Atiku questions Tinubu’s claim of Zingman being his Chicago classmate - Newstrends
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Atiku questions Tinubu’s claim of Zingman being his Chicago classmate

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2027: Sanwo-Olu's Aide Accuses Atiku of Using Subsidy to Turn Nigerians Against Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku questions Tinubu’s claim of Zingman being his Chicago classmate

President Bola Tinubu’s recent statement about a Belarusian businessman named Alex Zingman being his classmate at Chicago State University (CSU) has stirred fresh controversy over the authenticity of the President’s academic history, as former vice president Atiku Abubakar has called for answers.

A statement issued on Tuesday by Atiku Media Office questioned the validity of the president’s claim that Zingman was his classmate at CSU.

The president made the claim during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja on Monday, sparking intense reactions from Nigerians on social media, who are raising new questions.

During his speech, President Tinubu casually mentioned, “I had a classmate called Alex Zingman at Chicago State University.” The comment, intended as a light-hearted anecdote, quickly became the focus of public scrutiny.

In response, the media office of the former Vice President has demanded clarity and transparency from the President.

“Are we now to believe that the Guinness Book of Records missed the story of a 13-year-old Belarusian prodigy graduating from an American university alongside Bola Ahmed Tinubu?” the statement read, referring to the fact that Mr. Alex Zingman was reportedly born in 1966, making him only 13 years old in 1979 — the year President Tinubu claims to have graduated from CSU.

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The Atiku Media Office further challenged the President’s association with a figure mired in international controversy.

Alex Zingman’s name has been linked to allegations of arms trafficking and financial improprieties across Africa, including Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Even more troubling is the President’s casual association with a man whose international reputation is mired in scandal,” the statement said.

Beyond the immediate controversy over Zingman’s identity, the statement also revisited long-standing questions about President Tinubu’s academic credentials.

“Mr. President, Nigerians deserve to know why a man born in 1966 is being paraded as your classmate who graduated in 1979. Were you taught in the same classroom or in different decades?” the statement asked.

It also highlighted inconsistencies around the certificates Tinubu presented to gain admission into Nigerian and U.S. institutions, noting, “Mr. President, Nigerians deserve to know why, since you claim to have presented a certificate from Government College, Lagos to gain entry into Richard Daley College in 1973, no classmate from that institution has ever spoken of sharing a desk with you.”

The statement pointed out the puzzling date on one certificate from a school founded after the certificate’s issuance date.

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“How could a school founded in 1972 issue you a certificate dated 1970—unless you were a lone prophet of a school yet unborn?” it quipped.

Atiku’s camp also lamented the lack of any publicly verifiable classmates or schoolmates from Tinubu’s supposed years at Government College Lagos, Government College Ibadan, or Chicago State University.

“Mr. President, Nigerians deserve to know why you have not proudly unveiled a single verifiable classmate from your supposed years in school, the way other leaders do with ease and pride,” the statement read.

The Atiku Media Office stressed the importance of honesty and transparency in leadership.

“Mr. President, your oath of office binds you not just to protect our nation but to honour its truth. The Presidency is not a sanctuary for secrets — it is a platform for integrity. Nigerians await not tales of Alexes from distant lands but proof, clarity, and the simple dignity of facts.”

The controversy adds to the ongoing debate surrounding President Tinubu’s academic history, which has been a subject of political contention since his rise to power.

While Chicago State University has confirmed Tinubu’s graduation in 1979, critics continue to demand more detailed proof and firsthand accounts from classmates and educators.

Attempts to get reaction from the presidency was unsuccessful as calls made to the spokesman to the president, Bayo Onanuga failed.

Atiku questions Tinubu’s claim of Zingman being his Chicago classmate

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Orji Kalu Admits Selling Heavy Weapons to International Buyers

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Orji Kalu Admits Selling Heavy Weapons to International Buyers
Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu
Orji Kalu Admits Selling Heavy Weapons to International Buyers

Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has disclosed that he previously operated an international arms business, selling heavy weapons to buyers in different countries, including anyone willing to pay for them.

The former Abia State governor made the revelation during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, November 9, 2026, while discussing his business history and relationships with former and current African leaders.

Asked directly whether he was an arms dealer, Kalu answered in the affirmative, explaining that dealing in weapons was once one of his major business activities outside Nigeria.

He, however, said he eventually abandoned the business after his parents intervened and insisted that he should stop.

“My major business used to be outside this country to deal in arms. I was an arms dealer,” he said.

According to Kalu, his decision to leave the business followed appeals from his mother and father.

“But my parents, my mother, my father came and said I must stop, and I stopped,” he added.

During the interview, the senator was asked whether he sold weapons to people who intended to use them to kill others.

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Kalu dismissed the suggestion, insisting that his primary motivation was to make money rather than concern himself with how buyers used the weapons.

“I was selling guns to make money, whether they blow up, it’s not my business,” he said.

He also denied that his arms business was exclusively linked to the African National Congress (ANC), which fought against apartheid in South Africa.

