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2027: There’s An Assassination Plot Against Atiku Abubakar — Timi Frank Alleges

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has alleged a plot to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Frank said the sudden withdrawal of all police personnel attached to Atiku, despite his statutory entitlement as a former vice president, was not only suspicious but part of a wider scheme to expose him to danger.

Frank made this known in a statement on Tuesday.

“No administration since 2007 has ever tampered with Atiku Abubakar’s security despite his consistent role as a major opposition figure. Why now? Why at a time when insecurity is at an all-time high across the country? This action clearly reveals an ulterior motive.”

He stated that the claim that security was being withdrawn broadly from VIPs was a smokescreen, insisting that the main target is Atiku Abubakar.

“This so-called blanket withdrawal is a cover-up. The real objective is to isolate and eliminate Atiku ahead of the 2027 election. The pattern is too obvious to ignore. Atiku, by law, is entitled to police protection as a former vice president. Removing his security at this critical time is deliberate and dangerous,” Frank said.

Frank warned that the move mirrors dangerous political trends across Africa, where incumbent leaders intimidate, arrest, detain, prosecute, and, in extreme cases, eliminate opposition leaders to retain power.

“President Tinubu is now following the disturbing trend in parts of Africa where incumbents use state power to silence their opponents. Atiku has been very vocal in exposing the failures of this administration, and this withdrawal of security is nothing but a political witch-hunt,” he declared.

He challenged the government to prove its claim of a general security withdrawal by also stripping the president’s family members, close associates, and political appointees of their police orderlies and escorts.

“If this directive is truly nationwide, then let the President’s family members, friends, and appointees also lose their security. They are also VIPs. But we know the truth: the main target is Atiku Abubakar, nobody else.”

This comes as the Nigeria Police commenced the withdrawal of 11,566 police officers previously assigned to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) nationwide.

The move followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security to VIPs amid mounting insecurity concerns.

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Ambassadorial List: The Names Being Paraded To Represent Us Are Shocking – Peter Obi Declares

Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has criticised the list of ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu, calling some of the selections “shocking” and reflective of a deteriorating political culture.

On November 29, 2025, Tinubu sent the names of 32 nominees to the legislature, days after forwarding three names in an earlier batch.

Among the nominees were prominent political figures, including former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, ex-aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, former chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, and former governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Obi reacted in a Monday statement posted on 𝕏, questioning the standard behind the selections.

He said, “Yes, some of the names being paraded to represent us as ambassadors globally are shocking.

“But with a leadership that has allowed mediocrity, corruption, and impunity to rise to the top, who else did you expect them to choose?”

The former Anambra governor also tied his criticism to the economic strain affecting millions of households.

He said, “When our people are being killed, our leaders are busy hosting dinners. When children are being snatched from their schools, the political class is celebrating and dancing,” he added.

“When families cannot afford their next meal, those in power are welcoming defectors and exchanging gifts as though Nigeria is not burning.

“This is not governance. This is not leadership. And this is certainly not the Nigeria we deserve.”

The ex-Anambra governor said the suffering in the country has become a pain one carries silently.

He recounted an emotional moment at Abuja airport on Monday, where young Nigerians questioned his recent silence.

Obi added, “It is the kind of pain that makes you remember the humiliating remark from the American president who referred to Nigeria as a ‘now disgraced country’.

“Today, when you look around, you begin to understand why the world speaks of us that way.”

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$490m Abacha Loot: EFCC To Grill Malami Daily In December

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face interrogation daily throughout the month of December at its headquarters in Abuja.

A credible source within the EFCC revealed to Vanguard on Monday that the daily appearance is a mandatory condition of his release and part of an intensive, ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged $490 million Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request.

​Malami, who honored an EFCC invitation on Saturday, November 28, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next month, as the anti-graft agency confiscated his international passport.

The EFCC source stated: ​“We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.

”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.

”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st. He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.

”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”

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​The source explained that the daily reporting is necessary due to the volume and complexity of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against the former Minister.

Investigators are primarily concerned with accountability for the massive repatriated funds. A fact sheet on the former minister indicates that he has multiple issues to clarify.

The source said: “We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.

“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”

The commission cited the large volume of documents Malami must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport and demanding daily appearances.

The EFCC maintained that it would not engage in a “war of words” but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.

Malami, in a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, in Abuja, confirmed his engagement with the EFCC but described the investigation as a “political witch-hunt.”

He confirmed he honored the EFCC invitation on November 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.

Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical, and devoid of substance, insisting they would collapse under factual scrutiny.

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Police Officers Recover Gold Buried By Boko Haram Attack Victim

Borno State police have recovered gold valued at N23.6 million, which a woman reportedly buried in Mallamfatori, Abadam Local Government Area, 15 years ago while fleeing a Boko Haram attack.

According to the woman, she hid the gold in the sand before fleeing the town. She recently returned and reported the matter to the police, asking for help to find the items.

ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, said officers searched the area based on her description.

He said they recovered “22cc of gold valued at about N20m” and “a gold bracelet with a chain worth N3.6m.”

