Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) has unveiled a five-year mass housing initiative targeting the delivery of 740,000 housing units across Nigeria from 2027, with an annual production target of 148,000 homes.

Under the initiative, tagged ‘ERAHOMS 740,000 Mass Housing Initiative,’ the association said the 36 State Housing Corporations and the Federal Capital Territory would jointly drive large-scale housing delivery through direct development, public-private partnerships (PPPs), serviced land, mortgage-backed housing, cooperative housing and private-sector partnerships.

Disclosing this on Monday while presenting the State of the Nation Housing Address to commemorate the 2026 World Habitat Day, President/Chairman of Council of AHCN, Mr Eno Obongha, said the initiative was designed to address Nigeria’s housing crisis by transforming state housing corporations from underutilised government agencies into commercially driven housing-development institutions capable of delivering homes at scale.

The theme of this year›s World Habitat Day is ‘Adequate Housing for All’.

Obongha said the proposed 740,000 units would not be based on an arbitrary equal allocation among states, but would take into consideration each state›s population, housing deficit, land availability, economic capacity and existing housing project pipeline.

According to him, the initiative will require the collective commitment of federal and state governments, financial institutions, developers, building-material manufacturers, professionals and other stakeholders.

‘We don’t need to create another housing-delivery institution to get this done. All we need is to awaken, reform, recapitalise and reposition the 36 state housing corporations that already exist to execute this,’ he said.

The AHCN president said the association was formalising funding arrangements that would incorporate both the demand and supply sides of the housing market to ensure the programme was sustainable.

He explained that the initiative would be supported by a five-point agenda for 2027, comprising the establishment of a National State Housing Corporation Housing Delivery Register, reform of state housing corporations, creation of a National Housing Land Bank, establishment of a Housing Corporation PPP Fund and delivery of 740,000 homes through state housing corporations.

Obongha said the need for urgent action had become more compelling following the estimated 14.925 million-unit national housing deficit and another 15.2 million existing homes classified as structurally defective or substandard.

He noted that the figures, generated through the National Housing Data Centre, underscored the need for Nigeria to move beyond estimates and establish a continuously updated national housing database.

‘Data must not remain in reports. Data must become the foundation for housing policy, housing finance, land allocation and actual housing delivery,’ he said.

He described the state housing corporations as Nigeria›s ‘underutilised housing engine,’ noting that although the institutions exist across the country, many are constrained by inadequate funding, lack of access to affordable long-term finance, land challenges, outdated laws, weak revenue-generation mechanisms and poor integration into government housing strategies.

He therefore called for the repositioning of the corporations from government construction agencies to professional housing-development institutions.

He said the corporations should be able to originate projects, structure them, secure land, attract investors, mobilise finance, supervise construction, manage estates and recover investments.

On PPPs, the AHCN chief said the model must be redefined and made central to housing development, with government providing land, planning approvals, infrastructure support, development rights, off-take arrangements and institutional guarantees, while the private sector provides equity, construction expertise, technology, project management and innovation.

He also called for the creation of special housing-finance windows involving the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, commercial and mortgage banks, pension funds, insurance companies, development finance institutions and private investors.

According to him, Nigeria cannot produce millions of homes with expensive short-term finance and high interest rates.

He further proposed a National State Housing Land Bank Initiative, under which every state housing corporation would maintain a digital inventory showing the location, size, ownership, title status, infrastructure status, development potential and planning status of land available for housing.

Obongha also urged the Federal Government to make state housing corporations principal delivery partners in the Renewed Hope Housing Programme.

He said that while the programme, launched in 2024, had projected 100,000 housing units annually, available public breakdowns showed that only slightly more than 15,000 units were under construction across 14 states and the FCT, with 129 units delivered at Nasarawa Technology Village and 116 units handed over to the Benue State Government for civil servants.

He argued that state housing corporations should not merely participate in national housing programmes but should become key delivery engines.

He also called for affordable rental housing, slum upgrading, local production of building materials and the development of Agric-Villages to tackle housing shortages, unemployment, food insecurity and rural-urban migration.