Rather, he said he was willing to sell to any buyer who had the financial capacity, regardless of the country involved.

“No, I was selling to anybody who wants to buy. If you have the money, you want to buy in D.R.C, I sell to you, you want to buy in Namibia, you want to buy…” he said.

When asked where he obtained the weapons, Kalu declined to provide details, describing the information as his private business.

The interviewer also questioned him about whether he supplied weapons to Libya during the leadership of its late ruler, Muammar Gaddafi.

Kalu responded that he sold to anybody who had the money to buy, adding that Gaddafi was a good man.

“May his soul rest in peace. He was a good man. If you have money to buy, when I was selling, I would sell to you,” he said.

The senator further sought to distinguish his former business from the proliferation of small arms in Nigeria, maintaining that he dealt in heavy weapons traded from one country to another.

“No, these are heavy arms that were sold country to country,” he explained.

His disclosure comes against the backdrop of persistent security challenges in Nigeria, including banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and the proliferation of illegal firearms.

The interview also touched on Kalu’s longstanding relationships with South African political leaders, which he traced to his friendship with the country’s late former president, Nelson Mandela.

He said Mandela introduced him to other South African leaders, including former President Thabo Mbeki and incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Kalu also discussed his relationship with former President Jacob Zuma, saying his connections with successive South African administrations developed through those political relationships.

Orji Kalu Admits Selling Heavy Weapons to International Buyers

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“Your Connections Won’t Save You,” Police Warn Traffic Offenders

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“Your Connections Won’t Save You,” Police Warn Traffic Offenders
Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi

“Your Connections Won’t Save You,” Police Warn Traffic Offenders

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has warned motorists that using their connections with senior police officers, government officials and other influential personalities will not save them from arrest and prosecution for traffic violations.

The Command specifically cautioned motorists against driving against traffic, popularly known as one-way, stressing that offenders would face the consequences of their actions regardless of their social status, position or connections.

The warning was contained in a statement issued on Monday, November 9, by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh.

The police expressed concern over the increasing disregard for traffic regulations by motorists who deliberately drive against traffic, ignore road signs and bypass designated diversions in an attempt to avoid congestion.

According to the Command, the practice is particularly dangerous around road construction sites, diversion points and other locations where traffic movement has been temporarily or permanently restricted.

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It also warned motorists against contacting senior police officers, government officials or influential individuals to facilitate their release after being apprehended for traffic violations.

“No individual, regardless of status, position or connections, will be exempted from the consequences of violating traffic regulations,” the statement said.

Following the warning, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, directed the Command’s Motor Traffic Department (MOTOPOL) and all Divisional Traffic Officers to intensify enforcement operations in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant traffic management agencies.

Sanusi directed the officers to ensure the arrest and immediate prosecution of motorists caught driving against traffic or disobeying lawful traffic instructions.

However, the police commissioner also warned officers involved in the enforcement exercise against exploiting motorists through extortion.

He stressed that any officer found engaging in such misconduct would face disciplinary action in accordance with existing police rules and regulations.

The Command urged motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic signs and comply with instructions from authorised traffic officers.

It warned that the few minutes motorists might save through reckless driving were not worth the risk of losing lives or causing damage to property.

The police also appealed to residents to remain security-conscious and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.

Residents can also contact the FCT Police Command through its emergency telephone numbers: 08032003913 and 08061581938.

“Your Connections Won’t Save You,” Police Warn Traffic Offenders

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Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment

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Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment
Babcock University
Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment

A 400-level student of Babcock University, Ogun State, has survived a suspected suicide attempt at his hostel and is currently receiving medical attention, following an intervention by his roommates.

The incident, which occurred on November 8, 2026, attracted widespread attention after videos circulated on social media showing the student near a hostel window as his roommates struggled to restrain him and pull him away from the ledge.

The university management confirmed that the student was alive and receiving treatment, dismissing social media reports claiming that he had died.

According to the institution, both the affected student and one of his roommates sustained injuries during the incident. The roommate was treated and subsequently discharged, while the 400-level student remains under medical care at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital.

The university commended the roommates for their prompt intervention, noting that their actions helped prevent what could have been a tragic outcome.

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In a statement signed by its Associate Vice-President for Communication, Media and Branding, Dr Johnson Akintayo, the institution said it had commenced an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Although the incident has been widely described as a suspected suicide attempt, the university has not officially established the student’s motive or the factors that may have contributed to what happened.

Management also disclosed that the student’s parents had been contacted and were on campus to support him during his recovery.

Beyond medical treatment, the university said it would provide the student with appropriate support and guidance to aid his recovery and well-being.

Babcock urged members of the public and media organisations to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information, particularly claims about the student’s condition and the circumstances of the incident.

The institution also appealed for sensitivity in discussing the matter, stressing the need to respect the privacy of the student and his family.

The incident has renewed attention on student mental health, emotional well-being and the importance of providing accessible support systems within higher institutions.

The university reiterated its commitment to the safety and welfare of its students, adding that it would take appropriate steps based on the findings of its investigation.

Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment

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