Author: Vardiafrica

The United States and Ukraine on Wednesday signed a minerals deal after a two-month delay, in what President Donald Trump’s administration called a new form of US commitment to Kyiv after the end of military aid. Ukraine said it secured key interests after protracted negotiations, including full sovereignty over its own rare earths, which are vital for new technologies and largely untapped. Trump had initially demanded rights to Ukraine’s mineral wealth as compensation for US weapons sent under former president Joe Biden after Russia invaded just over three years ago. After initial hesitation, Ukraine has accepted a minerals accord as…

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is proposing amendments to Nigeria’s electoral framework to strip the President of the power to appoint Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).   The proposed change would instead give the commission power to make the appointments, though with a different nomenclature to be known as State Directors of Elections.  INEC is also pushing for the introduction of electronically downloadable voter cards to replace Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Also, the commission’s Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and other stakeholders have stressed the need for electoral reforms, a single-day voting system and voting without…

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to, within 24 hours, release socialite and businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu. Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling, also added that parties in the suit, especially the EFCC, are to report to the court to give report on compliance with the order of the court on May 2, 2025. Recall that Justice Ekwo had, on Monday, ordered Achimugu to submit herself to the EFCC in connection with an ongoing investigation bordering on money laundering and other offences. Justice Ekwo also held that following her…

The Nigeria Police have reactivated the issuance of Tinted Glass Permits, TGP, nationwide using a digital platform. ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, made this known in a statement on Wednesday. “The Nigeria Police Force, under the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has reactivated the issuance of Tinted Glass Permits, TGP, nationwide through a secure and user-friendly digital platform available at possap.gov.ng. “This initiative comes in response to widespread public complaints about the harassment of motorists over the use of tinted windows and reflects the need for a clear,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released popular socialite, Emeka Okonkwo, popularly known as E-Money, on bail. A source at the commission who did not want his name in print told our judiciary correspondent, Shola Soyele, via phone that E-money was released on Tuesday and would be charged to court soon. E-money had been arrested on Tuesday on allegations of naira abuse. E-Money was arrested by the anti-graft agency in the Omole area of Lagos State. He was subsequently taken into EFCC’s custody in Abuja. He was said to have been spotted at a public event allegedly spraying…

President Donald Trump on Tuesday celebrated the 100th day of his second term — yet spent much of his rally marking it in campaign mode, fixated on past grudges and grievances. He repeatedly mocked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, attacking his mental acuity and even how he appears in a bathing suit. He again uttered the lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. And he attacked polling and news coverage not favorable to him. And Trump again and again returned to immigration, his signature issue, at the rally that marked his largest political event since returning to the White House —…

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to initiate legal proceedings against the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and other key stakeholders who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party’s leadership, after a marathon six-hour closed-door meeting at its national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, directed the PDP National Legal Adviser to commence the process of reclaiming what it termed the party’s stolen mandate in Delta State In a communiqué released following the meeting, the party directed its national legal adviser to initiate a legal process to reclaim its mandate from the Delta…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested socialite E-Money over alleged money laundering.   E-Money, whose real name is Emeka Okonkwo, was arrested by the anti-graft agency in the Omole area of Lagos State.E-Money has now been taken into EFCC’s custody in Abuja.He was spotted at a public event allegedly spraying the naira and some US dollar bills. However, the details of the incident are unknown at this time. The Chief Executive Officer of Emmy Cargoes Nigeria Limited and Five Star Music was said to have violated Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. However, as of the time…

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begun an emergency meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. The meeting, currently being held behind closed doors on Tuesday, comes amid the gale of defections sweeping through the ranks and strongholds of the opposition party as well as the internal crisis that has plagued the PDP. Last week, PDP’s former vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, and the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). They collapsed the opposition party’s structure in Delta as the Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme, state…

The Nigerian Government and the United Kingdom have officially launched the Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes (JCTC) – a first-of-its-kind multi-agency collaboration designed to enhance Nigeria’s capacity to tackle the growing threat of cybercrime. Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in Nigeria, Lateef Fagbemi, described the JCTC as a “bold and transformative stride” in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, emphasising that the initiative is not just a project but “the birth of a vision.” “This vision centers on synergy, coordination, and mutual respect among key institutions tasked with justice delivery,” he said. The JCTC draws…