News
Police Inspector killed alongside Dr. Akunyili in Anambra laid to rest
Inspector Louis Uduk of the Nigeria Police, who was murdered alongside with Dr John Akunyili, has been laid to rest last Saturday at his home town Oron, in Akwa Ibom State.
It is recalled that Dr John Akunyili, a husband to late Dora Akunyili, a former Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from 2001 to 2008, was murdered by unknown gunmen, alongside with his driver and Inspector Uduk who was a Police attachee security to Dr. Akunyili, on their way back to Enugu State from special duty on Tuesday Sept. 28, when the ugly incident happened.
According to the biography of late Uduk presented by his younger brother Mr Ernest Uduk, Louis sent a text message to his wife at about 5:00p.m., informing her that they were coming back from the journey.
“At about 5:00p.m., he sent a text message to his beloved wife informing her he was on his way back home. He anticipated danger when he saw more than 20 gun wielding armed men blocking the road.
“At that juncture, he advised the driver to reverse their vehicle but he refused to obey him”.
“He appealed to them to spare his life for the sake of his family and most importantly, that he was an in-law by virtue of marrying an Igbo woman.
Uduk junior said despite his plea, he was gruesomely murdered for no just cause.
In the condolence message given by Inspector Charles Utum, who represented the Nigeria Police Enugu branch, he appreciated God for everything that had happened, while at the same time, condoled the family of late Uduk for the incident he described as unfortunate situation.
Utum pledged to give support to the family whenever the Nigeria Police Enugu branch was called upon.
He said the Commissioner of Police Enugu State had advised the family of Louis, as he was known to be a peace maker, to allow peace to reign in the family.
There was also a condolence message presentation by Mboho Ufok Akwa Ibom Foundation, a group, late Insp. Louis belonged before his demise.
Earlier in his homely, Pastor Osene Humphrey of Omega and Fire Ministry Church, preached on the theme tittle, “Don’t be stupid”.
Pastor Humphrey who read the Bible passages from both Hebrews chapter 9:7 and II Corinthian 5:10, advised the sympathizers not to live and forget themselves on earth as they gathered for Uduk’s burial, saying death was everyone’s call.
“You know why we gather here this morning, is not because of any other thing but is because of the death of our brother Louis and I want to say this to any of us seated here this morning that one day, we all would leave this world.
“Is like all of us are here to trade, it is like a market place and at the end of the day, everybody goes home. Understand this, no matter your wealth, no matter your secret in life, one day you will leave them behind” .
Prayers were offered to the bereaved family by the clerics, while men of the Nigeria Police performed parade for their departed colleague.
We are nearing the endgame leading to an attack on Iran’s nuclear program – or to serious new nuclear negotiations.
US President Donald Trump against backdrop of Iranian missile (illustration).(photo credit: Canva/DavorLovincic, Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker)
It’s been several weeks since US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iran giving it two months to arrive with him to a nuclear deal or it would likely face military force.
No one knows exactly how Trump will calculate the deadline: two months from when the letter was sent, two months from when the Islamic Republic received the letter, two months from when it responded, or two months from when talks may start.
But after Trump’s deadline, European countries Germany, France, and England (the E-3), set June as a deadline for Tehran to reach a nuclear deal lest it face global sanctions being snapped back on it according to a provision of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with the West.
So whether his deadline is early May or closer to early June like the E-3, we are down to one to two months for a new Iran nuclear deal or for some significant interim progress sufficient to extend the deadline.
Why is Iran facing increased pressure on its nuclear program?
The increased tensions are not just based on Trump’s deadline threat.
In recent days, including again on Sunday, Trump threatened Tehran more explicitly with being attacked, including, “bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
His latest threat was also unusually ambiguous in that some interpreted it not merely as giving Israel a green light to strike the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, but potentially having the US participate as well.
In a different atmosphere this might be seen as a bluff, but Trump has put forth a large and sustained series of airstrikes against the Houthis of Yemen now for multiple weeks.
