Turkey has detained nine people in connection with a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 76 people and injured dozens at a ski resort in western Turkey.

Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya, who disclosed this early Wednesday, said that the owner of the hotel has also been detained.

Mr Yerlikaya also reported that the bodies of 45 victims had been handed over to their families while DNA tests were being conducted to identify the remaining bodies at the forensic institute.

The fire occurred at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in the Bolu mountains.

The hotel, where the fire broke out expressed deep sorrow in a statement on Wednesday and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

“We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident,” the statement said. “We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts.”

The 12-storey hotel, which had 238 registered guests, was consumed by flames after the fire started on the restaurant floor around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT).

Survivors described scenes of panic as they fled through smoke-filled corridors and jumped from windows to escape.

Authorities are facing growing criticism over the hotel’s safety measures, as survivors reported that no fire alarms went off during the incident.

Guests said they had to navigate the smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness.

President Tayyip Erdogan declared Wednesday a day of national mourning following the tragedy, which occurred during the peak of the winter tourism season, with many families from Istanbul and Ankara travelling to the Bolu mountains for skiing.

The Defence Headquarters says two notorious terrorists, Abu Radde and Umar Black, operating in the North West theatre of operation, on January 19, surrendered to troops of Operation Fansan Yamma.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, in a statement on Tuesday, said the surrendered terrorists had been operating in Batsari and Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Mr Buba said the surrender was occasioned by ongoing synchronised offensive operations by the ground troops and the air component, which resulted in several terrorists being dislodged from their enclaves with high casualties.

He said the troops recovered assorted weapons and ammunition as well as secured the release of 15 hostages held by the terrorists during the operation.

According to him, troops are nevertheless sustaining the momentum as they continue the hunt for notorious terrorist leader Bello Turji, among others.

“On the whole, troops will continue to eliminate threats posed by terrorists and destroy them on the battlefield.

“The terrorists either surrender or be buried on the battlefield.

“Additionally, troops continue with their operations to create conditions whereby terrorists are denied the ability to carry out acts of terror against citizens,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu has greenlit a project for the construction of Inland Dry Port (IDP) in Ijebu-Ode in a move that lends credence to an exclusive report by Peoples Gazette that he was solidly rooting for the creation of Ijebu state.

Three days after The Gazette blew the lid on Mr Tinubu’s conversation with the Awujale, Sikiru Adetona, promising to support the creation of Ijebu State, the president has approved that a dry port facility be erected in Ijebu-Ode.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola announced plans for the new facility in Abuja on Monday while defending the 2025 budget before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and House of Representatives Committee on Ports and Harbour, Maritime Safety, Inland Waterways and Shipping Services.

Mr Adegboyega relayed the president’s goodwill and plan to decongest the Western port system by strategically establishing Inland Dry Ports in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state and Moniya in Oyo state.

“Pursuant to its mandate and the charge given by Mr President, the Ministry is developing dry ports at Ijebu-Ode and Moniya in Ogun State and Oyo State respectively,” the minister said. “These IDPs are targeted for fast-tracked delivery to decongest the Western Port System. Design consultancies for the project are ongoing.”

The dry port, if completed, will boost Ijebu-Ode’s economic viability and put to bed concerns that the region lacked the wherewithal to be an independent state.

Mr Adetona obtained Mr Tinubu’s strongest assurances that Ijebu-Ode State will stand on its own as a state, independent of Ogun state. The Awujale informed the president that modalities were underway to guarantee the successful transition of the region into a state, provided he supports it.

The president received the revered traditional ruler at his Bourdillon residence on January 5 and promised his guest that he would not withhold support for the proposed state just northeast of Lagos, sources familiar with the details told The Gazette under anonymity to discuss privileged conversations.

The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has commenced the 2025 weekly hajj induction course in nine centres.

This is contained in a statement by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Sulaiman Dederi, on Tuesday in Kano.

Mr Dederi quoted the Director-General of the board, Lamin Danbappa, as saying this during a meeting with Ulama (Islamic scholars), who would lead the induction course at various centres across the state.

