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‘They Lied to Me’ – Nigerian Declared Dead in Russia-Ukraine War Recounts Harrowing Experience

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‘They Lied to Me’ – Nigerian Declared Dead in Russia-Ukraine War Recounts Harrowing Experience

A Nigerian who participated in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Balogun Adisa Ridwan, has claimed that he was tricked into joining the military while traveling overseas solely in pursuit of civilian work.

Remember how Ridwan was reportedly recruited under false pretenses and taken to the battlefield, where he was believed to have perished together with three other Nigerians—Akinlawon Tunde Kuyum, Abugu Stanley Onyeka, and Adam Anas—in the continuing conflict in Ukraine?

It was reported that Ridwan was apprehended by Ukrainian troops but was later discovered alive.

According to reports, Ridwan surrendered in the battle lines and was captured by Ukrainian forces on January 13, 2026, close to the city of Lyman in the Donetsk area.

Ridwan described his experience, saying that after being offered a job, he ended up at a military installation where he had to sign documents that he did not comprehend because of a language barrier.

“To find a job, I went to Russia on a tourist visa,” he stated. I was ordered to fight in Ukraine after being duped by the Russian government, which also made me a soldier.

“I was confused by the wording on the day we signed the contract. We signed our contracts since they wouldn’t let us translate on our phones. I’ve previously told them about my work. They might have placed me in my field. I had no idea they were going to use me.

According to Ridwan, he and another foreign recruit chose to surrender right away when they came across Ukrainian troops.

He called the treatment he received in detention “humane,” adding that Ukrainian soldiers fed him, clothed him, and gave him warm shelter.

“I was fortunate that the Ukrainians captured me,” he said. They’re decent folks.

President Bola Tinubu was also urged by Ridwan to step in and facilitate his return to Nigeria.

“I appeal to my government and to my president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he continued. Please pardon your son. I moved out to provide for my family. The outcome was not what I had hoped for. I went in search of employment as an engineer or mechanic. I had been completely duped by the Russian government.

Breaking: El-Rufai Supporters, Protesters Clash Outside EFCC, Tear Gas Fired

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Breaking: El-Rufai Supporters, Protesters Clash Outside EFCC, Tear Gas Fired

As demonstrators and supporters of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai reportedly battled with security officers on Monday, tensions inside the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja increased.

It was reported that the mob was dispersed using tear gas.

Our correspondent quoted a video in which voices from a variety of protestors were heard stating, “We will come back; when it clears, we will come back,” indicating the group’s will to return in spite of the disturbance.

In response to news of his attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport last Thursday, El-Rufai had earlier arrived at the EFCC headquarters accompanied by hundreds of his supporters.

LG Allocation Dispute: Osun APC Fires at PDP Lawmakers

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LG Allocation Dispute: Osun APC Fires at PDP Lawmakers

Lawmakers elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform have come under fire from Osun State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) for demanding that federal funds be made available to the state’s local government councils.

Members of the National and State Assemblies who support a section of the PDP are allegedly misrepresenting the state of local government administration in Osun, according to a statement released by Kola Olabisi, the Osun APC Director of Media and Information.

The response came after PDP lawmakers, including Senator Lere Oyewumi, held a news conference in Osogbo on Saturday and requested President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pay federal allocations to council chairmen and council members they recognize.

The MPs’ appeal, the APC claims, ignores previous court decisions pertaining to council leadership.

The party insisted that those holding the positions under its platform were properly doing their responsibilities after being rehabilitated by court rulings.

“The validly elected chairmen and council members have returned to their duties in accordance with the Court of Appeal’s 10-February 2025 ruling. It is a misrepresentation of the facts to try to characterize them as illegal occupants, the statement stated.

The APC cited a ruling from the Supreme Court in December 2025 that it claimed made clear the council leadership’s legal standing.

The party claimed that “the ruling of the supreme court is clear on who the lawful officials are.”

In response to claims that APC officials were using police assistance to takeover council secretariats, the party stated that security forces were carrying out their constitutional duty to uphold law and order.

The statement went on to say that law enforcement organizations have an obligation to maintain harmony and abide by valid court rulings.

