₦airaland Forum

The long-awaited judgement day is here. There is tension, anxiety across Nigeria.

PM NEWS reports that hours after the Presidency issued a statement, on Sunday, September 3, to disclose that President Bola Tinubu will be travelling to New Delhi, India, for the G-20 Summit, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, finally announced that it had set a date to deliver judgement in petitions filed against the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Interestingly, the PEPT said the judgement delivery would be televised live.

Tinubu will not be in the country when the tribunal decides whether to affirm his victory, or nullify it, as requested by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, who filed separate petitions to challenge the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after the February 25 presidential poll.

It could be a coincidence that the tribunal fixed the judgement on a date the President would be away from the country but Nigerians are waiting with bated breath for the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led panel to deliver its verdict.

The 2023 presidential election was one of the most keenly contested, and fiercely disputed since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999 and the anxieties that surrounded the polls has heightened as the tribunal gets set to announce its decision today, Wednesday.

Already there is tension across the country.

On Monday, September 4, the same day the tribunal announced the date for its judgement, the Department of State Services, DSS, disclosed in a statement that it had uncovered plans by some elements in parts of the country to stage violent protests in order to discredit the Federal Government.

Although the DSS did not link the alleged plot to the tribunal’s judgement, the language of the statement was similar to an earlier one released by the agency to alert Nigerians of plans by some politicians to form an interim government after the 2023 general elections, just before former President Muhammadu Buhari handed over to Tinubu on May 29.

“Intelligence reports have indicated that the plotters include certain politicians who are desperately mobilising unsuspecting student leaders, ethnic-based associations, youth, and disgruntled groups for the planned action.

“The Service has identified the ring leaders of the plot as well as sustained monitoring around them in order to deter them from plunging the country into anarchy,” the DSS said in the statement released on Monday, September 4.

Meanwhile, just before he left for India, Tinubu chaired a meeting of the National Security Council at the State House, Abuja. ⁣⁣

Details of what transpired at the meeting were not made public. But many Nigerians are insinuating that the meeting might not be unconnected with tensions surrounding the tribunal’s judgement.

President not worried about tribunal judgement – Presidency

However, with tensions rising as the clock counts down to the judgement, Tinubu’s spokesperson declared that the President is not worried about the decision of the tribunal.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, made the claim when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday evening.

“He’s not worried simply because he knows he won the election,” Ngelale said.

But, in a veiled reference to the controversial ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary’ billboards erected by some Nigerians ahead of the tribunal’s verdict, the presidential spokesperson added, “The President sees no need to threaten judicial officers. He sees no need to raise speculations against the integrity of judicial officers; he believes in the sanctity and integrity of the Nigerian judicial system, he believes the great men and women on the panel will make their decisions based only on the facts before them.”

According to Ngelale, “He (Tinubu) will continue to ensure that no matter what the outcome of the judgement is, he does his part and ensure that our institutions continue to be respected, not just by him, but all actors.”

However, the Labour Party immediately countered the Presidency’s assertion that Tinubu won the election.

When contacted by DAILY POST on Tuesday, September 5, spokesperson of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh expressed confidence that the judgement will go the way of the party and its presidential candidate, Obi.

“We are positive that the judgement will favour the Labour Party and our presidential candidate, Peter Obi. We are also positive that the will of the people will prevail.

“Most Nigerians have waited this long and their wishes will be granted. The mandate freely expressed on February 25 will be returned to the rightful winner of the election,” Ifoh said in a message he sent to PM NEWS on Whatsapp.

PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, could not be reached for comments on Tuesday. Calls to his phone were not answered. He also did not reply to an SMS sent to him by PM NEWS.

Arguments, prayers before the tribunal

The tribunal had since August 1 reserved judgement after parties in the suit adopted their final written addresses.

According to the result declared by INEC, Tinubu of the APC polled 8,794,726 votes to win the presidential election. Atiku, of the PDP, finished second with 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, of the LP, came third with 6,101,533.

Tinubu won in 12 states, just like Atiku. But Obi won 11 states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Tinubu’s eligibility to be President after failing to get up to 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT is one of the key issues to be determined by the tribunal in arriving at its verdict.

