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A terrible accident on Tuesday morning claimed the lives of five people, including four students of Fakunle Unity School, after a commercial bus rammed into their tricycle along the Lameco-Stadium road.

The speeding bus, with registration number Abuja RBC 15 ZN, veered off its lane and smashed into the tricycle carrying the students, witnesses reported. The accident left the tricycle’s occupants unrecognisable and dead instantly.

An eyewitness said: “The commercial bus with registration number Abuja RBC 15 ZN was on top speed coming from Stadium but suddenly left its lane and jumped over the road median and rammed into the tricycle conveying the four students of Fakunle Unity School.

“The accident also affected a motorcyclist who was coming behind the tricycle with other vehicles plying the road in front of WOCDIF event centre. The accident was terrible, five occupants of the tricycle died instantly because they were crushed beyond recognition. I think the driver of the bus slept off on the wheel.”

Another source, who is a security agent, confirmed that “five people were killed while several others sustained serious degrees of injuries during the accident. The driver of the bus too was seriously injured and has been taken to hospital. We have towed the affected vehicles to our station.”

Meanwhile, Osun State Federal Road Safety Commission Sector Commandant Henry Benamaisai confirmed the tragedy, stating, “We are currently at the hospital attending to the injured. We will release the full details of the accident as soon as possible.”

Academic gowns allocated for the University of Lagos (UNILAG) post-graduate students have been reported stolen, causing a setback in the preparations for the 54th convocation ceremony.

A total of 340 graduands are set to receive first-class degree certificates during this week’s convocation ceremony. The gowns, which had been paid for by the graduates, were scheduled for distribution in anticipation of the event.

The academic gowns for the post-graduate ceremony were reportedly stolen while being transported on a university bus. Graduates had been required to pay a fee of N15,000 for the collection of these gowns.

Numerous affected students, who were eagerly anticipating the collection of their academic gowns, expressed frustration over the delay caused by the unfortunate incident.

The School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS) management at the university communicated the setback to post-graduate students through a brief text message and email.

The message read, “Dear graduate, we regret to inform you that the distribution of SPGS academic gowns is now suspended. Sadly, the remaining gowns were stolen, and our bus vandalised this afternoon.”

In response, some affected individuals, like lawyer Malachy Odo, shared their disappointment on social media. Malachy Odo disclosed receiving the notice from UNILAG after paying the required sum.

“I paid 15k for convocation gown yesterday and this is what UNILAG just sent me. This country is not a real place,” he wrote on X.

The FCT Minister, Nyesome Wike, has berated the area council chairmen for leaving their responsibilities when they are needed most.

The minister, who was addressing stakeholders at an emergency security meeting in his office on Tuesday, wondered why the council chairmen would be travelling out of the country even when their areas were facing challenges.

“This time around we will not be happy, where Area Council Chairmen will leave their responsibilities and travel out. We have gotten reports that Council Chairmen travel anytime and then, if anything happens, they will not call anybody’s name except the FCT Minister.

“Recently, NUT embarked on strike and it is not our fault but the Area Councils’. Primary schools are under the body of the Area Councils but again, it will look as if the Ministers are doing nothing but that is not our responsibility. However, we can’t fold our hands and we have invited them to this meeting to see how we can resolve the problem.

“So council chairmen should know that they must live up to their responsibilities. It is not everything that happens, they would say that it is the Ministers that have not taken steps.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has convened an emergency security meeting amid the rising cases of attacks and kidnapping in Abuja.

LEADING REPORTERS understands that the meeting which is scheduled to be held at the FCTA secretariat on Tuesday is in response to mounting pressure on government and security agencies to address worsening insecurity in the capital city.

The meeting is expected to have in attendance the FCT Commissioner of Police, Haruna Garba, FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, and other heads of security agencies.

This paper reports that since the beginning of this year, no fewer than 20 persons have been kidnapped in Abuja.

Over the weekend, kidnappers killed several of their victims to force their families to raise the demanded ransom

Subsequently, the families started crowdfunding, with former minister of communications and digital economy, Ibrahim Pantami, raising N50 million for one of the affected families.

Residents of Sagwari Layout Estate, Dutse, Abuja, where 10 people were kidnapped, had also planned to stage a protest against the alleged inaction of government and security agencies to rescue their neighbours from the abductors.

The protest was, however, canceled in the last minute.

Residents of Sagwari Layout Estate, Dutse, Abuja, where 10 people were kidnapped, had also planned to stage a protest against the alleged inaction of government and security agencies to rescue their neighbours from the abductors.

The protest was, however, canceled in the last minute.

One week after her suspension, a leaked memo indicated that the president approved the release of ₦3 billion for which Edu is being investigated among other allegations.

Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, President Bola Tinubu and Beta Edu, the suspended minister of Humanitarian Affairs. [Sahara Reporters]

Amid the allegation of financial misappropriation against Betta Edu, the suspended minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, there’s been an indication that President Bola Tinubu indeed authorised her to spend from the COVID-19 palliative fund.

A leaked memo allegedly emanating from the Office of the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, indicated that the president released ₦3 billion to Edu for the verification of the National Social Register.

