A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned to May 26 a suit challenging the suspension of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, by President Bola Tinubu.

The suit was filed by a former federal lawmaker and People’s Democratic Party Rivers State governorship aspirant in the 2023 general election, Dr Farah Dagogo.

It is also challenging the president’s decision to suspend the deputy governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly.

President Tinubu had on March 18 declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing security concerns. He further announced the suspension of the state’s elected leadership and announced Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) as the administrator of the state.

In the suit marked FHC/PH/CS/50/2025, filed on April 9, Dagogo argued that the president’s actions were ultra vires and lacked any constitutional backing.

President Tinubu, Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Rivers State Administrator, were marked as 1st to 5th respondents.

At Monday’s proceedings, counsel to the plaintiff, Cosmas Enweluzo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, informed the court that all defendants had been duly served and expressed readiness to proceed with the case.

However, only the fifth defendant, Vice Admiral Ibas (Rtd), appeared through his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju.

Ogunwumiju requested an adjournment to respond to the originating summons.

After listening to both counsels, the presiding judge, Justice Adamu Mohammed, granted the request but cautioned that the matter would proceed on the next adjourned date regardless of further delays.

Speaking to journalists after the court sitting, Enweluzo reiterated that President Tinubu acted outside the Constitution.

He stated, “The case challenges the President’s unilateral appointment of an administrator for Rivers State and the suspension of duly elected officials, including the governor, deputy governor, and House of Assembly members.

“The president cannot act as a ‘tin god’. He does not have the constitutional authority to suspend elected representatives or govern over four million citizens by fiat. It is a constitutional aberration and must not be allowed.”

Enweluzo questioned the justification provided by the president for declaring a state of emergency, citing serious cases of insecurity in some parts of the North without any such action taken.

“The insecurity narrative is unfounded. In Benue, Plateau, and Borno States, serious security challenges persist, people are being killed, and some local governments remain under Boko Haram control.

“Yet no state of emergency was declared there. Rivers State has remained relatively peaceful,” he explained.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria commended Dr Dagogo for taking legal action in defence of the Constitution.

Enweluzo noted, “We are grateful for principled leaders like Dr Farah Dagogo who are willing to defend the Nigerian Constitution. Citizens have a right to be governed by officials they have elected and represented by legislators of their constituencies in Degema, Bonny, and others.”

Explaining the reason for the adjournment, Enweluzo said, “Counsel for the fifth defendant informed the court that their staff were at the Registry filing processes in response to our originating summons.

“They requested an adjournment to complete their filings. In fairness, and since it was their first request, we agreed. The court, therefore, adjourned to May 26, 2025. If delays persist beyond that, the court will be entitled to proceed with the case.”

He added that while all other defendants have been duly served, none have filed a memorandum of appearance, conditional appearance, or any legal response to the suit.

… Says Finance, ICT Sectors Not Generating Enough Jobs Despite Massive GDP Contribution

… Seeks Massive Investments In Infrastructure, Electricity, Transportation

The World Bank on Monday said that the current structure of Nigeria’s economy cannot support the aspiration of the federal government to grow the size of the economy to $1tn by 2030.

It said that while Nigeria’s macroeconomic situation is improving as a result of sustained reforms, more work needs to be done in improving the infrastructure, particularly in the areas of electricity and transportation, among others.

The Bank said this in the latest edition of the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) report released on Monday.

The NDU further highlights that for the economy to meet the government’s aspiration of achieving a $1tn economy by 2030 and deliver poverty reduction and shared prosperity, the pace of growth needs to accelerate further and its composition rebalanced towards those economic sectors and firms that are most productive, generate positive spillovers, and create jobs and opportunities at scale, especially for the poor and economically insecure.

At present, the World Bank stated that the best-performing sectors of the economy, like finance and ICT, are important drivers of growth but are not sources of mass employment, as many Nigerians do not yet have the skills and opportunities to participate in them.

A private sector-led, public sector-facilitated growth strategy, the bank added, can boost inclusive growth.

