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Profile Of Ambassadors Nominated For US, UK, France By President Tinubu

Published

11 months ago

November 27, 2025

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated non-career ambassadors for three countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

It was reports that the postings will be finalised following Senate screening. The three nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu.

Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea during President Buhari’s administration, having been first appointed in 2016.

Ambassador Ayodele Oke, an alumnus of Emory University in Atlanta, is a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.

Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are was Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007, served as National Security Adviser in 2010, and was an officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. He graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.

See profiles of the nominees below:

Lateef Kayode Are, Ambassador-designate.

Year of Birth: 1955
Status: Retired Nigerian Army Colonel & Former Director General, State Security Service

Education:
– Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy
University of Lagos, Nigeria – 1987

– B.Sc. (First Class Honours) Psychology
University of Ibadan, Nigeria – 1980
(Best graduating student: University Senate Prize, Faculty of Social Sciences Prize, Department of Psychology Prize)

– Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Regular Combatant Course 12
Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Nigerian Army – December 1974
(Among top 10 cadets)

Military Career:

– Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Nigerian Army – 1974
– Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Military Intelligence
– Promoted to Colonel
– Compulsory retirement from Nigerian Army – 1993

Senior National Security Appointments:

Director General, State Security Service (SSS) May 1999 – August 2007
(Longest-serving DG SSS in Nigerian history; served under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua)

Deputy National Security Adviser, Federal Republic of Nigeria
April 2010 – c. 2010/2011

Acting National Security Adviser
18 September 2010 – 4 October 2010
(Interim appointment following resignation of Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau)

Professional Profile Summary:

Retired intelligence and national security expert with over 33 years of combined military and civilian intelligence service, including eight consecutive years as head of Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency.

Amin Muhammad Dalhatu, Ambassador-Designate.

State of Origin: Jigawa State
Status: Career Diplomat & Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Professional Summary:

Seasoned Nigerian diplomat with extensive experience in international relations and bilateral diplomacy. Served as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (South Korea), fostering economic, cultural, and political ties between Nigeria and host nations.

Key Appointments

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Embassy of Nigeria, Seoul
c. 2017 – c. 2023

– Presented Letters of Credence in September 2017 under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

– Oversaw diplomatic operations, consular services, and promotion of Nigeria-Korea relations, including trade, investment, and cultural exchanges.

– Hosted high-profile dignitaries, such as Reverend Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi in 2019, highlighting Nigeria’s global cultural outreach.

Earlier Diplomatic Career

– Career diplomat in the Nigerian Foreign Service, with prior postings and roles in international diplomacy (specific details not publicly detailed).

– Contributed to Nigeria’s foreign policy implementation across various capacities within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– Advanced diplomatic training and qualifications through the Nigerian Foreign Service (details not publicly available).

Ayodele Oke, Ambassador-designate.

State of Origin: Oyo State
Status: Retired Career Diplomat & Former Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA)

Professional Summary:

Distinguished career diplomat with over three decades of service in Nigeria’s foreign affairs and intelligence sectors. Expertise in international relations, multilateral diplomacy, and national security. Served as Nigeria’s top intelligence chief from 2013 to 2017, overseeing covert operations and foreign intelligence. Cleared of all allegations in 2023 following a six-year legal process.

Key Appointments

Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Federal Republic of Nigeria
November 2013 – October 2017

– Appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan; oversaw Nigeria’s external intelligence operations, including counter-terrorism and strategic intelligence gathering.

– Suspended in April 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari pending investigation into recovered funds at a Lagos apartment (described as an operational safe house); fully dismissed in October 2017.

– Legal case terminated in June 2023 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with no wrongdoing found; court proceedings withdrawn.

Ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat London, United Kingdom
c. 2005 – c. 2009.

– Represented Nigeria in multilateral engagements with the Commonwealth of Nations, advancing diplomatic, economic, and governance initiatives.

– Contributed to high-level policy dialogues and bilateral relations within the 56-member organization.

Director (Regions), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Headquarters, Abuja

– Managed regional intelligence coordination and operations across Africa and beyond.

Earlier Diplomatic Career

– Joined the Nigerian Foreign Service as a career diplomat (entry date not publicly available).

– Served in various diplomatic postings and roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on international relations and consular affairs (specific details not extensively documented in public sources).

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SEE FULL LIST: NJC recommends 28 candidates for judicial appointments

Published

10 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended 28 candidates for appointment as judicial officers across six states, including 24 candidates for various State High Courts.

The recommendations cover the High Courts of Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The Council announced the recommendations in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe.

It said the decisions were taken at its 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.

According to the Council, one candidate was recommended as Grand Kadi of the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, while another was recommended as Kadi of the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal.

Two others were recommended as judges of the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The appointment includes “24 High Court candidates and four candidates for the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal.”

