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How Yahaya Bello Used Kogi’s $720k to Pay Children’s School Fees in Advance – EFCC Chairman

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Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the now embattled former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, withdrew $720,000 from the State government’s account to pay his child’s school fee.

The EFCC boss disclosed this to journalists in Abuja.

The former governor was last week declared wanted by the commission for alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

EFCC operatives, during the period, stormed Bello’s residence in Abuja to arrest him, but were stopped by his security aides.

Two courts of coordinate jurisdiction also issued conflicting rulings on the matter. While the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja restrained the EFCC from arresting the former governor, the Federal High Court gave the commission the go-ahead to arrest Bello preparatory to his arraignment for alleged fraud.

Olukoyede said: “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.

“In a poor State like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?

“I didn’t initiate the case; I inherited the case file. I called for the file, and I said there are issues here.

“On my own, I called him, which I am not supposed to do, just to honour him as an immediate past governor. ‘Sir, there are issues. I’ve seen this case file. Can you just come let us clarify these issues?

“He said, ‘Ha! Thank you, my brother. I know, but I can’t come. There’s one lady that has surrounded EFCC with over 100 people to come and embarrass me and intimidate me.

“I said if that is the issue, I’m going to pass you through my own gate, and you will come to my floor. We will accord you that respect. I will invite my operatives; they will interrogate and interview you in my own office. What could be more honourable than that to allay the fear?

“You know what he said: ‘Thank you, sir, but can’t they come to my village? “

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APC Drops Uzodinma As National Convention Chairman, Names Masari As Replacement

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, has reconstituted the leadership of its 2026 National Convention Central Coordination Committee, appointing former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, as the new chairman.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who was initially named chairman of the committee, has been reassigned to serve as treasurer.

In addition, the APC expanded the committee’s membership from 73 to 90 members to accommodate more party stakeholders.

Newly added members include Senator Barry Mpigi and several other prominent APC chieftains.

According to the party, the adjustments form part of the revised 2026 APC National Convention Central Coordination Committee and were made to reflect zoning considerations and other strategic exigencies.

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Fight Against Terrorism: US Troops Finally Arrive in Nigeria

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The United States has sent a small team of troops to Nigeria, the general in charge of the U.S. command for Africa (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, said on Tuesday.

The development is the first acknowledgment of U.S. forces on the ground since US airstrikes targeting terrorists in Nigeria’s North-West on Christmas Day, 2025.

US President, Donald Trump, who announced that he ordered the airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets, had said there could be more U.S. military action in the country.

According to Reuters, the U.S. had been conducting surveillance flights over the country from Ghana since at least late November.

Speaking on the decision to send troops to Nigeria, the top general said both countries agreed that more needed to be done to combat the terrorist threat in West Africa.

“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of the U.S. military’s Africa Command AFRICOM, told journalists during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Anderson did not provide further details about the size and scope of their mission.

According to Reuters, Nigeria’s Defense Minister, Christopher Musa, confirmed that a team was working in Nigeria but did not provide further details.

A former U.S. official told Reuters that the U.S. team appeared to be heavily involved in intelligence gathering and enabling Nigerian forces to strike terrorist-affiliated groups.

Nigeria has come under intense pressure by Washington to act after President Trump accused the West African nation of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the northwest.

The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.

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Glo Leads in Investments, Performance As NCC Sets New Standard for Telecoms

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Nigeria’s digital transformation continued to gain momentum as Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Globacom (Glo) reinforced a powerful partnership built on transparency, long-term investment, and consumer trust.

Through its Industry Performance Reports, developed with global network intelligence firm, Ookla under the QoS/QoE Crowdsourcing Project, NCC is setting a new benchmark for accountability in the telecoms sector.

The quarterly, data-driven reports provide independent insights into network performance, coverage and real-world user experience across operators, states and regions.

A senior NCC official described the initiative as “sunlight and substance”, stating that it enables Nigerians to see clearly how networks perform so that excellence is rewarded and complacency is exposed.

Within this rigorously lit landscape, Globacom has emerged as a standout performer. Its leadership position is anchored in decades of sustained investment, patient capital, and continuous modernisation.

From pioneering one of the largest fibre-optic backbones in the country to upgrading radio access and core networks, Glo has consistently treated infrastructure as a long-term covenant with Nigeria’s future.

A member of Glo’s executive leadership summarised the company’s philosophy, thus, “We invest as if Nigeria’s tomorrow depends on what we build today—because it does. Our goal is not to be loud, but to be lasting.”

NCC–Ookla analytics now validate what many subscribers already experience: Glo’s network is engineered for substance, not spectacle.

With strong fibre-to-site architecture, resilient backhaul and intelligent traffic management, Glo delivers stable speeds, lower latency and dependable service in real-world conditions.

The commission’s focus on Connectivity on the Move highlights performance along major road corridors—critical arteries of commerce and social life. Here, Glo’s dense fibre footprint and redundant routes ensure fewer call drops, faster data sessions and reliable streaming for Nigerians on the move.

On the Urban vs Rural Divide, Glo’s strategy of extending fibre closer to base stations and modernising legacy sites is narrowing performance gaps between metropolitan and underserved areas.

Where signals once faltered, connectivity now flows with confidence.

Glo’s measured approach to next-generation technology is equally notable. NCC’s 5G Reality Check compares coverage with actual usage and experience. By prioritising strong 4G foundations and fibre-fed sites, Glo is ensuring that future 5G deployment is credible, inclusive and sustainable.

The reports also examine how networks affect battery life and device temperature. Here again, Glo’s optimisation protocols and modernised core architecture stand out, reducing unnecessary signalling and improving everyday user comfort.

For consumers, the impact is tangible. A small-business owner in Ibadan, Segun Adeleye, stated, “My work runs on data. With Glo, I just connect and go. That confidence is everything.”

With the NCC providing the tools for transparency and Glo delivering on long-term leadership and investment, Nigeria’s telecoms industry is entering a new era—one defined not by promises, but by performance.

Regulation is the lighthouse; leadership is the ship. And together, NCC and Glo are steering Nigeria towards a faster, fairer and more connected future.

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