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I Hope God Hears Our Prayers On Insecurity – Buhari

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), has expressed hope that God will listen to Nigeria’s prayers for security, insisting that his regime has done its best in terms of security and will continue to do so by pursuing counter-terrorism policies.

This came as he urged Nigerians to be fair to his government in assessing the country’s insecurity by looking back at what happened when he took over in 2015. He predicted that the North-West, which had caused the nation “consternation,” would improve.

Buhari made the remarks during a visit to the State House in Abuja by Tidjani Ali Bin Arabi, Grand Khalifa of the Tijjaniyya Islamic Movement World-Wide.

The President urged citizens to show interest in their safety and complement what the government was doing.

He added, “We have done our best, and we will continue to do more by pursuing coherent and consistent policies to deal with terrorism. I hope God will listen to our prayers.”

Buhari thanked Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State for inviting the Grand Khalifa to come and pray for the peace and stability of Nigeria.

Ganduje, accompanied by the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, and the leader of the Tijjaniyya Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, said the state government invited the Tijjaniyya World Leader to the country to lead faithfully in prayer considering the complexities around the insecurity in the country.

He said the visit of the Grand Khalifa rekindled the old ties between the Tijjaniya and many cultural and educational institutions in Nigeria.

Arabi and Bauchi extolled the cordial relations between Nigeria and Algeria as they prayed for guidance and blessings for the country and its leaders.

Ganduje later told State House Correspondents, “We invited him and his team to pray for the peace, stability and prosperity of Kano State and Nigeria. We are all aware of the security challenges we are having, the federal and state governments, we are all doing our best.

“To round it up, we decided to visit Mr President. They prayed for him and indicated the importance of the relationship between Algeria and Nigeria and their continued cooperation in prayers for peace and stability.”

The governor added that the delegation constituted a committee to consider education, commerce, and agriculture issues.

Asked about any sustainable structure to resolve the Almajiri issue in his state, he noted that Kano had the highest number of Almajiri in Nigeria but noted that there were regulations to prosecute the parents of Almajiri and out-of-school children.

“We have taken statistics; most of these Almajiri are not indigenes of Kano State, and as Nigerians, they are free to live anywhere they want in this country. We have introduced free and compulsory primary and secondary education in Kano State. We have built many Islamiya schools. We have reformed the Almajiri system of education.”

He said that the state maintained a department that repatriated Almajiris to their home countries, with some going to the Niger Republic and Cameroon. Only a federal law, he claimed, could prevent school-aged children from moving from one state to another indefinitely.

BIG STORY

BREAKING: Atiku Abubakar Resigns From PDP

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The presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has officially withdrawn his membership from the opposition party.

Atiku submitted his resignation ahead of the 2027 general elections, following confirmation of his involvement in forming a new coalition known as the Alliance Democratic Congress.

The resignation was contained in a letter dated Monday, July 14, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in Jada 1 ward, Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa State.

A copy of the letter was shared on X by the Special Assistant on Media to the former Vice President on Wednesday.

The letter stated, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the party.

“Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life.

“As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.

“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.

“I wish the party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and support.”

 

More to come…

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BIG STORY

EFCC To Appeal Ruling Acquitting Fayose Of Money Laundering Charges

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it will challenge the judgment that cleared Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, of money laundering and fraud accusations.

In his decision on a no-case submission, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke ruled that the prosecution did not provide enough evidence to require Fayose to present a defence.

After the judgment, EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs stated that the commission would obtain the certified judgment and begin the appeal process.

Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, had been re-arraigned on an 11-count charge of laundering ₦6.9 billion, allegedly during his time as governor.

The charges included allegations that Fayose received ₦1.2 billion for his 2014 campaign and accepted $5 million in cash from Obanikoro, bypassing standard banking procedures.

He was also accused of laundering several sums and using over ₦1.6 billion to purchase properties via proxies and firms such as De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

During the May 19 no-case submission, Kanu Agabi, Fayose’s lawyer, argued that the prosecution failed to prove its case and pointed out that Abiodun Agbele, allegedly central to the transactions, wasn’t charged, which weakened the EFCC’s position.

