The Nigeria Police Force said its personnel have arrested two political thugs during an overnight raid at some locations across Edo State.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a press statement on Saturday.

Adejobi stated that three cut-to-size locally fabricated pistols and one locally made gun were recovered from the suspects.

He said, “The Nigeria Police Force has made a significant breakthrough in its efforts to curb electoral violence in Edo State with the arrest of two political thugs, namely: Edwin Obanor, 43-year-old and Audu Tajudeen, a 41-year-old Peoples Democratic Party member from Ugbogbo quarters, Igara Akoko, Edo.

“Acting on a tip-off that some individuals had been armed to cause mayhem and instability during the election on Saturday, the police operatives swooped into action and apprehended Obanor, a leader of an armed group, at Oredo Ward 4 at about 9pm and Audu Tajudeen at Igara Akoko, Edo, on the eve of the election.

“Upon searching the bags in their possession, three cut-to-size locally fabricated pistols were discovered on Obanor while one locally made gun was recovered from Tajudeen.”

He said the arrests are a testament to the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to maintaining law and order and ensuring a peaceful electoral process during Saturday’s governorship election across the state.

“These arrests are a testament to the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to maintaining law and order and ensuring a peaceful electoral process.

“The police and other supporting security agencies will not tolerate any form of violence or disorderliness during the election in Edo State,” he added.

He said that the suspects are currently in custody and will face the full weight of the law.

“The police reassure the public of its dedication to protecting lives and property and, therefore, urges citizens to report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or via our published helplines,” the statement added.

Hours before the commencement of the off-cycle governorship election in Edo, the state government said soldiers had repelled some suspected thugs that attempted to invade the Oredo Local Government Secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

DAILY POST reports that the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, disclosed this at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare, who commended the soldiers for their efforts, encouraged them to go across the 18 local government offices of INEC to take possession of collation centres.

He alleged that the thugs planned to attack collation centres, especially those of Oredo, Egor and Ikpoba Okha local government areas.

According to him: “We have just been told that thugs have taken over some of the INEC offices across some of the local government areas, especially Oredo, Etsako West, Esan West and some of the very serious local government areas. We don’t know which party they belong to.

“We just want you to know that this kind of activity is not acceptable. But, just before I stepped into this place, we were told that soldiers had repelled these thugs from Oredo secretariat and made them go across the road and now there is a border around the collation centre.

“We are also hearing that they planned to attack these collation centres, especially the strongholds, like Oredo, Egor, and Ikpoba/Okha. But I’m smiling because I’m happy with what the soldiers are doing and they are showing character and discipline and telling people that they should not be intimidated by what is going on.

“We want to encourage the soldiers to please go across the 18 local government headquarters and take possession of these collation centres.

There are ugly trends building up, but we are pleased to announce that the soldiers are on top of it. The soldiers have recovered Oredo secretariat.”

Former Senate President and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Adolphus Wabara, has called for the sacking of the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Muheeba Dankaka, over corruption allegations.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, the former Senate President shared his experience during a visit to the FCC, where he sought job placements for individuals in his constituency.

He revealed that he was informed that jobs were not available without a bribe.

“I physically went to the FCC, requesting two or three jobs for some people in my wards. You will not believe that up till now, nothing has been done for the simple reason that I have not dropped any money and that they cannot even ask me to drop money. But I found out from some people there that they wouldn’t give any job to my ward for free,” he stated.

This is not the first time such allegations of job racketeering have surfaced regarding the FCC.

During one of the House of Representatives Committee public hearings tasked with investigating job racketeering, 14 witnesses testified about paying money to a former Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System desk officer at the FCC, Haruna Kolo, for job placements.

Kolo, during an interrogation, admitted to collecting money from job seekers and claimed to have handed it over to Dankaka.

However, the committee investigating the matter led by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) has yet to release its findings one year after, raising suspicions that the inquiry may have been suppressed.

 A source within the House of Representatives, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, indicated that substantial evidence was collected but went unaddressed due to the influence of those implicated.

Wabara criticised the APC-led government and the National Assembly for allegedly ignoring the matter bordering on corruption.

“Despite the serious allegations, nothing has been done. I expected the same swift action that was taken against Betta Edu (former minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation) to be applied here,” he said.

He accused the ruling party of failing to uphold its commitment to combat corruption, claiming that the current administration had seen a rise in corrupt practices.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the committee chairman, Gagdi, to react to the issue were unsuccessful as calls made to his mobile phone went unanswered.

