Israeli forces retrieved the bodies of five people taken hostage in the Gaza Strip during Hamas October 7 attack on southern Israel, the military said Thursday. The Army said the bodies of hostage Maya Goren as well as soldiers Ravid Aryeh Katz, Oren Goldin, Tomer Ahimas and Kiril Brodski had been returned to Israel. The bodies were
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Zamfara State Executive Secretary of Substance Abuse Control and Human Trafficking Agency, Pharmacist Ishaq Ibrahim Anka says his Agency has commenced blocking all channels of hard drugs supplies in the State.
Anka disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen in Gusau, the State Capital.
He said the blockage became imperative considering the alarming rate of drug abuse in the state.
“Blocking the corridors of hard drugs’ supplies will reduce security challenges bedevilling the entire State, as hard drugs contribute immensely to the high rate of crimes”, he said.
The Executive Secretary further highlighted some of the dangers associated with drug abuse, urging the people of the state to desist from using or selling hard drugs, child labour and other related human trafficking offenses.
Anka also pointed out that the work of the agency was more of arrest, counselling and prosecution of the defaulters, appealing for the maximum support of the security agencies.
“To achieve this therefore, the Agency has embarked on a familiarization visit, where the Commander of 1 Bridge Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Sani Ahmed assured his readiness to partner with the Agency.
“The State police Commissioner, Mohammad Dalinja, among other security agencies also pledged their support,” he added.
He commended the initiative and effort of the State Government in changing the narrative.
Zamfara govt commences blockage of hard drug supplies
Organizers of the planned nationwide protest, scheduled for August 1 to August 10, have unveiled their key demands from President Bola Tinubu’s government.
TVN reports that the nation’s economic situation has propelled citizens, particularly the youths, to plan a mass protest nationwide.
Despite efforts by the government to quell the move, the youths are insisting on embarking the protest in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, who is one of the organizers of the movement, forwarded the demands to TVN correspondent on Wednesday.
The looming protest titled, “Days of Rage”, “EndBadGovernance” is aimed at drawing the attention of the Federal Government to the economic situation of the country.
Among other things, the intending protesters want the FG to return the fuel subsidy, address issues in the power sector, release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu from the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, and allow for diaspora voting during general elections
According to Sowore, Nigerians are asking the FG to “Scrab the 999 constitution and replace it with a people-made Constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a sovereign National Conference followed by a National Referendum.
“Toss the Senate arm of the Nigerian legislative system. Keep the House of Representatives and make lawmaking a part-time endeavour.
“Pay Nigerian workers a minimum wage of nothing less than N250,000 monthly.
“Invest heavily in education and give Nigerian students grants not loans. Aggressively pursue free and compulsory education for children across Nigeria.
“Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally and demilitarize the South East. All ENDSARS and political detainees must also be released and compensated.
“Rationalize public owned enterprises sold to government officials and cronies.
“Reinstate a corruption-free subsidy regime to reduce hunger, starvation and multidimensional poverty.
“Probe past and present Nigerian leaders, who have looted the treasury, recover their loot and deposit it in a special account to fund education, healthcare and infrastructure.
They are also demanding the “Restructuring of Nigeria to accommodate Nigeria’s diversity, resources control, decentralization and regional development.
“End banditry, terrorism and violent crimes. Reform security agencies to stop continuous human rights violations.
“Establishment of a special energy immediately to drive massive corruption-free power sector development.
“Immediate reconstitution of the electoral body, INEC to remove corrupt individuals and partisan hacks appointed to manipulate elections.
“Massive investment in public works and industrialization will help employ Nigeria’s teaming youths.
“Massive shake-ups in the Nigerian judiciary to remove cabals of corrupt generations of judges and judicial officers that continue denying citizens access to real justice.
“Diaspora voting”.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday appealed to Nigerians to shelve the planned protest, urging youths to keep faith and believe in the ability of his administration to transform Nigeria.
Protest: Nnamdi Kanu, diaspora voting make list as organizers unveil 15 demands
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 23 per cent of the 2024 budget has been spent on infrastructural renewal and development across the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ope George, stated this on Wednesday during the year 2025 budget consultative forum, Ikeja Division, held in Agidingbi, Ikeja.
George explained that the forum was held to inform the public of the government’s plan for the rest of 2024 and the focus areas for the year 2025 and to promote citizens’ participation in budget preparation.
He said, “The Lagos State Government provided 23 per cent of the year 2024 budget to its Economic Affairs Sector to cater for infrastructural renewal and development to modernise the city and support its growing population.
