Popular activist, VeryDarkMan has melted hearts on social media after revealing his decision to sponsor a brilliant young Nigerian boy abroad using the $50,000 gift he received to further develop his talent.

In an emotional video shared on Instagram, VeryDarkMan explained that a benefactor had promised to support him financially after witnessing the humanitarian work he carried out while in China.

The promise was later fulfilled when the donor handed him $50,000 in cash.

However, VDM revealed that as soon as the money arrived, he was reminded of a young Nigerian boy he had come across on Instagram months earlier.

At the time, he admitted he skipped the boy’s page because he was busy.

The boy’s content resurfaced recently after a friend reposted it, and that was when everything became clear to him.

According to VDM, the young boy had built a blender, power bank, and projector completely from scratch, displaying rare creativity and intelligence.

“I will not let that boy’s life or talent die like many others in Nigeria,” he said.

VDM revealed that he contacted the boy and asked him to involve his parents, while stressing that God has helped him rise and placed a responsibility on him.

He pledged to sponsor the boy’s education abroad so he can properly develop his skills and reach his full potential.

VDM also clarified that although part of the money would be used to settle personal debts, supporting the boy’s future remains a top priority.

The revelation has since sparked widespread reactions online with many praising him for his kind-hearted move.

Watch video below…

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Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has revealed that President Bola Tinubu personally invited him to decamp from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to him, after months of consultations and personal introspection, he had to make the move in the interest of the state.

Mutfwang, who made the revelation on Thursday shortly after defecting to the APC, said he did not make the move for personal gain but as a form of respect to Tinubu, who has shown a special interest in Plateau State and its challenges.

Mutfwang has made it clear that though the President had extended the invitation to him to join the APC on several occasions, he had politely declined.

“I pay my respects to President Tinubu for honouring our earlier decisions not to move to the APC and still maintaining a cordial relationship with us despite that,” he said during a meeting with political appointees and stakeholders at the Government House in Jos.

He noted that there had also been the beckoning of highly placed personalities, including fellow governors from the APC, too, but the whole time, he stood by his decision.

He however, stated that what finally changed his mind was the challenges and chaos within the PDP at the national level.

“Until recently, when it became clear that the PDP at the national level has undeniable problems with its structure, the need to decamp to another party was already quieted. We have zero challenges at the state level but all our efforts are vain without a solid structure at the national level,” he said.

“The risks involved in staying back in the PDP are too high for us to carelessly gamble with the mandate Plateau people gave us. No one can tell reassuringly when and how the crisis will end, or what wins or losses could be incurred.

“Bearing in mind the emotional torture our dear people went through, we can’t, by our actions or inactions, subject ourselves to another experience like that.”

Gov. Mutfwang confessed that he could have easily moved to another party but that history had taught him that it is one thing to be voted massively, and another to make sure the votes count.

“Although we’ve had our issues with Plateau APC, we can’t deny the favour and cordiality with which the Tinubu-led administration has related with us. And since the President didn’t try to force us to join the APC before things went completely south in the PDP, it’s fair enough that we considered joining the APC.

“We have a chance to attract and be entitled to so many good things, from appointments, to favours that will richly impact Plateau. Is it really wisdom to forfeit all that? No! Already there’s good news to be announced soon. Stay tuned,” he added.

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Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, has disclosed the reason why he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Mutfwang, after months of consultations and personal reflection, he concluded that leaving the PDP was in Plateau State’s best interest.

Speaking on Thursday shortly after formally joining the APC, the governor stressed that his decision was not driven by personal gain but by respect for President Tinubu, whom he said had shown genuine interest in Plateau State and its challenges.

Mutfwang noted that although the President had repeatedly urged him to join the APC, he had previously declined.

“I respect President Tinubu for honouring our earlier decision not to move to the APC, yet still maintaining cordial relations with us,” he told political appointees and stakeholders at Government House, Jos.

He added that other influential figures, including APC governors, had approached him, but he chose to remain in the PDP until recent developments.

According to him, what finally convinced him to leave was the escalating crisis within the PDP at the national level.

“Once it became clear that the PDP at the national level has undeniable structural problems, the idea of remaining in the party no longer made sense. We have no issues at the state level, but without a solid national structure, our efforts are wasted,” he said.

He argued that remaining in the PDP posed too much risk to the mandate given to him by the people of Plateau.

“No one can say when the crisis will end or what losses it may bring. Given the emotional hardship our people endured, we cannot, by action or inaction, expose them to another round of uncertainty.”

Mutfwang said he could have defected to a different party, but political history had taught him that winning votes is one thing and ensuring they count is another.

