Category: Nigerian Tribune

THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday made an order of accelerated hearing as suspended DCP Abba Kyrai and his co-defendants resumed their defence.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order when the matter came up for hearing after it was adjourned indefinitely on May 20, following the shortlisting of his name for elevation to the the Court of Appeal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had, at its 111th meeting, forwarded 12 High Court judges, including Nwite, to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as justices of the Appeal Court.

It would be recalled that Kyari, the former head of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), alongside four other suspended IRT officers, including the two now convicted drug traffickers, were initially being prosecuted by the NDLEA on eight-count charge.

The agency had accused Kyari and the officers of conspiracy and obstruction in the illegal dealing in cocaine and importation of cocaine preferred against the two convicts.

The four officers are: ACP Sunday J. Ubua; ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, named as second to fifth defendants.

The two convicted drug traffickers: Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, were listed as sixth and seventh defendants.

When the case was called on Tuesday, the judge asked what the position of the case was.

Responding, Sunday Joseph, who appeared for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), informed the court that following the judge’s recommendation for elevation, the case was adjourned sine die (indefinitely).

Joseph, however, said based on subsequent development and consent of all counsel in the matter, parties agreed that the matter should proceed, pending the president’s approval of the judge’s appointment.

He recalled that on March 16, the 2nd defence witness (DW-2), Insp. El-John Nwonke, concluded his evidence.

He, however, said the senior lawyer, who appeared for the first defendant (Kyari), indicated that he would want to review the testimony of the DW-2 before the witness would be cross-examined.

‘The matter was then adjourned to May 20 and 21, 2026 for hearing,’ he said.

According to him, the position of the case is for us to hear from counsel to the first defendant on their position regarding DW-two based on which we can proceed probably to cross-examination.

A.Akkas, who appeared for first and third defendants (Kyari and James), said Joseph was not entirely correct that parties agreed on continuation of trial date.

He said it did not lie in the mouth of the prosecution to have informed the court that DW-two had concluded his testimony.

Akkas, who held brief for Onyechi Ikpeazu, noted that the record of the court would show that what Ikpeazu said was that the first and third defendants counsel requires time to align transcript of new evidence that was demonstration before the court in order to establish its accuracy.

The lawyer, who said he was only served with a hearing notice of the case on Monday, sought an adjournment.

He added that said the DW-two (Nwonke) was outside the country on special duty.

Other defence lawyers, who said they were not oppose to expeditious determination of the case, did not raise an objection to the application for an adjournment.

The judge consequently adjourned the case until October 5 for continuation of defence.

The court had, on February 27, admitted video evidence tendered by the DW-two (Nwonke) as exhibit in the trial of Kyari and others.

The video contains the confessional statements of the two drug traffickers, Umeibe and Ezenwanne, who were convicted on June 14, 2022, after they pleaded guilty to the counts preferred against them by the NDLEA.

Nwonke, led in evidence by Ikpeazu, narrated how NDLEA operatives allegedly shielded the two convicted drug traffickers, Umeibe and Ezenwanne at the Enugu Airport on January 19, 2022, before the police arrested them.

He said the convicts confessed that they were arrested by the IRT with a 21.55 kilogramme consignment of cocaine at the airport.

The DW-two said the convicts told him that they had been in the business for a long time but were surprised at how the police arrested them.

HOW many more Nigerians must lose their savings before the authorities admit something is fundamentally wrong with the way Nigeria regulates investment schemes? The latest case is the alleged collapse of PXES, an online investment platform that reportedly stopped paying investors in early September. Investors who put in tens of thousands to millions of naira are counting their losses. Some reportedly visited the company’s offices in Yola, Adamawa State, and Kabba, Kogi State, after they could no longer access their money. Videos reportedly showed aggrieved investors removing office equipment in Yola. Similar incidents were reported in Kabba.

