INTERNATIONAL – Phenomenal

Botched Coup: ECOWAS orders immediate deployment of Standby Force in Benin

Phenomenal — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:55:32 +0000

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ordered the immediate deployment of its Standby Force in Benin following Sunday morning’s aborted coup d’etat in the country.

This is contained in a statement issued by the ECOWAS Commission, hours after releasing its first statement on Sunday regarding the coup.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had on Sunday reported that based on the veiled threat in the earlier statement, ECOWAS would likely deploy its standby force in Benin soon.

Hours after, ECOWAS in another statement, said it had decided to deploy the standby force following wide consultations with its Heads of State and Government, and the Mediation and Security Council.

It explained that the decision, taken at highest level, was based on Article 25(e) of the 1999 ECOWAS Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Security.

“The Chair of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of state and Government has ordered the deployment of elements of the ECOWAS Standby Force to the Republic of Benin with immediate effect.

“The Regional Force shall be made up of troops from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and Republic of Ghana.

“The Force shall support the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin,” the statement said.

UNICEF says 275,000 children among 1.4m affected by Cyclone

Phenomenal — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:37:16 +0000

UNICEF said in a statement on Tuesday that at least 275,000 children are among the 1.4 million people affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.

UNICEF said they are deeply concerned about the destruction the cyclone has caused to children and the vital services they depend on.

Emma Brigham, UNICEF representative in Sri Lanka, said children urgently need help and that it is a race against time to reach the most vulnerable families.

Widespread damage to infrastructure and essential services has forced thousands into temporary shelters, increasing the risks of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and severe emotional distress among children, UNICEF said.

According to a 2025 World Bank report, poverty in Sri Lanka has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 11.3 per cent to 24.5 per cent.

UNICEF said it is working with the government and partners to assess needs and deliver urgent assistance.

The agency is scaling up support and appealing for additional funding to provide clean water, nutrition supplies, psychosocial care, and emergency education kits for displaced children and mothers.

Over 400 Sri Lankans have been killed by landslides and floods caused by the cyclone

Court stops EFCC’s subpoenaed witnesses from testifying against Emefiele

Phenomenal — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:22:57 +0000

Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court, Maitama, on Thursday stopped the prosecution from calling three subpoenaed witnesses to testify in the ongoing trial of Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele, a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) for alleged abuse of office, corruption and fraud.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the judge ruled on the oral application made by the prosecuting counsel, +Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, on the subpoenaed witnesses.

Muazu held that the name of the two witnesses, Tommy Odama and Ifeanyi Omeke, were earlier struck out.

He said that the names of the witnesses were contained in his ruling of March 20 which struck out the prosecution’s additional proof of evidence in the case.

The judge held that the ruling was now a subject of appeal filed by the prosecution and pending before the Court of Appeal.

He said that the court could not change its own ruling by allowing the subpoenaed witnesses to testify in the case.

The judge held that the prosecution should wait for the decision of the appellate court with regards to the witnesses.

Muazu also ruled on the objection of the eligibility of the 11th prosecution witness (3rd witness), Alvan Grumman, raised by the counsel for Emefiele, Mr Matthew Burkaa, SAN, at the Oct. 22 sitting.

The judge held that having struck out the prosecution’s additional proof of evidence in the March 20 ruling, it was only right to wait for the outcome of the appeal.

” The court cannot allow the witness to testify though his name was not specifically mentioned in the said additional proof of evidence.

” The prosecution should rather wait for the decision of the appellate court to know if the witness is eligible to testify,” he held.

He subsequently adjourned the case until Jan. 29, 2026 for continuation of hearing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the amended 20-count charge marked FCT/HC/CR/577/2023, the former CBN governor is accused of criminal breach of trust.

He is also charged with conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence.

Emefiele was alleged to have, among others, used his position as CBN governor to award six different contracts for the supply of different vehicles.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charge was read to him

Oyetola, Ebuebu laud marine-themed creativity at AMAE 2025

Phenomenal — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 20:09:56 +0000

The 4th African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE) opened in Lagos on Tuesday with strong calls for deeper artistic engagement in shaping public understanding of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr Charles Ebuebu, made this appeal during their addresses at the event which had the theme, “A Thousand Words from the Blue.”

