Headlines
Unlawful Imprisonment: Kanu Sues NIA DG, Demands N20bn
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has sued the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, for imprisoning him (Kanu) in Kenya for eight days, before his extradition to Nigeria.
The special counsel to the IPOB leader, Alloy Ejimakor, disclosed this on Wednesday morning, via his Twitter handle, were he posted a pictures containing the suit filed, where he described Kanu’s detention in Kenya as “false imprisonment.”
Ejimakor said the suit was prompted by new evidence gathered implicating the DG beyond the “infamous extraordinary rendition.”
Ejimakor said, “Yesterday (Wednesday) I filed a suit against Ahmed Abubakar, the DG of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for his eight days ‘false imprisonment’ of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in discovered evidence that implicated the DG/NIA beyond the infamous extraordinary rendition.”
According to the suit, the court gave Abubakar 14 days to appear or be represented in court, adding that failure to show up would mean that judgment would be given in the DG’s absence.
The suit filed in the High Court of Abia State reads in part, “You are hereby commanded that within 14 days after the service of this Writ on you inclusive of the day of such service, you do cause an appearance to be entered for you in the Umuahia Judicial Division of the High Court in Abia State in an action at this suit of Mazi Nnnamdi Kanu….and take notice that in default of your so doing, the claimant may proceed therein and judgment may be given in your absence.
“The claimant’s claim is for (i) A declaration of this Honorable Court that the defendant’s arrest of the claimant and his imprisonment of the claimant at said location in Nairobi, Kenya amounted to false arrest and false imprisonment.
“(ii) A declaration that the defendant acted in bad faith and/or abused his public office in falsely imprisoning the claimant at the said location in Kenya. (iii) An order of this Honorable Court directing the defendant to pay the claimant the sum of N20,000,000,000.00 (Twenty Billion Naira only) being general and exemplary damages…”
This comes just few days after Kanu’s N20bn suit against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami was thrown out by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Punch
President Bola Tinubu has held a private meeting with suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara in London, as part of efforts to resolve the political crisis rocking the oil-rich state, according to The Africa Report.
The paper reported that the meeting took place last week following Tinubu’s departure from Paris, and that the talks were initiated at Fubara’s request, amid his growing efforts to regain his position following his suspension and the imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
During the meeting, Fubara reportedly pledged to make certain concessions in a bid to ease tensions. A senior presidential adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that negotiations are still ongoing but suggested that Fubara’s suspension is likely to be lifted before the six-month period elapses.
Another aide to the president indicated that Fubara is considering joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that could improve his standing with the presidency and enhance Tinubu’s political influence in the state. “If Fubara joins the APC, the president’s chances of winning Rivers State will increase significantly,” the aide noted.
Notably absent from the London talks was former Rivers Governor and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who is reportedly uneasy about being sidelined in the reconciliation process. However, President Tinubu is expected to facilitate a broader meeting involving Fubara, Wike, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to find a lasting resolution to the impasse.
Pope Francis has died, the Vatican has announced in a video statement.
The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88 at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) on Monday, said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.
Francis had suffered various ailments in his 12 year papacy, with severe complications in recent weeks after a bout of double pneumonia for which he spent five weeks in hospital.
His death comes one day after a brief appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass.
Source: Aljazeera
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that Nigeria faces significant uncertainty in its economic outlook despite wide-ranging reforms.
It, however, noted that the gains are yet to benefit all Nigerians with poverty and food insecurity remaining high.
Concluding its 2025 Article IV Consultations with Nigeria’s public policy executives during the week, IMF’s team, led by Axel Schimmelpfennig, its mission chief for Nigeria, acknowledged that Nigeria has taken important steps to stabilize the economy, enhance resilience, and support growth.
The IMF team had met with Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Yemi Cardoso, senior government and central bank officials, the Ministry of Environment, the private sector, academia, labour unions, and civil society.
Although the IMF representatives said these reforms have put Nigeria in a better position to navigate the external environment, the macroeconomic outlook remains marked by significant uncertainty.
They said that the elevated global risk sentiment and lower oil prices would impact the Nigerian economy.
They, therefore, recommended that macroeconomic policies need to further strengthen buffers and resilience, reduce inflation, and support private sector-led growth.
The final report of the consultations stated: “The Nigerian authorities have taken important steps to stabilize the economy, enhance resilience, and support growth.
‘‘The financing of the fiscal deficit by the central bank has ceased, costly fuel subsidies were removed, and the functioning of the foreign exchange market has improved.
‘‘Gains have yet to benefit all Nigerians as poverty and food insecurity remain high.
‘‘The outlook is marked by significant uncertainty. Elevated global risk sentiment and lower oil prices impact the Nigerian economy.
‘‘The reforms since 2023 have put the Nigerian economy in a better position to navigate this external environment. ‘‘Looking ahead, macroeconomic policies need to further strengthen buffers and resilience, while creating enabling conditions for private sector-led growth.
“The authorities communicated to the mission that they will implement the 2025 budget in a manner that is responsive to the decline in international oil prices. A neutral fiscal stance would support monetary policy to bring down inflation.
‘‘To safeguard key spending priorities, it is imperative that fiscal savings from the fuel subsidy removal are channeled to the budget.
‘‘In particular, adjustments should protect critical, growth-enhancing investment, while accelerating and broadening the delivery of cash transfers under the World Bank-supported program to provide relief to those experiencing food insecurity.
“A tight monetary policy stance is required to firmly guide inflation down. The Monetary Policy Committee’s data-dependent approach has served Nigeria well and will help navigate elevated macroeconomic uncertainty.
‘‘Announcing a disinflation path to serve as an intermediate target can help anchor inflation expectations.”
