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Money laundering: Okupe breaks silence after court drama

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Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has broken his silence following Monday’s conviction and sentencing for money laundering.

He took to his Twitter account on Monday evening to declare that his enemies keep failing.

The embattled Labour Party chieftain was on Monday convicted of breaching the Money Laundering Act by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja  and was subsequently sentenced to two and a half years in prison or pay a fine of N13 million before 4:30pm yesterday. Okupe paid the fine before the deadline.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, had given Okupe an option of N500, 000 fine on each of the 26 count charges, totalling N13,000,000 for which he was found guilty in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of which Okupe was the first defendant.

Failure to pay the fine on all the charges he was found guilty of  before the deadline, would have seen Okupe sent to the Kuje Correctional Centre.

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Reacting to the court fiasco in a tweet on Monday night, Okupe said he’s enemies keep failing, declaring that God is supreme over man.

He wrote, “God is not man. The enemies have tried in so many ways but keep failing…Victory is of God.”

Earlier yesterday Okupe in a tweet also said “lies, fabrication and disinformation are their tools. But in the end they will fail and be shamed. Doyin Okupe has not chopped any shishi neither has he shifted base by 1mm!!! We are moving forward till God delivers us all from perpetual raiders of this lost but glorious ark. Naija.”

The presiding judge while stating that the Money Laundering Act provided that no individual or organisation shall receive any sum above N5m and N10m respectively without passing through a financial institution, held that, “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution” and that Okupe was not a financial institution, and that, even if the president was said to have authorised the funds, he did not say that the money must be paid in cash.

Consequently, the court found Okupe guilty in counts 34, 35, 36 to 59 and sets him free from counts 1 to 33 because the prosecution failed to establish the charge of money laundering and criminal breach of trust and corruption against the NSA.

In counts 34 to 59 upon which Okupe was convicted, he was accused of receiving various sums of money ranging from N10m on different occasions from 2012 to 2015 when he was Jonathan’s aide.

The said sum, he said, was spent on running his office, payment of staff members and image laundering of the former President and his administration. But, the court, however, held that receiving such amounts in cash violated the Money Laundering Act.

The leadership of the Labour Party on Monday said it would first obtain a copy of the judgment of the court that convicted Okupe, who is the Director-General of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council and study it before taking a position on the matter.

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Why I won’t apologise to Okpebholo — Davido

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Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has said he will not apologise to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his decision to share what was presented as the governor’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination result on social media.

Davido made his position clear during an interview with News Central Television, where he spoke about his recent disagreement with the Edo State governor and explained why he stood by his decision to publish the document.

The controversy followed comments attributed to Okpebholo concerning Davido’s uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke. The Edo governor had criticised Adeleke’s frequent dancing at public events, a comment that drew a response from Davido.

The singer subsequently took the matter further by posting what was presented as Okpebholo’s WASSCE result on his Instagram story. The post quickly attracted attention online, with social media users discussing the growing disagreement between the singer and the governor.

During the interview, Davido was asked whether he regretted making the examination result public and if he was prepared to apologise to Okpebholo. The singer rejected the idea of an apology and maintained that he had no plans to withdraw his action.

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Davido explained that his decision was connected to his concerns about governance and the condition of infrastructure in Edo State. He particularly mentioned the road leading to the Edo State Government House, which he criticised during the interview.

According to the singer, his intention was to draw the attention of residents to what he considered important questions about the leadership of the state. He argued that the people of Edo State should be able to assess the performance of their elected officials and make their own judgments.

Davido also appeared to suggest that the issue could become relevant again when the governor seeks another term in office. He said he would return to the matter during the next election campaign, indicating that he intends to keep the criticism alive rather than treat the disagreement as a temporary exchange.

The singer’s comments have added another layer to the political disagreements involving him and prominent Nigerian politicians. Davido has increasingly used his public platform to comment on political issues, particularly when members of his family are directly involved in politics.

His latest remarks show that the disagreement with Okpebholo remains unresolved. While the governor’s earlier comments focused on Adeleke’s public conduct, Davido’s response has shifted attention to questions about the governor’s record and the condition of infrastructure in Edo State.

Davido said, “I am not going to apologize to Monday Okpebholo. I posted his WAEC results for the people of Edo State to see who is governing them.”

He added that the road leading to the Government House would remain an issue and said, “We will visit him when it is time for his re-election.”

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Troops foil mass abduction attempt, rescue nine civilians

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Troops of Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA (JTF NW OPFY) foiled an attempted mass abduction by terrorists in Unguwar Rogo Village, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, rescuing nine civilians, including an infant.

The incident occurred on 16 August 2026, when troops received a distress call that terrorists, believed to be led by suspected kingpin Mallam Shuaibu, had infiltrated the community and attacked civilians travelling along a local route.

Preliminary intelligence indicates that the attack may have been carried out in reprisal for the recent arrest of suspected collaborators linked to the terrorist network. The suspects had earlier been intercepted by troops while attempting to procure motorcycles and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in support of the terrorists’ activities.

In an apparent attempt to retaliate and abduct civilians, the terrorists concealed themselves within a millet farm along the route and opened fire on passing vehicles, causing some drivers to lose control and veer off the road.

Responding swiftly to the distress call, troops of Sector 2 moved to the area and decisively engaged the terrorists, denying them the opportunity to carry out the abduction. Faced with the troops’ superior response, the terrorists abandoned their mission and fled into the surrounding forest.

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Following the engagement, troops rescued nine civilians, including an infant. Two women who sustained gunshot wounds during the terrorists’ attack were promptly evacuated for medical attention and are currently receiving treatment.

Operation FANSAN YAMMA remains resolute in its determination to deny terrorists and other criminal elements the freedom to attack innocent citizens. The Joint Task Force will continue to sustain pressure on terrorist networks while taking all necessary measures to protect lives and restore lasting peace and security across the North West region.

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Edo Assembly Speaker Blessing Agbebaku resigns

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Edo ex-Speaker Blessing Agbebaku
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The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has reportedly stepped down from his position.

His resignation came as reports emerged that some lawmakers were working on plans to impeach him from the speakership.

Agbebaku became Speaker of the 8th Edo State House of Assembly in June 2023 after lawmakers elected him to lead the chamber.

The former Speaker was originally
elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, he later moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2025, joining other political figures who changed parties as political alignments in Edo continued to change.

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His reported resignation comes as political activities begin to build ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The development is likely to lead to new discussions among lawmakers and political leaders over who will take over the leadership of the Assembly.

The resignation could also affect the balance of power within the House, especially as lawmakers consider the next person to lead the chamber.

Members of the Assembly are expected to meet and take the necessary steps toward filling the vacant Speaker position.

The reason behind Agbebaku’s decision to leave office has not been made public.

It is also not yet clear whether his resignation is connected to recent political developments within the state or other issues involving the Assembly.

More information is expected to emerge as lawmakers react to the development and begin discussions on the next leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly.

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