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Senate Confirms Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri, 62 Others As Ambassadorial Nominees

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The Senate on Thursday confirmed 64 ambassadorial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, including a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.

The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which said all the nominees were screened and found suitable for appointment.

The exercise came 48 hours after the upper chamber confirmed three non-career ambassadorial nominees — Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State), and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke (Oyo State)—bringing the total number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.

Among those cleared on Thursday were a former Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; a former Special Adviser on New Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri; a former presidential aide, Ita Enang; and a former senator, Grace Bent.

Others include a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; a former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and a former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu.

In all, the confirmed nominees comprise 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners, and 30 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.

Presenting the committee’s report, its chairman, Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), said none of the nominees had petitions against them and that all were found worthy based on their qualifications, experience, and conduct.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, congratulated the appointees and urged them to represent Nigeria positively in their respective postings.

The confirmation came days after the Senate dismissed claims circulating on social media that petitions had been submitted against some nominees, including Fani-Kayode and Omokri.

The Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, had said no petition or formal complaint was received by the upper chamber, insisting that the screening process involved detailed engagement with the nominees and not a mere “take a bow and go” exercise.

Speaking to PUNCH Online, he said, “I am telling you that we didn’t receive petitions from anybody, organisation, or legal entity. Not even from any faceless, outlawed, and rogue element. There was no petition against any nominee.”

Tinubu had transmitted an expanded list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate on December 4 in a bid to fill long-vacant diplomatic posts and reposition Nigeria’s foreign missions.

The transmission followed months of delay after all Nigerian envoys were recalled in 2023, a situation that had generated debate over Nigeria’s diplomatic representation abroad.

With the confirmations now complete, the confirmed ambassadors are expected to be posted to key global capitals and international organisations in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities.

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How 2018 Federal Legal Advice Exonerated Saraki In Offa Robbery Case

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In light of the Kwara State Government’s fresh prosecution of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his successor over the Offa robbery, fresh facts have emerged on why the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. E. U. (Etsu Umar) Mohammed gave the duo a clean bill of health.

The Federal Director of Public Prosecutions cleared former Senate President Bukola Saraki of involvement in the Offa bank robbery in 2018, citing no evidence of a connection.

It was gathered that the DPP reviewed a 16-page police report prepared and signed by Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and then head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) at Force Headquarters, Abuja. The report detailed investigations into the April 5, 2018, multiple bank robbery attack in Offa, Kwara State.

The DPP in his first report dated June 22, 2018 and signed on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, prepared a five page legal advice in which he noted in paragraph 5 (f) that “for the Senate President (Saraki) and the Kwara State Governor (Ahmed), his office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects. Hence, it is our advice that further and thorough investigation in this regard be carried out”.

Following the submission of a second report by the police investigating team to his office on July 27, 2018, the DPP prepared a second legal advice, which was dated August 23, 2018. The three-page legal advice also has only three paragraphs.

In paragraph 3 (vi), he noted that “with regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide punishable with death”.

Both legal advices had recommended six people for prosecution. They are: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Ibrahim, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran, and Michael Adiukwu.

One of the suspects, Michael Adiukwu, later died in police custody, while the other five had since been tried at the High Court in Ilorin.

During the trial, the suspects revealed how they were coerced into incriminating Senator Bukola Saraki.

They mentioned several inducements dangled before them, including money and the promise of a visa to travel out of the country.

The suspects have since been convicted and their convictions confirmed by the Court of Appeal. The matter is now pending before the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

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₦400m Ransom Demanded As Gunmen Abduct Another Kwara Ruler

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Terrorists have abducted a traditional ruler in Olayinka community, located in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Salman Olátúnjí Aweda and are demanding a ₦400 million ransom for his release.

The abduction occurred on April 18, 2026, when armed men, suspected to be militia herdsmen, invaded the community and took the monarch, his wife, and another resident into the forest.

According to JomogNews, residents who witnessed the incident said the terrorists, numbering over 10, invaded the monarch’s residence around Saturday midnight, forced the door open, and abducted him alongside another person in the house.

The assailants reportedly led both victims into the bush.

Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Mr Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, visited the community on Saturday on a sympathy visit and assured residents that efforts were underway to secure the monarch’s release.

“We are deeply concerned about this incident, and we are taking swift and decisive action in collaboration with security agencies,” he said.

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Living Faith Church Founder Declares Week Of Vengeance Against Insecurity Sponsors

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Bishop David Oyedepo, General Overseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide, has declared that bandits and their sponsors will face divine judgment and retribution within seven days.

Speaking on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during a service themed “Covenant Day of Vengeance” at the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, the cleric stated that those responsible for killings and kidnappings would face imminent consequences.

“I declare judgement on those who caused these tragedies and their supporters in the name of Jesus,” he said.

The cleric further asserted that divine retribution would occur within a short timeframe.

“Unless I am not sent, this will happen in the next seven days,” he added.

Oyedepo also expressed confidence that Nigerians would soon witness outcomes of what he described as divine intervention, noting that the coming days would bring “testimonies of vengeance.”

 

 

 

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