Obongha urged state governors to revive and strengthen their housing corporations by appointing boards, providing land, facilitating access to finance, ensuring professional leadership and setting measurable housing-delivery targets.

He said the performance of each corporation should ultimately be measured by the number of homes delivered, families housed, private capital mobilised, land unlocked and contribution to the development of the state.

Looking ahead to 2030, AHCN envisaged a Nigeria where every state housing corporation would have a functioning housing-development strategy, every state would maintain a documented housing land bank, and housing finance would be accessible to more Nigerians.

‘Let us therefore transform our housing corporations from underutilised government agencies into powerful engines of mass housing delivery.

‘Let us build not merely houses, but communities. Let us build not merely estates, but economic opportunities. Let us build not merely structures, but rekindle the hope of our people,’ Obongha said.

Coleman Technical Industries Limited has called for stiffer penalties, including imprisonment, for manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit and substandard cables, accusing weak enforcement of allowing the illicit trade to thrive in Nigeria.

The company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, George Onafowokan, said confiscating and destroying fake cables without prosecuting those behind their production and distribution would do little to deter the growing counterfeiting business.

Onafowokan made the call while responding to questions from journalists after a media tour of Coleman’s factories in Sagamu, Ogun State, on Monday.

He specifically challenged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to strengthen its enforcement and prosecution efforts, questioning the number of counterfeit cable manufacturers and distributors that had been successfully prosecuted by the regulator.

He tasked enforcement agencies to go beyond seizure and destruction of substandard products by ensuring that offenders face criminal sanctions.

‘If there is no consequence, all you’ve done is just remove a little off my shelf. I’ll buy another one because you did not tell me I’ve become a criminal for doing it,’ he said.

Onafowokan also alleged that SON sometimes places greater emphasis on charging manufacturers for testing their cables than on working with other relevant agencies to prosecute counterfeiters.

He urged the regulator to adopt a more aggressive enforcement approach, citing the activities of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) against counterfeit pharmaceutical products as an example.

The Coleman CEO warned that the consequences of substandard cables went beyond economic losses to manufacturers, stressing that the products could trigger electrical fires and endanger lives.

He disclosed that Coleman had been working with the Nigeria Police Force, including the office of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, as well as various zonal and state commands, in efforts to identify and prosecute cable counterfeiters.

According to him, the company has incurred significant costs supporting investigations and legal proceedings, including laboratory testing of suspected adulterated cables.

Onafowokan said Coleman was awaiting the conclusion of a case which, if successful, could become the first in Nigeria in which an individual is convicted and jailed specifically for adulterating cables.

He explained that counterfeit cables remained attractive to criminals because of the wide margin between production costs and selling prices.

The counterfeiters, he said, often use significantly less material and inferior inputs while selling their products at prices close to those of genuine cables.

Onafowokan said some substandard cables could contain 30 to 40 per cent less material by length, enabling counterfeiters to make excessive profits while exposing consumers to serious safety risks.

The Coleman boss called for stronger government support for local manufacturers under the Nigeria First policy, saying the company had benefited from growing local-content opportunities in the oil and gas and telecommunications sectors.

He said increased patronage of locally manufactured cables would not only support domestic industrial capacity but also reduce dependence on imported products that may not meet Nigerian standards.

Also speaking, Coleman Executive Director, Michael Onafowokan, said SON had a critical responsibility to create an environment in which genuine manufacturers could compete on the basis of quality while counterfeiters were effectively removed from the market.

He said counterfeiting was no longer limited to the importation of substandard products, noting that the illicit production of cables was increasingly taking place within Nigeria.

He therefore urged SON to intensify its surveillance, enforcement and prosecution activities against local manufacturers of fake cables.

Coleman’s Chief Operating Officer, Ilori Sanusi, called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to review existing laws on counterfeiting and raise the penalties to reflect the potential damage caused by substandard electrical products.

Sanusi said inadequate punishment could encourage offenders to continue in the illicit trade because the financial gains could outweigh the consequences of being caught.

He argued that penalties should be sufficiently severe to deter manufacturers and distributors from producing and selling substandard cables.

The renewed call by Coleman comes amid concerns over the safety implications of substandard electrical products and their impact on local manufacturers investing heavily in modern production facilities and quality-control systems.

