ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Nigeria Police Force Police Public Relations Officer, has stated that police personnel can break into any property without a warrant if they suspect that crime is going on there.

Adejobi said this on Saturday in reaction to a shocking video that has sparked outrage, showing masked armed policemen in improper attire, invading a property without a warrant.

The officers scaled the fence and fired shots to disperse people. This blatant disregard for protocol and human rights has raised concerns about police brutality and accountability.

In response, the Nigeria Police Force has condemned the actions of the officers involved, acknowledging that their behaviour was unacceptable. However, the police also emphasised their authority to enter properties where they reasonably suspect a crime is being committed.

In the video clip shared by @General_Somto and tagged, "What’s Going On Here???", two masked policemen, wearing improper attire and carrying AK-47 rifles, are seen ordering the occupants of a house, whose location has not been confirmed, to open their gate.

A young man in the video is seen telling the masked men that they cannot open the gate for them unless they show their faces and a search warrant.

The man, supposedly the owner of the house, said, "Imagine police people with facemasks come into my house to force our door, said that we are fraudsters."

The masked policemen are overheard saying, "You said you no go open the gate? Ok!" The occupants of the house replied, saying: "Yes, we are not going to open the gate to masked armed men. We don't know you."

Thereafter, the armed men cocked their guns and one released a shot, forcing the house occupants to run inside the house. One of them is overheard urging others to "get down".

The policeman who fired the shot is then seen scaling the fence of the house. After gaining access into the compound, he proceeded to open the gate for his colleague.

Reacting to it, Adejobi stated: "Let's clarify an issue here. The police have the power to break into any house or place where they are reasonably convinced an offence is being committed. That is understandable.

"But I am not too ok with their dressing and appearance. It is improper dressing. Policemen are not allowed to wear masks or tie head gear. These are 2 issues we need to iron out. What is the offence of the people to have warranted breaking in, and why this dressing?

"I wish I knew the location so that we could direct these questions to the men involved. However, I have shared the video with d PPROs to locate the men. We need to investigate the scene captured in the video. Thanks."

A tragic event unfolded on Tuesday in the Oke-Ijeun area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, where an elderly woman, Kehinde Ojo, was lynched by a mob following accusations of witchcraft.

Disturbing videos circulating on social media show Ojo, visibly frail and unable to speak, being subjected to inhumane treatment while lying in a pit.

The old woman was accused by the mob of transforming from a large bird into a human in broad daylight. According to a Saturday PUNCH report, a prophetess from a local white garment church raised the alarm, claiming that Ojo transformed from a bird into a human and fell onto her church’s roof while she was praying. In a video, the prophetess and other community members were seen interrogating the old woman. The prophetess's name could not be ascertained.

A video shows personnel from the state police command rescuing the woman. She was reportedly taken to the hospital but later died.

Narrating the incident to Saturday PUNCH, Kabir Kehinde, one of the deceased's children, accused the prophetess and her son of beating his mother to death. According to him, his mother lost her way while visiting his brother, who lived behind the church, on Monday evening and was attacked by the prophetess.

“My mother was not a witch; she was wrongly accused and beaten to death by the prophetess. My mother had gone to visit my brother on Monday evening and lost her way because she had sight problems.

“The prophetess and others beat her from Monday evening till Tuesday morning. They inflicted injuries on her because they were pestering her to confess to witchcraft.

“Despite her repeated pleas of innocence, they descended on her, beating and accusing her of witchcraft.

“My mother was still bleeding from the injuries even till the day we buried her. We have reported the case to the police and the prophetess has been arrested,” Kehinde said.

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Omolola Odutola, on the phone for an update on the issue failed.

Meanwhile, Leo Igwe of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches has urged Nigerians to realize that no human being turns into a bird, snake, or cat as popularly believed.

He said the statement has become necessary following a viral video of the elderly woman in the Ago/Egun Isabo area in Ogun State.