The police said the case shows how insurgency forced many residents to abandon their belongings while escaping violence.

Commissioner of Police Naziru Abdulmajid commended the Mallamfatori Divisional Police Officer and his team for what he called“honesty, professionalism, and integrity.”

He said their actions reflect the values of the Nigeria Police Force and help build public trust.

CP Abdulmajid also restated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging residents to work closely with the police to strengthen security in the state.

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FG, ASUU Enter Talks On 40% Pay Rise

Sources familiar with the development have revealed that the Federal Government has reportedly proposed a 40% salary increase for lecturers in the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The proposal comes as ASUU leadership prepares to return to the negotiation table with the Federal Government delegation headed by Yayale Ahmed.

The union’s decision follows a consensus reached at the National Executive Council  meeting held in Abuja on Sunday.

Branch leaders who attended the meeting are expected to communicate the development to their members nationwide.

Speaking at the end of the NEC meeting, a member who preferred anonymity due to restrictions on media engagement during negotiations, said the union would continue discussions with the government.

“They made a proposal of a 40% salary increment. Branch leaders will go back and update members on the situation. As it stands, negotiations continue with the government next week,” the source said.

ASUU’s one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government ended last Saturday, heightening tension within the academic community of Nigerian public universities.

In a last-minute move to avert a potential strike, the government had summoned ASUU leadership to a meeting in Abuja on Monday, which lasted until Tuesday.

 

Both parties declined to make the discussions public due to strict rules governing the negotiation process.

 

The union had threatened a full-scale strike, citing the government’s “nonchalant” attitude toward its demands.

Key issues include the review of the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government agreement, payment of outstanding salaries and earned allowances, and the disbursement of the university revitalisation fund.

The Minister of Edication, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who is currently out of the country, insisted that the government had met the union’s demands.

Speaking to State House correspondents two weeks ago, Alausa reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s directive that there should be no strike in public universities, emphasizing ongoing negotiations to keep students in school.

“As I told you, the President has mandated us that he doesn’t want ASUU to go on strike, and we’re doing everything humanly possible to ensure that our students stay in school. The last strike they went on for about six days was not really needed. We’ve met literally all their requirements and are back at the negotiation table. We will resolve this,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the umbrella body of labour unions in the country, has expressed support for ASUU and vowed to advocate for the academic community if the government fails to meet its demands.

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P-Square Fraud Trial: No Evidence To Prove Peter Okoye’s Claim That Jude And Paul Okoye Fraudulently Withdrew $800,000 – EFCC Tells Court

On Friday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) informed a Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja that it has no evidence to back Peter Okoye’s claim that his brothers, Jude and Paul Okoye of the former music group P-Square, fraudulently withdrew $800,000.

Peter had petitioned the EFCC in 2024, claiming that Jude diverted funds belonging to P-Square, operated 47 undeclared bank accounts, and manipulated the shareholding structure of Northside Entertainment Ltd., a company jointly owned by the brothers.

The petition led to charges being filed against Jude over alleged financial mismanagement of the P-Square brand.

At the resumed cross-examination on Friday, the EFCC counsel, Mohammed Bashir, told Justice Rahman Oshodi that the commission could not tender evidence supporting the alleged $800,000 withdrawal.

He said, “We do not have it. It is his evidence. Let him prove it. I can’t give what I don’t have.”

Jude and his Northside Music Limited company were arraigned on March 4, 2025, on four counts relating to the alleged stealing and conversion of $1 million and £34,000 in royalties from music digital distribution and publishing.

At the arraignment, the EFCC claimed Jude and Northside Music Limited allegedly converted $767,544.15 of payments made by Lex Records Limited for digital music distribution, intending to permanently deprive Peter of his interest. Jude was granted bail of N50m on March 6, 2025.

During the trial, on May 23, 2025, Peter testified that new evidence showed Jude and Paul withdrew and shared over $800,000 between March 2023 and October 2024. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), he revised the timeline to 2013–2014.

Peter also claimed Jude operated 47 bank accounts and held an 80% stake in Northside Entertainment. The EFCC denied possessing records of the accounts.

Bashir said, “I do not have 47 bank accounts. It is one of the witness’s claims, but I do not have such a copy.”

The defence tendered Corporate Affairs Commission records contradicting Peter’s claim of an 80% stake.

Peter further admitted he only became aware of Northside Music in 2024 when artist Cynthia Morgan sent him her contract on the company’s letterhead, though her albums were credited to Northside Inc.

Justice Oshodi adjourned proceedings to December 12, 2025, for continuation of the trial.

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What Abia Governor, Alex Otti Discussed With Nnamdi Kanu At Sokoto Prison

Alex Otti, the Abia State Governor, has asked the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to stay calm and steadfast as he continues efforts to secure his release.

It was gathered that Otti assured Nnamdi Kanu during a visit to the IPOB leader at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

This was disclosed on Sunday night in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.

Otti, who was accompanied by Abia State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN); Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; and senior officials of the Sokoto State government, told Nnamdi Kanu that the processes he initiated more than two years ago toward resolving the issue had been “heightened despite recent developments.”