The APC also questioned the rationale behind the PDP parliamentarians’ vote of confidence in the state party leadership and Governor Ademola Adeleke, claiming that it had nothing to do with the legal concerns pertaining to council administration.

It is crucial that public statements made by elected officials correspond with current court rulings. Court decisions are not superseded by political endorsements, it stated.

Directing government funds to any group other than those recognized by the courts, the party contended, would be a violation of the rule of law.

It said, “We are confident that the President will act in conformity with constitutional provisions and established judicial outcomes.”

Although it could not give specifics, the APC claimed that several lawmakers’ stances were inconsistent with regard to internal party dynamics.

It stated that following judicial orders should not be confused with political disputes.

Regarding the murder of Remi Abass, a local government chairman who had been reinstated in Irewole Local Government Area, the party indicated that suspects were presently on trial.

The APC stated that justice must be given the opportunity to be served in all cases before appropriate courts.

The party called on Governor Adeleke to cooperate with APC council members for the sake of the locals.

According to the statement, “effective governance still requires collaboration within the legal framework.”

Ex-REC Sounds Alarm: Lawmakers’ 2027 Seats Threatened by E-Transmission Provision

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Ex-REC Sounds Alarm: Lawmakers’ 2027 Seats Threatened by E-Transmission Provision

Mike Igini, a former attorney and Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), has cautioned that the contentious requirement for real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results may cost most federal parliamentarians their seats in 2027.

Igini claimed in a statement that previous Assemblies had refused to address “well-documented election rigging vulnerabilities” in the statute, such as the type of proviso currently proposed by the Senate to qualify direct electronic transmission, “for reasons of convenience and party loyalty.”

He asked the parliamentarians to learn from the mistakes of their forebears, who he claimed lost elections because they refused to fix well-known flaws in the country’s democratic system.

“I urge Honourable and Distinguished Senators to heed the salutary lessons from the misfortunes that befell their predecessors as the National Assembly convenes to reconcile the divergent versions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, particularly with regard to the Nigerian populace’s unequivocal demand for mandatory electronic transmission of election results directly from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV,” he said.

“Those who denied them re-election party tickets took advantage of these flaws to sabotage polling-unit results during their tenure, making them victims of the very flaws they refused to fix,” he continued.

The majority of incumbent lawmakers who were denied party tickets by governors and party leaders, even after obtaining alternative platforms, were defeated during collation through manipulation of polling unit results, according to Igini, who presented what he described as empirical evidence from electoral cycles between 2007 and 2023.

“This unfortunate trend is now dangerously close to being repeated by the 10th Assembly.Members who are not well-liked or in the good graces of their state governors or party leaders will undoubtedly be refused tickets, and it will be extremely difficult to convert even the strongest support from their constituents into an electoral victory, he warned, given the possibility of an unprotected electronic transmission of polling unit results.

APC National Chairman Receives Wave of NNPP and PDP Defectors in Kano

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APC National Chairman Receives Wave of NNPP and PDP Defectors in Kano

Several members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) defected to the APC in the Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State on Sunday under the supervision of Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Before Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s formal welcoming rally to the party, this event is taking place.

Both new defectors and party loyalists supported Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second terms in office during the event.

The Chief of Staff to the APC National Chairman, Hon. Mustapha Bala Dawaki, was publicly urged by a well-known native of the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency to get back into politics and run for the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa House of Representatives seat.

Among the prominent APC leaders who attended the well-attended event were:

Deputy Senate President Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Senator Barau Jibrin, former APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Kano State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi), Senator Bashir Lado Mohammed, Ismail Ahmed, Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, and a number of other group leaders and interested parties

Breaking: Protesters Converge as El-Rufai Reaches EFCC Headquarters Under Heavy Guard

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Breaking: Protesters Converge as El-Rufai Reaches EFCC Headquarters Under Heavy Guard

In response to accusations made against him, Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, arrived at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja on Monday.

However, his presence caused friction at the anti-graft agency’s entrance, as security personnel allegedly refused to let members of his entourage into the building.

As supporters of the former governor gathered at the intersection leading to the commission’s headquarters, it was reported that the development caused a brief commotion at the EFCC gate.

