Senate meets over claims Tuesday

The Presidency has denied allegations of padding the 2024 budget by an additional N3tn.

This followed accusations by Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central (PDP) that the executive is implementing a budget other than the one approved on January 1, 2024.

This came as Senate said it would meet over the matter on Tuesday, using its internal mechanisms and control process.

Ningi, under the aegis of the Northern Senators’ Forum, had contended in a BBC Hausa Service interview that the Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, was executing a budget significantly higher than what was passed by the NASS.

According to the lawmaker, a N25tn budget was debated and passed, not the N28.7tn that is currently being implemented.

“Apart from what the National Assembly did on the floor, there was another budget that was done underground which we didn’t know.

“The new things we have discovered in the budget were not known to us. We haven’t seen them in the budget that was debated and considered on the floor of the National Assembly.

“For example, it was said that there was a budget of N28tn but what was passed was N25 trillion. So there is N3tn on top. Where are they, where is it going? So, we need to know this. There are a lot of things,” said Ningi.

The lawmaker also revealed plans to meet President Bola Tinubu later this week saying, “We are coming up with a report and we will show the president himself and ask him if he is aware or not.”

He revealed that the forum had commissioned consultants to evaluate the 2024 budget to unearth how N3tn was surreptitiously included in the amount passed by lawmakers.

However, in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency described Ningi’s claims as “false” asserting that Tinubu had initially presented a N27.5tn budget to the National Assembly on November 29, 2023.

It said this budget included N9.92tn for recurrent expenditure, N8.25tn for debt service, and N8.7tn for capital expenditure, contrasting Ningi’s claims.

The Presidency emphasised that it was implausible for the Senate to have debated and passed a N25tn budget that was never presented.

“Contrary to the strange view expressed by Senator Ningi, there was no way the Senate could have debated and passed a N25tn budget that was not presented to the National Assembly.

“We don’t expect a ranking Senator not to pay due attention to details before making wild claims.

“It is also important to let Nigerians know that the budget that President Tinubu signed into law on January 1, 2024, as passed by the National Assembly was N28.7tn,” Onanuga insisted.

It argued that the National Assembly only exercised its appropriation powers, and increased the executive’s proposed budget by N1.2tn to N28.7tn, which President Tinubu subsequently signed into law on New Year’s Day.

Onanuga stated, “We want to state categorically that the only 2024 budget that is being implemented is the N28.7tn budget passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President.

“Included in the budget are statutory transfers to the Judiciary, National Assembly, Tetfund and others. He did not present a budget of N25tn.”

Addressing Senator Ningi’s assertion that the 2024 budget was anti-North, the Presidency dismissed it as “far-fetched” and “unbecoming” of a leader of his stature.”

It further said, “On the uncharitable claim that the 2024 budget was anti-North, we found such position as canvassed by Senator Ningi as too far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status.

“President Tinubu is leading a government that is fair and equitable to every part and segment of Nigeria. In terms of funding, distribution of capital and priority projects, the 2024 Appropriation Act was not skewed against any section of the country.

“The North as an integral part of the country is well covered in all areas, from security to agriculture, healthcare to education, and other important infrastructure such as roads, rail, dams, power and irrigation projects to support all year-round agriculture.”

It also expressed concern that a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria could “employ such primordial antics to fuel divisive rhetoric at a time well-meaning Nigerians are joining hands with President Tinubu to raise the spirit of national cohesion, unity and inclusive politics.”

Onanuga thanked the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, for “setting the record straight,” and commended Senators Steve Karimi (Kogi), Titus Zam (Benue) and Kaka Sheu (Borno) for “coming out against the misrepresentation of facts by Senator Ningi.”

Meanwhile, indications have emerged some senators may call for the suspension of the Bauchi senator over the claims, which some of them have described as unfounded.

According to different sources, the senators are angry with the lawmaker for allegedly making claims that could paint the Senate in a bad light.

Meanwhile, the Senate through its spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu ( APC, Ekiti South) had in a chat with our correspondent refuted the claim on Saturday, stating that there was no padding whatsoever in the budget.

According to findings, some senators and members of the House of Representatives have been meeting since the interview surfaced online.

One of such meeting was held at the Senate wing of the National Assembly where some lawmakers including, members of the Executive of the Northern Senators Forum reportedly distanced themselves from Ningi’s statement.

