The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ben Igweh, stated this in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh.

Igweh expressed concern that the misleading video has been passed around to sow fear and misinformation among FCT residents and Nigerians in general.

The CP, therefore, ordered a comprehensive investigation to uncover the source of the misinformation and discern the motives behind its dissemination.

The statement reads, “Forensic analysis conducted by the Nigeria Police Force – National Cybercrime Centre has revealed startling findings regarding a video circulating purportedly depicting security concerns in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Contrary to initial impressions, the investigation confirms that the incident depicted occurred in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and was posted by a South African individual on X (formerly Twitter) on April 22nd, 2024. The video falsely claims the necessity of carrying handguns for travel in Ethiopia.

“It is deeply concerning that this misleading video has been misappropriated to sow fear and misinformation among residents of the FCT.

“The command reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents of the FCT and will take all necessary legal actions to address this issue. We urge the public to remain vigilant and discerning in consuming information, especially in the digital sphere.”

[NaijaNews]

The Federal Government of Nigeria received an additional N3.8 trillion in what appears to be fresh Ways and Means Borrowing in the last six months of 2023. 

This is according to provisional data published in the latest Statistics bulletin for the fourth quarter of 2023 recently released by the central bank.  

The CBN’s provision data show that the total figure rose from N4.4 trillion at the end of June 2023 meaning that the cumulative Ways and Means balances due by the government now stand at N8.2 trillion as of December 2023. 

This is despite news reports noting that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, which suggest President Bola Tinubu’s government has not borrowed money from the CBN. 

The Ways and Means provision serve as a mechanism enabling the government to secure short-term or emergency financing from the CBN to address cash flow gaps. 

Total Ways and Means balances as of May 2023 when the Tinubu administration took over was N26.95 trillion. However, the balances were securitized as included as part of the federal government’s domestic debt profile.  

Breakdown of the data 

A cursory analysis of the data shows the balance at the end of June 2023 was N4.36 trillion indicating that the prior month balances may have been moved to the Debt Management Office.  

However, from July 2023, the balances increase every month, first to N4.5 trillion in July, then N5.1 trillion in August, crossing the N5.1 trillion mark for the first time.  

By September, the total was N6.4 trillion, representing the single largest additional borrowing for a month with about N1.3 trillion. It then climbed to N7.2 trillion in October before rising marginally to N7.6 trillion in November. 

At the end of the year, in December, the total hit N8.21 trillion, suggesting that Ways and Means increased by 88% in 6 months. 

What You Should Know 

• Nairametrics earlier reported that the federal government obtained about N2.94 trillion from the CBN through Ways and Means Advances. This was earmarked for the servicing of its domestic debts, which means that the government had to resort to borrowing from the CBN to fulfil its obligations to domestic debt holders. 
• It was also disclosed that the federal government allocated approximately N4.83 trillion from the proceeds of Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTBs) and Bonds issued in 2024 to settle the Ways and Means Advances from the CBN. 
• Last year, the National Assembly approved the securitization of N22.7 trillion from the N23.3 trillion previously advanced by the CBN to the Federal Government through ways and means. 
• This debt was subsequently transferred to the Debt Management Office (DMO) with a 40-year tenor, a 3-year moratorium, and an interest rate of 9%. 

Ways and Means Act 

• According to Section 38 of the CBN Act, 2007, the apex bank may grant temporary advances to the Federal Government about temporary deficiency of budget revenue at such rate of interest as the bank may determine. 
• The Act placed a limit of five per cent on how much the Federal Government could borrow, although the previous administration severely violated the limit. 
• The National Assembly introduced amendments to the CBN Act, elevating the ceiling of Ways and Means Advances from the apex bank from five to 15% of the Federal Government’s previous year’s revenue. 
• This endeavor to raise the limit to 15% opens the door to more borrowing and an increased burden of debt service obligations for the country. 
• Also, the Senate of the 10th assembly, mirroring its predecessor in the ninth assembly, approved the securitisation of the outstanding N7.3 trillion in Ways and Means. This will likely crash the figure recorded in December significantly. 