In a video that went viral, one of El-Rufai’s supporters said that the EFCC used tear gas to disperse their gathering while permitting anti-El-Rufai demonstrators to gather near the building.

Protesters opposed to El-Rufai were observed urging the commission to look into the former governor’s role in corruption and his recent claims that Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, had his phone jammed.

El-Rufai’s government as governor of Kaduna State is the subject of ongoing investigations by anti-graft organizations, such as the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), into corruption claims.

The investigations have been characterized as politically driven persecution by the former governor, who has repeatedly denied any misconduct.

The investigation into the former government was started in March 2024 by Uba Sani, El-Rufai’s successor. El-Rufai then filed a challenge in the Federal High Court against the investigative report’s findings.

The EFCC had not yet released a formal announcement about his presence before the commission as of the time of publication.

Fubara Speaks on Strategy and Weakness Amid Wike Rivalry

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Fubara Speaks on Strategy and Weakness Amid Wike Rivalry

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, has given an explanation for his decision to side with weakness in his political conflict with Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to reports, Fubara stated that selecting weakness was a conscious decision meant to maintain peace, secure political survival, and protect wider national interests while accepting a Man of the Year award at the New Telegraph Award/Dinner Night on Friday in Lagos State.

Fubara discussed the long-standing political tension that has affected Rivers State governance in his victory address, pointing out that spectators have frequently misconstrued his approach as weakness.

He made it clear that his decisions were deliberate and motivated by a desire to preserve stability.

“Today is a very special day for me and for everyone who has believed in me, and I know that you have a share of special pain for believing in me,” he stated.

Some people characterize some of these pains as weakness, while others believe they are strength. However, I choose to be weak for a variety of reasons. I desire peace, so I’m weak.

We are weak since we must live. Weak because I have to defend the things that are important to our beloved country as well as to myself. It is a virtue to be weak. It pays when it’s supposed to.

Senate’s E-Transmission Plan May Allow Electoral Errors – Ubani

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Senate’s E-Transmission Plan May Allow Electoral Errors – Ubani

Bello, a member of the House of Representatives and the son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed the prospect of leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the run-up to the general elections in 2027.

According to reports, Bello said this after someone on social media persuaded him to switch from the APC to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Bello responded by stating that he does not let internet pressure influence his political choices, citing his electoral success in Kaduna North as justification for his position.

Bello emphasized that his primary allegiance is to the 51,052 citizens who elected him, not to voices on social media, while reminding detractors of the mandate given to him by voters.

In reference to his victory, he wrote: “Bello El-Rufai defeats PDP candidate Samaila, who received 34,808 votes, to win the Kaduna North Representative seat with 51,052 votes.” Being the first candidate to win all 12 wards in Kaduna North, El-Rufai’s son breaks the previous record.

Bello said his father’s order is another reason for the choice to leave APC.

He said, “I’ll surrender the seat tonight if Mallam asks me to leave the APC. I am not partisan. My folks love me.

“If you can persuade the 51,052 people who have me this mandate, I’ll send you 10 million tonight,” he said in a challenge to the social media user. Have you got an app to verify?

Bello reaffirmed his admiration for his father and his commitment to the Kaduna State government, which is headed by Governor Uba Sani, whom he called his “boss,” excluding any act of betrayal.

He disclosed that, following a recent public event with his father, he went straight to an APC caucus meeting in Kaduna with the governor and speaker, a move he characterized as both symbolic and deliberate.

He declared, “I will never openly criticize the governor, and I will not plot his downfall. It’s known as honor.

The APC has given him the opportunity to work with high-ranking government officials, such as Governor Olayemi Cardoso of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bello added, highlighting the chances he has acquired inside the party.

Peter Obi Inspires Nigerians to Celebrate Love Through Action This Valentine’s Day

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Peter Obi Inspires Nigerians to Celebrate Love Through Action This Valentine’s Day

Peter Obi, a former presidential contender, has called for Nigerians to channel their love into sacrifice, devotion, and a fresh dedication to the country this Valentine’s Day rather than just sending flowers and romantic messages.

