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Nigeria: ‘We did not approve purchase of new presidential jets’, Senate President Akpabio

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Nigerian Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has dispelled rumours that the National Assembly had given approval for the purchase of new jets for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Akpabio had been on fire last week when a statement credited to him purportedly said Tinubu’s life was worth more than those of ordinary Nigerians and, as such, the president deserved a new jet.

The alleged statement had drawn the wrath of Nigerians who lambasted him and members of the National Assembly for prioritising Tinubu’s comfort while ordinary citizens wallow in hardship and poverty.

But while making a clarification on Tuesday, Akpabio said the rumours were untrue as the Senate had not approved the purchase of new presidential jets for the use of Tinubu and Shettima.

In a statement by his media aide, Jackson Udom, Akpabio denied that the National Assembly had approved the purchase of new aircraft for the President.

He went on to describe the rumour as a malicious a report coming from his propagandists and fifth columnists meant to tarnish the image of the National Assembly.

“I want to dispel the rumour that you are hearing that the Senate President said he would buy a new plane for the President and his Vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever,” the statement said.

“I never said that. I was actually in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is the handiwork of propagandists and fifth columnists, who never see anything good in what we are doing.

“Rest assured, pray for the government, have patience and be assured that the combination of Tinubu and Shettima will bring wealth and prosperity to all,” Akpabio said.

Metro

10 persons on FBI wanted list arrested in Nigeria– FG

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The Nigerian government has confirmed that at least 10 persons who were on the wanted list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and on the watchlist of the Interpol have been arrested while attempting to sneak into Nigeria.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who revealed this during the unveiling of the Technology Innovation Complex at the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday by President Bola Tinubu, said the wanted persons were arrested after intense intelligence.

The minister said the newly-installed facility at the centre would ascertain the risk level of persons entering the country, detect irregular migration patterns, and monitor unmanned borders in hard-to-reach areas nationwide.

“In the last couple of days, there were 10 people who were on the interpol and immigration wanted list who were apprehended in one week,” Tunji-Ojo told the President.

“Before now, those people would have entered Nigeria, caused terror. But we have now told them that under the new leadership, Nigeria is a no-go area for any criminal element,” he explained.

Tunji-Ojo further stated that aside from an installed solar power plant of 0.5KWs, 250 trained officers maintain eight-hour shifts to monitor the borders round the clock.

“We decided to do an end-to-end solution. One that has an energy solution to power this facility. The 0.5KW solar power plant is 100 per cent ready here and it has been connected to the facility to power it.

“Also, the human factor is fundamental because you can build a structure, but how about the human element?

“What we’ve been able to do is to train 250 officers. As I speak, we run shifts of eight hours three times a day which is 24/7 surveillance,” he said.

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Metro

Zambia: Ex-President Lungu alleges political manipulation after barring from 2026 poll

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Former Zambian President, Edgar Lungu, has described his ban from participating in the 2026 presidential election by the Constitutional Court as political manipulation rather than constitutional principles.

Lungu who reacted to the decision of the court to bar him from future elections, described the verdict as anticipated but reflective of political interference but vowed to focus on a ‘Plan B’ strategy following the Constitutional Court judgment.

Lungu who bared his mind in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lusaka, said the verdict was anticipated but reflective of political interference.

“We find ourselves at a critical juncture in our nation’s history, a moment marked by deep reflection and, I dare say, a profound sense of our common identity and destiny. The verdict rendered today was expected,” Lungu stated.

“For months, the hands of political manipulation have, with undeniable force, steered us toward a conclusion foreseen not by the merits of reasoned argument or constitutional fidelity but by the weight of orchestrated design and political machinations.”

Lungu however, urged Zambians to revisit the sequence of events leading up to the judgment, claiming his exclusion from politics was driven by calculated political interventions.

“It began with a petition that sought to exclude me from the political arena—not through the natural verdict of the people on the ballot paper, but by the calculated intervention of political forces sponsored by political players,” he explained.

The former president also accused unnamed actors of restructuring the judiciary to achieve their objectives.

“Yes, specific judges were expelled in order to retain specific judges specifically for today’s judgment! We saw decisions cloaked in procedural justifications concocted by that same unmistakable hand of expediency.

“Of course, we all witnessed calculated judicial reshuffles by politicians for their plan to land here today.

“Democracy, my fellow citizens, is not merely a system of governance but the lifeblood of our national identity.”

Lungu also announced that a “Plan B” had been initiated and would focus on upholding the power of the people.

“Plan B will prove that no machination can extinguish the power of the Zambian people and that institutions must serve the public, not the ambitions of a few,” he emphasized.

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