Headlines
Tinubu Heads Off to Rome for Security Meeting
President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to jet out of Abuja today for Rome, to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-Level Meeting, which will focus on tackling the worsening security crisis in West Africa.
His spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.
Onanuga said the high-level summit, scheduled to begin on October 14, will convene African leaders, senior military and intelligence officials, as well as representatives from intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, to deliberate on emerging threats undermining peace and stability in the sub-region.
Launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, the Aqaba Process serves as a global counter-terrorism platform co-chaired by Jordan and the Italian Government.
It seeks to strengthen international collaboration against terrorism and organised crime networks that have increasingly destabilised parts of Africa.
Onanuga stated that the 2025 edition will address the spread of extremist groups in the Sahel, the growing nexus between terrorism and organised crime, and the rising overlap between land-based insurgencies and maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to the Presidency, discussions will centre on practical strategies to counter terror threats both on land and at sea, enhance regional intelligence sharing, and tackle online radicalisation by disrupting digital platforms used for terrorist propaganda and recruitment.
During the visit, President Tinubu is also expected to hold bilateral talks with other world leaders aimed at reinforcing security cooperation and developing collective responses to West Africa’s cross-border challenges.
The President will be accompanied by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; and other senior government officials.
The Aqaba Process remains one of the most influential multilateral efforts promoting global unity in countering violent extremism and ensuring long-term stability in vulnerable regions.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, his son Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife Asabe Bashir in the sum of N200 million each and two sureties in like sum.
As part of the bail conditions, one of the sureties is to deposit title deeds of properties in highbrow Maitama or Asokoro.
The defendants have been ordered to deposit their international passports with the court.
They are to remain in the custody of the Nigerian correctional service pending perfection of their bail conditions.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until March 16 for the commencement of the trial.
Headlines
Israeli Ambassador Accuses Iran of Spreading Terror, Sponsoring Extremist Activities in Nigeria
Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has accused Iran of sponsoring extremist activities in Nigeria and other parts of the world, alleging that Tehran supports groups aimed at destabilising countries while pursuing its hostility against Israel.
Freeman made the remarks on Friday while speaking during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise News.
The envoy claimed that Iran is the only country within the United Nations that openly expresses a desire to destroy another sovereign state, referring to repeated threats against Israel.
According to him, the Iranian government has, over several decades, supported militant groups and terror organisations around the world in pursuit of that objective.
Freeman alleged that Iran has backed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, adding that Tehran was also behind the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel.
He further claimed that Iranian activities aimed at spreading instability have been observed across several regions, including Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa.
Speaking specifically about Nigeria, the Israeli ambassador alleged that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria receives backing from the Iranian government.
According to Freeman, statements of support from Iran’s leadership, including posts by Ali Khamenei on social media, have openly indicated such ties.
He said: “The issue here is about Iran. Iran is the only country in the world, in the United Nations, who expressly desires to wipe another country off the face of the earth. Iran has stated its very policy is to destroy Israel. Is to wipe Israel off the map is to make sure they kill every single person and no regime, no country that has an express desire to destroy Israel, and it’s not only an expressed desire.
“We’ve seen over 47 years, they’ve taken all the actions they can in order for that to happen. We’ve seen them sponsor terror organizations. They were behind October the seventh massacre of Hamas. We’ve seen them sponsoring Hezbollah. We’ve seen them acting in Europe. We’ve seen them acting in Australia. We’ve seen them acting in Nigeria.
“We’ve seen these people acting all across the world in order to spread disturbance for them to try and carry out their aim of destroying Israel, and Israel will not allow another country to have nuclear weapons when they’ve expressly stated they want those weapons to destroy Israel”.
“I think that it is well documented. We know that there are certain movements, for example, the Islamic movement of Nigeria is sponsored and is backed by the Iranian regime. This is not me saying this, we’ve seen that documented by the Iranian regime.
“The Supreme Leader posted on X his support and his backing there. So that’s very open. And there are other areas as well that Iran is working for, destabilizing, not only Nigeria, but all of West Africa.”
No fewer than 140 persons are missing after an Iranian navy ship sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan navy says around 180 people were on board, with 32 rescued.
A spokesperson told the BBC the cause of the sinking was not known. But US Defence Secretary (Secretary of War) said that the US submarine sank Iranian warship with torpedo in Indian Ocean.
Hegseth says that in the Indian Ocean, the US sank “an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters”.
“Instead it was sunk by a torpedo,” he says.
Hegseth did not name the Iranian ship that was attacked.
But earlier, the Sri Lankan navy reported the IRIS Dena went down in the Indian Ocean, with around 140 people on board missing.
Hegseth says “more waves” are coming
This “was never meant to be a fair fight, and it’s not a fair fight”, says Hegseth, adding that the US was punching Iran “while they’re down”.
“More and larger waves are coming, we are just getting started,” he said
Hegseth says Iranian regime are “toast”
Hegseth said the results over the past four days had been “incredible, historic really”.
“They are toast, and they know it,” he said referring to the Iranian regime.
He added that US forces had begun to “hunt, dismantle, demoralise, destroy and defeat” the regime’s capabilities.
He said that Iranian leaders would be looking up and seeing only “US and Israeli air power” until US and Israel decided the war was over.
“America is winning,’” says Hegseth
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said “America is winning, decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.”
“We are only four days in”, he said, but “as Trump has said” the US “will take all the time we need” to make sure the operation is a success.
BBC