“Although we have had disagreements with the Plateau APC, we cannot deny the goodwill and cooperation shown by the Tinubu administration. Since the President did not force us to join before the PDP situation deteriorated, it is only fair that we consider joining the APC.

“We now have an opportunity to attract appointments, support and benefits that will positively impact Plateau. Would it be wise to forfeit that? Certainly not. There is already good news on the way, stay tuned,” he added.

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The Federal Government has accused certain individuals of sabotaging the success of the new tax laws through misinformation and disinformation.

The allegation was made on Thursday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, during the inauguration of a Joint Committee of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.

Fasua stated that the new tax laws contain pro-poor measures and are designed to recalibrate national revenue generation.

He added that the committee’s primary task would be to counter false narratives surrounding the reforms, which he claimed were being circulated by alleged saboteurs.

“Some people are trying to ensure that, if they can manage it, these reforms do not succeed.

“However, we must quickly point out that despite this resistance, this is a pro-poor policy, one that recalibrates the country’s revenues to ensure the poorest Nigerians are not affected, except positively,” he said.

This development follows claims by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamman Dasuki, alleging discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and what was eventually gazetted for public use. The National Assembly has since pledged to look into the allegation.

According to this newspaper, the new tax laws are scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2026. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the tax bills into law in June 2025.

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A surge in electronic transactions by Nigerians has helped the Federal Government to beat its revenue target by N88.73 billion by half-year 2025.

This is according to data contained in the Federal Government’s 2025–2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), just released by the Budget Office.

The EMTL performance helped boost the government’s non-oil revenue for the period and cushioned the effect of a weak oil revenue.

What the data is saying 

Based on the N230 billion full-year revenue projection from the EMTL, the half-year revenue expected to be at N134.17 billion surged to N222.90 billion, representing a 66.1% outperformance.

• Non-oil revenue performance was mixed. While Corporate Income Tax (CIT) collections of N5.86 trillion marginally exceeded the prorated projection of N5.44 trillion, a 7.6% overperformance, other segments struggled to meet expectations.
• Value-Added Tax (VAT) performed more robustly, with receipts of N4.82 trillion, surpassing the half year target by N439.22 billion, or 10%.

Despite these bright spots, net non-oil revenue, including receipts from solid minerals, totalled N12.14 trillion by June 2025, marking a shortfall of N1.81 trillion (13 percent) against projections.

The underperformance signals persistent weaknesses in tax collection and economic activity outside the oil sector.

Oil revenue performance 

Gross oil and gas revenue for 2025 was projected at N51.04 trillion. However, by July 2025, only N11.17 trillion had been realised against a prorated target of N29.78 trillion, representing a performance rate of just 37.5 percent.

Weak crude production, price volatility, and limited refining margins continued to drag on receipts from Nigeria’s oil sector.

After statutory deductions, including the 13% derivation for oil-producing states and other first-line charges, net inflows to the Federation Account stood at N9.61 trillion, N15.78 trillion (62.2 percent) below the half year target.

This shortfall has intensified pressure on non-oil revenue streams to fill the gap.

What you should know 

The 66.1 percent outperformance of the EMTL line reflects the deepening penetration of digital financial services across the economy, with more Nigerians using mobile money, bank transfers, and other electronic payment channels.

This reflected in the electronic transactions released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) which shows Nigerians spent N284.9 trillion electronically in the first quarter of 2025.

The value recorded on the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) represents a 22% increase over the N234.4 trillion transactions recorded in Q1 2024.

The NIP is an account-number-based, online real-time Inter-Bank payment solution developed in the year 2011 by NIBSS and it facilitates transactions across multiple electronic channels, including internet banking, mobile apps, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), POS, ATM, among others.

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ABUJA — PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, yesterday told the 36 governors to hand over local government allocation to the councils in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment.

The President said there would not be an autonomy to councils without funded mandate.

Speaking at the 14th APC National Caucus meeting at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the President said he had assured the United States and the European Union that Nigeria will establish state Police to tackle insecurity challenges.

He also advised governors and party leaders to be flexible in their actions and ensure that they get involved in what happens in their various places including the rural communities.

He said: “You must yield and continue to promote, tolerate and be flexible, get involved in whatever is happening in your various states, up to local government level.

“I had a very long discussion with the US and European heads. I was bragging to tell that definitely we will pass a state police to improve security. They asked me if I’m confident, and I say, yes, I have a party to depend on. I have a party that will make it happen.

“And if at this level we fail, God forbid, we will not fail. I think the reconciliation, the accommodation, the flexibility, is in your hand, all of you, and we are the majority. We are the leaders.

