White smoke rose from the chimney of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signaling that the 133 cardinals inside have successfully elected a new pope.

The cardinals picked a successor to Pope Francis on the second day of voting, but the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics will have to wait for the official announcement from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to learn who he is.

The smoke was met with loud applause from the thousands of pilgrims and tourists waiting in St Peter’s Square.

They are happy because the smoke means that one of the 133 cardinals inside the chapel has obtained the necessary two-thirds majority required to win the conclave, the secretive centuries-old ritual of electing a new pontiff.

In a further confirmation that the conclave is over, the bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out. The pope was chosen on the second day of voting, after the fourth ballot, although his identity was not immediately made known.

When Jorge Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis, was elected in March 2013, his identity was revealed about 45 minutes after the white smoke when he appeared on the balcony above St Peter’s Square.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted a large-scale fuel supply operation in Maiduguri, Borno State, intended for Boko Haram insurgents operating in the Gwoza axis and parts of Cameroon.

The troops busted Hadiza and Sadiq Filling Station while its operators were brazenly loading fuel into 500 jerrycans, in what authorities described as a deliberate and treacherous attempt to empower the enemies of Nigeria.

Intelligence sources confirmed to security analyst, Zagazola Makama that the troops had been tracking the activities of several unpatriotic fuel merchants engaged in black market sales, often using modified tanks in vehicles such as Gulf cars to transport large quantities of fuel to unknown destinations.

These products were later transferred into jerrycans and smuggled to terrorist-controlled areas. But on this occasion, their luck ran out.

Troops stormed the scene and arrested several suspects caught in the act.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspects confessed to taking the fuel toward Pulka and the Cameroon axis, an area which harbours several terrorists from the Ali Ngulde faction.

They, however, claimed ignorance about the identities of the recipients, revealing that individuals from “various destinations” collect the products.

Leaders, elders and top federal and state officials of Osun chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last night held a strategic closed doors meeting with Governor Ademola Adeleke declaring unequivocally that he has no plan to quit the PDP, either now or in the future.

The meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Government was attended by all critical top leaders of the party with former governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola addressing the meeting virtually while Prof Wale Oladipo, the Chairman of Imole Movement declared PDP as a home for all genuine lovers of Osun people.

The 1999 governorship candidate of PDP and life member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Oluwole Alabi and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Lasun Yusuf described PDP as an agent of development and human empowerment.

A PDP member of the House of Representatives, representing PDP members of the Federal House , Akanni Olohunwa applauded the extensive positive transformation Osun is witnessing and affirmed that PDP is sure of victory in any future electoral contest.

At the meeting coordinated by PDP State Chairman, Hon Sunday Bisi and attended by House Speaker, Rt Hon Adewale Egbedun and members of the State assembly, Governor Adeleke described rumours about his imminent defection as "fake news emanating from those intimidated by our extraordinary performance in state leadership.

"My people, party elders and chiefs, I declare before you today that I am not defecting to APC or any other political party. I remain in PDP. Ignore any fake news", the Governor declared.

The stakeholders's forum issued a communique signed by Hon Sunday Bisi which runs as follows:


"After hours of addresses and brainstorming sessions, the meeting resolved as follows :

• Passes vote of confidence and endorsement on the state governor for his equitable, foresightful and efficient leadership;

• Re-endorse the governor for second term as the sole candidate of the party for the 2026 election;

• Appreciates extensive delivery of dividends of democracy and good governance across all sectors of Osun society;

• Welcome and applaud the declaration by the State Governor that he has no plan either now or in the future to defect to the All Progressive Congress(APC) or any other political party;

• Welcome and applaud declaration by other top leaders of the party that they are not quitting the PDP for APC or any other party;


• Hail the party executive and leaders as well as elected and appointed officials from Oriade/Obokun federal constituency for remaining steadfast with the PDP and rejecting recent defections by an ungrateful lone ranger;

• Commend the strategies of the state leadership in tackling and managing the local government leadership crisis, hailing the approach as akin to winning a war without firing a shot;

• Endorse the due process approach to the local government crisis and urge for further patience from all stakeholders;

• Commend the state leadership of the party for managing the party affairs with calm.and wisdom, declaring that the State PDP is strongly footed to win future contests;

• Express optimism that the national chapter of the party is working to resolve its internal challenges and that the outcome will result in a party more united and well positioned for future victories"

After allegedly defrauding over 600,000 Nigerians of N1.2tn, Crypto Bridge Exchange trading platform, CBEX has quietly resumed operations.
 
This time, it has requested more money from investors in order to recover their 'funds.'
 