The memo showed that the president directed Gbajabiamila to approve the release of the fund on September 14, 2023.

The social register compiled during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari was created for cash transfers and other social investment programmes.

However, the alleged misappropriation of the fund has been one of the controversies and allegations of financial wrongdoings against Edu and her ministry, as nine companies allegedly secured contracts from the fund.

Subsequently, Tinubu suspended the minister over an alleged ₦585m scandal in her ministry and ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to “Conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder.”

However, one week after her suspension, a leaked memo, which has now gone viral, indicated the president approved the release of ₦3 billion for which the suspended minister is being investigated among other allegations.

The memo signed by Gbajabiamila reads, “President has approved the expenditure of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira) only, from the Covid-19 Palliative Fund for verification of the National Social Register.

“Please accept the assurance of my highest regards.”

A leaked memo indicating that Femi Gbajabiamila approved the release of N3billion to Beta Edu.

However, there has been an insinuation that the president was not aware of the release of the ₦3 billion fund with sources in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs saying Gbajabiamila has no business approving the release of funds to anyone.

To confirm the veracity of this claim, this writer called and sent a message to the president’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, but he did not respond to the message.

Meanwhile, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, has called for restraints on the matter, saying the EFCC is already doing something about the memo that allegedly emanated from the office of the Chief of Staff.

LeadingReporters gathered that Onanuga said, “The President has directed the EFCC to investigate the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and all these matters are under investigation already.

“I am sure that the EFCC had seen that memo from the Office of the Chief of Staff and they are doing something about these findings.”

He urged Nigerians to be patient, adding that when the EFCC finalises its finding, the president would act on the result of the investigation.

In a disturbing turn of events, criminal elements, including bandits, have expanded their reign of terror beyond the North-West region, infiltrating significant cities across Nigeria.

The alarming shift has paralysed social and economic activities as urban centres like Lagos and Abuja witness an unprecedented surge in abductions.

The catalyst for heightened public anger occurred with the tragic killing of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The perpetrators, who abducted seven family members from Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutsen-Alhaji, demanded a staggering N700 million for their release.

Regrettably, Nabeeha lost her life due to alleged delays in meeting the ransom demands, triggering a nationwide outcry on social media.

The Al-Kadriyar family, already grappling with the loss of one member, now faces the dire situation of five sisters still in captivity.

Despite releasing their father, Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, the abductors raised the ransom to N100 million per captive, insisting on a swift payment by Wednesday.

In a desperate bid to secure their release, the Al-Kadriyar family has sought financial support from well-meaning Nigerians.

Tragically, the criminal elements also claimed the lives of 13-year-old Folashade Ariyo and two unidentified hostages, whose bodies were dumped near a former military checkpoint in Kaduna State.

The devastating plea for help extends beyond individual families. Oladosu Ariyo, who lost his daughter, appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for intervention.

Shocking statistics from the 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting depict a grim reality, with 9,754 lives lost and 4,049 abduction cases reported throughout the country.

The North East leads in fatalities, while the North West records the highest number of abductions.

A report titled ‘The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry: Follow the Money’ by SB Morgan reveals a surge in kidnappings between July 2022 and June 2023, with over 3,620 people abducted and reported ransom demands exceeding N5 billion.

The menace, initially prevalent in the North-West and North-Central regions, is spreading to the South-West, particularly Lagos and Ogun states.

Recent incidents in Lagos, including the abduction of a 13-year-old schoolgirl, Miracle Adereti, underscore the unsettling expansion of this criminal enterprise.

As the nation grapples with this escalating crisis, citizens and experts are calling for urgent and decisive measures to curb the rising tide of abductions and ensure the safety of lives and property.

The Chief Executive Officer of YouthHub, Rotimi Olawale, told Punch, “The FCT is not only affected by the kidnapping incidents. It has spread to neighbouring states such as Niger, Kaduna, and Benue, among others. If not properly handled, the ugly incident will spread to more states.

“The security agencies need to deploy intelligence to deal with this issue. If the kidnappers know that they will not go scot-free once apprehended, the criminal acts will reduce. They need to always act swiftly whenever the need arises.”

On his part, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, said everything has stayed the same since the Tinubu administration came on board.

He said, “Comparing between the Buhari and administration and this, what has changed? Nothing. Bandits and terrorists are still very active. Abuja is becoming unsafe; even under Buhari, we did not have the mass abductions witnessed in Abuja of late. What can you say has changed?

“Let nobody deceive himself that there has been progress made so far. The government has to redouble its efforts.”

Speaking on the security crisis, the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Intel and security expert, Dr Kabir Adamu, advised the federal and state governments to collaborate in dominating the forested and other ungoverned spaces, which the gunmen use as safe havens and to keep their victims.

He added, “Individuals and corporate organisations must understand threats and the inherent risks; a necessary prerequisite for adopting the appropriate risk treatment. As security threats are transient, the approach should be dynamic and forward-looking.”

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against the appeal court judgment reinstating the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.

The five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun adjourned the matter for judgment after listening to the counsel’s arguments on the appeal.

Kekere-Ekun noted that parties would be notified when judgment is ready.

