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Aspirant Kicks As Buhari’s Son, Yusuf Wins House Of Reps Ticket

By
James Orji
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Yusuf Buhari

Serious controversy is trailing the emergence of the son of late Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
Yusuf Buhari, the only son of the late Nigerian leader had been declared winner of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to vie for the 2027 election for the Daura/Sandamu/Mai’adua Federal Constituency of Katsina State.
But his main challenger for the ticket, Auwalu Lawan Daura has kicked against Yusuf emergence, saying the the proces was manipulated by APC leaders in the state.
According to Daily Trust, Daura expressed his dissatisfaction after the election result was declared on Saturday, that Buhari had won the ticket.
The aspirant claimed that the results of the election that threw up Buhari was manipulated alleging that most of the people who participated in the election had no APC membership card, describing the results as ‘dubious”.
Daura said he did not contest the election out of disrespect for APC leaders who had wanted the younger Buhari to emerge as consensus candidate, saying he just wanted to ensure that due process and justice were the bedrock of the election, to select the party’s candidate for the federal constiuncy in the 2027 election.

“I am not satisfied with what happened today. Evidence is everywhere showing the injustice that was done. The manner of counting was highly dubious, and most of the people counted did not even have party membership cards,” Daura said.

“When I started this political movement, I made it clear that it was about the will of the people. When a consensus candidate was said to have been adopted, the people said no, they wanted us to go for primaries. Therefore, my insistence was not a sign of disrespect, but rather a demonstration of our support for justice and fairness.”
While declaring his support for the son of the late president political aspiration last month, Governor Umaru Dikko Radda of Katsina state had pledged his support for him, saying he will not betray the Buhari’s family. As a supporter of the late president, Governor Radda said Buhar’’s son has his backing.
“I can never betray Buhari’s family. I have been a beneficiary of his good reputation since the days of the CPC to date. Buhari is late now, May his soul rest in peace. Therefore, I wish Yusuf  well and all the best in your political pursuit” Governor Radda said.

Fayose Loses Wife To Cancer

By
Ayodele Oni
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Isaac Fayose

By Ayodele Oni

After courageously battling cancer for months, the Australian wife of Nigerian businessman and outspoken social commentator, Isaac Fayose, has passed on.

Fayose announced the heartbreaking loss on Saturday, in a series of emotional posts on his Instagram page. He  confirmed that his wife passed away after months of struggling with the illness in Australia, where the family resides.

In one of the posts, Fayose, who is the younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, shared a candlelight image bearing the inscription, “Rest In Peace, My Darling Wife.

He later posted photographs of his late wife alongside the emotional message,“Odaro Oyinbo mi,”a Yoruba phrase that translates to “Goodnight, my white woman.”

The announcement immediately drew an outpouring of condolences from friends, associates and followers on social media, many of whom expressed sympathy and prayed for strength for Fayose and his family during the difficult period.

The tragic development comes just weeks after Fayose publicly disclosed the severity of his wife’s health condition.

In March, during a visibly emotional video shared on social media after arriving in Australia to visit his family, Fayose revealed that cancer had left his wife extremely weak and unable to carry out routine activities.

He recounted that, for the first time in many years, his wife was too ill to come to the airport to receive him, forcing him to take a taxi home alone.

According to Fayose, the experience deeply affected him because his wife had always been there to welcome him whenever he travelled to Australia.

He also spoke candidly about how the illness had dramatically changed their daily lives.

Fayose said his wife could no longer cook, communicate effectively or move around independently, adding that he spent long hours sitting beside her hospital bed, singing her favourite songs while she held his hand.

The businessman’s emotional revelation at the time touched many Nigerians who offered prayers and words of encouragement as his wife continued her battle with cancer.

Sadly, those hopes were dashed with the announcement of her death on Saturday.

Several prominent Nigerians and celebrities, including actress Yvonne Jegede, comedian Ali Baba and musician Daddy Showkey, were among those who publicly expressed condolences to the grieving businessman.

Isaac Fayose is widely known for his outspoken commentary on political and social issues and for his active presence on social media.

As tributes continue to pour in from across Nigeria and beyond, many have described the loss as a devastating blow and offered prayers for the peaceful repose of the soul of the deceased and for comfort for the Fayose family.

