The Federal Government has introduced a new policy requiring contractors to provide an active Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) and a performing performance bond before receiving payments from the Ministry of Works.

An APG ensures that funds advanced to contractors are used for the project, while a performance bond guarantees the contractor will complete the project as agreed.

This new payment policy aims to enhance accountability and quality in road construction across Nigeria.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the policy during the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Stakeholders’ Meeting on Sunday, 23rd February 2025, in Lagos. He explained that the policy is designed to secure funds for repairs if contractors fail to address defects within the liability period.

Umahi emphasized that the new policy would be implemented for all ongoing and future projects under the Ministry of Works.

“Any payment made by the Ministry of Works will now require an active Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) and a performing performance bond. This ensures that if a contractor fails to fix defects within the liability period, we will have the resources to carry out the repairs,” Umahi stated.

The minister made the announcement while giving an update on RCC’s ongoing work on Section 2 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which faced significant failures on the Ibadan-bound lane.

More insight 

The minister provided updates on the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Expressway construction, which is divided into two main phases with multiple sections.

Phase 1 includes Section 1, constructed by Julius Berger, spanning about 43 km with three lanes dualised. Although minor failures were recorded, Umahi noted that they had been successfully repaired without major delays.

• Section 2, managed by RCC, encountered significant failures on the Ibadan-bound lane, leading to ongoing repairs. Umahi revealed that RCC has been directed to engage in further discussions to resolve the issues. He added that approximately 8.5 km of this section remains incomplete, with an expected completion by April and commissioning planned for May.
• Phase 2 involves completing flyover heads at strategic locations, including the RCCG axis, Wawa axis, Ogun Bridge, and Arepo Bridge. It also includes a 12 km dual carriage stretch at Sagamu-Iperu, currently under construction using rigid pavement.

Additionally, a 48 km stretch to Ore will be reworked, with the contract anticipated to be awarded by March. According to Umahi, completing this phase will conclude the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project at the Ibadan axis.

[Nairametrics]

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of three workers from the Lagos State House of Assembly in the custody of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) over an alleged assault on its officers.

Naija News reports that Justice Daniel Osiagor issued the directive for the detention of Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Adetu Adekunle, and Fatimoh Adetola after the DSS counsel, Mr. Michael Bajela, sought their arraignment. However, the judge decided to review the case file before proceeding further.

According to the charge sheet marked FHC/L/273C/2025, dated February 24, 2025, and filed on Tuesday, the DSS accused the three individuals, along with others still at large, of conspiring to assault State Security Service officers while they were performing their official duties.

The agency alleged that on February 17, 2025, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, the defendants obstructed DSS officers from carrying out their duties without any lawful justification.

They were also charged with cyberstalking, with the prosecution alleging that they recorded and disseminated false information on social media, spreading it nationwide with the intent of inciting public disorder.

The DSS further claimed that Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Adetu Adekunle, and Fatimoh Adetola conspired to commit a felony by deliberately misdirecting electronic messages on social media to embarrass the agency and its officials.

Additionally, the prosecution accused Ibrahim Olanrewaju and Adetu Adekunle of using an iPhone 12 Pro Max to record and share misleading content online, allegedly intending to discredit the DSS and provoke public unrest.

The charge also stated that Adetu Adekunle, on or about February 17, 2025, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, used a Techno POP 8 to record and circulate false information on social media with the alleged intent to undermine the DSS and disrupt public order.

The offences, as outlined by the DSS, violate Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as well as Sections 27(1)(b), 24(1)(b), 24(c)(i), and 11 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended), 2024.

[NaijaNews]

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of three workers from the Lagos State House of Assembly in the custody of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) over an alleged assault on its officers.

Naija News reports that Justice Daniel Osiagor issued the directive for the detention of Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Adetu Adekunle, and Fatimoh Adetola after the DSS counsel, Mr. Michael Bajela, sought their arraignment. However, the judge decided to review the case file before proceeding further.

According to the charge sheet marked FHC/L/273C/2025, dated February 24, 2025, and filed on Tuesday, the DSS accused the three individuals, along with others still at large, of conspiring to assault State Security Service officers while they were performing their official duties.

