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Sallah Day Bombings: Presidency Lied, Osuntokun Insists

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A chieftain of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement, Akin Osuntokun, has debunked claims by the Presidency that he lied over the bombing in a Borno village during the Sallah period.

He insisted that it was a lie for the Presidency to say there was no attack.

He said, according to a Reuters report, 63 people were reportedly killed and villages burnt in a terrorist attack in Maimalari village in Borno State a day prior to Sallah.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had, in a statement on Thursday, carpeted Osuntokun, saying, “telling lies of that kind betrayed a mind taken over by ill wishes against his own country.”

But in a statement on Friday, Osuntokun said even if there was a mix-up in his figures and location of the attack, the reaction by the Presidency was an illustration of how the incumbent administration had trivialised and made mockery of governance.

He said, “I’m not the Red Cross that has the institutional capacity to keep every detail of these crimes against humanity. Does it matter that 68 were killed in Maimalari, rather than 88 in Maiduguri, and we are talking of the same day?

“This is yet another demonstration of the penchant of this government for leaving the substance to chase shadows.

“Okay, 68 people were killed in a Borno village, rather than 88 in Maiduguri. At the frequency of the prevailing dispensation of daily bloodletting, who wouldn’t get the specifics and details mixed up?”

Osuntokun, a former adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, added that the reaction by Adesina was consistent with the “fraudulent trademark assertion” by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, two years ago, that Boko Haram had been technically defeated.

The statement partly reads, “The irony of the statement from the Presidency calling me a liar started with an egregious lie against me.

“I had called Channels Television to confirm the veracity of this scandalous attribution. Of course, it was an outright fiction conjured by the presidential spokesman to embellish his narrative of a fundamental slander of the Buhari government.

“There was nowhere in the television discussion I spoke of a bomb blast. Wedded to this lie, Mr. Adesina went on to crow that ‘Sallah Day had passed quietly and peacefully without even a firecracker going off, let alone bomb blast.’

“Yet, according to Reuters report, 63 people were reportedly killed and villages burnt in terrorist attack in Maimalari village in Borno State the previous day.

“And who knows how many situations of carnage that went unreported that day. This is the idea of a peaceful Sallah Day the President of Nigeria is boasting about.

“You will imagine that a government with so much disastrous scorecard on security will be more modest in advertising itself on security governance and competence.

“You will think that it is not the same government whom a former Army chief of staff accused of complicity in the genocidal Fulani militia crisis.

“A couple of weeks ago, Professor Wole Soyinka went to the extent of seeking international intervention in the face of the abject failure of Buhari to stem the tide of the genocidal bloodletting that has enveloped the country.

“Billions of dollars down the drain on supposed containment of the security crisis, you will recall that this government had gone ahead to recently request another one billion dollars to address the same security situation it claimed to have brought under control.

“Domiciled in Nigeria is the escalating Fulani militia terror that the United Nations has rated the deadliest terrorist group in the whole world.”

Osuntokun, who once served as the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, said the mix up did not make him an enemy of the State, and that in terms of public accountability, the Presidency should be more worried.

The statement added, “Does this mix up make me the enemy of the people, rather than Femi Adesina who threatened Nigerians to concede their land to terrorists at the pain of being murdered?

“Does it make me more a liar than President Buhari who repeatedly claimed that the price of crude oil per barrel had been over 100 dollars since 1999?

“In public accountability, who should the country worry more about between me and those who hold the reins of government who are pointing attention at the speck in my eyes while ignoring the beam lodged permanently in their eyesight?”

The Punch

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Shiites Protest in Kano over Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

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Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, on Sunday, took to the streets of Kano metropolis to protest the killing of the Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a joint attack by the US-Israel on Saturday.

The demonstrators, who are simply known as Shiites, trooped out in their numbers at about 2.30pm in and trekked from the Fegge Central Mosque the Islamic Movement headquarters situated at Kofar Waika in the State capital.

The demonstration, adjudged peaceful, lasted for about two hours, terminating after 4.00pm.

The demonstration was followed by speeches by their scholars that spoke about the state of affairs in the Middle East and its implications on the rest of the world. A special prayer was also offered seeking Allahs intervention for the people of Iran.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abudulhi Haruna Kiyawa, resisted attempts to persuade hims for official reaction to the demonstration.

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Innovation Meets Vision As Glo Partners Samsung to Unveil New Galaxy S26

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In a convergence of technology and vision, digital solutions leader Globacom has entered a partnership with global electronics giant Samsung to introduce the much-anticipated Galaxy S26 Series to the Nigerian market. It is a device conceived for a generation that lives, works and dreams in real time.

