News
Lagos-Calabar highway: Presidency Replies Atiku, Admits to Seyi Tinubu’s involvement with Chagoury
Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is fast developing a reputation for distorting and manipulating facts for his self-serving objective of discrediting the current administration.
In his latest press statement, the defeated PDP presidential candidate made wild claims on a number of issues that need to be corrected so that the public will not be misled into accepting fallacies as the truth.
The President Bola Tinubu-led administration believes that every true and patriotic Nigerian, regardless of political differences, should work to promote the unity and economic well-being of the country and not delegitimise genuine efforts of the Federal Government to encourage local and foreign investments into the economy.
Contrary to Atiku’s claim, the Tinubu administration, within its first year, has attracted over $20 billion into the economy. While President Tinubu was in New Delhi, India for G20 Summit last year August, Indian business leaders committed over $14 billion in new investments. A substantial part of this sum is already in the country.
In an unmistakable vote of confidence in the economic reforms being executed by the Tinubu administration, foreign investment in Nigeria’s stock market has ballooned from N18.12 billion in Q1 2023 to N93.37 billion in Q1 2024, an increase of 415%. The last time Nigeria saw such a level of investment was in the first quarter of 2019 when N97.6 billion was invested. The market, since Tinubu came to power, has broken records and created more wealth for the investors.
During President Tinubu’s recent trip to The Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a fresh $ 250 million investment by Dutch businesses in Nigeria.
Different sectors of the economy, especially telecoms, manufacturing, solid minerals, oil and gas, e-commerce, and fintech, are attracting new Foreign Direct Investments from discerning investors who know Nigeria is a good market for bountiful returns.
We found it strange that Alhaji Atiku could accuse President Tinubu of a conflict of interest in the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway to Hitech Construction Company, which he claimed is owned by the Chagoury family because the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, sits on the board of CDK, a tiles manufacturing company, based in Sagamu, Ogun State.
Nigerians should, by now, be well accustomed to Atiku’s hypocrisy on many national issues. Is it not amusing that the former Vice President, a man who openly said he formed Intels Nigeria with an Italian businessman when he was serving in the Nigeria Customs Service, a clear breach of extant public service regulations, is now the one accusing someone else of conflict of interest?
When he was Vice President of Nigeria between 1999-2007, he maintained his business links with Intels that won major port concession deals.
Was this not an abuse of office, a flagrant violation of his oath, that a company where he was a co-owner won major government contracts and concessions when he was vice president?
As Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, he approved sales of over 145 State-owned enterprises to his known friends and associates and openly said during his failed campaign for the presidency last year that he would do the same if elected.
It is important to state clearly that Seyi Tinubu is a 38-year-old adult who has a right to do business and pursue his business interests in Nigeria and anywhere in the world within the limits of the law. The fact that his father is now the President of Nigeria does not disqualify Seyi from pursuing legitimate business interests.
For the records, Seyi joined the Board of Directors of CDK in 2018, more than six years ago. He is representing the interest of an investor company, in which he has interest. He is not a board member because his father is a friend of the Chagourys. Information about owners and shareholders of CDK is a matter of public record that can be openly accessed from the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission and CDK’s. Atiku and his proxy did not need a little-known journal to recycle open-source information to make a fallacious argument. The Chairman of CDK and the highest shareholder of the company is respected General TY Danjuma (rtd). The Chagourys are minority shareholders in the company, and only one member of the clan is on its five-man board.
We wonder how Seyi’s membership of the board of CDK conflicts with Hitech Construction Company’s work on Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway.
Alhaji Atiku has been waging an unrelenting war against this all-important and transformative project for no justifiable reasons other than bad politics. Atiku knows that its grand success and other projects to be unfurled, such as the Badagry-Sokoto superhighway, will be a major boost for President Tinubu and finally upend his perennial presidential ambition.
If not blinded by political ill-will, Alhaji Atiku knows that the right thing for him to do is to applaud President Tinubu for the ambitious and audacious Lagos-Calabar Highway, which was authorised by the Federal Executive Council.
