Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on businessman, Gilbert Chagoury as a dark moment for Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, Frank told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the decision sends a dangerous signal that corruption and conflicts of interest are being normalized at the highest levels of power.

This comes as Nigerian billionaire businessman Femi Otedola posted a congratulatory message to Chagoury.


Reacting, Frank said the honour— Nigeria’s second-highest national award—undermines public trust and the country’s anti-corruption posture, given widely reported allegations and judicial findings linking Chagoury to money-laundering cases arising from funds looted during the late General Sani Abacha junta.

“Today ranks among the saddest days of my life as a Nigerian,” Frank said, recalling reports that a Swiss court convicted Chagoury in 2000 in connection with laundering Abacha loot, after which he allegedly paid a fine of one million Swiss francs and returned about $66 million to the Nigerian government.

“To bestow one of our highest national honors on a person publicly tainted by allegations and judicial findings of corruption sends a deeply troubling message about our national values,” he added.

“Nigeria should not become a theater where corruption is rewarded, conflicts of interest are ignored, and foreign influence is leveraged against national and allied economic interests,” he warned, adding that the controversy has international governance implications.

He questioned the criteria used to confer the GCON on Chagoury, asking Nigerians to demand clarity on his contributions to national development.

“What hospitals, schools, or scholarships has he built or funded to merit this honor?” Frank asked.

“Beyond his name being linked for years to alleged corruption cases without clear conclusions, Nigerians deserve to know what qualifies him for this award and who among our business leaders has been similarly honored,” he stated.

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has appeared before the Southwark Crown Court in London, United Kingdom, for the preliminary hearing of her trial premised on bribery charges.

Alison-Madueke, who was in office from 2010 to 2015, was the first woman oil minister in Nigeria and the first female president of the global oil cartel Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The case was listed on the cause list for Court 8 before Justice Thornton on Monday.

Alison-Madueke was in court for the preliminary hearing ahead of her full trial, scheduled to commence on January 26, 2026.

Preliminary proceedings, including technical matters and jury selection, began this week, with Alison-Madueke in attendance.

The 65-year-old has been on bail since she was first arrested in London in October 2015. She has denied six charges against her.

She was formally charged in 2023 by the UK’s National Crime Agency with offences of accepting bribes between 2011 to 2015.

“We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts,” the NCA said at the time.

According to the indictment, Alison-Madueke benefitted from at least £100,000 ($134,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, and the use of multiple London properties.

The charges also detailed financial rewards including furniture, renovation work, and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from top designer shops such as Louis Vuitton.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 26, and is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.

Two others are also being prosecuted on bribery charges linked to the case: Doye Agama, who appeared in court via video link on Monday, and Olatimbo Ayinde, who was present in the dock.

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, has described the reported kidnap of over 100 worshippers in Kajuru Local Government as a falsehood being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs seeking to create chaos in the state.

Conflicting reports on Monday claimed that over 100 people were abducted by bandits during a church service at Kurmin Wali village in Kajuru on Sunday.

However, addressing reporters after the State Security Council meeting at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Monday, the Commissioner of Police challenged anyone to provide the names of the alleged kidnapped victims and other particulars.

He warned those he described as rumour mongers to desist from attempting to derail the prevailing peace in Kaduna State, adding that the full wrath of the law would be visited on such merchants of falsehood.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government, Dauda Madaki, said that upon hearing the rumour of the attack, he mobilised the police and other security forces to Kurmin Wali, only to find that no attack had occurred.

“We visited the church where the so-called kidnap took place. There was no evidence of any attack. I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he confirmed that no such attack occurred.

“I also called the youth leader of the area, Bernard Bona, who was interviewed by the press team that accompanied me, and he said that nothing of the sort happened.

“So, I challenge anyone to provide the names of the kidnapped individuals. I have been waiting for this list, but no one has come forward.

“I believe the rumour of the kidnap is being sponsored by people who are unhappy with the relative peace Kajuru has been enjoying since the coming of this administration,” he added.

He advised the people of the area to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses, urging them to report any suspicious movements or rumour mongers to security agents.

In his response, the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shauibu (SAN), said that the CAN chairman and other religious leaders had interacted with the people of the area where the so-called kidnap allegedly occurred.

“They found out that what was circulated to the public was completely false,” he said, assuring that “Kaduna State Government has zero tolerance for criminality.”