Atiku, Obi and the APM are asking the tribunal to nullify the result of the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku, through his lead counsel, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had asked the tribunal to declare that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the February 25 presidential election due to a United States court ruling that ordered him to forfeit $460,000 for drug and money laundering-related offences.

The PDP candidate, in the petition marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, also asked the tribunal to nullify the election and order a fresh poll.

According to Atiku and the PDP, the INEC contravened provisions of the amended Electoral Act by failing to electronically transmit the results of the election, even after receiving over N355 billion for the conduct of the poll.

Obi, in asking the tribunal to nullify Tinubu’s victory in his petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, hinged his claims on Tinubu’s alleged drug trafficking offence in the US, as well as his inability to win 25 per cent of votes cast in the FCT.

According to Obi’s legal team, led by Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, Tinubu, due to the forfeiture of $460,000 in the US and his failure to receive 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT, should not have been declared President.

Obi’s lawyers also argued that the votes cast for Tinubu should be voided because his running mate, Kashim Shettima, was simultaneously nominated as APC candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District and the party’s vice presidential flagbearer, in violation of provisions of the Electoral Act.

The LP candidate equally faulted INEC’s claim that technical glitches were responsible for the inability to upload results on the INEC Result Viewing, IReV, portal.

Rather, according to Obi’s lawyers, INEC’s failure to upload the results was an act of sabotage designed to influence the outcome of the election.

Obi is asking the tribunal to cancel the election and order INEC to conduct a fresh one, or, in the alternative, declare him the President-elect, and order the electoral commission to issue him a certificate of return.

The APM, in its petition, contended that Tinubu’s candidacy was invalidated by the withdrawal of Ibrahim Masari, who was initially nominated as the vice presidential candidate of the APC, going by the provisions of sections 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

According to the APM, there was a gap of about three weeks between the period that Masari expressed intention to withdraw, the actual withdrawal of his nomination, and the time Tinubu replaced him with Shettima

Arguing that Tinubu’s candidature had elapsed at the time he nominated Shettima as Masari’s replacement, the APM urged the tribunal to declare that Shettima was not qualified to contest as the vice presidential candidate of the APC as of February 25 when the election was conducted by INEC, having violated the provisions of Section 35 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The party urged the tribunal to nullify and void all the votes scored by Tinubu in the presidential election and also set aside the Certificate of Return that was issued to him by INEC.

Tinubu and APC’s lawyers, as well as those of the Independent National Electoral Commission, are asking the tribunal to dismiss the petitions filed against the outcome of the presidential poll.

APC counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, now Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, had while adopting his final written addresses argued that Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 in the US was a civil matter and should not warrant disqualification from the election.

Picking holes in another critical argument against his client’s election, Tinubu’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, had argued that the FCT counts as 37th state for electoral purposes and as such, the President’s failure to get 25 per cent of votes in the territory should not invalidate his election.

Olanipekun urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitions for lacking in merit.

INEC counsel, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, faulted the petitioners’ claims that the Commission’s failure to upload results on the INEC IReV portal affected the outcome of the election.

Insisting that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, as amended, the INEC counsel told the tribunal that it was illogical for the petitioners to claim that a candidate must secure 25 per cent votes in the FCT to be declared winner of the presidential poll.

All eyes on the judiciary

Billboards with the inscription ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary’ sprung up in different parts of the country after the presidential election tribunal reserved judgement on August 1.

The billboards were eventually dismantled in controversial circumstances after the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) ordered their removal on August 15.

ARCON said it considered the billboards as “blackmail against the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honourable Justices of the Tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour”.

However, all eyes will indeed be on the Nigerian judiciary when the tribunal delivers its verdict today, Wednesday.

Some Nigerians, who spoke to PM NEWS on Tuesday, September 5, shared their expectations on the judgement.

President, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, CRRAN, Olu Omotayo, said the tribunal’s verdict should not be based on technicalities.

Omotayo said the judgement should be based on justice, fairness and equity.

He said, “Nigerians are divided along political lines. Peoples’ expectations are largely based on their political affiliations.

“Supporters of the APC, PDP and LP are all clamouring that the judgement must be in their favour. But this is like a game of football, not all of them will carry the day. Somebody will come out victorious.

