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By Gloria Ikibah

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country, assuring them that Nigeria is on the right path towards recovery, peace and sustainable development.

The President delivered the message through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, who represented him at a special prayer session to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary at the National Mosque, Abuja, on Friday.

Speaking to journalists after the prayer session, Speaker Abbas conveyed the President’s message of hope while acknowledging the difficulties Nigeria had faced since independence.

He said the 66 years of nationhood should be seen as a period of growth and maturity, despite the setbacks, challenges and missed opportunities recorded along the way.

“Any person of 66 years cannot be called a child anymore. Nigeria has become mature, even though when we reflect on the journey from independence to date, Nigeria was bedevilled with a lot of issues in the past, and opportunities as well.

“We thank Almighty God for granting us life and peace for us to witness this very historic event today.

“I want to categorically make it clear that Nigeria is on the right path. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Nigeria has finished making sacrifices for this country to be great again,” he said.

The Speaker said the President’s message was particularly focused on encouraging Nigerians to remain hopeful and committed to the country’s progress.

According to him, the challenges confronting the nation could be overcome through sustained efforts and collective commitment.

“My message to the country on behalf of Mr President, the Senate President and all members of the National Assembly, is that people should not lose hope.

“Peace is coming back to this country, development is coming back to this country. Things will get better as we progress in this democracy,” he added.

The Speaker further stated that Nigeria’s democratic journey had provided an opportunity for the country to confront longstanding challenges and strengthen institutions capable of supporting sustainable development.

He  therefore urged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the future, stressing that achieving greater peace and development would require patience, unity and continued commitment to democratic governance.

Abbas also urged citizens to pay attention to the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration, saying the government was working to address challenges that had accumulated over the years.

According to him, the administration’s reforms and programmes required time and sustained commitment to produce their intended results.
He urged Nigerians to support ongoing initiatives and efforts aimed at consolidating the gains of the administration.

The Speaker said the National Assembly will continue to support measures designed to strengthen democracy, promote economic development, improve security and enhance the welfare of citizens.

He also called for greater national unity, as he said, the task of building a better Nigeria could not be left to government alone.

According to him, citizens also have a role to play through their participation and commitment to the country’s development.

Speaker Abbas also urged Nigerians to use the 66th Independence Anniversary to reflect on the nation’s journey, acknowledge progress made, learn from past challenges and renew their commitment to building a peaceful, prosperous and united country.

The special prayer session was attended by dignitaries and Muslim faithful who offered prayers for peace, stability and continued development in Nigeria.

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Pope Leo XIV has warned against the potential risks of artificial intelligence, urging governments and societies to ensure that rapid technological advancement does not come at the expense of human dignity and values.

The Pope issued the warning during his four-day visit to France, where he addressed French government and Catholic officials at the Élysée Palace in Paris after meeting President Emmanuel Macron.

Pope Leo cautioned against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines,” stressing the need to keep human beings and their dignity at the centre of technological development.

His remarks come amid growing global debate over the impact of artificial intelligence on society, employment, education and human relationships.

The Pope’s visit to France is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people, with more than 500,000 expected to attend Mass in Paris on Saturday.

French authorities have stepped up security around the Champs-Élysées and other parts of the capital ahead of the major events. An altar has also been erected at the Place de la Concorde for the Mass.

Pope Leo arrived at Orly Airport on Friday, where he was received by Macron. He is expected to travel through Paris in the popemobile, with large crowds anticipated along his route to Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Macron is not expected to attend the Pope’s Masses because of France’s strict separation of church and state. His wife, Brigitte Macron, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are, however, expected to attend Saturday’s service.

Other senior French political figures, including Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal and Bruno Retailleau, are also expected to be present.

Officials at the Élysée Palace have dismissed reports of tensions between the French presidency and the Vatican over the Pope’s visit.

French officials said the government had offered Pope Leo several ceremonial engagements traditionally arranged for visiting heads of state. However, he reportedly declined Macron’s proposal to meet artisans involved in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral, citing a busy schedule.

