Illicit funds: CAC moves to expose real owners behind Nigerian companies

Illicit funds: CAC moves to expose real owners behind Nigerian companiesThe Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC has revealed plans to expose the real owners behind Nigerian companies.

Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, Registrar-General of the CAC, made the disclosure at an engagement with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, there are legal owners of Nigerian companies and real individuals behind the corporate structure.

He said there is an urgent need for the public to know the real human beings behind corporate entities under its beneficial ownership disclosure framework.

He added that the move would help track illicit financial inflows within the country’s corporate ecosystem.

“In simple terms, there may be a legal owner on paper and the real person behind the corporate structure.

“We want to know the human being behind the corporate structure. And that is why beneficial ownership disclosure is not merely a bureaucratic requirement,” Magaji said.

ASUU begins indefinite strike at three Lagos State universities

ASUU begins indefinite strike at three Lagos State universitiesThe Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has commenced an indefinite strike across three universities owned by the Lagos State Government over the alleged failure of the state to address the union’s demands.

The institutions affected are Lagos State University, LASU, Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, and Lagos State University of Science and Technology, LASUSTECH.

The ASUU Joint Campus Group for the three institutions announced the industrial action in a statement on Tuesday, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Lagos State Government on August 31 without an agreement being reached.

According to the union, a final warning issued on September 10 also failed to result in negotiations with the government, while the September 13 deadline elapsed without any dialogue taking place.

ASUU is demanding the domestication and implementation across the three institutions of relevant provisions contained in the December 2025 agreement reached between the union and the Federal Government.

Among the demands are the implementation of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, CATA, and welfare-related provisions covering serving and retired academic staff.

The union said it arrived at the decision “with a heavy heart”, acknowledging that the industrial action could affect the academic calendar and members of the wider university community.

It urged students to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding as efforts to resolve the dispute continue.

ASUU also acknowledged the concerns of parents and guardians who may be worried about the possible disruption of their children’s education.

The union clarified that the strike was not targeted at the managements of the three universities, commending them for their efforts towards domesticating the agreement.

It called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, alumni associations, civil society groups and other stakeholders to support its position and help facilitate a resolution.

ASUU said it had exercised considerable restraint and made repeated attempts to engage the Lagos State Government through dialogue.

However, it accused the state government of failing to take action on the outstanding issues, noting that neighbouring states had already implemented similar agreements.

The union further stated that its national leadership had endorsed the industrial action and supported the steps that culminated in the commencement of the strike.

ASUU said the strike would remain in force until the Lagos State Government engages the union and signs, domesticates and fully implements the relevant provisions of the December 2025 agreement.

“The Union remains entirely committed to constructive dialogue and to the swift restoration of normal academic activities as soon as these outstanding issues are addressed,” ASUU said.

NDLEA intercepts drugs worth N2bn, secures convictions of 248 suspects in Delta

NDLEA intercepts drugs worth N2bn, secures convictions of 248 suspects in DeltaDelta State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said it seized 2.446497 tonnes of illicit drugs worth an estimated N2 billion between July 2025 and September 2026 in the state.

NDLEA Commander, Halilu Hamidu, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while briefing newsmen on the achievements of the command during the period under review.

Hamidu said the command also secured the conviction of 248 suspects during the period, while 223 cases were pending before the courts.

According to him, the drugs recovered across all its operations are worth an estimated N2 billion.

“The seized 2.446497 tonnes of solid drugs included 1.387751 tonnes of Cannabis sativa, 81.023 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds, 0.1511 kilogramme of cocaine, 0.0317 kilogramme of heroin, 0.8906 kilogramme of methamphetamine.

“Others are 2.303 kilogrammes of Molly, 666.295 kilogrammes of tramadol, 16.113 kilogrammes of Swinol/Rohypnol, 52.940 kilogrammes of diazepam/bromazepam, 5,190.8 kilogrammes of Exol-5, 0.7395 kilogramme of Cocodamol and 47.560 kilogrammes of laughing gas, also known as nitrous oxide,” he said.

He further stated that 1,304.630 litres of liquid drug exhibits, including 819.327 litres of codeine, 14.310 litres of pentazocine injection, 0.013 litres of diazepam injection, 0.403 litres of tramadol injection and 54.993 litres of a mixture of cannabis and dry gin, were also seized during the period.

