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IF anyone still doubts where the audacity of the criminals who prowl the Nigerian landscape comes from, they need not look further than the official failure to make them pay for the crimes. Apparently, armed robbers, kidnappers and terrorists of all hues are having a swell time at the expense of defenseless, hapless Nigerians, scoffing at the authority of the Nigerian State and daring the powers that be to do their worst. To be sure, arrests take place, and a few criminals end up behind bars, but the majority of the criminals have apparently seen no reason to back-track from their evil trade. They are laying a siege to communities, farmlands, roads and, indeed, virtually any space available, giving law-abiding citizens an endless nightmare. Indeed, they seem to be intent on proving the point that no citizen is beyond their reach, and that anyone who manages to escape from them at any point in time has only just postponed the evil day. This is the thought that comes to mind as you ponder the case of the kidnappers who recently shot a victim in Delta State for, of all reasons, having an ‘insufficient’ account balance!

According to reports, operatives of the Delta State Police Command arrested the three suspected kidnappers after they had collected N2 million ransom from their victim and still shot him. The suspects identified as Chukwuebuka Nka (25), Uche Okechukwu, and Somto Chukwuma, allegedly shot the victim in the leg after discovering that he did not have ‘enough money’ in his account. The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said that the suspects were arrested following a distress call that indicated that a young man had been kidnapped from his residence in Ogwashi-Uku. According to the police spokesman, the operatives tracked the suspects to a bush in Ogwashi-Uku, where the victim was rescued with a gunshot wound. Investigations led to the arrest of Chukwuebuka Nka and Uche Okechukwu in Anambra State, where the victim’s white Toyota Venza was also recovered. Thereafter, based on the suspects’ confessions, operatives raided the outlaws’ hideout in Agidiase village, Ogwashi-uku, and arrested the third suspect. The suspects then led the police to their hideout, where their operational vehicle and a network jammer circuit device were also recovered.

If anything, this story shows the depth of the depravity of the criminal mind. Why shoot someone from whom you had already seized N2m and an SUV to boot? Which money did the criminals who complained of the victim’s financial limitation keep in his account? There is in fact a distinct possibility that the money in question does not even belong to the victim. Artisans frequently receive money meant to purchase materials needed to complete clients’ jobs in their accounts and in any case, even if the money in this case actually belonged to the victim, it is certainly clear that he did not intend it to be seized by criminals, as they turned out to do in this case. In a country where the minimum wage is N70,000, it says a lot that kidnappers who found N2 million in a victim’s account could still complain that the money was insufficient, and then proceed to shoot the victim, apparently with intent to finish him off. To these criminals, the victim, never mind the fact that he rode a Toyota SUV, had the audacity to be poor, and must pay for his poverty. No country that means to make meaningful progress allows criminals to subject law-abiding citizens to such harrowing experiences. Government exists, and collects tax, for the primary purpose of ensuring that citizens are safe and secure.

Of course, this Delta kidnapping case, like the many others that innocent Nigerians confront on a daily basis, boils down to governmental failure. Over the years, and particularly in recent years, the Nigerian government has failed to protect citizens. Politicians have put the people’s lives in peril while living atrociously luxurious lives with their money, and they are apparently set in their ways because, like in the case of the criminals who lay the land waste, there are hardly any consequences for their actions in office. In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a prominent journalist, recently lost her life while trying to escape from the robbers who invaded her residence. So many citizens have lost their lives in such harrowing circumstances that highlight the dysfunctionality of the Nigerian state.

The Delta kidnapping victim is fortunate to be alive, but many citizens have lost their lives in such circumstances, and their voices will never be heard again, except symbolically. The government is duty-bound to ensure that the criminals who subject law-abiding citizens to agony are fished out and punished to the fullest extent allowed by law. Leaving law-abiding citizens at the mercy of criminals makes utter mockery of the law. It sends the dangerous signal that crime actually does pay, and that those who abide by the law are wasting their time. We urge the government to bear this point in mind and make crime unattractive even to criminals.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has urged Nigerians to unite against perpetrators of what he described as blood guzzlers and enemies of the state, following the recent killings of Yoruba natives by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Oke Ode in Kwara.

This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Oyo by the media aide to Oba Owoade, Bode Durojaiye.

The Alaafin, who noted that Yorubas and Fulanis had lived harmoniously for decades without hostility, expressed concern over the recurring violence linked to herders in Oke-Ode.

He disclosed that he had already reached out to the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, on the matter and on possible measures to forestall further attacks.

The Alaafin, while commending security agencies for their commitment, urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for the killings are identified and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.

He said ‘Government, political leaders and followers must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our insecurity, now worsened by criminality, insurgency and terrorism by herdsmen,

‘Security should not be taken for granted. Immediate and conscious efforts must be made to design and build a robust system capable of creating a stable and peaceful environment for national development.’

