The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • FULL LIST: Clubs with direct qualifications for Champions League Round of 16

    FULL LIST: Clubs with direct qualifications for Champions League Round of 16

    The eight teams that have secured automatic qualification for the Round of 16 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League have been confirmed following the conclusion of the league phase on Wednesday night.

    Under the new Champions League format, the top eight teams in the league standings advance directly to the Round of 16, while clubs that finished between ninth and 24th will contest a two-legged knockout phase play-off to determine the remaining last-16 places.

    Five English clubs made the cut, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all finishing in the top eight.

    Barcelona and Sporting CP also secured automatic qualification, joining Bayern Munich, who, alongside Arsenal, had already confirmed their place in the last 16 before the final round of matches.

    Read Also: Champions League: Full list of teams for knockout phase play-offs

    Meanwhile, reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain will have to go through the knockout phase play-offs once again. Real Madrid, the competition’s most successful club with 15 titles, also missed out on automatic qualification after suffering a 4–2 defeat to Benfica.

    Here are teams qualified directly for the Round of 16:

    1. Arsenal

    2. Bayern Munich

    3. Liverpool

    4. Manchester City

    5. Chelsea

    6. Tottenham Hotspur

    7. Barcelona

    8. Sporting CP

  • Police reform group urges compliance with court orders on officers’ reinstatement

    Police reform group urges compliance with court orders on officers’ reinstatement

    The Civil Society Forum for Police Reform, led by Comrade Ibrahim Ilyasu, has called on the Federal Government and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to comply with existing court judgments directing the reinstatement of retired police officers.

    Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Forum referenced recent rulings by the National Industrial Court (NIC) ordering the reinstatement of senior officers from Courses 18, 19, and 20, as contained in Suit No: NICN/ABJ/28/2025, presided over by Justice R. B. Hasstrup.

    According to the Forum, the court ruled in favour of the affected officers—ACP Chinedu Emengaha, ACP Victor Chilaka, ACP Egwu Otu, CSP Sylvester Ebosele, CSP Sunday Okuguni, CSP Asuquo Inyang, CSP Kalu Chikozie, and CSP Adetu Omoteso—after determining that their retirement did not align with applicable legal provisions on due process and retirement age.

    In its judgment, the NIC nullified circulars issued on January 31, 2025, and subsequent administrative actions related to the officers’ retirement. The court directed that the officers be recalled and reinstated to continue their service.

    Read Also: Zamfara govt renovates police command, donates operational bikes to police station

    “The circular is hereby set aside. All the claimants are entitled to the reliefs sought. The Defendants are directed to recall the claimants to continue their service accordingly,” the court ruled.

    The Forum noted that the judgment aligns with earlier NIC rulings, including a 2022 decision ordering the reinstatement of disengaged officers from Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the Nigeria Police Academy.

    The group emphasized the importance of adherence to court judgments for maintaining institutional order, public trust in the justice system, and progress in police reform. 

    It also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to facilitate the full implementation of all subsisting court rulings on the matter.

    The Forum expressed optimism that prompt action would reinforce respect for the rule of law, enhance police morale, and support ongoing efforts toward accountability and reform within the security sector.

  • Champions League: Full list of teams for knockout phase play-offs

    Champions League: Full list of teams for knockout phase play-offs

    Several high-profile clubs will compete in the knockout phase play-offs for a place in the Round of 16 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League after missing out on automatic qualification from the league phase.

    Reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain will once again have to navigate the knockout phase play-offs to stay in the competition. 

    Real Madrid, the most successful club in Champions League history with 15 titles, also missed out on direct qualification following a 4–2 defeat to Benfica in their final league-phase fixture.

    Read Also: FULL LIST: Clubs with direct qualifications for Champions League Round of 16

    Under the new Champions League format, teams finishing outside the top eight must compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off, with the winners advancing to the last 16.

