President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Lagos on Sunday, December 28, for Europe, continuing his end-of-year break and ahead of his official trip to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January.

The weeklong summit is an annual event that mobilises leaders from government, business, and society to chart the next era of sustainable development.

With the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go”, ADSW will connect ambition with action across innovation, finance, and people, showcasing how the world can move forward with confidence.’

The President will return to the country after the Summit.

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has released what he described as documentary evidence to support his claim that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received N50 billion from the Federal Government as a special intervention fund following the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan.

Fayose made the documents public on Sunday in a statement accompanied by a memo from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He said the disclosure followed a challenge by Makinde to substantiate his earlier claim that the Oyo State Government received the funds.

“Two days ago, I stated on national television that Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde received N50bn from the Federal Government as intervention for the Ibadan explosion. Yesterday, the governor asked me to provide evidence, and here is the evidence he requested,” Fayose said.

The former governor further alleged that only N4.5 billion was disbursed to victims of the explosion, accusing Makinde of diverting the remaining funds for personal political ambitions.

“Only N4.5bn was paid to victims of the Ibadan explosion. The rest, alongside other intervention funds, was diverted to fund his presidential ambition. This, in part, explains the crisis in the PDP and his frequent attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration,” he alleged.

Fayose further said he was compelled to release official documents, despite his reluctance to do so, in the interest of transparency and public accountability.

“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so Nigerians will know who is saying the truth and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” he said.

The former governor said that Makinde’s alleged disclosure of detail from private meeting with President Tinubu made fuller public disclosure necessary.

He challenged the governor to take legal action if he believed the allegations were false, insisting that he had sufficient proof to defend his claims.

“I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. There are also proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government which the governor refused to disclose to the people,” he said.

He further claimed to have documentary evidence of Oyo State’s actual Internally Generated Revenue, contrary to figures publicly stated by Makinde, noting that he would release the details at a later time.

“There are documentary evidences on the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now.

“My name is still Ayo Fayose. I don’t say what I can’t prove,” he said.

Nigeria and the United States yesterday launched a joint military operation to flush out terrorists in the Northwest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed last night.

The Federal Government confirmed in a statement by the ministry that it remained engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States (U.S.), in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism.

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the joint operation in a tweet on his X handle.

He said the attacks were on Islamic States of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.

The statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry was signed in the early hours of today by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.

It reads: “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the Northwest. In line with established international practice and bilateral understandings, this cooperation includes the exchange of intelligence, strategic coordination, and other forms of support consistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security.

“Nigeria reiterates that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights

and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity.

“Terrorist violence in any form, whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.

“The Federal Government continues to work closely with its partners through established diplomatic and security channels to weaken terrorist networks, disrupt their financing and logistics, and prevent cross-border threats, while strengthening Nigeria’s own security institutions and intelligence capabilities.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to engage relevant partners and keep the public informed through appropriate official channels.”

Confirming the operation, Trump said the military struck terrorists’ hideout in Sokoto.

The U.S. President said he had ordered the deadly strike to flush out ISIS terrorists in the Northwest.

Trump had accused the terror group of persecuting Christians in Nigeria.

In a post on social media, Trump said he had directed a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” who he said had been killing innocent people.

U.S. Africa Command said the strike killed multiple terrorists at the request of Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State, which borders Niger to the north.

The claim could not be verified as at the time of filing this report.

“I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.

“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” added the president, who is spending the Christmas holiday at his estate in Palm Beach.

In a separate post on social media, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation”.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Mr. Daniel Bwala, told CNN: “The U.S. and Nigeria are on the same page in the fight against terrorism.”

Trump has focused for the last several months on terrorist activities, including calling in November on his secretary of defence to “prepare for possible action” and warning the U.S. would enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect the Christian population of Africa’s most populous country.

On Christmas Eve, Tinubu shared a “Christmas Goodwill Message” in which he wished Christians across his nation and the world a merry Christmas and prayed for peace among individuals of differing religious beliefs.

“I stand committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence,” President Tinubu said in a post on X.

A delegation of senior Nigerian officials had visited the U.S. to hold talks with their counterpart.

The team, led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, had explained the government position.

The team said the terrorists have no specific target.

A delegation made manily of U.S Congressmen had also visited Nigeria.
Both countries had raised a joint committee to deepen talks