[Nairametrics]

Another minor fire incident was recorded at the old terminal of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, prompting flight diversion.

The fire was recorded at the E-wing of the terminal.

Daily Trust reports that another fire gutted the terminal in September 2023, necessitating the total shutdown of the terminal while all the airlines were relocated to the new terminal.

While the fire incident yesterday did not substantially affect flight operations, stakeholders have called for a permanent solution to the recurring fire disasters at the 40-year-old terminal.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) announced the diversion of all flight operations from the E Wing to the D-Wing.

It was learned that the fire started in the early hours of Thursday after smoke was detected at E54 bridge.

Officials of the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) were swiftly mobilised to contain the fire which had cut off the power supply at the section of the old international terminal.

FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah, confirmed the fire, saying, “The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) team was quick to respond, arriving at the scene by 05:30 hrs. 

“Initial suspicions pointed to sparks from an electrical unit as the cause, but a thorough investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire. 

 “The incident, which escalated into a fire, was brought under control by 06:41 hrs.”

[DailyTrust]

Nigerians and the rest of the world were taken aback when a video of thousands of bandits celebrating Sallah in Zamfara State surfaced on social media.

The development, many say, is a slap on Nigeria’s security architecture.

The video, which was disclosed by a counter insurgency analysts and security expert focused on Lake Chad region, Zaga Zula Mahama, on Thursday, April 18, has been generating reactions from Nigerians.

The bandits in their thousands were shown partaking in the Sallah festivities.

Nigerians have paid heavily in various forms, following the activities of the bandits, particularly in the North West and North Central, where they have made life a living hell for the people.

Nigerians in their hundreds of thousands have been kidnapped in the past by the bandits and ransom running into millions paid to secure their release.

Many who could not afford the outrageous ransom which they demand from most often have been brutally killed.

Many others have died out of torture in their hands or as a result of inclement weather in the forests and thick bushes where the bandits had always kept them.

In some states, like Katsina, Zamfara and Niger, some local government areas are comfortably under the control of the bandits, where they levy and collect taxes from the people without fear of any consequences.

Although the military kept assuring Nigerians that they were on top of the situation, the bandits appear unperturbed as they keep dishing pain, sorrow and death on a monthly basis.

The situation had become so disturbing that many people now question the authenticity of the information the military has been feeding Nigerians with, as it affects the counter insurgency war.

Nigerians have been told several times that scores of the bandits have been neutralised at different times in different locations and states including Zamfara, which is regarded as their headquarters. But, with the number seen on the video, many are asking if the information that the military has been feeding Nigerians with is anything to go by.

Some people are also saying that what the bandits wanted to prove with the viral video was simply to show that they have the backing of some powerful individuals in the society.

One of those who are sceptical about the information from the military authorities regarding their onslaught on the bandits is the president of the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr. Pogu Bitrus.

He wondered why there are still thousands of the bandits out there despite assurances from the military that they are being dealt with.

Commenting on the viral video, Bitrus said the bandits wanted to showcase their religion.

He told DAILY POST that, “The bandits just want to show that they are Muslims, whether or not we accept is immaterial.

“It also shows that up till now, no matter what we have been told that the military have done with regard to decimating them, there are still a lot of them out there who can cause havoc in this country.”

He accused some people of paying lip service to the unity of the country, because according to him, if they wanted the country to be one as they would want people to believe, they would not be supporting the activities of the bandits.

He stressed that the only way to solve the problem of banditry in Nigeria was to restructure the country so that each state or geo-political region would be able to provide adequate security for her people.

“Sentiments apart, we are people who believe in one Nigeria. But the reality is that there are people who don’t believe in one Nigeria.

“If they do, they will not do what they are doing. We need to do what is necessary and we said we want this country to be restructured and that is the way forward,” he stated.

Also, the coordinator of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima described the bandits’ courage to appear publicly in such a large number as a clear indication that the government of the day has to do more.

“It is also an indication that the bandits have taken the country for granted, otherwise if the government is willing and determined, it couldn’t have said that it didn’t have information about the Sallah programme that bandits attended, or when they were about to hold the programme.

