Queen Chanel Akanbi, mother of Prince Oduduwa of Iwo Kingdom and former Olori Oluwo, has denied recent media claims implicating the Ooni of Ife in introducing Mr. Akanbi to her, saying “you lied! Ooni did not introduce me to you.”

In a statement published Friday, Queen Chanel said she was introduced to Mr. Akanbi by a “Popular Lagos Monarch at a party in Ikeja,” not by His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife.

She added that during her time as Olori Oluwo, she considered that Lagos Monarch her “Royal Father” and continued to hold him in that respect.

Queen Chanel also accused Mr. Akanbi of being absent from his son’s life – emotionally and financially – for over five years, noting that the only recent contact was in August when he sent $500 but refused to sign documents needed for their son’s Canadian passport. She said she had been silent about his absence because she supports peaceful co-parenting and has borne full responsibility for their child’s basic needs.

She urged the public to disregard any falsehoods being peddled against the Ooni of Ife, whom she described as “the foremost monarch of the Yoruba race.”

Queen Chanel also called for the traditional institution to reprimand Mr. Akanbi, saying his actions were degrading to the sacred institution he is associated with.

She said this would be her “final statement on matters concerning Mr. Akanbi,” and reaffirmed that Prince Oduduwa remains her beloved son, that nothing will change that fact, and expressed confidence that the truth will prevail.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says the abduction of the Chibok girls remains a permanent scar on his record.

He made the remark on Friday during the launch of SCARS: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a memoir written by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.

Jonathan commended Irabor as “a soldier who stood for truth and never played politics with security.” Reflecting on his time in office, he admitted that the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, would remain a painful mark on his legacy.

“The title of this book is quite interesting. One of the major scars on my government is the Chibok Girls. As Bishop Kukah said, no plastic or cosmetic surgeon can remove it. It is a scar I will die with,” he said.

The mass abduction sparked the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and global outrage. While some girls escaped or were released, more than 80 are still missing.

Jonathan traced the insurgency back to 2009 during his tenure as vice president under Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, stressing that Boko Haram proved more resilient than anticipated.

“I battled Boko Haram for five years as President. I thought Buhari would wipe them out quickly, but they remain,” he said, describing the crisis as “far more complex than many assume.”

He questioned why the insurgency has endured despite years of military operations and international support. “We must approach Boko Haram differently. The carrot and stick method may be required to address this insurgency,” Jonathan suggested.

He further noted that the group’s heavy weaponry suggested “external hands are clearly involved in sustaining them. Sometimes they even had more munitions than our soldiers. That does not reflect the actions of hungry villagers.”

Jonathan’s government was widely criticised over its handling of the Chibok tragedy, including delayed responses and reluctance to accept foreign help. He defended his administration’s cautious approach, arguing that silence was sometimes necessary to protect intelligence operations.

More than a decade later, at least 189 girls have been rescued or released, while many others remain unaccounted for. Survivors continue to face trauma, stigma, and disrupted education, with some returning with children born in captivity.

The Federal Government maintains that the search for the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu remains a national priority.

Bayo Ogunlesi, chairman of Global Infrastructure Partners, says his company is planning fresh investments in Nigeria, describing the country as an “exciting place to invest in.”

Speaking to state house correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Ogunlesi said his organisation had identified additional opportunities but would reveal details later.

“We’re making investments in Nigeria. We explored additional opportunities. I’m not going to tell you what they are. Just wait, watch this space, you will see them,” he said. “But look, Nigeria is now a place that is exciting to invest in, and that’s what we talked to Mr. President about. And of course, as you would expect, he was very encouraging of international investments in Nigeria.”

Ogunlesi highlighted reforms such as subsidy removal, tax adjustments, and the commencement of local refinery operations as signs of progress. “Think about it. Removal of subsidy, tax reform, we have a refinery that’s operating and exporting aviation fuel, unification of the road ownership system, and so the next step is how do we encourage international investment in Nigeria to drive economic growth,” he said.

He explained that GIP intends to expand its footprint in sectors where it already operates. “So we invest in energy, we’re building LNG plants in Texas, we’re building LNG plants in Australia. There’s gas in Nigeria. Nigeria is a huge gas province. People describe me as a guy who bought Gatwick Airport. I didn’t personally buy Gatwick Airport.”

He also expressed interest in Nigeria’s ports and aviation industry. “I confessed to Mr. President that one of our companies has ports in Coutonu, and it has a port in Lome, none in Nigeria. So I asked for his forgiveness and understanding, and being the gentleman that he was, he forgave me, but said, you have to bring port investment to Nigeria.”

According to Ogunlesi, renewable energy is another target sector. “So lots of investment opportunities in Nigeria. You just have to be serious about making the right moves,” he said.

Hakeem Belo-Osagie, chairman of Metis Capital, who was also present, said investments by Nigerians at home and abroad would strengthen international confidence. “We thank President Tinubu for his policies. They have made Nigeria investable,” he said. “We will do our very best, and it will create a fast-growing Nigeria which will achieve its objectives.”