Author: starconnect
SCM Entertainment Desk I Tuesday, Sept 15, 2025 LONDON — A British Crown Court has scheduled a trial for early 2027 in the high-profile criminal case against Iweh Pascal Odinaka, the influential Nigerian dancer and hypeman professionally known as Poco Lee, following serious sexual offense allegations in London. Appearing before the Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Odinaka did not enter a plea as proceedings were adjourned. The presiding judge fixed the entertainer’s formal plea hearing for February 8, 2027, with a full trial scheduled to begin on March 8, 2027. Odinaka, 29, remains…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 IBADAN — The Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA), in a joint operation with security operatives, has impounded ten cows following illegal open grazing and environmental nuisance in the Arola community, Apete area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The early morning crackdown was initiated following a formal petition submitted by local residents. The petition raised serious concerns regarding cattle rearing within the densely populated residential community, citing indiscriminate disposal of animal waste, severe noise, air pollution, and unchecked open grazing. Acting on the distress calls, the enforcement…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 ABUJA — In a double legal victory for Nigeria’s security agencies, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the powers of the Nigeria Police Force to prosecute transnational criminal suspect Prince Okoro Nkemakolam, while simultaneously voiding a High Court judgment delivered against the Nigerian Army over an alleged fundamental rights violation. The appellate court, in two separate judgments delivered by a three-man panel led by Justice Okon Abang, ruled in favor of statutory provisions curbing interlocutory delays in criminal prosecution and reinforced the constitutional guarantee to a fair…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 AWKA — Former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has strongly debunked recent claims made by the Anambra State Government regarding inherited debts, contractor liabilities, and unpaid civil servant entitlements. Describing the claims as “phantom debts” and political fallacies, Obi insisted that his administration left office with a completely clean financial sheet, zero contractor debts for certified projects, and over ₦75 billion in total savings and investments. The controversy stems from statements credited to the current state administration led by Governor Charles Soludo, asserting that the Obi…
By SCM International Desk I Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 GENEVA — A United Nations fact-finding panel has held the United States responsible for an airstrike that hit a wedding reception in southern Iran earlier this month, an attack that left five civilians dead—including two children and a woman—and dozens of others injured. The findings, released by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, represent the most direct international accountability assessment yet concerning the Sept. 1 strike in the coastal city of Kuhestak. The determination comes amid intensifying scrutiny over the civilian toll from expanded U.S. military operations across…
By SCM International Desk I Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 JERUSALEM — Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reaffirmed his long-held rejection of a sovereign Palestinian state, arguing that Israel must maintain unyielding military authority across the entire region from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River while annexing major portions of the occupied West Bank. Speaking on the strategic vision for the region’s future, the former prime minister insisted that a traditional two-state framework would lead to catastrophic consequences for Israeli security. ”At the end of the day, Israel must have absolute security control from the sea to…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 ABUJA — In a decisive move aimed at dispelling speculations of internal party realignments, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has declared that it will not endorse or participate in any political alliance or arrangement capable of undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general elections. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) governors also affirmed their total commitment to ensuring victory for all candidates fielded by the party across every tier of government during the next electoral cycle. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday following a closed-door meeting…
Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 LAGOS — The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC Mr. Peter Obi, has declared that he has no objection to the public release or legal scrutiny of his academic credentials, including his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Obi made the clarification in a statement issued following social media reports regarding a legal action filed by an individual seeking Certified True Copies (CTCs) of his 1984 Philosophy degree certificate, admission records, and related academic transcripts. Directly addressing the authority of his alma mater, Obi urged…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, Sept 14, 2026 AWKA — Stakeholders and public commentators in Anambra State have called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo and members of his cabinet to redirect their energy toward governance, fulfill their campaign promises, and cease constant political friction with former governor and Labour Party leader, Mr. Peter Obi. The call comes amid growing public discontent over persistent rhetoric targeted at Peter Obi by officials of the Anambra State Government. Critics argue that the administration ought to prioritize delivering on the grand economic agenda promised to the people of the state rather than engaging…
By SCM International Desk I Monday, Sept 14, 2026 WASHINGTON — U.S. Army AH-64E Guardian attack helicopters targeted and struck two Iranian fishing vessels in the waters off southern Iran, according to Iranian regional officials and local Iranian news reports. The incident took place approximately 12 nautical miles from Larak Island and 30 nautical miles off the coast of Bandar Kargan in Minab County, a coastal zone situated along the strategic Strait of Hormuz in Iran’s Hormozgan Province. Local Iranian state media and officials in Hormozgan Province reported that several fishermen were missing in the immediate aftermath of the…