This, and the fact that Trump ordered the targeted assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the former Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force chief, in 2020, makes the threat of US participation on some level suddenly real.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei not turning the other cheek
Meanwhile, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not turning the other cheek.
He and his lieutenants have said unmistakably that if their nuclear program is struck by anyone, even if it is “just” by Israel, that they will retaliate by attacking every single US base in the region.
They then went out of their way to broaden that definition to even include bases the US shares with other countries, such as the UK Diego Garcia Base in the Indian Ocean and American bases even in countries like Turkey.
This would be in addition to the more obvious US troops in Middle Eastern countries like Syria, and in addition to attacking Israel and Gulf countries like the Saudis, all of whom Khamenei has ordered attacked in the past.
Iran is signaling in public that it will make no new concessions beyond what it was willing to make to the Biden administration and that it will not negotiate under pressure, but the fact is that it is saying it will consider indirect negotiations at a time that Trump is threatening it will bombing and instituting a host of tougher sanctions.
Khamenei knew that Biden would try to hold Netanyahu back from attacking Iran’s nuclear program as he did on April 19, 2024 and October 26, 2024.
However, he also knows that either Trump will definitely give Netanyahu the green light to attack at some point if there is no deal, or is deeply worried that Trump would approve such a dramatic game-changing strike.
Not only that, but with Iran’s five S-300 air defense systems all destroyed by Israel in 2024, it knows that the Israeli air force’s capability to destroy or deeply harm and delay the nuclear program has moved from a difficult challenge to being close to a certainty.
Also, Khamenei has seen that Israel was able to shoot down most of its hundreds of ballistic missiles on two separate occasions. Does Khamenei really think his threats of a ballistic missile response will block Israel or the US or both from acting?
All of this makes negotiations much more likely.
Real negotiations between US, Iran will have to begin next month
In terms of when Khamenei must start negotiations and by when he would need to agree to a sufficient enough interim deal to gain a further reprieve, this is harder to say.
Probably real negotiations need to start in around the next month.
Reaching an interim deal could drag out longer, until September, given that the global sanctions snapback does not expire until October and that Trump’s deadline was somewhat arbitrary.
But there is no question that we are either nearing the end game leading to an attack on Iran’s nuclear program or to serious new nuclear negotiations which will kick the can down the road a few months, but not much farther than that.
The clock is ticking.
The Honourable Minister of Defence, H.E. Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle extends heartfelt congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the occasion of his 73rd birthday. The Minister commended the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the realm of national security, which has been bolstered by the unwavering dedication of the Nigerian Military.
Dr. Matawalle acknowledged the President’s exceptional leadership and decisive actions that have significantly enhanced the safety and security of Nigerians across the nation in a remarkably short period. He stated, “President Tinubu has taken bold and transformative steps that are already yielding positive results in our collective pursuit of peace and safety.”
The Minister emphasized that history will undoubtedly recognize President Tinubu for his courageous and intentional efforts to reset and reposition the country across various sectors for a brighter future. The positive outcomes of these initiatives are becoming increasingly evident.
“On this special occasion of his birthday,” Dr. Matawalle continued, “I, on behalf of my family, the Ministry of Defence, and all Nigerians, wish the President long life, good health, and the fortitude to continue making the courageous decisions necessary for our nation’s development during this pivotal time.”
Your transformative policies strengthens our faith in Nigeria. Mr President, I salute your excellence.
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has arrived the ancient city of Kano on a condolence visit over the gruesome killing of 16 hunters on Thursday 27th March, 2025.
The governor was received by his counterpart inKano, Abba Yusugu o Monday afternoon.
Earlier, Governor Okpebholo visited the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau whomis also an indegene of Kano, disclosing that 14 suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing.
According to him, those arrested have been moved to Abuja for further interrogation.
Okpebholo was received in Kano by Governor Abba Yusuf and some of his cabinet members.
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