Flowerbud News

Year: 2026

  • President Tinubu confirms elimination of ISIS Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki by US, Nigerian forces

    President Tinubu confirms elimination of ISIS Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki by US, Nigerian forces

     

    By Hamza Suleiman

    Abuja:   President Bola Tinubu has confirmed the elimination of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, one of the senior leaders of the Islamic State, during a joint counter-terrorism operation carried out by Nigerian and United States forces in the Lake Chad Basin.

    In a statement issued from the State House on Saturday, Tinubu described the operation as a major example of effective international collaboration in the fight against terrorism.

    The president said that the operation was conducted overnight by the Nigerian Armed Forces in close coordination with the United States Armed Forces.

    “Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” Tinubu stated.

    The president said early assessments confirmed the killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, alongside several of his lieutenants during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.

    Tinubu commended the partnership between Nigeria and the United States in advancing shared security objectives and expressed appreciation to Donald Trump for his leadership and support toward the operation.

    “Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort,” he said.

    The president also praised security personnel from both countries involved in the mission for their professionalism and courage.

    He expressed optimism that the operation would pave the way for more decisive actions against terrorist enclaves across the country.

    The operation is regarded as one of the most significant joint counter-terrorism missions involving Nigerian and U.S. forces in recent years against ISIS-linked elements operating within the Lake Chad region.

    Security analysts believe the death of Al-Manuki could disrupt the operational coordination of Islamic State West Africa Province and weaken extremist activities across parts of the North-east and the wider Sahel region. (NAN)

  • Trump explains how U.S. and, Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki

    Trump explains how U.S. and, Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki

     

    By Hamza Suleiman

    Abuja:  The United States has announced the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of the global Islamic State network, during a joint counterterrorism operation conducted with Nigerian security forces.

    In a statement issued on Saturday, Donald Trump via X also known as Twitter, said American forces, working alongside the Nigerian Armed Forces, carried out what he described as a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” targeting the ISIS commander.

    According to Trump, al-Minuki had been operating from Africa and was considered one of the most active terrorist figures globally.

    “Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump said.

    He said the operation was enabled through intelligence sources that tracked the activities and movements of the ISIS commander.

    Trump added that the removal of al-Minuki would significantly weaken the global operations of ISIS and reduce its capability to coordinate attacks, including plots targeting American interests.

     

    “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation,” he said.

     

    Neither U.S. nor Nigerian authorities immediately disclosed the exact location or operational details surrounding the mission.

    Security and intelligence sources familiar with extremist activities in the Lake Chad region, however, described al-Minuki as one of the most influential foreign ISIS operatives deployed to West Africa in recent years.

     

    However, a security analyst, a counterinsurgency expert in the Lake Chad, Zagazola Makama, in a related development said the killing of Al-Minuki and other terrorists would restore relative peace in the region.

     

    According to the expert, Al-Minuki reportedly arrived in the region alongside nearly 60 foreign fighters tasked with strengthening the operational capabilities of Islamic State West Africa Province across Nigeria and the wider Sahel.

     

    Makama said the group introduced new battlefield tactics that significantly altered the operational pattern of insurgent attacks in the North-east.

     

    “The tactics reportedly included increased night assaults on military formations, coordinated raids using mobile attack teams, deployment of armed drones for surveillance and attacks, renewed suicide bombing operations and more sophisticated use of improvised explosive devices,” he said.

     

    The security analyst said the emergence of armed drone tactics among insurgent groups in the Lake Chad Basin had become a major concern for Nigerian security agencies because it reflected warfare methods previously associated with ISIS operations in Iraq and Syria.

     

    He added that Al-Minuki was also believed to have coordinated international funding channels, communications, training support and strategic guidance between ISIS central leadership and ISWAP factions operating in West Africa.

     

    Makama said the operation marked one of the most significant joint counterterrorism actions involving U.S. and Nigerian forces in recent years.

     

    According to him, the successful targeting of such a senior ISIS figure suggested deeper intelligence penetration into extremist networks operating across the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel.

     

    Makama said that the operation could disrupt ISWAP’s command structure, weaken operational coordination and create distrust within militant ranks.