This is not the first or second such case. It is part of a pattern that has lasted for decades. From the old ‘wonder banks’ to MMM, MBA Forex, CBEX and now PXES, the names and technology change, but the pattern remains. Nigerians invest their savings, schemes collapse, promoters disappear or face prolonged investigations, and victims struggle to recover their money. Investment fraud is too often blamed solely on the victims. Nigerians must exercise due diligence, as unusually high returns, little or no risk and dependence on new investors are clear warning signs identified by the SEC. However, personal responsibility does not excuse regulatory failure. Under severe economic pressure, Nigerians seek legitimate ways to protect their savings, pay school fees and cope with inflation. When a company operates openly through offices, employees, websites, social media and recognised bank accounts, citizens may reasonably assume it is being monitored by the authorities. This is precisely why accountability must extend beyond the victims to the institutions responsible for protecting the public: beginning with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

First, the SEC, Nigeria’s capital-market regulator, registers and monitors operators, investigates suspicious activities and enforces securities laws. Although it warned Nigerians about MMM, Loom Nigeria Money, Flip Cash Investment and MBA Forex, warnings were not enough; timely detection and enforcement were needed to prevent losses. The MBA case raises serious questions. Reports from the CBN’s court action showed that 125,397 investors deposited about ?171.128 billion into MBA-related accounts before they were frozen in February 2021. Which banks held the funds? Were suspicious transactions reported? And when did the banks, CBN, SEC and NFIU act? The fraud operators bear primary responsibility, but the CBN and commercial banks must also be scrutinised. Freezing the accounts does not prove collusion, but the failure to detect and stop suspicious transactions earlier raises concerns about monitoring, intelligence sharing and regulatory intervention.

The NFIU receives, analyses and shares financial intelligence on money laundering, terrorism financing and related crimes. Having warned about Ponzi schemes and unregulated investments, it must explain whether alerts were generated when billions flowed from thousands of investors: and where the money went.The EFCC investigates financial crimes. MBA investors reportedly protested at its Port Harcourt office in April 2021, demanding recovery and prosecution, while the agency later warned against fraudulent investment schemes. But where are the convictions, recovered assets and documented results? Investigation is not conviction, arrest is not justice, and freezing an account is not recovery. The ICPC must act where corruption or abuse of office is involved. The CAC provides corporate identity, not authority to solicit investments; regulators must quickly detect CAC-registered companies operating without SEC approval. Banks and payment companies must also be investigated because Ponzi schemes rely on accounts, transfers and electronic channels. Investigators must identify who processed, received, moved and withdrew the money, trace the beneficiaries and assets, and disclose what was recovered.

The police must investigate offences within their mandate, while agencies coordinate their roles: SEC for investment regulation, CBN for banking supervision, NFIU for financial intelligence, EFCC for financial crimes, ICPC for corruption, police for criminal conduct, and CAC for corporate information. Criminals do not operate in departmental silos; government must not investigate in silos either. Victims should not simply be dismissed as greedy or foolish. Unrealistic returns should raise suspicion, but it is the promoter who designs the scheme, makes the promises, recruits investors, controls the accounts and moves the money. Fraudulent investment schemes and ‘wonder banks’ predate the internet. Technology has merely expanded their reach through smartphones, websites, social media and modern banking channels.

Government institutions must also face scrutiny. Agencies should disclose when they issued warnings, froze accounts, made referrals or recovered assets. Any negligence, corruption or collusion must be investigated and punished. The Federal Government should independently review major Ponzi schemes of the past two decades, examining their promoters, registrations, banks, suspicious-transaction reports, regulatory intelligence, prosecutions, convictions and recoveries. The CBN deserves particular scrutiny: since it eventually froze MBA’s accounts, the public is entitled to know what happened before then. Were warning signs reported and shared among the banks, CBN, SEC, NFIU and EFCC?The latest PXES case must not become another brief news story. Authorities must determine who promoted it, how much was collected, where the money went, which banks and accounts were used, whether suspicious transactions were reported, and when regulators became aware. Any institutional failure must be established; if the scheme evaded reasonable controls, the public should be told how. PXES is the latest reported example of a recurring problem seen with MMM, MBA and CBEX. The names, platforms and promises change, but the pattern remains. Nigeria cannot continue regulating Ponzi schemes only after citizens have lost their money. Promoters must be prosecuted, funds traced, assets recovered and institutions held accountable.

The question is no longer only why Nigerians fall for Ponzi schemes, but why these schemes keep succeeding despite the regulators, banks, intelligence agencies, law-enforcement bodies and laws meant to stop them. Unless that question is answered, another PXES will emerge.

FOUR suspected members of a kidnapping gang have been sentenced to death by hanging by an Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, in a landmark judgment that has placed the state’s specialised criminal justice system under national spotlight.