“But the judgement should be based on sound reasoning. Whatever decision they arrive at should be based on sound principles of law, not on technicalities. That is what every Nigerian should be expecting.

“Justice is not a one-way traffic. Justice must be done based on what the law says. The only advice for the judges of the tribunal is that their judgement should be based on justice, fairness and equity and on sound principles of law.”

Also speaking with PM NEWS, Secretary General of the Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, Willy Ezugwu, noted that the eyes of the whole world is on the tribunal.

“The world is watching, not only Nigerians. Everybody is watching the judiciary. We are watching to see what the tribunal will come up with, with all the evidence on the ground,” Ezugwu said.

He also advised against building the judgement on technicalities.

“They don’t have to arrive at the judgement on technicalities. Every person knows – no one can say they are not judges and for that reason, they are not able to decide. That is why Nigerians are crying, they are shouting, they are pronouncing that all eyes are on the judges,” he stated.

Ahead of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Judgment scheduled to take place today (Wednesday), Nigerians, particularly supporters of opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP, have been urged to eschew violence and remain calm.

PM NEWS reports that there are insinuations that the LP supporters and their counterparts in the PDP are planning to stage a protest if the judgement is made in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Recall that the presidential candidate of LP in the February election, Peter Obi and his PDP counterpart, Atiku Abubakar had rejected the outcome of the election over alleged irregularities, which according to them marred the poll.

Contrary to the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that President Bola Tinubu won the poll after scoring the highest votes, Obi and Atiku approached the tribunal seeking the nullification of Tinubu’s victory.

Obi and Atiku argued that Tinubu did not win a majority of lawful votes as claimed by the electoral umpire.

According to the petitioners, as at the time INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakuku, declared Tinubu as winner, collation was ongoing, since many of the presidential election results were yet to be uploaded unto the INEC’s Results Viewing (IReV) Portals.

Obi is also asking the court to nullify Tinubu’s victory on the ground that the ruling party failed to garner 25 per cent votes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

A month after concluding hearing in the petitions, the five-member panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, is set to deliver judgment.

PM NEWS reports that the event which is expected to be televised, has triggered tension across the country.

While the spokesperson to President Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale claimed that his principal is not worried about the possible verdict of the presidential election tribunal, the same may not be the reality with some Nigerians, including the petitioners.

According to the Department of State Services, DSS, some individuals are already planning to stage violent protests across the country.

However, some stakeholders have called for calm, urging Nigerians to prepare themselves to accept the judgement in good faith.

In a chat with PM NEWS on Tuesday, the Head, Media and Communications of the defunct Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Diran Onifade said there is no need to cause chaos no matter the verdict by the tribunal.

According to him, the tribunal judgement is not final, stressing that it is still subject to appeal.

He said, “We have always been appealing to our own supporters to take the judgement whichever way it comes.

“This is just a first instance in the case, there is still opportunity for appeal. We don’t know who the judgement will favour yet but we have been appealing to our supporters to give peace a chance.

“We should not go with the mindset that we can’t get justice. The judges gave us fair opportunities, they listened to us and each of us presented the evidence we have.

“While in court, we saw what the other party presented and we know we have a good case. It is now up to the judges to determine the outcome”.

Similarly, a Chieftain of the main opposition party, PDP, Mr Iorfa Mathew called on Atiku’s supporters to remain calm no matter the outcome of the petition.

In a chat with our correspondent, Iorfa urged Nigerians, especially Atiku’s supporters, to accept whatever the judgement may be.

“All we want is a country where things are working. It doesn’t matter who the judgement favours, Nigeria will not crash.

“It is the desire to see things working in the country again that made the petitioners go to court, so why would anyone think of causing chaos because of tribunal judgement?

“The tribunal’s judgement is not final. The Supreme Court will have the final judgement, so why are we so worried?

“The system has been in a bad shape for a very long time, changing it won’t come easy. So we should set aside our emotions and accept whatever the judges tell us.

“If we could be so mature when the INEC declared Tinubu winner of the poll and decided to do it in a legal way, we can still do it. Let’s be calm and embrace peace for the sake of our dear nation”, he said.