He also did not respond to SMS and WhatsApp messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, attempts to get the House of Representatives spokesman, Akin Rotimi, to speak on the matter proved abortive.

He did not respond to calls to his phones and a message to his WhatsApp.

In response to the allegations, an APC chieftain and former minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, demanded for thorough investigations.

He revealed that he had spoken with an FCC member who confirmed the claims of job racketeering.

Shittu emphasised the need for accountability, saying, “If the President acted quickly against Betta Edu, similar actions should be taken in this case. We must ensure that there are no selective investigations into corruption.”

He stated that there should be an urgent action to address the issues within the FCC and restore public confidence in the commission.

“This is not a political issue and not about our party, the APC, but about the need to do the right thing. People have accused this woman, and it is only through public investigation that we can certify that the woman was indeed a victim of blasphemy.

“So, I want to appeal to Mr President and the Senate President that something concrete should be done about it by way of proper investigation.”

The candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Olumide Akpata has denied his alleged withdrawal from the race.

DAILY POST reports that Akpata denied the allegation that went viral on social media that he had withdrawn from the governorship race.

While noting that he is still much in the race, he described his alleged withdrawal from the race as not only a falsehood but a fraud whose perpetrators must be uncovered.

Akpata, who read a prepared speech titled,” I remain steadfast in the race” opined that the allegation of his withdrawal was a falsehood of the evil machinations of those who have held the state captive for a quarter of a century and a demonstration of shallowness that has characterized their governance style.

According to him, I have been inundated with calls and messages from friends and supporters, which constrains me to release this statement to dispel the wicked rumour circulating that 4 have decided to step down and support the PDP candidate in tomorrow’s governorship election.

“The notion that I would step down on the eve of the election, after the overwhelming support received from the good people of our state, borders on delusion.

“This pathetic attempt at deception is so amateurish that the “Oluwole” forgers could not even get the date right, leaving “July 29, 2024” on their fraudulent document. Such incompetence would be laughable if it were not so.

“To the perpetrators of this fraud, your tactics only expose your fear. You claim I am a mere “spoiler”, yet you resort to such underhand methods. Your actions betray your panic at our unstoppable momentum.

“To the architects of this forgery, I will not rest until I uncover every individual involved in this criminal act. You will face the full force of the law, and justice will be served”, he said.

He, however, urged Edo people to disregard this so-called” last kick of a dying horse.

He also urged the people and members of the party to go out and exercise their franchise, noting that together, “we will overcome these underhanded tactics and usher in the transformative leadership our State so richly deserves.

The Labour Party governorship candidate further appealed to the supporters of the party and citizens of the state not to be swayed by desperate politicians and their ploys.

“To our steadfast supporters and all citizens yearning for change, stand firm and do not be swayed by these desperate ploys.

“Our resolve is unshakeable, our cause is just, and our vision for our great State remains clear and unwavering,” he stated.

The Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants met on Friday as regards the new minimum wage template and agreed that the effective date for implementation of new minimum wage be set at July 29,2024.

This is according to a Memorandum of Understanding issued at the end of the meeting which was sighted by our correspondent in Abuja on Friday.

The Committee also recommended that the wage award which was discontinued by the government should also be paid up till July 28,2024.

The Committee headed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack noted that the government took note of the economic situation in the country before it took its decisions.

“The Committee held four meetings and considered all presentations by the Federal Government and Trade Union Sides. It also considered the economic situation and ability of Federal Government to pay and sustain any consequential adjustment in salaries arising from the implementation of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024 as well as the effect on other employers.”

The MOU further recommended that, “The NSIWC will generate the appropriate salary templates for other consolidated salary structures for implementation: that the effective date of the implementation should be 29th July 2024, that the payment of the wage award issued vide NS/WC Circular SWC.04/T/33 dated 19th October 2023 should continue to be paid until 28th July 2024.

“That the Federal Government should take appropriate measures to alleviate the plight of Federal workers as a result of the recent increase in PMS, including the consideration of tax waivers and other incentives; and that the NSIWC in collaboration with other   stakeholders should commence monitoring of the implementation in line with the provisions of the Act.”

But reacting in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Head of Information of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Benson Upah, faulted the decision of the government, describing it as unacceptable.

“The backdating to July is not fair. It is not acceptable,” he said.

Also, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, Timmy Etim, criticised the government’s move.

He said since the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, had told workers on May Day that the new minimum wage would take effect in May, it was unfair for the government to renege on the promise.