Igwe said, “This video illustrates the grip of superstition on the minds of Nigerians. Modern education has not succeeded in weakening this grip. The misconception that a human being can turn into a bird remains a popular superstition.

“The notion that a human being could magically turn or transform into a bird or cat is counterintuitive. This claim contradicts the fundamentals of science and logic that Nigerians study in schools. Religions often preach, peddle, and reinforce this mistaken idea, and baseless nonsense, motivating Nigerians to show no compassion for persons believed to have the capacity to transform into animals.

“Nigerians often use this misconception to justify murder, torture and maltreatment of elderly persons, including those suffering from dementia and other mental health challenges.”

AfAW urged Nigerians to abandon such superstitions and embrace science and critical thinking.

Prof. Emeka Chukwuma, a lecturer at the Delta State University, Abraka, has been reportedly killed by gunmen.

According to PUNCH Online, it was gathered that Chukwuma returned to his home town, Umueji in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Friday for his usual weekend when the assassins killed him in his house.

Sources told The PUNCH that the 56-year-old professor usually comes home every weekend in Asaba.

“Prof. Emeka Chukwuma was assassinated in Asaba on Friday night. He is a lecturer at the Delta State University, Abraka, Anwai campus but later went back to the Abraka campus after the conversion of Anwai campus to Dennis Osadebey University.

“Prof Chukwuma usually comes home every weekend, it is unfortunate that he came back yesterday for his usual weekend and was assassinated in his place at St. Bridges area of Umueji quarter, in Asaba.

“As I speak to you now, Asaba is no longer safe, we are confused over the situation”, the source lamented.

Meanwhile, there have been a lot of reported killings and kidnappings in Asaba in recent times as residents have urged the security agencies to stand up for their responsibility of the protection of life and property.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Bright Edafe who confirmed the killing, said the police are looking into the killing with a view to arresting the perpetrators.

He said, “Yes, it is confirmed, they have reported the matter to the police, and we are looking into the incident.”

Emoseh Khamofu, the popular Nigerian singer, who is known professionally as Bloody Civilian, has opened up on her sexuality.

According to her, she is a lesbian.

The ‘Blood On The Dance Floor’ crooner said she is tired of hiding her sexuality.

On her X handle on Saturday, she wrote, “I’m actually a lesbian. [I] can’t hide it anymore.”

Im actually a lesbian. Can’t hide it anymore. ✌?

— BLOODY CIVILIAN (@bloody__civ) January 25, 2025

Her revelation triggered mixed reactions as the beautiful songbird is the crush of many men, some of whom have publicly declared their love for her on social media.

Detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed fear of getting an unfavourable judgment from any court in Abuja.

Naija News reports that this was conveyed by his Lead Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in a social media post after visiting Kanu at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Service, DSS, where he has been in confinement since June 2021 when he was abducted and extraordinary renditioned from Kenya.

According to Ejimakor, the IPOB leader expressed frustration over handling his cases, which he described as a flagrant disregard for due process and the rule of law.

According to him, those benefitting from insecurity in the Southeast decide what adverse decisions to make.

He wrote, “He asked us to inform the general public that he’s not expecting any favourable judgment from any courts in Abuja because his cases are not decided in accordance with the rules of law but the rules of politics – dirty and deadly politics.

“The way and manner the laws are applied to him are not in conformity with the written laws of Nigeria or the pertinent international laws.

“Those benefitting from insecurity are the ones deciding what negative decisions to deliver because if justice were to be done, the well-orchestrated and heavily funded attacks and demonisation of his person and his lofty mission would no longer resonate with the public.

“Onyendu MNK urged the public to read all court decisions and judgements pertaining to him and IPOB to understand that what the law says is not what is being done. He insists that his trial is a sham designed to destroy truth and justice.”

Recall that Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja High Court had, mid-last year, recused herself from the matter, but the matter, after some time, was reassigned to her amidst protests by Kanu and his legal team.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has accused the current administration of harboring more corrupt officials, whom he described as “Yahoo people,” than those outside the government.