The DG, represented by the Director of Administration and General Services, Yusif Muktar, said the centres included Bichi, Dogowa, Gwarzo, the School for Arabic Studies, Rimin Gado, Gezawa, Kura, Rano, and Wudil.

Mr Danbappa solicited prayers from Ulama across the state for a successful conduct of the 2025 hajj operation.

He advised prospective pilgrims to endeavour to attend the induction course at their respective centres to acquire more knowledge on the rudiments of hajj.

Two sisters and six men were on Tuesday brought before an Akure Magistrates’ Court, Ondo State, over alleged cult killings in Owo town.

The defendants are Ogunseyila Oladimeji, 28, Olabode Ojo, 30; Adeola Bero, 30; Olayemi Ayodele, 20; Ijalade Femi, Ijarotimi Taye, 42, and two sisters, Bisi Gbenga, 25 and Esther Gbenga.

The police arraigned the defendants on a five-count charge of conspiracy, cultism, murder, illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of a vehicle.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Nelson Akintimehin, told the court that the defendants and others at large committed the offences between January 6 and January 8, at Owo town.

He alleged that the defendants were members of Alora and Ave secret cults.

The prosecutor said that the defendants used gun and other offensive weapons to carry out the offences.

Mr Akintimehin stated that the alleged offences contravened Sections 516, 319 and 430 of the Criminal Law of Ondo State, 2006.

It also contravened Sections 1(1) and (2) of the Secret Cults and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

The court did not take the plea of the six defendants for lack of jurisdiction.

The prosecutor, through a written application, urged the court to remand the defendants at the Olokuta Correctional Centre, pending the advice of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The defence team led by Daniel Onu, in their separate responses, prayed for an adjournment to enable each defendant file a counter-affidavit to the application sought by the prosecutor.

In view of their offence, the Magistrate, Sunday Adedapo, granted the seventh and eighth defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 each with one surety each in like sum.

Mr Adedapo ordered that the remaining six defendants should remain in police custody till the next hearing.

He adjourned the case until January 27 for reply to the affidavit and ruling.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has arrested the driver of a notorious one-chance syndicate that uses a commercial bus with number plate KSF 56 XL to rob unsuspecting passengers of their valuables.

The agency’s Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement on X.com on Tuesday.

It revealed that the arrest occurred along Funsho Williams Avenue in the Surulere area of the state following an incident involving a female passenger, Bibian Emelifonwu, who was a victim of the syndicate while commuting to work on Tuesday morning.

The statement partly read, “Recounting her ordeal, Miss Emelifonwu disclosed that she boarded the bus and sat beside a male passenger holding a nylon bag in the front seat next to the driver. Under the pretext of opening the front door beside her, the man surreptitiously leaned on her and deftly removed her phone from her bag.

“Having successfully executed the theft, the criminals heartlessly ejected her from the moving vehicle onto the highway.”

A team of LASTMA officers in the area who witnessed the incident were said to have immediately pursued the fleeing bus, ultimately apprehending the driver, identified as Toyib Ogunjobi, while his accomplices—the conductor and another passenger—managed to escape.

During interrogation, Ogunjobi reportedly admitted to leading a three-man syndicate, which included the owner of the bus, whom he said was actively involved in their operations.

“He revealed that their modus operandi involved enticing passengers with low fares on the Costain-Ojota route, stealing their belongings, and forcibly ejecting them from the vehicle while in motion,” the statement disclosed.

The suspect was said to have further confessed that the syndicate generated between ₦250,000 and ₦300,000 daily by selling stolen phones and valuables.

He reportedly disclosed that similar one-chance operations are proliferating across Lagos State, illustrating the pervasive nature of this criminal enterprise.

Seven stolen phones, which comprised models such as Techno Pop, Samsung AZZ, Intel A623, Techno Spark, Techno Pounoir, and Samsung devices, were said to have been recovered during the arrest.