“The Minister of State for Labour, during the May Day, said that the payment of the new national minimum wage would take effect from May 1st. I am surprised if they have changed and I don’t know the parameter they used for the change. But it will be unfair for the government to do that taking cognizance of the socio economic challenges.

“I think the government should walk the talk. If they say that the effective day is May, I believe that should have been effected. Even when they had deviated from May, it should have been from the date of which the Act was signed into law. But be that as it may, even the N35,000 should be applied till the effective date. If that is considered, I think it is reasonable,” Etim stated.

In the meantime, some civil servants have lamented the delay in the implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage.

Some of them, who spoke to our correspondent in Ogun State on Friday, said that the delay underscored the insensitivity and the long term “I don’t care attitude” of the government to the suffering of the people.

A single mother of three and teacher in one the public schools in the state, who identified herself as Ms Oladele, said that her family had been surviving the increasing economic hardship miraculously.

“It’s height of wickedness on the part of the government to have refused to do something meaningful since last year when it removed subsidy from petrol and also floated the naira which comes with the attendant increase in prices of everything,” she stated.

Another worker identified simply as Adesola also berated the government for looking the other way while many Nigerians battled with the economic hardship.

Adesola said, “It is just so sad that the government has continued to foot-drag on the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage which is generally considered too meagre for the inflation ridden economy.”

A civil servant, who works with the Ministry of Water Resources in Osun State, said the new wage implementation delay amounts to shortchanging the workers.

The staff, who pleaded anonymity to avoid being punished by the ministry, said the delayed implementation had made the poor poorer.

He said, “Federal Government caused this problem. It has kept increasing prices of fuel while nothing serious is being done regarding implementation of the new minimum wage.”

A staff of the National Identity Management Commission, who gave his name as Oyas in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said life is no longer what it used to be especially with the high cost of fuel.

He said, “The salary is nothing to write home about because of the price of fuel. As I talk with you now I have packed my vehicle for sometimes to be using public transport. The announcement of the minimum wage have increased price of commodities.”

Most filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory have implemented the Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) third pump price hike under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

DAILY POST gathered on Friday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company retail outlets and independent marketers such as AA Rano, Shema, Ranoil, Total and others have commenced implementation of the third fuel price adjustment.

Analysis by DAILY POST showed that the price had moved from N238 in May 2023 to between N950 and N1,100 per litre in September 2024.

Many Nigerians and motorists now buy petrol between N950 and N1,100 per litre in Abuja, according to a DAILY POST survey on Friday.

This represents an increase of N862 or 362 per cent compared to the N238 per litre of petrol sold in May 2023 when Tinubu was elected.

A resident, Benjamin Njoku, said the latest hike in pump price is the new normal for Nigerians under Tinubu.

“In September only we had two hikes. On September 3, 2024, and this recent one. It is painful. Hike in transportation will jump astronomically,” he said.

Abdul Abubakar, a resident of Niger State, expressed the same frustration.

The price may be higher in states such as Borno, Enugu and Benue states.

This comes as NNPCL on Monday announced a fresh price list across its retail outlet after lifting PMS from Dangote Refinery.

NNPCL had lifted petrol from Dangote Refinery upon its inaugural distribution.

However, the state-owned firm had engaged in a battle with Dangote Refinery over price.

While NNPCL insisted it bought, Dangote Refinery Petrol at N898, the 650,000 per day Lagos-based refinery disagreed. The development created confusion in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

This situation has led to petroleum marketers looking to import, ignoring Dangote Refinery’s product.

But refiners had kicked against the marketers’ move to import.

Earlier in May 2024, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had said that the kickoff of petrol in his refinery meant an end to the product imports in Nigeria.

The National Bureau of Statistics data showed that petrol pump price stood at N238 per litre in May 2023.

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, is under fire after being linked with terrorism in the country.

Matawalle is alleged to have procured vehicles for bandit leaders, including a notorious kingpin, Bello Turji, and others while serving as Zamfara State Governor.

The current state governor, Dauda Lawal, who appeared on TVC, a national television station, on Wednesday, urged the minister to resign.

He said, “If I were him (Matawalle), I would resign and face all the allegations against me because, from all the information we are getting, my predecessor was fully involved in some of this banditry.” 

According to Lawal, the former governor kept terrorists at the government house, and ransom was paid to terrorists through the government.

“In May 2023, there was this allegation of misappropriation of N70bn. We realised that the N70bn was a child’s play compared to what we have. This information is before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and I wonder how this guy was cleared by the security operatives to become a minister.