The agency alleged that on February 17, 2025, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, the defendants obstructed DSS officers from carrying out their duties without any lawful justification.

They were also charged with cyberstalking, with the prosecution alleging that they recorded and disseminated false information on social media, spreading it nationwide with the intent of inciting public disorder.

The DSS further claimed that Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Adetu Adekunle, and Fatimoh Adetola conspired to commit a felony by deliberately misdirecting electronic messages on social media to embarrass the agency and its officials.

Additionally, the prosecution accused Ibrahim Olanrewaju and Adetu Adekunle of using an iPhone 12 Pro Max to record and share misleading content online, allegedly intending to discredit the DSS and provoke public unrest.

The charge also stated that Adetu Adekunle, on or about February 17, 2025, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, used a Techno POP 8 to record and circulate false information on social media with the alleged intent to undermine the DSS and disrupt public order.

The offences, as outlined by the DSS, violate Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as well as Sections 27(1)(b), 24(1)(b), 24(c)(i), and 11 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended), 2024.

[NaijaNews]

La Liga President Javier Tebas has opened up on Dani Olmo’s contract situation at Barcelona.

According to him, the midfielder, while aware of the risks, went on to join La Blaugrana but should not finish his career with them.

Olmo, 26, joined the Catalan giants in the summer from RB Leipzig, with Barça said to have paid €60 million.

However, financial uncertainties surrounding Barcelona meant the attacking midfielder could be registered only for the first half of the season and even missed the first few games.

The Catalians were hoping they would bring their wage bill down to accomodate the player but it eventually did not materialise.

For this reason, Olmo and Pau Victor became ineligible to play for the Catalans throwing their future in doubt as they could have left for free.

Barca pulled out all the stops, taking the matter to the Spanish Football Federation and to the court before having LaLiga’s ban on them overturned.

Tebas pointed to the tactics employed by the club to address their issues, including selling their VIP box tickets, and suggested that players should be careful in the future.

He said via Barca Universal, “In August I expected Barcelona to solve his problems, but in the last three days they wanted to solve everything in a hurry and they could not.

“Olmo signed knowing that he might not play after December. The company that paid (the VIP boxes) did not seem solvent, everything went to the CSD and in 24 hours it was solved. Olmo should not finish LaLiga with Barça.”

[DailyPost]

A bus driver, Ali Isah, has narrated how he escaped gunmen who kidnapped Afenifere Youth Council President, Prince Eniola Ojajuni, last week Monday in Ondo state.

In a video exclusively obtained by The Nation, the driver who suffered gunshot injury from the kidnappers said the incident occurred at Akuni, an Ondo bother town in Kogi State.

Narrating how the incident occurred, Isah said his bus had 18 passengers who were going to Kano from Akure that fateful day, adding that as soon as they passed the checkpoints mounted by security operatives, they noticed a Hummer bus was advancing in the opposite direction.

“When the bus got closer to us, the bandits opened fire. They were shooting. At first, I didn’t know that I had been shot in my leg until they had left.

“They used the Hummer bus to pack people into the bush. It happened at Akuni in Ondo State, near Ayare in Kogi State.

“When I realized that bullet hit my leg, I kept it on the throttle and continued to drive until I entered Kogi State.

“Because I was bleeding, I lost consciousness and when I woke up, I saw that I was at the hospital receiving treatment,” he said.

The Nation gathered that the driver was discovered unconscious with bullet wounds by policemen from Ayare Division in Kogi who immediately commenced efforts to stabilize him.

A source told our Correspondent that as soon as he was discovered, the Commissioner of Police in Kogi was contacted about his situation and he directed that he should be given immediately medical attention to stabilize him.

“The CP directed that we must ensure he is stabilized so that he can be questioned. After stabilizing him, the man narrated how he escaped from kidnappers in Akuni and so, the CP asked that the division should contact the Akuni Police Station where the incident happened so that they will take the driver’s statement.

“We did not know that Ojajuni was a victim of that incident. We just did our job and ensured that an unconscious man with bullet injury received treatment and regained consciousness and the division where the incident occurred was notified so they can carry on with their investigation,” said the source.