“This is because it was not a programme that the bandits held for one or two hours, it was a programme that took them several hours to execute.

“So, the government must buckle up because the implication is that it is an abuse of the sensibilities of the country as a whole, and it has also gone further to make a mockery of the country’s security forces.

“The government must buckle up and handle the matter once and for all,” he said.

On the number of bandits that have so far been neutralised over time, Yerima insisted that nobody could dispute the information, stressing that why it appears as the information was not true was because the bandits recruit people into their fold on a daily basis.

“They engage and employ people who are jobless by the day. So, the issue of saying that the information is not true should not even arise because the military is really trying, but just that they need to do more.

“Only God knows what would have happened if not for the military’s effort.

“They are trying but they should put more effort and clean the mess once and for all,” he submitted.

For a former member of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Alhaji Shehu Yusuf, banditry had become a big problem in the country, particularly in the North.

He said he aligned with the Kaduna State governor who recently said that everybody was involved in banditry.

“Starting from the community members that provide information to the traditional rulers, the security agents and the government, everybody is involved because looking at the way they operate, they must have the support of some people in the community who give them reliable information that enables them to attack people at random and disappear without a trace.

“I believe that there are people who are supporting them because for the bandits to come inside the town to a prayer ground which is a public place in such a large number, with arms and finish whatever they were doing and left unhindered is unbelievable.

“It is confusing and there must be people supporting them and providing them with useful information,” he told DAILY POST.

Insisting that almost everybody was involved in the menace, he said: “Remember that victims that had the opportunity to speak to the media usually tell us that they know the bandits and where they are hiding, especially in Zamfara State and in all communities that are being attacked by bandits.

“The people in such communities know the bandits personally and their hideouts.

“They go to the market and buy whatever they want, and anytime they like they can strike the communities, kill people and carry their belongings. That is exactly what is happening.

“These people are Nigerians. They live among the people in the community and the people know them and their hideouts.

“So, it is confusing and one cannot understand why they are doing what they are doing and the government has not been able to deal with them decisively.”

He advised the government to go all out not only against the bandits but also against their friends, sympathisers, informants and sponsors, and deal with them ruthlessly, according to the law of the land.

He also noted that they were able to display what they did in Zamfara without a whimper from the security agents because they have powerful individuals in the society who always come for them each time they are arrested.

“Normally, when the security agents arrest these bandits and take them to custody, except they are killed on the spot, they will always find their way out, either from the court, police cell, military cell or wherever they are being kept, and after some time, you see them back in the society.

“There is no legal action against them and this is what is happening. So, their supporters have a way of getting them out whenever they are arrested,” he lamented.

However, he expressed fear that the situation was getting to a point where the people would take the law into their own hands.

“If the communities are fed up, they will fight back. There was a case recently in a community in Zamfara State, where bandits wanted to abduct a bride, but were repelled by the groom’s relatives, who organised, attacked them, killed one of them and took their guns.

“They killed one of the bandits and others ran away; the groom’s relatives collected their guns and returned them to the nearest military checkpoint along Gusau Road.

“So, it is gradually getting to that point where people will begin to react, without waiting for any security agent,” he stated.

“Where is the technology of our military? Where is the technology of our security agents? Why can’t they use common drones to locate these bandits and act decisively on them?

“You will see the bandits exposing their machine guns, and living in the bush; meaning that in less than 10 minutes, the government can locate where they are, but nothing is being done about their activities.

“When the police or the military get a distress call that something is happening at a particular area, before they get permission from the above, the bandits have finished with their operation and disappeared.

“Anytime you report at the police or military checkpoint that something is happening at a particular place, they will tell you that they need to get permission from the top and before the top allows them to act, things would have gone wrong. This is what is happening.

“The painful aspect of the whole thing is that young military officers are always being killed.

“Look at what happened in Niger State recently, where six military officers, including a Captain, were killed. The government should take decisive action on this matter.

“Our military men are always being killed; the police and the DSS personnel, including the community people are being killed every day like animals. This is not good.

“The appearance of those bandits simply means that the people know them and their hideout, so it is time the government acted and stopped giving lame excuses about their invincibility,” he submitted.