“We are still waiting to hear from the EFCC; the case has been on for a year now. This is people’s money; we need the money in Zamfara to address the challenges we are facing.”

A presidential aide contacted to speak on the matter declined comment.

“You will get the answer to your question when the President announces the new cabinet list soon,” the source said.

Previous accusations

It is not the first time Matawalle will face accusation of sponsoring banditry.

In January 2022, while serving as state governor under the All Progressives Congress, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party had called for Matawalle’s resignation over alleged banditry sponsorship.

The APC had countered the allegation, insisting it was because he defected from the PDP to the party at the time.

An Islamic cleric, Bello Asada, also accused him of sponsoring bandits.

In a video seen by Saturday PUNCH, Asada, who spoke in Hausa, alleged that Matawalle procured vehicles for Turji and other bandits.

He said, “You didn’t love especially because of God. Murtala Bello said your godfather has bought vehicles for terrorists, among them is this Halilu Subububu. The defence (state) minister has bought a brand new car and given it to him (is he not the one who’s called ‘Wankin Dan Kanoma’). There is also Ada Aleru.

“I know that he has purchased about 34 vehicles and distributed them to leaders of terrorists. He (Halilu) who I was accused of purchasing a car; was the Zamfara State governor who gave him a brand new 2019 model Hilux, not a second-hand car. People like Ado Aleru were given. I was with the police; Bello Turji was given.

“Decent people like the police, military, and civil defence who are looking for Hilux were not given, only for them to use our money to buy brand new Hiluxes for terrorists.”

Asada further questioned why Turji, despite being a notorious criminal with a visible presence on social media, had not been captured.

Turji has terrorised Zamfara State by killing, kidnapping, and extorting residents for nearly nine years.

His activities gained public attention after a series of videos surfaced on social media, where he also accused Matawalle of sponsoring banditry in the state.

Matawalle’s amnesty

The minister had between 2019 and 2023 initiated amnesty for terrorists in Zamfara State while serving as governor.

But Turji, in a video in July 2024, claimed that the scheme only empowered some of his colleagues.

Premium Times reported that Turji said he killed one of the bandit leaders in his Shinkafi LGA for peace to reign, but the governor later allegedly sabotaged his efforts.

He said, “Any person living in Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Isa (Sokoto State) cannot deny this claim. There is a particular group of bandits whom the former governor pampered. I chased the group from Shinkafi, I killed their leader, Dudu, for peace to reign in Shinkafi. The group had 200 arms, but the governor later hosted them (Dudu’s boys) at the Government House.

“But the government failed to ask the group to surrender their weapons. Another group led by Bashari Maniya has over 300 guns. I seized 30 from them. Where are the remaining? And they never surrendered their weapons to the government.”

He alleged that some of the bandit leaders involved in the peace truce moved to the Sokoto metropolis after giving their arms to their boys kidnapping for ransom. He said the boys were making returns to their leaders living in Sokoto town.

He named some of them as Bashari Maniya, Kabiru, and Buhari.

Matawalle’s dealings with bandits – aide

But an aide to the minister, Dr Suleiman Shuaib, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH, described the allegations as baseless, stating that Governor Lawal was out to witch-hunt his boss and smear his image.

According to Shuaib, Matawalle had never sponsored banditry or terrorism either as governor or minister, adding that he was committed to securing the lives and property of the people of Zamfara State and Nigerians at large.

Shuaib explained that Matawalle only engaged in dialogue with bandits during his early days as governor, in a desperate move to restore peace and security to the state.

He added that Matawalle waged war against some of the bandits when they reneged on their promises, noting that it was wrong for anyone to use his efforts against him for political gain.

He said, “I want to call on Nigerians, including Governor Dauda Lawal, to desist from witch-hunting their predecessors. This is a mere allegation and an act of witch-hunting. This sends a very bad message to the younger generation. It is uncalled for; I am advising Governor Lawal to stop witch-hunting his predecessor.

“The main objective of Governor Lawal and Matawalle is to secure and protect the lives and property of the people of Zamfara. The Governor should focus on the promises he made during his campaign instead of chasing shadows. His duty is to provide security in the state, and the major challenge we have is banditry.

“Zamfara State is on the brink of being swallowed by insecurity, and I want the governor to focus on that. He should work hand-in-hand with Matawalle to bring an end to the insecurity in Zamfara.