The report, titled “Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth”, showed that economic growth in the last quarter of 2024 increased to 4.6 per cent (year-on-year), pushing growth for the full year 2024 to 3.4 per cent, the highest since 2014 (excluding the 2021-2022 COVID-19 rebound).

It said recent reforms have also helped to strengthen the foreign exchange (FX) market and Nigeria’s external position, while the consolidated fiscal position improved in 2024, driven by surging revenues.

The fiscal deficit also shrank from 5.4 per cent of GDP in 2023 to three per cent of GDP in 2024, a major improvement which was driven by a sharp increase in revenues of the entire Federation, which rose from N16.8tn in 2023 (7.2 per cent of GDP) to an estimated N31.9tn in 2024 (11.5 per cent of GDP).

But the report further added that inflation has remained high and sticky, which is expected to fall to an annual average of 22.1 per cent in 2025, as a sustained tight stance firmly establishes monetary policy credibility and dampens inflationary expectations.

The World Bank said the challenge is to consolidate macroeconomic stability and ignite inclusive growth through deeper, wider structural reforms.

It added that there is a need for the economy to generate more and better jobs at scale and reduce poverty.

“Nigeria has made impressive strides to restore macroeconomic stability. With the improvement in the fiscal situation, Nigeria now has a historic opportunity to improve the quantity and quality of development spending, investing more in human capital, social protection, and infrastructure.

“The allocation of public resources can begin to shift away from the past unsustainable pattern and rather towards meeting Nigeria’s large development needs, including the government playing its essential role of providing basic public services and serving as an enabler of private sector–led growth,” said Taimur Samad, Acting World Bank Country Director for Nigeria.

The World Bank urged the government to quickly address major infrastructure gaps, such as in electricity and transportation.

It also advocated fostering healthy competition, market openness, and improving the business environment to spur business dynamism.

The Bank also called on the government to improve access to finance for new and existing firms to grow and improve productivity and improve policies in key sectors to help unleash the potential of these sectors.

“International experience suggests that the public sector cannot sustainably generate growth and jobs by itself. Nigeria is no exception, particularly since public resources remain constrained.

“ A useful strategy is to position the public sector to play a dual role as a provider of essential public services, especially to build human capital and infrastructure, and as an enabler for the private sector to invest, innovate, and grow the economy,” said Alex Sienaert, World Bank Lead Economist for Nigeria

Nigerian households have said that the astronomical increase in prices will weaken the economy and their purchasing power.

This is based on the April 2025 Household Expectations Survey of the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

CBN said a significant majority or 71.2 per cent of surveyed households, believe that the Nigerian economy would weaken if prices were to rise faster than the current rate.

Nigeria’s inflation rose to 24.23 per cent in March 2025 following the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rebasing.

“Unlike in the past, where the base year was 2009, the base year for the rebased CPI is 2024. Meaning, we are comparing prices in 2025 with prices in 2024 instead of 2009.

“Also, the CPI baskets are not the same,” said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Food prices also dropped from 39.8 per cent to 26 per cent, after the rebasing.

The respondents argued that a drop in interest rates will lead to price reduction.

According to the CBN, most respondents or 49.4 per cent of the households, favoured a decrease in interest rate.

The overall outlook for consumers reveals that they are pessimistic due to their family financial situation and economic conditions.

According to CBN, the index stood at -15 per cent in April, showing a worse outlook compared to March 2025, which stood at -6.1 per cent.

In April, the report said households perceive prices to be relatively high at -22.8 index points.

They also believe that prices will rise with a pessimistic index point of -26.7 in May; -29.5 and -25.6 points.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has confirmed that suspended Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has started making peace warm-ups in the wake of a protracted political crisis that rocked the oil-rich state earlier this year.

Speaking during a media parley with select journalists on Monday at his Abuja residence, Wike disclosed that Fubara recently visited him in company of two other governors and an elder statesman as part of his reconciliatory moves.

The FCT Minister, however, said that while he is open to peace, genuine reconciliation must go beyond symbolic visits.

“Yes, he came with two governors and one elder person. Unfortunately, the two governors are APC governors. So, I will not pursue him. He said he wants peace. That’s fine. I also want peace,” Wike stated.

