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Czech National Bank board member Jan Kubicek is "sceptical" about the inclusion of bitcoin among the bank's hefty reserves, wary of legal uncertainties and concerns around volatility of the digital currency.
CNB Governor Ales Michl put bitcoin up for consideration earlier this year, and the bank has begun an analysis looking into broadening the asset classes it holds in its reserves portfolio.
"We will assess different classes of assets. Bitcoin is just one of them," Kubicek said in an interview on Tuesday. "My position is rather sceptical about bitcoin."
He said bitcoin's legal status was one concern, and that direct ownership would mean developing many new processes in accounting or auditing, for example.
Volatility was another worry and assessing market price developments was difficult, he said.
"We cannot be certain that bitcoin's volatility in the coming years will mirror the patterns observed over the past decade because I suspect that, if more institutional investors accept bitcoin as an investment asset, it will start to behave differently from what we have seen so far."
The bank's study on new asset classes could come by October, Kubicek said.
Holdings of international corporate bonds could be explored, he said, as well as the possibility of investing in more targeted equity indices, such as for technology, and property investment funds.
CNB Vice Governor Eva Zamrazilova has said bitcoin is not a suitable asset for reserves, while European Central Bank boss Christine Lagarde has also said Europe's central banks are not the place for it.
The Czech central bank's reserves - at 142.8 billion euros ($155.75 billion) - are around 45% of gross domestic product, and it has diversified holdings in recent years, gradually purchasing gold, and shifting a larger portion of the portfolio into equities.
($1 = 0.9168 euros)
(Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Rachna Uppal)
[(Reuters]
The U.S. State of North Dakota is close to creating a licensing regime for crypto ATMs after its Senate passed a bill that provides a regulatory framework for the industry.
Originally introduced on Jan. 15, House Bill 1447 aims to protect consumers from scams involving crypto ATMs by mandating operators to issue on-screen fraud warnings to users, obtain money transmitter licenses, use blockchain analytics software to detect and combat fraud, as well as submit quarterly reports on kiosk locations and transactions.
Additionally, operators must appoint a compliance officer.
A report by TRM Labs found that crypto ATMs have facilitated at least $160 million in illicit transactions since 2019, CoinDesk previously reported, with law enforcement worldwide viewing them as a major money laundering and scam risk.
FTC data also shows a nearly tenfold rise in bitcoin ATM scam losses since 2020.
In the United Kingdom, the Financial Conduct Authority, the country's markets regulator, has been increasing scrutiny on the sector with crackdowns on unregistered operators.
In 2024, the FCA charged Olumide Osunkoya for running illegal crypto ATMs that processed $3.4 million, marking the first such prosecution in the country. Osunkoya was recently sentenced to four years for his role in the illegal crypto ATM network, and was also convicted for forgery, using false identity documents, and possessing criminal property.
With rising fraud and regulatory scrutiny, the number of crypto ATMs are not growing despite BTC's price growth in 2024. Market data from CoinATMRadar shows that the number of crypto ATMs in the U.S. has been roughly flat since 2022.
[CoinDesk]
The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) has vowed to challenge the suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and other elected officials of the state in court.
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers, suspending the governor, his deputy and members of the State House of Assembly.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, the PDP governors asked the President to accept that he had made a mistake and reverse the decision.
The forum accused the President of bias, noting his failure to acknowledge the role played by his Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in fueling the political crisis in Rivers.
Part of the statement said, “We stand in solidarity with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the good people of Rivers State at this very difficult and trying moment of the state’s political history. There is no other time that our philosophy of ‘TOUCH ONE TOUCH ALL’ is more apt than now.
“He who goes to the court of equity must go with clean hands. Mr. President , your silence on the active role played by your Minister of the FCT in the Rivers impasse is golden and enabling. He has become a law unto himself because he was playing out your script. Now we know. This is totally unstatemanly, biased, and divisive.
“We state categorically that this unwarranted but premeditated attack on Rivers State and the Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties is today, the greatest threat to democracy in our dear country.
“Nigeria and it is an ill wind that will blow no one any good. It is a dangerous course of action that will not only endanger our hard won democracy, but will exacerbate the crises in the nation, deepen mistrust, elevate security threats, destroy the economy, and our national cohesion and stability.”
The Governors also said ” The Forum completely aligns itself with the position of the NBA and promises to subject Section 305 (3) of the Constitution to judicial interpretation. This authoritarian shenanigan is unacceptable and cannot stand.