Obi made the remark during his keynote address at the 4th graduation ceremony of Nexford University, where he was the guest speaker. Themed “Lead the Change; Ignite Your Future,” the event highlighted the importance of leadership and youth empowerment.

Speaking on governance and corruption, Obi lamented the state of affairs in the country, asserting that it has become a haven for looters both within and outside government.

“For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices, it is only Yahoo boys. There are actually more Yahoo people in government than there are outside because we have turned the entire country into a crime scene where people inside are stealing and people outside are stealing,” he said.

Obi underscored the necessity of quality leadership to steer the nation toward development, urging the graduates to become agents of change in their respective communities.

“It is about leadership and igniting the future. It is not rocket science but it is difficult. It is being able to have a strong character, the ability not to do the wrong thing,” he noted.

Encouraging the graduates, Obi said, “You have acquired knowledge today. Use what you have learnt to help us change society. It is for you to help bring a better change in that society that you want to live in.”

The former governor of Anambra State further stated, “You are a victim of Nigeria because our age and the age before has refused to do what is right and you are suffering it.”

The Labour Party leader emphasized the critical role of young people in transforming the country, urging them to leverage their skills and education to lead with integrity.

The US State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance worldwide, effective immediately, days after President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order Monday to put a hold on such aid for 90 days.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable, seen by CNN, to all US diplomatic posts on Friday outlining the move, which threatens billions of dollars of funding from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for programs worldwide.

Foreign assistance has been the target of ire from Republicans in Congress and Trump administration officials, but the funding accounts for very little of the overall US budget. The scope of the executive order and subsequent cable has left humanitarian and State Department officials reeling.

The cable calls for immediate “stop work” orders on existing foreign assistance and pauses new aid. It is sweeping in its scope. Essentially all foreign assistance appears to have been targeted unless specifically exempted. That means lifesaving global health aid, development assistance, military aid, and even clean water distribution could all be affected.

The cable provides a waiver only for emergency food assistance and foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt. The cable does not specifically mention any other countries that receive foreign military financing, like Ukraine or Taiwan, as being exempt from the freeze.

In the coming month, the cable said, the administration will develop standards for a review of whether the assistance is “aligned with President Trump’s foreign policy agenda.”

“Decisions whether to continue, modify, or terminate programs will be made following this review,” the cable states, noting that such a review should be completed within 85 days.

In a public statement on Wednesday, Rubio said that “every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”

The impact of the freeze on assistance will be immense because the US is consistently the world’s largest humanitarian donor.

“It’s a global freak out at the moment,” a humanitarian official said Saturday.

InterAction, an alliance of international nongovernmental organizations, said in a statement Saturday that the freeze “interrupts critical life-saving work including clean water to infants, basic education for kids, ending the trafficking of girls, and providing medications to children and others suffering from disease. It stops assistance in countries critical to U.S. interests, including Taiwan, Syria, and Pakistan.”

“The recent stop-work cable from the State Department suspends programs that support America’s global leadership and creates dangerous vacuums that China and our adversaries will quickly fill,” the statement said.

One humanitarian official said the pause is incredibly disruptive and said the specifics of the cable are “as bad as can be.”

Another official told CNN that while they expected there to be cuts or changes to assistance to specific areas, they were not expecting such a sweeping and immediate pause. They said that the humanitarian needs worldwide are acute and a freeze in assistance from the US could be detrimental.

In his executive order, Trump claimed that the US “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values.”

However, one of the officials noted that assistance programs, such as those related to global health, which are targeted by the freeze, are in the US’ interest and had enjoyed bipartisan support.

“Making sure there are not pandemics is in our interest. Global stability is in our interest,” they said.

Democratic Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York and Lois Frankel of Florida said in a Friday letter to Rubio that programs that appear affected by the freeze such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) “depend on an uninterrupted supply of medicines.” PEPFAR and PMI were launched by Republican President George W. Bush and have long enjoyed bipartisan support.