“The state launched several initiatives and projects to improve the standard of living, build infrastructure, ensure food security, enhance ease of doing business and affordable public transportation, and improve energy supply.
“These include the rehabilitation of the Egbeda-Idimu Road, Lawal Street at Alimosho, distribution of Ounje Eko palliatives, 25 per cent transport rebate, 25 per cent food discount, and 400 Small and Medium Scale beneficiaries who received N277,972,6422 between January and June 2024.
“The 2024 Budget of Renewal will continue to be driven by fostering social inclusion, gender equality, and youth development.”
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Economic Planning and Budget, Lekan Balogun, urged citizens of the state to fulfill their civic responsibilities by paying their taxes as and when due.
“The optimal performance of the budget is strongly dependent on revenue generated in the state. We shall remain dedicated to the successful completion of ongoing projects with a focus on fostering economic growth that will benefit citizens,” Balogun said.
Earlier in the week, George urged residents to actively participate in the budget preparation process by attending and contributing meaningfully at the scheduled venues.
He mentioned that virtual attendance had been arranged to ensure all interested members of the public could participate.
George highlighted the importance of citizen engagement in the budget process, noting that many government programmes stemmed from yearly consultation forums.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the premier Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has praised President Bola Tinubu for signing the South East Development Commission Bill, saying it will play a crucial role in addressing the lingering effects of the war, particularly in the reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of Igbo land.
The body also hailed the development as a significant departure from the previous administration’s stance towards the Igbo people.
Also, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu, said the South-East Development Commission would tackle ecological problems and other related environmental or developmental challenges in the South-East states.
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday evening, signed the South East Development Commission Bill into law, shortly after he signed the North West Development Commission Bill.
The bills, according to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, “are to accelerate development across geopolitical zones in the country.”
The statement read: “The North-West Development Commission is set up to facilitate the reconstruction of roads, houses, and business premises destroyed by multidimensional crises, as well as tackle poverty, literacy level, ecological problems, and any other related environmental or development challenges in North-West states.
“In addition, the South-East Development Commission is established to ensure the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructural damages suffered by the zone, as well as tackle ecological problems, and other related environmental or developmental challenges in South-East states.”
Tinubu said he believed in building the nation on the fulcrum of fairness, equity, and unity hence his commitment to ensuring equitable development, inclusive governance, and the provision of qualitative services to all Nigerians, no matter where they resided, while knitting more tightly together the national fabric.
The South-East Development Commission bill was sponsored by Kalu, with the support of other members of the House from the South-East region.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, expressed immense relief and joy upon receiving news of the signing of the bill.
The organisation noted that the SEDC, which will cover Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states, marked a significant milestone in Tinubu’s administration, representing a quantum leap, renewed hope and a new beginning for the Igbo people.
“Ohanaeze seizes this opportunity to commend the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu and the co-sponsors of the all-important Bill. During a courtesy call to the National Assembly by the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the exceptional quality of Kalu did not go unnoticed.
“His suave, assertive, sagacious and visionary dispositions were very inspiring and a veritable source of hope. More importantly, he commands the respect and confidence of most members of the House of Representatives. It needs to be mentioned that the SEDC, which has remained in the pipeline for decades, has come on stream through Kalu and his team.
“The SEDC will go a long way to assuage the feelings of the Igbo with respect to the 3R sophistry by General Yakubu Gowon in January 1970. Gowon had assured the world that there would be three Rs: Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the Igbo land as a result of war ravages, but 54 years after the war, the South East has witnessed the direct opposite of the 3Rs, even in exponential proportion,” the statement noted.
The apex Igbo body said with the establishment of the commission, the South East governors would leverage the opportunity to anchor programmes that would harness and promote the “industrial, agricultural, tourism, energy, commercial and investment potentials in the zone.”
Ohanaeze also noted that the commission would also help to create the much-desired centrally coordinated security architecture in the zone and more.
“A few days ago, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, at Abakaliki, announced plans by the Federal Government to construct a 477-kilometre six-lane superhighway, traversing five states to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“According to the minister, the superhighway will, among others, pass through Abakaliki, Enugu, Nsukka, leading to Abuja.
“The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, is highly elated and sends a warm gratitude to Mr President over these developments.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo has maintained that the cause of backpedalling by Nigeria is Igbophobia, a pathological fear of the Igbo in a country they have sacrificed so much to uphold.
“As it stands, President Bola Tinubu has shown a major departure from the Buhari regime by signing the SEDC Bill into Law; appointing Sen. David Umahi, a brilliant and prudent engineer as the federal Minister for Works, and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla as the Chief of the Naval Staff,” the statement added.