The company maintained that stronger enforcement, effective prosecution and tougher sanctions were necessary to protect consumers, safeguard lives and create a level playing field for manufacturers that comply with Nigerian standards.

The Lagos State Government has commended Greenwich Bank Limited for opening its first three commercial banking branches in Lagos, describing the expansion as a positive development that would support financial inclusion, wealth creation and economic growth in the state.

Greenwich Bank on October 2 officially opened branches in Surulere, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, marking the first major phase of its physical branch rollout following its transition from a Merchant Bank to a commercial bank with Regional authorisation.

Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, said Greenwich Bank had an important role to play in the economic development of the state, particularly given its decades of experience and contribution to Nigeria’s financial services industry.

The governor, who performed the commissioning of the Awolowo Road, Ikoyi branch, expressed optimism that the bank would support individuals and businesses while contributing to the continued growth of the Lagos economy.

‘Lagos needs banks like Greenwich to expand business opportunities, and we are confident that Greenwich Bank will support businesses and customers to grow. The entrance of the bank into the state’s financial ecosystem is very important to the business enterprise of the state,’ he said.

Sanwo-Olu congratulated the management of the bank, describing its emergence as a commercial bank as an important milestone in the institution’s evolution.

The commissioning ceremonies attracted senior government officials, business and corporate leaders, financial market regulators and other stakeholders.

The opening of the three branches represents a significant step in Greenwich Bank’s strategy to take its expanded range of banking services closer to individuals, businesses and institutions across its approved operating regions.

The bank also disclosed plans for further expansion, including the opening of branches in Akure, Ondo State and Ado-Ekiti I Ekiti State with plans to open more in the South West, South South, Northwestern regions of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory. There are plans to pursue a national banking licence in the medium term.

The expansion follows the regulatory approval granted the bank in August 2026 for Greenwich to operate as a commercial bank. The new licence broadens the bank’s scope beyond its traditional merchant banking activities, enabling it to serve retail customers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), commercial organisations and public-sector institutions.

Group Chairman of Greenwich Holdings Limited, Kayode Falowo, emphasised that the bank would establish additional branches in other locations within the regions approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to him, Greenwich Bank would bring the discipline and professionalism of institutional banking to the everyday financial needs of Nigerians.

‘We will bring the discipline of institutional banking to bear on those everyday needs, so that a market trader and a corporate client can both expect the same professional service and respect,’ Falowo said.

He added that the new branch network would complement the bank’s digital channels by combining physical accessibility with technology-driven banking services.

‘The bank will focus on and address the challenges average Nigerians and businesses face. We will advise, and we will invest in the growth of enterprises with the same seriousness we bring to the largest corporate clients,’ he added.

Also speaking, Chairman Greenwich Bank Limited, Segun Olekutuyi, described the opening of the branches as a significant milestone and the beginning of a new chapter for the institution.

He said the bank would seek to meet the aspirations of its broad range of stakeholders through quality services and products, integrity, speed and value for customers.

Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga, commended the Board of Greenwich Bank for its vision, noting that NGX Group was proud of the institution’s evolution over the decades and its contribution to Nigeria’s financial system.

Kwairanga said that despite the competitive nature of the banking industry, Greenwich Bank had a unique role to play in deepening the financial market and supporting customers to grow.

Group Managing Director of Greenwich Holdings Limited, Oyewale Ariyibi, said the group would continue to strengthen its capital base, expand its retail financial services footprint and accelerate its digital transformation agenda.

He said the expansion of Greenwich Bank formed part of a broader strategy to build a stronger financial services group capable of providing complementary solutions across banking, asset management, securities and other related financial services.

Managing Director of Greenwich Bank Limited , Benson Ogundeji, said the branch openings marked an important stage in the bank’s evolution and its efforts to make its expanded capabilities more accessible to customers.

According to Ogundeji, the commercial banking licence provides Greenwich with an opportunity to build on its corporate and institutional banking heritage while extending its relationship-driven model to individuals, SMEs and a wider range of businesses.

