Tag: United Kingdom

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, whose social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities, were arrested Saturday in Miami as British authorities sought their extradition on rape and sex trafficking charges.

The brothers were taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on a sealed warrant, agency spokesperson Brady McCarron told The Associated Press, placing the United States at the center of an international legal saga that has stretched from Romania to Britain.

British prosecutors announced Saturday that they were seeking the brothers’ extradition on charges alleging they raped and trafficked women between 2010 and 2017.

The dual U.S. and British citizens moved to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations and the Romanian case hasn’t gone forward because of legal and procedural problems.

Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and flew to Florida on a private jet.

The brothers are expected to appear in Miami’s federal court early next week, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive law enforcement operations.

The pending charges in the United Kingdom accused the brothers of abusing women in an area north of London, where they grew up. Their lawyers had said they denied the allegations.

Joseph McBride, an attorney representing the Tate brothers, said in a phone interview Saturday evening that he has not been able to speak with his clients but called the new charges out of the U.K. “filth and slander” intended to derail defamation lawsuits filed by the brothers in the U.S.

“They’re pulling out all the stops to make sure these guys never get their day in court,” McBride said.

“We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Department of Justice confronts this egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will walk free. America does not do Britain’s political dirty work.”

Andrew Tate, 39, first reached a mainstream audience as a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother” in 2016. He was removed from the show when a video surfaced that appeared to show Tate assaulting a woman. He and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, are vocal supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Andrew Tate has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram for violating hate speech guidelines. His most widely condemned rhetoric includes comments that women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for their attacks, graphic descriptions of how he might attack women and criticisms of people who seek treatment for mental illness.

The Tate brothers have consistently denied allegations of abuse and human trafficking, claiming that violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.

In a statement Saturday, the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Services said that in addition to the charges publicly announced against the brothers in 2025, involving alleged crimes against three women, it was bringing a total of 38 new charges related to “four further victims.”

Both brothers are accused of rape and human trafficking. Andrew Tate faces an additional charge of profiting from prostitution, and 19 charges “for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography,” according to U.K. authorities.

“There is no place for male violence against women and girls, and we will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports made to us,” said Karena Thomas, an assistant chief constable of the Bedfordshire Police, which investigated the case. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Andy Burnham declared leader of UK’s Labour Party, pledges to restore hope

Andy Burnham was officially declared leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party on Friday, promising to bring hope to the British people and purpose to the floundering government as he cleared his final hurdle to take office as prime minister next week.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester was the only contender in the center-left party’s leadership contest to replace departing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was forced out by a rebellion within his party. Friday’s announcement was a foregone conclusion after Burnham secured nominations from 379 of the 403 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons.

Burnham pledged to serve “people and places who have been waiting too long for politics to let them hope again.”

“We’re going to give them hope back,” he told an audience of lawmakers, party activists and trade union leaders in his first speech as leader. “I am ready.”

“I have a plan,” he added, in a bid to reassure a party that has seen its popularity nosedive since winning a landslide election victory two years ago. He pledged to end Labour’s factional disputes, saying “we won’t beat Britain’s new right if we are consumed by infighting and pulling in different directions.”

Burnham has been prime minister-in-waiting for weeks, since winning a special election for a seat in Parliament a month ago, but he has revealed little detail about his policy priorities. He will arrive in Number 10 Downing Street largely unknown to voters outside Manchester.

He sketched out some priorities in Friday’s speech, promising to deliver “hope in every heart” and “good growth in every post code,” in part by transferring power from central government in London to local leaders in cities and regions.

“We will take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and give it to the place you live,” he told the audience. “More power over life’s essentials so you can make them work better.”

Starmer announced last month that he would resign after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.

Labour regularly trails behind anti-immigration party Reform UK in opinion polls, and the governing party had catastrophic results in local elections in May, triggering pressure on Starmer to step down that he couldn’t resist.

Burnham brings a more relaxed style of leadership than the rather stern Starmer, and is regarded as one of the Labour Party’s best communicators. But he faces many of the same problems as his predecessor, including a sluggish economy, a cost-of-living squeeze fueled by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and overstretched public services.

And his promises of a new, less divisive politics are not too different to what Starmer pledged when he took office in 2024.

