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Read today’s major headlines, July 8, 2026

Oil rises to $74 after Hormuz tanker attacks

FG moves to streamline 270 oil industry taxes, levies

DMO opens July FGN Savings Bond at 15.716%

Over $20bn deal signed in one year as oil output hits 1.7m bpd – NNPCL

Dangote breaks ground on $17bn Kenya refinery

18 first-term APC governors in closed-door meeting in Kebbi

NTTF camps 35 players for Ghana, Guinea tournaments

Switzerland qualify for quarterfinals, beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties

World Cup: We’ve suffered injustice, says Egypt coach after loss to Argentina

Elon Musk’s net worth drops $50bn as SpaceX shares tumble again

US revokes Iran oil waiver after Hormuz tanker attacks

Suspected jihadists kill at least 22 soldiers, militia in Burkina Faso

531 Nigerians entered UK illegally in eight years – Home Office

Xenophobia: Fourth evacuation flight to arrive Nigeria Wednesday

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*DID YOU KNOW?*

* The official Adidas Trionda match ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup features just four stitched panels—the fewest ever—and houses an internal motion sensor to track exact placement.

* Salt lowers the freezing point of water. That is why salt is put on roads during the winter to melt ice.
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Tinubu orders ICPC probe into fake Presidential council, gives 30-day deadline

Tinubu inaugurates panel to draft National Policing Bill for state police implementation

Tinubu receives UAE minister Shakhboot Nahyan at State House

Insecurity: Halt rehabilitations, try B-Haram members, Senate tells FG

Xenophobia: Senate pushes sanctions against S’Africa, orders probe

Reps mourn late Gombe lawmaker, adjourn sitting

Seize S’African companies profits to pay xenophobia victims, Oshiomhole urges FG

Warri, PH refineries ex-MDs face trials over alleged $989,630, N1.42bn fraud

Court reserves judgment as Wabara BoT pushes Turaki PDP recognition

ICPC accuses El-Rufai of breaching medical visit, arrests personal doctor

Fraud trial: Court releases ex-AMCON MD’s passport for medical trip

753 duplexes: Witness admits no direct dealings with Emefiele

EFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity Schools

PSC dismisses four senior police officers, demotes 10

Troops kill notorious terrorist commander, foil attacks in Zamfara, Katsina

‘Phantom’ Council: I’ve never met Adeyemi, says Gbaja

NNPC saves $3.4bn through contract review as Ojulari unveils one-year scorecard

Education minister inaugurates Abia smart school

CBN crackdown to spur microfinance consolidation, deposit shift

FG summons stakeholders on Lagos-Calabar coastal highway

Umahi knocks coastal highway critics, cites jobs, economic gains

FG provides inputs to 5,642 Gombe farmers

PenCom moves to amend Pension Reform Act after 12 years

FAO boosts 210,000 farmers in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe with inputs

Almajiri commission: National Assembly inserted road projects into our budget

FG, AfDB, other stakeholders seek private sector investments in urban sanitation

Over 18m Nigerians exposed to flooding, NiHSA warns

OAU tips Tegbe to revive Nigeria’s power sector

First Lady urges greater investment in tourism, seeks stronger Nigeria-Qatar partnership

Remi Tinubu displays Waterleaf, Pumpkin Harvested From Villa Garden

NPO backs probe of Meta, Google over content use

Medical lecturers issue 21-day strike notice over pay dispute

Nigeria advertises only 36 health jobs despite worker exodus – NISER

Pilots’ body cautions on moves slash NCAA funding

Guinness World Records confirms Saheed Osupa, Malaika, others’ Afrobeats orchestra record

UTM FLNG secures 15-year gas supply deal

BUA Foods shareholders to vote on N504bn dividend

Grene Capital expands Jabi Lake Mall’s solar capacity to 1.5MWp

Oando posts N204.8bn PAT as production climbs 32%

CAP shareholders approve N4.00 per share dividend payout

Google seeks dialogue as FG probes tech giants

MEA Energy targets 3,000 jobs across 250 fuel retail stations

APC first-term govs back Tinubu, seek continuity beyond 2027

Umahi knocks Obi, says his politics is ‘AI politics’

We campaigned for you, grant my husband fair treatment, El-Rufai’s wife tells Tinubu

Sanwo-Olu blames coastal terrain, waste disposal for Lagos floods

Kano retires Sharia judge, director over bribery, certificate fraud

Anambra approves new plan to tackle erosion, student housing deficit

Anambra tricycle operators decry daily extortions, illegal revenues

Controversial PFIPC: Ogbomoso elders, leaders disown Adeyemi

FCT police smash kidnap ring, arrest 560 suspects

Hit-and-run Enugu driver kills PhD-holding police inspector

Benue woman burns lover’s two daughters to death

Police demote two officers over PoS extortion in Delta

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*TODAY IN HISTORY*

* On this day in 1497, Vasco da Gama set off on a voyage to India from Lisbon with four ships. A year later, he reached the city of Calicut in southern India and became the first European to set foot in India by way of the sea.

* On this day in 1889, Wall Street Journal was published for the first time. Three financial reporters named Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser created The Wall Street Journal to supersede a previous periodical called the Customers’ Afternoon Letter.

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Intense love does not measure, it just gives. – Mother Teresa

Good morning…

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested Prof. Bello Abubakar, personal physician to former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged abuse of a court-approved medical visit.

