​Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has alerted security agencies to an alleged plan by purported Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, local government executives to invade council secretariats across the state.

The APC, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, alleged that the purported PDP chairmen and councillors planned to take over the 30 local government council secretariats and the Area Office today, Thursday.

According to the statement, “the alleged invasion was expected to be carried out with the assistance of political hoodlums allegedly recruited from within and outside Osun State.”

The party said the purported council executives had concluded arrangements to deploy the alleged hoodlums to execute the planned takeover of the council secretariats.

The APC alleged that the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke had emboldened the purported PDP council executives to regroup and proceed with the alleged invasion plan.

It alleged that the plan was developed in conjunction with officials of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, accusing the union of being willing tools of the state government.

The party also referred to a Supreme Court judgment concerning one of the suits instituted by the purported PDP council executives, claiming that the court had described them as persons unknown to the law.

The APC urged the Osun State Police Command, Department of State Services, DSS, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to take proactive measures to prevent any alleged attempt to disrupt public peace.

“There is no tact and diplomacy in a set of hoodlums teaming up to promote disruption of public peace in the state on a matter that is still very much alive in the Court of Appeal,” the statement said.

The party urged the purported PDP council chairmen to allow the ongoing legal process to run its course, arguing that all parties to the dispute should await the determination of the courts.

“Any step that the aggrieved purported PDP local government council chairmen may take other than recourse to the court has no other name than a monumental illegality,” the APC said.

The party also recalled the killing of one of the reinstated APC council chairmen, Honourable Remi Abass of Irewole Local Government Area, who it said was killed by suspected PDP thugs currently facing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The APC said the dispute over the tenure of the reinstated APC council executives remained pending before the Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, and urged security agencies to beam their searchlight on the purported PDP council executives and NULGE officials should there be any breakdown of law and order.

As of the time of filing this report, the state chapter of the PDP and the state government are yet to react to the allegation.

Security has been stepped up along the Rivers-Bayelsa boundary as the police commands in the two states launched joint patrols and bush-clearing operations to frustrate criminal activities.

The exercise, led by the Rivers and Bayelsa Commissioners of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju and CP Ajao Adewale, is aimed at denying criminals access to secluded areas that could serve as hideouts.

The operation is also in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for police commands to intensify security operations and identify and clear locations suspected to be used by criminal elements.

Speaking during the exercise, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, said the bush-clearing operation was necessary to “eliminate potential security threats along the boundary.”

Adepoju assured residents that the police were taking proactive measures to ensure a safe Ember period, stressing that the two commands would continue to work together to protect lives and property.

His Bayelsa counterpart, Adewale, said the joint operation would make it difficult for criminals to exploit the bushy areas separating the two states.

The exercise further strengthens security cooperation between the Rivers and Bayelsa commands, particularly in preventing criminals from using the interstate boundary to evade law enforcement.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has recalled how the Nigerian Air Force assisted the Nigeria Police Force in bringing down a notorious criminal in Rivers State known as 2Baba.

The IGP spoke on Wednesday when he received the Chief of the Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal S.K. Aneke, on a courtesy visit to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Air Force in addressing evolving security challenges.

Speaking earlier, the Chief of the Air Staff commended the longstanding professional relationship between both institutions and acknowledged the support of the NPF Air Wing to the Nigerian Air Force.

He emphasised the need for sustained collaboration, particularly in joint operations, intelligence sharing and enhanced air support for police operations.

Key areas discussed included aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, tactical deployment, medical evacuation, joint training and improved operational coordination in confronting terrorism, banditry, insurgency and other violent crimes.

The IGP further highlighted the need for enhanced protection of critical national infrastructure, improved logistics and response capabilities, as well as regular reviews of joint operational engagements to ensure greater effectiveness.

The IGP, addressing the Chief of the Air Staff, said: “You mentioned that the Nigeria Police assisted you at a particular time during a crisis. It is their duty to do that.

“We do almost the same work, though at different levels. I want to mention that when I was the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, a particular police officer was killed by a criminal known as 2Baba.

“They killed the policeman, cut him to pieces, spread the body parts around, showed them on social media and ran into the thickest parts of the bush.

“And they were very strategic about it. They chose a dense area of the forest as their habitat. Before you could get to where they were, you needed to cross two rivers. So, you were in the middle of it. The moment you attempted to cross the river, they were picking you off. So, they chose a very difficult terrain.

“We did a lot of intelligence gathering on them and approached the Nigerian Air Force. They told us they were surprised at how we got that amount of intelligence. They looked at it, worked on it on their own and came back to us with feedback. That was actually the biggest job.

“They did their reconnaissance over the place. We were able to identify them moving around the area, and they told us the day they would strike. And behold, the Nigerian Air Force struck. Though 2Baba was not killed in that operation, they [the criminals] lost about five of their men, and it caused disarray in their camp.

“From that moment, they could not stop looking into the sky. They were frightened, and it gave us the opportunity to strike them and assault their camp, which eventually led to the death of 2Baba and the arrest of the others. I will continue to thank the Nigerian Air Force for its support.

“We are going to explore ways of working together.”

The national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has said it has taken note of the recent comments by Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee, in which she referenced Jesus Christ while making a political point about Peter Obi and the 2027 elections.

President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said that while the association recognises that political discourse can be passionate and that such remarks may be intended to make a point, it believes this is an appropriate moment to remind all Nigerians, especially Christians, to exercise restraint in the way they invoke the name of Jesus Christ in political debates.

“Jesus Christ is not a political candidate, a campaign slogan or a weapon to advance one politician against another,” the apex Christian association said.

“His name is sacred and should not be dragged into partisan contests in ways that elevate human beings, however popular or admired, to a place that belongs to God alone.