It is important to remind Alhaji Atiku that infrastructural projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway are used to galvanise the economy. In the US, President Joe Biden has used his $2 trillion bi-partisan infrastructure deal to revamp decaying American infrastructure and inject life into the US economy.
How can an elder statesman be waging a campaign of calumny against the economic fortunes and prosperity of a country he wishes to govern or trying to scuttle a project that will bring prosperity to nine coastal states and the nation in general?
That Nigeria’s economy is being reclassified by the IMF as the fourth largest in Africa is stale news. This happened because of the devaluation of the Naira and President Tinubu’s determined effort to set the economy on the path of sustainable growth. Under the progressive, bold, inventive, and innovative leadership of President Tinubu, Nigeria will bounce back to where it rightfully belongs as Africa’s largest market and biggest economy.
The Tinubu administration targets a $1 trillion economy in the next few years, with audacious economic programmes and critical infrastructure projects in key sectors. With revenue rising in trillions and the creation of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, which is poised to raise over N20 trillion this year alone, we have no doubt that the $ 1 trillion economy is realisable.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy
May 6, 2024
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
News
Kebbi Governor Blasts Security Agencies Over Failure to Act on DSS Intel Before School Kidnap
Kebbi State Governor, Mohammed Nasir Idris, has expressed outrage over what he described as a shocking failure by security agencies to act on credible intelligence warning of an impending attack on the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
In the early hours of Monday, suspected gunmen invaded the school, killing the vice principal and abducting 25 female students. Three of the abducted girls reportedly escaped hours later.
Governor Idris, who arrived at the scene at about 6:45 pm on Monday, accused unnamed security agencies of undermining the security measures put in place by his administration.
“This is clear sabotage. We got credible intelligence from the DSS that this school was likely to be attacked. DSS further advised that we convene an emergency Security Council meeting, which we did. And the decision was that we would provide round-the-clock protection for the students,” the governor said.
He recalled that he acted promptly on the DSS alert, mindful of the security lapses that led to the infamous December 2020 kidnapping of over 300 students from a secondary school in Kankara, Katsina State.
According to Governor Idris, security personnel were deployed to the school to guard the students. However, what followed left him “deeply disturbed.” Security operatives allegedly spent hours taking photographs with the students before abandoning their posts barely 30 minutes before the bandits struck.
The governor, accompanied by top security chiefs in the state, announced the establishment of a special investigation panel to uncover the circumstances surrounding the attack despite the advance intelligence and government’s proactive efforts.
The panel, to be headed by the State Director of the DSS, will also coordinate efforts to secure the safe return of the kidnapped students.
A teacher who escaped the attack expressed shock over the turn of events, recalling that heavily armed operatives had been deployed to the school on Sunday and engaged students and teachers in emergency drills.
“The heavily armed security men spent the entire night guarding the school. Sadly, for yet-to-be-determined reasons, they left the school before dawn. About 30 minutes after they withdrew, the kidnappers struck,” the teacher recounted.
He added that the accuracy of the DSS intelligence may have influenced the governor’s decision to appoint the DSS director to lead the investigation committee.
Despite the tragic incident, the teacher expressed optimism, noting that indications suggest the girls were abducted, not killed.
“With the ongoing efforts by federal and state authorities, we are hopeful that they will all be rescued,” he said.
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News
Brig-Gen M. Uba Killed by ISWAP After Terrorists Intercepted His Location
A senior Nigerian Army officer, Brigadier General M. Uba, has been killed by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists after they reportedly intercepted and tracked his live location along the Damboa–Biu axis in Borno State.
Multiple military sources confirmed that the commander was abducted and later executed by the insurgents shortly after participating in a successful joint air–ground offensive against ISWAP fighters.
Operation Before the Incident
According to reports, the late Brigadier General had earlier led ground troops in a clearance operation, during which soldiers came under heavy ambush. Unknown to the forces, the route had been booby-trapped, leading to an intense gun battle.
The commander issued a distress call, prompting Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft to divert from ongoing missions to provide close air support. The airstrikes dispersed the insurgents and allowed the troops, including the commander and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members, to regroup.