“I will work to build a new politics. The country is crying out for it,” Burnham said. “How can politicians point fingers when living standards are falling and politics as a whole isn’t working for them? It infuriates them and makes them switch off.”

He said he would have the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected,” such as tackling the patchy access to social care for those who need it because of age, illness or disability. It’s a pressing issue in a country with an aging population, and one that has foxed previous Labour and Conservative governments.

He highlighted plans to focus on economic renewal, more public control of key sectors and creating new modern industrial jobs, arguing that Britain took “a series of wrong turns in the 1980s” when “political power was centralized and economic power privatized.”

That’s the decade when Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher oversaw policies of privatization, deindustrialization and political centralization that transformed the U.K. economy.

“Slowly, at times imperceptibly, over four decades, political and economic power drained away out of our communities in every region and nation of the U.K.,” Burnham said, calling Britain’s change of prime ministers — for the sixth time in a decade — “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years.”

Starmer will remain prime minister until Monday, when he formally tenders his resignation to King Charles III. The king will then ask Burnham to form a government.

Britain’s parliamentary democracy allows governing parties to change leaders, and thus prime ministers, without the need for a general election. The next national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029.

New prime ministers have come with increasing frequency in recent years. Burnham will be the U.K.’s seventh leader since 2016. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Investigation into King Charles’ brother Andrew will be lengthy, UK police say

The British police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will be long and complex, senior officers said on Friday, after his arrest earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office, an offense ‌that can include sexual impropriety.

King Charles’ younger brother was interviewed under caution for hours by detectives after he was arrested at his home in Norfolk in February following the release of millions of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice relating to the late U.S. sex offender ‌Jeffrey Epstein.

The arrest of the senior royal, eighth in line to the throne, was unprecedented ⁠in modern times. A Reuters photo of the ashen-faced former prince leaving the police station ⁠made front pages around the ⁠world.

Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, ‌and said he regrets their friendship. He has made no public statement since his arrest.

“The investigation is by necessity ⁠hugely thorough and will take time,” Oliver Wright, Assistant Chief ⁠Constable of Thames Valley Police, who are carrying out the inquiry, told reporters. “It’s not going to be a quick investigation by any means.”

The focus of the inquiry is the former prince’s role as special representative for trade and investment between 2001 and 2011, with emails released by the DOJ suggesting he had shared sensitive information ⁠with Epstein.

However, misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, can relate to any serious ⁠wrongdoing – from sharing confidential information to corruption and sexual ‌misconduct.

“There’s a number of aspects of alleged misconduct that the investigation is examining. So we’re speaking with a range of witnesses,” said Wright, who did not refer to Mountbatten-Windsor by name, as is customary in Britain before someone is charged.

Wright said police had received “a significant amount of information” from the public and other sources and that the investigation would be incredibly complex.

He said ‌the force was also assessing reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes after a lawyer for the alleged victim told the BBC she had been sent to Britain by Epstein for a sexual encounter with the former prince.

Detectives have spoken to the lawyer but the woman involved has not yet reported the offense. The British police said some victims might be put off because of the pressure of national and international attention.

“In terms of Epstein victims and survivors, we hope that anyone with relevant information will come forward and I really want to stress that ​our door is open whenever a victim survivor is ready to engage with us. We’re ready for you at whatever point that may be,” Wright said.

A specialist team of experienced officers is carrying out the investigation, which is ‌being treated as a major crime, on a par with a murder inquiry. They have also been liaising with the U.S. Department of Justice but as yet have not received any of the Epstein documents.

“That is ongoing, and it’s a fairly complex thing to do, but we’re working ‌very hard on that,” Wright said.

On Thursday, the British government released confidential documents relating to Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as trade ⁠envoy that showed the late queen had ⁠pressed for him to get the role.

However, King Charles, who ​stripped his sibling of his titles and honors last October, said he was deeply concerned about the news ⁠when Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested and that authorities ‌had the family’s “full and wholehearted support and cooperation”.

Thames Valley is not the only British ​police force looking into possible offences relating to information in the Epstein files.