Meanwhile, a coalition of Yoruba Youth Leaders on Monday night added their voice to the call for Ojajuni’s release, urging President Bola Tinubu to marshal all available resources and direct the full might of our security apparatus to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Ojajuni.

A statement signed by the National Secretary, Akeem Adeleke, also appealed to Southwest governors to collaborate and employ all necessary measures to ensure that Prince Ojajuni is rescued from his captors without delay.

It solicited the intervention of prominent traditional rulers from the southwest, adding that they should leverage their esteemed positions to advocate for the swift liberation of Prince Ojajuni.

The coalition confirmed that the kidnappers had escalated their demands insisting that two tricycles must be added to the N100 million earlier requested with a “menacing deadline set for Tuesday (today), at 3 PM. Failure to comply, they assert, will result in the execution of Prince Ojajuni.

“This alarming ultimatum exacerbates the perilous situation and amplifies the urgency of immediate intervention.

“Prince Ojajuni is not merely a leader; he embodies the aspirations and vigor of our youth, tirelessly championing the cause of the Yoruba people with unparalleled dedication and fervor.

“His abduction is not just a personal tragedy but a grievous affront to the collective conscience of our race and the nation at large.

“The scourge of kidnapping has cast a long and ominous shadow over our nation, instilling fear and eroding the sense of security that is the bedrock of any thriving society. “The liberation of Prince Ojajuni will not only reaffirm our collective resolve against such nefarious acts but also serve as a resounding testament to our unyielding commitment to justice and the protection of our citizens.

“Time is of the essence. Each moment that Prince Ojajuni remains in captivity deepens the anguish of his family, friends, and the broader community.

“We earnestly plead for your immediate intervention to bring this harrowing ordeal to a swift and just conclusion,” the statement added.

The Magistrate Court sitting in Sabo, Yaba, Lagos State, on Tuesday, acquitted popular musician, Abdulazeez Fashola, popularly called Naira Marley, in relation to the death of Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as Mohbad.

Channels TV reports that Magistrate Ejiro Kubenje, who read and implemented the legal advice issued by the Directorate of Public Prosecution, Lagos, said that Naira Marley had no case to answer.

Alongside Naira Marley, the court reportedly freed music promoter, Samson Balogun, known as Sam Larry; Owodunni Ibrahim, also called Primeboy; and Mohbad’s former manager, Opere Babatunde.

The DPP, however, said it shall be prosecuting the auxiliary nurse who treated Mohbad, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, and one of Mohbad’s friends, Ayobami Sadiq for the offence of reckless and negligent acts contrary to Section 251 (e) of the Criminal Law, Ch C.17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The duo will be prosecuted at the magistrate court.

[Punch]

The almost eternal cycle of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, is fuelling a widespread violence, mass displacement and extreme human suffering in the country and its neighbours like Burundi. With violence surging in Eastern DRC, almost unabated, displacement is soaring, crimes against humanity are being reported, and the fragile healthcare and support systems of the affected countries are being overwhelmed.

As armed groups fight to expand or retain their control, towns and villages are being devastated. In just five days, from January 26 to 30, an estimated 700 people were killed and 2,800 injured, according to a report by the International Rescue Committee. Since February 2025, more than 40,000 Congolese refugees have crossed into Burundi, primarily women and children, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Some reports estimated that over 9000 arrivals were recorded in a single day this week. The impact of this on the fragile social support system in Burundi can only be imagined.  Many use makeshift boats to traverse the Rusizi River, a border shared by Burundi, DRC and Rwanda. 

In Tanzania, 53 Congolese refugees reportedly sought asylum in Kigoma on February 19, 2025, marking the highest daily arrival figure this year.  The UNHCR has launched a $40.4m appeal fund to help it provide life-saving assistance to 275,000 internally displaced people in the DRC as well as support a projected influx of 258,000 refugees and returnees across Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. 