Nigerian Military Details How Air-Land Operation By Joint Forces Of US, Nigeria Killed ISIS Leader

By
Ayodele Oni
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US Forces in Nigeria
US Forces in Nigeria

By Ayodele Oni

Nigeria’s military hierarchy has reaffirmed that troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in close coordination with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), executed a meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation which led to the death of the second in command of ISIS, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki.

The presidency, through Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the president quoted from the Nigerian Army release which detailed account of the joint air-land operation that killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the Islamic State’s global second-in-command, during a coordinated mission with United States forces in Metele, Borno State.

According to a statement from the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, the operation took place between approximately 0001 hours and 0400 hours on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for the task force, stated that “Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in close coordination with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), executed a meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation.”

The operation followed “a protracted joint intelligence effort involving legal intercept operations and sustained reconnaissance that achieved full target development and fidelity,” Uba said.

He explained that Al-Minuki and his cell had established “a concealed and fortified enclave at Metele in Borno State within Sector 3 OPHK.”

“US partners in conjunction with OPHK conducted precision air – ground operations on the confirmed location while Special Forces were deployed to provide security and deny escape routes as well as to extract any of the Teams or air platforms in distress,” Uba added.

The operation involved several air platforms in “a synchronised air-land configuration that left the terrorists with no avenue of escape,” according to Uba.

He noted that “the operation was executed following authorisation from the Military High Command.”

Regarding casualties, Uba said: “The operation was executed with zero casualties or loss of assets.

“Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki has been confirmed neutralised alongside several of his lieutenants and multiple combatants,” he stated.

Uba said battle damage assessment is ongoing and “troops are currently conducting aggressive follow-on exploitation operations to decimate identified splinter cells and prevent any attempt at reconstitution.”

According to Uba, Al-Minuki was “a US Specially Designated Global Terrorist,  by the US Department of State on 8 June 2023 under Executive Order 13224” for his role as “a leading official within ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces, through which he channelled international funding and operational guidance to terror cells across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Islands in Northern Borno.

“His elimination represents the single most consequential counter-terrorism outcome in the North East Theatre since the inception of Operation HADIN KAI,” Uba said.

He added that the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, acknowledged the success of the operation and publicly commended the partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“This decisive operation reaffirms OPHK’s position as the foremost counter-terrorism formation in sub-Saharan Africa and sends an unequivocal message that terrorists will find neither sanctuary nor safety within the North East Theatre,” Uba concluded.

Prof. Ihonvbere, Reps Majority Leader Loses Return Bid

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Prof Ihonvbere

Professor Julius Ihonvbere, the Majority Leader has become one of the casualties of the ongoing All Progressives Congress, APC congresses across the country to select candidates who will represent the party in the 2027 elections.

After two terms, in the Green Chmabre, as the Lower House of the Nigerian National Assembly is well known, he will not be returning to Abuja, next year with a new set of lawmakers to be elected.

Not a few incumbent lawmakers from the state and across the country have lost the primary elections, and will not be going back to the Chamber next year.

The lawmaker, representing Owan Federal Consttuency lost his return bid during the primary election in Edo state where he was defeated by a former commissioner for Mining, Andrew Ijegbai, who won the election by scoring 3,695 votes to claim the ticket after defeating the Professor and other five aspirants who participated in the election.

Announcing the results, at the APC state Secretariat the Returning Officer for the election, Kelvin Mohammed said Ijegbai scored the majority votes, and would now represent the party next year during the election.

Mohammed said: “Five people contested this election. They are Hon. Andrew Ijegbai, Hon. Abdul Oroh Professor Julius Ihonvbere, Hon. Folly Ogidegbe and Barrister Stewart.

“The scores are as follows: Honourable Andrew Ijegbia scored 3,695 votes. Honorable Abdul Oroh scores 1,740 votes while Professor Julius Ihonvbere scored 1,005 votes.

“Honourable Folly scored 505 votes. Barrister Scot scored 642 vote. Total vote cast is 7,587 and the winner of this contest which is the primary is Hon. Andrew Ijegbai.”

Meanwhile, the magazine reports that Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps has secured the APC ticket to contest next year’s election.

The development, analysts say, may have succintly put paid to his rumoured bid for the state governorship election.

Presidency: Nigerian Military Wrongly Declared ISIS Commander Dead In 2024

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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iswap BokoHaram
Islamic Insurgents

The federal government has clarified the controversy surrounding the killing of notorious Islamic State ISIS commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki.