• ‘The worst of the storms over’
• Dutch businessmen to invest $250m in Nigeria

“I am ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if with initial pains,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu affirmed yesterday.

He spoke in Hague, The Netherlands during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

The President led a Nigerian delegation on a state visit to the European country.

After the meeting, The Netherlands promised an investment worth $250 million in Nigeria in the next few months, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale.

President Tinubu, on his assumption of office last year, declared that “subsidy is gone”, a pronouncement that was followed by the unification of exchange rates.

Speaking at the meeting, Tinubu said: “I am a determined leader of my people.

“I have and will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain.

“We have gone through the worst of the storms. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.

“The Nigerian naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today.

“We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.

“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.

“As leaders, we must make decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”

He expressed firm commitment to the developmental partnership between Nigeria and the European Union (EU).

The President noted that symbiotic economic ties remain the best long-term path to sustainable and mutual prosperity rather than one-sided relationships in which bilateral trade is skewed too much in one direction.

Acknowledging the positive impacts of the various reforms carried out by the

Tinubu administration, Rutte said: “You are promoting democratic governance and the solutions it can bring in dealing with problems of development.

“I saw how you went through democratic channels to remove an incumbent president in 2015 in partnership with President Muhammadu Buhari and how that has led to development in your country.

“I saw you take the courageous decisions to deal with fuel subsidies and other reforms, and we are interested in what allowed you to take the decisions that many before you could not take. And you took those decisions early in your term. It shows rare determination. And your stand in ECOWAS, all of these point to your commitment to leadership.”

Thrilled by the confidence triggered by President Tinubu’s reforms in the economy, Rutte unfolded plans by Dutch businessmen to invest $250 million in Nigeria.

The investments, which the PM said would be activated over the next few months, include a $100 million stake in a waste-to-wealth industrial facility in Lagos, the nation’s industrial hub.

Wooing the Dutch investors, the President listed the immense opportunities available in the country across a pool of sectors, restating his Administration’s commitment to deepening ongoing reforms to further enhance the investment climate.

Nigeria, Tinubu said, is well-positioned to power the clean energy future of Europe and the world with its high-grade lithium deposits.

According to the President, Nigeria seeks robust, balanced and mutually beneficial partnerships that will bring about value-addition in areas like solid minerals.

He said: “Taking a holistic view of the world order, there is a tremendous opportunity between us across trade spheres but especially in solid minerals, where we have high-grade lithium deposits that we know can power the clean energy future of the world.

“There is excellent value-additive opportunity in Nigeria. The world knows us for oil. They will soon know us for greater innovative exploits in other areas.

“We have an extremely dynamic youth population in Nigeria. It is a young country.

“Seventy per cent of our people are under the age of 30 and when we are referring to 200 million plus citizens, it represents both a massive workforce and a massive market for Dutch and other international investors.

“If our young people know they can achieve a good future in Nigeria, they will stay home and build our nation to greatness.

“Lawful migration of trained Nigerian minds and hands will be a benefit to Europe, and irregular migration will no longer be a source of fear in Europe if we partner effectively.

“This is what we want and it is why we are adamant about providing student loans and new credit opportunities to not only enhance the skills of our people but also to ensure that they can access a higher quality of life within their legitimate incomes.

“We will transform our economy, and our young people will be the reason.”

He asserted that the confidence Nigerians had in themselves encouraged him to make some tough decisions on their behalf, adding that the citizens need long-term tools to succeed.

Vera Anyim, the lady who became famous because of the controversy that trailed her recent testimony at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, has reached out to Nigerians for support in finding secure accommodation.

Anyim made the appeal in a video that started making the rounds on the internet on Thursday.

Anyim’s testimony, initially questioned by the church’s Senior Pastor, Paul Enenche, sparked widespread debate online.

Enenche interrupted and questioned the credibility of Anyim’s testimony at his church.

The woman, who claimed to have graduated with a “BSc in Law” from the National Open University of Nigeria, was accused of lying by the senior pastor.

He said that her speech did not align with that of a law graduate and insisted that no such degree as a “BSc in Law” existed.