Wike’s comments came months after the political standoff between him and his estranged political protege, Fubara, plunged Rivers State into a constitutional crisis.

The crisis escalated when President Bola Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, the Rivers State House of Assembly, and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.

President Tinubu subsequently appointed an interim administrator to oversee the state’s affairs for a period of six months, a development that drew both criticism and support from politicians and stakeholders nationwide.

Though details of the crisis remain layered in political intrigue, it is believed that the falling-out between Wike and Fubara stemmed from disagreements over political control, loyalty, and governance style.

Wike, who is an influential member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had handpicked Fubara as his successor, but their relationship deteriorated over alleged plans by Fubara to hijack his political structure in Rivers.

However, while making remarks on Monday, Wike stressed that genuine peace must be reflected in actions, not just rhetoric.

He frowned on alleged ongoing protests and media attacks reportedly orchestrated by Fubara’s loyalists, which he said contradicted the spirit of reconciliation.

“I told him, ‘Look, I don’t think you have the capacity to really make this peace.’ That’s why when I read what I read yesterday, I felt so bad. Why? If you are making peace, your people are demonstrating every day; if you are making peace, your people are busy on television insulting people. How do you feel in that case?” Wike asked.

He further said, “You must take steps. Have you met the assembly people? There are leaders you should meet. It is not to say, ‘I want peace.’ You must show it by conduct and action.”

Wike further alleged that Fubara was misled by other governors in the early stages of the crisis, suggesting that those who goaded him into confrontation have since abandoned him.

He said, “Governors came pushing him, where are they now? I think the governors are enjoying their own. Fubara is a young man. I warned him, saying, look, go this way, go this way and you will not have problems.”

The FCT Minister maintained that he remained committed to President Tinubu’s peace directive but stressed that all parties must act in good faith for a lasting resolution.

“The President has called for peace severally and I cannot sit down when the President has called for peace and I say, ‘I don’t want peace,’” Wike noted.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has disclosed that a total of 162 individuals lost their lives in various emergency incidents across Lagos State between January 1, 2024 and March 30, 2025.

This was revealed in a detailed operational report released by the agency through its spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor. 

According to the report, the Pre-Hospital Care Unit of the agency attended to 5,366 cases during the 15-month period.

While 5,204 victims were successfully rescued and treated, 162 persons were confirmed dead.

Among the deceased were 124 adult males and 30 adult females, as well as 6 male and 2 female children.

“In the year under review, the Pre-Hospital Care Unit of the Agency attended to 5,366 cases during operations between 1st January 2024 and 30th March 2025. Out of this number, 162 were recovered dead, while 5,204 victims were successfully rescued and treated by the agency’s pre-hospital care.

“From the 162 dead that were recovered, 124 were adult males, 30 were adult females, and 6 male and 2 female children were also lost. Out of the rescued and treated 5,204 victims of various incidents, there are 1,801 adult males, 1,691 adult females, 131 male children, and 1,581 female children,” LASEMA stated.

From January to April 2025 alone, the unit attended to 1,031 injured persons, comprising 420 adult males, 603 adult females, and 8 children.

In the same four-month span, 45 fatalities were recorded — 38 adult males and 7 adult females.

In total, LASEMA responded to 2,143 emergency incidents between January 2024 and April 2025.

Of this number, 1,675 incidents occurred in 2024, while 468 cases were handled between January and April 2025.

“Out of the 5,366 cases recorded during operations in the last 16 months, 1,031 injured were rescued and attended between 1st of January and 30th of April, 2025.

“From this number, 420 adult males and 603 females were attended to in the last four months, while 6 male and 2 female children were attended to between 1st January and 30th April, 2025.

“However, in the same period of time, 45 deaths were recorded in the last four months. This comprised 38 adult males and 7 adult females,” the agency noted.

The most common emergencies attended in 2025 included road accidents (147 cases), truck/tanker incidents (110), fire disasters (94), and medical emergencies (63). April 2025 alone saw 121 incidents, with road accidents again topping the list.