The unveiling, held at Globacom’s corporate headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, gathered an august assembly of high-net-worth customers, industry figures and members of the media. The atmosphere was not merely ceremonial; it was symbolic — a quiet affirmation that when global engineering meets indigenous connectivity, innovation finds its true signal.

As part of the partnership, Globacom has commenced an exclusive pre-order window for its subscribers. Each Galaxy S26 purchased at any Gloworld outlet nationwide is bundled with 18GB of complimentary data under the Glo Smartphone Festival Data Plans delivered as 3GB monthly for six months.

In addition, customers receive a distinguished Platinum Number eSIM, accompanied by up to 10GB of extra data monthly. It is a proposition crafted not as an afterthought, but as a deliberate statement of value.

The Galaxy S26 Series itself is a study in assured sophistication. It fuses next-generation processing power with a sleek, immersive display, enhanced camera intelligence, durable battery performance and privacy screen technology. Its Agentic AI capabilities introduce a more intuitive user experience, one that anticipates need, protects data and enhances productivity.

In essence, it is a device built not merely to function, but to empower.

Speaking at the event, Samsung’s Product Manager, Sellout Platinum, Mr. Solomon Osibeluwo, described Globacom as the first partner to host the S26 masterclass session — a testament, he noted, to the enduring strength of the relationship between both organisations. He reaffirmed Samsung’s commitment to deepening this alliance, adding that the S26 Series has been meticulously engineered to enrich the calling, browsing and overall digital experience of Nigerians.

In his address, Globacom’s Head of Gloworld, Mr Mohamed Rabie, underscored that the collaboration is anchored on delivering real and measurable value. Premium technology, he remarked, must travel with meaningful benefit. He expressed pride that Globacom stands as the first partner to offer both the masterclass engagement and immediate pre-order advantages following the device’s launch in Nigeria.

Encouraging Nigerians to experience the device firsthand at Gloworld outlets nationwide, Rabie concluded with quiet conviction: “this moment transcends the unveiling of a smartphone. It signals the unfolding of new possibilities powered by intelligence, sustained by partnership, and carried on the dependable wings of connectivity”.

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FCCPC Uncovers Patterns of Price Manipulation by Local Airlines

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has uncovered patterns of price manipulation perpetrated by some local airlines during the last festive season.

The findings are contained in the interim report released on Thursday by the Commission’s department of Surveillance and Investigations, according to a statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, and made available to The Boss.

Recall that the Commission announced an industry-wide investigation earlier in January.

The forensic exercise benefitted from data collated by the Commission from airlines operating local routes in the country.

The report compares domestic airline pricing from the December 2025 festive period with post-peak January 2026 fare levels.

Preliminary analysis indicates that fares recorded during the December peak were materially higher than those observed in the post-peak period across several routes despite relative stability in critical operating variables like fuel price, government taxes and foreign exchange.

The differences observed in fares therefore appear to reflect airlines’ arbitrary pricing decisions, including yield management and capacity allocation, rather than any variation in regulatory fees.

Route-level analysis shows that higher fares coincided with periods of reduced seat availability during predictable seasonal demand peaks. On some high density routes, peak fares were clustered within relatively narrow ranges across several operators.

For instance, on certain corridors like Abuja-Port Harcourt, peak fares were several times higher than corresponding post-peak levels. On selected routes, the difference in the price of a single ticket reached approximately ₦405,000. Median fares across the sampled routes also rose markedly during the festive window when compared with post-peak benchmarks.

However, the interim report recognises that seasonal demand pressures, scheduling constraints and fleet utilisation may also affect pricing during peak travel periods.

These factors remain under consideration as part of the Commission’s ongoing review.

Commenting on the release of the interim report, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the review is part of the Commission’s statutory responsibility to promote competitive markets and safeguard consumers.

“This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods. The Commission’s role is not to disrupt legitimate commercial activity, but to ensure that market outcomes remain consistent with competition and consumer protection principles under the law,” Mr. Bello said.

He noted that the Commission is conducting further structural and route-level analysis before reaching any conclusions.

“It is important to emphasise that this is an interim report. Our next action will be dictated by full facts established at the end of the review exercise.  Then, the Commission will decide whether any regulatory guidance, engagement or enforcement steps are necessary, strictly in accordance with the law,” he said.

The report identifies the possible relevance of Sections 59, 72, 107, 108, 124 and 127 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which respectively address the prohibition of agreements in restraint of competition, the prohibition of abuse of a dominant position, the offence of price-fixing, conspiracy to commit offences under the Act, the right to fair dealings, and the prohibition of unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bello announced that foreign airlines will come under FCCPC radar after the ongoing review of local airlines in view of widespread complaints of exploitative fares they allegedly charge Nigerians on certain routes compared to fares in neighbouring countries that are of equal distance.

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