The incident ignited varied reactions on social media when it was discovered that the testimony was genuine, with some calling on Enenche to apologise for his actions, while others defended his stance.

The church had in a statement, apologised to Anyim.

They stated that the Senior Pastor’s actions were driven by a dedication to maintaining standards of excellence and integrity within the church community.

Anyim who recently returned from a sponsored vacation at Portland Resorts Hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is now seeking assistance from Nigerians to secure new accommodation.

She deemed her current living situation unsafe and calls upon the public for support.

She said, “I want to say to Nigerians, you know this thing that happened is a thing of joy, I never dreamed of it, it came this moment, I never dream of being a celebrity.

“It just came all of a sudden. I never prepared for it. I want to use this medium to urge us to assist me with accommodation because I am not buoyant now to rent a house. Where I am staying now is risky and insecure. It is a very open place and everybody has already known I am a celebrity.

“When I left Abuja, some people in my compound didn’t know what was happening, but I was there, and so many of them have heard what was going on. Some have said they are waiting for me. My brother, who stays with me, told me that people gathered, all waiting for me.”

She expressed concern that people might misunderstand the situation and assume she received a large sum of money during her time in Port Harcourt

The chairman of the Port Harcourt-based resort, Azubuike Ihemeje, had invited Anyim for an all-expense paid trip.

“That is why I am voicing out, asking for assistance to enable me to get a place I can stay so that my life can be safe. As I’m talking to you, I’m just hiding myself so that people will not come and misbehave at my side.

“So, please, if there is any way you can help me for me to get accommodation where I can be secured as a human being, intelligent people know what I am talking about.

“I don’t need to move or stay anyhow. If you don’t mind, you can assist me. Nothing is too small.”

[Punch]

IT is beginning to look as if cars are now built to last a life-time. Surprisingly, such cars are not even from established brands that you might be thinking of.

Ordinarily, most people would think that such cars are made in Germany, Britain, America, Japan or Korea. But they are wrong. The cars that are giving world renowned automakers sleepless nights are from China.

Have you imagined that a car built in China could offer 10 years or 1,000,000 kilometer warranty? Or that  a car could float on water in case of emergency? This is the new bar that the Chinese automakers are setting.

Leading this new technology exploits are the Jetour and BYD companies and other Chinese makers are gearing up to surpass the competition in no time.

Jetour SUV

For instance, the new Jetour T2 Sport Utility Vehicle is offering 10 years/one million kilometer warranty and a host of new technologies that could make renown automobile makers look like learners. This five seater  SUV comes with array of features that are not common in its segment, thereby giving other traditional brands serious concern for worry. Roof rails, bulging wheel arches, striking tailgate and high-tech light signature, stand the SUV out.

Measuring about 4.78 meters long which is slightly shorter than the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Jetour T2 comes with imposing front end with its large grille, LED headlights and lower guards.

The T2’s clean cabin comes with 15.6-inch HD central screen as well as 10.25-inch instrumentation and a centre console that houses the gear selector and driving profiles. Ventilate and panoramic roof with snapdragon 8155 chip and 12-speaker Sony audio completes the luxury feelings in the T2.

Power is at your control with the 2.0 Turbo petrol engine which delivers 254 PS and 390Nm of peak torque. This engine is linked to a seven-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic gear and six generation BorgWarner all-wheel drive system.

Features such as remote parking, lane assist, 360 camera, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam guidance, fatigue detector, blind spot monitoring and automatic braking, are standard features of Jetour T2.

Another shocker from the Chinese automaker is the BYD Yangwang U8 SUV which delivers unrivalled off-road prowess and can be driven off-land too. It can float like a boat in flood even when the water gets up to the window level.

BYD revealed that the upcoming U8 Premium Edition was designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, including flash floods. If you’re ever caught in a flood, the SUV will elevate its suspension, turn off its engine (more on that in a bit), switch its HVAC system to re-circulation mode and seal its windows so that it can remain afloat up to 30 minutes, according to CarScoops. The vehicle can do more than just float, though. It can also drive forward at speeds of up to 1.8 mph. You’ll be able to maneuver around objects if necessary, too. 