The governor encouraged Kanu to “remain calm but strong,” assuring him that the matter “will be resolved administratively” and that he would eventually regain his freedom.

He also expressed satisfaction that the Sultan of Sokoto shared his stance on the need for Kanu’s release and the broader de-escalation of regional tensions.

Responding, Kanu, who was said to be in high spirits during the visit, reportedly expressed gratitude to Otti for the gesture.

He told the governor that his primary interest was good governance and any effort that would improve the well-being of the people.

He also prayed for God’s guidance for Otti and his team as they continue to serve the state.

The Abia government noted that Kanu was “all smiles” during the meeting and appreciative of the renewed efforts to address his situation.

Recall that following Kanu’s sentencing to life imprisonment, Governor Otti had disclosed that efforts to free the IPOB leader were already underway, stressing that a release framework had been quietly activated “during the trial.”

Kanu was imprisoned after being found guilty of terrorism related crimes.

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FG Will Soon Reveal Terrorists And Their Financiers In Coming Days – Presidency Says

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has announced that the Federal Government is prepared to reveal the identities of terrorism financiers in Nigeria in the coming days.

Bwala made this revelation on Sunday during an interview on Television Continental, TVC.

He stated that the Federal Government was making far-reaching decisions, noting that the results will soon be noticeable.

According to him, terrorism is a global issue, stressing that the demand is now on governments across the world to see how they can cooperate with Nigeria.

He added that terrorism became a global issue since the incident of world trade centre in the United States on September 11, 2001.

Bwala further stated that any part where there is terrorism, it is the concern of the rest of the world, stressing that it is the reason Nigeria needs global support to end it.

“They were in the Middle East, and gradually they are coming towards the Sahel to create a hub of terrorism. That is why the demand is now on the world governments to see how they can cooperate with Nigeria.

“At home, the government is making far-reaching decisions, and in the coming days we will know who the terrorists and their financiers are,” he said.

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Alleged $322.5m Abacha Loot: Ex-AGF, Malami Breaks Silence, Rejects EFCC Claims

Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has refuted claims by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) concerning the recovery of the $322.5 million Abacha loot, calling the allegations “baseless, illogical, and devoid of factual foundation.”

Earlier, 626Blaze reported that Malami, who was summoned by the EFCC on Friday, November 28, was later released and given fresh appointment dates for further interrogation.

The EFCC is probing alleged duplication in the recovery of the Abacha loot, alongside accusations of abuse of office and money laundering.

In a statement on Sunday, Malami said the EFCC’s inquiry was premised on the claim that a Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, had completed the recovery before he assumed office in 2015.

He argued that the allegation collapses when compared with documented facts.

According to him, the recovery of illicit funds can only be deemed completed when the money is lodged into the Federation Account. He noted that as of 2016, when the Buhari administration revisited the matter, no such lodgement had been made.

Malami added that several lawyers, including Monfrini, applied in December 2016 to be engaged for the same recovery, an action he said contradicts the idea that the process had been concluded years earlier.

He explained that Monfrini requested a $5 million upfront payment and a 40 per cent success fee, later reduced to 20 per cent, terms the government rejected in line with its policy that no advance deposits should be paid and that fees must not exceed 5 per cent.

Malami said a Nigerian law firm was eventually appointed on a 5 per cent success fee, saving the country between 15 and 35 per cent of the recovered funds, amounting to tens of billions of naira at current exchange rates.

He also clarified that the Abacha recoveries handled under his tenure came in separate tranches:

$322.5 million repatriated from Switzerland between 2017 and 2018, deployed to Conditional Cash Transfers under the National Social Investment Programme, monitored by the World Bank and civil society groups;

$321 million repatriated from Jersey in 2020, earmarked for major infrastructure projects including the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Abuja–Kano Road and the Second Niger Bridge.

Malami said attempts to conflate the tranches or suggest duplication do not reflect the facts.

He maintained that his actions as Attorney General were carried out “transparently and in the public interest,” insisting that the allegations against him lack any reasonable basis.

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Panic As Bandits Strike Again, Abduct Pastor, Wife, Other Worshipers During Church Service In Kogi

On Sunday, November 30, some armed bandits attacked a church service in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting several worshipers.

The attack reportedly occurred at a newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church, according to a community-based news outlet.

Church members dispersed in fear as the assailants advanced, but the church leader, popularly known as Orlando, his wife and several others were taken away during the assault.

The incident triggered widespread panic as worshippers fled the church, adding to growing security concerns across parts of Kogi State.

Only a day earlier, reports said another group of armed men attacked the Isanlu Makutu–Idofin route in Yagba East Local Government Area, forcing residents and travellers to flee to safety. Witnesses said the Saturday afternoon attack created panic throughout the area.

Authorities and community members said the exact number of people abducted on Sunday remains unclear, with further details still emerging.

The wave of attacks has heightened fear in neighbouring communities, prompting many residents to remain indoors, while commuters are diverting to avoid the troubled route.

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