“Mr President is therefore called upon to listen to wise counsel and the voice of reason, as well as accept that he made grevious mistakes and acted in haste, and reverse this atrocious and retrograde decision before it is too late.”
[DailyTrust]
The Federal Government, on Wednesday, said President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in River State was timely and meant to avert an implosion in the state.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, stated this while briefing State House Correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
“We have about two years into the administration in the state.
“Now, when do you think he (President Tinubu) should have come in? Is it when everything has been destroyed? I don’t think so.
“I think the President has acted timeously. He has given the opportunity to all the parties involved to make amends. Before then, he had to assemble them, and he had tried to mediate,” he stated.
Tinubu had on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In a national broadcast, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.
The crisis, which had paralysed governance in the oil-rich state, stems from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
As part of the directive, the President also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored. Ibas served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu announced, “In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State has failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025 and I so do.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.”
[Punch]
The senate has set up an ad hoc committee to investigate Cameroon’s alleged encroachment on Nigeria’s territory.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the committee’s composition during plenary on Tuesday after most senators supported it through voice votes.
The committee is expected to report back to the senate within two months with recommendations.
The committee is to be headed by Jimoh Ibrahim, senator representing Ondo south. Members are Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa west senator, and Ipalibo Banigo, senator representing Rivers west.
Others are Adeniyi Adegbonmire, senator representing Ondo central; Shehu Kaka, senator representing Borno central; Agom Jarigbe, Cross River central senator; and Ekong Samson, senator representing Akwa Ibom south.
Aniekan Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-west, who sponsored the motion, is also a member of the committee.
The motion was titled: ‘Illegal annexation of Nigerian mangrove islands, waters, and its crude oil by the republic of Cameroon’.
Bassey, in his motion brought under orders 41 and 51 of senate standing rules, said the areas annexed were not part of the territory ceded to Cameroon.
He said the encroachment has led to the loss of over 2,560 oil wells and gas revenues.
“It is an affront on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and unlawful exploitation of Nigeria’s economic resources,” he said.
“The illegal occupation of these villages and waters by Cameroon contravenes the ICJ ruling, the 1913 Anglo-German treaties, and sections of the Nigerian Constitution.
“This is a direct assault on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and an unlawful exploitation of our economic resources.”
Contributing to the motion, Ibrahim said Nigeria must report the issue to the United Nations.
“The senate cannot keep quiet when there’s a threat to the sovereignty of our country,” he said.
“There is a violation of our territorial rights, and this can cause environmental disaster and reduce national revenue.”
Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central, said Nigeria should enforce the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the mangrove islands.
He added that Nigeria cannot be a beneficiary of the judgment and not enforce it.
“Let us act fast and recover our territory with over 2,000 oil wells,” he said.
Other lawmakers who spoke on the motion were Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president; Abdul Ningi, Bauchi central senator; and Asuquo Ekpenyong, senator representing Cross River south.
The committee is expected to engage with key stakeholders, including the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the ministry of foreign affairs, and security agencies.
[TheCable]
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has described as illegal the decision of President Bola Tinubu to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months.
In a statement made available to the media, the senior lawyer said the President’s decision cannot be justified under any of the provisions of the 320 sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
While recognizing that Section 305 of the Constitution empowers the President to take extraordinary measures to restore law and order if there is an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation, Falana argued that the extraordinary measures which may be adopted by the President to restore peace and security do not include the suspension of an elected Governor, an elected Deputy Governor, and the dissolution of other democratic structures.
He, therefore, called on the President to follow the path of constitutionalism without any delay and to proceed to reinstate the suspended Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu and restore all democratic structures in Rivers State.
The learned silk said, “This call is without prejudice to the duty imposed on the President to adopt extraordinary measures to restore law and order in Rivers State under Governor Fubara in strict compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.”
Read the full statement below:
ILLEGALITY OF DISSOLUTION OF ELECTED DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURES IN NIGERIA
The decision of President Bola Tinubu to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months is illegal as it cannot be justified under any of the provisions of the 320 sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
No doubt, Section 305 of the Constitution empowers the President to take extraordinary measures to restore law and order if, among other reasons, there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security or there is a clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof requiring extraordinary measures to avert such danger.
