The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed an eight-count charge against former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, with plans to arraign him on Friday before the FCT High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Nivo News, details contained in the charge dated October 31 and submitted by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Sylvanus Tahir alongside five other legal representatives indicate that the former Anambra State governor is accused of abusing his office by awarding multiple contracts to his associates and to companies allegedly linked to him.

In the first count, Ngige is alleged to have, between September 2015 and May 2023, used his position as the supervising minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund to give undue advantage to Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a firm reportedly linked to his associate, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles. The company was said to have received seven contracts for consultancy, training, and supply services worth N366,470,920.68—an offence said to contravene Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The charge also lists other companies, including Zitacom Nigeria Limited, allegedly run by the same associate, which received eight contracts valued at N583,682,686.00; and Jeff & Xris Limited, managed by Nwosu Jideofor Chukwunwike, which reportedly secured eight contracts worth N362,043,163.16.

Also mentioned are Olde English Consolidated Limited, led by Uzoma Igbonwa, which allegedly received four consultancy, training, and construction contracts worth N668,138,141.00; and Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited, also linked to Igbonwa, said to have benefited from four contracts valued at N161,604,625.00.

Ngige, who was arrested in Abuja on Wednesday night, remains in EFCC custody ahead of his scheduled court appearance.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the Nigerian soldiers aboard a military aircraft that was forced to land in Burkina Faso remain held in the country. He revealed this while addressing journalists alongside his Beninese counterpart, Olushegun Bakari, during an engagement at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Nivo News, the situation stemmed from an incident on Monday when the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) alleged that an aircraft transporting 11 Nigerian military personnel had breached Burkinabe airspace. The AES—an alliance comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic—has maintained a tense posture in recent months following political shifts across the region.

Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, described the forced landing as an “unfriendly act” and accused Nigeria of flouting international norms. In a firm response, the AES announced that its member states were empowered to neutralise any aircraft deemed to be unlawfully operating within their airspace.

The diplomatic incident coincided with air operations carried out by Nigerian troops in Benin aimed at assisting in preventing a coup attempt. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force clarified that the C-130 transport aircraft involved had been on a ferry mission to Portugal before the unexpected diversion.

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Abayomi Tella, has described politicians who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “onlookers” in their new party.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking with journalists on Thursday, Tella explained that many former PDP members who joined APC are being sidelined because they were not part of the party’s foundational efforts or its campaign victories. He noted that high-profile defectors, including former PDP state chairman Sikirulai Ogundele and the party’s 2023 deputy governorship candidate, left the party in July 2025 but have struggled to find influence in APC.

“It is no longer enviable for a politician to cross from PDP to APC because most of our members who have gone there have become onlookers. They were not part of their system from day one. When the members of the party were working for their victory, the defectors were not there, so they will still be treated as outsiders,” Tella said.

Tella further stated that the PDP remains open to welcoming prominent politicians back, including Governor Dapo Abiodun, Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and former Governor Ibikunle Amosun. He revealed that the party plans to leverage the current rift between Abiodun and Daniel within APC to entice them back to PDP, offering a platform aligned with the party’s ideology.

“Part of politics is rift, and PDP gaining from it is also part of politics. We will begin to look at areas where the PDP can gain from the ongoing rift between Dapo Abiodun and OGD. They don’t need to be fighting in APC when they can just come to PDP where they left,” Tella added.

Reaffirming PDP’s strength in Ogun State, Tella emphasized that the party remains resilient despite challenges. “PDP is here to stay. The party can never die. If you try to kill it today, it will resurrect tomorrow. We are making frantic efforts to keep our people together,” he said.