The commission’s spokesperson, John Odey, announced this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Odey said Mr El-Rufai’s personal physician was arrested for allegedly making false statements in connection with a court-approved medical visit.

He said the visit was granted to Mr El-Rufai at the private wing of the National Hospital, Abuja, with the understanding that he was to receive medical attention.

”However, photos later posted online by a political associate, Isa Kudan, showed El-Rufai meeting with Prof. Abubakar and others at the same time.”

He said this indicated the medical visit was used for activities outside the scope approved by the court, which the ICPC described as an abuse of its goodwill and a violation of the court order.

He explained that the Kaduna State High Court had fixed July 6, 7 and 8 for accelerated hearing of criminal charges pending against Mr El-Rufai, who is currently in the commission’s custody.

”However, on the first day of the hearing, the former governor did not appear before the court.

”The prosecution told the court that El-Rufai refused to be conveyed, insisting he wanted to see his personal doctor.

”The prosecution further stated that no prior request for medical consultation was made to the Commission. When asked by the ICPC medical doctor, El-Rufai reportedly said he had no immediate complaint,” he said.

He allegedly said his wife, Asia El-Rufai, who is also one of his lawyers, requested that he see Mr Abubakar, his personal physician.

According to him, following arguments by counsel, the court adjourned proceedings to July 15.

”The adjournment was to hear an application for the trial judge’s recusal and to await the chief judge’s directive on a transfer petition.

”In spite of this, the ICPC facilitated the medical visit in compliance with court directives and its obligation to respect the rights and welfare of persons in custody.

“The hospital visit took place on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the private wing of the National Hospital, FCT. ICPC’s medical and security team conducted themselves professionally and respected the defendant’s privacy,” he said.

Mr Odey said at the family’s request, the ICPC officers remained outside the consultation room, while the attending oncologist was supposedly examining El-Rufai.

”The commission was later confronted with Facebook photos posted at 2:00 pm by Isa Ashiru Kudan, a political associate of El-Rufai, showing a meeting with the former governor.

”The pictures showed Prof. Abubakar, Isa Kudan and three others with El-Rufai at the same time he was supposed to be having a medical consultation.

”The images indicated the medical visit was used for activities outside the scope approved by the court and the Commission, describing it as a clear violation of the court order,” he said.

While noting that the commission had remained patient, professional and courteous in handling Mr El-Rufai and other suspects, Mr Odey warned that such courtesies had been abused and the commission will no longer tolerate it.

He added that Mr Abubakar had been taken into custody for making false statements and for further investigation.

He said the commission would bring the alleged disobedience to the attention of the court and reiterated its commitment to operating within the law.

(NAN)

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The Federal Government has redirected more than 1,440 assets recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the education sector, in a move aimed at transforming proceeds of corruption into investments that enhance teaching and learning across the country.

The assets, comprising 501 double-decker bed frames, 939 mattresses and 12 wooden beds with mattresses, were formally handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education during a restitution ceremony in Abuja.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the deployment of recovered assets to the education sector reflects President Bola Tinubu’s determination to ensure that resources reclaimed on behalf of Nigerians are channelled into projects that have a direct impact on citizens, especially children and young people.

Dr Alausa said education remains at the heart of the President’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy through sustained investment in human capital. He explained that redirecting assets recovered from corrupt practices to schools is part of a deliberate policy to convert the proceeds of crime into opportunities that enhance learning, improve educational outcomes and secure a brighter future for Nigerian students.

The Minister noted that education has emerged as one of the major beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s asset recovery programme. He recalled that President Tinubu had previously approved the conversion of a forfeited university facility into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, instead of disposing of the property through sale.

According to him, the institution has already enrolled more than 3,000 students in programmes covering applied sciences, engineering, nursing, health sciences and other strategic fields, thereby expanding access to quality education and equipping young Nigerians with skills required for national development.

Alausa added that the latest tranche of recovered assets would substantially improve student accommodation and welfare in colleges and other educational institutions nationwide.

He also hailed the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for enhancing public confidence in the Commission through professionalism, adherence to the rule of law and sustained efforts to tackle corruption, procurement fraud and cybercrime.

The transfer of the recovered assets was formalised through the signing of a Deed of Release by representatives of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Education, including the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abel Enitan.

The recovered assets will be deployed to educational institutions across the country to improve student accommodation and strengthen learning infrastructure.

Alausa assured Nigerians that the recovered assets would be deployed transparently and equitably to Unity Schools across the country where they would directly improve student welfare, strengthen learning infrastructure and support the Federal Government’s commitment to providing accessible, inclusive and quality education for every Nigerian child.

Earlier, the anti-graft Chairman, Olukoyede, said the assets were recovered during Operation Eagle Flush, one of the largest cybercrime operations undertaken by the Commission.

He explained that the operation, conducted towards the end of 2024, led to the arrest of about 792 suspects, including foreign nationals, who were investigated, prosecuted, convicted and repatriated after serving their prison terms.

According to him, the restitution was carried out in line with the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that recovered assets are transparently deployed for national development.

Olukoyede said children and young people are among the greatest victims of corruption and financial crimes, making it appropriate that they should also benefit from assets recovered from criminal activities.

The EFCC Chairman also highlighted previous interventions in the education sector, including the transfer of the forfeited university facility that now operates as the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, and the deployment of recovered proceeds of crime to provide part of the seed funding for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

According to him, about 1.4 million students have already benefited from the education loan programme through tuition support and monthly upkeep allowances, easing financial burdens that often expose vulnerable young people to cybercrime and other financial offences.