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FG Rearrests And Arraigns IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu In Court As Nigerians React

Nnamdi Kanu

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, has announced the rearrest of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

He made the revelation on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, while briefing journalists. He said the IPOB leader who had jumped bail will continue his trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja where he is defending charges such as management of an unlawful society, treasonable felony, terrorism, and unlawful possession of firearms.

On how Nnamdi Kanu was arrested, Malami said it was a collaborative effort between Nigerian security agencies and Interpol.

Meanwhile, the IPOB leader appeared before Justice Binta Nyako, the presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, amidst tight security with combat-ready security operatives stationed at the Federal High Court.

In court, the Department of State Services (DSS) prayed the court to remand the IPOB leader in their custody. The request was granted by Justice Binta Nyako, who ordered that Nnamdi Kanu be remanded in the custody of the DSS until July 26, 2021, when the trial, which began on the 14th October 2015 will be continued.

The adjournment was mainly because the defendant appeared in court without his defense attorney and Mazi Kanu is expected to contact his lawyers by July 26 with his trial will resume.

Meanwhile, the news of the arrest of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has generated a lot of reactions from Nigerians across the board. While some have hailed the federal government and the security agencies involved in the arrest for their decisiveness, others have lambasted the FG for treating IPOB, harshly because of its links with the South East, arguing that Boko Haram, Bandits, and Fulani Herdsmen have been given a fairer treatment.

Read Also: Nnamdi Kanu Issues Sit-At-Home Order For May 30 As DSS Warns Against Hate Speech

Apex-Igbo Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide while reacting to the news of the rearrest of Nnamdi Kanu released a statement where it praised the FG for the ‘timely’ recapture of the IPOB leader.

The statement read:

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls for calm and cautioned Igbos to desist from any form of protests and processions that will bring more catastrophe for Southeastern Nigeria.

“The re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu the leader of IPOB is the beginning of the end of violent agitations in southeastern Nigeria and a lesson to others that, deviation from the nonviolent agitations contradicts what Igbos are known for, and self-determination should not be used for purposes of fortune and fame-seeking.

“Nnamdi Kanu’s refusal to adhere to the advice of Igbo leaders, Elders, and Political leaders is the outcome of what had befallen him, he made a lot of enemies especially those that would have saved him and Federal Government will never lose grip on him again. We don’t think that any Igbo leader will stick out his/her neck for him, his re-arrest will eventually bring peace and stability to the region and averted another civil war that was raging on.

“Federal Government should handle the situation carefully because his large followers of Ipob wouldn’t resort to violent revolts, his trial should be strictly based on the laws of the land, they shouldn’t kill him because it will destabilize the entire country.”

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, said the Nigerian government should ensure that Kanu faces the consequences of his actions this time.

“Finally Nnamdi Kanu has been brought back home. We must commend the Nigerian government, Interpol for its wonderful work. They have demonstrated that it’s a matter of time, though long overdue at least, it’s better late than never.

“Finally, he has to face the music probably, and I’m sure this will serve as a lesson to our brothers in the Southeast that never again should they fold their hands and allow a common criminal to be talking as if he speaks for them out of fear.”

“I’m sure the judiciary would do the needful and ensure he faces the proper music so that at the end of the day it will serve as a deterrent to the like of him that may want to think or behave the way this mad man has done over time.” 

The Archbishop of Enugu Anglican Province, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, thinks that Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest is a good development as it would reduce the tensions in the East but warned that nothing should happen to the IPOB leader. He said:

“I think his extradition is a good development, which will bring a little bit of calm and peace to the boys he has been instigating and to Igboland so that we can have a peaceful atmosphere.

“Nnamdi Kanu jumped bail. He did not appreciate Senator Abaribe and others who secured the bail for him. Rather, when he was abroad, he was instigating people to cause confusion.

“We warned him several times to stop that. It’s not only that, we felt that if you are a leader, you should come down here so we can discuss with others on how to solve the problem. First of all, settle this case for which you jumped bail.

