Top Stories
Boko Haram: Reps probe $1bn arms procured by Buhari govt, demand names of dead soldiers
The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, began investigation into the 1 billion dollar appropriated for procurement of arms and equipment in the fight against Boko Haram in the North East Nigeria.
The lawmakers also demanded that the Nigerian Army should, after due consultations with families of soldiers killed in the Nov. 18, insurgents’ attack in Metele village in Borno, release all their names.
The resolution was sequel to a motion by Rep Chukwuka Onyema (PDP-Anambra) at the plenary presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara in Abuja, NAN reports.
Moving the motion, Onyema, who is the Deputy Minority Leader, noted that many Nigerian soldiers of the 157 battalion were massacred by Boko Haram insurgents, who now called themselves Islamic State West Africa, in Metele in Borno State.
According to him, the initial figures of the casualty put the death toll at 44 but as more details emerged, it is now confirmed that many more soldiers and officers were killed together with their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Sakaba, while others are still missing.
“The House notes that according to reports, the insurgents carted away large consignment of weapons from the Melete army base which security experts say would embolden them and pose great danger.
“The House observed that while the news of the attack and death toll continued to increase, neither the President nor the Minister of Defense or the army authorities said anything about the report as there was silence for more than five days.
“The House notes that the President and C-In-C finally broke his silence six days after the attack in a statement issued on his behalf,” he said.
The lawmaker said it was unfortunate that in the last one year, no fewer than 600 Nigerian soldiers were killed by insurgents, mostly in Borno State around the fringes of the Lake Chad.
He enumerated instances of attacks launched by Boko Haram against Nigerian soldiers within the year under review.
Onyema, who expressed regret that while the executive continued to insist that the insurgents had been technically defeated, he said they seemed to be waxing stronger on a daily basis.
“The House recalls that twice in three years, the Commander-In-Chief gave directives to service chiefs to permanently relocate to the Theatre Command Centre in Maiduguri until Boko Haram is defeated,” he said.
He said it was disheartening that with the recent happenings in the North, all the successes and gains made against the insurgents had been reversed.
Contributing, Rep Nnenna Ukeje (PDP-Abia) said it was high time Nigeria began to change tactics in order to checkmate the audacity of the insurgents.
She urged the Federal Government to take a cue from Pakistan and review the curriculum of its military.
Rep Aminu Shagari (PDP-Sokoto), who queried how the recently appropriated money was used, described the attack as sad.
Rep Beni Lar (PDP-Plateau) called for the sack of the service chiefs.
On his part, Rep Idris Ease (APC-Plateau) called on the House to treat the matter dispassionately and not to be affected by political sentiment.
Rep Rimande Shawulu (PDP-Taraba) recalled that last year, there were reports that about 6, 000 members of the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) found their ways to the sub-Saharan Africa.
The Speaker, Mr Dogara, after over an hour deliberation on the motion, described the development as an eye-opener.
He said it was time the leadership in the country began to take responsibility and not to apportion blame.
When the motion was out on a voice vote by the speaker, the lawmakers unanimously adopted it.
An ad hoc committee to investigate all funds appropriated for utilisation by the Armed Forces for the fight against insurgency was set up by the House.
The committee was also charged to look into the operational lapses that led to the killings of the soldiers.
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 58-year-old alleged drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had reportedly been on the agency’s wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, following what the agency described as a high-level, coordinated operation by officers of its Special Operations Unit.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect’s arrest ended a prolonged manhunt linked to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the United Kingdom and convicted for drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
Babafemi added that the suspect was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 over drug-related offences.
He said, “He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, Ilomuanya was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area country home in Imo State and at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos residence where officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since then.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to track down criminal elements regardless of how long they evade the law.
He said, “This arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary for global drug lords.”
Marwa also commended officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism and persistence in tracking down the suspect.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
-
Politics3 days agoIbarapa East Assembly Hopeful, Ramon Congratulates Ajiboye, Says Emergence Good for Oyo APC
-
Politics7 days agoMakinde: My Successor Must Be Loyal to Oyo, Not Me
-
Politics3 days ago2027: Former Oyo Deputy Governor Adeyemo Emerges APC Chairman (See Full List)
-
Politics7 days agoFintiri Dumps PDP for APC, Moves with Cabinet, 14 Adamawa Lawmakers