     

    He, however, cautioned that while the elimination of al-Minuki represented a major strategic and psychological blow to ISIS-linked groups in the region, it did not necessarily signal the end of ISWAP’s insurgency.

     

    According to the analyst, the group has repeatedly demonstrated resilience despite leadership losses, sustained offensives and internal divisions.

     

    He added that long-term success against extremist groups would still depend on sustained intelligence operations, regional cooperation, stabilisation programmes and addressing governance and economic challenges in conflict-affected communities. (NAN)

     

  • 4 in police net over alleged defilement in Adamawa

    4 in police net over alleged defilement in Adamawa

     

    By Nafeesa Vandi

    Yola:   The 31-year-old man, who sexually assaulted his neighbour’s 3-year-old girl and three others, has been arrested by the police in Adamawa.

    SP Suleiman Nguroje, the Adamawa Command’s Spokesman, made this known to the  newsmen on Thursday in Yola.

    Nguroje said that the suspect, a resident of Tingno in Lamurde Local Government Area, was arrested for defiling a three-year-old baby.

    “He is a neighbour to the baby’s family and when he discovered the parents were away, he took advantage of their absence to defile her.

    “The other suspect was also arrested for taking advantage of a five-year-old girl in Yolde Pate.

    “The remaining two suspects were equally apprehended for luring a 17-year-old girl to a hotel in Yola and unlawful had canal knowledge of her,” the Spokesman said.

    Nguroje, however, said that Mr Kabir Hassan, the state Commissioner of Police had directed the Family Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the matter and charge the suspects in court.

     

    Nguroje said that the police had put modalities in place towards tackling all forms of Gender- Based- Violence.

     

    The Spokesman, who called on parents and guardians to properly protect their children at all times, urged residents of the state to report cases of rape and abuse to the security agencies. (NAN)(www.nannew.ng)

     

  • NAPTIP secures life imprisonment of two security guards for serial rape of minor

    NAPTIP secures life imprisonment of two security guards for serial rape of minor

     

     