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Monday to attend the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, on the special invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to attract foreign direct investment.

Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

On the sidelines of the summit, the President will participate in and deliver keynote addresses at the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference.

Leading businessmen from Nigeria and India, as well as senior government representatives from both nations, will attend the CEO roundtable.

In the statement, Ajuri said Tinubu aimed to leverage this platform to attract global capital and promote increased foreign direct investments in key labour-intensive sectors of Nigeria’s economy for job creation and revenue expansion.

“Moreover, he will use this opportunity to highlight Nigeria’s attractiveness as an investment destination, specifically outlining his cross-sectoral reform plan encapsulated by the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Given the President’s renowned experience attracting investment to Lagos State, leading industrialists have sought separate private engagements with him at the summit.

“The President’s itinerary will also feature bilateral meetings with a cross-section of world leaders from four continents, representing G-20 and non–G20 countries.

“These engagements are geared towards strengthening bilateral economic, trade, and investment partnerships for mutual benefit.

“At the G20 Summit, the Nigerian leader is expected to share Nigeria’s perspective on the theme, “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” which speaks to the global unity required to address the challenges facing humanity and the planet.

“With its collective contribution of up to 80% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and housing 60% of the world’s population, the G-20 constitutes a significant economic power bloc of socio-economic opportunity and geo-political stability,” he stated.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani; and Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, are part of Tinubu’s team to the summit.

A 20-year-old boy, simply identified as Ridwan, has confessed that he killed his biological father for money ritual in Ogun State.

He was arrested on Thursday by men of the Ogun State So-Safe Corps at Oshoku village, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The So-Safe Corps Commander, Soji Ganzallo, in a statement by the corps spokesman, Moruf Yusuf, said at about 12am on Thursday, August 31, officers of the corps on routine patrol heard a strange noise in a building at Oshoku.

The officers were said to have made their way into the building to confirm what was happening, “but to the officers’ dismay, they found a man’s body lying lifeless in a pool of his own blood and the alleged killer fled the scene,” Ganzallo said.

The statement quoted Ganzallo as having instructed the Zonal Commander, Ijebu Zonal Command, Marcus Ayankoya, to get the suspected killer arrested within 24 hours.

“The suspected killer was nabbed where he was hiding in a bush.

“He confessed to have killed his father, Ishau with a rope tied to his neck and a knife used to remove the needed parts of his body for ritual purpose,” he said.

The corps commander noted that the alleged killer told the officers of the corps during interrogation that “he only removed the private part, larynx, and just four teeth of his father as requested by a ritualist he identified as Baba Kekere.”

Ganzallo further revealed that when he was asked about the whereabouts of the ritualist, he refused to give details.

He stated that the alleged killer had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force, Ogbere Divisional Headquarters, for further investigation and likely prosecution.

The police command in Imo State has reportedly killed two suspected kidnappers and rescued their victim along Umuezorokam- Avu in Owerri West Local Government Area., LGA.

The command also recovered one locally-made cut-to-size gun, two cutlasses, and charms in their possession.

Henry Okoye, spokesperson of the command, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, said the operatives, in a follow-up to a distress call received on August 29, 2023, at about 1230hrs, from a Good Samaritan, sighted hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons attacking a young man named (withheld) along Umuezorokam- Avu in Owerri West LGA with a machete in an attempt to kidnap him.

The statement reads, “The DPO in charge of Nekede Divisional Headquarters swiftly mobilised his men and stormed the scene with the assistance of the Local vigilantes.

“The hoodlums, on sighting the police, immediately opened fire but were overwhelmed by the professionalism and stiff resistance showcased by the ever-gallant operatives, who manoeuvred into vintage position and returned fire.

“In the ensuing gun duel, two of the criminal syndicates were neutralised while others escaped to the adjoining bushes with various degrees of gunshot injuries. Efforts are in top gear to arrest other fleeing members of the criminal syndicate.

“On searching the neutralised hoodlums, one locally-made cut-to-size gun, two cutlasses, and charms were recovered in their possession.

“The victim was rescued with a deep machete cut on his hand and other parts of his body and was immediately rushed to Federal Medical Centre Owerri, where he is currently receiving medical attention while the lifeless bodies of the neutralised hoodlums have been deposited at the morgue for preservation.

