Headlines

The Nigerian government has confirmed that it has stopped the October monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue payment to Rivers State.

The development comes amid the ongoing face-off between Governor Simi Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike.

According to the Spokesperson of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, the decision to stop the payment was made in respect of a court order.

Mokwa disclosed that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) will respect the court order, which barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian government from disbursing monthly allocations to the Rivers State government.

His words: “What I got is that the October 2024 FAAC has not been distributed yet. However, the Federal Government will obey the court order on the matter of Rivers State allocation.

“We are going to follow due diligence as long as there is no contrary order. In case there is a contrary, the status will remain.”

He added, “The process of disbursement of the October 2024 monthly allocation is going.”

The court order was obtained by the factional Rivers State Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, who had filed an originating summons against the Rivers State Executive, under the leadership of Simi Fubara.

The Amaewhule faction had alleged that the Rivers State Executive was yet to comply with the order of a Federal High Court directing it to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has said Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, is not fit to be the next governor of Lagos state.

Igbokwe shared his reservation in a Facebook post.

His comments come after the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL) endorsed Seyi for the position in 2027.

Igbokwe criticized the groups supporting Seyi, describing the situation as a distraction and an attempt to pull President Tinubu down. The APC chieftain also questioned the credibility of those pushing for Seyi’s candidacy, labelling them “faceless people.”

“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos Governor? This is a needless distraction.

“To pull PBAT down is their target. Please allow PBAT to do his very engaging and tasking job. Ruling Lagos is not the job of boys?” he wrote.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that Nigerians will be required to pay for the new multipurpose national identity cards due to limited government revenue.

Peter Iwegbu, NIMC head of card management services, disclosed this on Thursday during a two-day press conference in Lagos.

According to Iwegbu, the decision aims to ensure that only those who genuinely need the card receive it, thereby avoiding the inefficiencies of previous free distribution efforts. He noted that over two million identity cards produced in earlier attempts remain uncollected.

“Before we stopped due to funding, we produced more than two million cards, but a lot of them are still in our office. People were not able to pick them up because they didn’t need it,” Iwegbu explained.

He attributed the decision to low collection rates and the government’s inability to fund the production of ID cards amid revenue constraints.

“The government’s limited revenue is a major factor in the decision to make Nigerians pay for the new ID card,” he added.

To simplify access, Iwegbu said NIMC is collaborating with banks nationwide to enable citizens to request and obtain the cards at their nearest bank branch.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that food scarcity, insecurity, and rising costs have forced 65 percent of Nigerian households to forgo healthy meals due to financial constraints.

The findings, released in the General Household Survey Panel (Wave 5) conducted in partnership with the World Bank, highlight a growing food insecurity crisis across the country.

According to the report, 71 percent of households experienced price increases in major food items, while over one-third faced food shortages within the past year, particularly during June, July, and August.

As a result, nearly half (48.8 percent) of households reported reducing their food consumption as a coping mechanism. The survey also noted a sharp rise in concerns over food scarcity, with 62.4 percent of households worried about having insufficient food, compared to 36.9 percent in 2019 (Wave 4).

The NBS attributed this surge to worsening food insecurity, with over half of Nigerian families struggling to meet dietary needs.

“Approximately two out of three households (65.8 percent) reported being unable to eat healthy, nutritious, or preferred foods due to lack of money in the last 30 days,” the report revealed.

Additional findings showed:

63.8 percent of households consumed only limited types of food due to financial challenges.

60.5 percent ate less than they thought they should.

12.3 percent of households reported at least one person going without food for an entire day.

20.8 percent relied on borrowing food or assistance from friends and relatives.

Regional disparities were also evident, with southern zones reporting higher incidents of food insecurity. The proportion of households skipping meals ranged from 50.1 percent in the South West to 62.4 percent in the South East. In the northern zones, the rates varied between 34.0 percent in the North Central and 48.3 percent in the North East.