One of the lawmakers specifically said the northern bloc of the Senate would address a Press Conference on Monday to clear its name from the allegations raised by the chairman of the forum.

Meanwhile, some senators who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity claimed that legislative steps were being set in place to sanction Ningi.

This could not be independently verified as of press time.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola ( APC Ogun West ), on Sunday told journalists that his initial plan to address the issue of alleged budget padding had been withdrawn, explaining that the Senate would address the issue through internal legislative mechanisms.

Adeola who spoke to the journalists amid other Senators across the northern and southern axis, said since an allegation of budget padding was made by a serving Senator who participated in the consideration and passage of the budget, the best place to react was in the Senate Chamber on Tuesday.

Adeola said, “As you people can see, many Senators across the six geo-political zones are here with me to react to what a senator said at the weekend on alleged two versions of the 2024 budget but after realising that there are laid down procedures and processes to follow in dealing with such a matter involving an insider, we have decided, to shift the venue of reaction to the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, after which, journalists would be briefed adequately.”

Going by its relevant rules, the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, might be mandated to invite Ningi for questioning.

Efforts to get Ningi’s reaction were not successful as of press time. He didn’t answer calls and respond to texts and WhatsApp messages sent to his line on Sunday.

Tinubu had on Wednesday, November 39, 2023, presented a total of N27.5tn budget which he tagged “ Renewed Hope budget” to a joint section of the National Assembly.

The National Assembly however, on Saturday, December 30, 2023, passed a harmonized 2024 budget Appropriation Bill totaling N28.77tn for a third reading.

The Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos State, is set to hear a suit seeking a Deoxyribonucleic Acid test for Liam, the son of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad.

This was confirmed in a statement signed by a member of the family’s legal team, Monisola Odumosu.

PUNCH Metro reported that the deceased singer’s father, Joseph Aloba, disclosed that he had filed a suit seeking a DNA test for his grandson, Liam.

In the statement titled ‘Aloba family seeks court order for DNA test on Liam,’ obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, Odumosu noted that all necessary legal apparatus was in place to see to the success of the matter.

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He stated that Aloba was seeking an order from the court directing that the test be conducted in a recognised and accredited government or private medical facility within the state at the expense of the applicant.

The statement read, “A date has been fixed for mention of the DNA test application requested by the family of the late ace pop singer, Mr Ilerioluwa Promise Oladimeji Aloba (also known as Mohbad), who died September 12, 2023, in an unusual circumstance. All necessary legal apparatus are (sic) in place to see to the success of the matter.

“The application is at the Family Court of the Ikorodu Magistrate Court (MKD/31/FAM/2024), Joseph Aloba v Cynthia Omowunmi Aloba. The family, represented by the deceased father, is seeking an order of the court directing that a deoxyribonucleic acid test be conducted concerning the paternity of Master Liam Aloba, an alleged son of Mr Ilerioluwa Promise Oladimeji Aloba (deceased), in a recognised and accredited government or private medical facility within Lagos State, Nigeria at the expense of the applicant.”

According to Odumosu, the family also sought an order directing Mrs Omowunmi Aloba to submit herself and Master Liam Aloba for the DNA test.

The legal team added that the application filed by the family also sought an order granting leave to the chief pathologist in charge of the remains of Mohbad presently at the Military Hospital, Yaba Lagos, to take samples of the body of the deceased to conduct a DNA test for Liam.

Meanwhile, the statement revealed that an attempt to serve the court process on Mohbad’s wife on Friday, March 8, at her Lekki home was not successful.

“According to the process server, those from whom enquiries were made to serve the process on her said she had not been seen in the house recently. The legal team has said they will look at an alternative method to ensure that all the court processes are legally served on her,” it added.

Mohbad died at the age of 27, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, amongst others.

The body of Mohbad was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, had tweeted in September 2023 that an “autopsy has been concluded” and the police were “awaiting result.”

In the course of their probe, the police declared Primeboy wanted on October 4, 2023, after which he turned himself in two days later.

When contacted, Omowunmi, after listening to our correspondent’s enquiry, dropped the call without responding. Efforts to reach her afterwards proved abortive as her phone number did not connect. A text message sent to her phone had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.

The Federal Government on Sunday disclosed that 55,000 licensed doctors are in the country to attend to the growing population of patients following the exodus of health professionals to hospitals and health facilities abroad.