    By Aderogba George
    Abuja:   The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has secured the conviction and life imprisonment of two security Guards, James Sule, 30 and Adamu Yau, 25, for serial rape of a six year old girl.
    A statement by NAPTIP Press and Public Relations officer, Mr Vincent Adekoye, in Abuja on Friday, disclosed that the convicts were based in Abuja.
    Adekoye said that the convicts were handed life imprisonment, without the option of fine, by Justice S.M. Mayana of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 46, Apo, Abuja, following their arraignment by NAPTIP.
    He said that the convicts were arraigned in line with the provisions of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act, 2025.
    The spokesman added that the development was hailed by a cross section of stakeholders and members of the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) across the country.
    According to Adekoye, the development is in furtherance of the renewed commitment and determination by the present management of NAPTIP to step up the implementation of the VAPP Law and ensure commensurate justice for victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the country.
    Adekoye stated that the victim, was constantly raped when she was six years old in 2016 till 2022, when she was 12 years
    when the matter was reported.
    The victim recounted that in 2016, her grandmother engaged the service of James Sule, who was then their family security guard, to repair a broken toilet in their residence at Penthouse Estate, Lugbe, Abuja.
    The victim recounted that while her grandmother returned to the kitchen, Sule remained in the toilet, adding that she was crying on the bed in the room over a cello tape she had spoiled when Sule called her into the toilet.
    The victim said that Sule assured her he would help prevent her grandmother from punishing her, then locked the door, forcibly removed her pants, and raped her while covering her mouth, and later brought out a knife and, threatened her not to tell anyone.
    She said that this marked the beginning of repeated sexual abuse, fear, pain, and trauma that continued for six years.
    Meanwhile the NAPTIP Press Officer stated that in a move by this victim to share the sexual pleasure with his friends, Sule, later recruited two other guards in the Estate, Adamu Yau, who is the second convict, and one Muhammed, now at large.
    The NAPTIP Press Officer said that they all together had sex with the victim whenever opportunities arose, threatening to kill and wipeout her entire family if she spoke to anyone about their act with her.
    He said that the victim endured this traumatic abuse in silence for about six years before her parents noticed troubling changes in her behaviour, and became visibly agitated whenever Sule entered the house and refused to let him escort her to school or pick her up from the school bus.
    “In a bid to get an explanation for the sudden, strange behaviour of the little girl, her parents took her to a prayer house where she confided in the Pastor that Sule, Yau, and Mohammed had been sexually abusing her, particularly whenever she returned from school before her parents arrived home.
    “The parents immediately reported the matter to the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), which subsequently transferred the case to NAPTIP and the convicts were immediately arrested.
    “Following further investigation, charges were filed in court on Feb. 9, 2023. Sule and Yau were arraigned on Oct. 23 of the same year on two counts charge under Section 1(1), punishable under Section 1(2), and Section 5 of the VAPP Act 2015,” Adekoye said.
    He stated the convicts pleaded not guilty, when the trial commenced on Dec. 5, 2023.
    The prosecution presented five witnesses, including the victim’s mother, who testified tearfully.
    The NAPTIP Press officer said that seven Exhibits were also tendered to support the case, including a medical report showing that the victim’s hymen was breached.
    He said that all witnesses were cross-examined.
    Speaking on the conviction, the Director General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, commended the judiciary for the landmark judgment, which she described as a clear warning to all offenders across the country.
    She said, “I am excited that indeed, adequate justice, which is commensurate with the magnitude of the crime committed by the convicts, was duly served on them.
    “This will go a long way to assuage the pain and traumatic experience of the victim and her family.
    “It is important to point out that this is one of the fallouts of our improved strategies aimed at tightening the noose on violators across the country through stringent implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the VAPP Act to ensure the protection of all Nigerians.
    “It will no longer be business as usual for them.
    “I want to use this medium to appeal again to all Nigerians, especially parents, school owners, and other stakeholders, to ensure that they carry out due diligence and strict profiling on any service providers before employing them.
    “The service providers include drivers, Security Guards, Home Lesson Teachers, babysitters, Cooks, and others. This is to avoid any unpleasant situation of this nature”.
    “NAPTIP appreciates the support and collaboration of the judiciary in the fight against SGBV, as well as the partnership from ARFH and other stakeholders,” Adamu-Bello stated.
    On her part, the mother of the victim (name withheld), in her response, thanked the Management of NAPTIP, especially the Counsel, for ensuring that justice was served on the violators of her daughter.
    Adekoye however, said that  the convicts have since been taken to the Kuje Correctional Centre as directed by the Court, where they will spend the rest of their lives. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
  • AfDB approves $200m BoI facility

    AfDB approves $200m BoI facility

     

    By Lucy Ogalue

    Abuja:  The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved a 200 million dollar financing facility for the Bank of Industry (BoI).

    The intervention is designed to support Nigeria’s industrial growth and strengthen private sector productivity across strategic sector

    The bank disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the facility will provide medium- and long-term financing for businesses seeking expansion capital

    The funding targets infrastructure, transport, agro-food processing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and green industrialisation sectors.

    The bank said the intervention aligned with efforts to deepen industrial capacity and improve economic competitiveness in Nigeria.

    It added that at least 30 per cent of the facility would support small and medium-sized enterprises.

    The bank noted that women-owned businesses and youth-led enterprises would receive priority support under the arrangement.

    It said inclusive financing remained critical to sustainable growth and wider economic participation.

    “The package also includes a 650,000 dollar grant from the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance.

    “The grant will strengthen SME capacity and support climate-smart business initiatives across productive sectors,” the statement read

    The bank said an additional technical support component would complement the financing package.

    It said the support would be delivered under the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa initiative.

    According to the bank, the initiative will improve financing access for women-led enterprises.

    “The intervention is expected to promote job creation, boost exports and strengthen local manufacturing.

     

     

    “It will also reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported industrial products,” the statement also read.

     

     

    The Director-General of AfDB’s Nigeria Country Department, Abdul Kamara, said the approval reflected the bank’s confidence in Nigeria’s industrial potential.

     

     

    Kamara said the institution remained committed to supporting industrialisation and private sector development across the country.

     

     

    He said the financing would support SMEs, women entrepreneurs and youth-led businesses driving economic diversification.

     

    Kamara added that stronger local enterprises would contribute to sustainable industrial transformation.

    The Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Olasupo Olusi, described the facility as another milestone in BoI’s partnership with AfDB.

    Olusi said both institutions had maintained a productive relationship focused on economic development.

    He said the financing would unlock investment opportunities, create jobs and promote inclusive growth nationwide.

    Olusi added that the intervention would strengthen local manufacturing and support Nigeria’s long-term development goals. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

     

     

     

  • AXA Mansard, Lagos DSVA intensify campaign against domestic, sexual violence

    AXA Mansard, Lagos DSVA intensify campaign against domestic, sexual violence

    By Taiye Olayemi

    AXA Mansard Insurance Plc has partnered with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) to intensify awareness and prevention of domestic and sexual violence against children through community-based sensitisation campaigns across Lagos State.

    The initiative, which forms part of the 2026 AXA Week for Good themed “Being A Child Shouldn’t Be A Risk,” is designed to strengthen public enlightenment, encourage reporting of abuse cases and reinforce child protection systems at the grassroots level.

    Under the partnership, employee volunteers of AXA Mansard will engage in door-to-door sensitisation activities in selected communities, with technical support, training and guidance provided by the Lagos State DSVA.

    The programme builds on the 2025 edition of the collaboration, which focused on school-based interventions aimed at educating pupils and teachers on domestic and sexual violence.

    Speaking on the initiative, Chief Marketing Officer of AXA Mansard, Mrs Adebola Surakat, said the 2026 campaign would place greater emphasis on families, parents, caregivers and community leaders.

    She noted that most abuse cases occur within familiar environments.

    Surakat said statistics indicate that more than 60 per cent of domestic and sexual violence cases involving children were perpetrated by individuals known to them, underscoring the need for stronger community awareness.

    She explained that the campaign would cover six communities, where volunteers would educate residents on identifying abuse, reporting mechanisms and safe parenting practices.

    According to her, AXA Mansard’s sustained advocacy against domestic and sexual violence reflects its commitment to building safer communities in which it operates.

    She further noted that in 2025, about 96 per cent of the company’s employees devoted at least 30 minutes of their work hours to volunteer activities focused on creating awareness on domestic and sexual violence.

    In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Ms Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said domestic and sexual violence thrived on silence, ignorance and fear, stressing the need for continuous public education and community engagement.

    Vivour-Adeniyi commended AXA Mansard for sustaining its partnership with the agency, adding that protecting children required the collective effort of government, private sector organisations and the public.

    She said bringing advocacy directly to communities would empower parents and caregivers to identify warning signs early, protect vulnerable children and report cases promptly.

    AXA Week for Good is the flagship initiative under AXA Mansard’s employee volunteering platform, AXA Hearts in Action, through which staff reportedly contributed over 20,000 volunteer hours in 2025.

  • Ex-VP Atiku in no position to belittle President Tinubu’s reforms, TMSG insists

    Ex-VP Atiku in no position to belittle President Tinubu’s reforms, TMSG insists

     

    By Danladi Ahmed
    The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is in no position to fault the ongoing global
    applauded economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu.

    The reforms are widely acclaimed as necessary tools to put the country on a firm economic footing.

    In a statement by its Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo, it argued that the former Vice President and his media handlers do not know better than global ratings entities which have endorsed the reforms as timely, sound and well thought out.

    The statement reads in full: “We are not totally surprised that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his hurried bid to gain political traction has continued to dish out to the public statements to rubbish the high-value economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration since he once cited the Argentina model as best for Nigeria.

    “We recall that in February 2024, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who was still smarting from his sixth record loss at the presidential poll, argued that the Argentine model of economic reforms was better for Nigeria.

    “He claimed at the time that what President Javier Millei was doing was similar to his plan to rescue Nigeria.