The report underscores the urgent need for interventions to address Nigeria’s deepening food insecurity and rising poverty levels.

The Supreme Court has invalidated the National Lottery Act 2005, ruling that the National Assembly lacked the constitutional authority to legislate on matters related to lotteries and games of chance.

In a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel, delivered on Friday, the court declared that only state Houses of Assembly have exclusive jurisdiction over such issues. The lead judgment was read by Justice Mohammed Idris.

The ruling follows a 2008 lawsuit filed by Lagos State and other states challenging the National Assembly’s powers to enact the law.

The court further ordered that the National Lottery Act 2005 should no longer be enforced in any state of the federation, except in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which falls under the legislative authority of the National Assembly.

Mali’s military junta has strengthened its grip on power by appointing General Abdoulaye Maïga as the country’s new prime minister. The announcement, made on state television ORTM, follows the dismissal of civilian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga, who had raised concerns over the junta’s decision to delay the presidential elections originally scheduled for 2024.

Choguel Maïga’s removal was formalized through a presidential decree signed by interim leader General Assimi Goïta. The appointment of General Abdoulaye Maïga, a key figure within the junta, consolidates the military’s control over Mali’s transitional government, encompassing the executive, legislative, and now the prime ministerial office. Despite sharing the same surname, Choguel and Abdoulaye Maïga are not related.

The junta, which seized power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, has repeatedly delayed the country’s transition to civilian rule, citing security concerns. Analysts believe General Maïga’s close ties to General Goïta were instrumental in his selection. “The choice of General Maïga signals a more assertive military stance as the country approaches the prospect of elections next year,” said Ulf Laessing, director of the Sahel Program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

General Abdoulaye Maïga, 43, has served in multiple high-profile roles, including deputy prime minister, government spokesperson, and minister of territorial administration. Known for his fiery rhetoric, he has frequently criticized France and the now-disbanded United Nations peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA. At the United Nations General Assembly in September, he condemned Algerian diplomats who accused Malian military operations of causing civilian casualties near the Algeria-Mali border.

Since taking power, the junta has tightened restrictions on freedom of expression, with reports of over a dozen politicians and activists detained for opposing military rule. The appointment of General Maïga as prime minister underscores the junta’s firm hold on Mali’s governance as the country’s path to a promised return to civilian rule remains uncertain.

Bode George, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to reconsider his political ambitions for the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday to mark his 79th birthday, George urged Atiku, who will be 81 in 2027, to step back and allow younger candidates to emerge. Highlighting Atiku’s long history of presidential bids since 1993, George appealed to him to embrace the role of a statesman for the good of the party and the nation.

“I appeal to you in the name of the Almighty Allah that you serve, take it easy and leave everything for prosperity,” George said.

The PDP stalwart also raised concerns over the state of the party, citing internal divisions and self-serving interests as major challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections. He described the PDP as “a shadow of itself” and blamed some members for undermining efforts to strengthen the party’s unity.

George called for urgent reforms within the PDP and emphasized the importance of inclusivity as the party prepares for its National Convention. He also criticized certain members of the party, whom he referred to as “desperados,” accusing them of collaborating with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the detriment of the PDP’s prospects.

Reflecting on the party’s founding ideals, George lamented that the vision of the PDP’s deceased founding fathers had been betrayed by factionalism and personal ambition. He urged members to prioritize the party’s collective goals over individual interests to rebuild its reputation and electoral strength.

In his concluding remarks, George reiterated the need for unity within the PDP, warning that its future success hinges on the ability of its members to work together for the greater good.

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters, Abuja, has stated that Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed prime minister of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will be extradited to the country to face charges against him.

Speaking on the arrest of Ekpa in a short press statement made available to SaharaReporters, the Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Chris Musa, was pleased with Ekpa’s trial.

Gusau wrote: “CDS is happy with his arrest in Finland, with the hope this will be a step towards his extradition to Nigeria so that he will face justice.”

