Law, saying it will bring “fairness” among all the categories of tax payers in the country.

Oyedele:” We met with Mr. President to give an update about the implementation of the tax reform laws. As you already are aware, there are four of those laws, and two of them have already commenced, and that’s the Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Act and the Joint Revenue Service Establishment Act, commenced on the 26th of June, 2025 the remaining two laws, that’s the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act are scheduled to commence on the first of January 2026.

“We welcome the statement by the National Assembly, House of Representative committee today on the findings and the work around the allegations about alteration.

“The Federal Government is committed to working with the National Assembly if and when any action is required, and therefore the plan to commence the new law the two remaining new laws on the first of January 2026 will go ahead as planned on schedule, because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people. Bottom 98% of workers will see either no pay tax or lower taxes to be paid.

“Small businesses, 97% of them will be exempted from corporate income tax, VAT withholding tax and large businesses will see a drop in the taxes that they paid.

“The whole idea being to try and promote economic growth inclusivity as well as shared prosperity for our people. So we’re actually excited that the progress we’re making, and we’re looking forward to January 1, 2026.”

Oyedele told newsmen that the intention of the tax laws was not immediate revenue generation but to widen the revenue base to ultimately grow the economy.

He said:” The plan, the intention for this tax reform is not immediate revenue generation. We believe that over time, you get revenue from growth when the economy is growing, people pay not because tax rate has gone up, but because the base has increased.

“And number two is these reforms have rationalised a lot of wasteful and incentive that are distortionary, which is in itself, not helpful for the economy.

“And number three is we see as a result of this transformative tax reform, increasing awareness of and then task culture, and therefore improve compliance.”

Whenever Terrorists Are Bombed, The Apologists Panic

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US Airstrike in Nigeria
US Airstrike in Nigeria

By Sa’adiyyah Adebisi Hassan

The United States recently struck ISIS targets in Nigeria – not civilians, not villages, not mosques, but ISIS. Right on cue, a familiar group of moral contortionists, terrorism relativists, and permanent negotiators erupted in outrage, not against the terrorists, but against those who hit them. At the center of this reaction is Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, once again positioning himself not as a neutral cleric or mediator, but as the most consistent public defender of armed criminal groups operating within Nigeria.

This pattern is no longer strange, it is predictable. Whenever terrorists are named, classified, confronted, or hit, there is immediate protest, moralising, and appeals to sovereignty. Yet when villages are wiped out, farmers slaughtered, children kidnapped, women raped, and communities displaced, there is always an explanation, a lecture, or a deflection – but never urgency, never rage, never finality.

Gumi’s insistence that terrorism should only be fought by “clean, holy hands,” excluding the United States because of its global military record, collapses under even basic scrutiny. If clean hands were truly the requirement, then no African army qualifies, no Arab state qualifies, no Asian power qualifies, no European country qualifies, and no empire in history qualifies. By that logic, terrorism should never be fought at all. This is not moral philosophy, it is strategic paralysis disguised as piety.

The most perverse irony is that the same people who demand court declarations before action, insist dialogue must always come first, argue that military force never works, and warn that foreign help undermines sovereignty, have never produced an alternative that actually works. Nigeria tried amnesty, dialogue, ceasefires, payments, the release of arrested fighters, and reintegration without justice. The result was not peace but bigger gangs, better weapons, greater confidence, and more deaths.

No serious country thinks this way. When ISIS attacked France, there was no call for dialogue. Egypt did not seek mediation. Turkey did not complain about sovereignty. Iraq did not worry about symbolism. Israel did not convene clerics. Pakistan did not wait endlessly for courts. They acted decisively, because states exist to protect citizens, not to protect narratives.

The claim that striking ISIS amounts to a “neo-Crusade against Islam” is not only reckless, it is intellectually dishonest. ISIS kills more Muslims than Christians, declares Muslims apostates, burns mosques, enslaves Muslim women, and attacks Muslim communities. If bombing ISIS is anti-Islam, then every Muslim country that has fought ISIS – including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Iraq – must also be anti-Islam. That argument insults Muslim intelligence worldwide.