In the statement, LASTMA’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, was said to have lauded the officers for their swift and commendable action, noting that the apprehended driver would be handed over to law enforcement agencies for thorough investigation and prosecution.

He also urged Lagos residents to exercise heightened vigilance when boarding vehicles, emphasising the need for caution not only with commercial buses but also with private vehicles that may harbour ill intent.

A bomb explosion has occurred in Kawuri, a town in the Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

It was gathered that the explosion, which blew off on Tuesday, claimed the life of the vice chairman of Kawuri unit of the Civilian Joint Taskforce, Abba Godori.

An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity said the late Godori stepped on the bomb, which was believed to have been planted by terrorists a day earlier.

“Mr Godori was on patrol when he stepped on the bomb. He was following the footsteps of the terrorists until he stepped on the bomb,” the source said.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said he was yet to be briefed.

“Personally, I am yet to get any information on that. Before nightfall, I would have ascertained what happened there,” he said.

A 43-year-old man Sunday Ozimede, who allegedly hacked Moniepoint Microfinance Bank Vault and stole the sum of N1,190, 728, 076 bn, from the bank, was on Monday arraigned by the police before the Federal High Court in Lagos State.

The defendant is facing three counts bordering on conspiracy, hacking and obtaining by false pretence preferred against him by the Police Special Fraud Unit.

The PSFU’s Prosecution Counsel, Justine Enang, told the court that the defendant allegedly hacked the microfinance bank and obtained the sum of N945, 728,076m, by false pretence.

Enang told the court that the defendant caused financial loss to Moniepoint Microfinance Bank to the tune of N145m, by planting a bug in the bank’s data system.

He said Ozimede and others now at large conspired, amongst themselves, to commit the alleged offences sometime in May 2024.

The prosecutor told the court that Ozimede fraudulently diverted the above-mentioned money from various Moniepont Microfinance Bank’s customers’ deposited funds through numerous transactions to other banks.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 27 (i)(b),14 of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 as Amended in 2024, and Section 14 (1) of the same Act, and 18(2) (b) & (d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Following his not-guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to remand him to a correctional centre pending the conclusion of the trial and asked the court for a trial date.

The defendant’s lawyer, Abdulmalik Ibrahim, in a motion for bail, pleaded with the court to admit his client to bail in the most liberal terms.

But the prosecutor opposed the bail application and accused the defendant of being a ‘flight risk’, saying that he might not turn up for his trial if granted bail.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, after listening to the parties’ submissions, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50m, with one surety in like sum.

The judge also ordered that the surety must be a landed property owner within the jurisdiction of the court.

He added that the bail terms must be verified by the court’s registrar and the prosecutor.

The case was adjourned to March 13, 2025, for trial.

US President Donald Trump has ordered a 75-day pause on enforcing a law that would effectively ban TikTok in the US, as he floated an idea of partnering with the app’s Chinese owner.

The executive order delayed the implementation of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which took effect January 19 and would prohibit the distribution and updating of TikTok in the United States.

Trump had promised to move fast to save TikTok from the law that was passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed by president Joe Biden last year.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said he was seeking a 50-50 partnership between “the United States” and its Chinese owner ByteDance, though he did not provide details on how this could be achieved.

“I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally,” the newly inaugurated Trump said as he signed the order, crediting the app for delivering him the youth vote in his election.

In his first stint in the White House, Trump had attempted to ban TikTok in the US on national security concerns.

The TikTok ban law was passed due to concerns that the Chinese government could exploit the app to spy on Americans or covertly influence US public opinion through data collection and content manipulation.

TikTok shut down in the United States late Saturday as the deadline approached, leaving millions of dismayed users barred from the app.

Trump then promised to issue an executive order as soon as he took office to delay the ban to allow time to “make a deal.”

TikTok restored service in the United States on Sunday crediting Trump for making the reversal possible — though the outgoing Biden administration had earlier said that it would not enforce any ban.

To save the app’s US operations, Trump said he planned to set up a joint venture between US companies and ByteDance and that the company could end up being valued a trillion dollars thanks to his intervention.