The full list of the 28 recommended candidates is as follows:

PLATEAU STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (GRAND KADI)

1. Tijjani Jibrin Zololo

KANO STATE HIGH COURT

2. Nafisah Yusuf Hassan
3. Halima Yahuza Ahmad
4. Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature
5. Musa Ibrahim Umar

EBONYI STATE HIGH COURT

6. Dickson Edmund Amaga

EDO STATE HIGH COURT

7. Benson Osagie Osawaru
8. Taiye Osayanmon Omoruyi
9. Dorothy Ibhade Adamaigbo
10. Festus Osagie Usiobaifo
11. Pius Idemudia Oiwoh
12. Majebi Samuel Amune
13. Emike Jessica Imuekemhe

ADAMAWA STATE HIGH COURT

14. Aminu Sa’ad
15. Ibrahim Ulenda Musa
16. Sadiq Giwa
17. Musa Bala Mijinyawa
18. Japhet Ibrahim
19. Aliyu Bakari
20. Yakubu Ahmadu

OGUN STATE HIGH COURT

21. Olakulehin Luqman Abiola Oke
22. Adebimpe Folusho Obienu
23. Fatimat Adeola Daudu
24. Rafiat Bolanle Kadiri
25. Oludotun Olaniyi Osho

ADAMAWA STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (KADI)

26. Abubakar Ishaku

ADAMAWA STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

27. Elshama Gwama Dimas
28. David Benjamin Pembi

The NJC said all the recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.

Source: punchng.com

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JD Vance reveals Iran war cost Republicans midterm elections, read details

Published

10 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

United States Vice President JD Vance has blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party’s poor performance in the 2026 midterm elections, saying many supporters of President Donald Trump switched allegiance to Democrats over dissatisfaction with the conflict.

Vance said this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, arguing that the party’s defeat was not primarily caused by poor voter turnout but by the defection of voters who supported the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024.

He said data analysis conducted by his team before the elections had shown that Republican supporters were turning out in significant numbers, despite opinion polls predicting a major Democratic victory.

“One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was ‘composition’—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win,” he said.

Vance explained that although turnout was encouraging in several states, a member of his data team had warned him that many Republican voters were angry and might not vote for the party.

“Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was nine points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024,” he said.

“But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.”

The Vice President acknowledged that the party might have failed to communicate its economic policies effectively, particularly on the cost of living and inflation.

However, he said the major reasons voters abandoned the Republicans were concerns about the war, economic hardship, America’s foreign policy priorities and its relationship with Israel.

According to Vance, a pollster who accurately predicted the election outcome identified four major demands among former Republican supporters who switched to the Democrats.

The demands were to end the war, prioritise the cost of living and inflation, put America first and change the country’s relationship with Israel.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance stated.

He also defended television personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, saying her earlier call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict had proved politically sound.

Vance warned against attempts by Republican establishment figures to attribute the party’s electoral setback to other issues, particularly immigration policy.

He said he was open to reviewing immigration enforcement strategies, including targeting businesses that employ undocumented workers, but rejected calls for amnesty.

“Anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you,” he said.

The Vice President challenged those who believed the war was worth the political cost to defend that position openly, noting that the defeat could cost Republicans control of the Senate for the next six years.

“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay,” he said.

“Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”

Despite the setback, Vance expressed optimism about the country’s future, urging disappointed Republican supporters to channel their anger into rebuilding the party and electing candidates who share their political views.

“Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country,” he added.

Source: punchng.com

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UK to strengthen immigration enforcement with facial recognition

Published

11 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The United Kingdom government plans to expand live facial recognition technology to strengthen immigration enforcement and identify individuals who have violated immigration rules.

The initiative, being developed by the Home Office, could see facial recognition cameras deployed at transport hubs and public events to help immigration officers identify people who have overstayed their visas, entered the country unlawfully or breached their immigration conditions.

According to policy documents published in October and sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, the proposed expansion could extend the technology’s use to general immigration enforcement, including civil immigration violations that do not necessarily involve criminal offences.

The development comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeks to intensify immigration enforcement through increased funding, additional personnel and expanded deportation operations.

The Home Office said the technology would help officers identify individuals subject to removal proceedings and those attempting to re-enter the UK unlawfully.

The policy documents also suggest that facial recognition could reduce the need for repeated enforcement visits to residential properties and workplaces.

Authorities have already conducted three trials of the technology at Holyhead port in north Wales between November 2025 and February 2026. The trials focused on identifying individuals travelling from Ireland who were subject to deportation orders or wanted over immigration-related criminal offences.

The programme has now entered its formal delivery phase, with officials considering wider deployments at transport hubs and large public gatherings.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that further trials were being considered while the government examined the potential benefits and implications of the technology.

U K Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “Facial recognition technology has been the biggest breakthrough for catching criminals since DNA matching, already helping police take thousands of dangerous criminals off our streets.

“The benefits are clear, but we must ensure that its use is fair, safe and proportionate.

“It is right we put in place clear laws to ensure that the use of this technology is watertight, so the public can have confidence that these tools, which are vital to our safety, are used responsibly too.”

However, the proposed expansion has raised concerns among civil liberties organisations and migrant rights advocates over privacy, surveillance and the possibility of inaccurate identification.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants described the development as a significant escalation of immigration enforcement powers, while the Open Rights Group questioned the transparency of the plans, public consent and the absence of comprehensive legislation governing facial recognition.

Critics have also warned that the technology could disproportionately affect people of colour because of concerns about identification accuracy.

Meanwhile, Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner William Webster has questioned whether existing regulatory arrangements are sufficient to oversee the expanding use of facial recognition across government agencies.

Under the proposed policy, individuals under 18 will not be included on facial recognition watchlists.

Source: punchng.com

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