He said the group’s strategy combines the accessibility and relationship-building advantages of physical branches with the speed and convenience of digital banking, providing customers with multiple channels through which they can access the bank’s services.

Greenwich Holdings comprises Greenwich Bank Limited, Greenwich Asset Management Limited and Greenwich Securities Limited, while its broader financial services ecosystem includes Greenwich Registrars and Data Solution Limited and Greenwich Trustees Limited.

The Federal Government, state governments, non-state actors and development partners have renewed their commitment to implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration 2026-2035 to accelerate Nigeria’s agricultural transformation and strengthen food security.

The commitment was made on Monday in Maiduguri, Borno State, during the Annual Community of Practice (CoP) Meeting, organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with state governments, development partners and other stakeholders.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said effective alignment between the Federal Government, states and development partners was critical to achieving sustainable food security and resilient livelihoods.

Kyari said such alignment must go beyond policy statements to include compatible policies, reliable data, complementary investments and clearly defined responsibilities.

‘We need one coherent agrifood system in which national direction and state-level execution reinforce one another,’ the minister said.

He said the need for stronger coordination had become more important with the adoption of the Kampala CAADP Declaration and its Strategy and Action Plan for 2026-2035.

According to him, the Kampala framework adopts a broader agrifood systems approach, covering sustainable production, investment and finance, food and nutrition security, trade, inclusion, resilience and stronger governance.

Kyari said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had placed food security at the centre of the national agenda, adding that the Federal Government’s responsibility was to translate the mandate into increased production, affordable food, stronger rural economies and a resilient food system.

He disclosed that some essential food commodities had recorded price reductions of up to 50 per cent, alongside expanded input delivery, investments in rural infrastructure and support for smallholder farmers.

He, however, stressed the need to sustain and deepen the gains. The minister said Nigeria had developed and validated a 10-year National Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan to domesticate the Kampala commitments, describing it as the vehicle for translating the framework into concrete action.

He said the strategy would provide a harmonised implementation framework with clear roles, responsibilities, timelines and accountability mechanisms.

Kyari added that CAADP Biennial Review indicators had been integrated into national planning, budgeting and reporting systems to help align federal and state budgets, reduce duplication and channel investments towards agreed priorities.

He urged states to leverage their comparative agricultural advantages rather than attempt to produce every commodity, stressing that the country’s diverse agricultural zones offered opportunities for specialised production supported by appropriate technology, infrastructure and market linkages.

On fertiliser supply, the minister said early procurement under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, now under the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, helped secure supplies for the 2026 farming season and generated N61.58 billion in savings.

He added that Nigeria was on course to deliver a 1.1 million metric-tonne fertiliser programme in 2026.

Kyari also highlighted the recently unveiled National Agricultural Mechanization Policy and National Agricultural Mechanization Investment Strategy, saying the initiatives would move the country away from fragmented equipment interventions towards a sustainable mechanisation ecosystem.

He disclosed that plans included the establishment of a mega tractor assembly plant with the capacity to produce between 2,000 and 4,000 tractors annually.

The minister further said the government was expanding all-season production through irrigation, improving access to quality seeds, supporting national agricultural research institutes and strengthening the translation of research into practical solutions for farmers.

He also highlighted the role of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in connecting production areas with processing facilities and markets.

Kyari called for stronger participation of women and young people across agricultural value chains, as well as improved conditions for private investment and development finance.

He urged state governments to ensure their agricultural action plans were aligned with the Kampala commitments and national priorities, particularly in rural infrastructure, extension services, agricultural credit, quality inputs, labour-saving technologies, post-harvest loss reduction and climate-resilient agriculture.

The Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, represented by his deputy, Usman Kadafur, described the meeting as more than a gathering of policymakers and development practitioners, saying it provided an opportunity for shared learning, reflection and collective action.

Zulum said a Community of Practice should translate experience into knowledge, knowledge into action and action into measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Nigeria, Dr Karin Jansen, said Germany welcomed Nigeria’s leadership in advancing the Kampala Agenda and was committed to supporting the country in moving from commitments to coordinated implementation.

Jansen stressed the importance of cooperation between the Federal Government and states, as well as the active participation of non-state actors, in transforming Nigeria’s agrifood systems.