“Essentially, with TikTok, I have the right to either sell it or close it,” Trump told reporters in the White House.

“We may have to get an approval from China too…but I’m sure they’ll approve it, or that would be a hostile act” that could be reciprocated with tariffs, he added.

Under the order, the attorney general must issue guidance implementing the pause and send letters to service providers confirming they won’t face liability for continuing to host or update TikTok during this period.

This clarification was crucial for companies like Apple and Google, which would otherwise be required to remove TikTok from their app stores and block updates, facing penalties of up to $5,000 per user if the app is accessed.

Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s US servers, is also legally obliged to enforce the ban.

The 75-day pause is intended to give the new administration time to “pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans,” according to the order.

The Taliban government announced on Tuesday the release by the United States of an Afghanitan prisoner in exchange for US detainees, saying the deal was brokered by Qatar.

“An Afghan fighter, Khan Mohammad, imprisoned in America has been released in exchange for American citizens and returned to the country,” the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that Mohammad had been serving a life sentence after being arrested “almost two decades ago”.

US President Donald Trump granted pardons on Monday to more than 1,500 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a bid to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Trump, just hours after taking office, also ordered that all pending criminal cases against Capitol riot defendants be dropped.

Among those receiving a pardon was Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for directing a military-style assault on the Capitol.

Stewart Rhodes, the leader of another far-right group, the Oath Keepers, had his 18-year prison sentence commuted to time served. Both Tarrio and Rhodes had been convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Describing the rioters as “hostages,” Trump said at a White House signing ceremony that he had granted “full pardons” to more than 1,500 defendants.

“We hope they come out tonight, frankly,” he said.

A total of 1,583 people were charged in connection with the assault on Congress by Trump supporters seeking to disrupt certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.

Trump repeatedly pledged during his election campaign to pardon those who took part in the attack, calling them “patriots” and “political prisoners.”

Trump, whose first term as president ended under the cloud of the Capitol assault, has repeatedly played down the violence of January 6, even going so far as to describe it as a “day of love.”

More than 140 police officers were injured in hours of clashes with rioters wielding flagpoles, baseball bats, hockey sticks and other makeshift weapons, along with Tasers and canisters of bear spray.

– ‘Outrageous insult’ –

The Capitol assault followed a fiery speech by then-president Trump to tens of thousands of his supporters near the White House in which he repeated his false claims that he won the 2020 race.

He then encouraged the crowd to march on Congress.

Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned the pardons, calling them “an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol.”

“It is shameful that the president has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power,” Pelosi said.

Trump was charged by special counsel Jack Smith with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

But the case never made it to trial, and ahead of the inauguration was dropped under the Justice Department’s policy of not prosecuting a sitting president.

Trump’s move on Monday granted a “full, complete and unconditional pardon” to everyone convicted of involvement in the riot and ordered the immediate release of those still in prison.

He commuted to time and served the sentences of nine members of the Oath Keepers, including the founder Rhodes. Five members of the Proud Boys also had their sentences commuted.

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization, a body he has repeatedly criticised over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the White House hours after his inauguration, Trump said the United States was paying far more to the UN body compared to China, adding: “World Health ripped us off.”

The United States, the largest donor to the Geneva-based organization, provides substantial financial support that is vital to the WHO’s operations.

Its withdrawal is expected to trigger a significant restructuring of the institution and could further disrupt global health initiatives.

This marks the second time Trump has sought to sever ties with the WHO.

During his first term, the United States issued a notice of intent to withdraw, accusing the organization of being overly influenced by China during the pandemic’s early stages.

That move was later reversed under former president Joe Biden’s administration.

In his new executive order, Trump directed agencies to “pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO” and to “identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO.”

The administration also announced plans to review and rescind Biden’s 2024 US Global Health Security Strategy, which was designed to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats, “as soon as practicable.”

The timing of the US withdrawal comes amid mounting fears over the pandemic potential of the current bird flu outbreak (H5N1), which has infected dozens and claimed one life in the United States.