Meeks serves as the top Democratic on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Frankel is a member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee, meaning they both have oversight over State Department and USAID funding.

They added that people around the world — such as in conflict-ridden Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and Ukraine — rely on the continued flow of aid from the United States.

“Congress has appropriated and cleared these funds for use, and it is our constitutional duty to make sure these funds are spent as directed,” the letter read. “These funds respond directly to your stated challenge of carrying out a foreign policy that makes the United States stronger, safer, and more prosperous.”

The International AIDS Society warned on Saturday that halting PEPFAR would place millions of lives in jeopardy. IAS President Beatriz Grinsztejn said in a statement, “This is a matter of life or death. PEPFAR provides lifesaving antiretrovirals for more than 20 million people — and stopping its funding essentially stops their HIV treatment. If that happens, people are going to die and HIV will resurge.”

Archbishop Idahosa openly accuses Fellowship President of not keeping to promise

…other leaders concur

The National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Archbishop Wale Oke, may not be reelected as some senior leaders of the body, among others, are accusing him of non-performance.

Oke, who was first elected into office in 2023 for a two-year term, is due for reelection in February 2025 during the biennial conference of the body.

But those who are dissatisfied with his administration say the PFN has lost the vibrancy it was noted for under the previous leadership, especially under Archbishop Benson Idahosa, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, among others, and believe he should not be reelected.

PFN is the umbrella body for Pentecostal Christians in Nigeria and its members include the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) led by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Word of Life Bible Church led by Oritsejafor, Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) led by Archbishop David Oyedepo, Deeper Life Church led by Rev Kumuyi, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM) led by Pastor Olukoya, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) led by Okonkwo, Church of Mission led by the late Idahosa but is now led by his widow, Margaret, Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM) led by Rev (Mrs) Mercy Ezekiel, House on the Rock led by Pastor Paul Adefarasin, and the Sword of the Spirit led by Oke.

The Fellowship is arguable the largest Christian body in Nigeria and one of the bodies that make up the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

In fact, some analysts say 60 per cent of Nigerian Christians belong to the PFN even though CAN is made up of about five groups.

Discontent

Discontent against the PFN leader blew open recently after one of the senior leaders of the Fellowship, Mama Margaret Idahosa, openly alleged that Oke failed to keep to promise although she said she had forgiven him.

The occasion was the 70th birthday of Oyedepo, held recently at Winners Chapel, where the Archbishop of the Church of God Mission described Oyedepo in glowing terms but ended her tribute by accusing Oke, who was seated there alongside Adeboye and wife, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, among others, of not keeping to promise.

In concluding the tribute in which she called Oyedepo an oak tree, a big elephant and a promise keeper, having fulfilled the covenant he made with her husband about 26 years ago, Mama Idahosa said: “Happy birthday to you sir, happy birthday to you ma, and happy birthday to all of us. Baba Adeboye (RCCG General Overseer), I thank you very much. Okonkwo (TREM Archbishop), I thank you very much, and Wale Oke, I have forgiven everything because he promised me and he did not come … but he is all under the lamb”.

Many senior leaders of the PFN who spoke with Sunday Vanguard echoed the Idahosa statement, saying the PFN National President’s promise to also keep the Fellowship vibrant had only been fulfilled in the breach.

“How much contribution of the PFN to national discourse have you heard in the last two years of the Wale Oke administration? This is a critical time in the life of Nigeria, and a crucial body like the PFN should be seen to be contributing its quota. But what have we seen?” one of the leaders said.

“When Bishop Oke took over the leadership, the PFN was vibrant. And Bishop Oke did promise to keep it vibrant as we had witnessed under Idahosa, Okonkwo, Oritsejafor.

“Today, nobody reckons with the PFN anymore because we have a leadership that is not pulling its weight. How many press statements have you seen from the PFN in two years? How many media appearances have you seen of our leadership? How many newspaper interviews? Everything about us just went into voicemail.