Kalu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, expressed gratitude to the President for signing the bill into law and approving the creation of the commission.
While thanking his colleagues in the National Assembly and, indeed, all Nigerians for supporting the bill, he conveyed the appreciation to all Ndigbo from the South East region, assuring them of more positive attention from the President.
Also, Kalu’s Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs, Hon Chijioke Chukwu, said with the new commission, agitations would be curbed in the South-East.
Chukwu, who is the Convener, Concerned Abia APC Stakeholders and former Minority Leader in the Abia State House of Assembly, while expressing his gratitude to Tinubu for the speedy action on the bill, said, “The war is over. Nigeria is now fair to us.”
He said the new commission would not only help in dousing tensions in the South-East but would also stop the agitations in the zone.
“I call on Ndigbo to see it as a welcome development. I am calling on all those agitating for one thing or the other to sheath their swords. I am also calling on unknown gunmen to see this as an opportunity to embrace moral solutions, not just for Ndigbo, but Nigeria in general.
“The passage of this bill is the beginning of good things to come to Ndigbo.” He said.
He lauded Kalu for not only sponsoring the bill but remaining vigilant against all oppositions and challenges against it.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing commended Tinubu for signing the bill, adding that the move had ended the age-long civil war in the South-East.
The acting National Youth Leader, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed confidence that the commission would not only heal the region but further add value to the collective efforts to restore peace and stability in Nigeria and South-East in particular.
He said the Biafra agitation resurfaced following the Federal Government’s failure to honour the three “Rs” treaty.
“We commend President Tinubu for the boldness and patriotic act of signing the South-East Development Commission Bill.
“We must commend all stakeholders who played critical roles in ensuring this long overdue milestone achievement became a reality.
“We thank particularly, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Dr Benjamin Kalu and his colleagues, South-East governors, led by Senator Hope Uzodimma, and the National Assembly.
“By granting assent to this commission, Tinubu has finally ended the age-long civil war in the South-East,” he said.
It expressed the hope that the commission would attend to the three Rs and add value to the collective efforts to restore peace and stability in Nigeria and the South-East in particular.
The group also reaffirmed its support to the Tinubu administration in the country.
The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Lawal Adamu, on Wednesday, lashed out at a group, Kaduna Peace and Tranquility Forum, over a threat to mobilise for his recall from the National Assembly for alleged non-performance.
Fondly called “Senator LA” by his constituents and supporters in the Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Adamu also deplored the purported 14-day ultimatum issued to him by the group to account for his stewardship since his election.
The KPTF had, at a press briefing, accused the senator of non-performance and asked him to, within 14 days, account for his stewardship as the representative of the senatorial district at the National Assembly.
Reacting through a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Segun Olatunji, in Kaduna, on Wednesday, Adamu described the outbursts of the KPTF as “the ranting of a discomfited group of meddlesome interlopers seeking to misinform unsuspecting members of the public for the selfish political gains of their masterminds and sponsors.”
He urged the people of Kaduna Central senatorial district and the general public in Kaduna State not to be deceived by what he termed the gibberish being churned out by the KPTF.
He also stated that the threat by the group to mobilise for his recall from the National Assembly did not cut any ice with him, urging the good people of the district to remain calm, disregard the threat and treat the ranting with the disdain it deserved.
The lawmaker noted that it was needless to remind the group and their ilk that being the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Financial Matters was no child’s play.
He said such committees of national importance were not for the lazy and weak-minded politicians like the sponsors of their group.
“No one should be surprised by the outbursts of this group. They are not to be taken seriously as far as we’re concerned.
“When people wake up from the wrong side of their beds, they’re bound to be still groggy and not know when they talk bunkum and misfire,” the statement read.
It added that the threat by the KPTF “smacks of a dress rehearsal for a light-hearted comedy of errors show.”
It added, “For the avoidance of doubt, Senator LA believes in serious change rather than a hopeless gimmick. He believes in grip and not drift. Right from the run-up to the 2023 elections, he had rolled up his sleeves for the big task ahead and since his election into the National Assembly, he has continuously been doing the hard graft, working his fingers to the bones, so to say, all in the corporate interests of the good people of Kaduna Central Senatorial District.”
He listed some of his achievements in education, infrastructural development, economic empowerment and delivery of dividends of democracy to the senatorial districts and others.
“His comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of the good people of Kaduna Central Senatorial District and even beyond is nonpareil and unprecedented,” the statement added.