Meanwhile, WHO member states have been negotiating the world’s first treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response since late 2021 — negotiations now set to proceed without US participation.

On Monday, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers said it would file a lawsuit against the federal government’s decision to allow telecom operators to increase tariffs by 50 per cent.

NATCOMS president Deolu Ogunbanjo, in an interview in Lagos, said the Nigerian Communications Commission did not carry subscribers along.

Mr Ogunbanjo said that NATCOMS understood the dilemma faced by the telecommunications industry and had suggested a five per cent to ten per cent marginal increase in tariff. He said that the approval by the federal government for telecom operators to hike tariffs but capped at 50 per cent maximal increment was unacceptable.

According to Mr Ogunbanjo, earlier, economic experts had x-rayed the telecoms sector and said that it was in intensive care, meaning that it needed to be attended to.

“The industry operators can opt for an initial public offer for Nigerians to buy shares in their companies as a way of raising funds. However, a situation where a whole 50 per cent is granted for a tariff hike is not cheap. It is a no from us subscribers.

“I mean, for what we are already going through, no for us, we will challenge this in court,’’ Mr Ogunbanjo stated.

On Monday, the NCC, the industry’s regulatory body, released a statement saying it had acceded to the requests of operators to hike tariffs. This was announced in a statement.

The NCC said it had approved the 50 per cent tariff adjustments in response to prevailing operational costs. It said this was less than the 100 per cent demanded by some telecom operators.

It said its decision was pursuant to its power under Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, to regulate and approve tariff rates and charges by telecommunications operators.

The NCC added that, while recognising the concerns of the public, the decision was made after extensive consultations with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors.

“The NCC has prioritised striking a balance between protecting telecoms consumers and ensuring the sustainability of the industry, including the thousands of indigenous vendors and suppliers who form a critical part of the telecommunications ecosystem.

“The NCC recognises the financial pressures faced by Nigerian households and businesses and remains deeply empathetic to the impact of tariff adjustments. To this end, the commission has mandated that operators implement these adjustments transparently and in a manner that is fair to consumers,” the NCC explained.

It added that these adjustments would support the ability of operators to continue investing in infrastructure and innovation, ultimately benefiting consumers through improved services and connectivity.

The NCC also mentioned that consumers would benefit from better network quality, enhanced customer service, and greater coverage within the country.

U.S. President Donald Trump says tariffs of 25 per cent on products from Canada and Mexico could be introduced as early as February, hours after taking office as US president on Monday.

Speaking at the White House while signing various orders shortly after his inauguration, Mr Trump said, “We’re thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada because they’re allowing vast number of people … to come in.”

“I think we’ll do it February 1,” Mr Trump added, referring to the potential start date for the tariffs.

Earlier on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Trump did not intend to impose tariffs on trading partners like Canada, Mexico, and China.

Instead, he planned to instruct the authorities to assess trade relations with China and its neighbours on the North American continent, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a summary of a planned memorandum and Trump’s advisers.

Shortly after winning the election in November, Mr Trump threatened to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China.

There are also fears in the EU that Mr Trump could impose new tariffs.

Tariffs are a type of surcharge on imported goods. They are paid as goods enter the country.

Mr Trump imposed a range of tariffs on imported goods during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.

Pastor Williams Kumuyi has led prayers at President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Prayer and Praise meeting in Washington D.C.

Kumuyi is currently in the US on invitation to attend today’s inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.

The cleric had in a late night post on Sunday, shared images of himself in a meeting with Congressman Robert Pittinger and Pastor Lucas Miles of Turning Point USA.

In a video being circulated online, Kumuyi was seen being invited to pray for the church in America.

https://twitter.com/TheNationNews/status/1881344938731872671?t=8242bvryBONFy13Y5HKWTw&s=19

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has welcomed the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, and other principal officers of the House during a courtesy visit to his office in Alausa, Ikeja, earlier today.