The current crisis in DRC had its roots in the Rwandan civil war, which ended in 1994 with the victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, RPF, a Tutsi-led army founded by Rwandan exiles in Uganda with the support of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. This led to many of the Hutu extremists who perpetrated the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis fleeing across the border, with their Interahamwe paramilitary group, to the neighbouring DRC, which was then known as Zaire. Most settled in the Kiv region, in the Eastern part of the country, along with about 1.5 million Hutu civilian refugees. The Hutu militants established militia groups aimed at waging an insurgency against the new RPF government – allegedly with the support of Mobutu Sese Seko, DRC’s then ‘maximum’ ruler.

Remarkably in the same Kiv region was also a community of ethnic Tutsis known as the Banyamulenge. Between 1995 and 1996, there were episodic large scale fights between the Hutu refugees, the Banyamulenge, the Zairian army and even the rest of the population. It was alleged that the Rwandan government, headed by Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, was funding the Banyamulenge while the Zairian government was funding the Hutus.

When Laurent-Désiré Kabila, a leading member of Mobutu’s political opposition founded Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire, AFDL, in October 1996, reportedly with the support of Rwanda, his fighters included both Tutsis and non-Tutsis. With the support of Rwanda, Laurent Kabila was able to overthrow Mobutu between February and May 1997.

As President, Kabila restored the country’s name back to Democratic Republic of Congo. But he quickly fell out with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, reportedly over the latter’s attempt to exercise excessive influence over the affairs of the country, and Kabila’s apparent inability or unwillingness to curtail the activities of Hutu militias along Rwanda’s border in the Kivu region. In 1998, the Second Congo War broke out following the deterioration of relations between Kigali and Kinshasa (the First Congo War, largely an aftermath of the 1994 genocide, lasted from 1996 and 1997).

 As relations deteriorated, Kabila ordered all foreign troops in the country, including Rwanda’s, to leave but allowed Hutu armed groups to organise at the border once again, which led to Rwanda invading the country in 1998 ostensibly to create a zone in the DRC-Rwanda borderlands as a shield against Hutu militias. Many of the neighbouring countries were sucked into the war such as Angola (which reversed its alliance following the coming to power of Kabila), Namibia and Zimbabwe which fought the Rwandan, Ugandan and Burundi militaries on the other side of the conflict. It was amid the turbulence of the Second Congo Conflict that Laurent Kabila was assassinated in a 2001 coup attempt planned by his aides and guards. He was succeeded by his son, Joseph Kabila, who formally ended the Second Congo War in 2002. It was estimated that as many as three million people lost their lives during the Second Congo War.

The current round of conflict – or the Third Congo War – started in 2022 after the Rwandan forces  entered into DRC to provide military support to the March 23 Movement, M23, rebel group. Rwandan troops were accused of fighting alongside the M23 militia group against the Congolese military, FARDC, and pro-government militias. The M23, a prominent militia group made up primarily of ethnic Tutsis, had become a major force in eastern DRC by the early 2000s and Kigali was repeatedly accused of funding the group. In fact in 2013, the UN Security Council authorised a rare offensive brigade under the mandate of the UN Organisation Stabilization Mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, to support the Congolese army in its fight against M23. Unfortunately while the activities of M23 were contained following MONUSCO, other flashpoints also developed, most of them rooted in carryovers from the 1994 Rwandan genocides and the First and Second Congo Wars. 

Blessed with abundant natural resources, including having some of the world’s largest reserves of metals and rare earth minerals used to produce advanced electronics, the DRC has witnessed a proliferation of mining operations from varied interests in a classic illustration of what some social scientists call ‘resource curse’ – the tendency for countries with abundant natural resources to underperform economically and developmentally than those with fewer resources.

Apart from the devastating effects of the almost eternal crises in the DRC both on the country and its neighbours (whose social support systems are being overwhelmed by the influx of refugees from the DRC),  one can also speculate on how the wars in DRC affect  the nation rebuilding process in Rwanda. It is true that many people like to use Rwanda as a model of how a country can rebuild after a horrendous event like the 1994 genocide.

However, with the never-ending Hutu versus Tutsi wars in the DRC (each group with its own backers among the neighbouring countries), and Paul Kagame, the Tutsi leader of the country being partisan in that conflict, one can only speculate on whether the famed ethnic reconciliations in Rwanda is truly so deep that in Rwanda what matters to most people is their Rwandan, not ethnic identity – as we are all made to believe.

