A tragic accident in the Kwanan Maciji area of Pankshin local government area of Plateau State over the weekend claimed the lives of 19 persons and left 11 others injured.

The victims, who had travelled from Kano State to attend a wedding ceremony in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State, were returning home when the accident occurred on Saturday.

Chairman of the Pankshin Local Government Area Emergency Management Committee, John Dasar, confirmed the incident, describing it as devastating. According to him, the victims opted for a shorter route through Gindiri to Bauchi State when their vehicle was involved in an accident.

“In the aftermath of the crash, bystanders were helping to evacuate passengers from the vehicle when it suddenly caught fire,” Dasar said. “Unfortunately, 19 of the occupants were trapped and burnt beyond recognition. The driver and a few others managed to survive.”

The 11 survivors, some with serious injuries, were rushed to the Pankshin General Hospital for treatment.

Operatives of the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue over alleged diversion of N1,294,337,676.53.

The funds, which belong to the Katsina State Government, were allegedly misappropriated by the officials.

The suspects, identified as Rabiu Abdullahi, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim M. Kofar Soro, Ibrahim Aliyu, and Nura Lawal Kofar Sauri, were apprehended following a petition from the Katsina State Government.

The petition accused the officials of colluding to divert revenue accruing from international organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA).

Preliminary investigations by the EFCC revealed that Rabiu Abdullahi, the former Director of Collections and current Permanent Secretary of the Board, authorised the opening of a bank account at Sterling Bank in the name of “BOIRS.” Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Director of Revenue Account, and Ibrahim M. Kofar Soro, were allegedly designated as sole signatories to the account.

The EFCC further disclosed that the account became a primary channel for diverting funds to NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company owned by Nura Lawal Kofar Sauri, an Assistant Director of Career Skills and Staff Welfare at the Board.

The company reportedly served as the conduit pipe through which the stolen funds were laundered. Investigators traced the diverted funds to various bank accounts belonging to the suspects.

The suspects are currently in custody at the Kano Zonal Command of the EFCC and were expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The EFCC has reiterated its commitment to combating corruption and recovering public funds, urging citizens to report any suspected cases of financial misconduct.

Elder statesman, Chief Arthur Eze, has lauded President Bola Tinubu for establishing the South-East Development Commission and funding it to be key development driver in the region.

The  philanthropist made the commendation yesterday in Enugu while fielding questions from newsmen on the importance of the official working visit of President Tinubu to Enugu recently.

He stated that the commission is a key initiative that he believes would bring meaningful change to the region and greatly supports what the South-East governors are currently doing in terms of development.

”We have to thank Tinubu for the South-East Development Commission. That commission can solve our problem. They have more than N100 billion to create jobs here.

“Tinubu released the money. He doesn’t care. Other governments neglected us.

“That Commission will change the lives of Ndigbo. Very soon, people will start getting jobs,” he said.

Eze described Tinubu’s visit to Enugu as a moment of celebration and unity for the entire South-East.

“Tinubu’s visit reminded us of Sir Obafemi Awolowo, who fought for independence with Chief Michael Okpara, yet he was jailed for seven years in Calabar.

“Tinubu has continued on that path. When he was speaking, he was dishing out words of wisdom. God sent him here last weekend to address the issues concerning Ndigbo,” he said.

The elder statesman lauded efforts of Gov. Peter Mbah, in partnership with the Federal Government, in driving development and putting in place security in Enugu State.

He noted that Mbah’s use of technology in tackling insecurity, particularly the installation of security cameras across the state, had allowed residents to move around without fear during this yuletide.

Eze urged other governors in the South-East to follow Mbah’s example in addressing security challenges using technology.

“Mbah provided security. You can see the massive urban development where he has spent a lot of money.

“He is making visible efforts to take us back to Old Eastern Nigeria. Those good old days of Chief Michael Okpara, Sir Obafemi Awolowo and Owelle Nnamdi Azikiwe,” he added.

A 46-year-old Uber driver, Muftau Abiodun Musa, has reportedly committed suicide in Osogbo, Osun State capital.

Sources revealed that his actions may not be unconnected to pressure from family members to get married.

The deceased, who left a note directing whosoever found his remains to check further details, indicated on his phone that his people could be contacted without hindrance, adding that nobody should cry over his demise.

It was gathered that the man had no wife or kids and had been battling depression for the past five years.

The source revealed that in December 2023, he attempted to hang himself but was stopped by his neighbours.

He noted that Musa also made another attempt by drinking insecticide and pesticide, which led to his admittance in hospital for two months.

Consequent to this attempt, the deceased had to relocate to his mother’s place for close monitoring.

The source also revealed that after he was discharged from the hospital, his family continued to mount pressure on him to get married and have kids, which led him to leave the house.

According to the source: “In his quest for a new house, someone sublet one of the rooms in her home to him. He has been in that house since May 2024.