On Tuesday, Surrey police said it was investigating two allegations of child sex abuse, one reported to have been committed in the 1980s and the other in the mid-1990s to 2000. It gave no further details about who was involved. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

UK economy sees surprise growth in March despite Iran war

The UK’s economy saw surprise growth in March, despite the month seeing the first impact of the Iran war.

The economy grew by 0.3%, confounding analysts’ forecasts of a small contraction, although the effects of the conflict are expected to hit growth later this year.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were signs that consumers and businesses brought forward spending in March due to fears over future price rises brought about by the war.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the growth figures showed the government had “the right economic plan”, but warned a Labour leadership contest risked “plunging the country into chaos”.

Economic growth in the first three months of the year was 0.6%, the ONS said, led by a rebound in areas such as retailing and construction.

The quarterly growth is the fastest for a year, and is also the highest of all the G7 countries to have reported data so far. Last month, the IMF warned that the UK would be the hardest hit from the war of the world’s advanced economies.

The ONS said there had been signs of so-called front-loading in March, with some businesses it surveyed “cited activity being bought forward in anticipation of increases in costs because of conflict in Iran”.

One such area was car sales and leasing. The ONS said retailers had reported that motorists were stocking up on fuel as prices rose sharply.

Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said some drivers may have been given a “nudge” to buy an electric vehicle (EV) in March because of rising fuel prices.

Yael Selfin, KPMG’s chief economist, said the impact of the Iran war was likely to be more pronounced in the second quarter of the year.

“Households are under renewed pressure as energy and petrol prices climb. Food costs are also expected to rise, with disruptions to fertilisers and other essential inputs,” she said.

“These increases are likely to weigh on disposable incomes, dampening demand and posing a significant challenge to economic activity over the coming months.”

Siblings Kennady and Boston Mace run a play centre in Chelmsford, Essex. They have noticed how families are having to cut down on spending.

“We’ve got our own children so we appreciate how expensive a day out can be,” Boston said.

“Everything’s going up… we’ve got a limit on what we can charge so the profit margin is getting smaller and smaller.”

Kennady added that where families used to use the centre as an all-inclusive venue, there are more visitors paying for activities but not food – “which is understandable … money’s a lot tighter”.

Boston said the centre has endured the Covid pandemic, a fire, a flood and a theft, but “this seems [to be] the most difficult period we’ve had” in their 13 years in business.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC the economy “is growing strongly” and that she would set out more support for families and businesses affected by the war next week.

But in a reference to the current speculation about the prime minister’s position, Reeves said: “We shouldn’t put [economic stability] at risk by plunging the country into chaos at a time when there is conflict in the world but also at a time when our plan to grow the economy is starting to bear fruit.”

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said the “chaos surrounding the Labour leadership is destabilising Britain’s economy”.

“This week, borrowing costs hit their highest level in 30 years as Labour leadership contenders competed to promise even more spending, borrowing and fantasy economics.”

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said the latest growth figure was “already in the rear-view mirror” because of the war.

“Instead of tackling the cost of living, the government is consumed by infighting.” (BBC)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

King sends ‘warmest congratulations’ to Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday

The King has led birthday tributes to Sir David Attenborough, sending his “warmest congratulations” to the environmentalist who has reached 100 years of age.

The monarch said in a birthday card message how the pair have known each other for more than 60 years, having first met in 1958, and their “paths have crossed many times since”.

He was shown writing the card in a clip at the conservationist’s birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The 77-year-old royal said Sir David has revealed “the beauty and wonders of nature to audiences around the world in new and marvellous ways”.

He added that the broadcaster has shared the King’s “determination to highlight the urgent need to protect and preserve” Earth for future generations.

The King said he and the Queen were “delighted” to learn he will be celebrating the milestone and on behalf of the whole country wished him a very happy birthday.

Animals could then be seen delivering the letter across land, sea and air, before Sir David could be seen holding his royal birthday card aloft in the venue.

The card’s journey was initially thwarted by a fallen tree – only to be saved by the creatures, including an eagle, a fox, a red squirrel and an otter that travel across the UK to ensure that the wildlife presenter receives his royal dispatch.

The Prince of Wales spoke of his “profound” friendship with Sir David, adding that his children have grown up with the broadcaster’s “incredible storytelling” and that he has been a “guiding light” in efforts to protect the natural world.