•Adibe is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Nasarawa State University

Nigeria’s largest flag carrier, Air Peace, has dismissed reports that its Chairman, Allen Onyema, was stranded at the Ekiti State Agro Allied International Cargo Airport for 24 hours due to the airport’s lack of navigational aids.

The airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, in a statement, described the reports as false, inaccurate and misleading.

Ndiulo said the aircraft scheduled to pick up Onyema and his team on Saturday evening could not land in Ekiti due to poor weather conditions and was rerouted back to Lagos.

Last Saturday, Onyema, enroute to receive an award from the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, FUOYE, landed at the Ekiti airport.

Reports, however, said when Onyema was to leave Ekiti on Saturday evening after receiving the award, his flight could not be cleared to take off because there were no navigational aids and his B737 could not work out a coordinate to fly out of Ekiti airport.

Dismissing these reports, Ndiulo stated: “We are aware of select online reports that the Chairman/CEO, Air Peace Limited, Allen Onyema, was stranded for over 24 hours at the Ekiti State Agro Allied International Cargo Airport due to the airport’s lack of navigational aids on his recent visit to Ekiti.

“We want to categorically state that this report is false, inaccurate and misleading. This is a deliberate misrepresentation of facts designed to malign Air Peace and its leadership. The claim that his pilot took a risky manoeuvre to exit Ekiti airport to Lagos is an outright fabrication that irresponsibly suggests a breach of aviation safety protocols—something Air Peace would never engage in.

“The aircraft scheduled to pick up Onyema and his team on Saturday evening could not land in Ekiti due to poor weather conditions (heavy rain). As a standard safety precaution, the flight was rerouted back to Lagos. This is a routine occurrence in global aviation and not a reflection of any inadequacy on the part of the airport.

“At no point did any Air Peace flight engage in unsafe operations, contrary to the false narrative. Air Peace upholds the highest international aviation safety standards, with safety as our top priority.

“It is disappointing that someone chose to push a sensational and misleading narrative despite having been provided with the accurate sequence of events. This reckless journalism not only misinforms the public but also attempts to tarnish the reputation of Nigeria’s leading airline.

“At Air Peace, safety is not just a priority but a fundamental precondition for all our activities. We remain committed to maintaining safe and timely operations.”

[Vanguard]

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, says Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, should stop acting like a “crying child” and move on from the ministerial snub episode.

In July 2023, Tinubu sent the list of ministerial nominees, including el-Rufai, to the senate for screening and confirmation.

The senate withheld el-Rufai’s confirmation over petitions filed against him on security grounds.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, the ex-governor said Nigerians should not believe the narrative that the national assembly rejected him as a ministerial nominee.

El-Rufai said Tinubu did not want him in his cabinet after publicly pleading with him beforehand to suspend his future plans and accept the ministerial appointment.

Reacting during an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, Onanuga faulted el-Rufai for his “incessant complaints” about being excluded from Tinubu’s government.

The presidential spokesperson compared the ex-minister’s takes to that of a child “crying over spilt milk”.

“Well, as a person, I pity the former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a minister, but I think it has been a long time now,” Onanuga said.

“Ministers were appointed in August 2023, and I believe it’s time for him to move on. He cannot continue to behave like a child, as if someone stole his bread… crying over spilt milk, as we say.

“It is natural for him to feel hurt and bad about being excluded. However, as the president acknowledged in his recent tribute to him, Nasir actually played a significant role in helping to install President Tinubu.

“Still, if he is not part of the government, that does not mean he must bring down the roof. The president has nothing against him.

“I believe Nasir feels naturally hurt by his exclusion, which is why he is going everywhere campaigning against the president. This shows a man who resents being left out of the moving train and refuses to let go.

“As a brother and former governor, my advice to him is simple: he should forget about it if he was not made a minister.

“He has been in public service since 1999, and I think the hurt started when he was not appointed a minister. That explains why he has been making these statements.

“Even yesterday, in an interview with Arise TV, he claimed that it was the president who blocked his appointment.”

El-Rufai had also hinted at ditching the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

[TheCable]