The visit, which took place ahead of the weekly State Executive Council meeting, was highlighted in a post by the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, alongside his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, received the Speaker and her delegation before leading them to the Council Chamber, where both parties reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government in Lagos State.

The Principal Officers that accompanied Madam Speaker:

Deputy Speaker: Hon Mojeed Fatai (Ibeju-Lekki State Constituency 1)

Majority Leader: Hon. Temitope Adedeji (Ifako Ijaiye 1),

Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Richard Kasunmu (Ikeja 2)

Chief Whip, Hon. Sanni Babatunde (Kosofe 1)

Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. David Setonji (Badagry 2)

A British teenager on Monday pleaded guilty to charges of murdering
three young girls in a knife attack in northern England in July, a crime that caused days of nationwide rioting.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, changed his pleas from not guilty to guilty on what was due to be the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to the murder of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, who were at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in the town of Southport in July.

Mr Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to 10 charges of attempted murder relating to the attack, as well as producing the deadly poison ricin and the possession of an al Qaeda training manual.

Judge Julian Goose said he would sentence Mr Rudakubana on Thursday.

Eleven people were injured when a transport vessel collided with a ferry on the Elbe river in the northern German port city of Hamburg, the fire brigade said on Monday.

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One person sustained life-threatening injuries, a spokesman said near the scene of the accident.

The spokesperson said vessels collided near the Köhlbrand bridge in southwestern Hamburg at around 6:43 a.m. (0543 GMT), adding that 25 people were affected by the accident.

The transport ship, a barge, had come loose, but the spokesman said it was initially unclear why.

Barges were flat-bottomed boats with no drive to transport goods on canals and rivers.

Hamburg was a seaport on the Elbe river, some 100 kilometres from its mouth on the North Sea.

It’s Germany’s biggest seaport and one of the busiest in Europe.

President Joe Biden pardoned officials accused of committing treasonable felonies against President-elect Donald Trump.

The outgoing president also pardoned Anthony Fauci for his controversial handling of events leading to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019. Mr Fauci was found to have committed perjury when he lied to a parliamentary committee investigating the historic pandemic that he did fund dangerous virus research in China, among other allegations.

Several others, especially retired General Mark Milley, were also pardoned after being accused of committing treason. Mr Milley had placed a phone call to American adversaries in China during Mr Trump’s first term in office, assuring them he would disregard orders from the president. Mr Milley denied wrongdoing.

Members and staff of the House committee that investigated the January 6., 2021, Capitol riot and police officers who testified before the committee were also pardoned by Mr Biden.

“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics,” Mr Biden said in a statement. “But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing.”

Mr Trump had said he would look into criminal cases relating to the individuals, accusing them of weaponising the justice system to prosecute him.

The Military High Command has confirmed the killing of the son of Bello Turji, a notorious terrorist leader, in a recent clearance operation on his stronghold on Fakai high ground in Zamfara.

This was disclosed in a statement by the director of defence media operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Buba said the terrorist leader’s son was killed alongside scores of other terrorists during a coordinated operation between troops of Operation Fansan Yamma and the air component.

Mr Buba added that the operation was conducted on January 17 along the Shinkafi, Kagara, Fakai, Moriki, Maiwa, and Chindo axis.

According to him, the intensity of troops’ firepower resulted in high terrorist casualties and their logistics hub destroyed.

“The operations also resulted in the rescue of several kidnapped hostages held captive by Bello Turji.

“The terrorist leader, Bello Turji, in a gross cowardly act, escaped abandoning his son and combatants,” he said.

Mr Buba said the troops also destroyed another terrorist kingpin camp known as Idi Mallam along Zango Kagara Forest, killing three terrorists and apprehending three suspected collaborators.

He noted that troops recovered two machine guns, one AK47 Rifle with a magazine containing 11 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition.

“Other things the troops recovered were 61 rustled cattle and 44 sheep, among other sundry items. Troops are sustaining the onslaught against the terrorists.

“Overall, the troops continued to demonstrate commitment to the safety and protection of all citizens across the country,” he said.