₦airaland Forum

At least two members of the bandits’ gang terrorising residents of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) have been shot dead.

CP Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, FCT Police Commissioner, who disclosed this to newsmen at the command on Wednesday, said the he led the operation that led to their deaths.

The gang was trailed over the abduction of five residents of Paze community in Byazhin ward of Bwari Area Council last week.

Daily Trust had reported that five people, including a pastor, were reportedly abducted while a local vigilante member identified as Shuaibu Yerima was shot dead after bandits invaded Paze community on Thursday.

According to the police commissioner, the kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation involving a team comprising operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the NPF Intelligence Response Team (IRT), and Kubwa Area Command, in collaboration with local hunters and vigilante groups.

He said it was at approximately 9:00 p:m on Tuesday, when he led the joint security team to launched an intensive search, clearance, and rescue operation across Paze and Byazhin communities.

The operation reportedly led to the arrest of suspects identified as Icheh Mohammadu and Abubakar Usman, while other gang members reportedly fled into nearby hills.

“And during the operation, the police team also recovered two AK-47 rifles with magazines, while two of the gang members were arrested during the crossfire,” he said.

CP Sanusi said the five rescued victims have since been taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention, while efforts are ongoing to reunite them with their families.

He said that while search operations continue across the general area and adjoining communities with the aim at apprehending the fleeing suspects and dismantling the criminal network.

He also called on healthcare practitioners, private and public hospitals and members of the public to promptly report any individual presenting gunshot related injuries or seeking treatment under suspicious circumstances.

Two band!ts kllled as police rescue five kldnap victims in Abuja The FCT Police Command has successfully rescued five k! dnapped victims and killed two suspected bandits in an intensive joint rescue operation conducted in the Byazhin area of the Federal Capital Territory on… pic.twitter.com/YtMfCnQ5Gn

— OLUWA SEUN (@Oluwaseun__0) June 10, 2026

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has alleged that some persons are sponsoring insecurity to distract President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking during the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign for Local Government Council elections in Edo South Senatorial District, the governor said, “They can even kidnap all of us—yes, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.”


He said insecurity had suddenly increased in the country, alleging that it is being orchestrated to tarnish the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

Okpebholo said promoting insecurity would not guarantee the perpetrators seats in the Senate, House of Representatives, or the presidency, as there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.

“There is no vacancy in Aso Rock. What is happening today is the handiwork of the opposition.”

“They have failed. Have they not failed? Is it by kidnapping children? Then who are you going to govern? There will be nobody for you to govern. So let them give us peace so that we can rule well,” Okpebholo said.

The governor said the President had done more for the country than his predecessors.

He noted that the impact of removal of the fuel subsidy had been seen and felt in various projects dotting the state.

He commended those, who scaled through the party’s primary election to emerge as candidates for the forthcoming council elections.

He said their victories would signal the possibility of delivering the 2.5 million votes pledged to President Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking also, the party’s chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, described the APC as the only viable party in the state.

He urged the candidates to take the message of the governor’s developmental strides to the nooks and crannies of the state, and to replicate it in their various local government areas.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highpoint of the event was the official unveiling of the Edo South candidates of the party by the governor, including Ogbeide Ihama as – senate, Dr Paddy Iyamu -Oredo federal constituency, Omorede Igbinedion -and Ovia Federal constituency among others (NAN)

A crisis is brewing in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over the sharing formula between old and new members in the Kano chapter of the party. Daily Trust gathered that there is an attempt to sideline those who recently joined the NDC alongside the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Daily Trust gathered that at the initial stage, the old members expressed reservations about possible domination following Kwankwaso’s entry into the party. However, both camps later agreed to a 60–40 sharing formula for executive positions and candidates, with Kwankwaso taking the larger share.

The party then proceeded to elect its executives and candidates through consensus, with the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso emerging as the vice presidential candidate of the party, to run with Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023. However, almost 10 days after the party released the names of candidates, complaints of marginalisation from the old members resurfaced.

They accused Kwankwaso of not respecting the formula during the selection process, thereby, relegating the old members. In response, five House of Representatives seats and seven state assembly tickets were wrestled from Kwankwaso’s nominees in favour of the old members.

