Isheu Ibrahim Jadda, a vocal critic of Nigeria’s former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was arrested in Gashua, Yobe State, on Friday and detained overnight before being transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Damaturu on Saturday morning. His arrest is allegedly linked to his comments regarding a controversial ₦5,730,000,000 (five billion, seven hundred thirty million Naira) water project in Gashua.

The Federal Executive Council had approved ₦3,510,000,000 (three billion, five hundred ten million Naira) for two water projects in Gashua, aimed at extending water supply services and upgrading existing water works. These projects were deemed urgently needed due to a surge in kidney-related diseases among the local population.

However, investigations have revealed that despite full payments to contractors, many of these water projects remain incomplete or non-functional, leaving residents without access to potable water. For instance, a ₦492,000,000 (four hundred ninety-two million Naira) water supply project in Gashua was found abandoned, with the site overtaken by weeds and no evidence of ongoing work.

Further investigations uncovered that over ₦350,000,000 (three hundred fifty million Naira) allocated for constructing solar-powered and hand pump boreholes in Yobe North Senatorial District were mismanaged. Contracts were awarded to companies that failed to execute the projects, denying communities access to clean water.

The arrest of Jadda has raised concerns about the suppression of dissent and the lack of accountability in public project execution. Residents and activists are calling for transparency and proper utilization of funds to address the pressing water needs in the region.

📺: via @saharareporters

Roughly two dozen states filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration over sweeping cuts to AmeriCorps, the federal volunteer service program established in 1993. ⁠
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The suit accuses the Department of Government Efficiency of unlawfully gutting the agency and terminating hundreds of millions in congressionally approved grants. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the administration made “abrupt and drastic cuts to staff and volunteers and terminated grants.”⁠
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AmeriCorps programs support more than 200,000 members annually, many of whom receive stipends and education benefits while working in community organizations, disaster relief, and public service projects.⁠
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According to the complaint, at least 85% of staff were placed on administrative leave this month, and some 2,000 members of the National Civilian Community Corps were informed they would be dismissed early. Notices sent to grantees cited a shift in agency priorities.⁠
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The White House defended the move by citing $40 million in improper payments attributed to documentation and coding errors. “President Trump has the legal right to restore accountability to the entire Executive Branch,” said Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly. ⁠
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The Trump administration has admitted 49 white South Africans to the U.S. as refugees, citing “government-sponsored racial discrimination,” according to a senior State Department official. ⁠
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Most of the group are Afrikaners from farming communities. President Donald Trump ordered their resettlement through an executive action titled “Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa,” claiming they face violence and economic exclusion. ⁠
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The move comes amid an ongoing dispute over South Africa’s land reform efforts. In 2017, an audit found that white South Africans—who make up about 7% of the population—own roughly 75% of individually held farmland.⁠
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A 2025 law allows limited expropriation without compensation, which the Trump administration framed as targeting whites. South African officials say the policy is intended to address the legacy of apartheid, during which the Afrikaner-led government denied Black South Africans land rights, political representation, and basic freedoms under a formal system of racial segregation that lasted from 1948 to 1994.⁠
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South Africa’s government rejected Trump’s refugee designation, calling the persecution claims “completely false” and politically motivated. “There is no data at all that backs that there is persecution of white South Africans,” said Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola. ⁠
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Critics in the U.S., including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, questioned why this group was prioritized while refugee programs for people fleeing war and famine remain suspended. ⁠
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President Trump announced plans to sign an executive order aimed at reducing U.S. drug prices by implementing a "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) policy. This policy would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, tying U.S. prices to the lowest prices paid by other countries. ⁠
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The order is set to focus on Medicare Part B drugs, which include medications administered in a doctor's office, such as cancer treatments. Trump claims the policy could reduce costs by 30% to 80% and save the U.S. "TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS."⁠
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This latest order is a continuation of Trump's efforts from his first term to address the high cost of U.S. drugs via price controls. In 2020, he signed a similar executive order aimed at tying U.S. drug prices to international benchmarks, but the proposal faced significant opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. Critics argued that such a policy would harm innovation and reduce access to new medications. Trump's 2020 attempt was blocked by a federal court after he left office, preventing its implementation under President Biden. ⁠
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The MFN policy is likely to face similar resistance from the pharmaceutical industry, which argues that forcing lower prices could stifle innovation, leading to fewer new medicines and potentially harming the U.S.'s role as a global leader in drug development. ⁠
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Pharmaceutical companies contend that the policy would grant foreign governments excessive influence over U.S. drug pricing, undermining the ability of the U.S. market to set fair and competitive prices. Despite this opposition, the proposal reflects ongoing frustrations with U.S. drug pricing, a long-standing issue that has drawn bipartisan criticism.⁠
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