She said the Community of Practice provided a mechanism for connecting national priorities with action at the state level while facilitating knowledge exchange, learning and joint problem-solving.

According to her, the first Community of Practice focused on developing a common understanding of the Kampala Declaration and strengthening state-driven implementation, while the second meeting represented a shift from understanding to implementation and from commitments to coordinated action.

She noted that Germany, through the Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Policies (AgSys) project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ, was supporting Nigerian partners to strengthen agricultural policy processes, scale successful approaches and enhance civil society participation.

In his closing remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said Nigeria must move away from a siloed approach to agricultural development by encouraging states to focus on their specific comparative advantages.

He said the challenges facing Nigeria’s agrifood systems were multidimensional and required an integrated approach involving agriculture, health, the environment and rural development.

‘The nexus between food production, nutrition, environmental sustainability, and rural development is the cornerstone of our national prosperity,’ Abdullahi said.

The Anambra State Government has called on voters, particularly supporters of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to reject Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in the upcoming 2027 general election.

The call was issued in a statement posted on the state government’s official X handle, managed by the New Media office of Governor Charles Soludo, on Monday.

In the post, state authorities accused Obi-who served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014 under APGA-of consistently seeking to weaken the party since his departure, while claiming that President Bola Tinubu had shown support for APGA.

Accompanying the post with a graphic aimed at Obi, the government characterised the former governor as having betrayed the party that launched his political career.

‘A betrayal alert for Ndi APGA. Since 2014, Obi has had one mission: to destroy the party that made him,’ the statement read.

‘In 2015, while President Tinubu stood with APGA, Obi backed the opposition to bury us. Do not be deceived by a man who abandoned his own house. Anambra is APGA. Ndi APGA, defend your home, resist the NDC.’

The police in Imo State have arrested a man, identified as Lucky Adim, for allegedly using an electric cable to inflict multiple injuries on his 10-year-old daughter, Confidence Adim, in Owerri.

The suspect was arrested on Friday following a petition by the Stand for Humanity Foundation, a human rights organisation, after the child was brought to the organisation in a severely injured condition.

The President of the Foundation, Chidiebube Okeoma, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

He said that the victim and her two younger siblings were rescued from the streets by concerned Nigerians and taken to the organisation for assistance.

According to Okeoma, the Foundation petitioned the Owerri Urban Divisional Police Headquarters, urging the police to investigate the alleged abuse, arrest the suspect and prosecute him.

He said the police subsequently arrested Adim, who, according to the organisation, admitted to assaulting his daughter.

He said: ‘Mr Lucky Adim was arrested by the police in Owerri on Friday. His arrest was initiated by us at Stand for Humanity Foundation after good Nigerians brought the brutalised child and her two younger siblings to us.’

According to him, the man used cable wire to brutalise his 10-year-old daughter and has owned up to the crime.

Okeoma said the Foundation took the victim to the Police Hospital in Owerri for medical treatment, while her two younger siblings were taken to an orphanage in Owerri for temporary care.

He added that the organisation was covering the victim’s medical expenses.

The child-rights advocate urged the police to prosecute the suspect, stressing that child abuse should not be treated as a private family matter.

He said: ‘Child abuse is not a family affair. It is a constitutional issue and punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as applicable in Imo State.’

Okeoma assured that the Foundation would pursue the matter through the appropriate legal channels, adding that the case should serve as a deterrent to parents who abuse their children.

The body insisted that the suspect be arraigned by the police so as to serve as a deterrent to parents who abuse their children, thinking that the law permits them.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday ordered the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately uphold Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim’s name as the Accord Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, also ordered the Accord Party to submit the candidate’s name to the electoral umpire in line with the provisions of Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026, which should be accepted by INEC.

Justice Umar, in a judgment he delivered in a suit filed against the Accord Party and INEC, held that Section 86 of the Electoral Act was flagrantly violated by the refusal to submit the plaintiff’s name to INEC after he emerged victorious in the May 30 primary election of the party as sole aspirant.

Although the Accord Party denied ever conducting any primary election, Justice Umar discountenanced the claim because of the evidence that Olawepo-Hashim paid N50 million for expression of interest and nomination forms, which were accepted from him.