“We are free to support Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu or any other candidate. We are equally free to criticise them. But our political loyalty must never become so intense that we begin to speak of politicians in terms that diminish the reverence due to Christ.

“Let us argue about competence, character, policies, performance and the future of Nigeria. Let us disagree passionately if necessary, but let us leave Jesus Christ out of our partisan quarrels.

“No politician is the Messiah. No political party represents the salvation of the human spirit that Christ epitomises. And no electoral victory is worth compromising the honour due to His name.

“As we approach another crucial electoral season, I urge politicians, their supporters and all Nigerians to conduct our political conversations with responsibility, restraint and respect for what we hold sacred.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has promised to implement the Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local government areas if he becomes president.

Atiku said his government would ensure that money meant for local governments from the Federation Account was paid directly to the councils instead of passing through state governments.

His position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo.

The Supreme Court ruled on July 11, 2024, that funds meant for local government councils should be paid directly to them. The decision followed a case brought by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors over the control and funding of local governments.

However, some states have not fully implemented the judgment.

Atiku said he would ensure that the ruling was strictly followed and make local government autonomy a major part of his administration’s efforts to improve development at the grassroots.

“My administration will respect court judgments, protect local government autonomy, ensure that public funds reach the people for whom they are meant, and restore true federalism,” he said.

He said direct access to funds would give local governments more capacity to provide basic services and carry out development projects.

According to him, stronger local governments could also improve security at the grassroots by helping to tackle crime and terrorism while reducing poverty.

Atiku also accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to enforce the Supreme Court ruling.

He claimed that the government had avoided confronting some state governors over the issue because local government funds were allegedly being used as an enticement to secure their support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

“Atiku acknowledges that the Supreme Court had ruled on July 2024 that local government funds should be paid directly to local governments,” the statement said.

“Yet, the current administration of President Tinubu has failed to enforce this judgment, seemingly to avoid confronting the gluttonous APC state governors who previously controlled these funds, as an enticement to them to use the local government funds to buy votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.”

Atiku said giving local governments control of their statutory allocations would improve accountability and ensure that money meant for grassroots development was used for its intended purpose.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Rivers State, Honourable Kingsley Chinda, will emerge as the next governor of the state in 2027.

The former governor of Rivers State made the remark on Tuesday during a warm reception organised in his honour by Ogbakor Ikwerre, the socio-cultural organisation of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, at Obiri-Ehie.

Acknowledging the presence of dignitaries at the event, Wike introduced Chinda as the “former Minority Leader in the House of Representatives and, by the grace of God, the next governor of Rivers State.”

If elected, Chinda, a member of the House of Representatives, will take over from Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who declined to run for a second term.

Chinda, a long-time political ally of Wike, has been widely regarded as the former governor’s preferred successor following the political realignments in the state.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said President Bola Tinubu intends to end poverty in Nigeria through his economic policies.

The Ooni said some of the policies implemented by Tinubu’s administration have helped to revamp Nigeria’s economy.

The monarch spoke at his palace during the unveiling of the National Mobility Programme of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, CreditCorp.

He expressed optimism that Tinubu’s goal of reducing poverty would be achieved through the various programmes and policies introduced by the administration to alleviate economic hardship.

“The economic policies of the Tinubu administration are already yielding good results. The country’s capital market and foreign reserves have witnessed unprecedented growth, while the foreign exchange market has become more stable, allowing businesses and individuals to make better economic projections.

“Things that have never been recorded in history, we have recorded them. Our capital market has gotten to over N150 trillion. Nigeria is now the most capitalised market in the world, and we are now over $53 billion in foreign reserves.

“The intention of President Tinubu is to put an end to poverty among Nigerians,” he said, adding that the steps taken so far by the President have revitalised the nation’s economy.

The Jigawa State House of Assembly has suspended the chairman of Buji Local Government Council, Najibullahi Falalu Tukur, over alleged gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds.

The decision followed the adoption of the recommendations of the House Committee on Local Government, presented by its Vice-Chairman, Hon. Sani Sale Zaburan, during plenary.

In its report, the committee recommended the suspension of the council chairman in accordance with Section 36, Subsections (2) and (3) of the Jigawa State Local Government Establishment Law, 2024.

Announcing the suspension, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, directed the suspended chairman to hand over all government property in his possession to the Vice-Chairman of the council.

The Speaker further announced the composition of an ad hoc committee mandated to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct and misappropriation levelled against the chairman.

The committee will be chaired by Hon. Usman Abdullahi Tura Musari, representing Guri Constituency.

Other members of the committee are lawmakers representing Maigatari, Malam Madori, Birnin Kudu, Yankwashi, Kafin Hausa and Sule Tankarkar constituencies.

The Assembly is expected to consider the committee’s findings and recommendations upon completion of the investigation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has begun assessing the vulnerability of non-profit organisations (NPOs) in Niger State to terrorism financing.

The exercise is being conducted by the commission’s Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) to identify gaps that could allow legitimate organisations to be exploited for illicit financial activities.

The leader of the EFCC delegation, Assistant Commander Tope Erinnomo, disclosed this when the team visited the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, in Minna on Tuesday.

Erinnomo said the team would engage relevant state agencies to assess the threats and vulnerabilities confronting NPOs and strengthen measures to prevent their exploitation for terrorism financing.

The agencies include the State Planning Commission, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Ministry of Homeland Security, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, and Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

He also made a presentation on NPO risk assessment and the categories of terrorism financing risks faced by non-profit organisations.

The SSG assured the delegation of the state government’s cooperation, saying his office would facilitate its engagement with relevant ministries, departments and agencies.

Usman stressed the need for stronger coordination and information-sharing among government institutions and stakeholders to prevent legitimate organisations from being used for illicit financial activities.