He described the raid on a warehouse at Oko Market, Asaba, where illicit substances with an estimated street value of over N150 million were recovered, as one of the major operations of the command.

The NDLEA boss in the state also disclosed that three trucks loaded with codeine and psychotropic substances, with estimated street values of N150 million and N100 million, respectively, were intercepted.

He explained that two commercial buses were also intercepted along the Onitsha-Asaba Expressway with different illicit psychotropic drugs valued at over N300 million.

He said the agency destroyed 35.2 hectares of Cannabis sativa farmland across the state.

Hamidu listed other achievements of the command during the period to include the counselling of 693 drug-dependent persons, comprising 463 males and 230 females.

He, however, assured that the command was working hard to stop drug traffickers from using Delta State as a route or a place to store, cultivate and distribute illicit drugs.

Lagos Assembly passes 2026 Budget Amendment Bill, approves N200bn bond

Lagos Assembly passes 2026 Budget Amendment Bill, approves N200bn bondLagos State House of Assembly has passed the 2026 Appropriation (Amendment) Bill into law, paving the way for the reordering of budgetary priorities and faster implementation of major capital projects across the state.

The passage followed the consideration of a letter from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu requesting the Assembly’s approval to reorder priorities contained in the state’s 2026 budget.

The letter, read before the lawmakers by the Clerk of the House, Mrs Adenike Oshinowo, was referred by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to the Committee on Economic Planning and Budget for consideration.

Former Adamawa Speaker Mijinyawa resigns from APC over primary election

Former Adamawa Speaker Mijinyawa resigns from APC over primary electionThe numerical strength of the Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to decline, with notable members leaving the party.

The latest defection involves a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Mijinyawa.

Mijinyawa, who was Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly between 2015 and 2019 when APC’s Jibrilla Bindow was governor, represents Yola South Constituency in the House of Assembly, where he is a fourth-term lawmaker after first being elected in 2011.

In his letter of resignation from the APC, Mijinyawa blamed his decision on the conduct of the party’s House of Representatives primary, which he described as lacking fairness and transparency.

“I can no longer associate myself with a process that I consider unjustifiable and contrary to the ideals of democracy,” he stated.

Mijinyawa had sought to move up the political ladder by contesting for a seat in the House of Representatives, but he lost the party’s primary election to a former Chief Executive of the Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salihijo, a result he questioned in his resignation letter.

DAILY POST gathered on Monday that Mijinyawa is headed to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the party which gained ascendancy in the state towards the weekend after it was reported that a former APC governorship aspirant, Abdulrahman Haske, had joined the party and become its governorship candidate.

Some other APC members resigned earlier in the past week, leaving the party appearing to be in gradual decline ahead of the 2027 election.

2027: No alliance against Tinubu will be entertained — APC govs

2027: No alliance against Tinubu will be entertained — APC govsState governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have rejected any alliance that threatens the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming 2027 general elections and vowed loyalty to the party’s course.

Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, made the declaration on behalf of the governors on Monday night during a closed-door meeting at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

Uzodimma stated that no arrangement that creates confusion, divided loyalty or competing interests within the party would be entertained.

According to him, the primary focus of the forum is to support official APC candidates at all levels rather than external interests.

“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels.

“In other words, the forum has no intention to support any candidate at any level that is not an APC candidate because our candidates who are contesting the election are being sponsored by our party.

“The governors’ campaign commitment is exclusively to all APC candidates. All levels of the party campaign architecture will align with the expectations of Mr President and the strategic objectives of the party,” Uzodimma said.

No plan to demolish CAN Secretariat in Makurdi – Benue govt

No plan to demolish CAN Secretariat in Makurdi – Benue govt The Benue State Government has described as malicious and false a publication circulating on social media alleging that Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration has concluded plans to demolish the Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Makurdi.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Solomon Iorpev, disclosed this in a statement, describing the claim as baseless and completely detached from the truth.

“We state, without equivocation, that this claim is false,” he said.

Iorpev reaffirmed that Governor Alia is a proud product of the Church and has great respect for, and maintains support and partnership with, religious institutions across Benue State, including CAN.

He said any suggestion to the contrary should be viewed as a deliberate fabrication designed to incite disaffection between the government and the Church and destabilise the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.