It said in the last five years, the country lost about 15,000 to 16,000 doctors to the Japa syndrome while about 17,000 had been transferred.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, disclosed these when he featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

Pate, who said the brain drain syndrome has robbed the health sector of its best hands, affirmed that the government is doing its best to expand the training scheme and motivate others who chose to stay back and serve their fatherland.

The brain drain phenomenon, otherwise known as ‘Japa’, has seen a generation of young doctors, health workers, tech entrepreneurs and a number of professionals abandoned Nigeria for greener pasture abroad.

But the minister reiterated that though there are 300,000 health professionals in Nigeria, only 55,000 of them are doctors.

He said, “There are about 300,000 health professionals working in Nigeria today in all cadres. I am talking about doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and others. We did an assessment and discovered we have 85,000 to 90,000 registered Nigerian doctors. Not all of them are in the country. Some are in the Diaspora, especially in the US and UK. But there are 55,000 licensed doctors in the country.

“The issue overall, in terms of health professionals, is that they are not enough. They are insufficient in terms of the skills mix. Can you believe most of the high skilled professional doctors are in Lagos, Abuja and a few urban centres? There is a huge distribution issue.

“The population of doctor overall is about 7,600 doctors in Lagos and 4,700 or thereabout in Abuja. The doctor to population ratio in Abuja is 14.7 per 10,000 population. These are numbers that you can verify. In Lagos, it is about 4.6, even though the average is 2.2 by 10,000.

“There are huge distributional issues and they are, of course, the opportunities even for some of those who have been trained to get into the market. So you have to look at it from a perspective that is holistic. Not only doctors but other cadres that are important in the delivery of health care. For doctors, we have been losing many that have been trained.”

Continuing, Pate emphasised that since the oxygen of any serious health sector is its human resource, Nigeria cannot afford to continue losing its best brains to the developed countries.

He however admitted that the Japa syndrome is a global phenomenon that equally affects other countries like India and Pakistan.

According to him, the country has lost about 16,000 doctors to brain drain in the past five years.

“Now to the Japa you talked about, it is not only limited to Nigeria. It is a global phenomenon. Other countries don’t have enough. They are asking to take more. It is not only in Nigeria. It is happening in India, Philippines and other parts of Africa. In the last five years, we have lost about 15,000 to 16,000 and about 17,000 had been transferred. We’re barely managing. That’s why expanding their training will become logical. The same thing with nurses and midwives; they are also leaving. That’s why expanding the training is important to ensure those still around are well trained.

“But there are also thousands more, which is what I was trying to hint at, who are here. And despite the opportunity to travel abroad did not leave and we don’t appreciate them. I’ll give you an example. The head of the ICU at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, a very brilliant gentleman. I met him in December and he said, ‘Four of my colleagues have left’ and I asked to know why he has not left. He said ‘Look, this is my country. I want to serve because health is a sector where there’s inherent motivation in those who select to go in there.’ People don’t just go in there because they want to have a job. They go because they’re intrinsically motivated and we have to recognise and tap into that.

“We are beginning to take steps to expand the training and work environment, taking some steps to encourage salaries and incomes commission to do certain things that will encourage them to feel at home. But even the issue of working hours that has come about recently, particularly for the junior doctors, is being addressed.”

“We are beginning to take steps to expand the training and work environment, taking some steps to encourage salaries and incomes commission to do certain things that will encourage them to feel at home. But even the issue of working hours that has come about recently, particularly for the junior doctors, is being addressed. This is because when some of their colleagues leave and they remain at home, the burden has not reduced. And so they work extremely hard. We’ve listened to that. We are looking at how we can alleviate that and with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, we are looking at how within the code of ethics and the guidelines for the physician to provide some safeguards to ensure they are treated as valuable assets so they are not burnt out,” he said.

The lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Bello El-Rufai, has acknowledged that the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is a brilliant individual.

He disclosed that he had had the opportunity to interact with Obi on a flight and discuss with him.

In his words, “I’ve flown next to Governor Peter Obi, probably he won’t even remember. I was going to Wales when I did my A-levels.

“I was impressed by his simplicity. Other Governors were flying first class, he was in business, don’t ask me why I was in business but I was there.

“I picked his brain and stuff. I was a kid, probably 18, I don’t think he’s a bad man, that’s not what I’m saying.”

