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“An Act of Shame!”— Atiku Blasts Tinubu Over U-Turn On Presidential Pardon

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has berated President Bola Tinubu over the reversal of the controversial presidential pardon earlier granted to certain convicted individuals, describing the move as “an act of shame, not wisdom.”

Atiku, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, accused the Tinubu administration of lacking moral clarity and foresight, saying the government only reacts after public outrage rather than leading with conviction.

“Once again, Nigerians have witnessed a government that doesn’t lead — it reacts,” Atiku said.

SEE MORE: Senate Approves Tinubu’s $2.8bn Loan Amid Soaring ₦97trn Debt

“President Bola Tinubu has cancelled his own pardon for drug traffickers, kidnappers, and other hardened criminals — but only after Nigerians shouted loud enough to wake him from his moral slumber. Let’s be clear: this U-turn is not an act of wisdom, it’s an act of shame.”

The former vice president questioned the criteria and process behind the initial pardon list, demanding full disclosure from the presidency.

“Who compiled the list of beneficiaries? What criteria justified freeing kidnappers and drug offenders? Where was the Attorney-General when this absurdity was cooked up? And why does this government only ‘discover its conscience’ after Nigerians express outrage?” he queried.

Atiku described the development as a national embarrassment and a reflection of poor governance.

“If the President truly means well, let him publish the list of all those who were meant to benefit from this scandal. Until then, this cancellation is nothing but damage control — too little, too late,” he added.

The backlash followed President Tinubu’s decision to revoke the earlier pardon granted to Maryam Sanda and several other convicts.

Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, had her sentence commuted to 12 years imprisonment — including time already served — through an official gazette signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The reversal came after intense criticism from Nigerians and civil society groups who faulted the moral justification of the initial pardon list.

While the Labour Party commended Tinubu for bowing to public pressure, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) condemned the government’s inconsistency.

“It is disgraceful that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will announce pardons and then the presidency will say they want to vet and go over the things again,” said NNPP spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson. “It just shows that the presidency needs to get its act together.”

On the other hand, Labour Party’s interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, lauded Tinubu’s willingness to heed public sentiment.

“What Tinubu has demonstrated is that he listened to the people of Nigeria. We commend him for that,” Akeni stated, urging the president to show similar responsiveness to economic and welfare issues affecting citizens.

 

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FG Withdraws Charges Against ‘Fake Agency’ DG, Adeniyi Adeyemi

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Contempt: Four SANs to be Served by Courier

Following observed mis-steps, the Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn the eight-count criminal charge brought against the alleged fake Director General (DG) of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi.

Biztellers reports that the matter, in accordance with the counsel of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, (SAN), the matter will be filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), instead of the Federal High Court (FHC).

Consequently, upon an unopposed application for termination by the prosecution counsel and Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on Monday, Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, struck out the matter.

READ ALSO: Shell Identifies Keys to Nigeria’s Energy Future

In a motion for the termination of the charges, Oyedepo informed the court that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice has carried out a review of the case file of Adeyemi and the charge filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and found some loopholes.

The DPPF added that the documents allegedly forged by Adeyemi during his operations of the fake agency are those that can be prosecuted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He also informed the court that a new charge has been filed at the High Court of the FCT and that Adeyemi would be expeditiously arraigned afresh.

He therefore urged the judge to strike out the charge as required by law.

Following no objections from Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), who stood in for Adeyemi, Justice Umar subsequently terminated the charge.

Adeniyi, 38, was being tried alongside two others whose whereabouts are unknown, on charges bordering on conspiracy and forgery.

The two others said to be at large were identified as Femi (surname unknown) and Anu (surname unknown).

The charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2025, was entered against the defendant by the DPPF.

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Shell Identifies Keys to Nigeria’s Energy Future

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To secure a bright energy for her teeming population, Nigeria must sustain the momentum of reform, accelerate investment, and deepen partnerships.

This view was expressed by Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company of Nigeria Limited (SNEPCo) Ronald Adams in Lagos at the weekend.

Delivering a keynote address at the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) of the Lagos Business School (LBS), Adams called for regulatory certainty through efficient execution of reforms, sustained investment appeal to enable projects to move more swiftly from opportunity to production and partnership by operators, regulators, NNPC Limited and communities to unlock the full value of Nigeria’s resources.