The commissioner reaffirmed the Alia-led administration’s commitment to maintaining a cordial, mutually respectful and productive relationship with CAN and all religious bodies operating in the state.

Iorpev urged members of the public, the media and well-meaning residents to disregard the publication in its entirety, stressing that the report does not reflect the position, policy or intention of the government.

“Mischief-makers, rumour peddlers and purveyors of disinformation should take note that deliberate fabrication and circulation of false information intended to incite public disaffection, disturb the peace, or damage the reputation of government institutions would be treated as a criminal offence,” he said.

He said such acts were punishable under extant Nigerian law, including the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, warning that individuals found culpable would be identified and made to face the full wrath of the law.

Iorpev insisted that the government would not fold its arms while unscrupulous elements exploit social media to sow discord and mislead the public.

He assured that Governor Alia’s administration would remain committed to transparency and continue to engage the public through official channels.

NSCDC arrests ex-AEDC staff, 12 others over N350m electricity cable vandalism

NSCDC arrests ex-AEDC staff, 12 others over N350m electricity cable vandalismThe Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a former staff member of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and 12 others over their alleged involvement in the vandalism of electricity cables worth more than N350 million in Abuja.

The suspects were also arrested in connection with alleged car theft, armed robbery and human trafficking across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring states.

The NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this during a parade at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja and at a crime scene in Yangoji, Kwali Area Council.

Afolabi said the arrests were made by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) as part of efforts to protect critical national assets and infrastructure.

He said the operations covered the FCT and Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, Benue, Niger and Kaduna states.

“One of the major suspects arrested is 25-year-old Isaac Zegbe, a former AEDC employee, who allegedly worked with his accomplices to vandalise more than 15 kilometres of aluminium conductors between Yangoji and Abaji.

“The vandalised cables were valued at more than N350 million and were later supplied to buyers in different markets across the FCT,” he said.

Following a sting operation, operatives recovered a large quantity of the vandalised cables at Gudu Market and arrested suspected receivers.

One of the suspects, identified as Chijoke Christian, allegedly admitted that he knowingly bought the stolen cables.

The Corps said it had obtained a court order to seal the shops of merchants linked to the purchase of the stolen aluminium cables.

The NSCDC also said its intelligence operations led to the arrest of a four-man syndicate allegedly involved in stealing Toyota vehicles across the FCT and neighbouring states.

The suspects were identified as Adamu Yusuf, Hassan Bukar, Adamu Musa, also known as Yellow, and Abdulsalam Isa, alias Kada.

In another operation, operatives arrested four suspected members of an armed robbery gang identified as Nuhu Ndam, Ponbin Lamkur, Yilcwat Sohdan and Ganpyal Dul.

The Corps said an AK-47 rifle, 16 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition and N70,000 cash were recovered from the suspects.

The NSCDC also reported a breakthrough in a human trafficking investigation following the recovery of Micaiah Nana, the last of 16 children allegedly trafficked by Archibong Anderson on January 15, 2026.

According to the Corps, the people who allegedly bought the child have been arrested and are assisting with the investigation.

Other suspects arrested included Bilyaminu Musa and Abba Yusuf, who were allegedly involved in power cable vandalism in Abuja city centre.

Another suspect, Theophilus Oche Oboii, was arrested over the alleged theft of 15 tractor batteries from the National Agricultural Seeds Council in Kwali. The batteries were reportedly sold for N20,000 each.

“Items recovered during the operations included a stolen Toyota Camry with registration number YAB 163 EE, cut armoured electrical cables, 15 tractor batteries, master keys, cutting tools, knives and a stolen travel bag containing clothes,” he added.

Afolabi said the NSCDC would continue to go after criminal networks involved in the theft and destruction of critical infrastructure.

Security institute demands action over N50m levy on Zamfara market

Security institute demands action over N50m levy on Zamfara marketThe Institute of Security Nigeria, ISN, has condemned the reported imposition of a N50 million levy and demand for 100 livestock by non-state actors at Talata Mafara Market in Zamfara State.

In a statement signed by its Deputy President and Chief Executive, Barrister Adebayo Akinade, the institute described the development as an “act of war against the Nigerian state and its people.”