“While commending DPO Nekede, his men, and the local vigilantes for a job well done, the Commissioner of Police Imo State, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, reaffirmed the Command’s unresolved commitment to ensuring that the life and properties of all and sundry in the State are adequately protected.

“More so, the CP stated in strong terms that there will be no hiding place for criminally minded elements across the length and breadth of Imo and beckoned on Imolite to continue to support the Police and other sister security agencies in the onslaught against all forms of crime and criminality in the state.”

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested three suspects for child trafficking.

The suspects arrested across three states include Peace Patrick Paul of Obot in Akara, Akwa Ibom; Mary Eunice in Aba, Abia; and Bella Uko in Asaba, Delta.

Parading them alongside other suspects of various crimes at the police headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo, on Wednesday, Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, explained that Paul deceived Utibeabasi Monday Enang and stole her two children, who are three and five years old, in May and sold them to Eunice in Aba, who in turn sold them to Uko in Asaba.

Durosinmi said the mother of the stolen children was almost beaten to death when she demanded her children from the suspect and had to flee for her life.

The Commissioner of Police also disclosed that a female suspect, Alayodi Paul Onyekwere of Abroma, Rivers State, was arrested for stealing the 11-year-old daughter of Emmanuel Macauley Daniel of Ikot Ikot Village in Obot Akara LGA.

He said: “The suspect alleged that she was sent by her grandmother to steal the child, which she led operatives to recover in Rivers State. The children are here today and will be reunited with their families.”

In an interview, the mother of the two children, Utibeabasi Enang, explained that the suspect deceived her with a promise to take her to a hospital in Ikot Abasi to treat her for an ailment but attempted to kill her after taking her children to an unknown destination.

According to her: “After Peace took me to the hospital in Ikot Abasi, where it was diagnosed that I had internal heat, she took me to the houses of her different boyfriends, where we stayed for over three weeks. When I started asking for my children, she promised to take me to where they were.

“On our way, she asked the driver to stop by a bridge, saying we would have to cross the bridge. As we were trying to cross the bridge, Peace started beating me and attempted to push me into the river, but I struggled with her until a man who lived close by came to rescue me. He took me to his house, where I used his phone to call someone to send me money because Peace had seized my phone from me.

“When I returned to my village, I reported the matter to my village chairman, who reported the case to Yak Iyamma organisation. I really thank God that after everything, my children were found.”

Also paraded was Sunday Michael Ben, a father who was accused of raping his six-year-old daughter.

The suspect, during interrogation, said: “I had my daughter with me in the house, and that night, I woke up to fix my heater that was bad because there was light. I didn’t touch her. I believe my girlfriend, who was with me in the house, committed the act. I only noticed in the morning that she had bloodstains on her leg.”

The victim, on her part, explained that somebody touched her at night, but she couldn’t say anything or see the person who touched her.

The Commissioner of Police affirmed that the suspects would be charged in court after the conclusion of investigations.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arrested six suspected internet fraudsters in Bwari and Dutse axes of Abuja.

The suspects were arrested on Tuesday, following an intelligence report on their alleged cybercrime-related activities.

They were identified as: Odey John Paul, 25, Greg Ajima Odey, 23, Julius Okpanachi, 21, Ugbede Opaluwa, 25, Okpanachi Emmanuel, 25, and Mohammed Abba, 26.

Items recovered from the suspects include two Toyota Camry and one Mercedes Benz C300 cars, twelve mobile phones and three laptops.

The anti-graft agency added that they will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.

Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a military task force maintaining peace in Plateau and parts of Bauchi and Kaduna States, have arrested 17 suspects over alleged murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal acts.

Capt. James Oya, the Media Officer of the operation, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Jos.

According to Oya, the suspects were arrested between Aug. 21 and Aug. 28 at various locations within its area of responsibility.

”Troops arrested five suspects for killing one Mr Joshua Deme in his farm at Kassa village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.

”We have also carried out a sting operation at Jagindi Tasha village, in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where a suspected kidnapper, Mr Baba Habu who has been on our wanted list, was arrested.