This is contained in a statement signed and issued by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the African Maritime Art Exhibition (AMAE), Mr Kenneth Jukpor, and made available to newsmen in Lagos on Thursday.

Speaking at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, the NBC director-general described the exhibition as a powerful bridge between policy, people, and the often-untold stories of the ocean.

He noted that reports and technical documents may inform, but art had the capacity to “bypass jargon and speak directly to the human soul,” capturing the beauty, challenges, and opportunities within Africa’s maritime domain.

Ebuebu reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to promoting content that showcased Nigeria’s maritime heritage and deepened public consciousness about the blue economy.

According to him, broadcasters and artists share a common mission of telling stories that shape national awareness and inspire action.

As the Special Guest of Honour and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, officially declared the exhibition open, and re-echoed the same thoughts.

Oyetola, who was represented by Prof. Busayo Fakinlade, his Technical Advisor, applauded the initiative and urged more creative expressions that could stimulate economic growth within the marine and blue economy space.

He added that the Ministry would continue to advance blue economy development through every available dimension, including the arts.

Also, the President, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria and former Secretary-General of the Abuja MoU, Mrs Mfon Usoro, encouraged artists to mine the nation’s maritime history for inspiration.

Usoro, who was also the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), highlighted the numerous historic shipwrecks across Nigeria’s waterways as rich material for storytelling and creative interpretation.

On his part, the Director-General, National Gallery of Art (NGA), Ahmed Sodangi, underlined the unique role of art in preserving history and driving change in society.

The NGA boss, represented by Mr Oladipo Adetayo, expressed delight that some of the exhibitors at the 4th AMAE were products of the NGA including; Blessing Uzoatuegwu, who produced a live drawing of Mrs Mfon Usoro from her sitting position at the event.

Representing the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mrs Elsie Egwuatu, stressed that maritime art should be explored to convey the message of safety on the inland waterways.

According to her, art can aid the regulator’s agenda in driving safe and sustainable practices to curb boat accidents and recurring loss of lives.

In her welcome address, the Convener of AMAE, Ezinne Azunna, said that AMAE had grown into more than an exhibition to become a forum bringing together artists, policymakers, students, maritime stakeholders, academics, and the public to reflect, learn, and take action.

“We have woven into our programme several topical conversations and art sections, such as “Blue Economy in Art for Schools & Children.

“This year, we are proud to introduce “Blue Art by Women,” inspired by our dear sister, friend, colleague-poet, writer, and artist – Evelyn Osagie, who served on the AMAE team until her passing in August this year.

“AMAE aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14: Life Below Water, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

“Our work also supports regional priorities articulated by the African Union and ECOWAS, promoting sustainable blue economies, maritime security, and community engagement across West Africa,” Azunna said.

She noted that through art, they could translate the global and regional goals into local, tangible stories that inspired understanding, empathy, and responsible stewardship of the oceans using the Edutainment Imperative.

The convener profusely thanked the array of sponsors and partners, even as she singled out the Nigeria Maritime Conference and Exhibition (NIMAREX) for collaborating and listing AMAE 2025 as a side event.

The event was organised by Media Traction Ltd., owners of Maritime TV Africa, Hazi Arts and The Maritime Writes Project.

The exhibition continues to position art as a compelling tool for advocacy, education, and continental collaboration in Africa’s growing blue economy landscape.

One of the major highlights of the event was a captivating cultural dance performance by children from Enayon Makoko Children Foundation School and Orphanage Home, a waterfront community in Lagos.

Their display drew wide applause and further emphasised the strong cultural connection between coastal communities and the maritime environment

Trump says BBC ‘defrauded the public’ with editing of speech

Phenomenal — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:11:10 +0000

U.S. President Donald Trump said the BBC “defrauded the public” and that he had an “obligation” to take legal action over the editing of a speech.

Director-general Tim Davie quit on Sunday amid a scandal over the editing of a speech by Trump before the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 2021.

Trump reiterated his threat of launching a billion-dollar legal action.

He said: “I think I have an obligation to do it, you can’t allow people to do that.

“I guess I have to. They defrauded the public and they’ve admitted it. This is within one of our great allies, supposedly our great ally.

“That’s a pretty sad event. They actually changed my January 6 speech, which was a beautiful speech, which was a very calming speech, and they made it sound radical.

“They showed me the results of how they butchered it up. It was very dishonest and the head man quit and a lot of the other people quit.”