The ISN said the reported seven-day ultimatum issued to traders and residents required urgent government intervention, describing the situation as a national emergency.

It said the continued activities of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers were destroying lives, livelihoods, farms and markets while creating a parallel criminal economy capable of undermining national security and economic stability.

The institute called on the Federal and Zamfara State governments to treat banditry levies and market invasions as terrorism and economic sabotage, backed by coordinated security operations.

It also called for a state-led security coordination framework linking federal security agencies, state security outfits and vetted community guards.

The ISN urged the government to equip frontline states, including Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau, with tactical mobility assets, drones, night-vision equipment and attack helicopters.

The institute further advocated intelligence-led policing, including efforts to infiltrate criminal logistics networks and dismantle structures involved in the collection of levies and cattle rustling.

It also recommended the reintroduction of regulated livestock markets and the establishment of rapid-response mechanisms supported by air patrols.

The ISN urged communities to strengthen early-warning systems and establish local peace and security forums involving traditional rulers, farmers, market unions and faith-based organisations.

It also called on citizens to reject ransom and levy payments and report suspected criminal activities to security agencies.

TUC suspends strike over King’s College concession, gives govt two weeks

TUC suspends strike over King’s College concession, gives govt two weeksThe Trade Union Congress, TUC, has suspended the industrial action it directed its affiliates to commence at Federal Unity Colleges over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos.

The decision followed a meeting between the union, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and other stakeholders in Abuja on Monday.

Announcing the suspension after the meeting, TUC General Secretary, Mr Nuhu Toro, described the engagement as fruitful and robust, saying the concerns raised by the unions were thoroughly presented and considered in good faith.

Toro said the action was suspended to enable a newly constituted committee to carry out its assignment and examine the issues brought forward by the unions.

He, however, clarified that the suspension was not a permanent cancellation of the industrial action, warning that the unions could resume the action if dissatisfied with the committee’s recommendations.

“The issues bothering us have been laid bare, and of course, those that were critical to us were also brought to the fore,” Toro said.

According to him, the minister also provided explanations on several concerns raised by the unions, prompting the labour bodies to “stand down the action” and suspend their earlier directive to affiliates to withdraw their services.

Toro said the decision was intended to give the committee sufficient opportunity to complete its work and make recommendations on the issues in dispute.

“Suspending an action is not calling off,” he said, stressing that the unions could immediately reconsider their position if the committee’s recommendations failed to address their concerns.

The TUC general secretary welcomed the creation of the committee, saying it would give the unions an opportunity to study the relevant policy document and make additional contributions.

He said the parties would meet again within the stipulated period to review the committee’s recommendations and determine the next course of action.

Toro also urged the government to urgently address the condition of King’s College, noting that the institution’s deteriorating infrastructure required immediate intervention.

He stressed the need to improve the school’s learning environment and said the existing condition of the college should not be allowed to persist.

The TUC official described the outcome of the meeting as a win-win development, saying the unions had received assurances regarding issues affecting their members, while the government had shown willingness to reconsider matters requiring further review through the committee.

Meanwhile, Alausa directed all Federal Unity Colleges to immediately resume academic activities following the suspension of the industrial action.

The minister reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to continued discussions with the unions and other stakeholders over the management arrangement for King’s College.

He said the process would be conducted in accordance with mutual respect, the law and the national interest.

Alausa assured stakeholders that the government would continue working with them to strengthen King’s College, preserve the institution’s heritage and improve its learning environment.

He also assured the unions that no member of staff would be dismissed because of the management arrangement involving the school.

The minister said the deployment of academic and non-academic personnel would remain subject to the Public Service Rules.

Alausa further confirmed that the arrangement allowing the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) to continue managing the institution would proceed.

He, however, announced the formation of a seven-member high-level committee to review additional recommendations that could be incorporated into the agreement already signed.

The committee comprises two representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, including the Minister of State for Education and the Acting Permanent Secretary; one representative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; two senior TUC representatives; and two representatives of KCOBA.

According to Alausa, the committee has two weeks to conclude its assignment and submit its recommendations.

He reiterated that the status of all academic and non-academic staff would continue to be governed by the Public Service Rules.

He added, “No staff will be dismissed, demonised or punished as a result of the issues under consideration.”