    Teams confirmed for the knockout phase play-offs:

    1. Atalanta

    2. Atlético de Madrid

    3. Borussia Dortmund

    4. Benfica

    5. Bodø/Glimt

    6. Club Brugge

    7. Galatasaray

    8. Inter Milan

    9. Juventus

    10. Bayer Leverkusen

    11. Monaco

    12. Newcastle United

    13. Olympiacos

    14. Paris Saint-Germain

    15. Qarabağ

    16. Real Madrid

  • Nigeria’s influence set to grow in coming decades — UK’s High Commissioner

    Nigeria’s influence set to grow in coming decades — UK’s High Commissioner

    Nigeria’s importance and global influence will continue to grow significantly in the coming decades, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, has said, underscoring why peace, resilience and institutional stability remain central to the United Kingdom’s partnership with Africa’s most populous nation.

    Montgomery made the assertion in Abuja at the inaugural Annual Learning and Adaptation Event of the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) Programme, where senior government officials, security agencies, development partners and civil society leaders gathered to review strategies for reducing violence and strengthening climate resilience across northern Nigeria.

    According to the British envoy, Nigeria’s rapidly expanding population and strategic weight mean its role on the global stage will only deepen over time, a reality that informed the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership signed in 2024.

    Read Also: Tinubu posts ambassadors to U.S., France, High Commissioner to UK

    “Nigeria is one of our important diplomatic partners. The judgment that we make, and our ministers make, is that Nigeria’s influence will only grow. If it grows very fast, and you’re becoming a bigger population, the importance and influence of Nigeria is going to grow in the decades ahead,” Montgomery said.

    He described peace and resilience as issues that are “absolutely central” to the partnership between both countries, stressing that recent events and international discourse around Nigeria make sustained investment in stability both timely and necessary.

    The two-day SPRiNG forum brought together key actors to assess evidence-based approaches to conflict prevention, institutionalise peace mechanisms and adapt responses to evolving security and climate change dynamics in the region. 

    The programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

    Montgomery explained that the UK-Nigeria security and defence dialogue spans both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches, emphasising institutional support to federal agencies, community-based initiatives, law enforcement cooperation and grassroots resilience.

    “It’s about providing institutional support to the official agencies of the federal government of Nigeria. It’s about building community-based initiatives, law enforcement, and community resilience,” he said, adding that SPRiNG offers “a vehicle, a platform” for catalytic partnerships that promote long-term stability.

    The event also featured remarks from a representative of the Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Major General A.G. Laka, while the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, formally declared the forum open through a representative, highlighting the role of strategic communication and inter-agency collaboration in national stability.

    Representatives of the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, and the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, drew attention to the links between gender inclusion, agropastoral livelihoods and security, noting that social and economic policies remain critical to peacebuilding outcomes.

    In a context-setting presentation, SPRiNG Team Leader, Dr. Ukoha Ukiwo, said the programme’s impact is rooted in its evidence-driven and adaptive management model, stressing that conflict dynamics require solutions that are both flexible and preventive.

    “Conflict is dynamic; our solutions must be too. Today was about validating the evidence and impacts of our intervention, learning from what, where and how we are making progress, and ensuring that our support to government and civil society partners is not just reactive, but structurally preventive,” Ukiwo said.

    A high-level panel moderated by Kemi Okenyedo examined progress and emerging opportunities in strengthening peace and resilience. 

    Panelists included the Director-General of the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Ms. Josephine Habba; the Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security, Kaduna State, Dr. Sulaiman Shuaibu; and Ms. Lantana Abdullahi of WOPPI, who called for the formal inclusion of women in peace and security architectures.

    The forum ended with a Project Fair, allowing stakeholders to engage directly with beneficiaries and implementing partners and to assess the tangible “peace dividend” being delivered to communities in Benue, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau states.

    The SPRiNG Programme is a four-year initiative running from 2024 to 2028, implemented by Tetra Tech International Development in partnership with Nextier SPD, the Centre for Democracy and Development and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. 