But, the extraordinary measures which may be adopted by the President to restore peace and security in the Federation or in any particular State does not include the suspension of an elected Governor, an elected Deputy Governor and the dissolution of other democratic structures. For the avoidance of doubt, section 45(3) of the Constitution provides that a ‘period of emergency’ means “any period during which there is in force a Proclamation of a state of emergency declared by the President in exercise of the powers conferred on him under section 305 of this Constitution.”
Thus, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the office of an elected governor can only become vacant upon death, ill health, resignation, or impeachment. Even where the office of the Governor becomes vacant for any reason whatsoever, the Deputy Governor shall be sworn in as the Governor.
And where the offices of the Governor and Deputy Governor become vacant at the same time, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly shall become an Acting Governor for not more than 3 months. During the 3-month period, a fresh election shall be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the election of a new governor.
It is pertinent to state that the failure of a House of Assembly to function in Rivers State can not be a justification for the dissolution of democratic structures in any State of the Federation. Indeed, the Constitution had envisaged that a State House of Assembly may not be able to function due to one reason or another. Hence, section 11(4) of the Constitution stipulates as follows:
“At any time when any House of Assembly of a State is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in that State, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that State with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly to be necessary or expedient until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the State:
Provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring on the National Assembly power to remove the Governor or the Deputy Governor of the State from office.”
In 2004 and 2006, we condemned the illegal dissolution of democratic structures when President Olusegun Obasanjo imposed emergency rules on Plateau State and Ekiti State, respectively. Regrettably, on both occasions, the Supreme Court refused to determine the constitutional validity of the dissolution of democratic structures on the ground that the suit were procedurally incompetent because they were instituted during the six-month emergency period by the suspended legislators in the name of Plateau State without the authorization of the Sole Administration of the state!
However, in 2013, when a state of emergency was declared in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States by former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan, we urged him to reject the pressure mounted on by anti democratic forces to remove the elected Governors and dissolve democratic structures in the affected States. President Jonathan followed the path of constitutionalism.
In 2021, the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN announced the plan of the federal government to declare a state of emergency in Anambra State over insecurity and threat to a complete breakdown of law and order in that part of the Federation We advised President Buhari not to demolish democratic structures even if emergency rule was imposed on the state. President Buhari followed the path of constituionalism.
In the cases of Adegbenro vs. Attorney-General of the Federation (1962) 1 NLR 338 F.R.A. Williams V Dr. M.A. Majekodunmi (1962) 1 NLR 328 the Supreme Court of Nigeria validated the Emergency Powers Act 1961 to justify the dissolution of democratic structures as well as suspension of fundamental human rights in western region. As there is no equivalent of the Emergency Powers Act 1961 under the current constitutional dispensation, the suspension of an elected Governor by an elected President is a constitutional anomaly under the 1999 Constitution.
In Attorney General of the Federation v. Attorney General of Abia State & Ors (2024) LPELR-62576 (SC) filed by the Bola Tinubu administration, the Supreme Court of Nigeria held that the removal of elected chairmen and councilors as well as appointment of sole administrators or caretaker committees by State Governors to run local government councils are illegal and unconstitutional. It follows to reason that the suspension of elected governors and elected members of the House of Assembly by the President is illegal and unconstitutional in every material particular.
To that extent, a serving or retired military officer can not be imposed as a Sole Administrator to govern any state in Nigeria. Similarly, a military officer cannot be appointed by the National Assembly as a Sole Administrator to govern the Nigerian people during a war between Nigeria and another country.
In the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly v Hon Rifkatu Danna (2017) 49 WRN 82 and several other cases, Nigerian Courts have held that the suspension of elected legislators is illegal and unconstitutional. Therefore, the National Assembly should not endorse the illegal suspension of the Rivers State legislators that have not defected from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress. Instead of approving the illegal dissolution of democratic structures in Rivers State, the National Assembly should assist Governor Fubara by invoking its powers under section 11 (4) of the Constitution “to make laws for the peace, order and good government of that State”
Therefore, we are compelled to call on President Bola Tinubu to follow the path of constituionalism without any delay. The President should proceed to reinstate the suspended Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu and restore all democratic structures in Rivers State. This call is without prejudice to the duty imposed on the President to adopt extraordinary measures to restore law and order in Rivers State under Governor Fubara in strict compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
Femi Falana SAN
Aloba Joseph, the father of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has filed an application before the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja seeking a judicial review of the legal advice issued by the office of the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The application, which was filed on March 12, is brought ex-parte pursuant to Order 44 Rule 3 of the High Court of Lagos (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
Through his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Wahab Shittu, Mohbad’s father is seeking the quashing of the DPP’s legal advice in respect of the murder of his son.
