The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, on Saturday, confirmed that his appointment was facilitated by the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Lokpobiri spoke on Saturday at an event organised in honour of Wike by the Ijaw Peoples Congress (IPC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

He said, “It is important to tell you my brothers and sisters that me that is standing before you today as the minister of state for petroleum resources was also made possible by Nyesom Wike.

“You also heard the account of the MD of the NDDC who said that the minister of the FCT played a direct role in his appointment.

“My own case could have been a more direct role. Some of you may not know. It all started in Wike’s house in Port Harcourt and it all got concluded in his house in Abuja.

“My second journey of becoming a minister started at the house of the minister in Port Harcourt and it was concluded in his house in Abuja. It is important for me to complete this history.

“Because when I was looking at the welcome address, our names were not included among those who have benefitted from his benevolence. I thought that my name, Heineken Lokpobiri, would have been included amongst those that he has helped.

“But since my name is not included, I have to complete it. I want you Ijaw people to know that we have a brother, we have a friend.

“It is always better to have a good friend than to have a bad brother. Of what use is a bad brother? It is of no use. But if you have a good friend in the case of the FCT minister, you are already blessed.

“Your excellency, the FCT minister, let me on behalf of the Ijaw people all over the world, express our gratitude to you for your show of love to Ijaw people.

“We Ijaw people are very grateful people. If you do us good, we will not pay you back with evil. So, we will always be grateful to you for what you have done for our Ijaw people. We are looking forward to you to do more for our Ijaw people.”

Lokpobiri, who hails from Bayelsa, served as minister of state for agriculture and rural development between 2015 to 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was appointed minister of state for petroleum resources by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023 — the same time Wike was named FCT minister.

The senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has expressed his frustration over the pervasive corruption in Nigeria, noting that those who steal public funds are often celebrated.

Speaking to journalists in Kano on Sunday, Ndume voiced his concerns, highlighting the nation’s lack of effective laws to combat corruption.

He stated, “Our major challenge in this country is corruption. Up till now, we have no law that can proactively or reactively address the issue of corruption in the country.

“If you see somebody in our system, especially in politics or government and he is not corrupt, then he is lucky to be God-fearing. Otherwise, it is only in Nigeria that you steal money and you walk freely and you are celebrated.”

Ndume explained how, in many cases, individuals who gain sudden wealth are not questioned about its source.

“If you come into an area like this, people would start lobbying you and prostrate before you even when they know that the money was stolen.

“It is only in this country that somebody had no money yesterday or last week, but the following week he buys 10 cars; buys jets and his brothers would fly with him, his mother would fly with him, his uncle would fly with him, and they would say Allah has blessed our son,” he remarked.

The senator also revealed his efforts to pass legislation targeting unexplained wealth in Nigeria, which were unsuccessful. He recalled approaching a former head of state to support an executive bill on the matter, only to be turned down.

“Up till now, there is no law on unexplained wealth Act in Nigeria and there is no Executive Order on it,” Ndume added.

In addition to corruption, Ndume also raised concerns about the growing hunger crisis in the country.

He urged for greater investment in agriculture, pointing out that Nigeria has vast arable land that remains underutilized.

“There is hunger in the land and up till now we have not cultivated up to five per cent of our land, Nigeria is blessed with massive arable land,” the senator stressed.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has dismissed ASCII Maikano Sarkin-Tasha, over his alleged aiding and abetting of bandits terrorizing Zamfara State.

ASCII Maikano Sarkin-Tasha was accused of supplying hard drugs and ammunition to bandits and terrorists. Sarkin-Tasha was among the 17 suspected bandits paraded by the police command in Zamfara on Friday.

The Zamfara State NSCDC Commandant, Sani Mustapha, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Gusau on Saturday.

Mustapha said Sarkin-Tasha was arrested at a checkpoint, between the Damba and Sabon Gida axis, while on his way to his hometown, Mada village of Gusau Local Government Area of the state.

He confirmed that three armour G3 rifles and one armour anti-rocket launcher were allegedly found on him. He also confirmed that some elements suspected to be cannabis and other hard drugs were found on him.

Mustapha said, “He was allegedly found with some elements suspected to be cannabis and other hard drugs in possession.