“We will not allow him (Nnamdi Kanu) to be eliminated. Let him face his trial and judgment. They cannot eliminate anybody like that. If they eliminate him, then, they are looking for more trouble.”

The Special Adviser to Lagos Governor on Drainage and Water Resources, Joe Igbokwe took to social media to celebrate Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest. He captioned a picture post he shared of himself kneeling and raising his hands in worship to God with the following;

“To God be the glory. May the Souls of hundreds of young men who lost their lives in the South East rest in perfect peace. Amen! An Endless Alleluia!” THE JUDGEMENT DAY COMETH. MAY THE SOULS OF TGE DEPARTED REST IN PERFECT PEACE.”

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Wike’s son accused of collecting $2.1 million for land in Abuja

Jordan Ezenwo Nyesom-Wike, son of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, is facing a civil suit over an alleged $2.1 million land deal gone wrong, with the claimants saying most of that money was intended for his father.

According to court filings, two men say they met Jordan in London and later reconnected with him in Abuja, where they asked for his help securing 60 hectares of land split between Katampe and Guzape. They claim Jordan told them the facilitation fee would come to $2.1 million: $2 million of it earmarked for the minister himself, and $100,000 as Jordan’s own cut.

The claimants say they handed over the full amount on 26 September 2025, at a property in Gwarimpa, Abuja, with several named witnesses present. They allege that after the money changed hands, they got no land and no refund, and Jordan stopped responding to them.

Jordan’s defence hinges on a single detail: he says he wasn’t even in the country that day. Under cross-examination at the FCT High Court in Maitama, he told the court he was on a British Airways flight from Abuja to London on 26 September 2025, the exact date the claimants say the payment was made. He also denies signing any acknowledgment of receipt for the money, calling the signature on the document a forgery.

The exchange prompted the claimants’ lawyer to ask the court to compel Jordan to produce his American passport, to check it against his travel claim, and to write out his name and signature five times on a plain sheet of paper for comparison. Justice Sylvanus Oriji granted both requests. Jordan produced the passport the following day; the court has not yet ruled on whether his account of his whereabouts holds up.

Jordan has said he flagged the allegations himself, in a letter to his father and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission back in November 2025.

The case has since drawn wider attention. Rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu has called on Justice Oriji to step aside from the case over family and professional ties, while the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has urged the EFCC and ICPC to open an independent investigation rather than wait for the civil case to conclude.

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News

Morocco gets first Female Prime Minister

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri has made history as Morocco’s first woman prime minister and only the second woman to lead a government in the Arab world. Morocco has made history after Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was appointed the country’s first woman prime minister, making her only the second woman to lead a government in the Arab world.

King Mohammed VI appointed El Mansouri on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and tasked her with forming a new government after her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the biggest party in Morocco’s September 23 parliamentary election.

Morocco officially refers to the position as head of government, although it is commonly described internationally as prime minister.El Mansouri’s appointment marks the first time a woman has occupied the position since Morocco established its modern government system

Her rise also places her in a particularly small group of women who have headed governments across the Arab world. She becomes only the second woman to serve as prime minister in an Arab country, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who served as Tunisia’s prime minister from 2021 to 2023.

The appointment came after PAM won the largest number of seats in Morocco’s 395-member House of Representatives.

The party secured 97 seats, but fell well short of the 198 seats needed for a majority, meaning El Mansouri will have to negotiate with other political parties to form a coalition government.

The appointment is also significant because Morocco operates as a constitutional monarchy in which the king remains head of state, while the head of government leads the cabinet and oversees the government’s day-to-day administration.

Under Morocco’s constitutional system, the king appoints the head of government from the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives. El Mansouri was therefore selected after her party emerged as the largest bloc in the latest election.