After visiting Notre-Dame on Friday, the Pope is expected to meet about 80,000 young people at the Stade de France in northern Paris.

On Sunday, around 150,000 people are expected to attend Mass at the Catholic sanctuary of Lourdes in the Pyrenees.

Pope Leo will conclude his visit on Monday in Metz, northeastern France, where he is expected to honour Robert Schuman, one of the founding figures of the European Union and a Catholic currently being considered for beatification.

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. As Agency presses 22-count charges over UK-bound drug haul

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday 25th September 2026 arraigned Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury, and two other accomplices, Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch, before Hon. Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a 22-count charge bordering on cocaine trafficking, illegal export of narcotics and money laundering.

The defendants, who were accused of conspiring between 28th July and 1st August 2026 to export 184.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in five consignments through a Lagos-based courier logistics firm to London, United Kingdom, pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charges were read to them.
Count one of the charge sheet, marked FHC/LAG/CR/755/2026, accuses Afolabi, alongside Boniface and Ikechukwu, of conspiring with Atandare Oladipupo Oluwarotimi and Latifat Yusuf, already arrested in London in connection with the same case, to export the narcotic drug using consignments bearing Airway Bill Numbers 2079998314, 8224082370, 2079973571, 7181131742 and 2211893902, under the shipper’s name Yemi Ejide.
Other counts detail how Boniface procured Ikechukwu to facilitate the export while Afolabi is accused of procuring a staff member of BOT Express Logistics on Lagos Island to process the illicit consignment, and of unlawfully possessing the cocaine ahead of export.

The charge sheet further links Afolabi to the payment of ₦13.2 million from a Mallamawa Ventures Zenith Bank account to BOT Express Logistics as consideration for the shipment.
On the financial trail, no fewer than sixteen counts bordering on money laundering, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022, accuse Afolabi of funnelling several billions of naira through a web of companies and personal accounts, including Mallamawa Ventures, Fateey Man Multi-Purpose Nig. Ltd, Patonifa Ltd, Ade-Lak Resources, Holmestas Global Services Limited, La Capital Enterprises and others, with the funds used, among other things, to acquire motor vehicles and various landed properties, in a bid to conceal the true origin of the proceeds of the illicit trade. He is also alleged to have failed to declare his assets to the Agency as required by law.

After the not-guilty plea was entered and their bail application argued, the NDLEA prosecutor Abu Ibrahim who opposed the bail application prayed the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility pending trial, citing the gravity of the offences. Justice Faji thereafter ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Agency’s facility, and adjourned the matter till 4th October 2026 for ruling on the application.

Afolabi, (a.k.a. KayCee Luxury, KayCee Lux, KC, Mr. Luxury, Yemi Ejide) who paraded himself online as a luxury goods dealer and lifestyle influencer, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on the night of 13th August 2026 as he attempted to flee Nigeria on a business-class flight to Paris from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following the interception of the 184.5kg cocaine consignment estimated to be worth about N39 billion. A subsequent search on him and his Banana Island apartment led to the recovery of exotic vehicles, foreign currency and jewellery believed to be proceeds of the illicit trade.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you: 1. Afolabi Kazeem Michael a.k.a. KayCee Luxury, KC, Yemi Ejide, 2. Boniface Freeman Ochoche Sule and 3. Ikechukwu Ekugo Patriarch, Male,
Adults, on or about the period between the 28t July 2026 and 1s day of August
2026 conspired with the duo of Atandare Oladipupo Oluwarotimi and Latifat
Yusuf (both of whom have been arrested in London, the United Kingdom in
respect of this case) to export 184.5 Kilograms of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug
contained in five (5) consignments with Airway Bill Numbers 2079998314,
8224082370, 2079973571, 7181131742, 2211893902 with shipper’s name as
‘Yemi Ejide’ and you thereby committed an act which is an offence against and
punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
Act Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”