The clarification comes amid the reactions that have greeted President Donald Trump of the United State announcement that the ISIS commandeer was killed in a joint operation between US and Nigerian forces on Friday.

President Trump had announced, on Saturday, that the terrorist commander was killed in the early hours of of today during a joint operation. He had also appreciated the Nigerian government for the success of the operation, which he described as very difficult.

The announcement had quickly generated reactions from not a few Nigerians who said the ISIS commander cannot be declared killed twice, following the 2024 announcement by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, DHQ, that Al Manuki had been neutralised.

The DHQ had declared him killed after a fierce military operations in Kaduna state with the Boko Haram insurgents, in which other fighters were said to have been taken out.

One of the reactions came from human right lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who said the ISIS commander had long been killed by the Nigerian Armed Forces, saying the claim by President Trump that he was killed on Saturday was untrue.

Reacting in a statement on Saturday Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga said Al-Manuki’s name wrongly appeared among the terrorists killed by Nigerian soldiers during military operations around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State in 2024.

However, he said security agencies later discovered that the identification was inaccurate.

Onanuga said the fact that the Birni Gwari area, where the ISIS commander was said to have been kiled by Nigerians, is not within his operation area, rendered the eralier claim that he had been killed unreliable.

According to him, the Nigerian intelligence community has now admitted that the earlier claim was a ruse, because Birni Gwari was not part of the ISIS leader operation area.

He stressed that “this time” the information that he has been neutralised is very credible, citing “multiple layers” of intelligence which confirmed that Al-Minuki has, indeed, been killed in the US, Nigerian joint military operation.

“Security officials now clarify that the earlier listing was a case of mistaken identity or misattribution in the fog of sustained counterinsurgency operations,” he said.

Adding that “Importantly, intelligence now confirms that the Birnin Gwari theatre was never within Al-Manuki’s established operational sphere, which negates the accuracy of the earlier assessment.

“Officials maintain that multiple layers of verification were applied before authorisation of the final kinetic action, making this operation distinct from earlier incidents in which battlefield assessments later required revision.

“In their assessment, ‘this time, there is no ambiguity,” Onanuga added.

He further stressed that security officials were “100 per cent certain” that Al-Manuki was the target eliminated in the operation.”

Zamfara House Of Assembly Extends Suspension Of Seven Members

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Zamfara State House of Assembly
Zamfara State House of Assembly

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has extended the suspension of its seven members for another legislative year, citing  ongoing legal proceedings  as well as investigations into alleged misconducts and violation of the House’s Standing Orders as a major reasons for its action.

The affected law makers were on February 26, 2024, suspended over alleged misconducts , violation of House Standing Orders ,as well as their   roles in the botched impeachment move against the Speaker Rt Hon Bilyaminu Isma’ila Moriki.

A statement from Bello Madaro, spokesperson for the Speaker, informed that the extension to the suspension was sequel to extensive deliberations of the matter during plenary.

According to him, the resolution followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon Bello Muhammad.Mazawajje, which was seconded by Hon Ibrahim Garba Liman.

Moving the motion, the Majority Leader argued that it was necessary to extend the suspension order in view of the ongoing legal proceedings  regarding the matter .

He emphasized the need to extend the suspension, pending the judicial resolution of the issue.

According to Madaro, following a unanimous approval of the motion, the Speaker officially announced the extension to the suspension of the affected members for one more year.

The suspended law makers are Hon Faruku Musa ,( Dosara/Maradun constituency 1 )., Hon Amiru Ahmad ( Keta/Bukura,) , Hon Bashir Bello ( Bungudu West constituency) and Hon Bashir Abubakar ( Bukkuyum North)

Others are Hon Bashir Aliyu ( Gummi 1) ,Hon Nasiru Abdullahi ( Maru North ) and Hon Ibrahim T Tukur ( Bakura constituency) .

The Source further reports that the affected legislators who have been meeting regularly in Kadun, have been mounting a legal challenge against their suspension since 2024 .

Bomb Manufacturer, Six  ISWAP Members Killed In An Explosion

By
Ayodele Oni
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iswap BokoHaram
Islamic Insurgents

By Ayodele Oni

Casualties have continued to finish the fold of terrorists as six suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and a suspected bomb expert identified as Abu Umar, have died after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)exploded.

They were allegedly assembling the IED when it suddenly detonated prematurely in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.

The incident was contained in a post shared on X on Saturday by security analyst, Zagazola Makama, who cited security sources.