“Other items found on him were three armour of G3 rifles and one armour of anti-rocket launcher.

“I wish to state that the Commandant-General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi, who also received the news with shock and disappointment has condemned the alleged barbaric behaviour of the officer.

“He has directed me to take necessary administrative actions, including immediate dismissal of the personnel from the Corps’ nominal roll.”

Organisers of the #FearlessOctober1 protest have declared that the police, Department of State Services, and the military would not stop them from embarking on the demonstration as planned.

The organisers have also written to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to request security during the demonstration, noting that protest is a fundamental right they would not submit to any state agent.

Nigeria will celebrate its 64th independence on Tuesday, October 1, the day some Nigerian youths have taken to protest the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.

The National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, and Director of Mobilisation of the group, Damilare Adenola, said mobilisation efforts had begun, adding that Nigerians were mobilising from different parts of the country for the protest.

“We have also written to the Inspector General of Police, informing him of our protest locations and reminding him of the constitutional duty of the police to protect protesters as opposed to the repression we have witnessed in times past,” said Sanyaolu.

The group explained that the FCT protest would be held at the Eagle Square, the same venue of the Independence Day parade, while the Lagos protest would take place at the Ikeja Under Bridge.

The organisers noted that the protest would be across the country, adding that only ‘immediate reversal of fuel subsidy removal’ would dissuade them from the demonstration.

The IG, Egbetokun, had directed the Force zonal and state commands to deploy men from Monday to strategic locations until a stand-down order was given.

Egbetokun also directed that the policemen should dress in camouflage with hats, even as he asked the Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Commissioners of Police to engage and discourage available civil society groups and individuals from participating in the protest.

We are not afraid – Sowore, Adeyanju

However, a leader of the protest, Omoyele Sowore, said the youth were not afraid of the police, adding that the protest would hold as planned.

Sowore explained that the reported fear of some people about the possibility of violence during the protest was not true.

“Nobody has expressed to us or anyone that they’re afraid because they know we are not violent protesters; maybe you should ask that of the government,” he added.

Lawyer to the organisers, Deji Adeyanju, said it was wrong for the police to summon protesters who were exercising their right.

“The police do not have the right to summon protesters like they are currently doing. It is the responsibility of the police to protect the protesters anytime they embark on a demonstration. The protesters are not political parties; security agencies should not harass them,” he stated.

The counsel noted that the crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protesters in August was to discourage people from participating in further demonstrations in the country.

He, however, said the arrest and detention of some of the demonstrators would not deter youths from joining the #FearlessOctober1 protest.

Adeyanju said, “The government plans to discourage people from coming out to protest; that is why they are still detaining our comrades who participated in the August protest. But that will not dampen the morale of the youths on the #FearlessOctober protest.”

Eight groups to join Lagos protest

On his part, Adenola said the organisers would not be deterred by the deployment of security agencies.

He added that the #FearlessOctober1 demonstration was a continuation of the #Endbadgovernance protest, which took place in August, adding that the demonstration was necessitated by the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands.

He listed some of their demands to include the reversal of the subsidy removal policy, amendment of the constitution, overhauling of the legislature, and the unconditional release of protesters in police custody.

Adenola said, “We are unperturbed by the threats issued by security agencies. What we have seen so far is that they (security agencies) don’t respect the rights of protesters; they may end up instigating violence against protesters.

“But we will keep warning them to ensure that they respect people’s right to express their grievances as guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We are also using this opportunity to call on the Nigerian people to come out unafraid and express their grievances. When we have enough protesters on the ground, the police and other security agencies will dare not harass them.

“People are experiencing hardship, and the government is telling them not to protest. It is just natural; people have to speak up against this hardship inflicted by President Bola Tinubu’s government,” Adenola said.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement, Peluola Adewale, said no harassment or intimidation from any security agencies would stop the protest, disclosing that about eight civil society groups would participate in the demonstration in Lagos State.

He warned the government against sponsoring hoodlums to infiltrate genuine protesters during the protests, stating that the demonstration would be peaceful in Lagos.

“We cannot rule out the fact that the government can sponsor violence to discredit the protest, but we want to warn them against that. People should not be deprived of their freedom of expression and assembly. Protest is our fundamental right, and we cannot surrender it to the police or anyone. We are not afraid of the police, DSS, or military,” he added.