He said in his speech: “David, for decades, your voice has been a constant in our lives, guiding us through rainforests and oceans, over mountains and into the very fabric of life.”

The audience in the Royal Albert Hall all sang happy birthday at the conclusion of the event.

The King and Queen also shared a carousel of photographs of Sir David on the official Royal Family Instagram account.

The caption read: “Wishing Sir David Attenborough a very happy 100th birthday. Enjoy your special celebration this evening!”

Sir David Beckham also marked Sir David’s big day with a post on his Instagram account captioned: “Happy 100th Birthday to our National Treasure.”

Meanwhile, fellow environmentalist and Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio called Sir David “one of the most enduring champions of our shared planet” in an Instagram post.

The Royal Albert Hall celebration was just one of many events to mark the broadcaster’s birthday, including a takeover of the Piccadilly Lights in central London, displaying a birthday message for Sir David.

The naturalist said he has been “completely overwhelmed” by goodwill messages and thanked well wishers “most sincerely”. (SkyNews)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

UK and French governments sign a 3-year deal to curb migrant crossings in English Channel

The UK and French governments signed a new multimillion-euro deal on Thursday aimed at reducing the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, with increased police patrols and enhanced surveillance in northern France.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez formally endorsed the three-year agreement during a joint visit to the Dunkirk region.

Mahmood praised the new deal as providing “the right mix of skills and capabilities that we know will work on the beaches in order to reduce the crossings.”

Nuñez said that it will help in “combating illegal immigration networks, human trafficking networks, which are obviously extremely harmful.”

Under the agreement, the UK will provide 500 million pounds ($675 million) to strengthen measures in northern France, with an additional 160 million pounds ($216 million) depending on the success of new tactics to curb Channel crossings. If those efforts fail, the additional funding will be halted after one year, the UK Home Office said.

The plan aims at increasing the number of officers deployed on the ground from 907 now to 1,392 for the 2026—2029 period, along with the creation of an additional police unit dedicated to combating irregular migration, funded by France, the French Interior Ministry said.

It will also include the deployment of new technologies aimed at reducing departures of “taxi boats,” the term authorities use for small motorized vessels that are typically inflatable and used by smugglers to pick up migrants along long stretches of the northern French coast.

Unlike boats that migrants carry into the water themselves, “taxi boats” typically set off largely empty from secluded coastal areas and pick up migrants at prearranged meeting points on beaches.

The deal also expands surveillance capabilities through drones, helicopters and electronic monitoring, to better prevent crossing attempts.

“Our work with the French has already stopped tens of thousands of crossings and this government has deported or returned nearly 60,000 people with no right to be here,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

Since taking office nearly two years ago, Starmer’s center-left Labour government has pushed through a series of policies that it hopes will sharply reduce immigration.

Small boat crossings have become a potent political issue in the UK over recent years. Anger at the seeming inability of successive governments to get a handle on the issue has been behind a series of demonstrations and riots over the past few years and fueled the rise of the hard-right Reform UK party, which has been leading in opinion polls for more than a year and is predicted to make sweeping gains in a raft of elections on May 7. (JapanToday)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Starmer arrives in Saudi Arabia after US-Iran ceasefire deal

Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in Saudi Arabia as he visits Gulf allies after the US and Iran agreed a two-week ceasefire.

The prime minister is expected to “discuss diplomatic efforts to support and uphold the ceasefire”, according to No 10. He will return to the UK on Friday.

The ceasefire comes after Donald Trump threatened “a whole civilisation will die” if Iran did not agree to end the war and unblock the Strait of Hormuz – comments that led Downing Street to call again for “de-escalation”.

Sir Keir said: “I welcome the ceasefire agreement reached overnight, which will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world.”

He added: “Together with our partners we must do all we can to support and sustain this ceasefire, turn it into a lasting agreement and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.”

Sir Keir is also expected to meet UK military personnel in the region as part of his Gulf trip, which was planned before the ceasefire announcement.

For the Conservatives, shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly told BBC Breakfast the ceasefire is an “opportunity for Iran to make some serious choices” about how it behaves at home and abroad.