After the operation, General Uba contacted his superiors, assuring them of his safety and confirming that his team was reorganizing. Security sources, however, believe this communication may have inadvertently exposed his coordinates.
Abduction and Execution
ISWAP fighters reportedly intercepted his location and captured him alive. The terrorists briefly interrogated him before executing him, according to security officials familiar with the development.
Earlier reports from SaharaReporters indicated that the attack, which happened Friday night, resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and two CJTF members, alongside the abduction of Brig-Gen Uba and two other soldiers.
Although the Nigerian Army initially denied the abduction, officers confirmed that the Brigade Commander had not returned to base by Saturday morning.
One senior officer disclosed that the commander managed to transmit his live location to colleagues, but troops dispatched to the spot could not locate him. Another soldier abducted during the ambush—who was shot and left behind—was later rescued alive.
Sources also revealed that the General was forced to make a video call to his dry cleaner while in captivity but warned the civilian not to speak, suggesting he was under duress.
High-Level Military Response
Following the incident, top military commanders, including the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, rushed to Damboa to coordinate rescue efforts and boost morale among troops.
In response to the crisis, the Nigerian Army has appointed Brigadier General Mustapha to temporarily head the 26 Task Force Brigade in Damboa pending further directive from Army Headquarters.
Background of the Attack
It was reported earlier that how ISWAP launched a coordinated ambush on a Nigerian military convoy in northeastern Nigeria, killing several soldiers and CJTF members.
The insurgents, heavily armed and well-organized, targeted the convoy during nighttime operations, further heightening concerns over ISWAP’s evolving tactics and surveillance capabilities.
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Technology
2025 Bloggers Bootcamp Opens Registration for Aspiring Digital Creators
Aspiring bloggers and digital entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to kickstart their online journey as registration opens for the 2025 Bloggers Bootcamp, scheduled to begin on December 1, 2025.

The intensive training program is designed to equip participants with practical skills needed to build, grow, and monetize a successful blog. Key areas of focus include:
- Strategic Content Creation & Niche Selection
- Creating and Designing a Blog/Website
- Basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Monetization Strategies, including Google AdSense
The bootcamp will hold physically in Abuja and Jos, with a virtual option available for participants across the country and beyond.
Interested individuals can register via HERE
WhatsApp message to +234 08060877989.
Abuja
FCT Police Refute Claims of Attempted Assassination on Lt. Ahmed Yerima
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has refuted viral social media reports claiming that Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant Ahmed Yerima, was the target of an assassination attempt in Abuja.
In an official statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, described the circulating reports as entirely false, emphasizing that no such incident was recorded or reported anywhere within the FCT.
“The Command wishes to categorically state that no such incident has been reported or recorded within the Federal Capital Territory. The public is advised to disregard this false information and desist from spreading unverified claims capable of causing unnecessary panic,” the statement read.
SP Adeh urged residents to remain vigilant and responsible, especially regarding the dissemination of information on social media platforms. She noted that spreading unverified claims could lead to unnecessary tension and undermine public safety efforts.
The Command encouraged citizens to report suspicious activity to the nearest Police Division or contact the FCT Police emergency lines 08032003913 and 08068587311 for a prompt response.
The statement, signed by SP Josephine Adeh, ANIPR, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents within the Federal Capital Territory.
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News
Lt. Yerima Escapes Alleged Assassination Attempt in Abuja Days After Clash With FCT Minister Wike
A young Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, reportedly escaped an assassination attempt on Sunday evening in Abuja, just days after his widely publicised confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
According to military sources quoted by Vanguard, Yerima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and travelling in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. The suspicious vehicles allegedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Kubwa Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
Sensing danger, the officer reportedly carried out what sources described as a “strategic manoeuvre” to evade the suspected assailants. The incident was said to have occurred around 6:30 p.m.
The military source added that the matter is already under investigation and is receiving “the seriousness it deserves,” noting that additional information is being withheld to avoid compromising the process.
Source: Vanguard
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