    It seeks to strengthen institutional capacity for conflict management, boost public confidence in key institutions and create stronger incentives for peace across Nigeria.

  • Army, police rescue eight kidnap victims in Kaduna forest

    Army, police rescue eight kidnap victims in Kaduna forest

    Troops of Sector 7, Operation Safe Haven (OPEP), in collaboration with the Zango Kataf Police Area Command, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Forest Guards and local hunters, have rescued eight kidnapped victims at Badurum Kasa Forest in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    A security source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the operation followed actionable intelligence on the kidnappers’ hideout.

    The source said the combined team mobilised to the area at about 4:23 p.m. on Wednesday and made contact with the criminals at about 5:59 p.m., forcing them to abandon the victims and flee into the surrounding bushes.

    Read Also: Tantita constructs facilities for Army, reaffirms commitment to collaboration

    “All eight victims were rescued unharmed and have been reunited with their families,” the source said.

    Those rescued include Mrs Rashida Musa (19), Mrs Hafsat Nuhu (18), Mr Zakari Saleh (52), Miss Hasiya Yahaya (13), Mr Ahmed Yahaya (14), Mr Ibrahim Saiba (11), Miss Salma Yahaya (14) and Mr Sophan Idris (18).

    The source added that follow-up exploitation and pursuit of the fleeing suspects were ongoing to apprehend those responsible and dismantle the criminal network.

    (NAN) 

  • Shettima, bankers urge shift from aid to investment

    Shettima, bankers urge shift from aid to investment

    • …push blended finance for Africa’s development

    Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a decisive shift from aid-dependent development models to impact-driven investments, saying Africa’s long-term growth will be powered by patient capital, blended finance and private enterprise rather than continued reliance on foreign assistance.

    The Vice President made the call on Wednesday at the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) High-Level Policy Engagement held at the State House, Abuja. 

    He was represented by Hauwa Liman, Technical Adviser on Women, Youth Engagement and Impact.

    Shettima said development thinking must move beyond public spending to long-term investments in human capital, productive systems, climate resilience, digital infrastructure and inclusive markets.

    “The future of this continent will not be financed by aid alone. It will be driven by patient capital, catalytic capital, blended finance and private enterprise deployed with discipline and guided by impact”, he said.

    He described impact investing not as philanthropy in disguise, but as “strategic capitalism” that recognises the link between sustainable returns and stable societies, educated workforces, healthy populations and resilient ecosystems.

    According to him, Nigeria is already aligning its policies with this approach by strengthening delivery systems across education, health, social protection, agriculture, climate action, digital public infrastructure and financial inclusion, while reforming institutions and incentives to better serve citizens.

    The Vice President noted that under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government has embarked on far-reaching reforms to reverse Nigeria’s economic and social challenges, but stressed that no government can deliver Africa’s development agenda alone.

    “That is why platforms such as the Africa Social Impact Summit are vital,” he said, describing the forum as a space for co-investment, co-design and co-delivery involving policymakers, development partners, private sector leaders and civil society organisations.

    Shettima reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to expanding opportunities for young people and women, warning that fragmentation among stakeholders could undermine progress.

    Read Also: Shettima preaches peace, tolerance during visit to Gbong Gwom Jos

    “The stakes are too high for disunity. Development is not done to people; it is built with them. Progress demands coalition”, he said.

    He urged African leaders and partners to close the gap between promise and performance, noting that history would judge leadership not by speeches delivered, but by systems built, institutions strengthened and futures secured.

    Echoing the Vice President’s position, the Executive Director (South) of Alternative Bank, Korede Demola-Adeniyi, called for stronger public-private collaboration and consistent government policies to unlock blended finance and accelerate inclusive growth across the continent.