Another leader of the protesters, Taiwo Hassan, said Nigerians had the right to freedom of expression and lawful assembly.

He said, “We are never going to submit our rights. Yes, you know many people might be afraid of what will happen if they are shot or what happens if they are arrested. But increasingly as people are thinking of that, people are also realising that our condition in this country is one between the devil and the deep blue sea. If you come out to protest, yes, maybe there is a chance that you might be arrested or you might be killed.

“But people also realize that even when you stay at home and don’t come out to protest, it doesn’t mean your life will be safe. Hunger is killing people right there in their bedroom. People are committing suicide and the state of insecurity means that none of us is safe.”

Police assure Katsina protesters

Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command has said it had implemented measures to ensure the planned nationwide protest does not descend into chaos.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, on Saturday, said the command had mobilised both human and intelligence resources to guarantee safety before, during, and after the protest.

Sadiq said, “We have taken proactive measures to ensure public safety and security. Adequate personnel have been deployed to prevent any breakdown of law and order, with enhanced intelligence gathering, surveillance, and patrols across the state.

“While we recognise the rights of citizens to protest, we urge protesters to exercise these rights responsibly and within the framework of the law.”

Several ministries and agencies under the administration of President Bola Tinubu have reportedly expended no less than ₦1.8 billion on air tickets, estacodes, and duty tour allowances between July and September 2024.

This data, sourced from GovSpend, raises questions about the government’s spending priorities amidst ongoing economic challenges facing the nation.

The expenditures encompass a wide range of ministries and agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Ministry of Youth Development, and the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Other notable entities involved are the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Additionally, the Technical Aid Corps, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission also contributed to this substantial spending.

Checks by Punch showed that the ministries and agencies spent ₦755,884,949.44 on Duty Tour Allowances and another ₦1,044,858,941.48 on estacodes and air tickets and foreign trips, totalling ₦1,800,743,930.92 spent between July and September 26, 2024.

Among the biggest spenders are the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which spent ₦322m; the Ministry of Finance with a total spending of ₦187.2m; the ICPC with ₦150m; and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources with ₦108m all in the space of three months.

Recall that the President, Bola Tinubu, had placed a three-month ban on publicly-funded trips for Ministers and heads of agencies beginning April 1 2024, in a letter dated March 2 2024, from the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff.

The letter explained that the ban aimed to reduce the rise in expenses incurred by MDAs on international travel and ensure that the ministers and heads of agencies were focused on their respective mandates.

While the ban period has elapsed, it was discovered that some ministries incurred as much as ₦21m in expenses for travel tickets and estacodes within days.

The Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, who spoke with Punch on the development described the figures as “a wasteful expenditure,” saying, “We have advised the government that during these austere times, they should implement their policy that government officials should not spend on frivolities. We can even excuse the Ministry of Blue Economy because it is new, we are just learning about Blue Economy and how to make it work for us.

“But some other ministries have been operating for ages, and most Nigerians know what they are supposed to do and what they should not do. So, there is no reason for the Ministry of Women Affairs and several of them like that to spend so much on foreign trips and seminars.”

The Executive Director of the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwaguma, described the spending as “a misallocation of government resources”, adding that the development underscored the need for stringent policies regarding travel and expenditure by government officials.

“These expenditures should prompt a re-evaluation of government spending practices and policies to ensure that public funds are used effectively and in the best interest of the populace,” He said

Also, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, lamented that the travels had not attracted needed foreign direct investments to the country.

Veteran actor, Patrick Doyle has stated that it is insensitive for members of a church to buy Rolls Royce for their general overseer at a time when many Nigerians can barely feed themselves.

The thespian submission is coming barely 24 hours after the founder of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, was gifted two Rolls Royce Cullinan at his 70th birthday party.

Speaking via his social media account, Doyle argued that the money used in purchasing the luxury cars could have been used to erect structures that would be of benefit to the general public.

He warned that showing off wealth while the masses are suffering might lead to the spark that would cause the anticipated revolution.

The actor wrote, “In these austere times, we all need to be sensitive how we mark landmark celebrations for ourselves or in honour of persons we hold in high esteem. We should even be sensible enough to tone down the public appearance of our affluence. Now is not the time to ride around our streets filled with hungry and despondent Nigerians in our luxury cars. 