Mr. Aloba, who is suing for himself and on behalf of the Aloba family, joined the Attorney General of Lagos and the DPP as respondents in the suit.
The applicant wants the court to quash the DPP’s advice as a result of a lack of fair hearing, pre-emption of the Coroner’s inquest—which is yet to conclude sitting—and because the vital suspects mentioned and implicated in the Coroner’s proceedings have been freed by the DPP’s legal advice.
In documents put before the court in support of the application, Mohbad’s father states that, by virtue of his position, he is well seized of the facts in the case.
He states, “That the death of late ILERIOLUWA OLADIMEJI ALOBA aka MOHBAD on the 11th of September 2025 was viewed as unnatural and suspicious, which led to him petitioning and demanding an inquest into the cause of death.”
“That pursuant to the applicant’s request to determine the circumstances leading to death, the inquest was referred to the Coroner’s Court, which commenced sitting on September 23, 2023, and which is yet to conclude sitting.”
“That while the proceeding is yet to be concluded by the Coroner’s Court, Magistrate Ejiro Kubenje, sitting at the Yaba Magistrate Court on the 26th of February 2025 and acting on the legal advice of the respondents, discharged and acquitted the 4 prime suspects—Abdul Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley, Samson Balogun Eletu aka Sam Larry, Owodunni Ibrahim aka Prime Boy, and Opere Babatunde—in the controversial death of late Mohbad.”
“That the applicants became aware of the legal advice at the Magistrate Court when the suspects were being discharged and acquitted by the court.”
“That those discharged and acquitted suspects by the respondents pursuant to their legal advice have been mentioned and implicated in the coroner’s proceedings and have been summoned and are yet to appear and give evidence as to their role in the death of late Mohbad.”
“That the Police, through one ASP Mohammed Yusuf attached to the Homicide Section, State CID Panti, and the respondents through their Senior Counsel, Mr. George, participated in the Coroner’s proceedings. The State CID Panti forwarded the case containing their investigation to the respondents without informing the Coroner’s Court, and while both offices, particularly the respondents, were aware of the Coroner’s inquest, they proceeded to issue legal advice, which prompted the Magistrate Court to discharge and acquit the prime suspects in the controversial death of late Mohbad.”
“That I know as a fact that the act or omission of the respondents is without due regard to the Coroner’s Court, which constitutes an obstruction of the Coroner in the exercise of its statutory duties.”
“That I know as a fact that the respondents’ failure to allow the Coroner to conclude its proceeding and proceeding to issue the legal advice is pre-empting the outcome of the decision of the Coroner and is done without jurisdiction and is null and void.”
“That I know as a fact that the act or omission of the respondents issuing legal advice in respect of the matter upon which an inquest is being conducted amounts to obstructing and interfering with the Coroner’s investigation and potentially influencing the outcome.”
“That I know as a fact that the act or omission of the respondents’ legal advice, which constitutes an affront to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Coroner, is an overreach into the Coroner’s power to conduct inquests into suspicious and unnatural deaths, which are expected to run their course without external interference.”
“That I know as a fact that the act or omission of the respondents, apart from being pre-emptive of the Coroner’s proceedings, undermines the integrity of the inquest and potentially compromises the outcome of the Coroner’s investigation.”
“That I know as a fact that the act or omissions of the respondents while aware that the Coroner’s inquest is still pending, is to overreach the outcome of the inquest, which is improper.”
“That the applicant needs the intervention of this Honourable Court to get justice for the death of his son. Otherwise, allowing the legal advice from the respondents to stand may automatically put an end to the seriousness of the Coroner’s Court and its proceedings.”
“That the grant of this application will not be prejudicial to the respondents.”
No judge has been assigned to hear the application, and no date has been fixed for its hearing.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has projected a gradual drop in inflation rate over the next six months.
This is contained in its newly released report on inflation expectations for February 2025.
According to the report, businesses and household respondents expect the level of inflation to gradually reduce over the next six months.
The respondents also anticipated lower spending as their expenditure gradually decreased over the next six months.
Further analysis by income distribution indicated that more households earning above N200,000 per month perceived inflation to be moderating, driven by factors such as energy costs, exchange rate, transportation costs, interest rate and insecurity influenced their perception of the inflation rate in the month under review.