Punch Newspaper reported that two traders on the CBEX platform confirmed on Wednesday that the digital trading firm has quietly resumed operations, allowing new users to register, trade, and withdraw profits, despite ongoing investigations by regulatory agencies.
 
According to the sources, an insurance verification process and an external audit of the company’s financial records are currently underway to ascertain the actual amount lost in the scheme, which collapsed in April.
 
They added that existing investors, many of whom have been unable to access their funds for weeks, will be able to take out their funds starting from June 25, 2025, when the audit is expected to be concluded by an insurance firm based in the United Kingdom.
 
This development comes barely weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission declared the platform illegal, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed an ongoing investigation into the firm’s operations.
 
CBEX, a digital investment platform, offered investors 100 per cent profit after 30 days of purported AI trading. The trading platform started operations in 2024 after receiving registration approval from the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 25, 2024, and the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering on January 16, 2025.

No fewer than 600,000 Nigerians reportedly invested in the scheme and lost N1.2tn after it collapsed on April 14, 2025.

 
Miffed by the development, the EFCC declared eight persons wanted for promoting the program. They include Johnson Oteno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro, Serah Michiro, Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, and Seyi Oloyede.
 
On Monday, Adefowora Abiodun, a prominent leader and trader on the platform, voluntarily surrendered himself to the anti-graft agency for interrogation.

Other regulatory agencies, such as the SEC, also condemned the operations of the suspected Ponzi scheme, warning Nigerians to exercise extreme caution and steer clear of investment platforms that offer unrealistic returns under the guise of digital trading.
 
However, in defiance of regulatory warnings, fresh findings by The PUNCH on Wednesday revealed that more Nigerians are still being lured by promises of quick profits, with new users flocking to the platform in hopes of cashing in on its resumed operations.
 
One of the sources told one of our correspondents in confidence due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, that withdrawal options on the CBEX platform had been reactivated, noting that while new accounts could process withdrawals, funds from older accounts—allegedly wiped—remained inaccessible for now.
 
The trader noted that the platform is making efforts to clear its name of any allegations of fraud or any association as a Ponzi scheme.

The source said, “People can now withdraw from the CBEX platform. The withdrawal option has been activated. Let me explain the withdrawal. The old account was wiped; you can’t take out funds from it yet. On the 14th of this month, the Artificial Intelligence on the platform traded 100 per cent, lost its trade, and wiped people’s money out.
 
“But now, the promoters are saying that the platform and the CBEX application are insured, with verification of funds ongoing by the insurance company. Now, previous investors who have $1,000 as their capital would have to inject $100, and the former account balance would be restored, while persons with over $1,000 would have to put in $200 to bring back the account balance. And we have started seeing people put in these funds to get back their money, and are using it to trade now, as I talk to you.
 
“According to the latest information shared, previous investors can only trade but not withdraw because the United Kingdom government is carrying out an audit on their financial account, which will be completed between 30 to 60 days. Hence, the reason why previous investors cannot withdraw their funds yet.

But from June 25th, you can now withdraw up to 50 per cent of your capital from the old account. For example, if you invested $1,000 and you could only withdraw $200 before, from the 25th, you can withdraw $400 from the remaining $800 capital, then from August 25th, you can withdraw the remaining $400 capital. But if you don’t do the verification, it won’t reflect in your account.”
 
Another source explained that fresh investors are currently able to register new accounts, fund them, and withdraw profits without restrictions, as the newly created accounts are not subject to ongoing audits.
 
According to the source, only the old accounts remain under financial review.

The promoters also refute allegations of fraud, insisting that funds remain intact and that the ongoing audit was focused on reconciling discrepancies in old accounts.

 
“Currently, fresh investors can register a new account, fund it, and withdraw their profit. The new accounts are not under audit. It is the old account that is under review.

What they are auditing is because the Federal Government said they scammed Nigerians of N1.2tn, and they are insisting that the amount is not up to half of the publicised amount. They are claiming only N126bn was lost, and that is the reason for the audit. But new accounts can now start investing and get their money. There is also a bonus for referrals that you can withdraw immediately, and this is ongoing currently.
 
“They just want to prove to Nigerians that they are not scammers. It was just because AI traded 100 per cent of the funds that the money was lost. There is a new group where people can say whatever they want to say; they also drop signals for trading three times a day, but it is no longer automated; you have to do it by yourself. They would give you a code; you just have to put it in your account and trade. If you notice any abnormality, you can cancel it. That was how it was before AI started doing the trading,” the source stated.

When questioned on why the audit was not conducted by the Nigerian government, a source explained, “The firm is registered in the United Kingdom, not in Nigeria. They merely extended their operations here. In fact, they also have branches in Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt.”
 
