Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Lagos State House of Assembly has dismissed reports claiming that 27 lawmakers are planning to defect from the ruling party to the opposition Labour Party (LP), describing the allegations as false and misleading.

Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Ogundipe Stephen, refuted the claims in a statement, labeling the reports as “entirely false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.”

“We find this report not only offensive but also riddled with inaccuracies and outright falsehoods, serving no purpose other than to sow discord and confusion within the Assembly and among the good people of Lagos State,” the statement read.

The Assembly clarified that recent internal changes, including the removal of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and the election of Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda as the new Speaker, were conducted in line with constitutional provisions and did not indicate any intention by members to defect.

“These events in no way suggest any intention by members to leave the party. We emphasize, without any ambiguity, that no member of the Assembly is contemplating defection,” the statement added.

Reaffirming its unity and commitment to governance under the ruling party, the Assembly described the reports as “falsehoods spread by agents of destabilization seeking to create unnecessary tension and division.”

“To our party leaders and supporters across the state, we assure you that all members remain committed to the party. Any internal disagreements within the House will be resolved amicably through peaceful and democratic means. There is no crisis warranting defection,” the statement stressed.

The Assembly also urged the media to adhere to journalistic ethics by verifying information before publication and called on the public to disregard the unfounded claims.

Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, father of the late Herbert Wigwe, and Chukwuka Wigwe have filed an appeal challenging a Lagos State High Court ruling that denied their request for the appointment of interim administrators over the late banker’s estate.

The initial suit, filed before Justice A.O. Adeyemi, sought the appointment of an estate administrator to oversee the management of Herbert Wigwe’s assets. The defendants in the case include Uche Wigwe, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, and Otutochi Wigwe, the 26-year-old daughter of the deceased.

During the proceedings, the claimants’ counsel requested that the case be heard in chambers, citing the involvement of minor children and referencing Section 128 of the Child Rights Law, 2007. However, the defense team, led by Paul Usoro SAN, objected, leading the court to conduct the hearing in open court.

On February 6, 2025, Justice Adeyemi ruled against the claimants’ application for interim administrators, stating that the requested reliefs were too similar to those sought in the main suit.

Following the ruling, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe filed an appeal on February 13, 2025, arguing that the court failed to differentiate between interim reliefs, intended to preserve the estate and provide for dependents, and final reliefs, which determine the distribution of assets.

In a related development, Pastor Wigwe has also initiated legal action against Independent Newspaper Ltd. (Suit No. ID/12372/GCMW/2024), seeking an injunction to prevent further media reports after a publication alleged he was seeking a 20% share of the inheritance.

The legal battle over the late Herbert Wigwe’s estate continues as the parties await further court proceedings.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed bank directors with non-performing insider-related loans to resign immediately.

The directive was issued on Monday in a circular signed by the Acting Director of Banking Supervision, Adetona Adedeji.

Insider-related loans refer to credit facilities extended by a financial institution to its own executives, directors, employees, major shareholders, or other related parties.

According to the CBN, the move aims to strengthen corporate governance and enhance risk management in the banking sector.

“Directors with non-performing insider-related facilities are required to step down immediately from the board, while the bank should commence immediate remediation of the loans through the recovery of collaterals, including the shareholdings of the affected directors,” the circular stated.

Citing Section 19 of the Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020, the apex bank directed all banks to implement specific measures regarding insider-related loans.

For insider-related facilities previously approved by the CBN without specific timelines, banks must regularize such loans within 180 days to align with the legal limits—individual director-related facilities must not exceed 5% of the bank’s paid-up capital, while the aggregate insider facilities for the bank should not surpass 10% of paid-up capital.

Additionally, loans granted with specific timelines must be regularized within the permitted period.

The CBN emphasized that banks must comply with these directives immediately to uphold regulatory standards and sound corporate governance practices.

Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) under President Bola Tinubu of attempting to retain power through undemocratic means.

In a statement personally signed by him, Atiku alleged that the Tinubu-led APC was using political brigandage and subversion to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

He was reacting to the crisis in Osun State, which resulted in the death of one person, and the invasion of the Lagos State House of Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police.