“Let us equally look at the recent Supreme Court judgment. What can we do with it? And how well we can position our country and our party.

“To me, the local government autonomy, it is and must be effective. There is no autonomy without without funded mandate, we will give them their money directly. That’s the truth. That’s compliance of the Supreme Court. Take leadership seriously.”

The President commiserated with the government of Bayelsa State on the death of the deputy governor and prayed that his soul rest in peace.

He also called for the inclusion of more women in the caucus and asked that provision should be made towards that.

Speaking earlier, national chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, hailed what he described as a surge in the party’s national acceptance, citing recent high-profile defections, an electronic membership registration drive and plans for a new national secretariat in Abuja.

He said it was his first of such gathering since emerging Chairman in July.

Yilwatda thanked President Tinubu for support and urged stakeholders to rally behind the party’s expansion agenda ahead of planned congresses and the next national convention slated for March 2026.

He told caucus members that the APC leadership was consolidating structures nationwide through a membership drive, while also crediting the President’s leadership with strengthening party cohesion and public confidence.

He listed a number of governors and political actors he said had recently joined the party, while also claiming that the APC now enjoys an “overwhelming majority” in both chambers of the National Assembly.

Yilwatda said, “Recent political development underscored APC’s pan-Nigerian character, including significant defections that have further expanded our influence, particularly several high profile individuals and groups who have defected to our party, especially from the opposition parties.

Yilwatda also announced what he described as an internal organisational milestone: the activation of an electronic membership registration system, which he said would improve transparency, data integrity and internal democracy.

The APC National Caucus is a high-level strategic meeting of the party’s top leadership.

It typically brings together the President, Vice President, national chairman, members of the National Working Committee, APC governors and other key stakeholders to align on political and organisational issues ahead of broader deliberations at the NEC.

Notably, the six governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who recently defected to the APC were present at the caucus meeting, including Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Enugu Governor Peter Mbah, Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno and Taraba Governor Agbu Kefas.

Both the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas spoke on the importance of working together and giving every member equal opportunity.

Akpabio noted that govenors are leaders of the party in the states and should be accorded the respect.

The post Tinubu to govs: Obey S’Court judgment, handover LG their allocation appeared first on Vanguard News.

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A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has granted an interlocutory injunction restraining a former Abia State Commissioner for Information, Barr. Eze Chikamnayo, from making or publishing allegedly defamatory comments against Governor Alex Otti, pending the determination of a ₦100bn defamation suit filed by the governor.

Justice J.E. Obanor, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, ordered Chikamnayo to desist from “writing, authoring, sharing, circulating, broadcasting, voicing, forwarding and/or syndicating” any defamatory content against the claimant on his Facebook wall, Iyierioba Chikamnayo, or on any other social or digital media platforms, including X, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok, as well as traditional media such as newspapers, radio and television, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The judge stated: “Having carefully considered the application and all the processes before the Court, and there being no process challenging the same, I am satisfied as to the need to grant the interlocutory order sought.

Motion No. M/15807/2025 is hereby granted, and the orders are accordingly made as prayed, pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

The court adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, for hearing.

The ruling followed a motion on notice filed by Governor Otti’s legal team, led by Dr Sonny Ajala, SAN, accusing Chikamnayo of continuing to publish offensive materials against the governor despite being served with court processes on October 17, 2025.

According to court documents, Chikamnayo allegedly published a series of posts on his Facebook page between October 17 and October 31, 2025, after being served with the originating processes in the suit. Some of the posts allegedly described the governor in derogatory terms.

In an affidavit in support of the motion, deposed to by Ifeanyi Michael Agbo, practice manager at Deeplaw Associates, the governor’s legal team stated that the defendant, described as a legal practitioner, continued to publish offensive materials against the claimant despite being aware of the pending lawsuit.

The affidavit further alleged that the publications were intended to cause reputational damage and incite public hostility against the governor.

In a written address accompanying the motion, Otti’s counsel argued that the continued publications violated the doctrine of sub judice, which prohibits actions or statements capable of prejudicing matters pending before a court.

Dr Ajala also submitted that the conduct complained of contravened Rule 30 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023, which enjoins lawyers to refrain from acts that may obstruct or adversely affect the administration of justice.

The substantive suit, filed on October 8, 2025, followed a demand letter dated October 2, 2025, requesting a retraction of the alleged defamatory publications, which the defendant allegedly failed to comply with within the stipulated seven days.

In the suit, Governor Otti is seeking a declaration that his reputation, goodwill and standing have been gravely injured by the alleged false and malicious publications.

He is also claiming ₦100bn as damages for reputational injury, psychological and emotional trauma.