A closer look at local government areas revealed Alimosho, Lagos’ most populous LGA, led in recorded cases with 332 incidents, followed by Ikeja (242), Eti-Osa (221), and Kosofe (181).

LASEMA also reported its continued operations across multiple specialised response units, such as the Eagle Base (Cappa), Tiger Unit (Alausa), Shark Unit (Lekki), Cobra Unit (Onipanu), Dolphin Squad (Igando), Whale Unit (Epe), and Lion Squad (Agbowa).

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, said the energy giant will resume crude oil drilling activities at the Kolmani oil field, located on the border between Bauchi and Gombe States.

Ajulari made the disclosure in an interview on the BBC.

Recall that in 2022, the NNPC, under the leadership of Mele Kyari focused on resuming oil exploration at the Kolmani Oil Field.

According to the state-owned company, the Kolmani project aims to diversify Nigeria’s oil production beyond the Niger Delta and tap into a potential one billion barrels of crude oil.

Speaking to BCC, the GCEO disclosed that preparations are already underway to relaunch the project.

Ojulari said, “We will continue to work with the government in Kolmani and other areas. Besides the oil drilling work, we will also ensure that we complete the gas pipeline project from Ajaokuta to Kano.

“The projects would allow the previously closed businesses to be reopened so that they could continue to operate and open new ones.

“This will create benefits in the region, which will lead to the benefit of everyone because the wealth will grow. We have to go back and carry on with this work.”

Ojulari expressed NNPC’s readiness to revive the project.

The GCEO said that Northerners viewed the drilling in the North as a move toward gaining a stronger foothold in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Crude oil drilling is historically dominated by the South.

Ojulari’s move to restart the project comes at a crucial moment as Nigeria grapples with economic challenges and seeks to increase domestic crude production and enhance energy security.

Ojulari also said the NNPC has resolved its feud with the Dangote refinery.

“We, as Nigerians, must hail Dangote’s courageous efforts. Whatever he is investing in, he is doing it in Africa“. We have addressed the feud between the NNPC and the Dangote Refinery. Very soon, people will start seeing the impact.

“We are cooperating, and better days are ahead. Marketers will buy fuel at the refinery any time they want. If there are any obstacles, we will address them. It won’t be in the news anymore that NNPC and Dangote are fighting; now, we are working together for the interests of Nigerians.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major crackdown on UK immigration to reduce migration numbers through tougher rules on work and study visas.

Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street on Monday, Starmer said the country needed a “clean break from the past” to fix a “broken” immigration system.

He pledged that net migration, which stood at 728,000 in the year to June 2024, according to the UK Home Office, would fall “significantly” under his government.

“Migration will fall, that’s a promise. Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control. Enforcement will be tougher than ever,” he stated.

The Prime Minister said that under the new plans, overseas care workers would no longer be eligible for UK visas.

“For years, we’ve had a system that encourages businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people. That is the Britain this broken system has created. It ends now,” Starmer said.

Other key measures include raising the English language requirement for visa applicants and extending the minimum period of residency required to apply for permanent settlement from five to ten years.

Starmer said the changes would “back British workers” and reward “those who genuinely contribute to Britain’s growth and society. Settlement in this country must be a privilege that is earned, not a right automatically granted.”

The announcement comes ahead of the publication of the government’s long-awaited immigration White Paper later today, which is expected to lay out the full details of the policy shift.

Some proposals may require new legislation and are unlikely to take effect until the next parliamentary session in 2026.

The government aims to cut the number of lower-skilled workers entering the UK by 50,000 next year, with immediate changes expected in the care sector. However, critics have raised concerns about the impact on staffing in key industries.

Amy Clark, commercial director of a care home chain in Cornwall, told BBC Radio 4 that ending overseas recruitment would create “significant problems”.

“We are very reliant on foreign workers,” she said. “Recruiting locally is very, very difficult,” she said.

This should be one of the areas of agreement by both the Labour and UK Conservative Party who are currently advocating for a deportation bill to curb immigration.

Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, had on Friday called on Starmer to adopt a bill proposed by her party that would stop about two million immigrants from getting automatic British citizenship by next year.