The judge held that most of the claims of the Accord Party in respect of the disputed primary election were contradictory and unbelievable in the face of the law.

Olawepo-Hashim, through his counsel, Henry Akunebu, SAN, had urged the court to direct the Accord Party to immediately upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal as its presidential candidate and compel the electoral body to recognise and accept the nomination.

The senior lawyer challenged the authenticity of documents tendered by the party and INEC, particularly a letter allegedly cancelling the party’s presidential primary.

He had argued that the document lacked the party’s official stamp and was addressed to the INEC chairman but was received by an unnamed national commissioner.

Akunebu argued that political parties are bound by the Electoral Act, their constitutions and INEC guidelines in the nomination of candidates, adding that a party that conducts a valid primary has a statutory duty to submit the winner’s name to INEC.

He urged the court to discountenance the exhibits, describing them as documents fabricated during the proceedings.

In the originating summons, Olawepo-Hashim asked the court to determine whether the party’s refusal to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal, despite his alleged emergence as the sole winner of the May 30 presidential primary, violated the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution and INEC’s Guidelines for Political Parties.

He sought a declaration that the party’s failure to submit his name breached Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and 28(2) of the INEC guidelines on candidate nomination.

The plaintiff further prayed the court to order the Accord Party to submit his name to INEC or, in the alternative, to direct the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would participate.

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Olawepo-Hashim said he was a registered and financial member of the party, claiming he funded its electronic membership registration with N7 million and paid N50 million as a nomination fee for the presidential primary.

He maintained that he emerged as the sole aspirant and winner of a primary allegedly monitored by INEC officials but accused the party of failing to forward his name to the electoral commission.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has prayed the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to dismiss a N1 billion fundamental rights suit filed by former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged refusal to allow him access to his family members.

Also in a separate counter affidavit filed before the court, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) urged that the suit, which has been assigned to Justice Chigozie Onah, be dismissed, on the ground that the ICPC is empowered to put in place protocols within its facilities to prevent breach of security.

The detained former governor had filed the suit against the ICPC, its Chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN, and the AGF as 1st to 3rd respondents, respectively.

El-Rufai, in the Originating Motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026 and filed by Ubong Akpan on August 13, sought a N1 billion in damages for allegedly preventing him from having access to his wife, Mrs Aichatou Asabe and son, Abba El-Rufai, while in custody.

The former governor, who alleged that his wife and son were denied to see him, prayed the court to declare that his fundamental human rights guaranteed under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) remain inviolable and in force notwithstanding his detention by the Commission and should be honoured.

Responding in a joint counter affidavit filed by the ICPC and its chairman but deposed to by John Uche, a Chief Anti-Corruption Assistant in the Internal Security Support Unit, said, many paragraphs in El-Rufai’s affidavit in support of his suit were false and further averred that the former governor was in the lawful custody of the Commission by an order of the Federal High Court, Kaduna Division, in charge number: FHC/KD/73C/2025.

He said on July 7, in compliance with the order of the Kaduna Federal High Court, permitting access to El-Rufai’s personal physician, the Commission facilitated a medical visit to his personal physician accompanied by their officers and his wife, Asabe.

Shortly after the hospital visit, he said, the ICPC received reports that the said medical visit was turned into a political meeting in breach of its security protocol, demonstrating that the existing access control environment was vulnerable.

Uche said that, against this development, the Commission adopted a temporary access control measure, temporarily restricting non-essential access to the former governor because unrestricted access presented a continuing risk until the vulnerability was understood and adequately mitigated.

The officer said as this was happening on July 7, El-Rufai’s son, Abba, came to their office requesting to visit his father and approached him (Uche) at his desk.

Uche said he then contacted his superior, Mr Henry Hwande, who instructed him to find out the purpose of his visit.

He said he made the enquiry and was told that it was a regular visit and the information was relayed to his superior, who instructed that Abba should wait in the Commission’s waiting area.

The officer said while El-Rufai’s son was waiting, Asabe met him (Abba) and, after conversing with him, began raising her voice and demanding that Abba be granted access to his father.

