Iyabo Obasanjo Secures PDP Senate Ticket After Party Switch

Former Nigerian senator, Iyabo Obasanjo, has reportedly secured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial ticket for Ogun Central shortly after rejoining the party, marking a major political comeback ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Reports from party sources in Ogun State indicate that the former lawmaker emerged as the PDP candidate following her return to the opposition party after a brief period in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Her return to the PDP came days after she resigned from the ruling APC, citing alleged internal party disagreements, lack of inclusion, and what she described as disrespect within the party structure.

Party insiders say her emergence as the PDP senatorial flagbearer reflects ongoing realignments within the opposition party in Ogun State, as political actors position themselves ahead of the next election cycle.

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Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, previously served as senator representing Ogun Central between 2007 and 2011, during which she was active in legislative debates and governance issues at the national level.

Her return to frontline politics has been described by supporters as a strategic comeback, with expectations that she will leverage her experience as a former federal lawmaker and former state commissioner for health.

The development is expected to intensify political competition in Ogun Central Senatorial District, where parties are already strengthening structures ahead of the 2027 elections.

The PDP is yet to officially release a comprehensive list of its confirmed candidates for the forthcoming general elections, but internal party sources suggest more nominations will be finalised and announced in the coming weeks as preparations continue nationwide.

Iyabo Obasanjo Secures PDP Senate Ticket After Party Switch

P-Square Feud: Peter Okoye’s Absence Delays Jude Okoye’s N1.3bn Fraud Trial

The N1.3 billion fraud trial involving former P-Square manager Jude Okoye suffered a setback on Wednesday after his younger brother and key prosecution witness, Peter Okoye, failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for cross-examination.

Jude Okoye and his company, Northside Music Limited, are facing a seven-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations involving N1.38 billion, $1 million and £34,537.59. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Alexander Owoeye, EFCC counsel G.C. Akaogu informed the court that Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P, could not attend the proceedings because his flight from Abuja to Lagos had been rescheduled.

According to Akaogu, the development was communicated to the defence team before the commencement of the hearing.

However, defence counsel, Clement Onwuewunor (SAN), disputed the explanation, telling the court that information available to the defence suggested that Peter was already in Lagos and had not travelled as claimed by the prosecution.

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The senior advocate further lamented that he had cancelled other professional engagements outside Lagos in preparation for the hearing, only to be informed of the witness’s absence.

Following submissions from both parties, Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter until September 21, 2026, for the continuation of trial and Peter Okoye’s cross-examination.

The high-profile case stems from a petition filed by Peter Okoye against his elder brother, accusing him of financial misconduct and the alleged diversion of revenues generated from the former P-Square music catalogue.

Peter had earlier testified that concerns about the management of the group’s finances emerged after the brothers reunited following their initial split. According to him, investigations into the operations of companies linked to the group’s business affairs prompted him to report the matter to the anti-graft agency.

During his testimony, Peter alleged that certain royalty payments and music revenues were channelled through entities that were unknown to him, leading to questions about the handling of earnings generated by the duo’s music business.

The trial has attracted significant public attention due to revelations made during earlier proceedings. Under cross-examination, Peter reportedly admitted that he was a co-signatory to the bank account of Northside Entertainment Limited, a development that defence lawyers argued contradicted suggestions that Jude had sole control over the company’s finances.

The defence has continued to challenge aspects of Peter’s testimony, relying on financial documents and corporate records presented before the court.

Despite the allegations, Jude Okoye has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has maintained his innocence since the commencement of the trial.

The court is expected to hear further evidence when proceedings resume in September, with Peter Okoye anticipated to return to the witness box for continued cross-examination.

The case remains one of the most closely watched legal disputes in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, given its connection to the long-running P-Square feud and the involvement of two of Africa’s most successful music stars.

P-Square Feud: Peter Okoye’s Absence Delays Jude Okoye’s N1.3bn Fraud Trial

‘They Assigned One Girl to 3 or 4 Men Daily’: Survivor Recounts 20 Days of Rape, Torture in Bandits’ Den

A young woman (name withheld) has given a harrowing first-hand account of the systematic rape, beatings, and degrading treatment she endured during 20 days in a bandits’ camp in northern Nigeria, revealing that sexual violence against female captives was routine and unrelenting throughout her captivity. Speaking in Hausa during an interview with MAIBIREDI TV, the survivor said she and fellow captives were shackled with iron rods upon arrival and held in a forest hut, where they were flogged, forced to lie on bare ground, made to sit immobile for hours, and subjected to repeated interrogations. “They beat us. It wasn’t just the beatings; they subjected us to various forms of humiliation,” she said. She confirmed that sexual assault of women in the camp was not an isolated occurrence but a continuous pattern. “Wallahi, yes, absolutely,” she said when asked directly. “Ever since we arrived, it was a continuous thing, not just once.” The survivor said she was the only group held in that section of the camp during her captivity. Her freedom came only after a ransom payment. The bandits initially demanded N10 million. “I don’t know if the amount was later negotiated down, but the money was ultimately delivered,” she said. “Everything they do to a person there makes your heart ache whenever you recall it,” she added.

This testimony aligns with documented reports indicating that rape and sexual assault are routinely used as weapons to terrorise, control, and punish rural communities across Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central zones. Armed bandits employ sexual violence strategically to inflict widespread trauma and fear, forcing communities into submission and preventing resistance, often assaulting women in front of their families to cause maximum humiliation and psychological devastation. The states most heavily affected by this crisis include Zamfara, considered the epicentre of banditry, as well as Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Plateau, Kogi, and Kwara. In some instances, bandits have been reported to abduct women and girls specifically for sexual gratification rather than for ransom. One survivor from an IDP camp in Niger State recounted being told by her abductors that they had “come for the wives,” and that the abduction was only for sexual gratification, with all 10 women kidnapped during that attack being subjected to rape.

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In a separate testimony, another survivor described being held in a bandits’ camp where she and other women were subjected to daily sexual assault and inhumane treatment, saying: “Bandits usually feed us to be strong. Then they take turns having sex with us everyday. Sometimes they can assign one girl to be pleasing 3 or 4 men daily.” Other survivors of mass abductions have corroborated the brutally inhumane conditions, describing how captives are held in chains, denied adequate food, and exposed to the elements. One rescued victim who was held for 32 days recounted that captives “used to chain us in twos,” with movement severely restricted even for basic needs. Another survivor of a mass abduction in Kaduna State reported that the abductees were fed only four times throughout three weeks of captivity and were forced to sleep in the open forest, enduring mosquito bites and constant threats.

The violence in these camps extends beyond physical and sexual abuse. Research and survivor testimonies indicate that kidnapping victims face not only rape but also forced marriage, slavery-like conditions, and psychological torture. According to a study on rural banditry in Nigeria, women are more likely to be abducted and forced into marriages with bandits instead of being killed, while men are more frequently killed during attacks. For women and girls, the trauma of captivity is compounded by the potential for long-term social stigmatisation, particularly for those who return with children or pregnancies resulting from rape. Some are also forced into marriage or slavery, with survivors recounting that while in captivity for over a year, some captives were forced to “do house chores for their wives as slaves, while others were forcefully married to them.” The account offers a rare first-hand window into the brutal conditions inside kidnappers’ enclaves in northern Nigeria, where victims face systematic physical and sexual violence during prolonged captivity for ransom.

‘They Assigned One Girl to 3 or 4 Men Daily’: Survivor Recounts 20 Days of Rape, Torture in Bandits’ Den