The apex bank, however said 65.1 per cent of respondents want a reduction in interest rate by the financial institution.
This is as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for March said the inflation rate for February dropped to 23.18% year-on-year in February 2025, reflecting a second consecutive monthly decline from the 24.48% recorded in January.
This figure marks a significant 8.52 percentage point decrease from the 31.70% seen in February 2024, following the adoption of a new CPI rebasing methodology.
With Nigeria’s return to democracy in May 1999, the country has witnessed a number of emergency rule at state level.
Three presidents including Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Bola Tinubu have relied on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to declare state of emergency in states.
The section interprets a state of emergency as a situation of national danger, disaster or terrorist attacks in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures to regain control.
A state of emergency allows the President to immediately make any desired regulations to secure public order and safety.
Here is a timeline of emergency rule in Nigeria since 1999:
1. On May 18, 2004, Obasanjo imposed a state of emergency on Plateau State, suspending the elected Governor Joshua Dariye and the State House of Assembly in the process. He accused the governor of failing to act to end a cycle of bloodletting violence between the Plateau State’s Muslim and Christian communities that claimed over 2,000 lives since September 2001.
FULL TEXT: Tinubu’s Declaration Of State Of Emergency In Rivers State
2. On December 31, 2011, Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in some local governments in Borno and Plateau States in 2011.
3. On May 14, 2013, Jonathan declared a state of emergency for the entire northeast insurgent-ridden states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
4. On March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following the protracted political crisis in the state. Tinubu made the proclamation during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy Ngozi Odu; and all the members of the House of Assembly for six months. The president nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state for the first six months.
A federal judge has on Tuesday blocked the enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from military service.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that Trump’s order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights.
Reyes was the second judge of the day to rule against the administration, and both rulings came within hours of an extraordinary conflict as Trump called for impeaching a third judge who temporarily blocked deportation flights, drawing a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.
Reyes, nominated by President Joe Biden, delayed her order until Friday morning to give the administration time to appeal.
“The court knows that this opinion will lead to heated public debate and appeals. In a healthy democracy, both are positive outcomes,” Reyes wrote.
“We should all agree, however, that every person who has answered the call to serve deserves our gratitude and respect.”
Reyes said she did not take lightly her decision to issue an injunction blocking Trump’s order, noting that “Judicial overreach is no less pernicious than executive overreach.”
But, she said, it was also the responsibility of each branch of government to provide checks and balances for the others, and the court “therefore must act to uphold the equal protection rights that the military defends every day.”
“The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender service members have sacrificed—some risking their lives—to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the military ban seeks to deny them,” Reyes wrote.
Army Reserves 2nd Lt. Nicolas Talbott, one of 14 transgender active-duty service members named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said he was holding his breath as he waited to find out if he would be separated from the military next week.
“This is such a sigh of relief,” he said. “This is all I’ve ever wanted to do. This is my dream job, and I finally have it. And I was so terrified that I was about to lose it.”
Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, posted about the ruling on social media, writing, “District court judges have now decided they are in command of the Armed Forces…is there no end to this madness?”
The judge issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys representing others seeking to join the military.
In 2016, a Defense Department policy permitted transgender people to serve openly in the military.
During Trump’s first term in the White House, the Republican issued a directive to ban transgender service members. The Supreme Court allowed the ban to take effect but former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, scrapped it when he took office.
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Angry protesters have shut the Governor’s Office at Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital over the killing of another five farmers by armed herdsmen at Aba Oyinbo in Akure North local government area of Ondo State.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the deceased were shot dead in another invasion by the hoodlums in the early hours of Wednesday.
Not pleased by the disposition of the state government to the incessant killings, the angry protesters stormed the Governor’s Office to display the bodies of the casualties of the invasion.
Commuters and motorists on Akure/Owo Road were stranded as protesters assembled in Ogbese where they barricaded the road in protest.
Recall that armed herdsmen had about a fortnight ago killed 20 farmers in four farm settlements in the same local government.
Details later…
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has lambasted President Bola Tinubu for declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State following a lingering and unresolved political crisis that led to the bombing of pipeline infrastructure in Rivers.
Atiku said the development reeks of political manipulation and outright bad faith.
The former VP blamed the president for the crisis in Rivers, accusing him of being a “Partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers.”