“I personally know of a friend of mine who has a Rolls Royce and many other luxury cars in his fleet. He now drives around in a Ford Escape, not as a show of false modesty, but as a gesture of sensitivity to the prevailing hardship in the land. Sadly, not many others in his socio-economic class are doing the same thing. The insensitivity of the elite may very well provide the spark for the long anticipated revolution Nigeria needs for a reset. I am still in a wonder bubble how or why congregants of a denomination chose to celebrate the birthday of their founder by buying him a Rolls Royce at this time. 

“In my naive opinion, I find it to be insensitive in the extreme. While I appreciate the importance of celebrating a man like their founder, a more sensitive gesture would have been to build a socially relevant facility or institute a scholarship scheme in his honour. The cost of the Rolls Royce could certainly have funded any of the things I just mentioned. We appear to be a people who get stuck on old formats and ways of doing things. When congregations used to buy cars for their pastors, it was at a time many of the pastors could not on their own muster the resources to buy one themselves. This is certainly not the case in this instance. The celebrator, in this case, already has a fleet of luxury autos and even aircrafts. A more befitting birthday gift might have been the construction and equipping of a vocational training centre in his name or any other such thing.  

“The public already has the impression that as the founder of 2 elite private universities, he is not sufficiently acquainted with the sufferings of the masses. So, a gesture such as I have suggested might have helped to mitigate that impression. This is my humble opinion offered from the depth of my affection for the great man who I personally hold in the highest esteem.’’

An investigative report by FIJ reveals that social media influencer and crossdresser, Bobrisky spent only three weeks of her or his sentence in prison and the rest in a secret location

Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, the Nigerian crossdresser popularly known as Bobrisky served only three weeks of her or his six-month sentence in prison, a report by FIJ has revealed.

The report follows the revelation on Tuesday by Martins Vincent Otse, a social media activist popularly known as VeryDarkMan of an audio in which Bobrisky was alleged to have claimed that she or he spent his or her sentence mostly out of prison and that she or he compromised operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with N15m to drop the ‘money laundering’ charge against him or her.

According to the FIJ report, while Bobrisky was indeed taken to Kirikiri prison in April after his or her sentence was pronounced, the news report deposes that he or she left after just three weeks.

According to the FIJ report, Bobrisky was guided like a president for the three weeks she or he spent in prison before he was moved out.

GWG.ng had also reported that Bobrisky looked very chubby after she or he came out of prison spurning reports as to whether she or he became pregnant while in custody.

‘GUARDED LIKE A PRESIDENT’

“Bob spent only three weeks here with us in Kirikiri before she was taken out to another place we don’t know,” a prison official told FIJ. “That was where she spent her time; it was an ‘arrangee thing’. And money was involved.”

The source also told FIJ how Bobrisky was “guarded like a president” until she was “secretly taken away after three weeks”.

“She received VIP treatment all through,” said the source. “She lived in a special cell. The money she said she paid is actually true; no lies. Yes, she paid the money.”

The revelations by the source are in consonance with a 2019 undercover investigation by FIJ founder ‘Fisayo Soyombo, for which he deliberately got himself detained for five days by the police and incarcerated for eight days by the prison service, discovering that it was possible to pay money to live in well-furnished apartments inside prisons, pay to bring in phones, drugs and sundry outlawed items, strike one’s name off the prison records and even live outside the prison while supposedly serving out a jail term.

VIDEO CALL CAMERA ON BOBRISKY

Although the prison authorities did not allow Bobrisky to mingle freely with other inmates, consequently reducing the chances of her eventual disappearance being spotted, the prison official told FIJ about one noteworthy incident.

“There was this day one guy was on a video call with his girlfriend, and he suddenly turned the camera on Bobrisky,” the official said. “It was deemed an invasion of Bobrisky’s privacy, so, as punishment, he was locked up in his cell for nearly two months.”

The source added: “As I said, she was heavily guarded, so there weren’t many of such incidents to point at. And she was quietly taken away after three weeks.”

Source: FIJ

Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said he is too big for anybody to fight him, adding that all his imaginary and potential political enemies cannot fight him.

Wike said contrary to reports that Ijaw people were against him in the ongoing political crisis against Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, Ijaw nation is solidly behind him.