A document signed by the NDC chairman in Kano, Hussaini Isah Mairiga, and addressed to the party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, Kwankwasiyya leader, Senator Kwankwaso, and NDC’s North West zonal chairman, Alhaji Muhammadu Rabiu Sabo Bakinzuwo, confirmed the changes.

According to the document, the party approved the following for House of Representatives seats; Barr. Isma’il Idris Sani for Kumbotso, Nasiru Ali Ahmed for Nassarawa, Kabiru Ishaq Sa’id for Kano Municipal, Barr. Dayyabu Jamilu Ibrahim for Doguwa/Tudunwada, Muhammad Hamisu Abubakar for Dawakin Tofa/Rimin Gado/Tofa, Ibrahim Bashir Bango for Sumaila/Takai, and Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mairigar Fata for Gwale.

Similarly, adjustments were made to the state assembly tickets in Dala, Tarauni, Kumbotso, Ungogo, and Dawakin Kudu constituencies.

Daily Trust gathered that the initial agreement between NDC and Kwankwaso stipulated a 60–40 sharing formula, with Kwankwasiyya taking 60 per cent of party and elective positions, while NDC would retain 40 per cent.

However, sources within the party said the Kwankwasiyya faction did not concede any seat to the party’s faction, a development that triggered disenchantment and forced the NDC to come up with its own sharing formula.

Earlier crisis

It would be recalled that shortly after Senator Kwankwaso joined the party, the state chairman, Hussaini Isa Mairiga, rejected alleged moves to cede control of the structure to the former governor. Mairiga had insisted that the existing leadership would not surrender control.

He maintained that Kwankwaso wanted the entire party structure handed over to him despite the old members having being in the party before him and had contributed to setting up its structures.

The national body of the party intervened and settled the matter after Kwankwaso agreed to allow Mairiga to continue as party chairman while he produced other executives in line with the arrangement.

‘We will take more seats to fill our 40 per cent quota’

Spokesman of the Kano State chapter of the NDC, Ibrahim Waya, told Siyasarmu TV, a Kano-based online platform, that they had repeatedly asked Kwankwasiyya members to listen to their complaints but were ignored.

He said, “You can’t just enter somebody’s house, open his wardrobe and start using his clothes without his consent. We didn’t even take the required 40 per cent approved for us. We only took four Reps seats and seven state assembly seats.

“If they had listened and given us what we asked for, we would have kept quiet. But now that there is crisis, even the 12 federal and state seats we took are not up to the required 40 per cent, so we will still take more. Now we will even take a senate seat.

“We have done our best but the consensus won’t work. There are many seats we already had candidates for, before Kwankwaso joined, but now we will take them,” he added.

Waya also alleged that all other states adhered to the allocation formula, except Kano.

Allegations baseless – Kwankwasiyya

Responding, the spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Saleh Mohammed, denied the allegations by the old party members, saying they were carried along throughout the candidates’ selection process.

He expressed shock that the party was raising the issue almost 10 days after the list of candidates had been agreed upon and announced.

“It is surprising hearing them raise this issue close to 10 days after concluding our primaries through consensus. Where were they all this while? It is also not true that they have been trying to reach out for their allocation, but were shut down,” he said.

On the next line of action, the spokesperson said the Movement was still studying the situation and would respond at the appropriate time.

Meanwhile, following the complaints that have trailed its primaries across states, the NDC has announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening internal democracy, enforcing accountability, and institutionalising the party as a formidable political platform ahead of future electoral contests.

The resolutions were reached at the party’s second National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director.

According to the party, all governments elected on the platform of the NDC will be required to consult the party structure before making key policy decisions, appointments, and implementing programmes, except in cases involving personal staff appointments.

The party stressed that it remains supreme over individual interests, urging members to align their personal ambitions and activities with the collective goals and ideology of the NDC.

As part of efforts to strengthen party discipline, the NEC approved the establishment of a comprehensive Code of Conduct for party officials and candidates. A committee headed by the National Legal Adviser has been mandated to develop the framework and operational guidelines for the code.

