Author: starconnect
By Emmanuel Thomas I Thursday, August 05, 2026 ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately approach the court to vacate an order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government. The President’s directive, issued on Thursday from the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, comes just days before the highly anticipated Osun State gubernatorial election. President Expresses Embarrassment Over Timing In an official State House statement, President Tinubu expressed deep embarrassment over the timing of the anti-graft agency’s action, noting that federal actions are routinely attributed to the presidency regardless…
By Emmanuel Ukudolo I Thursday, August 05,2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s authorization of a graduated salary upward review across the Nigerian Armed Forces represents one of the most substantial nominal restructuring exercises of service remuneration under the Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS) in recent fiscal history. While the political and institutional framing of this policy emphasizes tactical welfare enhancement and frontline equity, a rigorous economic and policy analysis indicates that the nominal surge of eighty percent operates primarily as a delayed compensatory mechanism against profound macroeconomic distortions rather than a transformative enhancement…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, August 05,2026 OSOGBO — The Osun State Government has fiercely debunked claims by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that it froze the state’s bank accounts over an alleged N11 billion fraud, describing the anti-graft agency’s assertion as a “failed attempt to cover up an illegal action through unfounded allegations.” The Allegation: EFCC claimed it froze Osun State’s accounts following an investigation into N11 billion in allegedly looted ecological and state funds. The Response: Information Commissioner Oluomo Kolapo Alimi denied the claims, stating that state funds are fully deployed toward mega projects, sectoral development,…
By SCM International Desk I Wednesday, August 05, 2026 WASHINGTON — Iranian and Omani negotiators have reached a preliminary agreement on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, but officials in Tehran emphasized on Wednesday that the accord will not automatically reopen the crucial oil corridor without sweeping concessions from the United States. Speaking at a news conference in Tehran, Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated that technical coordinates for a divided navigation route had been finalized with Muscat. However, Mr. Baghaei warned that the waterway remains unsafe for international shipping due to ongoing American…
By SCM Correspondent I Wednesday, August 05, 2026 ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has broken its silence over the freezing of the Osun State Government’s bank accounts, clarifying that the action was a preventive measure taken to safeguard public funds following suspicious, heavy movement of money into corporate entities. In an official statement released by the anti-graft agency, the EFCC addressed growing public concern and political tension surrounding the timing of the intervention, coming just ahead of the state’s imminent governorship election.. According to the Commission, its operatives have been quietly conducting a thorough…
By SCM International Desk I Wednesday, August 05.2026 JERUSALEM — A newly surfaced video showing an Israeli soldier tossing a stun grenade into a parked vehicle carrying a Palestinian family has sparked international outrage and renewed scrutiny over military conduct in the occupied West Bank. According to local reports and medical officials, the incident resulted in severe injuries to the occupants, leaving a young Palestinian child permanently blinded in one eye. The footage, which rapidly circulated across social media platforms over the weekend, shows a soldier approaching the passenger side of a stationary car. Without apparent physical provocation,…
By Emmanuel Ukudolo l Wednesday, August 05, 2026 OSOGBO, Osun – As Osun State approaches its crucial governorship election on August 15, the political atmosphere in the “State of the Living Spring” has deteriorated into a battleground where statecraft is being supplanted by institutional intimidation. If these reports represent the reality of federal strategy, Nigeria’s democracy faces a profound institutional crisis. The selective deployment of federal law enforcement to financially strangle a sovereign state ten days before an election is not merely a breach of democratic ethics; it is an existential threat to federalism itself. Ten days before…
Admin I Wednesday,August 05, 2026 ABUJA, Nigeria – Head Coach Uwejamomere Eboboritse has called up a total of 62 players to the camp of Nigeria’s U17 team, Golden Eaglets, as the team commences its screening and training programmes ahead of this year’s WAFU B U17 Championship. The list is made up of five goalkeepers, 18 defenders, 20 midfielders and 19 forwards. The players have been advised to report to camp in Abuja as Eboboritse and his assistants Kalli Mohammed Kachalla and Abdullahi Isa, begin the arduous task of building another world-champion squad, with Nigeria having won the global title…
PAdmin I Wednesday, August 05, 2026 IVORY COAST – Nigeria’s U20 team, Flying Eagles, on Wednesday evening booked their place in the final of the 2026 WAFU B U20 Championship after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over host nation Côte d’Ivoire. The pulsating semi final encounter ended 2-2 after extra time, making the penalty shootout inevitable. The hosts started on the front foot and controlled the tempo from kickoff. They came close to an early opener twice in the 12th and 14th minutes, but Flying Eagles goalkeeper Clinton Lawani was alert and kept Nigeria in the game. The…
. By SCM Admin I Wednesday, August 05, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Access Holdings Plc has published its Sustainability Report for the year ended 31 December 2025 on the Nigerian Exchange Limited, demonstrating how the Group is translating sustainability commitments into measurable business, environmental and social outcomes. The report shows a green asset portfolio of ₦92.14 billion, a 28.47 per cent reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions against its 2022 baseline and expanded access to finance for about 2.53 million low-income individuals. The report reinforces the Group’s strategic shift from scale to value by showing how sustainability is being…