“With due respect, the predicate offences do not hold water. Criminal breach of trust and conspiracy are distinct offences, and no co-conspirator was charged,” Agabi stated.

He asked the court to find that Fayose had no case to answer.

Olalekan Ojo, lawyer for the second defendant, also submitted a separate no-case application dated March 21, 2025, with supporting documents filed on May 16.

Ojo contended that the main evidence provided by the prosecution, particularly Obanikoro’s testimony, was unreliable since he confirmed there was no direct communication between Fayose and Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser.

Jacobs, however, urged the judge to dismiss the no-case submissions, arguing that there were unexplained financial activities that needed clarification.

He questioned why Fayose didn’t use his personal account if the money was legitimate, referencing EFCC investigator Abubakar Madaki’s claim that Fayose acquired properties through associates who later denied ownership, even though Fayose admitted the properties were his.

“If the money was clean, why not buy the properties in his name?” Jacobs asked.

He also referred to Obanikoro’s account that Fayose requested the money in cash and introduced Agbele to receive it, saying Fayose must explain these actions.

Despite these arguments, the court ruled in favour of the defendants and granted the no-case submission.

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Terrorist Group Fethullah Using Schools, Health Services As Cover In Nigeria — Turkish Envoy Mehmet

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The Turkish government has raised concerns about the presence of a terrorist group known as the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation operating in Nigeria and other countries across the globe.

Mehmet Poroy, the Turkish Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, stated that the group uses educational and health services to disguise its activities in Nigeria.

Poroy made this known on Tuesday night in Abuja during a dinner organised by the Turkish Embassy to commemorate Turkey’s Democracy and National Unity Day.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the event is held every year in remembrance of the failed July 15, 2016 coup in Türkiye, which the Turkish government attributes to FETO.

The Turkish government said the coup attempt was foiled through the collective resistance of patriotic citizens and government forces loyal to President Recep Erdoğan.

Poroy said members of the Gülen movement, which backed the coup, are still being apprehended around the world, and their operations in any country pose a serious threat.

“They are still being captured and arrested today. The presence of such an organisation poses a threat to every country in which it operates.

Unfortunately, the FETO terrorist organisation still maintains its activities in Nigeria, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.

We consistently inform our Nigerian friends about the nature and dangers of this organisation, and urge them to remain vigilant and cautious,” Poroy said.

He explained that Turkey, through global partnerships, has successfully dismantled many FETO-linked cells and networks in allied countries.

Poroy added that many institutions, particularly schools associated with FETO, have been taken over by Turkish authorities.

However, he warned that the group’s international operations are still largely intact.

“The fact that new investigations and arrests into the organisation continue to be launched demonstrates the need for this struggle to be pursued with unwavering determination.

In several countries, including Nigeria, FETO continues to pump its operations under the guise of humanitarian aid, education, healthcare, and interfaith dialogue.

You must not forget that behind this humanitarian appearance lies an organisation that seeks to infiltrate the political and bureaucratic institutions of host countries,” Poroy warned.

The News Agency of Nigeria noted that the Gülen movement, known in Turkish as Hizmet (Service), is said to be a global religious, social, and educational movement founded in the late 1950s.

Its leader, Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic cleric, died as a fugitive in the United States in October 2024 at age 83.

The Turkish government has accused Gülen of orchestrating the 2016 coup, which resulted in the deaths of at least 251 people, and has since classified the movement as a terrorist organisation.

Nearly a decade later, Türkiye is still pursuing a wide-reaching crackdown on the group, maintaining that it continues to operate worldwide, despite the movement’s denial of being a terrorist organisation.

Türkiye has confiscated or frozen assets tied to Gülen globally, including schools, charities, companies, and associations.

The News Agency of Nigeria also reported that bodies like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as countries such as Pakistan and Northern Cyprus have labelled FETO a terrorist group.

 

Credit: NAN

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