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President Bola Tinubu has taken Nigeria’s concerns over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa to the African Union (AU), demanding urgent continental action to protect the safety, dignity and rights of Africans across the continent.

Tinubu, who spoke through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Luanda, Angola, said the attacks undermined the ideals of African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.

The President called on the AU to place the issue on the agenda of its 40th Ordinary Session of the Assembly scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action by African leaders.

“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” Tinubu said.

While acknowledging South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and its contributions to the continent, the President stressed that such attacks could not be divorced from Africa’s broader commitment to unity and solidarity.

“While recognising South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and acknowledging its contributions to the continent, Nigeria stresses that such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence, and require urgent collective attention,” he said.

He added: “It is on this note that Nigeria calls on this august Assembly to place the matter on the agenda of the upcoming 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action.”

Tinubu urged the continental body and member states to intensify efforts to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia, stressing that dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action remained critical to preserving African unity.

The President’s intervention came against the backdrop of Nigeria’s longstanding concern over attacks and hostility directed at Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.

On the wider security challenges confronting the continent, Tinubu backed the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a practical framework for strengthening conflict prevention and addressing the root causes of instability.

He argued that preventing conflicts remained more cost-effective and sustainable than attempting to manage them after they had escalated.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” the President said.

He, however, warned that fragmented peace initiatives and growing external interference through foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors could undermine the AU’s conflict-prevention architecture and weaken the principle of African ownership.

Tinubu also called on arms-producing and exporting countries to strengthen cooperation with African states to prevent weapons and ammunition manufactured within their jurisdictions from being diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.

According to him, although the AU has established mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution, limited trust among member states and inconsistent implementation have continued to constrain their effectiveness.

“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” he warned, urging member states to renew their commitment to collective responsibility for Africa’s peace and security.

Nigeria also supported sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations, as well as the full operationalisation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, aimed at strengthening the continental body’s capacity to respond effectively to conflicts and crises.

Tinubu urged African leaders to recommit to home-grown solutions, deeper cooperation and shared responsibility in confronting the continent’s security challenges.

“Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want,” the President said.

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Nigerian football legend Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha has melted hearts online after sharing a joyful and emotional father-daughter dance with his daughter, Daniella, at her glamorous wedding in Marbella, Spain.

The touching moment took place on Saturday, August 29, 2026, during the lavish destination wedding of 27-year-old Daniella and her husband, Leonard Okorocha.

Daniella, a law graduate, and Leonard had previously celebrated their union with legal and traditional wedding ceremonies in Lagos earlier in the year before taking their celebrations to the Spanish coast for their grand white wedding.

At the Marbella ceremony, Daniella looked stunning in an elegant, flowing beaded wedding gown as she joined her famous father on the dance floor.

Okocha, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers, appeared in high spirits as he danced alongside his daughter, displaying the same playful energy and charisma that made him a global football icon.

Videos from the celebration quickly made their way onto social media, with thousands of fans reacting to the heartwarming display between the football legend and his daughter.

Music executive Paulo Okoye, who attended the wedding, shared a video of the special moment online with the simple caption, “Father and daughter dance.”

The footage showed Okocha enjoying the moment with Daniella as guests celebrated around them, offering fans a glimpse into a more personal side of the former Super Eagles captain.

Okocha’s legendary football career was built on extraordinary skill, creativity and entertaining footwork, qualities that earned him worldwide recognition and made the phrase “Jay-Jay, so good they named him twice” synonymous with his football legacy.

However, it was his role as a proud father that took centre stage in Marbella as he celebrated one of the biggest milestones in his daughter’s life.

The emotional dance also triggered nostalgic reactions from fans who remembered watching Okocha produce some of his most memorable performances during his playing career, including his appearances for Nigeria at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Many social media users praised the warmth between father and daughter, while others commented on how quickly Daniella had grown from a child into a bride.

The moment also resonated because of its simplicity. Away from the glamour surrounding the destination wedding, Okocha was simply a father celebrating his daughter as she began a new chapter of her life.

The Marbella ceremony brought together family, friends and prominent personalities for a glamorous celebration filled with music, dancing and memorable moments.

As images and videos from the wedding continue to circulate online, the father-daughter dance has emerged as one of the most widely celebrated moments from the occasion.

For Okocha, whose football career gave millions of Nigerians unforgettable memories, the Marbella celebration provided another special moment—this time not on a football pitch, but on the dance floor with his daughter.
Daniella and Leonard have continued to receive congratulatory messages from family, friends and well-wishers as they begin their journey together as husband and wife.