The judgement, delivered by Justice Aigbona Terry Momodu, of the Edo State Special Criminal Court, followed the trial of the defendants over the broad-daylight abduction of a woman at Vegetable market, along Airport Road, Benin, on June 14.

The convicts: Marvellous Isaac, 32; Wisdom Michael, 36; Rufus Emete Michael, 30; and Gift Raphael, 27, were prosecuted on an 11-count charge arising from allegations of kidnapping and other related offences.

However, hours after the judgment, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Notary Public, Olayiwola Afolabi, cautioned Governor Monday Okpebholo against taking any step towards executing the convicts until the expiration of the period allowed by law for them to exercise their right of appeal.

Afolabi said the governor could not lawfully order the execution of the convicts immediately, stressing that they should first be allowed to pursue whatever appellate remedies are available to them.

‘The governor cannot order execution of the convicts. It is only when they fail to file an appeal within the required 90 days,’ Afolabi said, adding that he expected the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Roland Otaru, to advise the governor appropriately.

The development has, therefore, shifted the significance of the judgment beyond the punishment handed down to the convicts, raising broader questions about the balance between speedy criminal justice, deterrence of violent crime and the constitutional safeguards available to persons convicted by the courts.

The prosecution, led by Otaru, called seven witnesses during the trial, while the defence did not call any witness.

The court also admitted several exhibits, including alleged confessional statements, a Lexus RX 350 SUV, a pump-action firearm, ammunition, a mobile phone and other materials tendered by the prosecution.

The prosecution’s case was linked to the June 14 abduction, when armed men allegedly attacked a vehicle at the busy Vegetable market and abducted the woman in the presence of her husband and children.

The incident generated public concern and triggered a police investigation.

According to evidence earlier presented before the court, investigations allegedly connected the Lexus SUV to other kidnapping incidents, while the arrest of Isaac on June 18, reportedly led to the recovery of the vehicle and other exhibits.

The prosecution subsequently linked the other defendants to the alleged criminal enterprise.

In his judgment, Justice Momodu found the defendants guilty on various counts, although the sentences differed according to the counts on which each was convicted.

Isaac was sentenced to seven years on one count, 10 years on another and life imprisonment on another, in addition to the death penalty on several kidnapping counts.

Michael was discharged and acquitted on counts 10 and 11, but convicted on other counts.

Rufus Michael received seven years on count one and the death sentence on applicable kidnapping counts, while he was discharged and acquitted on several other counts.

The only female defendant, Gift Raphael, was discharged and acquitted on several counts, but received seven years imprisonment on count one and death sentences on specified kidnapping counts.

The judgment followed months of proceedings at the specialised court established to handle kidnapping, cultism and other violent-crime cases, with the prosecution earlier closing its case after calling seven witnesses.

The case had attracted particular attention because of the alleged brazen nature of the June 14 abduction and the decision to prosecute it before a specialised criminal court.

The court’s determination is consequently being viewed against the wider national challenge of ensuring that kidnapping cases do not languish for years before judgment is delivered.

Afolabi’s intervention has, however, brought the appellate process to the centre of the debate, underscoring that a conviction and sentence at the trial court do not necessarily mark the end of the judicial process.

Meanwhile, Barrister Jude Okonkwo commended Justice Momodu for what he described as a sound judgment and for the effort invested in the trial.

The case is expected to remain a major reference point in the assessment of Edo’s specialised approach to the prosecution of kidnapping cases, particularly as the state seeks to combine swift adjudication with adherence to due process and the rights of convicted persons.

The directive, which takes effect from Wednesday, September 30, to Wednesday, October 7, 2026, was issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency Response and Safety Enforcement, Prince Wellington Oriade Adebawo.

Adebawo, who announced the ultimatum at a press conference in Akure on Wednesday, said the abandoned vehicles, equipment and watercraft posed safety risks to motorists, pedestrians, commuters and waterways users.

He said the government had conducted a survey across the 18 local government areas to identify abandoned heavy-duty vehicles, machinery and other obstructions requiring urgent intervention.

He urged owners of abandoned trucks, trailers, construction equipment and other heavy machinery along roads and public spaces to remove them to safe locations within the stipulated period.

Similarly, owners of abandoned boats, barges and other commercial watercraft were directed to retrieve and relocate them to designated safe locations.

Adebawo said the exercise was aimed at preventing avoidable accidents and protecting lives and property, stressing that abandoned equipment could obstruct roads, reduce visibility and expose road users to danger.