Former foreign secretary Sir James said the war was initiated to ensure Iran “never acquires a nuclear weapon” and that remains an “absolute priority”, adding: “So we’ll welcome this two-week ceasefire, but it’s time that mustn’t be wasted.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed the ceasefire but questioned whether the UK could trust Trump, labelling him a “totally unreliable ally”.

Sir Ed said the Strait of Hormuz needed to be opened otherwise people would “pay a heavy price in inflation and lower growth”, adding: “So whatever it takes, but I do think we’ve got to stand up to America.

“America has caused this problem so we’ve got to work with allies who we can trust.”

Last week the UK hosted a virtual summit in which representatives from more than 40 countries began work to assemble a coalition capable of ensuring security in the Strait after the fighting has stopped.

This was followed by a military planning conference on Tuesday.

Iran and the US agreed to the conditional ceasefire on Tuesday, just over an hour before the expiry of the deadline Trump had set for Iran to make a deal.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the ceasefire was “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz”.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced Iran would agree to a ceasefire “if attacks against Iran are halted”.

“For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible,” he added.

The war began in February, when the US and Israel launched co-ordinated attacks on Iran over concerns Tehran was accelerating efforts towards building a nuclear weapon.

In response, Iran has launched strikes on its neighbours across the Gulf and the wider Middle East.

It also placed a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that serves as a critical shipping route through which a fifth of the world’s energy shipments usually transits.

The conflict caused the price of crude oil to spike, with sharp increases in petrol and diesel costs, leading to concerns about the cost of living in countries across the world. (BBC)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Tinubu’s UK visit has repositioned Nigeria on global stage, says Oluwole Oke

Oluwole Oke, chairman of the house of representatives committee on foreign affairs, says President Bola Tinubu’s two-day official visit to the United Kingdom has repositioned Nigeria on the global stage.

Following an invitation from King Charles III, Tinubu departed Abuja on Tuesday for London, accompanied by his wife and other top government officials.

The state visit, scheduled to end on Thursday, represents the highest level of diplomatic engagement hosted by the British monarchy and marks the first visit of such scale by a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years.

Speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade federal constituency of Osun state in the green chamber, said beyond economic benefits, Tinubu’s UK visit has elevated Nigeria’s profile internationally.

“This state visit is not just an honour to the President and his family, but to all Nigerians,” he said.

“For the United Kingdom to invite a president on a state visit, they must have strong confidence in our reforms and in the governance under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

During the visit, Tinubu is expected to meet with Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, in a high-level bilateral engagement aimed at strengthening ties between Nigeria and Britain.

Reports indicate that a major highlight of the visit is the signing of a £746 million financing agreement between UK export finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Oke said at the end of the visit, the British government will be looking forward to numerous opportunities for partnership between the two countries.

He also noted the importance of the maritime deal, which he said, would create jobs and generate huge revenue for the federal government.

“This kind of investment will have linkage effects that will snowball into employment,” he said.

“Participants in that sector will make profits, pay taxes, and, as you know, public finance relies on taxation. So, it is a positive development, and there will be many win-win outcomes. This invitation has further repositioned Nigeria on the global stage.” (TheCable)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Starmer pushes strategic UK-Nigeria alliance with N1.4tn fresh deal

The United Kingdom and Nigeria have sealed new export agreements as both countries committed to taking their economic partnership to another level, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday.

Starmer made the disclosure during a bilateral meeting with President Bola Tinubu at 10 Downing Street on the second day of the Nigerian leader’s historic state visit to Britain.

“Today is the opportunity to take that to another level with the agreements that we’ve been able to reach on exports, and I think that shows we can go even further than we’ve already gone,” the British Prime Minister stated.

Tinubu, in his remarks, revealed that Nigeria is currently undergoing “very strong reform of the economy” and linked the terrorism challenges facing West Africa to climate change conflict.

“We need more trade agreements and economic relationships that we build between nations. Nigeria is currently going through a very strong reform of the economy,” Tinubu said during the meeting at 10 Downing Street.

The President described Nigeria as facing significant challenges, stating, “The largest country in West Africa, and on the continent, is challenged by terrorism coming from the conflict of climate change.”

