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Ogun State House of Assembly has cleared former Speaker Olakunle Oluomo of allegations of embezzlement linked to his removal from office in 2024.

It resolved to commute his impeachment to resignation.

The resolution was adopted during yesterday’ plenary at the assembly complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, following the presentation of the Committee of the Whole House report by Deputy Speaker Mrs Lateefat Ajayi.

The report stemmed from a motion submitted by Oluomo to the assembly on March 31 this year, seeking either his exoneration or the presentation of evidence to substantiate the allegation against him.

Ajayi subsequently moved for the adoption of the committee’s report, a motion seconded by Mr Yusuf Amosun and unanimously approved by members through a voice vote.

According to the report, the house found that the allegation of embezzlement was not included in the notice of removal served on the former Speaker and could not be substantiated based on the evidence available before the assembly.

The lawmakers also considered Oluomo’s plea under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guaranteed the right to fair hearing, and reviewed relevant materials before reaching their decision.

The report stated that the assembly had withdrawn the allegation of embezzlement, declaring that it would no longer form part of the reasons for Oluomo’s removal from office.

In a further resolution, the house overturned Oluomo’s impeachment and commuted it to a resignation.

The assembly said the decision was taken in the interest of camaraderie, unity and harmony among members.

The resolutions effectively remove the embezzlement allegation from the official record relating to Oluomo’s exit as Speaker.

Reacting, Oluomo said he had been on it since March this year, stressing that he was in court earlier to challenge the action of the state lawmakers in removing him in 2024.

He said he filed a motion to the house demanding that it should reverse itself following the court decision that the lawmakers could remove him from office, but held that they did not provide any evidence to substantiate allegations of embezzlement or misappropriation of funds against him.

According to him, he pointed out that if they failed to vacate the unsubstantiated allegations, he would be compelled to return to the court again.

Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda yesterday called for renewed action against voter apathy.

He said ensuring credible local government elections could strengthen operational independence of state-owned Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and restore public confidence.

Radda made the call in Katsina at the opening of the 14th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON).

The governor was represented by the Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Manir Sullubawa.

The conference brought together chairmen and commissioners of state electoral commissions, officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), development partners, traditional rulers, security agencies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, to deliberate on strategies for addressing voter apathy ahead of the 2027 general election.

Governor Radda described Katsina’s hosting of the conference for the second time as having reflected the confidence reposed in the state for its peaceful environment, hospitality and commitment to democratic development.

He said: ”Democracy can only thrive when public institutions operate with integrity, accountability and independence.

”State Independent Electoral Commissions represent critical institutions in ensuring credible local government elections that truly reflect the will of the people.”

Radda said his administration had implemented reforms across key sectors, including security, agriculture, education, health care and social welfare, under its ‘Building Your Future’ agenda.

He recalled the February 15, 2025 local government election during which chairmen of the 34 local governments and 361 councillors were elected, noting it was a model of credible electoral conduct.

The governor said no legal challenge was filed before or after the exercise.

He urged participants to exchange ideas and experience that would strengthen electoral administration and deepen democracy in Nigeria.

Chairman of Katsina State Independent Electoral Commission (KTSIEC), Alhaji Lawal Faskari, said the state was honoured to host the FOSIECON conference for the second time, having first hosted the event in 2013.

He said the choice of Katsina reflected the confidence other state electoral commissions had in the state’s capacity to organise national gatherings.

Faskari described the conference as timely, as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general election, expressing confidence that its resolutions would contribute to improving electoral administration across the country.

The chairman of the occasion and former deputy governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Tukur Jikamshi, said state electoral commissions remained vital to sustaining democratic governance.

He advised electoral officials to uphold transparency, fairness and integrity in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities, to strengthen public confidence in the democratic process.

FOSIECON National Chairman and Chairman of Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, Mamman Eri, described the conference as an important platform for reviewing challenges facing electoral administration, sharing best practices and strengthening state electoral institutions.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Cross River Command, has arrested two suspects for allegedly vandalising telecommunications assets in the state.

The Command’s spokesperson, Orok Kinini-Iyeme, disclosed this in statement in Calabar on Thursday.

Kinini-Iyeme said the breakthrough followed intense, intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of 24-year- old scrap metal dealer.

He explained that the suspect served as the primary receiver for stolen ATC Base Transceiver Station (BTS) equipment in the Odukpani Local Government axis of the state.

He also said that the arrest was made possible following an earlier arrest of the principal suspect, aged 23, on July 15, while attempting to vandalise an ATC BTS Facility (Site No. 630363 – CRO 165) at Odukpani Junction.

‘During preliminary interrogations, the principal suspect confessed to actively stripping the telecom site and selling the stolen components to a local scrap dealer.