The lawmaker said he had fulfilled his earlier promise to pay tuition of indigent students across the state, by giving the sum of between N100,000 and N150,000 to over 200 students in the Humanities and Sciences, respectively.
He said he earmarked N250m for settling the tuition of hundreds of students of tertiary institutions in his constituency.
The statement also listed the lawmaker’s effort in securing the release of Kuriga kidnap victims, including his efforts to interface with President Bola Tinubu on the matter.
It said the KPTF had left no one in doubt that it lacked the requisite mental capacity to assess Adamu’s performance in the National Assembly in the past year.
“The KPTF’s gibberish submission on the performance of the Distinguished Senator LA exposes its purveyors as people lacking the least cognitive capacity to make any assessment of the lawmaker being constantly applauded beyond the confines of his senatorial district.
“We know those beating the drums producing this incoherent and shameful rhythm being shamelessly danced to in the public by these meddlesome interlopers. Members of KPTF are hiding behind a veil, they shall soon be exposed and disgraced, Insha Allah,” the statement concluded.
The family of the late military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, has gone before the Court of Appeal in Abuja to challenge the high court judgment affirming the revocation of their property by the Federal Government.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on Monday dismissed the family’s lawsuit challenging the revocation of their property located in the Maitama District of Abuja.
Abacha’s wife, Hajia Mariam Abacha, and son, Mohammed Abacha, who are the plaintiffs in the suit, had contended that it was wrong for the Federal Government to revoke the property and sell it to a private company, Salamed Ventures Limited, without their knowledge or compensation.
They urged the court to order the President and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who are defendants in the suit, to return the property to them.
However, in his judgment on Monday, Justice Lifu said the suit was statute-barred at the time it was filed in 2015, adding that the plaintiffs had no locus standi to initiate the court action.
Dissatisfied, however, the family has, through their lawyer, Reuben Atabo (SAN), proceeded to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the lower court’s judgment.
In the Notice of Appeal, containing 11 grounds, the Abacha family prayed the appellate court to invoke Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act to take over the legal battle as a court of first instance and do justice to the matter.
The family contended that Justice Lifu erred in law when he relied on Section 39 of the Land Use Act to hold that the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction under the Land Use Act to recover land, contrary to the decision of the Court of Appeal which held that the proper court to handle such case is the Federal High Court.
“By Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, judicial powers are vested in our courts and it is the duty of courts to determine disputes between individuals and government or government agencies. Where a party to a proceeding transfers title to the property in a dispute, such attitude is an affront to the authority of our courts and the same will not be condoned
“The trial judge of the lower court erred in law when he held that the revocation of the appellants’ title to Plot 3119 Maitama, Abuja, was valid even when the purported revocation was not carried out following Section 28 of the land,” the family said.
The court has yet to fix a date for the hearing.
NIGERIA’S brittle federalism is under a serious threat. After a dubious Supreme Court judgement granted financial autonomy to the 774 local governments, anti-federalist forces are at it again. This time, it comes in the form of a bill in the Senate that has passed the first reading. Sponsored by the Chairman, Committee on Finance, Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), the ‘Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024’ is to establish a federal agency to conduct LG elections. This is preposterous.
It is a power grab, another assault on federalism, without which Nigeria faces existential threats. Indeed, elections are local, and it is absurd that the centre tries to impose its whims on the federating units at all costs.
Before now, Section 197(c) and the Third Schedule 4 (B) of the 1999 Constitution vest in the State Independent Election Commission powers to organise LG polls. In the Third Schedule Part II (F), the Constitution established the Independent National Electoral Commission to organise general elections. This is sensible because Nigeria is supposed to operate in federalism.
Among others, the President will appoint the chairperson and members of the NILGEC to conduct elections every four years. This is not an antidote to dodgy elections. It grants omnibus power to the centre, which is open to abuse. It is simply replacing the tyranny of the state governor with that of the President, who wields enormous power already.
Moreover, the President is not an independent observer in LG elections, and his partisan leaning toward his political party might taint his appointments to the NILGEC. This should be avoided at all costs. It is a minus that the President wields overarching powers in the appointments to the INEC board.
Over the years, the major complaint is that some state governments do not conduct LG polls regularly. Instead, they impose illegal caretaker committees on LGs. In the states that organise elections, the polls are notoriously one-sided. These are strong arguments, but weak for a federal body to take over the conduct of LG polls in a federal polity.