The party also announced the inauguration of a National Reconciliation Committee tasked with engaging and reconciling aggrieved members following recent political activities and internal contests.

The NEC further resolved that all affiliated groups and non-governmental organisations associated with the party must operate under its guidance and control and should not function independently of, or parallel to, established party structures.

Reaffirming its commitment to long-term growth, the NDC declared that it is being built as a lasting institution rather than a personality-driven organisation, political movement, or special-purpose vehicle.

The party called on members to remain committed to its ideals and contribute to its sustainability for future generations, stressing that loyalty to the party and the national interest must take precedence over personal considerations.

‘Crisis may affect Obi–Kwankwaso ticket – Dr. Sufi

A political analyst and lecturer at the Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies, Dr Kabiru Sa’id Sufi, has warned that the crisis in the party could undermine the chances of the party’s Obi–Kwankwaso presidential ticket.

He noted that the dispute in the state chapter stemmed from complaints by the original NDC members that they were sidelined in the consensus arrangement for elective positions.

He added that the intervention of the national body had escalated tensions between the Kwankwasiyya bloc and the party’s founding members.

“The ability to resolve the situation and for the two sides to make concessions is what will position the NDC as a stronger political party. But if dissatisfaction continues, it may even affect Kwankwaso’s posture and the chances of the party to perform well in the forthcoming elections,” he said.

Dr Sufi added that some members were already calling on their leaders to consider defecting if grievances were not addressed. He warned that defections from Kano, regarded as the party’s stronghold in northern Nigeria, would have direct consequences for the Obi–Kwankwaso ticket.

On whether the crisis was linked to external forces as alleged in some quarters, Dr Sufi said the problem was largely internal. “It may be about the party’s failure to resolve issues on time. The sooner they resolve it, the better for the NDC at both the state and national levels,” he said.

Lanretoye:
leave important issues in your state and be spreading rubbish misinformation about another state.

In the video, officials from the ministry’s monitoring and compliance unit were seen asking the resident to obtain approval and pay a fee before proceeding with the installation.

But in reaction, the state government has said that permits and administrative fees for solar power installations apply only to residents of its social housing estates, not to private homeowners or tenants across the state.

The people’s anger is multifaceted. While some are very angry that the government instead of appreciating the citizens for standing in the gap, it is going after the people with taxes.

Yet, there are others who warned that such requirements could discourage the adoption of renewable energy in a country facing persistent power outages. Those on this side of the argument insist that the state government just wants to see its citizens in darkness and depression.


Reacting in an X post, Wale Ajetunmobi, senior special assistant on media to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the resident misunderstood the policy.

According to him, the state does not impose solar installation fees on all residents.

“This development is true, but the man who made the video seems to be misinformed about the Lagos State Government’s guidelines for installing solar energy systems in social housing estates,” he said.

He explained that only residents living in government-owned social housing estates are charged administrative fees for alterations, including the installation of solar power systems.

Ajetunmobi said the requirement is linked to the government’s responsibility as facility manager of the estates, noting that solar installations are treated as structural alterations, especially when they affect shared spaces or the original design of buildings.

“Only residents living in government-owned social housing estates are charged administrative fees for alterations, such as the installation of a solar power system, before any additional development can be permitted,” he said.


“Any alteration must be processed through the physical planning and survey departments of the ministry of housing for approval, material compliance, and post-inspection checks.

“Those solar power systems are usually installed by occupants in shared areas; so this alteration must be approved by the facility manager (government) before any occupant can proceed.”

He added that the individual in the video is likely a tenant who rented one of the government-owned estates from the property owner and does not fully understand the terms of the indemnity document.

He said the officials seen in the video were from the ministry’s monitoring and compliance unit, adding that the resident did not obtain prior approval before commencing installation.

He said the government previously handled liabilities arising from unapproved modifications, including cases involving roof damage and fire incidents.

“He is likely to be a tenant in one of these social housing estates owned by the Lagos state government, otherwise, he wouldn’t have raised concerns about something that was clearly outlined in the indemnity document he signed before the government handed over the apartment to him after purchase.

“The simple rule for any estate occupant is to contact the state government (facility manager) for approval for any external alteration.”