‘Acting swiftly on this intelligence, the State Commandant, Okarazu Chima, directed the immediate deployment of a joint team comprising the Intelligence Department, CNAI operatives, and the Odukpani Divisional personnel.

‘On July 18, 2026, the operatives successfully tracked and raided the receiver’s enclave at the Odukpani Flyover bridge, leading to his immediate arrest.

‘During a thorough search of the receiver’s premises, operatives recovered a massive black metal radio mounting frame, measuring approximately 4ft 2 inches by 4ft 11 inches, which was explicitly identified as the stolen ATC facility component,’ Kinini-Iyeme said.

According to Kinini-Iyeme, the receiver admitted to purchasing the items from the principal suspect on two separate occasions but claimed ignorance of their origin.

He said that the command was currently analysing statements from both suspects and has launched a massive tactical manhunt for fleeing members of the syndicate, including another receiver, as well as the syndicate’s primary financier.

Ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election, the ruling Accord Party and the Osun State Police Command have traded accusations over the neutrality of security operatives.

In a statement by the party’s chairman Pastor Victor Akande accused the police of shielding alleged APC-backed thugs while harassing and arbitrarily arresting members of rival groups, particularly transport union members.

Akande alleged that the Command had abandoned its constitutional duty of impartiality, failing to arrest individuals linked to violent attacks in several communities despite widespread allegations. He named suspects-Asiri Eniba, Ojuyobo and D-Law-as operating freely, claiming ‘security personnel failed to act decisively during reported shootings but suspects had been seen moving around under police protection.’

The party further alleged that police officers were targeting non-aligned transport union members through arbitrary arrests and intimidation, while those allegedly responsible for violent attacks were left untouched.

Akande urged Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu to order an impartial investigation into all individuals linked to recent violence in the state and ensure that anyone found culpable was prosecuted regardless of political affiliation.

Police Public Relations Officer DSP Abiodun Ojelabi dismissed the allegations as false and misleading, insisting the Command remained committed to professionalism, impartiality and the rule of law.

He said the police had never provided protection for any individual, political party or criminal group, stressing that operations were intelligence-driven and based strictly on credible evidence.

‘Arrests were not carried out based on media reports, political statements or social media allegations, but on evidence capable of sustaining prosecution in court,’ Ojelabi said, adding that several suspects linked to breaches of public peace had already been arrested, investigated and charged where sufficient evidence existed.

The police also rejected claims of selective arrests of transport union members, insisting that every suspect taken into custody was arrested based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

‘Some of the arrested suspects had confessed to plans to procure arms and ammunition to perpetrate further violence,’ Ojelabi noted, adding that political affiliation or union membership neither guaranteed arrest nor immunity from investigation.

He urged political parties, community leaders and residents to avoid inflammatory statements capable of heightening political tension ahead of the election, assuring the public that the Command would remain focused on protecting lives and property.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) yesterday said human trafficking has evolved beyond sexual exploitation and forced labour into cyber-enabled scam operations, with tech-savvy young graduates now the fastest-growing group of victims.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, disclosed this at a press conference ahead of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, themed ‘Trapped Behind the Scam.’

Bello said the agency rescued 156 trafficking victims between January and July, in addition to over 300 victims repatriated from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in 2025. She said NAPTIP has also disrupted several trafficking-linked scam centres nationwide.

According to her, young Nigerians, particularly skilled graduates, we’re being lured abroad with false job offers in IT, digital marketing, cryptocurrency trading, gaming and telecommunications.

On arrival, mostly in parts of Asia, their passports are seized and they are coerced through violence, debt bondage or psychological pressure into running online scams targeting victims worldwide.

The victims themselves become prisoners trapped behind computer screens, false promises, organised criminal networks, and fear, Bello said.

She said criminal networks now exploited social media, encrypted platforms, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence to recruit and control victims, adding that large scam compounds operate mainly in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, with similar hubs emerging in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Victims there are coerced into romance scams, crypto and investment frauds targeting victims in the U.S., UK, Canada and Ethiopia, she added.

Citing global data, Bello said over 300,000 people are trafficked into scam operations across Southeast Asia annually, generating an estimated $64 billion, with victims drawn from 66 countries.

On prosecutions, she said NAPTIP has secured 839 convictions since its establishment, including 47 recorded this year. She urged Nigerians to verify overseas job offers and avoid unofficial recruitment channels.

Also speaking, UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure, said trafficking thrives where legitimate opportunities are scarce, noting that job seekers and young people are most vulnerable to exploitation. He called for stronger investment in youth skills development, job creation and inclusive economic growth as a frontline defence against trafficking, alongside law enforcement.