Tinubu emphasised that both countries face global economic challenges, noting, “Currently, the entire world is challenged. Nigeria is not immune. Britain is not immune.”

He said the discussions focused on the “economic welfare of the people and how we can work together to improve livelihood” amid economic volatility.

The President affirmed that Thursday’s bilateral discussions would address what Britain can do to “accelerate the friendship, partnership and collaboration” between both nations.

On his part, Prime Minister Starmer described the visit as historic, noting it was the first inward state visit for 37 years by a Nigerian leader.

“The long and shared history between our countries is obvious and much valued, as is the people-to-people contact and engagement that enriches lives here in the United Kingdom,” Starmer said.

He noted that both countries already collaborate on economy, defence, and security matters but expressed determination to deepen the partnership.

“Today is the opportunity to take that to another level with the agreements that we’ve been able to reach on exports,” the Prime Minister stated.

Nigeria became the United Kingdom’s biggest export market in Africa in January 2026, with bilateral trade continuing to expand.

King Charles III had disclosed on Wednesday night at a state banquet that visitors from Nigeria spent £178m in Britain in 2024, while 251,000 people from Britain travelled to Nigeria and spent just as much in return.

The state visit, which began on Wednesday, March 18, saw the signing of several memoranda of understanding and agreements covering trade, investment, defence, and cultural cooperation.

A major outcome already announced is a £746m financing deal involving UK Export Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Ministry of Finance for the refurbishment of Lagos Port Complex (Apapa) and Tin Can Island Port.

The bilateral meeting at Downing Street followed Wednesday night’s state banquet at Windsor Castle, where King Charles III acknowledged “painful marks” in the shared history between both nations while praising Nigeria’s transformation and the contributions of the Nigerian diaspora to British society.

The state visit, the first by a Nigerian president since 1989 when former military leader Ibrahim Babangida was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, concludes on Thursday with President Tinubu expected to return to Nigeria. (Punch)

Posted on by — Leave a comment

‘I found safety here,’ Tinubu recounts UK’s protection during pro-democracy struggle

President Bola Tinubu has recalled how he found refuge in the United Kingdom during Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle, stating that British authorities once placed his residence under police protection amid threats from agents of the military regime.

Tinubu made the remarks on Wednesday during a state banquet hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

In his address, the Nigerian leader expressed gratitude to the UK for its support during the years of military rule.

“Your Majesty, I wish to express Nigeria’s deep gratitude to this great nation for the refuge and support it extended during the dark years of military dictatorship.

“Like many Nigerians involved in the pro-democracy struggle, I found safety here, and I recall that my residence was placed under Metropolitan Police surveillance for protection following threats from agents of the junta,” he said.

He added that such solidarity remains significant, noting it was “deeply humbling” to return as President of a democratic Nigeria.

igeria’s pro-democracy struggle reached its peak in the 1990s following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Moshood Abiola under the regime of Ibrahim Babangida. The decision triggered widespread protests and resistance.

Repression intensified during the rule of Sani Abacha, marked by arrests, assassinations, and the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine, drawing international condemnation.

Sustained pressure from pro-democracy groups, including civil society organisations and the media, eventually paved the way for a transition to civilian rule under Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1999, ushering in the Fourth Republic with Olusegun Obasanjo as President.

The legacy of the struggle endures, notably through the recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day and ongoing efforts to honour its key figures.

Tinubu also highlighted Nigeria’s current security challenges, particularly terrorism linked to instability in the Sahel, stressing the importance of continued cooperation with the UK.

“Our West African region faces complex terrorism challenges with roots in the Sahel. Nigeria carries an enormous responsibility to help safeguard regional stability.

“In confronting these threats, partnership with the United Kingdom remains essential,” he said, adding that he looked forward to meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The President further expressed confidence in the future of bilateral relations, noting that both countries share a commitment to progress, mutual respect, and common values.


He also pointed to Nigeria’s role within the Commonwealth of Nations as a platform for strengthening ties.

Reflecting on historical and institutional links, Tinubu acknowledged the influence of British legal and political traditions on Nigeria’s governance system, including its courts, parliamentary structures, and civil service.

He also praised the contributions of Nigerians in the UK, describing them as the “strongest bridge” between both nations, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, business, technology, and the arts. (Channels)