“Even our programmes, who attends now? Before the rot set in, high profile government were always willing to attend”.

The PFN leader cited the case of the Lagos branch of the Fellowship which operated without leadership for about one year because the national leadership appeared to have lost control.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that because of the perceived non-performance of the Wale Oke leadership, there is growing agitation for a new leadership in the Fellowship.

Meanwhile it could not be ascertained if those seeking to stop the PFN National President’s second term have zeroed-in on a particular candidate.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has given the green light to the promotion of approximately 900 officers.

The commission also reinstated life and property insurance for its operatives.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, revealed this at the commission’s 2024 Rewards and Recognition ceremony in Abuja on Saturday.

Olukoyede stated that the commission, under his leadership, is working tirelessly to improve the welfare of its personnel.

He revealed that some staff members had been awaiting promotion for six or seven years.

Similarly, according to him, the commission is taking steps to address the long-standing issue of insurance, which has been absent for 20 years.

“We have approved the promotion of about 900 staff, some of whom have been awaiting promotion for about six or seven years.

“We are also taking steps to solve the issues of insurance. For 20 years, we have not had any life and property insurance.

“I believe that in another one or two months, we should be done with our life insurance and also the property insurance,” he said.

According to Olukoyede, the commission has recently taken delivery of 84 apartment units in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

He said the apartments would be distributed and sold to staff members at cost, without any interest charged on the purchase price.

Oloyede further confirmed that he was working on a package to adjust the cost of living for officers, adding that this would be unveiled soon.

“You are aware that we have just taken delivery of about 84 units of apartment in Lekki area in Lagos.

“They are going to be distributed and sold to staff at cost without charging one dime interest on the purchase cost of purchase value,” he explained.

The EFCC chairman emphasised that the commission would do everything possible to ensure the welfare of its personnel was well taken care of, within the limits of its resources.

“We are going to do everything possible to ensure that our welfare is well taken care of within the limits of our resources.

“Even if we have to stretch ourselves, I think we deserve it by virtue of the risk we take in this job,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of integrity, stating that it is the best preservation and assurance.

“Indeed, this recognition coming at a time like this when some bad eggs in our fold are trying to bring back the hand of the clock against our cherished values is a morale booster.

“It shows that hard work pays and integrity has good rewards. For those taking shortcuts to help themselves, I equally charge you to retrace yourself to accountable conduct.

“The internal cleansing going on in the commission will spare no one.

“I will continue to stress the need for us to do the right thing. Integrity is the best preservation and assurance.

“Anything short of it is a disaster waiting to happen. Excellence is not about doing things right once in a while. It is about doing things right at all times.

“You need to continue to offer your best as the reward for hard work is no work.

“Government expects us to do more. Nigerians expect us to do more. And we cannot afford to fail,” he said.

During the ceremony, Alvan Gurumnaan was awarded an SUV car for emerging as the best staff member in 2024, while 35 others received cash awards for their outstanding performance.

The Sokoto Zonal Directorate was also recognised as the Best Directorate in 2024.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has reacted to the statement made by the former Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, who is insisting that he remains the speaker.

According to a statement signed by Ogundipe Olukayode on behalf of the Assembly, it is imperative to clarify that over two-third of the state assembly members are united behind the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.

The lawmakers said nothing could change the decision taken on the 13th of January when Obasa was impeached as the speaker.

Olukayode said as elected representatives of the people of Lagos, the assembly members owe the public good governance and harmonious relationship with other arms of government.

He said, “The position of the house remains the same and nothing has changed. The position being canvassed by former Speaker, Rt Hon Obasa is uncalled for and unparliamentary.”

He further explained that the majority of members elected Obasa as speaker for the 10th Assembly and later took a majority decision to remove him.

He appealed to the former speaker to toe the line of peace and harmony as being followed by others.