However, he submitted that judging by governance, Lagos is more developed than Anambra, and Peter Obi is not on the same level as former Governor Babatunde Fashola or his father, Nasir El-Rufai.

Speaking further, the younger El-Rufai said he doesn’t believe in political messiahs.

According to him, “You know we followed (former) President Buhari thinking he could solve the problem. My issue with what is going on in the Labour Party is they believe one person can solve this problem; it’s not going to work that way; this is a collective effort.”

Nigeria’s billionaire businesswoman, Folorunsho Alakija, and her lovely husband, Modupe Alakija, have been reportedly separated.

Sunday Telegraph gathered according to a report by The Will that the couple who had been married for 30 years, had encountered significant challenges leading to their separation.

It was further gathered that the couple no longer reside together in their lavish matrimonial home in Ikoyi, Lagos, despite being parents to four children.

The couple has reportedly been experiencing frequent conflicts, prompting Folorunsho to request privacy within her residence. This decision compelled her husband to seek alternative accommodation nearby.

However, a close source claims that despite their public appearance, the couple’s relationship has been strained for several years, and they have maintained a united front primarily due to their public status.

A Federal High Court in Abakaliki has ordered the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to allow female corps members to wear skirts as part of their official uniform if it aligns with their religious beliefs.

The judgment, delivered by Honorable Justice H.A. Nganjiwa on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, pertained to suit number FHC/AI/CS/12/2023 filed by Miss Ufumaka Glory Ukpanken (Corper No. EB/A221514) against the NYSC, its Director General, and the State Coordinator.

Miss Ukpanken had challenged the NYSC’s refusal to recognize and allow skirts as part of the corps uniform, arguing that it violated her fundamental right to freedom of religion and freedom to manifest her Christian faith as enshrined in Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

In a series of declaratory reliefs, the court ruled that the use of skirts by Miss Ukpanken as her official NYSC uniform forms part of her fundamental rights to freedom of religion and freedom to manifest her beliefs in practice and observance.

The court also declared that the harassment, embarrassment, humiliation, and disciplinary proceedings instituted against Miss Ukpanken by NYSC agents for wearing a skirt amounted to an infringement of her fundamental rights to freedom of religion, dignity, and freedom from degrading treatment.

Consequently, the court issued several orders, including mandating the NYSC to recognize, allow, and provide skirts for female corps members wishing to exercise their religious rights.

It also issued a perpetual injunction restraining the NYSC from further abducting, arresting, detaining, or subjecting female corps members to harassment or disciplinary proceedings for wearing skirts.

Furthermore, the court awarded general and exemplary damages of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) to Miss Ukpanken for the violation of her fundamental rights and ordered the NYSC to allow her to complete her service year and issue her certificate upon completion. 

See document here

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Dr. Aminu Maida, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) “to immediately revoke the apparently unlawful directive to network providers to bar the phone lines of millions of Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs).”

SERAP also urged him to “restore the phone lines of these Nigerians, and to urgently establish a mechanism for effective consultation to provide Nigerians who are yet to link their SIM cards to their NINs with the appropriate support and infrastructure and adequate time and opportunity to do so.”

The Commission had recently ordered telecommunications companies to bar the phone lines of millions of citizens including those who allegedly “did not submit a good NIN or didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN by February 28.”

In the letter dated 9 March 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The directive to the network providers to bar Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards to their NINs is an appalling violation of citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy.”

SERAP said, “No agency has the right to strip the citizens of their basic constitutional rights under the guise of failing to properly link their SIM cards with their NINs or failing to do so timeously.”

According to SERAP, “The blocking of phone lines of Nigerians must only be a last resort measure, and strictly in line with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], international human rights and due process safeguards.”

The letter, read in part: “The arbitrary barring of people’s phone lines is never a proportionate measure as it imposes disastrous consequences and severely hinders the effective enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights.”

“Blanket measures of barring the phone lines of millions of Nigerians are inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party.”

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel the NCC to comply with our request in the public interest.”

“The arbitrary directive and the barring of the phone lines are extreme measures which must meet the strict legal requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality.”

“The NCC has also apparently failed to conduct an impact assessment of these extreme measures in order to avoid their arbitrary or excessive effects. These extreme measures go against the regulatory objectives of the Nigerian Communications Act and violate Nigerians’ fundamental human rights.”

“The NCC has clearly failed to abide by the Nigerian Constitution, human rights standards, democratic processes, the rule of law and due process safeguards.”