The state election petition tribunal had sacked the governor and declared David Ombugadu, candidate of the PDP the winner of the March 18, 2023 election.

The tribunal led by Ezekiel Ajayi, in a split decision of two-to-one, held that having evaluated the evidence before the panel, the PDP candidate substantiated his claim that the poll results were manipulated in favour of Sule.

But the appeal court reinstated Sule and held that the tribunal wrongly relied on the evidence of eight of the PDP witnesses, whose statements on oath were not front-loaded alongside the petition.

Ombugadu, however, appealed the judgment at the apex court.

The Nasarawa State Police Command has signed a peace agreement with the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state ahead of the judgment of the Supreme Court judgment on the 2023 governorship election in the state.

During the signing of the peace agreement in Lafia, the state capital on Monday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Umar Nadada, vowed to deal decisively with anyone who gets involved in any form of trouble before, during and after the apex court judgment.

Recall that the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on October 2, 2023 sacked Governor Abdullahi Sule of the APC and declared David Ombugadu of the PDP as winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election.

But the APC and its candidate were not satisfied with the tribunal judgment, hence, they filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal to set aside the Tribunal judgment.

The appellate court upturned the tribunal judgment and affirmed the election of the APC candidate, but the PDP candidate approach the Supreme Court for the final verdict on the matter.

LeadingReporters gathered that while speaking at the peace according meeting on Monday, the Commissioner of Police said, “This meeting is aimed at ensuring peace before, during and after the Supreme Court judgment. 

“It is also expected that the party leaders would bring this peace agreement to all their loyalists and supporters across the state.

“The joint security committee has also resolved to work together towards ensuring a sustainable peace in the state.

“Information at the disposal of the command reveals that some faceless individuals are planning to stage a violent protest in the state.

“Whoever goes against this peace agreement, no matter how highly placed in society, will regret his or her action.”

The Police Commissioner further assured the APC and the PDP representatives that the joint security forces would be neutral in carrying out their activities. The peace accord was signed in the presence of other security agencies in the state.

At the peace accord meeting, the APC was represented by the party’s state chairman, Aliyu Bello, and state secretary, Yarus Dakusa while the PDP was represented by the state Organising Secretary, Yahaya Bunu, state secretary, Adamu Bako, Woman Leader, Stella Oboshi, and PDP Zonal Chairman, Isa Sule.

A human rights body, Global Rights, has said the administration of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, was characterised by threats or intimidation of journalists and protesters.

The organisation added that Buhari during his time in government suppressed access to information, curtailed freedom of expression, and monitored how and for what purposes citizens assembled.

Global Rights stated this in its report titled, “Shege! A scorecard on the Buhari administration’s impact on Nigeria’s civic space,” which was published on January 13, 2024.

The organisation said in the report, “In the eight-year term of President Buhari’s administration, Nigeria witnessed a notable decline on all frontiers of the civic space and basic freedoms. The administration was characterised by a suspicious relationship with the media, a frosty relationship with civil society organisations, and a clear desire to control access to information, curtail freedom of expression, and monitor how and for what purposes citizens assembled.

“There were also several legislative attempts made by the administration with regard to the civic space. If all these attempts made it into law, it is safe to say Nigeria would have emerged as one of the most repressive democracies globally.”

The report added that no fewer than 69 protesters were killed during the Buhari-led administration.

The organisation also said that an estimated 250 protesters and 189 journalists were arrested, detained, or harassed under the former president.

“The number of peaceful protesters killed: at least 69. Number of arrests made during peaceful protests: 250 (estimated based on available data)

“Instances of government interference in the activities of CSOs: At least four. Number of journalists arrested, detained, or harassed: more than 189,” it said.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the former President, Garba Shehu, declined comment on the issue, saying former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, was the appropriate person to speak.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Charles Ugwu, for alleged conspiracy and loan fraud to the tune of N3.6bn.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Monday, said the ex-minister was arrested alongside one Geoffrey Ekenma on January 11, 2024, at No.2, Musa Yar Adua Way, New Owerri, Imo State, following a petition received from a new generation bank.

Ugwu was appointed minister by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and was sacked after a cabinet reshuffle that affected 19 members of the cabinet.

Revealing details of his arrest on Monday, the EFCC spokesman said the petitioner accused the ex-minister of failing to meet his obligations to the bank, adding that all efforts to get him to repay the loan facility proved abortive.

Oyewale said, “Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC have arrested a former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Charles Ugwuh, for an alleged conspiracy and fraud to the tune of N3.6bn.

“Ugwuh was arrested alongside Geoffrey Ekenma on January 11, 2024 at No.2, Musa Yar Adua Way, New Owerri, Imo State, following a petition to the commission from a new generation bank on the alleged fraud perpetrated through a company, Ebony Agro Industries Ltd., linked to the ex-minister.

“Investigations revealed that Ugwuh and Ekenma, Managing Director, Ebony Agro Industries Ltd., allegedly obtained a loan facility from the bank for the purchase and production of polished rice.

“However, the suspect, according to the petitioner, failed to meet his obligations to the bank and all efforts to get him to repay the loan facility proved abortive. The suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”