Headlines
How Notorious Terrorist, Three Children Were Killed – Trump
President Trump on Sunday confirmed that the leader of Islamic State has been killed.
A United States special forces-led operation targeted and killed Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in northern Syria overnight, Mr Trump announced in a televised address from the White House. The news comes as Mr Trump was ordering a withdrawal of American troops from the region.
“Last night, the United States brought the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice,” Mr Trump said. “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.”
The American leader said Mr Al-Baghdadi was pursued into the tunnel by American military dogs, “whimpering and crying and screaming all the way.”
The president confirmed that three children of Mr Al-Baghdadi were also killed when the Islamic State leader detonated a suicide vest.
The announcement comes hours after reports spread of Mr Al-Baghdadi’s killing by U.S. forces. Other countries were reported to have provided additional intelligence leading to the raid.
For years, Mr Al-Baghdadi, 48, had terrorised countries with his jihadist campaign, leading different cells of insurgents. Previous reports once said he was killed in American drone strikes, even though he was not as famous as Osama Bin Laden.
He has led Islamic State since 2010, and once boasted from the pulpit of the great medieval mosque in Mosul in 2014, declaring himself the leader of a new caliphate in the Middle-East.
After being away from public glare for a long time, Islamic State released an 18-minute video which included Mr Al-Baghdadi look-alike sitting cross-legged on the ground with an assault weapon.
Mr Trump repeatedly humiliated Mr Al-Baghdad in death, describing him as “sick and depraved.”
He lampooned the terrorist leader and his followers as “losers” and “frightened puppies.”
He advised that the footage of the operation should be released in order to discourage teenagers and would-be members of Islamic State from becoming terrorists.
“He died like a dog,” Mr Trump said. “He died like a coward.”
The Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-2 on penalties to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 third-place playoff on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali proved the hero of the night with two crucial saves during the shootout, including one from Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.
Ademola Lookman then calmly converted the decisive penalty to secure the bronze medal —Nigeria’s ninth third-place finish in AFCON history.
With neither side able to break the deadlock in a cagey second half, the game ended 0-0, sending the contest directly to penalties.
Despite Fisayo Dele-Bashiru missing Nigeria’s first kick, Nwabali’s immediate saved from Egypt’s first two attempts shifted the momentum.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of the son of a former Jigawa State governor, challenging the decision of the trial court, which convicted him for failing to declare $40,000 at Kano airport.
In a unanimous decision, the apex court panel dismissed the appeal of Aminu Sule Lamido, the son of former governor Sule Lamido, for lack of merit.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Aminu on December 11, 2012, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to travel to Cairo, Egypt.
The prosecution said Aminu declared $10,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), but was found with an additional $40,000, which was not disclosed on his currency declaration form.
The EFCC charged him before the Federal High Court in Kano on a one-count offence of false declaration of foreign currency, contrary to provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
On July 12, 2015, the court convicted Aminu and ordered him to forfeit 25 per cent of the undeclared sum to the Federal government.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Aminu approached the Court of Appeal in Kaduna to overturn the conviction and set aside the forfeiture order.
In a judgment delivered on December 7, 2015, however, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered that the trial of former governor Lamido, his two sons, and others, over alleged N1.35billion fraud, should continue before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgments, in the two appeals filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the trial court, which dismissed the no-case submission filed by the Lamidos and held that the defendants had a case to answer.
Both appeals were against the July 25, 2023, judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the no-case submission made by Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge on which they were being prosecuted, on the grounds that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
In the lead judgments of the Supreme Court, Justice Abubakar Umar set aside the July 25, 2023 judgments of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the earlier decision by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which overruled the no-case submissions by Lamido and others and ordered them to enter their defence.
The EFCC, in the 37-count charge, among others, accused Lamido of abusing his position as a governor between 2007 and 2015, allegedly laundering sums of money received as kickbacks from companies that were awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government under his leadership.
The other defendants charged alongside Lamido are his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha; Aminu Wada Abubakar and their companies – Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd.