“The house rent expired in December, but he was given until the end of January to vacate, as the house owner wanted to renovate the house.

“The person who sublet the house told him three days ago to find another house, as the owner had told them to leave. He became depressed and hanged himself.”

The source revealed that the Osun State Police Command has taken over the matter.

Ahead of the Saturday local government election in Ondo State, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that the party will win in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

The party boasted that, given the performance of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration, the state’s people would come out in force to cast their votes for the party’s candidates on Saturday.

Addressing journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Monday, the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye, hinted that the party had constituted a five-man committee led by the party’s state Organizing Secretary, Charles Fagbohunka, to coordinate the party’s campaigns ahead of the poll.

Kalejaye said, “Likewise, the party has constituted a Reconciliation Committee led by state Vice Chairman Atili Agabra to settle all misunderstandings and disagreements among party members ahead of the Saturday poll.”

On preparing the party ahead of the poll, Kalejaye further stated that the party had met all the conditions the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission(ODIEC) reeled out, and all their candidates across the 18 local government areas are sellable.

Kalejaye said, “You are all aware that it’s no longer fashionable to appoint a caretaker committee for local government. That’s why the state electoral commission must conduct the local government election in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

“We are fully prepared. We have started the campaign by meeting with all stakeholders across all the 18 local government areas of the state. We have constituted campaign committees at local government, ward, and unit levels to mobilise the people sensibly ahead of the Saturday poll.

“We have also constituted another committee led by the state Organizing Secretary of our party, Hon. Charles Fagbohunka, to coordinate all the campaign committees across the 18 local government areas.”

A political analyst, Jide Ojo, has suggested that snide remarks against Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and disrespect for party leaders contributed to the impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The political analyst who described the entire saga as an own goal inflicted by Obasa on himself, said most allusions suggest Obasa was disrespectful to Governor Sanwo-Olu during the presentation of the 2025 budget figures.

He also claimed the impeached Speaker kept the Governor and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) waiting for several hours during the budget presentation and failed to apologize.

Ojo added that despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, Obasa remained stubborn.

He spoke on Monday as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said, “On the social media, most allusions were that he (Obasa) was disrespectful to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the way he carried out during the budget presentation exercise, particularly when he made that snide remark that I am not too young or inexperienced to be the governor of the state and I am more qualified than some of those people who are there.

“So, it’s presumed to be a snide remark at a sitting governor. Incidentally, as a speaker or deputy speaker of the House of Assembly you do not have immunity, you are just there at the grace of your members.

“I don’t know what might have prompted Obasa to behave the way he did because if what he is alleged to have done has been revealed which is politics behind the scene of keeping the governor waiting for several hours, keeping the party elders waiting and no apologies and then the President weighing in and you are showing some stubbornness and recalcitrant, well those the gods want to destroy they first make whatever.

“So, I believe this may have been a self-inflicted own goal if I want to call it own goal.”

Recalls Obasa was, on Monday, impeached as Speaker by his colleagues in the Lagos State House of Assembly over allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse of office.

He was subsequently replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda

The Nigerian Communications Commission will this week publicly release the names of 18 banks that have failed to settle their outstanding debts for using Mobile Network Operators’ Unstructured Supplementary Service Data platforms.

These banks collectively owe a total of N200bn, and the telecom regulator is preparing to take action, including suspending USSD services for the defaulters.

Impeccable industry sources told The PUNCH on Monday that only four banks have met the payment requirements outlined in a joint directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the NCC in December 2023.

The directive stipulated that 60 per cent of pre-API (Application Programming Interfaces) invoices must be settled by January 2, 2025, with payment plans to be agreed upon by the banks and MNOs. However, the other banks have yet to fulfill their payment obligations.

Pre-API invoices are the outstanding payments for USSD services that were incurred before the implementation of Application Programming Interfaces in February 2022.

Before the adoption of APIs, USSD transactions were often managed using older or less standardised methods, which sometimes led to disputes over billing and reconciliation between banks and telcos.

The service suspension, which is expected to take effect in two weeks, could significantly impact Nigerians who rely on USSD services for banking transactions, particularly those without internet access.

In the public statement that the NCC will release, subscribers to these services will be given directives on how to switch to other banks, ensuring they can continue accessing banking services without disruption.

The NCC’s move to expose the defaulters is part of an ongoing effort to resolve the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecom companies, which has been a point of contention for several years.

Telecom operators have expressed concerns about the impact of the unpaid debt on the sustainability of USSD services and also threatened to withdraw the service.

Sources said that while banks have been reluctant to prioritise payments, MNOs have refrained from carrying out their threats of suspending the service due to the service’s critical role in the economy.

Electronic payment statistics data from the CBN have shown that, between January and June 2024, 252.06 million transactions, which amounted to N2.19tn, were carried out via USSD.

