Allegations of corruption have surfaced in Nigeria following revelations that the government, through the office of the National Security Advisor, is preparing to pay a staggering $9 million to a U.S. lobbying firm in an effort to improve its image in Washington. This move comes amidst a turbulent period of violence and insecurity in Nigeria’s southeast, as well as mounting frustration over the government’s handling of the crisis. Insiders allege that the Nigerian government is justifying this hefty lobbying expenditure by claiming it is a response to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) hiring its own lobbyist in the United States. However, investigations reveal a stark disparity: while IPOB reportedly paid less than $70,000 for its lobbying efforts, the government’s proposed contract is more than one hundred times larger. Furthermore, evidence suggests that Nigeria began negotiations with its chosen lobbyists before IPOB hired theirs, undermining official claims and fueling suspicions of dishonesty. Questions have also been raised about the contract’s structure. The $9 million deal is being funneled through a law firm in Kaduna, rather than being handled directly by the government’s own Ministry of Justice, which possesses the necessary legal expertise. Critics argue that this arrangement opens the door for further financial impropriety, speculating that the law firm itself could receive more than $10 million, money that could be diverted for personal gain by officials involved. Observers and activists have condemned the plan, describing it as evidence of entrenched corruption reminiscent of past regimes. Many are left wondering why such enormous sums are being spent on foreign lobbying when these resources could instead be used to address the root causes of unrest in southeastern Nigeria. Suggestions for local solutions, such as compensation for victims, amnesty, or dialogue with community leaders, have been sidelined in favor of costly image management campaigns abroad. The situation has caused widespread disillusionment. As Nigeria faces continued violence and hardship, citizens are demanding greater accountability and a redirection of funds toward genuine peace-building initiatives. The controversy over the lobbying contract has become a stark symbol of broader frustrations with government priorities and persistent allegations of corruption at the highest levels. Source: Apexnewsgh.com

Sudan’s military-led government has returned to the country’s capital after nearly three years of operating from its wartime base in the eastern city of Port Sudan. Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris told reporters on Sunday that the “government of hope” was officially back in Khartoum and would begin efforts to improve services for the city’s beleaguered residents. The military was forced out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) when civil war erupted between the two sides in 2023. The army recaptured it in a significant breakthrough last March. Khartoum has been recovering from years of fighting. Roughly five million fled the city at the height of the conflict, according to the UN. Those unwilling or unable to leave described a brutal RSF occupation, which included mass looting and fighters taking over civilian homes. Huge swathes of the city lie in ruins. In October, UN official Ugochi Daniels reported that basic services were “barely functioning”. On Sunday, Idris said the government would work on improving electricity, water, healthcare and education in Khartoum. He also declared that 2026 would be a “year of peace” for Sudan, where at least 150,000 people have died since the war erupt. The UN has described the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and around 12 million people have been forced from their homes. The war began after the head of the army, General Abdel Fattah-al Burhan fell out with his deputy and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leading to a vicious struggle for power. Both the RSF and the Sudanese military have been accused of committing atrocities throughout the conflict. International efforts to broker peace have failed and both sides are backed by foreign powers who have poured weapons into the country. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has come under particular scrutiny recently over allegations of supporting the RSF, which it strongly denies. Source: bbc.com

The Bola Tinubu administration has confirmed that Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) and the military made direct contact with the armed bandits responsible for abducting 38 worshippers from a church in Eruku, Kwara State, leading to the victims’ safe release. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, shared details of the operation during an interview on Arise Television. He explained that security agencies reached out to the kidnappers with a firm demand for the immediate and unconditional release of the captives. “After the incident happened, the DSS and the military were involved in the rescue efforts. They got in contact with the bandits to release those people unharmed, and finally, on Sunday, they were able to get them out,” Onanuga stated. According to Onanuga, the bandits complied due to their awareness of the grave consequences of defying government orders. He further noted that while security forces have advanced methods to track armed groups, operational caution is often exercised to prevent endangering hostages, who are frequently used as human shields. Pressed on the absence of a direct military confrontation, Onanuga emphasized that the government’s overriding priority was the safe return of the abducted worshippers. “The first thing the government must do is get those people freed. That objective has been achieved. The next level of action is for the security agencies, and I don’t want to pre-empt them,” he said. All 38 abducted individuals were reportedly rescued alive, though officials have withheld further details about the operation or subsequent steps against the perpetrators. The high-profile Eruku abduction has heightened public anxiety over insecurity in Kwara South and nearby regions, fueling calls for enhanced intelligence and improved community protection. Source: Apexnewsgh.com