He added that unapproved changes affecting shared property could expose the government to liabilities involving other residents.

Under the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, structural changes to buildings require approval from relevant authorities.

However, what began as a government regulation over solar panel installation in the state-owned estates has spiralled into a fierce public debate regarding governance, taxation, housing failure and the limits of state control in a city battling deepening economic hardship.

Aside from condemning the government’s action, residents are calling for the scrapping of such a law as they view as commercialization of survival

For many Lagosians, the issue goes far beyond solar energy; they see it as another layer in what they describe as a growing system of levies, approvals and charges imposed on citizens who are already forced to provide basic amenities for themselves.

There is a belief in some quarters that while governments in developed societies subsidise renewable energy adoption, Lagosians are being asked to pay additional fees simply for attempting to escape darkness.

Not even the government clarification was able to assuage the people’s anger as tempers rose across the state, with many ready to confront the government authorities.

Many residents insist the policy is merely a “pilot phase” that could eventually extend to private estates and ordinary homeowners across the state. So, it is their thinking that if they don’t react now, it would be too late by the time the government would want to extend it to private house owners.

The worry in some quarters is why citizens who already provide their own electricity, water and security, would be required to pay the government for installing solar systems powered by sunlight; a natural gift to humanity.

A businessman, residing in one of the private estates in Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, Anthony Osewele, lashed out at the state government, saying, “The state government has no right to sell God’s energy.”

“When people decide to arrogate to themselves the position of God, you wonder if they still had any iota of conscience in them.

“Nobody has the right to sell solar energy provided by God. We are talking about solar energy that is from the Sun; God free gift to humanity. The sun is the centre of the universe. So, for me, it is evil and the height of wickedness for anybody in authority to even conceive the idea of collecting money from citizens for using sunlight. That means one day, they will find a way of collecting money from citizens for breathing the air. This is condemnable in every form.

“In other climes, we are talking about the government providing electricity to their citizens 24 hours nonstop. But here the government provides darkness, making life hellish and short for the people.

“And when the people move to provide alternatives just to improve their lives, the government is here to add to their sorrow by taxing them for doing that. This is very bad,” he stated.

Also, corroborating Osewele’s position is a lawyer, Marcellus Onah, who stressed that residents are not embracing solar power as a luxury, but as a necessity forced on them by the collapse of public electricity supply.

“People are buying solar because the government has failed to provide stable electricity, which is the minimum any responsible government should provide.

“We provide water for ourselves. We generate electricity for ourselves. We fix roads around us. Despite all these, the government still wants to charge us for trying to survive. It is very bad and unacceptable,” he stated.

An estate agent, Rowland Adebayo also lamented that Lagosians are increasingly being suffocated by multiple taxes and levies without corresponding public services.

“They have introduced road parking fees. They demand tenement rates. Every day, there is one new levy or another.

“I don’t mind paying taxes if the government is doing the right thing.

"But asking people to pay for installing solar energy is criminal. It is like taxing sunlight, which is a free gift from God and we must resist it,” he stated.

Senior Pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign if he cannot fix insecurity ravaging the country.

Apostle Suleman made this call while addressing his congregation and speaking on Nigeria’s security challenges.

According to him, the sponsors of terrorism are the real problem of Nigeria, demanding their immediate arrest and prosecution.

He also applauded Nigeria’s security agencies, stating that they are one of the best in the world.

“The sponsors of terrorism are our real problem. Go after them. If the President cannot deal with them, he should resign, let somebody else do it.

“The people you are facing now are the children of those terrorists that were six years old when they brought them in 2014, who have now grown to be 21 or 19 years. That’s why you see them – small, small boys carrying AK 47. Go after the sponsors who empower them.

“I have travelled to several countries and I can boldly tell you that the Nigerian Army, the police and the DSS are among the best in the world,” he said.

“I have travelled to several countries, and I can boldly tell you that the Nigerian Army, the Police, and the DSS are among the best in the world. The sponsors of terrørism are our real problem. If the President cannot deal with them, he should resign, let's somebody else do it.”… pic.twitter.com/4Ou4l9k7X9

— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) June 5, 2026