“When Matawalle became the governor of the state, the most important issue to address was insecurity. People advised him to call the bandit leaders for dialogue, and he accepted. That was when he met the bandits in Government House; he didn’t know them before.

“The dialogue worked for nine months before some bad actors influenced certain bandits to make outrageous demands, which Matawalle, as the governor, couldn’t meet. Those bandits took up arms again, and the Governor confronted them. He was, and is, never involved in banditry.”

Analyst react

The Managing Director of a security firm, Beacon Consulting Limited, Kabir Adamu, said the accusations against Matawelle were indications of the weaponisation of insecurity in the country.

He stated that the Federal Government and the Zanfara State Government were pursuing very different policies on security.

“The state government has indicated clearly that it is not negotiating with bandits. However, there is evidence and facts that show that at least some officials at the federal level are negotiating are in contact with the bandits, and have even exchanged funding in some instances with them”, he added.

The spokesperson for the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ladipo Johnson, said the inclusion of Matawalle in Tinubu’s cabinet spoke volumes about the President’s respect for Nigerians and integrity.

“One wonders what the thought process of Mr President and his inner team was for putting a person like Matawalle in the cabinet to man the Ministry of Defence”, said Johnson.

He noted that there had been many questions about Matawalle, which were enough for Tinubu to ask the minister to clarify the allegations against him.

However, Johnson said he was not expecting the minister to resign or talk about the allegations against him because Tinubu did not also speak on his certificate saga.

He said, “It is indicting that the Governor of Zamfara State came out to accuse Matawalle openly. You will recall that this matter has been around for a long time. With such rumours, how would you put that person in the Ministry of Defence?

“There are many questions about him (Matawalle), especially now that the governor and Islamic cleric have come out to accuse him. It is enough for Mr President to ask him to address the allegations. That is what a proper government should do. But this government don’t care about what we think or say as a people. Matawalle should come out to address the allegations and set the record straight.”

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has claimed that some of the people currently in government should be in jail for their past misdemeanours and criminal misconduct.

Obasanjo stated this on Thursday while speaking virtually at the memorial lecture of Denis Joseph Slattery in Lagos.

According to him, government officials with “questionable” integrity cannot make good decisions that will benefit Nigerians.

In his speech titled “The Imperative for Moral Rectitude in Governance,” Obasanjo pointed out that the most important demand of anybody involved in governance at any level is “accountability.”

He said: “If you look clinically at the people in government today at both executive and legislative levels, some of them should be permanently behind bars for their past misdemeanour and criminal misconduct. You cannot expect thieves to give good judgement in favour of the owner of the property.”

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a defection suit instituted against the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

The suit seeking to replace the 27 lawmakers on account of their alleged defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was on Friday thrown out on various grounds.

Among others, Justice Peter Lifu who delivered the judgment held that the suit instituted by the Action People’s Party APP was statute-barred, having not been filed within the 14 days allowed by law.

While the defection was said to have been carried out in December last year, the APP filed the case on July 12, a period of 8 months after the cause of action emanated.

Besides, Justice Lifu held that the case was a gross abuse of court processes on the ground that several suits on the alleged defection of the same 27 lawmakers had been adjudicated upon by the federal high court.

The Judge who quoted the previous judgments of the federal high court said the request for replacement of the lawmakers had earlier been rejected due to lack of sufficient evidence to establish the defection of the legislators.

He specifically recalled the judgment of Justice James Omotosho of the federal high court in Abuja delivered in July this year where the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC was restrained from declaring the seats of the lawmakers vacant and from conducting any fresh election to replace them.

Justice Lifu said that since the judgment has not been set aside and not appealed against, it remains binding with the force of law as far as the issue of defection is concerned for the 27 legislators.

He said that it would amount to a display of judicial rascality for him to sit as an appeal court in the judgment of the same court.

The Judge subsequently dismissed the suit on the three major grounds.

President Bola Tinubu has insisted that he did not contest for the position in order to enrich himself.

According to Tinubu, he came to “work” after Nigerians “gave” him their votes.

The president stated this on Friday, during a meeting with the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, led by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani.

Tinubu assured that his administration was determined to deliver tangible results and make a positive difference in various sectors including education and long-term economic stability.

”I didn’t come to look for money and exploit the situation; I came to work.

“I asked for the votes, and Nigerians gave them to me,” Tinubu said.

In attendance were 16 former presiding officers, including former senate presidents, former speakers of the House of Representatives, former deputy senate presidents, and former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives.