The defendants are three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians, including Anochili Innocent, Juan Carlos Meza Torrero, Nemecio Martinez Felix, Jesus Lopez Valles, Nwankwo Sunday Christian, Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, Omonughwa Kingsley Orike and Emeka Nwobum. They are facing an 11-count charge over the alleged production and trafficking of methamphetamine at a clandestine laboratory in Iloti Village, Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants were involved in the production and possession of 2,419.48kg of methamphetamine, as well as the acquisition and transportation of precursor chemicals used in its manufacture.

At the bail hearing, defence counsel Benson Ndakara urged the court to release the defendants, arguing that their continued detention was unjustified. He said the defendants were presumed innocent until proven guilty and were prepared to provide reliable sureties and comply with any conditions imposed by the court. The defence also raised concerns about the health of some of the defendants, arguing that their medical conditions required special attention.

Opposing the application, NDLEA counsel Buhari Abdullahi urged the court to refuse bail, saying the substantive trial was already before Justice Musa Kakaki, where the defendants had been arraigned and their pleas taken. He said an order had been made for an accelerated trial and that the prosecution had already called its first witness.

Abdullahi argued that the international composition of the defendants increased the risk of flight, noting that three of them are Mexican nationals. He added that Anochili, whom the prosecution described as the alleged financier and organiser of the operation, holds dual Nigerian and Mexican citizenship.

The prosecutor also rejected the defence’s health concerns, saying the defendants had not established that their conditions could not be managed by medical facilities at the correctional centre. Abdullahi further disputed the defendants’ claim that the property where the laboratory was discovered was intended for legitimate businesses such as poultry farming, piggery and wine production. He told the court that NDLEA investigations showed that the facility had allegedly been established and equipped specifically for the illicit production of methamphetamine.

According to the prosecution, equipment, chemicals and materials allegedly linked to the production of controlled substances were recovered from the site, including Phenyl-2-Propanone (P2P), a precursor used in methamphetamine production. The NDLEA also alleged that precursor chemicals, including toluene, P2P, phenylacetic acid, acetone and hydrochloric acid, were transported from Lagos to the forest laboratory in Ogun State.

The agency said it would rely on physical, documentary, forensic and laboratory evidence to prove its case.

The defendants have denied the allegations and are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The matter has been adjourned to September 2, 2026, when Justice Aluko is expected to rule on the pending bail applications, while the substantive trial before Justice Musa Kakaki continues on an accelerated basis, with the prosecution having already called its first witness in that proceeding.

Justice Akintayo Aluko, after hearing arguments from both sides, adjourned the matter until September 2, 2026, to rule on the bail applications.

Obi, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed concern over what he described as the potential impact of the senator’s alleged remarks on peace, democratic norms and electoral security in the state.

The presidential hopeful said Senator Fadahunsi, as a serving member of the National Assembly, had a constitutional and moral responsibility to promote peace, unity and democratic values.

He described it as “alarming and unacceptable” for a distinguished senator to allegedly make remarks capable of heightening political tensions, frightening voters or potentially inciting electoral violence.

According to Obi, elections should provide citizens with an opportunity to freely choose their leaders without intimidation, harassment or coercion.

“Resorting to threats of force or disruption undermines the integrity of our electoral process, disrespects the electorate, and threatens the fragile peace of the state,” he said.

Obi therefore called on Fadahunsi to withdraw the statements attributed to him and apologise to the people of Osun State.

He also urged political leaders, stakeholders and supporters across party lines to exercise restraint, moderate their language and recommit themselves to peaceful democratic participation.

The former Anambra governor further called on security agencies to closely monitor inflammatory statements and ensure equal protection for citizens, election officials and voters before, during and after the election.

Obi stressed that the democratic mandate belongs to the people and warned that no individual, regardless of political position or status, should seek to undermine the will of the electorate through fear or coercion.

He urged residents of Osun State to remain calm and peaceful while exercising their constitutional right to vote.

“Getting elections right is a necessary step towards a New Nigeria that is Possible,” Obi said.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the party’s youth leadership said Makinde’s comments on the President’s economic policies did not reflect the realities confronting residents of the state and urged him to focus on governance rather than criticising the Federal Government. 

The APC maintained that President Tinubu inherited significant economic and security challenges and has since introduced reforms aimed at stabilising the economy and improving national development. The party argued that while the reforms have been difficult, they are intended to deliver long-term benefits for Nigerians. 

The party also called on the governor to prioritise addressing issues affecting Oyo State, including insecurity and public service delivery, instead of engaging in political criticism of the Federal Government. 

Makinde has, on several occasions, expressed concerns over some of the Federal Government’s economic policies, arguing that they have contributed to hardship for many Nigerians. His comments have continued to generate reactions from members of the ruling APC and opposition figures. 

The development is expected to accelerate trusted cloud adoption, attract investments in digital infrastructure, and position Nigeria as a regional hub for cloud services, artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, and sovereign computing.

The signed regulatory instruments include the National Cloud Computing Guideline, National Cloud Technical Guideline, and the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework (NDIAF). NITDA also unveiled the National Cloud Investment Strategy to drive investments in Nigeria’s growing digital economy.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, described cloud infrastructure as critical national infrastructure that supports digital government services, financial technology, artificial intelligence, digital trade, and economic resilience.

According to him, the signing marks Nigeria’s transition from policy formulation to implementation by providing clear regulations, technical standards, and assurance mechanisms needed to build a secure and trusted cloud ecosystem.

He said the framework would protect Nigeria’s digital sovereignty while creating opportunities for innovation, investment, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.

Abdullahi disclosed that implementation of the initiative would begin immediately through a phased approach, with NITDA set to establish a Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee to oversee execution.

He added that by October 2026, the agency plans to launch a national digital regulatory platform that will oversee the onboarding, assessment, certification, and regulation of cloud service providers and digital infrastructure operators across the country.

Representing the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, the Director of the Payment System Supervision Department, Dr. Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, said financial stability now goes beyond traditional banking to include mobile payments, fintech platforms, electronic transfers, and Point of Sale (POS) transactions.

She explained that the CBN’s Data Localisation Circular is designed to ensure sensitive financial data remains within Nigeria while strengthening the country’s financial system against emerging digital risks.

According to Yusuf, NITDA’s Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework complements the apex bank’s regulatory efforts by improving the security and resilience of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure. She added that implementation guidelines are currently being finalised to support compliance across the financial sector.

The event was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare; the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju; Chairman of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative and CEO of Medallion Data Centres Limited, Ikechukwu Nnamani; as well as representatives from government agencies, academia, development partners, and the private sector.

Eyewitnesses said people were seen shouting and scampering for safety as the fire continued to rage.

Confirming the incident to National Focus, the officer in charge of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Ebute Metta Command, Mr. Ehimen Momoh, said firefighters have been deployed to the scene to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading.

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are yet to be determined as emergency responders continue firefighting operations.

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The attack, which occurred on Monday, also resulted in the destruction of two security vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force and the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps after they were set ablaze by the assailants. 

Residents said the heavily armed attackers stormed the community, opened fire on security personnel and villagers, forcing many residents to flee for safety. Among those killed were a police officer identified as Hussaini Manyu, an elderly resident, Bala Wakili, and a young herder who was reportedly shot after refusing to surrender his cattle to the attackers. Several others sustained injuries, while an unspecified number of cattle were rustled during the invasion. 

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the command received a distress call and immediately deployed operatives to the area.

According to him, police personnel engaged the attackers in a gun battle and successfully repelled them. However, one police officer lost his life during the exchange of gunfire, while the attackers destroyed two security patrol vehicles before fleeing the scene. 

Following the attack, residents appealed to the Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government to strengthen security operations across Kebbe and neighbouring communities to prevent further attacks and protect lives and property. 

The singer made the statement while speaking on the political climate in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election. Davido, who has been actively supporting the re-election bid of his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, expressed confidence in accord Party among the electorate. 

According to Davido, if the electoral process is free, fair and transparent, he believes no political opponent can match his influence or popularity at the polls. His remarks have since generated widespread reactions on social media, with supporters applauding his confidence while critics argued that electoral outcomes should be determined solely by voters. 

The warning is contained in INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 released yesterday, which found that AI now enables 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa.

Based on responses from 36 African countries, the report said cybercrime has evolved into a borderless and increasingly organised criminal enterprise powered by AI-driven scams, credential theft and automated social engineering.

According to the report, online scams remained the most common cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI-generated content to deceive victims.

It added that nearly three-quarters of surveyed countries reported the existence of scam centres, particularly in West and Southern Africa.

Nigeria featured prominently in the assessment. The report said the country recorded 5,822 ransomware detections in 2025, reflecting its “dual role as an origin and target of cybercrime,” while West Africa remained the continent’s busiest region for Business Email Compromise (BEC), where criminals impersonate company executives or trusted partners to divert funds or obtain sensitive information.

INTERPOL noted that AI has made such schemes more convincing by enabling criminals to produce emails that closely mimic the writing style, language and signatures of company executives.

The report also identified Nigeria among African countries with high exposure to data breaches and said the compromise of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website in 2025 disrupted economic data collection and fuelled disinformation, highlighting the vulnerability of critical public institutions.

It added that cybercriminals were increasingly using synthetic identities, combining genuine personal information with fabricated details to bypass biometric verification, open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.

Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, Neal Jetton, said: “Cybercrime has become one of the region’s most significant criminal threats.”

The organisation said coordinated international operations had led to more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over $100 million.

It urged stronger cross-border cooperation, improved digital forensic capabilities, greater AI training for law enforcement agencies and closer collaboration between governments and the private sector to strengthen cyber resilience across Africa.