News

Boko Haram Ambushes Soldiers, Kills Six, Injures Many

Published

5 years ago

November 23, 2020

Eric

An ambush on Nigerian troops by Boko Haram elements has left six soldiers dead, 26 injured and many others still missing, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

The ambush, according to military officials briefed on the matter, occurred at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday between Jagiran and Monguno, one of the hotspot of the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.

The terrorists also carted away a Toyota bullet-proof Land Cruiser SUV with desert camouflage colour, belonging to the acting commander of the 3rd Armoured Division.

Army authorities fear that the vehicle could be repainted with disguise in order to gain entry into military bases.

To that end, the army has also placed the Nigerian troops in the different locations on red alert, urging them to scuttle further escalation of trouble from the terrorists if they sniff any. The police have also been notified to look out for the SUV across the country, a military source said.

The police were urged to use tact should they spot an SUV approaching their location either with mounted with a gun or not.

A spokesman of the army, Sagir Musa, did not return calls and a text message sent to him Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, last week, the Nigerian Army flagged off a manhunt for the fourth batch of wanted Boko Haram terrorists, during which they co-opted more Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members into the operation.

The Boko Haram war has had a huge impact on human and economic assets in Nigeria with millions of Nigerians displaced, thousands killed and trillions sunk into the war in the past decade.

Civic group, BudgIT, estimated that Nigeria has budgeted over N8.1 trillion on security since 2015.

This year alone, N1.78 trillion was earmarked for security, with N900 billion of that going to the ministry of defence and N75 billion for military operations.

Although the Nigerian government has maintained that it has technically defeated the Boko Haram, the spate of attacks by the terrorists persists despite some successes recorded by Nigerian troops.

Premium Times

News

Otunba of Lagos Adekunle Ojora is Dead

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2026

Eric

A former Chairman of the Board of AGIP Nigeria Limited and Otunba of Lagos, Adekunle Ojora, is dead. He was aged 93.

The popular business tycoon reportedly died on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

Details soon…

News

Diezani Appears in London Court, Denies Bribery Allegations

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2026

Eric

Former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke on Tuesday denied multiple bribery charges as her trial opened at Southwark Crown Court in London, where prosecutors accused her of living a “life of luxury” funded by illicit payments.

British prosecutors told the court that Alison-Madueke, 65, accepted bribes between 2011 and 2015 while serving as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the prosecution, individuals seeking “lucrative oil and gas contracts” with Nigeria’s state-owned oil company provided her with “significant financial and other advantages” in exchange for influence.

“She should not have accepted benefits from those doing extremely lucrative business with government-owned entities,” the prosecutor said.

Alison-Madueke is accused of receiving financial and other inducements from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups, which secured contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries.

The court heard that the alleged benefits included £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, refurbishment work and staff costs at London properties, as well as school fees for her son and luxury items from stores such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton.

Alison-Madueke, who also served as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries from 2014 to 2015, has been linked to several legal cases globally, including in the United States.

In Nigeria, courts seized properties belonging to her and valued at several million dollars in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission still has pending cases against the former minister.

She has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and formally charged in 2023. She has consistently denied all allegations.

The UK National Crime Agency said at the time it suspected she had “abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”

Two others, Doye Agama, her brother, and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also standing trial on related bribery charges.

Trial Judge, Justine Thornton said she hoped the trial would conclude by April 24.

News

Tinubu Stumbles, Falls During Welcome Reception in Turkey

Published

2 days ago

January 27, 2026

Eric

The incident occurred as he walked alongside Turkish President Recep Erdogan.

Tinubu appeared to have missed his step but was quickly assisted by officials, helping him regain his balance.

Tinubu had arrived at the Turkish presidential palace with a black limousine car.

Immediately after Tinubu alighted from the car, the military band played Nigeria’s national anthem, which was followed by the Turkish national anthem.

After the band’s rendition, there was a moment when the Turkish president used his hands to adjust Tinubu’s body to properly face the band.

Tinubu had departed Abuja for the state visit to Turkey on Monday, to strengthen the “existing cordial relations between the two countries and exploring further areas of cooperation in security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation”, according to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.