‘That my colleague, Miss Titilayo Remi, tried to speak and reason with her to de-escalate the situation, but she was uncooperative’, Uche said and added that, several minutes later, Abba attempted to proceed into the Commission’s building, but he quickly stood in his way to prevent him and Asabe from gaining access.

‘That while being focused on preventing him from gaining access, I fell into a ditch where my leg trapped and I called out for help at which point the applicant’s son and Aichatou Asabe continued to make their way towards the building’s entrance, as captured by the CCTV footage.

‘That my cry for help attracted the security personnel, who then swung into action to prevent the unauthorised entry of the applicant’s son while Aichatou Asabe gained access into the building and headed for the detention area.

‘That after he was prevented from gaining entry into the building, the applicant’s son lay in the gutter and repeatedly rubbed his leg against the edge of the gutter.

‘That the 1st respondent has Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras installed at various strategic locations within and around its office premises for security and monitoring purposes, which cameras record activities and events occurring with their respective fields of view.’

He said that the contents of the storage system, including the CCTV recordings, remained accurate and were not altered or tampered with during the material period.

Uche said, following a second security breach on July 7, the ICPC determined that its existing access arrangements were no longer adequate warranting an urgent review.

The officer said during the course of the review, the Commission uncovered another security breach involving Asabe; who was allegedly smuggled into the ICPC’s premises on Saturday, July 4 at about 7:35pm after official visiting hours with the connivance of some officers of the Commission, who are currently facing disciplinary action.

He said that based on Asabe’s repeated disregard for access control protocols, the Commission determined that her continued access posed a specific security risk, ‘As such, her visiting access to the applicant was temporarily suspended pending completion of the security review and implementation of appropriate mitigation measures.’

He said he was informed by Mr Henry Hwande, Head of the Internal Security Support Unit, on August 26, which he believed to be true, that: ‘On 8th of July, 2026, Asia Ahmed El-Rufai, one of the applicant’s wives wrote requesting audience with the Director of Operations following the incident of 7th July, 2026.

‘Further to the letter, the Director of Operations, alongside Mr. Henry Hwande met with Asia Ahmed El-Rufai and a counsel by name, Mr Aremu, at the Director Operations office on the 9th of July, 2026.

‘One of the issues discussed at the meeting was the denial of access to Aichatou Asabe to which the Director Operations responded that there was an ongoing investigation and Aichatou Asabe was temporarily suspended from accessing the 1st respondent’s premises until same was completed.

‘The 1st respondent, having earlier responded to the issue of Aichatou Asabe’s temporary denial of access, did not see the need to respond to the letter of 16th July, 2026, as nothing new had come up,’ he said and added that, contrary to El-Rufai’s claim, other members of his family, including his son who was refused entry on July 7, had severally been granted access to visit him, bringing meals, medication and other necessary supplies after the July 7 incident.

Uche, who attached a copy of the Commission’s visitors log as ‘Exhibit ICPC D,’ to prove their case, said it would be in the interest of justice to dismiss the detained ex-governor’s claim against the 1st and 2nd respondents.

The AGF, in its counter affidavit filed on September 11 and deposed to by Oni Michael, an Administrative Officer in Civil Litigation and Public Law Department of Federal Ministry of Justice, denied some of the averments in El-Rufai’s affidavit.

Michael stated that the AGF, listed as 3rd respondent in the suit, is not saddled with the responsibility of arresting and/or detaining any person suspected to have committed any crime whatsoever, including El-Rufai, and neither does he maintains a detention facility.

‘That the alleged infringement of the applicant’s right was not done by the 3rd respondent in any way whatsoever as he is not responsible for the maintenance and control of the 1st and 2nd respondents’ detention facility.’

The admin officer further stated that the AGF was not part of the alleged events of July 7 and at no time did he deny El-Rufai’s family members access to him.

According to Michael, the order of Hon. Justice R.M. Aikawa solely directed the 1st and 2nd respondents to allow the applicant access to his counsel and personal physician.

‘That the attached order did not include access to Aichatou Asabe or any other person. That the 1st and 2nd respondents are empowered to put in place protocols within their facilities to prevent breach of security,’ he said.