Alaafin further stressed that his forebears had made land available for cattle ranching in the Oyo Empire, even providing additional acres for Fulani herdsmen free of charge to foster unity.

He added that disputes between farmers and herders were traditionally resolved through dialogue, consensus-building, and peace mechanisms entrenched in Yoruba culture.

He, however, warned against actions that threaten peace and stability, assuring residents of his continued commitment to the protection of lives and property across the region.

Osun State House of Assembly has warned commercial banks in the state, Osogbo branch, not to honour unauthorised financial instructions on local government accounts.

Speaker of the House, Honourable Adewale Egbedun, who dropped the warning via a letter, drew attention to unlawful financial directives allegedly issued in some local governments, including Boluwaduro Local Government, authorising deductions of up to 15 percent of September 2025 allocations in favour of private individuals.

He described such actions as illegal, unconstitutional and without any budgetary approval, stressing that treasurers are not legally recognised signatories to local government accounts under extant laws.

The House reaffirmed that only the local government chairman and the Director of Administration and General Services, both officers of the Local Government Service Commission are empowered to operate such accounts in line with the Osun State Guidelines on Local Government Administration and the Public Financial Management Law, 2020.

Citing its resolution of September 29, 2025, the assembly reiterated that no withdrawals or deductions may be made from local government accounts without strict compliance with the constitution, internal regulations and approved budgets. It further warned that any financial institution processing unauthorised instructions would be deemed complicit in financial misconduct in violation of multiple national anti-corruption laws, including the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and would face the weight of the law.

The speaker cautioned that erring banks risk severe consequences, including summons before the House, arrest warrants and referrals to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.

The letter reads:’ I write with reference to our earlier letter dated September 29, 2025, by which the assembly, pursuant to its oversight powers under Sections 128 and 129 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), demanded disclosure of all local government accounts domiciled with your bank.’

‘This House has been made aware that certain local government areas in the state, including but not limited to Boluwaduro Local Government, have issued financial instructions authorising deductions from their accounts in favour of private parties. One such instance is the instruction to deduct 15 percent of funds received in September 2025, allegedly authorised by the local government’s treasurer and chairman.’

‘ Apart from the fact that such an expenditure is illegal and does not conform with the provisions of internal regulations, it is equally not provided for in the 2025 approved budget of the local governments.’

‘ Let it be stated for record purposes that the treasurer is not a legally recognised signatory under the extant Osun State laws governing the operation of local government accounts. Specifically, Section 14 of the Guidelines for the Administration of Local Government stipulates that only persons listed by the assembly resolution, which stipulates that only the local government chairman, Director of Administration and General Services, as officers under the employment of the Local Government Service Commission, are authorised to operate such accounts.

‘These provisions are further supported by the Osun State Public Financial Management Law, 2020.

‘Furthermore, the resolution of this House passed on Monday, September 29, 2025, affirms that no withdrawals or deductions may be made from local government accounts without compliance with the Constitution, the Guidelines and the Financial Management Law.

‘The said resolution also declared that any bank which processes instructions issued by unauthorised persons shall be deemed to have aided and abetted financial misconduct in violation of the Constitution, the Criminal Code Act, the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission Act.

‘Accordingly, you are hereby formally warned not to honour any instruction, verbal, written or electronic authorising disbursement, deduction or diversion of public funds from any local government account domiciled in your bank unless such instruction originates from the legally authorised signatories and is supported by express budgetary provision approved by the House.

‘Any transaction in breach of this position shall attract the constitutional and legal consequences, including summons before the House, the issuance of warrants of arrest and referrals to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution. Your institution will also stand the risk of blacklisting and recommendation for withdrawal of the privilege to operate government accounts.

‘You are reminded that your response to our initial request remains due within the 24-hour timeframe already communicated.

‘This matter is of public interest and must be treated with the utmost urgency and seriousness it deserves’, it said.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state, on Thursday, told members of the union to disregard the sponsored story of a particular political party that said leadership of the union has directed its workers to resume work.

The union’s chairman, Dr Nathaniel Kehinde Ogungbangbe, in a statement made available by Mr David Olalekan Owoeye, the state publicity secretary in Osogbo, said the claim was to cause commotion and disorganise the well – informed NULGE members in the state.

‘The union is using this medium to inform our well-respected members to know that such information did not emanate from the elected NULGE executives under the leadership of Dr Ogungbangbe and there is no directive of such from the national body of our union under the leadership of Haruna Aliyu Kankara.

‘It was authored to destabilise the peace of the state through which our members could be massacred and reduce our membership strength.’

Therefore, the union is urging all members to see the write-up as the handiwork of the killers of destiny which needed to be jettisoned and stay away from office until further directive from the real elected state NULGE executives in the state.

‘It is equally pertinent to note that NULGE has not directed our members to resume work.