“From next year, two million immigrants could automatically claim British citizenship. That’s nearly twice the population of Birmingham,” Badenoch stated.

“We’ve introduced a deportation bill because we are committed to bringing immigration down.”

The bill, unveiled on May 6, outlines strict measures to reduce immigration.

Among its key provisions are the deportation of all foreign criminals, mandatory age checks, tighter visa regulations, limiting the use of the Human Rights Act in immigration cases, making asylum support repayable, and denying permanent residency to those dependent on government benefits.

Badenoch had previously proposed a stricter immigration policy that would extend the waiting period for British citizenship to 15 years.

Meanwhile, the Home Office is expected to publish the full immigration White Paper by the Labour governmentlater on Monday.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has accused some governors of instigating the lingering political crisis in Rivers State.

At a media briefing on Monday, Wike attributed the face-off between him and the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the influence of some governors.

The minister, who confirmed that Fubara has commenced a peace move by visiting him with two governors from the All Progressives Congress, APC, mocked Fubara, saying those who pushed him are still enjoying their seats while he is out in the cold.

“Governors came pushing him, where are they now? I think the governors are enjoying their own.

“Fubara is a young man, I warned him saying, look, go this way, go this way and you will not have problems.”

Wike also stated that the lifting of the state of emergency earlier imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu may not end the crisis.

He said, “Assuming that we don’t settle this problem and the state of emergency is called off, has it ended the problems? No, because the Assembly will still be as firm as they have been.

“So the crisis will still be there, they will not pass your budget.”

The UK government has raised the residency requirement for permanent citizenship from 5 to 10 years, sparking policy debate.

The British government has announced a significant overhaul of its immigration and citizenship policies, proposing that migrants must reside in the UK for at least ten years before becoming eligible for citizenship. Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that residency in the UK is a “privilege, not a right.

The new policy, which doubles the current five-year residency requirement, includes exceptions for individuals who have made a “substantial contribution” to the British economy or society. Professionals such as nurses, engineers, AI specialists, and other high-skilled workers may qualify for an expedited path to permanent residency.

A key element of the plan is the extension of English language requirements to all adult dependents for the first time. The reforms were included in UK “White Paper on Immigration,” aimed at curbing overall net migration.

According to Sky News, the reforms are designed to signal a decisive break from past approaches. Starmer is expected to stress the need for immigrants to integrate and contribute meaningfully, saying the new framework will lead to “lower net migration, higher skills, and stronger support for British workers.”

The changes come amid growing public pressure on the government to address both legal and illegal migration, particularly in light of the rise in popularity of the Reform UK Party.

Under the current system, migrants can apply for permanent residency after five years, and for citizenship 12 months later. In 2024, 162,000 people were granted permanent residency, while 270,000 were naturalized as citizens—an increase of nearly one-third from the previous year.

The proposed model, referred to as “contribution-based citizenship,” aims to reward individuals who pay higher taxes or serve in priority sectors. The Home Office is also considering fast-track options for community leaders and other public contributors.

While the specifics are still under review and will be subject to public consultation later this year, the overarching goal is to tie citizenship eligibility more closely to economic and social contributions, rather than just time spent in the country.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared that ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has questions to answer over an alleged naira abuse.

In a post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, the anti-corruption agency emphasized that the law applies to everyone, stating: “Nobody is above the law. Tompolo will have questions to answer!”

The post included an image reportedly showing the naira being misused.

Controversy arose after a video surfaced online on Sunday, posted by user Harrison A, who tweets as #harreceipts.

The clip, which quickly went viral, was captioned: “EFCC, see Tompolo and the Naira o.”

The footage, said to be from Tompolo’s 54th birthday celebration in April, shows him dancing while another man sprays ₦1,000 notes in his direction—a practice the EFCC has previously condemned as naira mutilation.

The EFCC has previously acted against other high-profile figures for similar offenses.

Lagos socialite Emeka Okonkwo, popularly known as E-Money, was arrested for allegedly spraying both naira and U.S. dollars.

More recently, Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo and comedian Ayo Makun (AY) were also invited for questioning over currency-related allegations.