Author: Lifestyle & Wellness Desk

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has been taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with an alleged ₦432 billion corruption investigation, with operatives of the Department of State Services reportedly placed on standby. At the same time, uncertainty surrounds Nigeria’s bid to return to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as FIFA is yet to issue a decision on the country’s protest against DR Congo. Elsewhere, police have arrested a suspect following the deaths of two Nollywood crew members on a Lagos film set, the National Assembly is weighing a proposal to shift the date of the 2027 presidential election, and a court has ordered the remand of suspects accused of killing a Nigerian student based in South Africa. El-Rufai detained The anti-graft agency confirmed that El-Rufai honoured an invitation to its Abuja headquarters on Monday and was questioned over allegations linked to a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The report accused his administration of mismanaging loans, breaching due process in contract awards, and pushing the state into significant debt between 2015 and 2023. He remained in custody as of late Monday, with officials declining to comment on possible charges. Investigators said the probe follows recommendations by the state assembly, which alleged that hundreds of billions of naira were misappropriated during El-Rufai’s tenure. The former governor has repeatedly rejected the claims, describing them as politically motivated and insisting that all borrowed funds were properly applied to development projects. Fresh criminal charges In a related development, the Federal Government has filed criminal charges against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged unlawful interception of communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The charges stem from remarks El-Rufai made during a televised interview in which he claimed to have knowledge of intercepted calls. No date has yet been fixed for his arraignment. Dadiyata case revisited Separately, the DSS has reopened investigations into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a government critic who vanished in Kaduna. Security sources said El-Rufai and his sons are being investigated in connection with the case, while his passport was reportedly seized to prevent foreign travel. El-Rufai has denied any involvement, maintaining that he neither knew Dadiyata nor had reason to target him. Protests and reactions The developments sparked protests in Abuja and Kaduna, with demonstrators both demanding accountability and expressing support for the former governor. Civil society groups called for the judicial process to be allowed to run its course, while EFCC officials said the agency would act strictly within the law. Human rights advocates also renewed calls for accountability over alleged abuses during El-Rufai’s eight years in office, urging thorough investigations and justice for victims. As multiple probes unfold ranging from alleged financial misconduct to cybercrime and a reopened disappearance case El-Rufai faces one of the most serious legal challenges confronting a former governor in recent years. His political future now hinges on the outcome of investigations and court proceedings, as the country edges closer to another election cycle.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restated Nigeria’s support for the rapid implementation of the revitalised peace agreement in South Sudan, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the country’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, along with other detained opposition leaders. This position was conveyed in a statement issued on Monday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President). According to the statement, Tinubu’s message was delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan, also known as the C-5 Plus Summit, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. The meeting was chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Tinubu urged the South Sudanese authorities to free Machar and other opposition figures without conditions and called for the convening of an inclusive national dialogue and reconciliation forum. He appealed to all parties to engage constructively in mediation efforts without preconditions. He said Nigeria aligns with other African countries in acknowledging the South Sudanese people’s aspirations for peace, sustainable development, and a swift end to the conflict. The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity and its citizens in achieving lasting peace and development. He emphasised that national unity and consensus among political leaders are essential for progress, stressing that inclusive, peaceful, and transparent elections are critical to building trust in the country’s future leadership. Tinubu also highlighted Nigeria’s involvement in the Regional Partnership for Democracy and warned that ongoing insecurity and political tensions continue to undermine South Sudan’s transitional processes, including security sector reforms and constitution drafting. In his remarks, President Ramaphosa praised African leaders for their resolve to resolve the crisis, noting that implementation of the revitalised peace agreement remains slow, eight years after its adoption. He described the C-5 Plus Summit as a clear demonstration of collective commitment to securing a lasting solution for South Sudan. Similarly, Djibouti’s President and Chairman of IGAD, Ismail Omar Guelleh, reaffirmed the regional bloc’s dedication to peace in South Sudan and proposed the appointment of a lead mediator to oversee implementation and address emerging challenges. Other participants at the summit included the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf; the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali; the President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune; as well as representatives from Chad, Rwanda, and other countries. In a related development, Nigeria pledged comprehensive infrastructural and operational support for the Combined Maritime Task Force in the Gulf of Guinea. Tinubu said Nigeria would provide office facilities, vessels, helicopters, and temporary personnel to strengthen the task force’s capacity to combat transnational organised crime and improve maritime security in the region.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, alongside the 30th AU General Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Vice President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, confirmed this in a statement issued on Sunday night. The summit, held on Friday and Saturday, focused on the theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” bringing together African leaders to deepen commitments to sustainable water management, improved sanitation, and the continent’s long-term development blueprint under Agenda 2063. During the summit, Shettima took part in high-level side events and bilateral meetings with political and business leaders, aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, and strategic relations across Africa. He also met with António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who encouraged Nigeria to play a leading role in Africa’s push for a restructured global order, noting the country’s strategic position on the continent. At a side event titled “Building Africa’s Health Security Sovereignty,” the Vice President called for African countries to reduce dependence on foreign aid and develop self-reliant health systems. He stressed the need to protect the health of Africans from the uncertainties of distant supply chains and shifting global crisis priorities. Records show that Shettima has spent a total of 73 days outside the country, visiting 16 nations across 22 trips. He has travelled more than 43,000 nautical miles, equivalent to about 79,000 kilometres, and logged over 93 flight hours. His foreign visits have included trips to Italy, Russia, South Africa, Cuba, China, the United States, Switzerland, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Guinea.

The United Kingdom was the leading source of capital inflows into Nigeria in the third quarter of 2025, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. Figures from the NBS capital importation reports for the second and third quarters of 2025, shared on its official X platform on Monday, indicate that inflows from the United Kingdom amounted to $2.94bn, accounting for 48.80 per cent of total capital imported during the period. The United States ranked second with $950.47m, representing 15.80 per cent, while the South Africa contributed $773.95m, or 12.87 per cent. Other major sources included Mauritius with $451.46m and the Netherlands with $282.90m. The NBS noted that the data, obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria, reflect fresh capital inflows through commercial banks and exclude other elements of foreign direct investment, such as reinvested earnings. The rebound in capital importation during the third quarter points to renewed interest from foreign investors, driven largely by short-term portfolio investments in money market instruments and government bonds. Analysts, however, caution that the relatively small share of foreign direct investment indicates that long-term, productive capital inflows remain limited compared with short-term funds. Overall, the trend underscores Nigeria’s increasing attractiveness to portfolio investors while highlighting the need for policies that encourage more stable, long-term investments to support sustainable economic growth.

Former US President Barack Obama has sparked renewed global conversation about extraterrestrial life after a resurfaced interview clip went viral on X on Saturday. In the widely shared video, Obama acknowledged the possibility of alien life, while making clear he has never personally encountered any extraterrestrials. “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” Obama said. “They’re not being kept at Area 51. There’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the President of the United States.” The comments align with Obama’s longstanding public stance on the subject. During and after his two terms in office, he has maintained that although he did not come across evidence of alien spacecraft or beings while in the White House, the vastness of the universe makes the existence of life beyond Earth statistically plausible.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has instituted legal action against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over its alleged failure to account for about N3 trillion in public funds, including over N629 billion reportedly paid to “unknown beneficiaries” under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme. In a statement issued on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the suit was prompted by findings contained in the 2025 annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on September 9, 2025. The case, filed last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/250/2026, seeks an order of mandamus compelling the CBN to explain the whereabouts of the alleged missing or diverted funds and provide detailed accounts of how the money was spent. According to the suit, filed by lawyers Oluwakemi Agunbiade and Valentina Adegoke on behalf of SERAP, the Auditor-General reported that the CBN failed in 2022 to remit over N1.44 trillion in operating surplus due to the Federal Government into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, raising concerns that the funds may have been diverted. The report also alleged that more than N629 billion disbursed under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme—an initiative designed to support farmers and boost food production—was paid to beneficiaries whose identities remain unknown. The Auditor-General warned that the failure to recover the funds may have worsened food security challenges in the country. SERAP further cited other alleged irregular expenditures by the apex bank, including N125 billion on intervention projects said to lack National Assembly approval, N1.79 billion used to procure 43 vehicles for the Nigeria Immigration Service without proper documentation, and contract awards worth over N189 billion with variations exceeding N9 billion. It also referenced the alleged failure of the CBN’s Katsina branch to recover more than N90 million in COVID-19 intervention loans granted to small and medium enterprises. The organisation argued that the allegations point to serious breaches of public trust and contraventions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the CBN Act, and anti-corruption regulations. It relied on provisions of the Financial Regulations 2009 and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which empower citizens to seek judicial enforcement of accountability measures. SERAP maintained that Nigerians are entitled to know how public funds are managed and urged the court to grant its application in the interest of transparency, restitution, and prevention of future violations. No date has been scheduled for the hearing of the suit.

The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will close operations on Monday, February 16, 2026, in observance of Presidents’ Day. The diplomatic mission disclosed this in a notice posted on its official X account on Sunday, informing the public of the temporary closure. Presidents’ Day, a federal holiday in the United States, is marked annually on the third Monday of February. The embassy explained that the holiday was initially created to commemorate the birthday of George Washington but has since grown to honour all American presidents and their contributions to the nation’s history. The mission added that the day also recognises the broader impact of U.S. presidents on global affairs. In a related message, the embassy noted that Washington established the first “Badge of Military Merit,” which later evolved into the Purple Heart medal an award that still features his likeness.

Homeowners in Surulere Community, Amikanle, near the Command area of Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State, are counting their losses after suspected landgrabbers, popularly known as Omo Onile, allegedly demolished several buildings and demanded millions of naira from property owners. Residents said the group invaded the community on January 27, 2026, demanding between N15 million and N25 million from landlords. Those who failed to comply reportedly had their properties pulled down. Investigations indicate that no fewer than 50 structures, including residential buildings, shops and perimeter fences, were destroyed. Community members alleged that about 300 hoodlums stormed the area, claiming they were acting on court documents from the Federal Housing Authority authorising them to collect payments for property renewal, with threats of demolition for non-compliance. A relative of one of the affected landlords, who identified himself simply as Oluwafewa, alleged that security operatives accompanied the group during the operation, which he said lasted about two weeks. “The thugs asked the landlords to obtain a form costing N100,000. They then demanded an initial payment of N5 million, with an additional N10 million to be paid later. They charged different amounts for different houses. Some were asked to pay N25 million, but they demanded N15 million from my parents,” he said. He added that the group claimed ownership of the estate, though the Federal Housing Authority had reportedly distanced itself from the demolition and asked them to desist. During a visit to the community, security personnel were observed stationed nearby, while some of the suspected hoodlums were seen around demolished structures. A community member, who spoke anonymously, alleged that the group assaulted a resident who attempted to film their activities on the first day of the invasion, nearly destroying his phone. Another resident said the issue had persisted for years. He claimed that his uncle lost his property about a decade ago after being unable to meet a N5 million demand at the time. Residents last week staged a peaceful protest at the site of the demolished buildings, carrying placards and calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other state leaders to intervene. One protester said roofs were removed from some buildings and that repeated complaints to authorities had yielded no response. An official of the Federal Housing Authority, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the demolition as illegal and said the agency did not authorise the operation. The official added that staff sent to assess the situation were chased away by the suspected landgrabbers. “We have written to the Commissioner of Police and the Lagos State Taskforce. Our officials were sent to the scene, but they were driven away,” the source said. When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident but promised to make inquiries. She had yet to provide further updates as of the time of filing this report.

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, marking the arrival of a replacement crew after an earlier-than-planned evacuation triggered by a medical issue. The US space agency is targeting February 13 for the launch of the Crew-12 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with lift-off scheduled for 5:15 a.m. local time (10:15 GMT). The pre-dawn launch had been postponed by two days due to unfavorable weather conditions along the US East Coast, including strong winds that could have affected emergency procedures. If the mission proceeds as planned, the spacecraft is expected to dock with the orbiting ISS at around 3:15 p.m. on Saturday. Crew-12 includes American astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The four have been in pre-flight quarantine at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They will replace Crew-11, which returned to Earth in January about a month earlier than scheduled, marking the first medical evacuation in the space station’s history. Since then, the ISS has been maintained by a reduced crew of three. NASA has not released details about the health issue that led to the early return. Orbiting about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth, the ISS has been continuously inhabited for nearly 25 years. The ageing space laboratory is expected to be decommissioned around 2030, when it will be guided into Earth’s atmosphere to fall into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean. Despite broader geopolitical tensions, the ISS has remained a rare platform for cooperation between Western nations and Russia, even after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Still, those tensions have occasionally surfaced. In November, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, who had been slated for Crew-12, was abruptly removed from the mission. Russian media reported he had been reassigned over security concerns, while the space agency Roscosmos said only that he had been moved to a different role. He was replaced by Fedyaev, who previously served aboard the ISS during Crew-6 in 2023. Over their eight-month stay, the Crew-12 astronauts will carry out a range of scientific experiments, including studies on how microgravity affects the human body. Meir, a former marine biologist known for her research on life in extreme environments, will serve as mission commander. Adenot will become the second French woman to travel to space, following Claudie Haigneré, who flew aboard the Mir space station. Adenot has said watching Haigneré’s launch as a teenager inspired her own path to spaceflight. Among other projects, Adenot will test a new system that combines artificial intelligence and augmented reality to enable astronauts to perform medical ultrasound scans on themselves while in orbit.

A U.S. Marine of Nigerian heritage, Chukwuemeka Oforah, has been confirmed dead after falling overboard from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima while it was operating in the Caribbean Sea. The 21-year-old Florida native, who served as a lance corporal and infantry rifleman, reportedly went overboard on the evening of February 7, 2026, during routine operations. He was declared dead on February 10 after an extensive search effort failed to locate him. The circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation by the U.S. military. Oforah’s death is the first publicly known American fatality linked to Operation Southern Spear, an initiative launched under President Donald Trump aimed at disrupting drug-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. Oforah enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in October 2023 and completed his recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in February 2024. In a statement, the Marine Corps offered condolences to his family, noting that details surrounding how he fell from the ship were still unclear. Colonel Tom Trimble, commanding officer of the Marine Expeditionary Unit, said the loss was deeply felt across the Navy-Marine Corps team, adding that Oforah’s service and dedication would not be forgotten. The military said the search operation involved five naval vessels and 10 aircraft. Operation Southern Spear, which began in 2025, focuses on intercepting and disabling suspected drug-trafficking boats. Since September of that year, the mission has carried out dozens of strikes against suspected trafficking vessels. Oforah’s death is the first confirmed loss of a U.S. service member connected to the operation.