A legal letter, from Trump counsel Alejandro Brito, has demanded that “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” made about Trump be retracted immediately.

The letter says if the BBC “does not comply,” Trump will be “left with no alternative but to enforce his legal and equitable rights.

“All of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for no less than 1,000,000,000 dollars in damages.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not spoken to Trump about his threatened legal action, Starmer’s office indicated.

Trump’s narrative could undermine Nigeria’s security gains – Group

Phenomenal — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:29:23 +0000

The Yoruba Ronu Group, a socio-political organisation, said that the U.S. President Donald Trump’s narrative on Nigeria’s security stance could undermine security gains if not cautioned.

The group added that Trump’s statement could incite negative impacts if not checked, warning that such remark could cause panic instead of proffering security solution.

The group’s Chairman, Prince Diran Iyantan, in a statement on Monday in Akure, said Trump’s comments were “deliberately provocative” and aimed at destabilising Nigeria for personal geo-political and economic motives.

Iyantan described as a “reckless and deceitful” statement accusing Nigeria of “killing Christians” and for Trump’s threat on intention to invade the country.

The chairman said that the Federal Government had continued to confront Boko Haram and other extremist groups “with determination and sacrifice.”

“What Nigeria needs from the world is partnership, support, dialogue, and understanding not intimidation, falsehood or neo-colonial aggression disguised as moral outrage.

“There is no state-sponsored killing of Christians in Nigeria. Victims of terrorism cut across all faiths and are targeted by the same extremist insurgents,” Iyantan said.

He accused Trump of twisting Nigeria’s security challenges into a false narrative of religious persecution.

The group’s chairman questioned Trump’s selective concern for Christians in Nigeria but being silent on the concern of Christians in other conflict zones.

“If Trump is genuinely concerned about Christians, where is his outcry for those suffering in Syria, Ukraine, or the Congo?

“His selective empathy exposes the hollowness of this so-called concern; it is not about faith, but about politics and self-interest,” he said.

According to him, Trump’s remarks are a smokescreen for a broader agenda intended to undermine Nigeria’s image internationally.

He noted that the intended smear could tarnish the country’s image as the nation continued economic recovery under President Bola Tinubu’s reform-driven administration.

Iyantan added that Nigeria remained a secular nation founded on religious harmony and mutual respect since independence.

He urged Nigerians to remain united in the face of external provocation, stressing that “no foreign power should dictate our destiny.”

Erisco vs Okoli: Police withdraws evidence sought against cyberstalking case defendant

Phenomenal — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:06:06 +0000

The Nigerian Police, on Wednesday, withdrew its evidence it sought to tender against Mrs Chioma Okoli in the ongoing alleged cyberstalking offences at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The police lawyer, Adam Ugwuanyi, withdrew his application before Justice Peter Lifu following an objection raised against the admissibility of the evidence by Okoli ‘s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.

The Inspector-General (I-G) of Police is prosecuting Mrs Okoli, the sole defendant in the trial, on alleged cyberstalking charges instituted in 2023 over her negative review of Nagiko Tomato Mix, manufactured by Erisco Foods Limited.

When the case was called, the trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, reiterated his earlier position on the need for parties in the case to explore an amicable settlement.

The judge said his advice was backed by Section 17 of the Federal High Court Act which empowers judges to encourage alternative dispute resolution between parties.

Justice Lifu maintained that he was only acting as the conscience of the nation in the case by advising the parties to try and settle but that he was ready to proceed with the hearing if the parties were unable to settle their differences.

Responding, the I-G lawyer, Ugwuanyi, stated that it was the responsibility of the defendant to seek settlement.

Effiong, who appeared for Okoli, told the court that several high profile individuals had made efforts to resolve the case amicably between his client and Erisco Foods and that they had made overtures but to no avail.

The human rights lawyer alleged that Erisco Foods CEO had vowed to continue with the trial irrespective of any intervention.

The judge then asked the representative of Erisco Foods Limited, Mr Nnamdi Nwokolo, who was in court, what was his position and that of the CEO of the company, on settling the dispute.

Nwokolo said he was surprised at the submission of the defence counsel because they had actually not made any effort to resolve the matter.

Following the comments from the parties, the court ordered Nwokolo, the 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) and Personal Assistant on Operations to the company’s CEO, to enter the witness box.