Similarly, messages sent to a new Telegram group created for information sharing showed that a person could withdraw referral bonuses.
 
Addressing concerns from interested members in a user group, an admin identified simply as Laura stated that the specific cause of the platform’s issues was still under investigation, adding that the findings of the ongoing probe by the UK government would determine what is eventually made public.
 
The message read, “There are some factors in the incident on April 14th that I cannot tell you in detail. I can only tell you that Al was attacked and the trading strategy was tampered with.

This is why some users who did not turn on HOSTING were able to survive. And this attack was definitely not from an individual, because Al’s firewall cannot be easily breached. Including the Bybit hacker incident last month, it was definitely not something that an individual could do. This was an organized and premeditated action.
 
“The specific cause is under investigation, and we need to wait for the official investigation results of the UK government before we make it public. As for this channel, some scammers affected by ST and online rumour mongers who received donations from scammers deliberately stigmatized the compensation.
 
“Some rumour mongers even claimed that CBEX administrators transferred more than $800m in assets. These are purely slanderous rumours. An exchange’s payment system can’t have only one common account. The payment system will randomly generate deposit addresses. These are all procedures of the exchange Including any wallet we use now will regularly update the deposit address.”

According to her, users must first accept the claims process initiated by the insurance company linked to the ST Fund firm.
 
She said, “We need to accept the claims processing of the insurance company that the ST fund company is tied to.”
 
The process involves verifying the authenticity of each account before any compensation can be issued for losses allegedly caused by the AI-related incident on April 14.
 
She added that many users have already begun receiving compensation.
 
“Moreover, the impact of this incident on the Internet has seriously exceeded our expectations. The UK government has also been negotiating with the Nigerian government.

So the EFCC of Nigeria also contacted the CBEX official yesterday and provided absolute evidence through ST, proving that the ST fund company has indeed compensated users for their losses. You know the EFCC of Nigeria… If they are not absolutely sure, how can they have such courage to say to the public, ‘you will get your money back?’”
 
Efforts to get the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, reaction on the latest development proved abortive. He did not pick up calls to his line and was yet to respond to a message sent to him on the matter.
 
However in furtherance of its investigation, the anti corruption agency has declared a foreign national, Elie Bitar, wanted for his alleged involvement in a cryptocurrency investment fraud linked to the online trading platform, Crypto Bridge Exchange.

In a bulletin released on Wednesday via the commission’s official social media platforms, the EFCC called on members of the public with useful information about Bitar’s whereabouts to contact any of its offices nationwide or reach out through its hotlines and email.
 
His last known address, according to the EFCC, is Eng. George Enemoh Crescent, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
 
It read, “The public is hereby notified that ELIE BITAR, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the EFCC for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange,” the statement read.

Amotekun Operative Killed In Iwo Ambush By Armed Hoodlums

The Osun State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, has confirmed the death of one of its operatives, Mr Lamidi Abiodun, following an ambush by suspected armed hoodlums in Iwo, Osun State.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at the Papa boundary area of Iwo, shortly after local farmers in the Papa Farm area raised an alarm over an attack on their farmland.

In response to the distress call, operatives of the Osun Amotekun Corps and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) mobilised to the location to counter the attackers and secure the area.

According to the agency’s spokesperson, Yusuf Idowu Abass, the joint team was ambushed by armed men suspected to be led by a notorious criminal identified as Akeem Olofa.

“Upon arrival, the operatives were attacked by the armed group. Mr Lamidi Abiodun was fatally wounded with a machete to the head after bullets failed to penetrate his body,” Abass stated.

He explained that the fallen officer died instantly at the scene of the attack, while most other members of the team managed to escape.

One member of the Vigilante Group, Mr Nurudeen Alowonle, remains missing following the ambush, while another operative, Alex Sola, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.

The Osun Amotekun Corps described the death of Mr Abiodun as a tragic loss to the agency and the wider security community in the state.

“This is a very painful incident for us. Mr Abiodun was a committed officer who died in active service,” the PRO said.

The agency has since reported the matter to the Nigeria Police Division in Iwo for further investigation and appropriate legal action.

Mr Abiodun’s remains have been deposited at a local mortuary, pending further procedures and burial arrangements.

Security officials in the state have vowed to intensify efforts in apprehending the attackers and ensuring justice is served.

“The perpetrators of this heinous act will not escape justice. We are working closely with other security agencies,” Abass assured.

He urged members of the public to assist with relevant information that may lead to the arrest of those involved in the ambush.

The Osun Amotekun Corps reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state, despite the tragic incident.

Condolences have been extended to the bereaved family of Mr Lamidi Abiodun, as the agency honours his sacrifice in the line of duty.