The governor is further asking the court to compel the defendant to tender an unreserved apology to be published on his Facebook page and in selected national newspapers, as well as an order of perpetual injunction restraining further defamatory publications and ₦250m as the cost of the action.

Earlier, on October 16, 2025, Justice Obanor had granted leave to serve court processes on Chikamnayo through substituted means, including his Facebook wall and phone and WhatsApp number, after the court was informed that those were the channels through which he could be reached.

The defendant was ordered to enter an appearance within 30 days of service or risk judgment being entered in his absence.

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The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has arrested high-profile cybercrime suspects connected to sophisticated Microsoft 365 phishing attacks targeting major corporate organisations.

The arrests followed actionable intelligence provided by Microsoft Corporation, United States, through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which uncovered the deployment of a phishing toolkit known as RaccoonO365.

The toolkit was used to create fake Microsoft login portals designed to steal user credentials and gain unauthorised access to corporate, financial, and educational email systems.

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According to the police, the phishing attacks resulted in multiple cases of business email compromise, data breaches, and financial losses across several jurisdictions between January and September 2025.

Acting on the intelligence, the NPF-NCCC launched a coordinated operation in collaboration with Microsoft, the FBI, and the United States Secret Service.

The investigation traced the cyberattacks to phishing emails crafted to closely resemble legitimate Microsoft authentication pages.

Operatives were subsequently deployed to Lagos and Edo States, where three suspects were arrested. Searches conducted at their residences led to the recovery of laptops, mobile phones, and other digital devices. Forensic analysis linked the recovered items to the cyber fraud operation.

Further investigations identified Okitipi Samuel, also known by the aliases “RaccoonO365” and “Moses Felix,” as the principal suspect and alleged developer of the phishing infrastructure. Police investigations revealed that he operated a Telegram channel where phishing links were sold in exchange for cryptocurrency and hosted fake Microsoft login portals on Cloudflare using stolen or fraudulently obtained email credentials.

The police clarified that there was no evidence linking the two other arrested individuals to the development or operation of the phishing toolkit.

The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s digital space through the deployment of advanced cybercrime technologies, enhanced international cooperation, and sustained investigative and prosecutorial efforts to combat emerging cyber threats.

The Force noted that the successful operation underscores the importance of global collaboration in tackling transnational cybercrime and safeguarding digital infrastructure.

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Senator and former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole celebrated the resignation of Engr. Farouk Ahmed and Mr. Gbenga Komolafe from Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory leadership, calling their exit necessary for the country’s economic survival. Senator David Jimkuta of Taraba South supported him, joining in the celebration while questioning the new nominees’ policy intentions.

The comments were made during the Senate screening of President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan and Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed. The appointments followed the resignations of the 2021 appointees amid controversies over policies favoring importation over local refining.

Oshiomhole criticized the former leadership, stressing that job creation comes from supporting domestic, labor-intensive industries, not importation. He urged the new nominees to prioritize national interest and protect Nigerian workers and local refineries.

He commended President Tinubu for decisive action, noting it renewed hope for Nigerians reliant on the petroleum sector. Jimkuta pressed the nominees to clarify their reform strategies and restore public confidence.

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Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation Hadin Kai have rescued a serving councillor from Biu Local Government Area and an Islamic cleric who were abducted by suspected terrorists in Borno State.

The development was contained in a post shared on X on Thursday by security analyst, Zagazola Makama.

According to the post, the victims were kidnapped along the Buni Gari–Buratai road on Tuesday evening when armed men abducted seven civilians travelling on the route.

Makama reported that troops of the 27 Task Force Brigade, working with the 135 Special Forces Battalion and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), launched a search-and-rescue operation early Wednesday morning after receiving information about the abduction.

During the operation, the troops discovered two of the kidnapped victims who had been abandoned by the terrorists near Mangari village after the assailants noticed the movement of security forces towards their location.

The rescued victims were identified as Alhaji Mohammed Ali Maiakachi, a councillor representing Zera/Wuyep Ward in Biu Local Government Area, and Mallam Aliyu Yusuf, an Islamic scholar and Chairman of Shuaaraul Islam in Borno State.

The troops were said to have pursued the fleeing terrorists for several kilometres, but no contact was made.

According to information provided by the rescued victims, five other civilians are still being held captive. 

“Those still in captivity reportedly include the immediate past and current Vice Chairmen of Biu Local Government Area, as well as three women,” Makama wrote.

The rescued victims were taken to a medical facility for treatment before being moved to Biu, where they were reunited with their families.

Makama added that efforts by the military and other security operatives to rescue the remaining abducted persons are ongoing.

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