    Speaking at the engagement hosted by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with Sterling One Foundation and United Nations Nigeria, under the theme “Scaling Action: Driving Inclusive Growth Through Policy and Innovation,” Demola-Adeniyi said cooperation between government, banks, Development Finance Institutions and other stakeholders was critical to mobilising capital for impactful projects.

    “From the Alternative Bank perspective, there has to be collaboration between both the public and private sectors. For the private sector, we need a combination of DFIs, banks and other stakeholders willing to key into projects of this nature”, she said.

    She noted that blended finance initiatives are not only socially impactful but commercially viable, often outperforming conventional financing models.

    “Records show that an average blended finance project records about 80 per cent repayment, compared to about 72 per cent for purely commercial projects,” she said.

    Citing a partnership project in Kano that supported women with access to electric vehicles, Demola-Adeniyi said the bank’s experience demonstrates that inclusive and sustainable financing models can deliver both social impact and financial returns.

    She identified policy inconsistency as a major obstacle to unlocking blended finance, warning that abrupt changes in policy frameworks often derail projects and discourage investors.

    Calling for collective responsibility, she stressed that stable and predictable policies are essential to achieving Nigeria’s development ambitions, including the administration’s one-trillion-dollar economy target.

  • Senate to hold closed-door briefing on US airstrikes in Sokoto

    Senate to hold closed-door briefing on US airstrikes in Sokoto

    The Senate on Wednesday resolved to conduct an executive, closed-door briefing on the December 25 United States airstrikes on terrorist targets in Sokoto State, following concerns over Nigeria’s sovereignty and the alleged sidelining of the National Assembly.

    The decision followed a motion raised by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who criticised the military operation, describing it as a potential breach of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

    Ningi argued that the National Assembly, which is constitutionally empowered to participate in deliberations on foreign military interventions, was not consulted before the strikes were carried out.

    Raising the matter during plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the lawmaker cautioned against allowing the executive arm to unilaterally make far-reaching decisions on sensitive security issues without legislative oversight.

    He warned that failure to assert the National Assembly’s authority could open the door for other foreign powers to conduct military operations within Nigeria without parliamentary approval.

    “It is not right. The leadership of the National Assembly should take a briefing from the security agencies on what happened. This is a violation of our territorial integrity,” Ningi said.

    Responding, Akpabio intervened to calm the situation, explaining that the Senate leadership had already scheduled an in-camera briefing for members after resumption from the Christmas and New Year recess.

    He said the planned briefing could not hold on Tuesday, January 27, because legislative activities were suspended in honour of the late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who died on December 31, 2025.

    Akpabio stressed that the matter was a sensitive security issue that should not be discussed in open plenary.

    “We really should not discuss it in the open. We wanted to do it behind closed doors yesterday, but because of Senator Akwashiki, we couldn’t,” he said.

    Assuring senators, Akpabio disclosed that the closed-door briefing would hold on Thursday, January 29, to fully brief members on the circumstances surrounding the airstrikes.

    “So, your point of order is noted. We need to brief you behind closed doors,” he added.

    The United States conducted the airstrikes on December 25, 2025, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, targeting camps linked to the Islamic State in West Africa and Sahel region.

    The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the operation, which involved 16 munitions deployed from MQ-9 Reaper drones and Tomahawk missiles fired from a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Gulf of Guinea.

    The strikes were aimed at disrupting terrorist training, planning and logistics hubs amid rising threats from ISIS Sahel Province and affiliated groups, including Lakurawa elements infiltrating from the Sahel.

    The operation came against the backdrop of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” following claims of widespread persecution of Christians in the country.

  • Ibadan will collaborate CRIN to establish cocoa plantation, says Olubadan

    Ibadan will collaborate CRIN to establish cocoa plantation, says Olubadan

    In his determination to ensure the economic development and investment promotion in Ibadanland, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Ladoja has assured the management of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) that he will make acres of land available and source for the needed logistics to ensure the smooth take off of a Cocoa plantation in the ancient city.