“There is no legal justification for the arbitrary barring of phone lines of millions of Nigerians, especially those who have linked their SIM cards with their NINs.”

“The directive by the NCC to telecommunications providers to bar the phone lines of Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards with their NINs amounts to unlawful, unnecessary, unjustifiable and disproportionate restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy.”

“The NCC has a direct responsibility to respect the rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy and to take effective measures to protect these fundamental human rights against attacks by third parties such as network providers.”

“The NCC cannot use the pretext of responding to the security crisis in the country by adopting unlawful restrictions on constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights.”

“Any restriction on the rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy must meet the three-part test under international human rights law, namely that it is provided for by law, it serves to protect a legitimate interest recognised under international law and it is necessary to protect that interest.”

“The directive by the NCC fails to meet these requirements. Any suspension of the telephone lines of Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards with their NINs would not be justified in the context of the rights to information and privacy.”

“The use of these telephone lines by Nigerians would pose no risk to any definite interest in national security or public order.”

“The rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy are essential for the enjoyment of other human rights and freedoms and constitute a fundamental pillar for building a democratic society and strengthening democracy.”

“A democratic government based on the rule of law is one that is responsible to its citizenry and seeks to represent their interests. Barring the telephone lines of Nigerians has continued to have a chilling effect on the enjoyment of their other human rights.”

“The directive is also patently contrary to the objectives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as contained in Sections 1[g] and 4(1)(b) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which is to ‘protect and promote the rights and interest of consumers within Nigeria.’”

“Under the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party, the NCC has a legal responsibility to ensure and protect Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy.”

“According to our information, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has issued a directive to telecommunications providers to bar Nigerians who previously linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs).”

“According to the NCC, ‘people who probably didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN’ have been barred because the earlier ones they submitted were not good.’ The NCC also reportedly issued a directive to telecom service providers to bar subscribers who have failed to link their phone numbers to their NIN by February 28, 2024.”

“Over 40 million telephone lines have reportedly been barred allegedly for failing to link their SIM cards to their NINs, and face the risk of being forfeited. The NCC has threatened that ‘If the barred lines are not acted upon in the next 180 days, they won’t be able to receive calls but will only be able to text and make calls.’”

“Over 70 million bank account holders face the risk of being barred from accessing their accounts.”

“Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression. Article 19(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights establishes the right to freedom of opinion without interference.”

“The Human Rights Committee has in fact emphasized that limitations or restrictions should be applied strictly so that they do ‘not put in jeopardy the right itself.’”

“Directing telecommunications providers to arbitrarily bar the telephone lines of Nigerians is also clearly inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.”

Barely one month after an Abuja Grade ‘A’ court convicted a CBT owner for examination misconduct, a Federal High Court sitting in Akure, has found an undergraduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, guilty of impersonation and examination malpractice during the 2023 UTME.

The presiding judge, Hon. Justice T. Adegoke, in a judgement delivered on Monday, 5th March, 2024, found the defendant, Adesuyi Feranmi,

guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and examination impersonation. Consequently, Justice Adegoke sentenced the defendant to one-year imprisonment each on count one and two respectively. The sentence would run concurrently.

The court also gave the convict an option of fine of N100,000 on the first charge and another option of fine of N100,000 on the second to make a total of N200,000.

Adesuyi, 29 years, was apprehended on April 28th, 2023, at Amable Nig. Ltd., CBT Centre, Owo, during the 2023 UTME in Ondo State while impersonating one Sanusi Tunde at the point of biometric verification exercise.

Following his admission of wrongdoing, he was handed over to security operatives for further investigation and his eventual arraignment.

According to the charge list, Adesuyi had committed an offence of examination malpractice and felony contrary to Section 10 of the Examination Malpractices Act, Cap E15, LFN 2004, and punishable under Section 3(2)(c) of the Examination Malpractice Act, Cap E15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Siminalayi Fubara differed over politicians’ struggle for political office at the funeral of the former CEO of Access Bank and banking icon, Herbert Wigwe.

This was revealed in a trending video shared on X on Saturday.

In the now-viral video, Fubara questioned the motives of the political class attending the funeral, expressing frustration over the violence and power struggles.

Fubara, while giving his remarks at the burial had said: “This one has to do with our political class, what is all this trouble all about.

“You want to kill, You want to bury, what is it all about.”