    “But today, the economic situation in that country is so volatile that it remains the largest borrower from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with significant debt outstanding including a recent $20 billion bailout.

    “Nigeria, on the other hand, to Atiku’s chagrin, does not have any debt obligation to the Fund.

    “Besides, we are aware that a few months ago, the World Bank described President Tinubu’s economic reforms as a frequent global reference point for reform conception, implementation and measurable results.

    “Anna Bjerde, World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, was specifically quoted by the international media as saying that Nigeria was frequently cited as a global case study example of a steady, credible reform leadership model, while praising what she described as the Tinubu administration’s dogged consistency over the past two years.

    “Instructively, this is the same reform that the former Vice President and his media handlers are painting as one driven by ‘policy confusion, weak leadership, and a dangerous detachment from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians’,” the group said.

    The TMSG maintained the existence of sufficient indices to prove that the former Vice President is fundamentally wrong on the Tinubu reforms.

    “We make bold to say that Atiku does not know better than the reputable non-partisan experts and global entities which have variously affirmed that the reforms have yielded positive results in restoring macroeconomic stability, boosting investor confidence in several sectors of the economy, with foreign reserves increasing to about N50 billion in just two years, the highest in 13 years.

    “The IMF had recently warned that Nigerians may face tougher economic conditions in the near term as rising food and transportation costs are not new especially in the face of the lingering global shocks which continue to squeeze household incomes.

    But, shockingly, a former Vice President who hailed an Argentine economic model which brought more pain to Argentines is seeking to weaponise an innocuous comment by an IMF which has had nothing but praise for the Tinubu reforms.

    “It beggars belief that an Atiku Abubakar who was very vocal during the 2023 campaign about the need for reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification is now demonising the same policies even though he knew they would come with some pains.

    “We are aware that because he is eyeing an African record as the highest decorated perennial loser in his seventh attempt at the presidency, the former Vice President has gone berserk, often going out of his way to rubbish everything the President Tinubu administration has done.

    “Even more troubling is his claim that ‘at the grassroots, people are pulling children out of school because education is now a luxury’.

    “But we are gratified that President Tinubu has affirmed that his government will not look back on reforms which are aimed at long-term economic growth, despite the initial difficulties.

    “It is also worth noting that the federal government is working hard to ensure that vulnerable Nigerians are not left to the vagaries of the global cost of living crisis by launching a new “Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG).

    “It is a new initiative under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) to provide direct financial support and starter inputs to the poorest and most vulnerable households across all 774 local government areas to stabilise their livelihoods and enable them to progress towards self-reliance,” the group added.
    AZ
    TMSG maintained that the Nigerian economy had since turned the corner, noting that the worst days were over.

    It urged Nigerians to continue to keep faith in the capacity and sincerity of the federal government to deliver on its promises and that no amount of jaundiced posturing of the former VP and his fellow power-mongering crew would stop the nation from reaching the desired destination of attaining the greatest good for the greatest number.

     

  • ANAN HONOURS ONIKEDE KAMIL AS NEW BURSAR OF FEDERAL SCHOOL OF SURVEYING, OYO

    ANAN HONOURS ONIKEDE KAMIL AS NEW BURSAR OF FEDERAL SCHOOL OF SURVEYING, OYO

    The Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Oyo 1 State Branch, on Thursday honoured Mr. Onikede Olabode Kamil, FCNA, following his appointment as the new Bursar of the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo.

    The recognition ceremony, held at the Adamasingba Sports Complex, Ibadan, attracted professionals, administrators, academics, and dignitaries from different parts of Oyo State.

    Chairman of the Association, Dr. Esanju Samuel Olaoye, presented the congratulatory honour to Mr. Kamil and commended him for his career achievements, professional discipline, and dedication to financial integrity and institutional development.

    Speaking during the presentation, Dr. Olaoye described Mr. Kamil as a competent and visionary professional whose appointment reflected the confidence reposed in him by the Governing Council of the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo. He stated that the honour by ANAN was a recognition of hard work, consistency, credibility, and professional distinction.