The real fear behind this outrage is not concern for civilians or sovereignty, it is the loss of relevance. Once terrorists are clearly labelled, internationally targeted, militarily pressured, and financially isolated, middlemen lose access, negotiators lose influence, apologists lose their platform, and ideological cover collapses.

The sovereignty argument itself is selectively deployed. Nigeria accepts foreign loans, IMF conditions, Chinese infrastructure, foreign intelligence, foreign arms, and foreign training without protest. But suddenly, when terrorists are hit, sovereignty becomes sacred? That is not patriotism, it is selective outrage.

If ISIS were fake, if terrorism were manufactured, if the threat exaggerated, then serious questions remain unanswered: why are these groups armed, who trains them, who funds them, why do they control territory, and why do they issue threats? There are no answers only sermons.

Serious people understand that terrorism is not defeated by sympathy, semantics, sociology alone, endless dialogue, or clerical cover. It is defeated by clear naming, relentless pressure, intelligence sharing, financial strangulation, and force when necessary. That is not cruelty, it is state responsibility.

Yet every time terrorists are confronted, the same voices rush to shield them with language, procedure, and theology. Nigeria must therefore ask itself a hard but necessary question: why is it always easier to condemn those who fight terrorists than those who commit terror?

Until that question is answered honestly, the problem will persist. And history will not be kind to those who mistook apologetics for wisdom.

Tambuwal Commends US Strikes In Sokoto, Wants Terrorist Bombed In Other States

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Aminu Tambuwal

A former Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal has called on  the federal government no to ensure that its anti-terrorists strikes are expanded beyond the state.

Tambuwal spoke on Arise Television on Friday, a few hours after  the United States missile strike on some terrorists targets in the state. The US President, Donald Trump said he ordered the strike against ISIS-linked terrorists, saying many of them were killed by the missiles launched by the  US United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, in Djibouti.

In a post on social media, Trump said he’d directed a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” who he said had been killing innocent Christians. He later told Politico that he delayed the strikes a day so they fell on Christmas.

“They were going to do it earlier,” Trump told the news organization. “And I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present.’ … They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”

The state, has in the past few months, experienced deadly attacks from Lakurawa terrorists believed to be associated with ISIS, and are mostly active in Tambuwal Local Government where the former governor hails from.

According to the US Leader, the strikes were conducted with the approval of the Nigerian Government. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar confirmed to journalists that President Bola Ahmed’s Tinubu’s approval was sought before the US launched the strike.

Speaking on the strike, Tambuwal said the strike should be expanded to include some states where the terrorists are very active, including Zamfara, Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, among others, describing those states as “areas of more concerns” that his state.

The Senator representing Sokoto South in the National Assembly also urged the federal government to seek help beyond the US, because according to him, the problem of terrorism extends beyond Nigeria.

Tambuwal: “Areas of concern like Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and a host of other parts of the country should be covered by this operation so that we do not have a situation where a particular part of the country that has not been as widely reported but is having such major security challenges as these other states would not be part of the narrative.

“I believe that the Nigerian government should seek greater collaboration with many more countries, including the US and others that are willing to support this fight; after all, it is a transnational issue.”

Apart from Sokoto state, explosions were also heard in Kwara state following the US strike, according to eyewitnesses who claimed that some shells from the missiles landed in some communities in the state .

The federal government said on Friday that the strikes touched the two states.

SGF Akume Marries Ooni Of Ife’s Ex Wife, Zaynab

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George Akume and Zaynab Ngohemba

By Akinwale Kasali

George Akume, Secretary  to the Government of the Federation, have officially wedded Zaynab Ngohemba, the former Wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

It would be recalled that the marriage between the Monarch and Zaynab came to an end following the disclosure that she already had Four Children for her ex-Lebanese Husband.

The disclosure of the marriage between Akume and Zaynab was made public on Friday via Facebook.

In a congratulatory message, a member of the Dajoh family, Abraham Double-d Dajoh, posted their Wedding picture in his social media post.

He confirmed the union between the high-ranking government official and the former Olori of the Ife Kingdom.

The Dajoh family described the union as “beautiful” and “uncommon,” as they formally welcomed her into their fold in Benue State.

In a statement that quickly went viral, the Dajoh family expressed their collective joy, signalling a significant chapter for the SGF’s household.

