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Mutallab’s Son Arrested Over Attempted Bombing In US

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Twenty-three year old Abdulfarouk Umar Abdulmutallab, son of former Chairman of First Bank Plc, Alhaji Umar Mutallab, was Saturday in Michigan, United States arrested for trying to blow up North-west Delta Airlines flight on Christmas day.

He was charged in a make-shift court session at the University of Michigan hospital, where the suspect was being treated for burns. He had bandages in his hands, spoke in English, and told the district attorney that he could not afford to pay for an attorney.

He was accused of “willful attempt to destroy an aircraft within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States and wilfully placing and causing to be placed a destructive device upon and or proximity to such aircraft.”

In a five-page affidavit deposed by Theodore James, FBI special agent before District Judge Paul Borman, the justice department said Abdul Mutallab had a device containing a high explosive attached to his body on flight 253 from Amsterdam.

Also Saturday, Alhaji Mutallab, who was former Federal Commissioner for Economic Development in the Murtala/Obasanjo administration, was quizzed for hours by a combined team of the nation’s security agencies in Abuja over the bombing incident involving his son.

The Justice Department said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab who was born on December 22, 1986 had a device containing a high explosive attached to his body on Flight 253 from Amsterdam.

A preliminary analysis of the device shows that it contained PETN, also known as pentaerythritol, according to the affidavit filed in federal court in Detroit.

Abdulmutallab allegedly told passengers that his stomach was upset, then pulled a blanket over himself, the affidavit said. Passengers then heard popping noises that sounded like fireworks and smelled smoke before at least one passenger climbed over seats and tackled Abdulmutallab.

“Had this alleged plot to destroy an airplane been successful, scores of innocent people would have been killed or injured,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. “We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously, and we will use all measures available to our government to ensure that anyone responsible for this attempted attack is brought to justice.”

Abdulmutallab claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil, said a U.S. law enforcement official. But others cautioned that such claims could not be verified immediately.

London’s Metropolitan Police also were working with U.S. officials, said a spokeswoman who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

The father of the suspect Mutallab, told The Associated Press on Saturday that he didn’t know exactly where his son was but planned to speak with Nigerian authorities.

“I believe he might have been to Yemen, but we are investigating to determine that,” the father said.

Mutallab who left Funtua, his home town in Katsina State early Saturday morning for Abuja after hearing about the news of his son’s attempted bombing and arrest reported to the security agencies at the Federal Capital Territory.

Our correspondent gathered that as at the time of going to press Mutallab was still with the security agencies.

Mutallab, admitted that the man arrested over a botched attempt to blow up a US airliner on a flight from Amsterdan to Detroit is his son.

“I have been receiving telephone calls from all over the world about my child who has been arrested for an alleged attempt to bomb a plane,” Mutallab said.

“I am really disturbed. I would not want to say anything at the moment until I put myself together. I will address a press conference on the issue on Monday. I have been summoned by the Nigerian security and I am on my way to Abuja to answer the call,’’ he said.

Family sources said Mutallab has been uncomfortable with his son’s extreme religious views and had six months ago reported his activities to United States’ Embassy, Abuja and Nigerian security agencies.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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