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio while reacting to Fubara’s comment directed to the political class who attended Wigwe’s funeral, asked the Rivers governor to quit his political career if he thinks it is not worthwhile.

Akpabio, while making his own remarks, said, “What is the struggle all about? I will answer you.

“The struggle, we are not talking politics. In 2006 I wanted to be a deputy governor, so the then-deputy governor invited me and told me that this office has no money, there is nothing in it. I don’t know why you still insist on removing me from here and taking over.

“So the woman who went with me said ‘Your Excellency, then don’t wait for impeachment, just resign since there’s nothing in it’.

“And he stood up and started punching the woman, and I told him, Your Excellency, don’t punch her, she’s telling the truth. There’s nothing in the office that’s why I want it, because you’re too big for it.

“So your Excellency Governor Fubara, if there’s nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”

The remains of the late Wigwes arrived in Rivers State for burial on Friday.

The funeral service was conducted at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Recall that the trio of Wigwe, wife, and son died on February 9, 2024, in an unfortunate helicopter crash in California, United States of America.

Personnel of the Armed Forces, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have killed 20 Indigenous People of Biafra’s fighters in the Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

Also in the joint operation which was conducted on March 7, the security operatives destroyed 50 of their camps.

Among the camps destroyed included the IPOB’s Supreme Headquarters, Command and Control Centre, and Military Council Headquarters.

The operation is the second conducted in the same Local Government since the beginning of the month and the third in the state.

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On March 5, Personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy killed five fighters IPOB fighters during a gun battle that occurred at Ejemekuru in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

Also, on March 2, troops killed an IPOB fighter after a fierce gun duel and recovered three Improvised Explosive Devices, one Toyota Highlander SUV, one Hilux vehicle, and eight rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, among others from their hideouts.

However, in a statement on Sunday, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said the troops came in contact with many Improvised Devices planted by the fighters and ditches along the axis to the camps.

Buba added that the fighters’ hideouts were well concealed with foliage that prevented them from being sighted during air surveillance.

The statement read, “On March 7, 2024, the combined troops of Operation Udo Ka with Nigeria Police, Department of State Security Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps conducted a raid/clearance operations to the IPOB/ESN violent extremists/terrorists in Mother Valley, Orsu LGA of Imo State.

“The team cleared about 50 IPOB/ESN hideout tents in the valley including terrorists’ Supreme Headquarters and their Command and Control Centre as well as its Military Council Headquarters.

“Troops also, cleared Buteuzor’s hideout/residence office, logistic base, temple, and shrine. The hideouts were well concealed with foliage that afforded the criminals cover from air surveillance to prevent monitoring and detection.

“The Valley had sufficient power supply for the camps. The terrorists hibernated there, reared animals, and also owned farms to be self-sustaining to live and fight. During the operations, troops also encountered several command IEDs and ditches along the axis of the camp.”

Buba stated that the ditches dug by the fighters were covered and the IEDs detonated.

He noted that in the fight that ensued after making contact with the fighters, 20 of them were killed and several weapons were recovered from them.

Buba said, “All were detonated and ditches were covered with excavators before reaching the camp. The location is identified to be the supreme headquarters, command, and control centre as well as the Military Council Headquarters of IPOB/ESN.

“During the operations, troops made contact with terrorists. Following a firefight, troops neutralised 20 terrorists and recovered several quantities of assorted weapons such as G3 rifles, AK47 rifles, auto pump action guns, double barrel guns, locally made pistols, and RPG bombs.

“Troops also recovered assorted ammunition which included 226 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 216 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 172 live cartridges, 4 AK47 magazines, and 3 G3 magazines. Other items recovered include several quantities of IEDs (OGBUNIGWE), POS devices, baofeng radios, mobile phones, handheld IEDs, CCTV cameras, inverters, and batteries. Additional items include Biafra flags amongst others.”

Buba also said shallow graves were spread across the IPOB fighters’ camps, accusing them of being involved in ritual killings.

“Troops destroyed all camps, hideouts, and shrines in the location. The location was also littered with shallow graves indicative of Idol worshipping and ritual killings. The ritual killings at the camp account for the several cases of missing persons in the region.

“The recovered items are being processed and analysed for their intelligence value. Nevertheless, troops are sustaining the momentum and going in pursuit of the terrorist and their cohorts, dislodging them from their enclaves,” the statement added.