News

Presidency Tackles Bishop Kukah Over Biased Comments On Insecurity

Following a recent address to United States Congress by the fiery Catholic priest, Bishop Matthew Kukah, the presidency has come out with guns blazing for what it perceived to be a bias in the clergyman’s portrayal of the security challenges the country is facing.

In the virtual address with the legislative arm of the US government, Bishop Kukah derided the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration before the American lawmakers, accusing it of bias towards the Christian South of the country.

He said the Buhari’s government has turned a deaf ear to the maiming and killing of Christians in the country while it also ensured that all appointments into key positions, especially in the nation’s security agencies were people from the Muslim North.

This did not seem to go down well with the presidency who has accused the outspoken cleric of intentionally trying to discredit the government before the international community.

In a statement released by presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, he insisted it was only mischievous for Bishop Kukah to insinuate that bandits and kidnappers only target the South citing the kidnap of 234 Muslim pupils who were still in captivity.

The statement reads:

“It is unfortunate, and disappointing, for citizens of Nigeria to bear witness to one of their Churchmen castigating their country in front of representatives of a foreign parliament.

“We are all too familiar with these overseas political tours that opposition politicians take – visiting foreign leaders and legislators in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. So, the argument goes, if they are heard seriously abroad, then Nigerian citizens back home should surely listen to them too.

“There is no bias in this government when the president is northern and Muslim, the vice president southern and Christian, and the cabinet equally balanced between the two religions. But neither is there anything in our Constitution to state that political posts must be apportioned according to ethnicity or faith. It takes a warped frame of mind for a critic to believe ethnicity is of primary importance in public appointments. It is yet more troubling to hear a Churchman isolating one group for criticism purely on ethnic lines.

“With due respect to the esteemed position he holds, the Bishop’s assertion that only Christian schools are being targeted by bandits or terrorists is not supported by the facts on the ground. It is sad to say but also true that victims of crime, kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism cut across all strata of society. Sad but true that Kankara students in Katsina State were stolen by bandits of the same Islamic faith as those they took away.

“The same may be true of those who are still holding the 134 students of the Islamic School at Tegina in Niger State. The nation witnessed the sad incident of the female students abducted by bandits at Jangebe in Zamfara State and the over 100 predominantly Muslim students of the Federal Government Girls College Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State who are currently in captivity- and the nation’s security agencies are hard at work to release them unharmed.

“The attack on Christian students is sad and unacceptable; so also is the abduction of students of other faiths. The claim that only Christian schools are being targeted is totally untrue. As a nation and a people, we must together define evil as evil. We must not allow our religious differences to divide us. No one gains but the evildoers when we divide our ranks according to ethnicity and religion in confronting them. The bandit, kidnapper, and terrorist are the enemies of the people who should be confronted in unison.”

Entertainment

Entertainment Lawyer Reveals Why Asake Left Olamide’s YBNL

Yemisi Falaye, an entertainment lawyer, has revealed why singer Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake, parted ways with rapper Olamide’s record label, YBNL Nation.

Recall that reports of Asake and Olamide parting ways surfaced last December when it was reported that the ‘Sungba’ singer had been allowed to leave the label under a termination agreement.

In February 2025, Asake all but confirmed his separation from Olamide when he launched his own record label, Giran Republic.

However, shedding light on the separation and the kind of contract Asake signed with YBNL Nation, Falaye revealed that the singer left because he felt cheated.

Falaye traced the origin of the fallout to when Asake decided against her legal advice not to sign the contract Olamide gave him at the very beginning.

She explained that Asake, who had been in the music industry for years without a breakthrough, rushed to sign the contract despite her advice because he was excited that he was finally getting signed.

Falaye clarified that Olamide clearly told Asake to get a lawyer to review the contract before signing.

Although Asake took the contract to Falaye, he refused her advice not to sign but instead insulted her and accused her of trying to impede his breakthrough.

Falaye had warned Asake that he would be signing away his rights “in perpetuity” if he agreed to the terms of the contract.

She recounted, “I remember when Olamide was going to sign Asake. He was so overwhelmed that he said to Olamide, ‘I’m not going to get a lawyer to review this agreement. YBNL wants to sign me, do you know how long I’ve been waiting? He had been around for the longest time before Olamide decided to sign him. Olamide told him, ‘Take the contract, go and give it to somebody to review it.

“So he brought it to me, and I said, ‘If you sign this agreement, you are going to assign your rights in perpetuity’. I advised him not to sign it. And he looked at me and said, ‘Are you kidding me? You said what? Did they send you? You want to pour sand in my garri.’

“He insulted me and called my bluff. Then he went back and told Olamide, ‘Look, I’m not going to…’ and right there, he signed it. And guess what? It didn’t particularly work for him. Because if it did, he would have renewed the agreement or at least been open to reviewing the terms. But he was so hurt, he felt cheated. Why should he feel cheated? He’s the one that didn’t understand the agreement.”

News

BREAKING: Former President Muhammadu Buhari has died at the age of 82.

Nigeria’s Former President Muhammadu Buhari has passed on at the age of 82. Bashir Ahmad, the President’s former Special Assistant on Digital Communications, announced the development in a post on his verified X account on Sunday, July 13, 2025.

“The family of the former president has announced the passing of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London.

“May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin,” Ahmad wrote.

The former President had been ill and undergoing treatment in an undisclosed London hospital, with sources claiming he was placed in intensive care in the early days of his admission back in April.

While initial reports described his visit as a routine medical check‑up, sources confirmed he fell ill soon after arriving and remained hospitalised.

However, the family has yet to disclose the circumstances surrounding his passing as of press time.

During his presidency, Buhari embarked on frequent and prolonged foreign medical trips, which attracted criticisms and concerns over the nation’s healthcare infrastructure.

Born on 17 December 1942, the 82-year-old general served as Nigeria’s President from 2015 after his previous stint as military Head of State from 1983 to 1985.

Recall that last week, President Bola Tinubu had sent his vice, Kashim Shettima, to pay his predecessor a visit at the London hospital where he was recuperating.

Tinubu directed the Vice President to ascertain Buhari’s condition and ensure that he was supported to full recovery.

Shettima jetted off from Addis Ababa on Sunday night and arrived in London on Monday, July 7, 2025, before proceeding to an unnamed hospital.

Entertainment

Burna Boy’s new album ‘No Signs of Weakness’ is out

Grammy award-winning global icon Burna Boy has released his highly anticipated eighth studio album ‘No Sign of Weakness’. The project, released on July 11, 2025, is his eighth album, marking another notable moment in his illustrious career. In the album, Burna Boy addresses all forms of weakness, whether personal or perceived, while announcing his intentions to continue blazing the trail.

The album packs 16 tracks with guest appearances from global stars Stromae, Travis Scott, Mick Jagger, and Shaboozey. He has previously released the reggae love joint ‘Sweet Love’ and the uptempo joint ‘Tatata’ featuring Travis Scott.

Burna Boy also released the songs ‘Update’ and ‘Bundle By Bundle’ in preparation for the album.. 2025 has been a busy year for the hitmaker, who became the first-ever cover star of Billboard France. The feat coincided with his historic, sold-out show at the Stade de France, making him the first African artist to headline the iconic venue.

The multi-award-winning global star followed up on his Stade De France concert with another historic concert in Manchester, where he sold out the Co-op Arena, which is the biggest indoor Arena in England. Following the release of ‘No Sign of Weakness,’ Burna Boy will be embarking on a tour of North America where he will be headlining several notable venues in the United States and Canada.