In his evidence-in chief, the prosecution witness testified that sometimes in September 2023, his attention was drawn to a Facebook post made by Chioma where she complained about the sugar content in one of their company’s products called Nagiko Tomato Mix.

Nwokolo said the Facebook post went viral and led to protests by women groups and a nationwide boycott campaign against Erisco Foods.

According to Nwokolo, their Chinese suppliers sent them emails expressing concerns over the boycott campaign.

He further testified that the company’s fortunes had drastically and irreparably fallen as a result of the boycott campaign.

After his testimony, the prosecution counsel applied to tender several documents as evidences but was resisted by the defence counsel who raised objections on many grounds against all the documents sought to be tendered as exhibits by the police.

Among the documents sought to be tendered were the petition written to I-G, the Facebook post made by the defendant, emails sent by the Chinese partners of Erisco Foods and an online publication by NAFDAC.

These also include photographs of women with placards demanding the release of Chioma, a demand notice written to the defendant, a letter of apology allegedly authored by the defendant, among others.

Effiong raised series of objections to the documents sought to be tendered on the grounds that they were not in compliance with Section 84 of the Evidence Act, 2011 which prescribes the conditions for the admissibility of electronically generated documents.

He said though he did not object to tendering of the Facebook post, the lawyer said he objected to tendering of all the accompanied documents.

The lawyer also argued that some of the documents were public documents and were not certified in line with the provisions of Section 104 of the Evidence Act.

He cited the case of Kubur V. Dickson decided by the Supreme Court in 2013.

According to the defence counsel, the purported certificate of compliance produced by the prosecution counsel do not contain relevant information on the electronically generated documents, among other grounds.

Following the objection, Ugwuanyi prayed the court to allow him to withdraw all the documents.

The lawyer, who said he did not want to waste the time of the defence counsel any further, pleaded with the court for an adjournment to put his house in order.

Effiong, who said that the prosecution counsel did not adduce any cogent reason for seeking adjournment, sought a N500, 000 cost for wasting his time.

He said the police was only postponing the evil day by seeking to withdraw the documents.

Reacting to the submissions, Justice Lifu agreed that the prosecution had not furnished the court with any cogent reason for seeking an adjournment.

According to the judge, the prosecution has equally wasted the court’s time.

Ugwuanyi then rose and pleaded in the alternative to close the evidence of his PW-1 without tendering any document.

Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until Jan. 21 and Jan. 22, 2025 for the cross examination of the 1st prosecution witness.

The judge also ordered the police to bring their remaining witnesses to court on the next adjourned dates.

Zulum meets Niger Republic counterpart on cross-border security

Phenomenal — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:53:46 +0000

Gov. Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno on Wednesday paid a working visit to the Diffa Region of Niger Republic to strengthen collaboration in the fight against insurgency along the Nigeria–Niger border.

The visit, which included a high-level security and economic delegation, focused on joint patrols, intelligence sharing and sustaining the gains recorded in clearing insurgents from parts of the Lake Chad basin.

Diffa, located about 17 kilometres from Damasak town in northern Borno, currently hosts thousands of Nigerians displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Zulum was received by the Governor of Diffa, Brig.-Gen. Mahamaduo Bagadoma, and other senior officials.

Both leaders later held closed-door talks on improving cross-border security and stabilising communities affected by insurgency.

Speaking after the meeting, Zulum said the improved security situation in the region would be leveraged to facilitate the return of displaced farmers to their agricultural lands around Dutchi town within the Lake Chad basin.

He expressed optimism that enhanced cooperation between Nigeria and Nigerien forces would help end cross-border insecurity and promote socio-economic recovery in affected communities.

Bagadoma lauded Zulum for the visit and assured him of Niger’s continued commitment toward supporting activities that would restore peace

UN atomic energy agency announces breakthrough on Iran monitoring

Phenomenal — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:46:23 +0000

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, on Wednesday announced that a deal has been struck with Iran to resume cooperation on inspection of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

IAEA chief, in a statement, said that “indispensable” monitoring by the agency ended in June, when Israel and U.S.-backed airstrikes targeted Iran’s nuclear power installations.

At the time, the Iranian authorities confirmed that the Natanz enrichment site had been “impacted” without affecting existing radiation levels, the top IAEA diplomat said.