First, the polls conducted by INEC are also tainted by rigging, ballot stuffing, violence, and logistics issues. Recent general elections have recorded low voter turnout – the election that brought in Bola Tinubu as President in February 2023 recorded a paltry 27 per cent voter turnout. INEC-organised elections are marred by pre- and post-election litigation.
A note by Kimpact Development Initiative said 1,209 petitions were filed after the 2023 general elections. This is a deluge, costing INEC and the petitioners millions to prosecute. Worse, even the off-season governorship elections reach the Supreme Court.
Second, the NILGEC is anti-federalist; it advances the unitary form of government. In a country with over 250 ethnic nationalities, this is perilous. It undermines the crusade for restructuring.
Third, with the economic situation, it is unwise because it creates another cost centre. It advances the big government syndrome. Nigeria has 1,316 MDAs according to the Federal Civil Service Commission. The Federal Government has tabled a bill to establish the Ministry of Livestock. Although Tinubu pledged to implement the Steve Oronsaye report, the NILGEC repudiates this.
Unlike in other decent polities, Nigerian lawmakers do not link the creation of MDAs to a funding source. This is bad governance ethos.
Nigerians are losing interest in democracy. Therefore, the National Assembly should discard the bill. Lawmakers should concentrate on reviving and deepening federalism. This is the way out of the country’s political woes.
The state governments should unite against any bill that further constricts their sphere of constitutional influence in this warped federal arrangement. Since this is a constitutional issue, states’ parliaments should refuse the bidding of the federal lawmakers.
Popular American Rapper Sean Diddy Combs has been linked to an alleged involvement in the murder of Tupac Shakur with court documents alleging that he paid $1m to have the late rap icon assassinated.
According to the U.S.SUN, a court document filed by the prosecutor in charge of Tupac’s murder case had mentioned the artist more than 70 times, stating that Combs has been accused by the man currently being prosecuted for the murder – gangster Duane “Keefe D” Davis – of paying $1 million for Tupac’s assassination.
Combs is named 77 times in papers filed on Thursday by his various pseudonyms, including Puffy, Puff Daddy, and Puff, and his real name is Sean Combs.
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When he is being accused of plans to monopolise the oil sector in Nigeria, the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has been invited by President Brice Nguema of Gabon to invest in cement and fertiliser production in the country.
According to a statement by the media office of Dangote Group, the billionaire was invited to explore investment opportunities in cement and fertiliser in Gabon.
“President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon has invited the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, to invest in cement and fertiliser production in Gabon.
“The President urged Dangote to explore potential investment opportunities in the country’s cement and fertiliser sectors, specifically urea and phosphate production,” the Dangote Group stated.
According to the statement, Dangote had talks with Nguema and other top government officials during the visit.
“The talks focused on how Dangote Industries could contribute to Gabon’s economic growth by establishing cement and fertiliser plants, which are vital for the country’s infrastructure development and agricultural productivity.
“President Nguema expressed enthusiasm about the potential partnership, highlighting Gabon’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for foreign investments.
“He noted that the collaboration with Dangote Industries would bring significant benefits, including job creation, technology transfer, and enhanced industrial capacity,” the statement added.
Dangote had underscored his company’s dedication to fostering economic development on the continent.
He emphasised that investing in Gabon’s cement and fertiliser sectors aligned with Dangote Industries’ strategic vision of expanding its footprint and supporting sustainable development across Africa.
“We expressed excitement about the opportunity to invest in Gabon, saying the goal was to contribute to the country’s economic diversification and industrialisation efforts.
“By leveraging our expertise in cement and fertiliser production, we aim to support Gabon’s infrastructure and agricultural sectors,” Africa’s richest man noted.
Dangote Group said the visit signified a significant step towards deepening economic ties between Nigeria and Gabon.
The company said that as it continued to explore and finalise investment opportunities, both nations anticipated mutual benefits that would propel economic progress and regional integration.
“The potential investment by Dangote Industries in Gabon is expected to bolster the country’s industrial landscape, ensuring a steady supply of essential materials for construction and agriculture.
“This development aligns with President Nguema’s vision of transforming Gabon into a diversified and self-sustaining economy.
“In the coming months, further discussions and assessments will be conducted to finalise the investment plans. The collaboration between Dangote Industries and the Gabonese government holds promise for a robust partnership that will significantly impact Gabon’s economic landscape,” it added.
Recall that Dangote recently said the company would no longer invest in steel to avoid being tagged as a monopolist.
This came after the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, stated that the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery had a higher sulphur content than imported ones; a claim Dangote described as an attempt to demarket his refinery.
Ahmed also said the country would continue to import fuel to stop the Dangote monopoly.