Adams cited Nigeria’s huge oil and gas resources as an advantage but pointed out: “Resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. Prosperity comes when resources are matched with investment, technology, sound policy and disciplined execution. Success will be determined not by the size of our resources, but by our ability to convert them into investment and economic growth.”

Adams pledged the support of Shell towards a bright energy future of Nigerians. He said: “For more than six decades, Shell has been part of Nigeria’s energy journey. Together with our partners, we have helped develop major energy infrastructure, supported Nigerian businesses, invested in talent, and contributed to economic development. Bonga remains a powerful example of what technology, partnership and Nigerian capability can achieve in deepwater operations. Today, that story continues through Bonga North.”

READ ALSO: ADF Targets 5 Million Students, 2 Million Vulnerable Women

Issuing a clarion call for action by all stakeholders, he added: “The world is not standing still. Capital is moving, technology is advancing and competition is intensifying. The countries that attract investment tomorrow are those that improve competitiveness today. Nigeria has begun that journey. Our task is to sustain the momentum and translate reform into projects, projects into growth, and growth into shared prosperity.”

The conference, the 4th in the series had at its theme; “Securing Nigeria’s Energy Future: Policy Reform, Capital Mobilisation, and Pathways to a Sustainable Power and Energy Market” and was attended by top government officials, industry captains, energy professionals, and students.

Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat represented Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the guest of honour. SNEPCo was a principal sponsor of the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) and mounted a well-received exhibition on its deepwater operations and social investments across Nigeria.

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Katsina Students Get ₦689.79m Bursary as Gov Radda Doubles Allowances

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Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has flagged off the disbursement of ₦689.79 million in bursary payments to 19,318 continuing students across 97 institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.

The disbursement follows a 100 per cent increase in academic bursary rates, marking the first adjustment since 2007.

The latest payment forms part of the state government’s broader investment in education and student welfare, with cumulative bursary disbursements and related student awards under the administration reaching ₦3.29 billion.

SEE ALSO: Dikko Radda Of APC Wins Katsina Governorship Election

More than 174,000 beneficiary payments have been recorded across successive payment cycles.

Increased Allowances for Veterinary and Law Students

Under the revised scholarship support framework, allowances for Veterinary Medicine students have increased by 150 per cent for students in the 300 and 400 levels and by 200 per cent for those in the 500 and 600 levels.

Support for Nigerian Law School students and academic excellence awards has also continued.

The state government has also approved a scholarship programme for 1,700 students, with 50 beneficiaries drawn from each of the state’s 34 local government areas.

The programme is designed to support tuition fees, registration and other educational expenses.

₦6bn Scholarship Trust Fund

The government has made provision for ₦6 billion in seed funding for a scholarship trust fund intended to strengthen educational financing.

The fund is expected to support specialised scholarship opportunities in fields including engineering, medicine, Artificial Intelligence and mechatronics.

The state’s foreign scholarship initiatives have also supported 118 students studying Medicine, Artificial Intelligence and Bioengineering in Egypt, Ethiopia and China, with approved educational and living expenses covered by the government.

More Scholarship Opportunities

Other educational support initiatives include 34 maritime scholarship beneficiaries and seven students receiving 50 per cent financial support at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.

The state has also nominated 34 candidates for MBBS studies in Russia, identified 70 prospective master’s degree candidates and selected 10 candidates for Qur’anic Sciences scholarships in Ghana.

These initiatives form part of the state’s broader efforts to expand access to education across different fields and levels of study.

Scholarship Board Strengthens Accountability

The Katsina State Scholarship Board has also strengthened its application, verification and payment systems.

As part of its accountability measures, the board interviewed more than 14,925 fresh applicants and returned approximately ₦86 million in unclaimed funds to the state government.

The state also acknowledged the contributions of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in expanding access to educational financing and digital learning resources.

Radda Inaugurates Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network

As part of the activities, Radda inaugurated the Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network (TDEBNET), a voluntary organisation comprising parents and beneficiaries of educational programmes.

Members of the organisation expressed support for the re-election bids of Radda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

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