Now, “practical modalities” have been agreed to allow the resumption of inspection activities in Iran, Grossi told the agency’s board of governors in the Austrian capital.

“This is an important step in the right direction,” he continued, before expressing his gratitude to Egypt for brokering the deal.

The development follows the Aug. 28 announcement by France, Germany and the UK of their intention to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran within 30 days, under the so-called “snapback” mechanism.

The mechanism is contained in the Iranian nuclear agreement signed in July 2015 by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, in addition to Germany, the EU and Iran.

The new agreement was preceded by weeks of technical discussions in Tehran and Vienna over verification activities of “all facilities and installations in Iran.”

It came in spite of the decision by Iranian lawmakers on 25 June to suspend cooperation with IAEA, a move approved by the country’s President one week later.

At the time, Grossi noted that the domestic decision did not alter Iran’s international nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) obligations.

Earlier this week, he insisted that the NPT agreement remained in force as “the sole legally binding treaty governing the rights and obligations of the IAEA and Iran with respect to safeguards implementation in Iran”.

While acknowledging that his Iranian interlocutors had declared their willingness to remain part of the international non-proliferation movement, Grossi noted Tehran’s “concerns”.

Nonetheless, the deal sealed by Grossi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Cairo on Monday “provides for a clear understanding of the procedures for inspection, notifications and their implementation”, he insisted.

The agreement also “contemplates” reporting on all facilities targeted by Israel and the U.S. in June, “including the nuclear material present” in Iran, the IAEA chief added.

“These practical steps need to be implemented now,” he insisted.

“There may be difficulties and issues to be resolved for sure, but we now know what we have to do and the elements at our disposal for these basic understandings to be implemented,” Grossi said

Dangote refinery a symbol of Africa’s investment viability, says AfDB head

Phenomenal — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 11:07:00 +0000

The $24 billion Dangote Petrochemicals Complex in Lagos stands as a powerful signal of Africa’s potential to attract global capital and build large, globally competitive industrial platforms. this was the message from Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the outgoing president of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), at the recent 2025 Standard Chartered Bank Africa Summit in Lagos.

In the text of his presentation, which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), adesina highlighted the refinery as a case study for the continent’s business viability. now a major supplier of petroleum and petrochemicals to Nigerian, African, and global markets, the project demonstrates that Africa is a profitable destination capable of tilting global capital in its favor.

Adeosun underscored the need for continued support for African corporates to establish similar industrial platforms, enabling the continent to become a dominant player in sectors where it holds a comparative advantage.

He underscored the need for African global corporates to be strongly supported with financing at scale, to establish global industrial platforms that will support Africa to be dominant players in critical areas in which it has comparative advantage.

NAN reports that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is a 650,000 barrels per day (BPD) integrated refinery.

Located in the Lekki Free Zone of Ibeju Lekki Lagos, it is Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility.

To buttress Adesina’s position, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on Tuesday announced that it signed a 1.35 billion dollar financing facility in favour of the refinery.

The facility, according to the Continental Bank, is part of a larger, approximately 4 billion dollar syndicated financing arrangement for Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Africa’s largest industrial conglomerate.

Afreximbank said the financing, one of the largest syndicated loans in recent African financial markets, will refinance capital expended on constructing the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Complex.

Adesina also gave example of the 20 billion dollar Liquified Natural Gas project in Mozambique, as another African business entity that attracted global capital for large and globally competitive industrial platforms.

The LNG project, according to him attracted the largest foreign direct investment, when it was structured.

Other large corporates identified by Adesina includes: Goldfield Limited, one of the world’s largest gold mining firms. In South Africa with market capitalisation of 17.46 billion dollar.

Naspers Limited, a South African multinational internet, technology and multimedia holding company with market capitalisation of 14.56 billion dollar.

Others are, Vodacom Group with market capitalisation of 12.47 billion dollar and MTN Group with market capitalisation 10.99 billion dollar.

Adesina also revealed that, with Africa accounting for 30 per cent of all mineral reserves globally, the continent will shape the future of global energy transition.

According to him, with huge shares of critical minerals such as cobalt, platinum, manganese, the continent will shape the future of manufacturing of electric vehicles, mobile phones, computers and defense systems.

Adesina said that the rising and intense geopolitical jostling to access these critical minerals is already shaping global geopolitics in Africa.