At least 53 people, including 14 children and 15 women, have been killed in an attack on a displacement shelter in a besieged city in North Darfur. The Sudan Doctors’ Network said Sudanese paramilitaries were behind the shelling attack, which also wounded another 21 people, including five more children. The strike by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit the al Arqam Home, which shelters displaced families in Al Fashir, the capital of North Darfur province, the group said. The attack, late on Friday, was the latest deadly onslaught on Al Fashir, which has been for months the epicentre of the war between the Sudanese military and the paramilitaries. A spokesperson for the doctors’ network – a group of medical professionals tracking the Sudanese civil war – described the attack as a “massacre”. A statement said: “This massacre represents a continuation of the scorched-earth policy practised by the Rapid Support Forces against civilians, in flagrant violation of all international norms and laws.” Al Fashir is being targeted by the RSF as it pushes to claim full control of the Darfur region as a base for its parallel government, after the military recaptured the capital Khartoum and other key sites in central Sudan. Close to a million people are facing famine in Al Fashir and surrounding camps, as the RSF enforces a full blockade, launching armed attacks on volunteers and aid workers risking their lives to bring in food. Inside the city, thousands are bombarded by almost daily shelling from surrounding RSF troops. | Reuters (Pic): Families displaced by RSF attacks have been forced into shelters across North Darfur, such as this one in the town of Tawila The RSF has physically reinforced its siege with a berm – a raised earth mound. First spotted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, the berm is visible from space. The city, the Sudanese military’s last stronghold in Darfur, has been under siege for more than a year. The UN and other aid groups warn that 260,000 civilians remain trapped in Al Fashir, even after most of its population fled RSF attacks on it and its surroundings. Sudan plunged into chaos when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in April 2023 in Khartoum and elsewhere. The fighting has turned into a full-fledged civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 14 million people from their homes and pushed parts of the country into famine. The devastating conflict has been marked by atrocities, including mass killings and rape, which the International Criminal Court is investigating as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Source: news.sky.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning to Western nations, accusing them of dismantling decades-old frameworks for international security and cautioning of the risk of a new arms race if meaningful dialogue is not restored. Speaking on the future of nuclear stability, Putin lamented the near collapse of the system of U.S.-Soviet and U.S.-Russian arms control agreements, blaming their demise on “destabilising doctrines and military-technical programs” pursued by the West. He emphasized that these agreements had long served as the bedrock of global security, but that their gradual erosion has left the world in a precarious position. Putin stressed that Russia remains fully capable of responding to any security threat, citing as an example Moscow’s decision to end its unilateral moratorium on deploying ground-based short- and intermediate-range missiles. This move, he explained, was a direct reaction to the deployment of similar U.S. and allied weapons in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Despite his criticism of Washington, Putin indicated that Russia would continue to observe the central limits of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) for one year beyond its scheduled February 5, 2026, expiry, provided that the United States refrains from actions that would undermine strategic stability. “Renouncing the legacy of this treaty would be a grave and short-sighted mistake,” Putin warned, underlining that abandoning New START would undermine global non-proliferation efforts. He also expressed concern about U.S. plans to expand missile defence, including the potential deployment of interceptors in space, calling such actions destabilising. Putin argued that Russia’s proposal to maintain the New START limits could help preserve stability and lay the groundwork for renewed dialogue, but only if Washington reciprocates with a similar spirit and works to ease broader tensions. He concluded by insisting that Moscow’s stance is not aimed at escalation, but at ensuring predictability, restraint, and the preservation of global strategic balance. Source: Apexnewsgh.com