    He added that Mr. Kamil’s emergence into the strategic office of Bursar would inspire younger accountants and professionals within the association to remain committed to diligence, integrity, and continuous professional growth.

    Responding to the honour, Mr. Kamil expressed appreciation to the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Oyo 1 State Branch, for the recognition and support. He described the honour as a motivation to remain committed to professionalism, accountability, integrity, and dedicated service. He also pledged to justify the confidence reposed in him through effective financial management, transparency, and responsible leadership in his new role as Bursar of the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo.

    The event also featured the recognition of Mrs. Alakunle Funmilayo Janet, FCNA, on her appointment as Director of Audit, The Polytechnic Ibadan.

    Among dignitaries present at the occasion was the Vice-Chairman of ANAN, Oyo 1 State Branch, Abdulazeez Malik Afolabi Ph.D, former Acting Bursar of Saki Polytechnic, Oyo State, who described Mr. Kamil’s appointment as a well-deserved elevation earned through years of dedication, sacrifice, and excellent service delivery.

    Also in attendance was Alhaja Onikede Olaide Idayat, the wife of Mr. Onikede Olabode Kamil.

    Mr. Onikede Olabode Kamil, FCNA, has over two decades of experience in public sector finance, institutional administration, banking, auditing, and financial management.

    He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance and Management, a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting, Higher National Diploma (HND), and National Diploma (ND) in Accounting. He is also a member of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (ICMA).

    Before his appointment, Mr. Kamil served as Chief Accountant at Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, where he played key roles in financial planning, treasury management, institutional coordination, and fiscal policy implementation. He also served as Acting Bursar between June 2019 and August 2020 and received a Letter of Commendation from the institution’s Governing Council Chairman.

    He has also participated in budget defense sessions, Treasury Single Account (TSA) implementation, audit engagements, and institutional financial reforms.

    Beyond administration, Mr. Kamil has contributed to academic research in banking operations, taxation, financial management, and organizational administration.

    Stakeholders at the event described his appointment as a victory for merit, professionalism, and integrity, expressing confidence that his tenure would strengthen fiscal discipline, accountability, transparency, and institutional growth at the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo.

    The recognition by ANAN Oyo 1 State Branch further highlighted Mr. Onikede Olabode Kamil, FCNA, as a respected financial expert and administrator within the accounting profession in Nigeria.

  • Justice Crack’s bail plea suffers setback as defence lawyers clash in court

    Justice Crack’s bail plea suffers setback as defence lawyers clash in court

     

    The bail application filed by the detained Chidiebere Justice Mark, popularly known as Justice Crack, on Thursday suffered a setback at the Federal High Court in Abuja after his lawyers clashed over representation.

    Justice Joyce Abdulmalik had, on May 4, fixed today for hearing of Mark’s bail request shortly after he was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) and pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge.

    The adjournment followed an application by Mark’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, who told the court of the need to admit his client to bail pending trial.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DSS had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/253/2026, sued Crack, a social media influencer, as sole defendant over alleged cybercrime offences linked to a viral video concerning the Nigerian Army.

    Mark was alleged to have circulated a false information and publication of materials capable of causing public unrest.

    The defendant, who was reportedly arrested by the Nigerian Army, was accused of publishing the viral video and accompanying statements through his X handle, @JusticeCrack, alleging inadequate feeding of Nigerian soldiers.

    When the case was called on Thursday, Leyii Abueh, from the Federal Ministry of Justice, informed the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had taken over the matter from the DSS in line with the relevant section of the law.

    However, Femi Balogun and Abubakar stood up to announce apperance for the defendant.

    Balogun told the court that he was briefed by Mark’s family to take up the case.

    He notified the court about the defence bail application already filed.

    But Abubakar insisted he was the defendant’s lawyer, who had been appearing in the case and he had not been disengaged to handle the matter.

    Justice Abdulmalik then asked the defendant to identify his lawyer and Mark pointed at Balogun.

    Against this development, Abubakar applied to withdraw all the processes he filed in respect of the case, including the bail application which Balogun had relied on.

    The judge struck out the processes filed by Abubakar and adjourned until May 18 for hearing of the fresh bail application.