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Makinde appoints Owoseni, former Lagos, Benue Commissioner of Police, Special Adviser.
Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos and Benue States, Mr. Fatai Owoseni has been appointed by the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, as his Special Adviser on Security Matters.
The Governor, according to a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, approved the appointment, which took effect from August 1.
The statement indicated that Owoseni’s appointment falls in line with the recognition of security as one of the four pillars of the Makinde administration in Oyo State.
Governor Makinde had also promised to unveil a new security architecture for the state before his first 100 days in office.
The Governor, in the letter of appointment, wished Mr. Owoseni, who has been working as a security consultant since his retirement from the police after 35 years of meritorious service, success in his new assignment.
Governor Makinde also urged Owoseni to discharge his duties with absolute loyalty and dedication.
The retired Commissioner of Police was born on August 17, 1962. He retired from the Nigeria Police with the enviable rank of Commissioner of Police earlier this year.
Owoseni, a holder of a Bachelor of Arts Bachelor in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of Benin and a Diploma in Police Management (DPM) from the University of Jos, as well as several certificates in police and professional courses at the local and international levels, began his police career in the early 80s.
He rose through the ranks as an Inspector of Police and became the Commissioner of Police in charge of General Investigations at the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Abuja.
He also served as the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Lagos State, the commercial capital/nerve centre of Nigeria, which has a Police strength of over 30,000 personnel, the highest in the country.
He was reputed to have served more than two years on the Lagos hot seat, ranking among the five longest-serving (out of about 35) Commissioners of Police, who had served in the State.
While on his tour of duty in Lagos, he effectively harnessed and utilised the available human and material resources to ensure the safety of lives and properties as well as providing the enabling environment for the social and economic development of the former Nigerian Federal Capital city.
He was subsequently deployed to Benue State at the height of the Herdsmen and Farmers clashes and he was reputed to have recorded remarkable achievements towards quelling the spate of violence in the food basket state.
He equally served as Commissioner of Police (Administration), at the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he made immense contributions especially by ensuring the success of the collaborations between the UNDP and the Police towards the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections.
It is also on record that Owoseni contributed immensely to the overall performance of the Nigeria Police Force in the 2015 general elections particularly in the areas of personnel training and writing/production of “Handbook on guidelines for Police Officers deployed on election duties,” (the first time ever in the Police).
The retired Commissioner of Police also served as an Expert on Mission and Seconded Staff (at managerial level -P5 position) to the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), while he made significant input (UN Police Component) into the United Nations Security Council Resolution on UNAMID, including the different levels of support programmes offered to the African Union by the United Nations, Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UN-DPKO).
The statement indicated that the newly-appointed Special Adviser on Security Matters is expected to bring his wealth of experience garnered over the decades through many local and international assignments to bear on the security situation in the Pacesetter State.
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.
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