This is a significant increase compared to the full-year data for 2023, which showed that N4.84tn was transacted via USSD codes across 630.6 million transactions.

Initially developed by telcos for providing airtime and subscription services, the USSD service has been widely adopted in the banking sector because it does not require an Internet connection.

In November, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, told The PUNCH that operators were seeing some progress in the repayment of the debt, with smaller banks beginning to settle their obligations.

However, tier-one lenders, which are responsible for the bulk of the debt, have yet to make significant payments.

“We are seeing payments from smaller players, but the big banks, which owe the most, have not been forthcoming,” Adebayo said in a call.

“We are now waiting for intervention from regulators, including the CBN and NCC, to resolve the issue,” he added.

In October, the Director at Adaba Consult, Ejike Onyeaso, told The PUNCH that telecom companies are upset with banks over inadequate payments for leased lines used for services like USSD.

He stressed that since banks generate revenue through these services, they should compensate telecom firms. Onyeaso also warned that if telecom providers act on their threats to suspend services, it could disrupt banking operations.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has announced January 30 as the new deadline for the registration of intending pilgrims for the 2025Hajj exercise.

This decision follows adjustments to the 2025 Hajj calendar by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), directing state Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards to remit collections by February 1.

According to a statement by the Board’s spokesperson, Mohammed Lawal Aliyu, over 40% of the FCT’s allocated slots have already been filled since registration began in September last year.

Aliyu urged intending pilgrims to take advantage of the remaining registration period to secure their slots and benefit from the Board’s services during the Hajj operations.

Prospective pilgrims must deposit a minimum of ₦8,400,000 via bank draft from any commercial bank, payable to the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

The deposits can be made across the six area councils or at the Board’s head office in the central business district of Abuja. NAHCON will determine the actual fare for the pilgrimage.

Registration will operate on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure fairness.

The Board also reminded individuals who made deposits for previous Hajj exercises but could not participate to top up their payments to meet the minimum deposit requirement before the deadline to secure their seats.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, has disclosed that over 60,000 children are among the more than 120,000 Boko Haram members who have surrendered.

In an interview with Arise News on Monday, Musa detailed ongoing efforts to combat insurgency in Nigeria. He noted that not all individuals associated with Boko Haram willingly joined the group, as many were coerced, conscripted, or enslaved.

“Not everyone involved is a terrorist. Some were forced, some enslaved,” Musa explained. “Of the 120,000 who surrendered, over 60,000 were children.”

Musa highlighted that after losing their territorial control, Boko Haram shifted to a grim recruitment strategy. The group focused on impregnating women to produce a new generation of fighters, further exacerbating the crisis.

“In the past, they captured communities and forced men to join, often under threat of execution,” he said. “Now, without territories, they resorted to impregnating women repeatedly to create new fighters. These children, raised in an environment normalising violence, would have been extremely dangerous.”

The CDS expressed relief that many of these children are now in custody, reducing the potential threat they posed. He stated that those found culpable of crimes are being investigated and prepared for trial, while women, children, and the elderly are undergoing rehabilitation and care.

Musa reassured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to ensuring peace through deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and prosecution. “Nigeria is safe and will continue to be safe,” he affirmed.

The national electricity grid will remain prone to collapse due to the government’s inability to repair a crucial transmission line in northern Nigeria owing to persistent insecurity.

This is according to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who spoke during the 2025 budget defense session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power.

Adelabu highlighted the impact of the damaged Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando line, which has been out of service since a vandalism incident in October 2024. This failure has placed immense pressure on the grid, leading to frequent collapses.

“The Kaduna-Shiroro-Mando line was one of the two major lines transmitting power to the north. The second, the Ugwuaji-Makurdi line, was also vandalized but has been repaired. The Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line, however, remains down due to insecurity,” he said on Monday.

“This is why our grid is so fragile, as it relies on a single line, causing unnecessary strain.”

The minister emphasized that while grid collapses are expected to continue, the government is focused on reducing their frequency and ensuring quick restoration times.

He underscored that the collaboration especially with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu is critical to addressing vandalism, which remains one of the most significant challenges facing the power sector.

The minister equally announced a N2 trillion budget for the ministry and its agencies, out of which N229 billion belongs to the ministry.

He revealed a N700 billion fund allocated to the Power Metering Initiative (PMI), aimed at significantly reducing the metering gap by next month, to particularly enhance billing transparency and reduce fraud in the system.

“We recognize the issues with full or partial grid collapses, but our focus is on reducing the time it takes to restore power. We are actively collaborating with security agencies to achieve this,” Adelabu said.

The minister also disclosed plans to invest N36 billion in the distribution of transformers across the six geopolitical zones.

As part of efforts to address insecurity, Adelabu has proposed the installation of solar lights and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on highways across the country, aimed at monitoring the movements of vandals and other criminal elements, enhancing security and protecting critical infrastructure.

The proposal is included under a N200 billion sub-head in the 2025 budget.