Speaking at a civic reception organised in his honour by Rivers Ijaw People’s Congress, in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike said he chose to make Fubara his successor against the opinion of some Ijaw people in 2023.
His words: “It is not true that Ijaw people are fighting me. A father may have 12 children, one can be an armed robber. These people who are going to television to attack me, where were they when we made an Ijaw governor? Nobody is fighting me. I am too big for anybody to fight. All these people put together cannot fight me.

“I told them if you put your hand in Rivers State matter, fire will burn you. Today, they are crying everywhere. Instead of concentrating on how to win elections in their states, they were busy having meetings in Enugu and Taraba states. Who is losing now?”

He warned politicians outside the state to stay out of the Rivers State politics, noting that “Rivers state is very special to me”. Wike alleged that before the civic reception, some boys were sent to bomb the venue of the event at Rainbow Town.

“They sent some boys to come and bomb this place with dynamite. They were arrested by the police. You are encouraging crime in Rivers State. Nobody has a monopoly on violence. We cannot turn investors away from our state through violence.

”I initiated the ring road project. Today, they are going about bragging that they started it. Go to Abuja, I am repeating what I did in Rivers State,”he added.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the PDP Elders Council in the state, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, described Wike as the “most celebrated Rivers politician at the national stage.’’

Wike was accompanied to the reception by members of the G-5 also known as the integrity group led by former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, former Governor Chikezie Ikpeazu and David Umahi. Others include Adamawa State governor, Umaru Fintiri, and Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, among others.

A Nigerian woman has come forward with an account of how her boyfriend, a lecturer at Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State, abandoned her with a twin pregnancy after securing his visa to the UK.

The yet-to-be-identified woman, who shared her story on Saturday via X under the handle #dat_edogirl, revealed the painful details of her ordeal.

In a series of posts, she recounted how she met the lecturer in mid-2019 and fell deeply in love, believing they had a future together.

“He told me about his plans to travel outside the country where his elder brother was,” she said, adding that when they met, he expressed his dissatisfaction with his lecturing job at Auchi Polytechnic, saying he was seeking greener pastures abroad.

By 2022, the lecturer informed her that his visa had been approved, and while she was initially thrilled for him, the joy quickly turned to sorrow when she discovered she was pregnant.

“When I told him about the pregnancy, he said he wouldn’t advise me to keep it because he was traveling and wasn’t ready to be a father,” she recounted.

Despite the potential risks to her life, he pushed her to terminate the pregnancy, even suggesting the use of pills.

“I just told him I wasn’t ready to lose my life,” she added.

Unknown to her at the time, she was carrying twins. Throughout her difficult pregnancy, the lecturer completely cut off contact.

“This guy never called, even once, or replied to my WhatsApp messages,” she said, adding that her nine-month journey was filled with sickness, and she was frequently hospitalised.

The twins were eventually born through a difficult Caesarean section, with one of the babies placed on oxygen due to complications. Even after sharing the news of the birth, the father remained unresponsive.

“I did a video with my phone and sent it on WhatsApp to Kola, still he didn’t reply,” she said.

The financial strain soon became overwhelming as her family struggled to pay the hospital bills.

“My mum was running helter-skelter just to source funds,” she said, with the final bill amounting to 233,000 Naira.

After being discharged, she continued to care for the children alone.

“I named my children myself, did everything myself; he didn’t care or show interest,” she lamented.

Reaching out to his family also proved fruitless, as his brother in Nigeria blocked her after promising to speak with him.

The situation worsened when she travelled to Ondo State to confront her father’s family. She borrowed money from a loan app to make the journey with her mother and children.

Upon arrival, the lecturer’s brother intercepted them at the gate of Adeyemi College of Education and took them elsewhere to avoid creating a scene. When they eventually spoke with the father, he refused to accept responsibility.

“He insulted me and my family to the extent I started crying,” she said, devastated by the verbal abuse.

She blocked his number and finally decided to share her story publicly, appealing for help.

“Please if you know his family in Ondo kindly help me reach out to them. The economy is hard, feeding, clothing, and the kids need to go to school,” she said.

She added, “I am not interested in marrying Kola or having any relationship with him… I just want my kids taken care of.”