PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 Court declines DSS request to arrest Sowore over X, Meta case A federal high court in Abuja has refused to issue a warrant for the arrest of Omoyele Sowore, the publisher and human rights activist.  The Department of State Services (DSS) filed a five-count charge against Sowore on September 23. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, also lists X Corp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) as co-defendants. The charges stem from Sowore’s August 25 post on X, where he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” while reacting to the president’s remarks on corruption during a trip to Brazil. Before the filing, the DSS had written to X demanding the suspension of Sowore’s account and asked him to retract his post and tender a public apology in national media within a week.

 Osinbajo to African leaders: GDP growth doesn’t guarantee better living conditions for citizens Yemi Osinbajo, former vice-president of Nigeria, says economic growth figures alone do not reflect real improvements in citizens’ lives. Speaking at the Ford Foundation 65th anniversary event in Abuja on Wednesday, Osinbajo harped on the need to embed social justice in economic planning to yield tangible national and state outcomes. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total monetary value of all goods and services produced within a country during a period. It is the most common measure of an economy’s size. It is often used to evaluate economic performance and growth over time.

 FG mulls refinery sales For the umpteenth time the federal government has hinted on possible sales of the four publicly-owned refineries. The offer for sale, according to the government, is aimed at attracting investors, boosting competition, and improving efficiency in the downstream oil sector. The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, during an interview with Bloomberg TV anchor, Joumanna Bercetche, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) on Tuesday. Daily Trust reports that the proposed sale of refineries has been on the front burner following the underperformance of the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna states. The Group Managing Director of the NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari had on assumption of office said the company is currently reassessing the refineries’ strategies and could finalise the review by year-end. The NNPC boss, who spoke with Bloomberg on the sidelines of the 9th OPEC internati...

 Anambra guber: I support Labour Party but all contestants are my friends — Peter Obi Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has said that while he remains a member of the Labour Party and has campaigned for its governorship candidate, his foremost concern is for a free, fair, and credible election on November 8. Obi made the remark while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state. The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party emphasised that all the governorship candidates were his friends and urged them to place the state’s interest above personal ambition as they head into the poll. “For this election, my party is Labour Party. I want a free and fair election. All the contestants are my friends. As a member of Labour Party, I am supporting our candidate, but not to the extent of vote buying because I can never buy votes. “I cannot go to the extent of doing anything untoward for the election. I want the election to be totally f...

 DSS: Legal, procedural issues behind delay in trial of terrorism suspects The Department of State Services (DSS) says the delay in prosecuting suspects involved in the 2011 bombing of the United Nations (UN) building in Abuja, is due to legal and procedural issues. Khalid Al-Barnawi, the alleged mastermind who is said to be a top commander of Ansaru, and four others are standing trial before a federal high court on terrorism-related charges. Al-Barnawi was arrested in Lokoja, Kogi state, in April 2016 — five years after the attack on the UN building that killed more than 20 people and injured over 70.

 New US bill seeks visa ban, asset freeze for Miyetti Allah over Christian persecution claim A fresh US Congress bill has recommended targeted sanctions and other restrictive measures on individuals and entities who lawmakers say are responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria. The bill named the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as erring entities. Sanctions recommended on members of the groups include visa bans and asset freezes.

 CAS SUMMONS THEATRE COMMANDERS, SETS NEW COURSE FOR SMARTER AND HARDER AIR STRIKES TO SECURE NIGERIA The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, DFS, has convened a high-level strategic meeting with Air Component Commanders from all operational theatres at the NAF Headquarters, Abuja. The session, held under the new leadership’s directive, focused on intensifying precision air operations and delivering smarter, harder, and more decisive strikes against insurgents, terrorists, and criminal elements undermining Nigeria’s peace and stability. The engagement marked a decisive step in recalibrating the NAF’s operational posture and strengthening inter-service synergy for enhanced national security outcomes. Addressing the commanders, Air Marshal Aneke emphasized the imperative of agility, precision, and intelligence-driven warfare to effectively counter evolving threats across all theatres. “We must fly smarter and strike harder, every m...