El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer and experienced politician who has held several prominent positions in Moroccan public life. Before her appointment as head of government, she served as Morocco’s minister responsible for national planning, urban planning, housing and urban policy. She also served as mayor of Marrakesh, a position she first won in 2009, making her the city’s first woman mayor. She later returned to the position in 2021.

She is also a senior figure in PAM, a liberal-centrist party founded in 2008.El Mansouri’s appointment comes at a significant moment for Morocco, with the new government expected to deal with economic pressures, unemployment and public concerns over living standards. The government will also oversee preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. The tournament is expected to involve major infrastructure and investment projects across the country.

The September 23 election recorded turnout of about 38%, down from roughly 50% in the previous parliamentary election, according to Reuters. The low turnout came amid concerns about economic conditions and frustration among parts of Morocco’s population, particularly young people.

El Mansouri now faces the task of turning her party’s electoral lead into a functioning government.

Because PAM does not have a parliamentary majority, she will need to reach agreements with other parties before she can form her cabinet and begin governing.

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Tems and Runtown In Scintilating Prformance at Spotify Surround Sound in Lagos

Spotify brought fans closer to Tems and Runtown across two nights of Surround Sound in Lagos, inviting selected Premium listeners based on their listening behaviour to experience the artists and music they care about in an intimate, in-the-round setting.
Held at Livespot in Lagos on 25 and 26 September, the performances brought two distinct catalogue stories into the room. Tems revisited For Broken Ears, while Runtown placed Mad Over You at the centre of a career-spanning set.

Surround Sound is Spotify’s live performance format, launched from Sub-Saharan Africa, which brings artists and fans together at close range and captures those performances as full-length music films for Spotify. Lagos provides the cultural context for these stories, with Nigerian artists and listeners at their centre.

Tems performed For Broken Ears tracks including Ice T and Damages, alongside earlier singles Mr Rebel and Try Me and later material such as Love Me JeJe and What You Need, tracing different chapters of her catalogue.

Ahead of the performance, she reflected on the beginnings of that journey: “I remember making Free Mind on my bed, on my laptop, experimenting with chords and seeing what stuck. The first two chords sounded so good, and it ignited melodies in me. Those melodies I made on my bed are what is in the song right now.”

Spotify’s relationship with Tems also reaches back to that period. In September 2020, shortly after the release of For Broken Ears, she became the third artist to join Spotify’s RADAR Africa programme, following South African singer Elaine and rapper Willy Cardiac. Six years later, Surround Sound revisited that early chapter of her catalogue in Lagos.

During the performance, Tems turned towards the audience and invited them to sing along, making the fans’ voices part of the experience. The following night, Runtown opened with Lagos to Kampala and Gallardo, moving through For Life, International Badman Killa and Unleash. The set also included Kini Issue, drawing together different parts of his catalogue.

Mad Over You became a shared moment between artist and audience. Runtown performed the song during the set before returning to it a second time to close the show, with fans singing along.

Speaking ahead of the performance, Runtown said: “This is the first time in 10 years I am performing with my band, and I am looking forward to seeing my fans.”

Spotify’s September 2026 analysis offers context for the continuing relationship with this music. Of the listeners who played For Broken Ears in January 2022, 21.6% also listened in August 2026. Meanwhile, Mad Over You appeared in more than three million user-created playlists at the time of the analysis.

Surround Sound connected that existing relationship with an opportunity to experience the artists live. There was no public ticket sale; Spotify invited selected Premium listeners directly through the platform, using listening behaviour to identify fans for the experience.

The live room is intentionally intimate and has a fixed capacity,” said Rifumo Mdaka of Spotify. “We use listening signals to reach selected Spotify Premium listeners in Lagos directly rather than running a public ticket sale. The aim is to create a close artist-fan experience while keeping the room suitable for the performance and film capture.”

Across both nights, Premium’s fan value took a tangible form: selected listeners had the opportunity to hear familiar music performed up close, with the audience’s responses becoming part of the experience.Both performances were filmed for Spotify.

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