Water readiness is far from the U8’s only attractive feature. The full-size SUV is being pitched as a Chinese alternative to the ultra-chic Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and Range Rover. Its unique hybrid power train, the U8 is an extended-range EV (EREV), which means it pairs a four-motor electric power train with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that acts as a range extender. BYD says the setup produces 1,200 hp and has a range of 621 miles.

BYD isn’t the first company to think about making a land-based electric ride that can travel through water. Elon Musk has had the same idea for the Cybertruck. Last year, the company’s CEO posted on X, then known as Twitter, that the eagerly anticipated EV would be able to “serve briefly as a boat.” We’ve yet to see the finished Cybertruck—the examples that have rolled off the line have only been production candidates—so it remains to be seen if the ability will be available.

Vanguard News

At the University of Jos, where we studied general and applied psychology as undergraduates, we learned about an intriguing experiment involving a white rat and a boy called Little Albert. The white rat was repeatedly associated with loud noise, so Little Albert was classically conditioned to become afraid of it. This fear then spread to other stimuli that were similar to the rat, such as a fur coat, some cotton wool, and a Santa mask.

The former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, now cuts the terrified image of Little Albert. A few weeks ago, he prided himself on being the White Lion as he left office. But since then, he’s been hiding like a scared mouse. Power is indeed ephemeral, but did Yahaya Bello realise this when he governed Kogi with an iron grip?

When Bello was governor, he was always a sight to behold, particularly when he worked out. He trained like a heavyweight boxing champion; he had a considerable tonnage and was well-built, a lady’s man with six packs.

Bello took several months off from governing Kogi to campaign for the APC presidential ticket in the 2023 election. Had his gamble paid off, Nigeria’s President Yahaya Bello would have been making headlines across the world. He refused to concede the race to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of choice, fighting to the bitter end.

Lord Acton wrote to Bishop Creighton as early as 1887, stating that “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Absolute power corrupts absolutely, which means that a man’s morality is weakened or corrupted by power and that a man’s corruption increases with his level of power. According to this idiom, persons in positions of power frequently don’t have the interests of the populace at heart, and Bello was an absolute ruler as they came!

Bello selected current Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo as his successor, defying convention and common sense to put in office a pliable successor. Departing governors always try to serve as a proxy for a third term in government. Ododo established Bello’s office as the previous governor within the government house in a way never seen before.

The EFCC had taken notice of the messy corruption in Bello’s Kogi state administration before he departed from office. Ali Bello, the chief of staff of the current Kogi state governor, Usman Ododo, was re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a revised 17-count accusation of fraud. Ali Bello, as you may wish to know, is the nephew of Yahaya Bello. Ali was docked before the federal high court in Abuja because of the allegations that he participated in the misappropriation of more than N10 billion from the state coffers under his uncle Yahaya Bello.

Ali Bello was named chief of staff by Ododo even though he had been on trial since Yahaya Bello’s days as governor. Likewise, the EFCC has charged Bello himself with appearing in court on more serious charges of power abuse and corruption involving more than N80 billion.

Bello’s refusal to make himself available and his resistance to being taken into custody resulted in a siege at his Abuja home, where he had hidden himself a few days earlier. Bello was said to have been taken away by Governor Ododo, and it is currently unclear where Bello is. It’s also possible that the EFCC is attempting to obtain legal clearance for his arrest in light of the court order that prevented Bello from being arrested and arraigned; this order is currently being reviewed by the court of appeal.

Remember, Bello’s rise to power was entirely due to divine intervention. Bello was selected by the All Progressives Congress to succeed Abubakar Audu, who had won the race as governor but passed away before the results were announced. Bello was proclaimed the victor of the 2015 Kogi gubernatorial election. On November 16, 2019, he defeated PDP candidate Musa Wada to win a second term in office.

More significantly, upon taking office in January 2016, Bello became the youngest governor since 1999. He was not even forty. The country was full of optimism when it welcomed the young governor and anticipated that Bello would serve as a test subject for what the new generation of leaders could provide for modern governance. Bello’s performance received a generally negative rating, much to the disappointment of all Nigerians who had misplaced their confidence in him.