The officer submitted that maintenance of serious security protocols at the ICPC’s detention facility is a matter of national security.

Michael said he was informed by Mosunmola Yetunde, lawyer to ICPC, of the following facts which he verily believed to be true that the Commission, in compliance with court order allowed El-Rufai access to his personal physician accompanied by ICPC’s officers and Asabe, his wife.

‘That the medical meeting turned into a political meeting. That the 1st respondent adopted a temporary access control measure which resulted in temporarily restricting non-essential access to the applicant due to vulnerability risk.

‘That the restriction put in place was to ensure a serious security protocol, necessary for the maintenance and control of the 1st respondent’s detention facility. That it became necessary following the events of 7th July, 2026, to review the CCTV Security footage of the 1st respondent’s facility.’

Michael, however, corroborated that during the course of the review, it was discovered that there had been an earlier security breach involving Asabe. This, he said, happened in connivance with an ex-officer of the Commission, wherein Asabe was smuggled into the Commission’s facilities after official visiting hours.

‘That the act of Aichatou Asabe and the ex-officer of the 1st respondent breached the Ist respondent’s security access protocol. That the officer found liable in smuggling Aichatou Asabe into the 1st respondent’s detention facility has been dismissed from the service of the 1st and 2nd respondents,’ he added.

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on Monday drew the attention of the Federal Government to the deteriorating road network in the Niger Delta, saying the condition of roads in the region had reached the level of a national emergency.

The National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali, made the call in a 66th anniversary message to Nigeria, in which he urged greater attention to infrastructure and environmental challenges in the Niger Delta.

Igali, while congratulating President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians on the nation’s 66th Independence Anniversary, also commended the governors and other leaders in the South-South for their contributions to peace, infrastructure development and social welfare.

PANDEF also acknowledged the efforts of intervention agencies, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority and the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), in advancing development in the region.

The forum, however, urged the Federal Government to give greater priority to infrastructure in the Niger Delta, particularly the road network, which it said had deteriorated to an emergency level.

Igali said, ‘We take the opportunity to remind the Federal Government to continue to pay greater attention to the state of infrastructure in the Niger Delta, especially the road network, which has reached a proportion of national emergency.

‘Equally, the question of environmental remediation, which the area has had to bear for 70 years of oil pollution and gas flaring, needs to be placed on the front burner.’

The chairman noted that the infrastructure challenges were particularly significant given the environmental conditions in the region, with large parts of the six South-South states characterised by waterlogged terrain.

PANDEF also called for sustained action on environmental remediation, particularly the effects of decades of oil pollution and gas flaring in the Niger Delta.

The forum urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the peace and progress of the country, while congratulating citizens across the country on the Independence Anniversary.

Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bauchi State Council, has said its members will not give bulk votes to any presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections unless its national leader, Bello Bodejo, is released from detention.

The organisation also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter and review the charges against Bodejo with a view to securing his unconditional release.

The State Chairman of the organisation, Alhaji Sale Garbu, stated this on Monday at a press conference in Bauchi.

Garbu expressed concern over what he described as the prolonged detention of the group’s national leader without him being brought before a court, saying the situation had generated anxiety among members.

He also raised concerns about the impact of Bodejo’s continued absence on his family.

The chairman said Bodejo had contributed to efforts to promote peace and security in the country, particularly through initiatives aimed at addressing challenges confronting communities.

Garbu urged President Tinubu to examine the circumstances surrounding Bodejo’s detention and take steps to resolve the matter.

He also appealed to Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, to intervene and support efforts to secure Bodejo’s release in good health.

The organisation maintained that it would not support the presidential candidate of any political party in the 2027 election until its national leader was released, citing concerns over his continued detention.

Earlier, the State Secretary of the organisation, Sulaiman Shehu, appealed to traditional rulers across the country to intervene in the matter.

Shehu urged traditional institutions to engage relevant authorities and support efforts to find a peaceful and lawful resolution to the situation.

The organisation also called on government authorities, community leaders and other stakeholders to give attention to the matter in the interest of peace, justice and the wellbeing of Bodejo’s family.