    He gave the assurance in a remark while playing host to the management team of CRIN whom he invited to deliberate in the possibility of establishing modern cocoa plantation that can stand the test of time through the modern agricultural technologies and techniques.

    The monarch said the ancient city must take advantage of its vast land and closeness to Cocoa experts in the city to creat an ecomomy in the interest of the residents.

    Ladoja said, “I invited the management team of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) to deliberate on how cocoa plantation can be established in Ibadan.

    Read Also: Tinubu knows how to fix Nigeria, says Olubadan

    “I am well pleased to receive you and your management staff in my palace and wish to express my gratitude for honouring my invitation.

    “I invited you and the experts in your institute to deliberate on how we can establish modern cocoa plantation that can stand the test of time through modern agricultural technologies and techniques.

    “We are lucky to be in the forest region where cocoa plantation can thrive considering our favourable climatic condition, many agricultural experts surrounding us particularly Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria 

    “On our part, we will make acres of land readily available and source for the needed logistics to ensure the smooth take off of the project to it’s successful completion.”

    Speaking earlier, the Acting Executive Director of CRIN, Dr Adedeji Rasheed thanked the Olubadan and his Council members for the opportunity given the Institute to play it’s role in agricultural development of Ibadanland and Oyo State as a whole.

    He noted that the agricultural plans of Olubadan of Ibadanland will be successfully implemented as desired.

    Dr Adedeji Abiodun requested for necessary logistics such as expanse of land, farm imputes and other necessary resources for the project implementation.

  • Osun APC, ALGON warn Adeleke against misleading public on LG funding crisis

    Osun APC, ALGON warn Adeleke against misleading public on LG funding crisis

    • …stop routinely subjecting Tinubu to public criticism—APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun State have cautioned Governor Ademola Adeleke against what they described as deliberate attempts to mislead the public over the ongoing local government control and funding crisis.

    They alleged that multiple court actions initiated by the Adeleke administration are the primary factor hindering the release of statutory allocations to local government councils in the state.

    The Nation recalled that the governor, in a statewide broadcast, had appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the crisis, citing the continued stay in office of what he termed “reinstated” APC local government executives whose tenure had allegedly expired, as well as the purported withholding of council funds by the Federal Government.

    However, the APC, during a press conference at its state secretariat on Wednesday, accused the governor of distorting facts surrounding the legal and administrative status of local government councils and the disbursement of federal allocations.

    Read Also: Goronyo leads mobilisation drive, rallies APC stakeholders to boost e-registration in Sokoto

    Addressing journalists, the party’s Director of Media, Chief Kola Olabisi, said the Adeleke administration’s narrative on the crisis does not reflect the true position of the law or the prevailing administrative realities in the state.

    “The claims of Adeleke was regrettably built on misrepresentation, selective narration of facts, and a deliberate attempt to deflect responsibility for a crisis largely of his administration’s own making.”

    He said that “It is patently false to assert that the reinstated APC Chairmen and Councillors are illegally occupying Local Government secretariats. Their return to office followed clear and subsisting judicial pronouncements, most notably the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on 10 February, 2025, which nullified the foundation upon which their earlier removal was predicated. That judgment remains valid, binding, and unappealed.”

    He added that, “It is contradictory for a governor who routinely subjects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to public criticism to now seek presidential intervention to undermine the clear words and spirit of a Supreme Court judgment affirming local government autonomy nationwide.”

    Also, Chairman of ALGON, Hon Abiodun Idowu, berated Adeleke for maligning Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola over the local government crisis.  

    Reacting to the development, Osun State Commisssioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi cautioned Oyetola against using Federal cover to impede council administration in Osun State. 

  • UPDATED: Court remands actress Angela Okorie in prison over alleged cyberstalking 

    UPDATED: Court remands actress Angela Okorie in prison over alleged cyberstalking 

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of actress, Angela Okorie in the Suleja prison in Niger State following her arraignment on charges of criminal defamation and cyberstalking.

    Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Wednesday while ruling on an oral bail application made by Okorie’s lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN) shortly after his client pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge brought against her by the police.

    Justice Nwite ordered that the mother of one be kept in the prison until January 30 when her bail application would be heard.

    Okorie of 1 Henry Montero Street, Lekki Palm City, Ajah, Lagos is alleged, in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/278/2025 to have conspired with Ifeoma Mbonu (now at large) to commit  cyberstalking and defamation by calling a fellow actress, Mercy Johnson Okojie a blood sucking demon in their posts on their social media platforms of Instagram and Tiktok.

    The police said the offences, allegedly committed in 2024, violated the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention, Etc) Act of 2015.

    After Okorie pleaded to the charge, prosecuting lawyer, Victor Okoye urged the court to remand the defendant in Suleja prison and fix a date for the prosecution to open its case.

    Ejesieme objected to Okoye’s application, claiming that his client was not afforded adequate time and opportunity to prepare for her defence.

    The defence lawyer said even though the prosecution filed the charge since July 2025, it only handed a copy to the defendant about an hour before the commencement of proceedings.

    He claimed that his client was never informed about the  case in court but only arrested her in Lagos the previous day and brought her to Abuja for arraignment. He also claimed that the police denied him access to her for proper briefing.

    Ejesieme prayed the court to allow his client to continue to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted him by the police.

    In the alternative, Ejesieme urged the court to release the defendant to him to enable her make provision for her child that has been left alone in Lagos and for her to also file a formal bail application.

    The defence lawyer said his client was a single mother of one, who was not afforded time to make adequate arrangement for her child before being brought to Abuja from Lagos. 

    Responding, Okoye faulted Ejesieme’s arguments. He argued that the administrative bail granted the defendant has since expired upon her arraignment.

    Okoye accused Okorie of jumping bail and failing to honour invitations sent to her to report to the police headquarters in Abuja in respect of the case.

    Read Also: Tinubu seeks reforms to expand Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, strengthen health institutions

    The prosecuting lawyer urged the court to order the defendant to file a formal bail application to enable the prosecution exhibit necessary documents in support of its position that the defendant jumped the administrative bail granted her and also failed to honour past invitations sent to her.

    Ruling, Justice Nwite confirmed that the police actually sent an invitation to the defendant on January 16 to report at the headquarters in relation to the case.

    The judge however faulted the police for denying the defendant access to her lawyers before the court’s proceedings.

    He ordered parties to file and exchange all necessary documents in relation to the formal bail application to be filed by the defendant within 24 hours.

    Justice Nwite also ordered that the defendant be remanded in Suleja prison and to be produced on January 30 for the hearing of her bail application.

    Okorie’s case stemmed from a petition by Mercy Johnson Okojie’s lawyer, in which sundry allegations were made against her and Ifeoma.

    Part of the petition, dated Mary 14, 2025 reads: “Most alarmingly, in a recent criminal and defamatory publication, Angela Okorie published the following statement via her Instagram page @ realagelaokorie:

    ‘Blood sucking demon no see blood suck again, E say na slimming tea. Except there’s no God, MJ go and beg people you chop their destinies and destroyed their hornes else no peace for the wicked!!! Gospel songs won’t save you. Your heart Is Dark!!!’

    “This malicious statement, clearly targeted at our client, was published with the intent to cause irreparable reputational injury, incite hatred, provoke unrest among the public and further harass and emotionally traumatize our client. 

    “The tone, content, and framing of the publication aim to portray our client as a destructive person, despite her widely known public image as a humanitarian and devout Christian mother. 

    “The principal suspect, Angela Okorie, has demonstrated a relentless and calculated effort to incite public hatred and threaten public peace by repeatedly using her social media platform for criminal intimidation, false accusations, and criminal defamation. 

    “She has become the most aggressive and persistent in this malicious campaign.”