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The Mining Marshals have defended the continued closure of the Stone Rockers Nigeria Limited quarry in Abuja, saying the site remains central to an ongoing criminal case before the Federal High Court.

The agency’s position followed a recent petition by Stone Rockers to President Bola Tinubu and other government officials over the closure of its operations, which the company said had lasted about 13 months.

Stone Rockers had alleged that the shutdown was unlawful and not backed by a court order.

But the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps John Onoja Attah, said the quarry was not sealed as an administrative penalty. Rather, he said, it remained the scene connected to the alleged offence for which Stone Rockers and its director, Kolawole Olaiya, are being prosecuted.

The defendants are standing trial in Charge No. FHC/ABM/VR/338/2026 over allegations of illegal mining within a mineral title area said to belong to Lord’s Career Ventures Nigeria Limited.

According to the Commander, the case followed investigations into petitions submitted by the complainant over a period of more than one year.

He said the petitions were referred to the Mining Marshals by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development and the Minister of Interior through the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for investigation and prosecution.

The Commander said investigators arrested the defendants at coordinates identified as longitude 7°17’24″E and latitude 8°52’11″N.

He said the Mining Marshals’ investigation established that the coordinates fell within Mining Lease No. 000395 ML, which belongs to Lord’s Career Ventures.

The agency cited a letter dated January 23, 2026 from the Mining Cadastre Office as part of the material supporting its position. According to the Commander, the letter confirmed that the disputed coordinates were located within the licensed mining area of the complainant.

The Mining Marshals also said correspondence generated during the investigation would form part of the evidence before the court.

The Commander specifically referred to a letter dated August 12, 2025, allegedly written by Mohammed Olanrewaju Jibril, a member of the defence team, on the instructions of the defendants.

He claimed that the correspondence contained statements relevant to the allegations against the defendants.

The Commander said the prosecution had assembled substantial documentary evidence and maintained that the case should be determined through the judicial process.

He also questioned the decision to seek administrative intervention while criminal and civil proceedings relating to the dispute were still before the courts.

“The issues raised by the defendants are already the subject of judicial proceedings,” he said, cautioning against actions that could interfere with or prejudice the cases.

The Mining Marshals further alleged that the defendants had pursued what it described as extrajudicial avenues to frustrate the prosecution.

The Commander said the latest petition to the President should be viewed in that context, while also alleging that previous petitions had been directed against him at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

He denied that such actions would affect the agency’s handling of the case.

“No matter the level of blackmail and harassment deployed by illegal mining and erring industry players, the Mining Marshals will not be deterred from ensuring that the full weight of the law is pressed very tightly against everyone who breaks the laws in the Nigerian mining sector,” he said.

The agency also addressed the status of workers who were arrested during the initial enforcement operation.

According to the Mining Marshals, prosecutors had amended the charge to remove the workers from the case after determining that they were employees acting for a disclosed principal and might not have possessed the criminal intent required for prosecution.

The agency said that position was now under review following subsequent developments, including the participation of some of the workers in protests over the continued closure of the quarry.

The Commander said prosecutors had been directed to consider whether the workers should be brought back into the proceedings if further evidence established their involvement in the alleged illegal mining activities.

The Mining Marshals also rejected suggestions that the enforcement operation was motivated by financial inducement.

The agency said Lord’s Career Ventures had complained repeatedly about financial losses allegedly resulting from its inability to commence mining operations because of the disputed activities.

However, the Commander said the company had not provided financial support or logistics to the Mining Marshals for the operation that led to the arrests.

He maintained that the enforcement action was based on evidence gathered during the investigation and was not influenced by the financial circumstances of either party.

The Commander urged media organisations to apply appropriate verification and editorial scrutiny when reporting disputes involving mining operations and ongoing court cases.

He said the media had an important role to play in the Federal Government’s efforts to reform the solid minerals sector and promote lawful mining.

The dispute between Stone Rockers and Lord’s Career Ventures has produced competing accounts over the ownership and use of the disputed mining area and the legality of the quarry’s closure.

Stone Rockers maintains that the prolonged shutdown of its operations is unlawful, while the Mining Marshals contend that the site is connected to allegations currently before the court.

With the matter now subject to judicial proceedings, the legal questions surrounding the disputed mining title, the alleged activities at the site and the continued closure of the quarry remain for the relevant courts to determine.