It’s as if Bello serves as a benchmark for young people’s ability to hold public office; no one would elect a young Nigerian to office again. It was a betrayal of hope. Many people are against the proposed state police because of what people like Senator Natasha Agboti-Uduaghan went through during the height of Bello’s reign and abuse of power.

Apart from his incapacity to deliver, state governors’ abuse of power—which Bello has been accused of—should be a bigger concern. There isn’t a single Kogite who didn’t benefit from his administration that would give Bello a pass mark. For example, Bello’s 8-year reign is said to have recorded not a single legacy project.

But it’s crucial to remember that Bello is not by himself alone. The majority of governors treat their states as their personal estates and continue to operate carelessly. The concept and essence of separation of powers that characterise presidential democracies are conspicuously absent from state governments, where the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are fused under a single governor.

Not even the LGs created by the constitution are allowed to function by the governors who sit on the monthly amounts that the LGs receive from FAAC, according to the text and spirit of the 1999 Constitution.

Bello is being questioned by the EFCC regarding funds he received from the FAAC and Kogi’s LG allocations during his eight years as governor. Rather than act as Peter Ayodele Fayose did when he left office as governor of Ekiti state, Bello chose to go into hiding and use the legal system to prevent his arrest and arraignment.

Indeed, states make up the federating units of the Nigerian federation. Generally speaking, as states are autonomous in a proper federation, the EFCC shouldn’t have authority over them. However, Nigerian federalism is amorphous and obtuse. States receive funding from the federation and are consequently required to report to the EFCC on how such funds are expended.

The protesting little group of supporters of Bello is another development from the Yahaya Bello tale. These young people were hired, and it’s possible that they were given some naira notes to pretend that their former governor was being harassed and persecuted. Similar events have been occurring in Nigeria since the country’s return to this purported democratic regime in 1999.

On a final note, Bello should be informed that this is the ideal moment to live up to his claim as the White Lion. He ought to get over hiding like a rat in a hole. He ought to confront the situation like a lion would—with courage, even if it means serving time in prison for corruption if guilty. He should not wait to be smoked out and picked up like a rabbit.

So also, governors past and present, as well as all other public officials elected and appointed, should be aware that their time will come to give account. They will be rushing from hole to hole like rats and rabbits being pursued by a ravenous predator if they are not prepared for the day of reckoning, as it seems Yahaya Bello is not.

No public office or public fund belongs to the occupier of the office. It belongs to the Nigerian people. Public officials should know this and know peace in and out of office.

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has struck out the name of Adekunbi Ogunde from the list of legal practitioners in Nigeria.

Akorede Lawal, spokesperson of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), told TheCable that the decision by the LPDC was reached on Thursday.

Lawal also said the sanction “is subject to the right of appeal of the counsel to the supreme court”.

Ogunde, a former partner in the law firm of Wole Olanipekun, immediate former chairman of the Body of Benchers, had, in June 2022, admitted to sending an email to SAIPEM Contracting Nigeria Ltd, soliciting a brief.

Despite being aware that the law firm of Henry Ajumogobia, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is handling the matter, Ogunde asked SAIPEM to consider hiring Olanipekun & Co, adding that the founder has more “influence” with judges across all courts.

Olanipekun has since apologised to Ajumogobia, stating that he never approved the email sent by Ogunde.

Ogunde also apologised to Ajumogobia for the embarrassment, blaming her action on exuberance.

The NBA had, in a petition sent on July 20, asked the LPDC to prosecute Ogunde over “professional misconduct”.

In the petition, NBA also asked the committee to consider whether the partners of the firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co, are not liable to be disciplined alongside Ogunde.

The NBA also demanded that Olanipekun should resign on the ground that he could influence the processes of the LPDC since the committee is under the supervision of the Body of Benchers’ chairman.

In August 2022, Ogunde said the issue has affected her psychologically.

Ogunde said after “consulting with family and the firm, and after a deep and thorough examination of all the facets of this hydra-headed problem”, she has decided to “take a leave of absence from legal practice and get involved in the community and social work pro bono, with a few selected NGOs”.

[TheCable]