”We equally foiled a kidnap attempt at Angwan Takai village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau, and this was possible upon prompt response by the troops to a distress call.

”In all, troops arrested 17 suspects, rescued nine kidnapped victims, foiled six armed robbery attempts and four attempted attacks on vulnerable communities within the period under review,” he said.

He said that the troops also recovered arms and ammunition from some of the suspects.

”In a similar development, troops raided the hideout of criminals at Gwash and Kamantan villages in Jos North and Zango Kataf local government areas of Plateau and Kaduna and recovered one pistol and cartridges.

”A notorious armed robber, Mohammed Lawal, was also arrested in Kafanchan town by troops; two fabricated rifles and one pistol were recovered.

”Troops also intercepted a truck with registration number EKY-617-XF conveying vandalised railway tracks along Gidan Ado village in Riyom.

”A drug kingpin, Maxwell Davou was nabbed during a sting operation with substances suspected to be illicit drugs at Waye in Jos South.

”A fighting patrol made contact around Alaghom and Mangu axis leading to the neutralisation of some bandits and recovery of one AK-47 rifle and another fabricated rifle,” he said.

The media officer added that troops “arrested” 237 cows within the period for destroying crops on farms at Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas.

A former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has paid a congratulatory visit to the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje.

Dokubo congratulated Ganduje on his election as national chair of the ruling party.

The ruling party, in a post on its X, formerly known as Twitter handle, said: “The National Chairman, H.E. Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, hosted frontline Niger Delta leader, Asari Dokubo, on a congratulatory visit at his residence in Abuja.”

PM NEWS reports that Ganduje was elected as the APC national chairman three weeks ago.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to order police operatives to immediately vacate the occupation of the National Secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Abuja within 48 hours.

NLC disclosed this on Monday in a communique at the end of an emergency National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting.

Accordingly, NLC asked President Bola Tinubu to urgently clear his name, which is being peddled by those who have forcefully taken over the NURTW’s secretariat with the aid of security operatives.

Recall that the NURTW leadership had raised the alarm of alleged plans to attack its secretariat in Abuja.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT,) Wike Nyesom, has denied using a N300m bulletproof car as his official vehicle.

There were reports that Wike recently took delivery of a luxurious bulletproof car worth N300 million with the plate number “FCT 01.”

However, in a chat with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike refuted the reports, saying the car he is using as FCT Minister is not bulletproof.

He said as Governor of Rivers State, he used a bulletproof car, but not anymore as minister.

Wike said, “We can see what is going on social media; how they bought a bulletproof car of N300 million that I’m using. So, I want you people to go and hit your hands there [on the car] and see really whether it is a treated car.

“With all due respect, people should be careful not to destroy other people.

“When I came [into the office], the Permanent Secretary said they had a car for us. So, I have never approved any car to be bought and I’m not using an official bulletproof car.

“I have bulletproof cars as governor, but I’m not using bulletproof car as FCT Minister.”

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it has arrested a man who allegedly killed his own son and burnt his corpse in Ebe Ikpe, a village in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state.

According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Odiko Macdon, who spoke with journalists on Tuesday, the incident was reported at the Essien Udim Divisional Police Headquarters by the village head of the community, Chief Akpan Aniekan, and the village council chairman, Sylvester Akpan.

SP Macdon told journalists: “They reported that one Innocent Uko of Ebe Ikpe used a machete to kill his son, Boniface Innocent Uko, 26, burnt his corpse, and dumped the remains in an abandoned pit toilet in his compound to conceal the act.

“On the strength of the report, police operatives visited the scene [and recovered] the burnt corpse, now deposited at the mortuary. The suspect was arrested and has confessed to killing the deceased, on the grounds of bad character and incessant harassment and embarrassment.”

The police spokesperson also disclosed that the command had arrested Charley Edem John, who allegedly stole two seven-year-old children.

“The division, acting on an intelligence report, arrested Charley Edem John, who stole two children, each age seven, from their school. The suspect used his own kid brother, who is 10 years old and in the same school, to lure the children out of their class,” Macdon stated.

According to the police spokesperson, the suspects will be charged in court once ongoing investigations are concluded.