Valentine’s Day, which is observed on February 14th every year, is typically connected to romance, presents, and extravagant actions. But according to Obi, the day’s spirit need to go farther. He believes that love—not in sentimentality, but in responsible action—is what Nigeria itself needs.

“Love is not only feeling; it is sacrifice, discipline, and commitment to what is right, honesty, compassion, respect, and devotion to the common good,” the former governor of Anambra State added in a message posted on his 𝕏 page on Saturday with the heading, “Nigeria Needs Our Love in Action.”

Obi specifically urged young Nigerians to take advantage of the occasion to consider their contribution in determining the future of their nation. Patriotism, in his opinion, ought to be more than just a catchphrase. It ought to show in everyday decisions and public behavior.

Like a living thing, a nation thrives when it is nourished with love and attention. Promoting fair elections, opposing vices like corruption, greed, divisiveness, and mediocrity, and supporting only people with ability, dedication, and character are all part of loving Nigeria, according to Obi.

He maintained that having the guts to voice concerns when they arise and the self-control to provide practical remedies are essential components of true patriotism. The former presidential candidate asserted that being silent in the face of misconduct is neglect rather than neutrality.

Along with supporting justice, competence, transparency, human and developmental values, and investments in healthcare and education, it also entails identifying flaws and suggesting fixes. He went on to say, “Where division breeds conflict, unity fosters progress; where corruption destroys opportunity, integrity restores it.”

Obi claimed that it would have a revolutionary effect if Nigerians could bring the spirit of Valentine’s Day into the public sphere in addition to their private relationships. Communities would be more cohesive, families stronger, and government more responsible.

“Let’s celebrate love that uplifts families, communities, and our country on this Valentine’s Day. He asserted that when love turns into action, a new Nigeria can emerge.

He wished everyone a happy Valentine’s Day as he wrapped up his speech.

Kwara Community Suffers as Boko Haram Parades 176 Abductees

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Kwara Community Suffers as Boko Haram Parades 176 Abductees

In a troubling video, suspected Boko Haram militants claim to have captured 176 kidnapped victims—including women, children, and a nursing mother—from the Woro hamlet in Kwara State’s Kaiama Local Government Area.

SaharaReporters was able to collect footage of the organization, which was officially known as Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, questioning the hostages.

In the video, a terrorist asked the hostages to identify the location of their kidnapping.

Speaking in Hausa, three ladies, one of whom was a nursing mother, reported that they had been kidnapped from the Woro community in the Kaiama Local Government Area.

There are scores of women and children in the video standing in rows, clearly upset. Some of the kids were spotted without pants, and many of them were ill-groomed and in tattered clothing, which suggested cruel and dehumanizing circumstances.

During the victims’ procession, one of the terrorists charged that the Kwara State Government had minimized the extent of the kidnapping.

He asserted that 176 victims were presently in the custody of the authorities, while they maintained that between 20 and 30 people had been abducted.

As the terrorist claimed in the video, “The Kwara State government lied to Nigeria and to the entire world.”

Upon posting this story, the Kwara State Government had not to formally address the allegations included in the video.

According to reports, suspected terrorists carried out a concerted attack on the Woro community on February 4, 2026, which resulted in a fatality.

The Emir’s family members were among the dozens of individuals slain in the incident, according to the locals.

A school principal, a headmistress, the Chief Imam of the town, two wives of the Emir of Woro, numerous of his children, and pupils who had just gotten home from school were among those who were allegedly slaughtered.

There are concerns that Woro’s Emir, Alhaji Saliu Bio Umar, may have been kidnapped or murdered because he is still unaccounted for. In addition to burning his palace, the attackers allegedly took his official car and used it to carry some of the kidnapped victims.

In the aftermath, neighbors bemoaned the extent of the destruction as videos showed burned structures and bodies on the ground.

A Sadiku-led Boko Haram group that is thought to have operational connections throughout the Sahel is allegedly associated with the assaults, according to sources.

Tensions had been rising for months before the attack, locals said. The militants allegedly tried to force locals to follow their radical beliefs and attend their sermons.

The Emir allegedly warned security services about the group’s activities and refused their requests.

It was claimed that the widespread reprisal against the community was brought on by this supposed disobedience.

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