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Buhari and I can never deceive Nigerians, Osinbajo reassures

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NIGERIA’S Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that himself and President Muhammadu Buhari can never deceive Nigerians.

The Vice President said the Buhari-led administration is concerned about the plight of the ordinary Nigerians and would continue to carry out programmes that would improve their lives.

Contained in a statement issued by the spokesman to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, Osinabjo added that the Federal Government is focused on making things better for the common man.

“The focus of our government is on how things can be better for the common man. We are not in the business of trying to deceive Nigerians. You can accuse me and the President of anything, but you will never find us deceiving Nigerians.”

Making references to the Buhari administration’s National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP), Osinbajo noted that the administration is able to do so much more with fewer resources.

“The President has ensured that nobody steals money from the treasury. The major problem Nigeria had before now was the fact that people stole from the nation’s coffers. Once the country is able to stop corruption, it would be better.

“The first thing we did was tackle unemployment by employing young men and women through the N-Power job scheme, which has so far employed 500,000 young graduates.” The paid volunteer programme has a two-year duration, but it has now been extended for a batch.

“Every state has N-Power, noting that there are plans to employ more because of the number of graduates. This is a social safety net for young unemployed Nigerian graduates.

“So far, we have given about 400,000 MarketMoni loans, but the target is to give 1 million loans to artisans and traders, while TraderMoni loans are N10,000 interest-free loans to petty traders, of which 2 million are expected to be reached in the first phase”, the
Vice President stated.

He highlighted the Federal Government’s Energizing Economies Initiative, which provides clean, affordable, and constant power to economic clusters such as big markets and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.

Last week Friday, the Vice President commissioned the Sura market Independent Power Project in Sura shopping complex in Lagos State; a 1.5MW independent mini-grid power supply system to provide clean and affordable electricity to over 1,000 shops in the market.

According to Osinbajo, the Buhari administration’s Energizing Economies Initiative, which is being implemented by Rural Electrification Agency (REA), is designed to provide clean, stable and affordable electricity to Nigerians in these economic clusters. So far, thousands of shops in Sabon Gari in Kano State, Ariaria market in Aba, Isinkan market in Akure, Ondo State, Edaiken market in Benin, Edo State, and Sura market, Lagos, have been provided solar power through the initiative.

“Power is a major problem in Nigeria and our efforts is to solve this through alternative energy such as solar power. We are not relying on the national grid alone. We are also encouraging the private sector to provide power. The new strategy of the government is to put power in different places so as to make life easy for Nigerians without relying on the national grid. We are still working on the national grid. This country is very big, that’s why we have to decentralize,” he added.

Speaking further on the benefits of the N-SIP, the Vice President assured Nigerians that the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme was authentic and was a major part of the administration’s plan to improve the lives of Nigerians. “Currently, it feeds daily over 9 million schoolchildren in public primary schools in 26 states. Also, the products are sourced from local farmers, which improve the local economy.”

He further stated the administration’s commitment to developing the Niger Delta region and how its engagement has helped to maintain peace and stability in the region, which has also improved oil production and the country’s revenue.

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Alleged KGB Infiltration: Police in Dilemma as Senator Natasha Abandons Petition, Snubs Summons

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The Nigeria Police Force appears to be in a quandary over its investigation into the alleged infiltration of the National Assembly by Russia’s KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti), the former Soviet security agency.

Checks revealed that the police had invited the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, for interrogation following a petition filed by his colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central.

In the petition dated March 5, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently serving a six-month suspension from the Senate, urged the police to investigate Karimi’s claim that the KGB had infiltrated the National Assembly, posing a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

She specifically alleged that Senator Karimi had circulated a report titled “KGB Agent Group Warns Senate: A Call for Vigilance Amidst Threats to Democracy” on the official WhatsApp group of the 10th Senate on February 23, 2025.

Describing the claim as a matter of national security, Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that the alarm raised by Karimi should not be taken lightly. “No nation can afford to ignore the presence of such a group within its legislative body,” she emphasized in her petition.

Karimi Appears Before Police, Natasha Recoils

Further investigations revealed that Senator Karimi honored the police invitation on Monday, appearing at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to clarify his position.

Sources within the police described his session as “positive and insightful,” revealing that he admitted to sharing the report in question. However, the police were reportedly taken aback when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan distanced herself from the petition and ignored requests to appear for questioning.

“We reached out to her after our session with Senator Karimi, expecting her to provide further clarification, but she has continuously ignored our invitation,” a senior police source disclosed.

“What is disturbing is how she suddenly abandoned such a serious petition against her colleague. First, she claimed to be outside the country, but a viral video has since surfaced showing her in her constituency. It is difficult to reconcile her claims with the information available to us,” the source added.

The police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further hinted at possible political undertones behind the petition.

“We do not want to meddle in the ongoing power play within the Senate. However, it would be scandalous if she attempted to use the police as a tool in her political battles.”

When asked about the possible next steps, the source stated that his superiors would determine the fate of the petition, which he described as “frivolous.”

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Twelve Inmates Escape in Kotonkarfe Jailbreak

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Twelve inmates have escaped from the Federal Correctional Centre in Kotonkarfe, Kogi State, following an early morning jailbreak on Monday.

Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, described it as “unfortunate” and assured the public that the government, in collaboration with security agencies, was taking measures to prevent a recurrence.

According to Fanwo, law enforcement officers have already re-arrested one of the escapees.

“The theory that the inmates escaped through the tower without causing any structural damage raises serious concerns. This calls for a thorough investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the escape, arrest the fleeing inmates, and identify possible saboteurs within the system,” he stated.

The commissioner further disclosed that Governor Usman Ododo has directed security agencies to ensure that such breaches do not happen again.

“We call on the public to report any suspicious individuals in their communities. Anyone found harbouring an escaped inmate will be held accountable,” Fanwo warned.

Reassuring residents, he added: “There is no cause for panic. We encourage citizens to go about their daily activities as normal, knowing that the security of lives and property remains our top priority.”

Authorities have yet to disclose further details about the escapees or ongoing efforts to apprehend them.

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Trump Ends Legal Status for Over 500,000 Immigrants, Orders Mass Expulsions

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The United States has announced the termination of legal status for over 500,000 immigrants, ordering them to leave the country within weeks, as President Donald Trump pushes forward with what he calls the largest deportation campaign in American history.

The sweeping directive, issued on Friday, affects approximately 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who arrived under a programme launched by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, in October 2022 and later expanded in January 2023.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the affected immigrants will lose their legal protections 30 days after the order is published in the Federal Register on Tuesday. This means they must leave the United States by 24 April, unless they secure another immigration status permitting them to stay.

Welcome.US, an organisation that supports asylum seekers, has urged those impacted to “immediately” seek legal counsel regarding their options.

A Reversal of Biden’s Immigration Policy

The Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) programme, introduced in January 2023, allowed up to 30,000 migrants per month from these nations to enter the United States for two years. The initiative was designed to offer a “safe and humane” alternative to the dangerous crossings at the US-Mexico border, which had seen a surge in arrivals.

However, the DHS reiterated on Friday that the programme was never meant to provide permanent residency.

“Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status, nor does it constitute an admission to the United States,” the agency stated.

Mass Deportations Under Trump

Trump, who has made immigration control a cornerstone of his presidency, has vowed to crack down on migrants—particularly those from Latin America.

Last week, he invoked rare wartime legislation to deport more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, a country that has controversially offered to imprison both migrants and U.S. citizens at a discounted rate.

The latest order signals Trump’s intent to follow through on his hardline immigration policies, raising concerns among human rights advocates about the humanitarian impact of such mass deportations.

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