Atiku, who took to X to react to the development shortly after the president suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and members of the state House of Assembly in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Tinubu said, “I feel greatly disturbed by the political crisis in Rivers. The state has been at a standstill, and the people have been deprived of good governance.
“Fourteen months after Governor Fubara demolished the House of Assembly, it remains unbuilt. Many Nigerians have intervened, just as I did. But their efforts have been to no avail.
“No responsible President will stand by without taking action. To restore good governance and peace in this circumstance, it has become imperative to declare a state of emergency.
“By this declaration, Governor Fubara is hereby suspended.”
However, in his reaction, Atiku said it is disgraceful that the president refused to stop the crisis from escalating.
“Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers.
“His blatant refusal or calculated negligence in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful.
Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk.
“Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has either enabled or failed to prevent,” Atiku said.
Continuing, the former Vice President said it is a failure on the part of the president that the Niger Delta region has been thrown back into era of unrest, adding that the president should bear responsibility for the bombing of pipeline infrastructure in the region.
“It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability — undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations.
“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility. Punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the governor and @officialABAT’s enablers in the federal government is nothing less than an assault on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest,” Atiku stated.
Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it a blatant disregard for constituted authority.
Reacting to the development, George said, “This is absolute Armageddon—total disrespect for constituted authority. The Constitution has been viciously violated.”
He continued, “We can’t keep quiet. This is recklessness of the highest order. What did Fubara do? As Commander-in-Chief, Tinubu gave Wike soldiers and security agents to destabilize Rivers State. The governor has no control over security agencies, yet he remained calm. Nobody has explained what he did to warrant this dictatorial emergency rule.”
George likened the situation to past political crises, stating, “This is exactly how it started in 1962 and 1983. It’s a dress rehearsal for what Tinubu wants to do in 2027. The APC wants to take control of all states through unconstitutional means.”
He questioned the legality of Tinubu’s actions, asking, “Did he get National Assembly approval before his broadcast? What happened in Rivers is the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob. Why didn’t he declare a state of emergency in Lagos when lawmakers were fighting? Why invite Diete-Spiff and Niger Delta leaders last week if he already planned this?”
George concluded, “Is Tinubu now becoming a civilian dictator?”
Residents of Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states have expressed deep concern over the recent hikes in electricity and telecommunication tariffs, urging the government, service providers, and relevant authorities to urgently review and reduce the rates.
The consumers expressed disappointment over persistent poor service delivery despite the increased costs, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
A civil servant in Sokoto, Malam Isma’ila Umar, described the tariff hike as a source of punishment, adding that middle-income earners can no longer afford basic needs due to rising expenses.
He stressed that electricity and telecommunication services are essential, making the additional costs an unbearable burden. Umar urged the government to take immediate steps to alleviate the hardship faced by citizens.
A community activist, Mr. Sanusi Sarki, lamented the sharp rise in data costs, revealing his monthly data expenses increased from N6,000 monthly to N28,000 despite unreliable service.
Journalist Suleiman Nasir decried the poor network quality amid rising telecom tariffs stating his usual N3,000 plan now costs N9,000, yet remains unreliable.
He cited areas in the Sokoto metropolis, including Dambua, Offa Road, and Old Airport Road, where residents barely receive 12 hours of electricity daily. Many, he said, have resorted to using generators to meet their power needs. Nasir called on NCC, NERC, and KEDCO to reverse the tariff hikes, provide prepaid meters, and ensure fair billing.
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The Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Sanusi Ibrahim, urged KEDCO to improve the power supply, stating that residents should not be made to pay for darkness.
- He advised NERC and KEDCO to engage stakeholders before implementing any tariff increase and focus on better service delivery to boost revenue.
In Gusau, Zamfara state, data and airtime vendor Sufuyanu Dahiru called for urgent action to reverse the tariff hikes and enhance service quality, noting that the current cost does not reflect the poor services rendered.
- In Birnin Kebbi, Garba Dalhatu, a Mass Communication student at Umaru Waziri Federal Polytechnic, described the rising cost of living as overwhelming, especially for students. He said many are struggling to pay tuition, buy food, and cover electricity and data expenses.
- Ibrahim Ahmad, a businessman in Argungu, noted that high data costs and poor telecom services are undermining the government’s cashless policy and hurting businesses.
He added that epileptic power supply, combined with high electricity tariffs and fuel prices, has forced many rice millers out of business, worsening economic conditions in the region.
[Nairametrics]