N240m Fraud: Court Affirms Conviction, Sentence Of Senator Albert

N240m Fraud: Court affirms conviction, sentence of Senator Albert. The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, February 27, 2026 affirmed the decision of the trial Court and Court of Appeal that convicted and sentenced Senator Albert Bassey to seven years imprisonment and the restitution of the sum of N204m ( Two Hundred and Four Million Naira) to Akwa Ibom State.

The decision of the five- man panelist of the apex court delivered by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, having reviewed the appeal of the appellant, came to the conclusion that the decision of the Court of Appeal is affirmed but the order of restitution which the High court made but ignored by the Court of Appeal was restored.

“The order of this court is that the conviction and sentencing imposed by the lower court on the 23 day of June 2023 on the appellant is hereby affirmed but the order of the lower court avoiding the order of restitution given by the trial court did not follow the law, so it is revised and the right order is to nullify same and thereby the restitution of sum of N204 million made by the trial court is restored”, he said.

Senate

Bassey`s journey to the prison started following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, led by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho SAN before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for receiving bribes of 12 cars worth N254 million as Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom State.

He was convicted on all the seven-count charges against him and sentenced to seven years in prison for each charge, totaling 42 years on Thursday, December 1, 2022.

However, the defendant proceeded to the appellate court to which the three man panel led by Justice Rapheal Chikwe Agbo upheld the conviction but with an option of fine before the apex court struck out the judgement in parts.

Why ADC Rejects Revised INEC Timetable

Why ADC rejects revised INEC timetable — says it contains boobytraps designed to exclude opposition from contesting in 2027.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable, saying it contains boobytraps that could aid President Tinubu’s plot to be returned unopposed in 2027.

Specifically, the party has flagged the new compliance requirements under Sections 77 and 82 of the Electoral Act 2026, which unfairly burden opposition parties while giving undue advantage to the ruling party.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the requirement for political parties to submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026 ahead of primaries scheduled between 23 April and 30 May 2026 creates a near impossible hurdle that could exclude other parties from fielding candidates.

The ADC contended that with this requirement, among others contained in the obnoxious Electoral Act 2026, the so-called reform has effectively become an instrument of exclusion to clear the field for President Tinubu.

The full statement read:

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections, is in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the hand of the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between 23 April and 30 May 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However; what is more significant is that pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than 2 April 2026.

That is only 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time “shall not be eligible to field a candidate for that election.” These are not house-keeping rules. They are deliberately constructed barriers to exclude opposition from partaking in the coming election.

It is significant to note also that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 prescribes that the digital register of members must contain their name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN), and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register other than the one that contains the specific information above. According to this law, failure to meet these requirements would result in disqualification.

What makes this requirement of digital membership particularly insidious is that the ruling party had commenced the process of this registration since February 2025, long before it became a requirement of the law. This is not a product of foresight, but insider knowledge.

They knew what was coming. They therefore had one whole year to carry out an exercise that they expect other political parties to execute in one month, during which they must collect, process and collate vast digital data and transmit same to INEC by the deadline under the threat of total exclusion. This is more or less a practical impossibility.

Democratic competition is based on a level-playing field that does not give any advantage to the contestants. A system where one party takes advantage of incumbency to give itself a one-year head-start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it is almost too late is a rigged and corrupt system.

ADC

The ADC has joined other opposition political parties to reject the corrupted Electoral Act 2026. This INEC time-table, which based on the said law therefore stands equally rejected for the same reason that, put together, they appear designed to serve President Tinubu’s automatic self-succession project.
Let it be clear: ADC will not do anything that will appear to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options, and will make this known in the coming days.

We call on civil society, democratic stakeholders, and patriotic Nigerians across party lines to scrutinize this timetable and join us in demanding fairness, because no democracy can endure if the rules that govern it are written to suit pre-determined outcomes.

Signed,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC)

NAF Advances Self-Reliance With Inauguration Of In-House Citation Sovereign 680 Maintenance Training

NAF advances self-reliance with onauguration of in-house citation sovereign 680 naintenance training. In a decisive step toward strengthening institutional self-reliance and operational sustainability, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has inaugurated an in-house maintenance training programme on the Cessna Citation Sovereign 680 aircraft for 16 personnel of the 307 Executive Airlift Group (EAG), Abuja.

The programme commenced on 23 February 2026 as part of the Service’s broader capacity optimisation strategy.

Delivering remarks at the inauguration, the Chief of Aircraft Engineering, Air Vice Marshal OS Ogunsina, emphasised that air power effectiveness is sustained not only by flying proficiency, but by the depth of technical competence that guarantees aircraft availability, safety assurance, and mission continuity.

He noted that building indigenous maintenance expertise is central to safeguarding fleet integrity and achieving operational resilience. Participants were therefore enjoined to approach the rigorous eight-week programme with discipline, focus, and professional commitment, recognising its strategic significance to national air mobility operations.

The initiative directly advances the command philosophy of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, which is anchored on standardised training, capability institutionalisation, and mission-focused force development.

NAF

By domesticating specialised maintenance knowledge on the Citation Sovereign 680 platform, the NAF is deliberately reducing external technical reliance, optimising lifecycle cost management, and enhancing rapid response capacity for executive airlift missions.

Beyond a training milestone, the programme represents a calculated investment in technical sovereignty, human capital development, and sustainable air power projection. It underscores the NAF’s enduring commitment to operational excellence, force readiness, and the protection of national interests through a highly skilled and self-sustaining aviation workforce.