According to the report, the explosion occurred at about 7:00 a.m. on May 16, 2026, in Jubilaram, where the suspected militants were reportedly working on an explosive device.

The group was reportedly led by the deceased suspected bomb expert, who also died alongside five other fighters. Three other members of the group were said to have sustained serious injuries.

Security sources revealed that the deceased suspects were part of an ISWAP bomb-making cell operating within the Marte–Kerenoa–Wulgo axis in the Lake Chad region.

“The explosion reportedly occurred while the device was being assembled, leading to a sudden detonation that destroyed their location and killed those inside,” Makama wrote.

Intelligence reports also suggested that the blast may have severely affected an ISWAP improvised explosive device manufacturing site located between Arinna Maimasallaci and Arinna Ciki.

Security sources added that the development could weaken the group’s ability to carry out roadside bomb attacks in the area.

Authorities are reportedly considering further security operations to take advantage of the setback and clear remaining insurgent elements within the axis.

Cleric, Wife  Drown As Boat Carrying Church Members Capsizes

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Boat Mishap

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

A Pastor  and his wife have been confirmed dead in a tragic boat mishap on the Bayelsa waterways, along the Odioma/Brass River, in Brass Local Council of the State.

According to eye witness accounts, several others  are still missing in the incident which occurred in the afternoon of Friday, May, 15, 2026.

The ill-fated boat was carrying on board several members of a Church who were on their way to attend a programme in Yenagoa ,the Bayelsa State Capital, when it ran into trouble waters, and subsequently capsized.

The unfortunate development has been attributed by locals to an unfriendly weather condition, occasioned by torrential downpour.

Although many of the occupants of the boat were rescued by emergency responders, several others are still unaccounted for.

While only the Pastor of the Church and his wife have so far been confirmed dead, several others are  still missing, heightening fears of more casualties.

The  Bayelsa State Police Command late on Friday said the actual number of casualties have not been established as rescue efforts are still ongoing.

The Police Command spokesperson, Musa Mohammed, assured that the number of victims will be known after the rescue operation, being led by the Marine Unit of the Service.

Local divers, according to the Odioma Community Youth President, Moses Inene, have been drafted into the rescue operations.

ADC Postpones Screening Of Presidential, Governorship Aspirants, Cites Security Concerns

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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African Democratic Congress - ADC

By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

 

The opposition Coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, announced that it has  postponed  its presidential and Governorship screening exercise earlier scheduled for between Saturday and Sunday to Monday, May 18, 2026.

 

A statement from Bolaji Abdullahi, its national spokesperson, informed that the change also affects the screening of aspirants for the National Assembly contest particularly those from the Northern part of the country.

 

Due to security concerns, the ADC stated that  the screening of affected aspirants will be centrally carried out in Abuja ,for effective , and smooth coordination.

 

” All affected aspirants will be duly contacted with the updated schedules and necessary details”, the party added.

 

While regretting any inconveniences the change  might cause to aspirants, the party assured of its unflinching and unalloyed commitment to conducting a transparent and credible screening exercise .

Falana Faults US, Nigeria’s Claim Of Killing Of ISIS Leader, Says He Was Killed In 2024

By
Ayodele Oni
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Femi Falana - SAN

By Ayodele Oni 

 

Senior lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, has faulted the claim by the United States (US) President, Donald Trump, and his Nigerian counterpart, President Bola Tinubu, that ISIS leader, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed in an overnight raid by US and Nigerian forces on Friday.

 

Falana maintained that the notorious terrorist was killed in April 2024.

 

The human rights activist said:

 

“Contrary to Mr. Trump’s misleading claim, the dangerous terrorist, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed in 2024 by the patriotic armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

 

“The killing of the wanted terrorist was announced by the Defence Headquarters and published by the print and electronic media in Nigeria.

 

“Instead of relying on a foreign regime that cannot stop the reckless massacre of thousands of its citizens including children in gun violence and gun-related deaths, the Federal Government should adequately equip and maintain the armed forces in line with section 217(2) of the Nigerian Constitution”, he concluded.

 

“Brave American forces ⁠and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump had said in a post on Truth Social on Friday.

 

Trump’s claim was confirmed by President Tinubu as posted by his Media Aide, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

 

Tinubu stated: “Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.

 

“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.

 

“Early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.

 

“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.

 

“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.”

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