Atiku claimed that the APC orchestrated an attack on the democratic process in Osun by attempting to take over local government secretariats using force. He commended the people of Osun for resisting what he described as an attempt to suppress democracy.

He further called on security agencies deployed for the elections to uphold professionalism and avoid being used as political enforcers.

“These are dangerous times. The APC has abandoned any pretense of democratic legitimacy, resorting instead to brute force in its bid to cling to power,” he stated.

Atiku warned that Nigerians must resist any attempts to subvert democracy, adding that the country demands governance, not chaos.

He urged Tinubu and his administration to put an end to what he described as reckless political sabotage, insisting that Nigerians would not allow their democracy to be hijacked.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Oyo State Command, has apprehended 40 suspected illegal immigrants in Akinyele Local Government Area.

Oyo State Comptroller of NIS, Tayo Dada, confirmed the arrests, stating they were carried out based on credible intelligence.

Profiling of the suspects revealed that 27 are Cameroonians, two are Ghanaians, 10 are Beninese, and one is Togolese. Among them, 32 are males and eight are females, aged between 18 and 35 years.

Further investigations indicated that 10 of the individuals are farmers, while 30 claimed to be engaged in online marketing. None possessed valid residence permits or travel documents, having entered Nigeria through unauthorized routes.

Dada disclosed that the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, has ordered the necessary procedures to be followed for their repatriation.

The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed claims that its 2027 presidential ticket has been zoned to the South-East.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party clarified that comments attributed to its National Chairman, Julius Abure, were misinterpreted.

“Labour Party is a national party with a broad support base across the country, and as such, the issue of zoning does not arise,” the statement read.

Ifoh explained that Abure had only urged South-East members at a gathering on Saturday to engage other regions in building political alliances to enhance their chances of securing the presidency.

He cited the Yoruba political bloc’s success in past elections as an example of how strategic realignments could improve electoral prospects.

“In the 2023 general elections, the party secured victories in both northern and southern states, and we are working to surpass that achievement in future elections,” Ifoh added.

He emphasized that all candidates would emerge through a competitive and democratic process, as the party’s constitution does not support zoning.

“We regret the misinterpretation of our party’s position by a section of the media. The Labour Party was quoted out of context,” the statement said.

The LP fielded former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, where he finished third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A military airstrike targeting bandits mistakenly killed six people in Yauni Community, Zakka Ward, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Security sources confirmed to Channels Television on Monday that the victims, all from the same family, included three children, a man, and two women.

The incident occurred following Saturday’s local government elections, after security operatives attempted to prevent a planned bandit attack on voters in Zakka village.

Eyewitnesses reported that security forces, including the police and members of the State Community Watch Corps (CWC), engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle. Two police officers and a CWC operative were killed on the spot, while another officer later succumbed to injuries.

Following the clash, a military fighter jet was deployed for reinforcement but mistakenly dropped a bomb on Yauni Community, located in the southern part of Zakka village.

“As a result of this, we lost our men in the gun battle. Another woman was also left injured,” an eyewitness said.

Military and government authorities have yet to comment on the incident.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past. In July 2022, a military airstrike mistakenly killed at least two people in Kunkunni village, also in Safana LGA. Earlier in the year, an airstrike in Zamfara State mistakenly killed 16 people, including members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (ZCPG), local vigilantes, and residents.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has released the results of the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates, second series.

The examination, conducted between October 25 and December 20, 2024, introduced a new computer-based hybrid mode alongside the traditional paper-and-pen option.

In a statement on Sunday, WAEC’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola F. Adesina, disclosed that 65,023 candidates sat for the examination across 5,067 centres nationwide, representing a 20% decline from the previous year.

According to WAEC, 95.9% of the results have been fully processed and released, enabling most candidates to access their scores without delay.

A performance analysis showed that 53.64% of candidates obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics, reflecting a 9.35% increase from the 2023 results.

However, WAEC withheld the results of 2,577 candidates (3.96%) over alleged examination malpractice. Affected candidates have been advised to visit the council’s official portal to address their cases.