“We, the entire Dajoh Family, happily join our daddy, uncle and brother, His Excellency, The Secretary To The Government Of The Federation, Sen. George Akume Jugu Dajoh in welcoming his new and uncommon wife, Queen Zaynab Ngohemba-George Akume Dajoh, into the Dajoh family,” the post read.

The family further extended their appreciation to the political associates and supporters of the SGF, urging them to remain steadfast in their loyalty to him as he embarks on this personal journey.

“We appreciate and thank the fans and supporters of Sen. Akume for always standing by him. We enjoin every one of you to continue to support his Excellency even in this beautiful union with Queen Zaynab,” the post further read.

Queen Zaynab, who was previously known as Olori Wuraola during her 17-month marriage to the Ooni of Ife (which ended in 2017), was ushered into her new home with deep cultural reverence.

The Dajoh family emphasised the importance of their ancestral roots in Mbakor and the wider Benue State.

“Welcome to Benue State, the Food Basket of the Nation, welcome to Mbakor, the seat of leadership of the Tiv nation and welcome to the Dajoh family, the home of your darling husband. Welcome home, Queen Zaynab,” the statement concluded.

The announcement coincided with the festive period, as the family used the opportunity to wish Nigerians a happy holiday season.

“We wish you all a happy Christmas Celebration and a Prosperous New Year,” the post read.

Akume’s spokesperson, Yomi Odunuga, confirmed the marriage.

He, however, said contrary to reports that the wedding was held on December 24, the marriage is over a year old.

“I can confirm the marriage. However, contrary to the rumour that the marriage was concretised in Gboko on Christmas eve when the couple appeared together at an event to celebrate Christmas, it was actually a marriage that is over a year old,” Odunuga said.

The Truth About US Airstrike On Nigerian Soil

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Donald Trump and Bola Tinubu

By Ishaq Samaila

Did you notice that they struck Sokoto?

Not Borno.

Not Plateau.

Not the obvious front line.

That should teach you something about  American intelligence and intelligence gathering.

They know where the problem is from

You do not fight only where the noise is loud.

You hit where coordination, funding, and command are happening.

The Nigerian Army can handle the front line.

Soldiers can confront fighters head-on.

But to end the problem, you dismantle the powerhouse.

You break the coordination, the planners, the enablers.

That is how real wars are won.

This was not an attack.

It was a warning.

A message that says, in clear terms:

We know where you are.

We are watching you.

Leave now, or face the consequences.

That is how serious operations begin.

Quiet. Precise. Psychological.

And this is only one of many signals.

If the attacks in Nigeria don’t stop

America will   not back down, especially with this Israel intelligence

I said it before in one of my posts.

The next phase would not be loud.

In the next 90 days, the noise would drop.

What you are seeing now is the beginning of that phase.

Why am I worried?

Because Trump has now put Nigeria on the global map for the worst possible reason ever.

A US missile strike on Nigerian soil.

Then a public announcement that America struck ISIS terrorists in Nigeria

That single statement has done serious diplomatic damage to Nigeria.

Nigeria’s image has been dragged into a category it has never openly occupied before.

And this could have been avoided months ago.

If the leadership had acted with precision.

If they had controlled the narrative.

If they had managed the media.

If they had crushed the insurgents quietly and decisively.

But they failed. Completely.

From the security adviser.

To the army command.

To the media handlers.

To the presidential circle.

Up to the president himself.

They failed first to control the story.

They failed to counter propaganda.

They failed, most importantly, to end the insurgency.

Now it has spilled beyond our control.

Inside Nigeria, life feels normal.

People are dancing, posting, moving on.

But outside Nigeria, the picture is different.

To the international community, Nigeria is now being associated with terrorism.

Terrorism they have neglected since 2009

Travel restrictions are only the first signal.

Clearing this image will not be easy.

It will require the government to go all in.

Diplomatically. Militarily. Politically. Media-wise.

They must prove, that Nigeria is safe again.

And that process is neither fast nor simple.

That is why this strike worries me.

Still, one thing remains true.

If our leaders failed and someone else is now forcing accountability,

then that part, at least, is a welcome development.