Recall that the Finland district court in Lahti had ordered the remand of Simon Ekpa on probable cause for public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent in Nigeria.

Ekpa was accused of using social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda linked to IPOB, a group advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria.

The court alleged that the offences dated back to August 23, 2021.

Finland authorities have also investigated Ekpa in the past for alleged financial crimes, including the collection of funds through questionable means.

The head of the investigation, crime commissioner Otto Hiltunen of the Central Criminal Police, stated, “The police suspect that the man has promoted his efforts from Finland with means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities as well as other crimes in the region of South-Eastern Nigeria. The man has carried out this activity, among other things, on his social media channels.”

However, the remaining four suspects, accused of financing terrorism, are believed to have committed the crime in August 2022, also in Lahti.

These individuals, who are of foreign background, were born in the 1960s and 1970s.

Helsingin Sanomat (HS) reports that five suspects were arrested during the first week of the investigation, with police highlighting international cooperation during the preliminary phase.

It was previously reported that authorities suspect Simon Ekpa of being involved in the crime of collecting money unlawfully. In February 2023, Ekpa was arrested in a private apartment in Lahti.

Ekpa was later released the same evening after being questioned.

At the time, police also disclosed that they had received multiple reports about Ekpa’s activities on social media. This prompted an investigation to determine whether he could be linked to other crimes.

Simon Ekpa is known in Finland as a local politician affiliated with the National Coalition Party.

He has served as a deputy councillor and represented the party on the Lahti region’s public transport board.

Meanwhile, from his home in Lahti, he has used social media to call for election boycotts and support for Biafra’s independence efforts.

The Senate and House of Representatives have approved a $2.2 billion loan request from President Bola Tinubu to address the N9.1 trillion deficit in the 2024 budget.

The approval came on Thursday after both chambers considered reports from their respective committees on local and foreign debts. The funds, equivalent to approximately N1.7 trillion at an exchange rate of N800 to the dollar, will be raised through financial instruments such as Eurobonds and Sukuk.

Aliyu Wamakko, chair of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, presented the report and emphasized the significance of the funding for the country’s economic framework.

Earlier this week, Tinubu submitted the loan request to the National Assembly following the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approval of the borrowing plan. According to Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the $2.2 billion will be sourced from $1.7 billion in Eurobonds and $500 million through Sukuk financing.

Edun further clarified that the borrowing will be executed within this fiscal year, with the final funding approach determined by market conditions and guidance from transaction advisers.

The federal government has also proposed N47.9 trillion as the total expenditure for the 2025 fiscal year, reflecting its broader financial and economic reform agenda.

Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile during an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, Kyiv’s air force said, in what would be the first use in war of a weapon designed to deliver long-distance nuclear strikes.

The launch, if confirmed, highlights rapidly rising tensions in the 33-month-old war after Ukraine fired U.S. and British missiles at targets inside Russia this week despite warnings by Moscow that it would see such action as a major escalation.

Security experts said it would be the first military use of an intercontinental ballistic missile. ICBMs are strategic weapons designed to deliver nuclear warheads and are an important part of Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

“Today there was a new Russian missile. All the characteristics – speed, altitude – are (of an) intercontinental ballistic (missile). An expert (investigation) is currently underway,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video statement.

The Ukrainian air force said the missile was fired from the Russian region of Astrakhan, more than 700 km (435 miles) from Dnipro in central-eastern Ukraine. It did not specify what kind of warhead the missile had or what type of missile it was. There was no suggestion it was nuclear-armed.

Ukrainska Pravda, a Kyiv-based media outlet, cited anonymous sources saying the missile was an RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5,800 km, according to the Arms Control Association.

The RS-26 was first successfully tested in 2012, and is estimated to be 12 metres (40 ft) long and weigh 36 tons, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). It said the RS-26 can carry an 800-kg (1,765-pound)nuclear warhead.