He warned that owners who failed to comply by October 7 would face enforcement action, including removal and impoundment of the affected vehicles, equipment and watercraft, which could be liable to forfeiture in accordance with relevant laws.

He stressed that there would be no extension or grace period, urging affected owners to take advantage of the seven-day window to comply.

Adebawo said the directive was part of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration’s efforts to strengthen safety enforcement and emergency response and ensure safer roads and waterways across the state.

No fewer than 250 students across Ondo and Osun states have benefited from the 2026 scholarship programme of the High Chiefs Bode and Betty Osedimilehin Foundation.

The beneficiaries were drawn from public primary and secondary schools, technical colleges and medical programmes across Owo, Ose, Akure North and Akure South Local Government Areas of Ondo State, as well as Ile-Ife in Osun State.

The scholarship scheme, which commenced in 2024, entered its third edition this year, with the foundation expanding its education intervention to reach more students and support human capital development.

The 2026 programme began in Owo with a presentation at Imade College before moving to Akure, where beneficiaries received their awards at Fiwasaye Girls Grammar School.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Coordinator of the foundation, Osedimilehin Dele Johnson, said the initiative was aimed at investing in the future of the beneficiaries rather than merely providing financial assistance.

Johnson urged the students to take advantage of the opportunity and remain committed to their education.

‘Today, we are not simply presenting financial assistance. We are investing in dreams. We are saying to every beneficiary: Your education matters. Your potential matters. Your future matters,’ he said.

The founders, High Chiefs Bode and Betty Osedimilehin, who joined the ceremony virtually from Australia, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to make good use of the opportunity.

The duo also encouraged the students to support others in the future, saying such a gesture would help break the cycle of poverty.

The former Director-General of the Ondo State Project Performance Implementation and Monitoring Unit, Engr. Razaq Obe, who delivered the guest lecture, described education as a key instrument for transforming individuals and society.

Obe said investment in education should be regarded as an investment in the future of communities and society.

‘Education is the bedrock of every society and it remains the most significant tool to transform lives and advance nations,’ he said.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Scholarship, Samad Orijeminiyi, lauded the foundation for sustaining the scholarship programme for three consecutive years.

Orijeminiyi said the continuity of the scheme demonstrated that the foundation’s intervention was not a one-off philanthropic gesture.

He called on the beneficiaries to justify the confidence placed in them by the sponsors.

‘The value you draw from this scheme will be the main encouragement for the sponsors to do more,’ Orijeminiyi said.

The governor’s aide also pledged to draw the attention of the state government, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to the contributions of Chief Dr Bode Osedimilehin and his wife, Chief Mrs Betty Osedimilehin, to education in the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Volunteer Services, Comrade Adeolu Iwakun, commended the foundation for supporting students.

He called on individuals and corporate organisations to complement government efforts in education and human capital development, particularly amid the rising cost of education.

The foundation had earlier held a scholarship presentation in Owo, where students from Owo and Ose Local Government Areas benefited from the scheme.

The final phase of the 2026 scholarship awards was held in Ile-Ife, Osun State, as part of activities marking the Olojo Festival, in collaboration with the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Babatunde Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

According to the foundation, 40 beneficiaries were selected from 20 public schools in Ile-Ife.

The foundation said the scholarship programme was designed to support students’ education and contribute to broader human capital development in the communities where it operates.

Manchester City’s long-running financial case has reached a crucial stage following reports that an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against it by the Premier League.

No punishment has been announced, and City are expected to appeal and maintain that the process is still ongoing.

Man City’s 114-charge case dates back to allegations that emerged from the Football Leaks revelations, when Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower behind the leaks, obtained a large collection of confidential football documents, some of which related to Manchester City.

Documents published by Der Spiegel in 2018 brought renewed attention to City’s sponsorship arrangements and compliance with financial regulations and became part of the wider scrutiny surrounding the club.

Pinto has followed the case closely. After the reported findings on 25 September 2026, he described the decision as a ‘historic decision for English football’ and said it vindicated documents released through Football Leaks.

Pinto also described the alleged conduct at City as ‘structural manipulation and financial manoeuvring’. Those are his descriptions and should not be presented as findings of the commission.

Man City’s 114 charges and denial

Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing since the Premier League brought the charges in February 2023.

Following reports of the commission’s findings, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told supporters that the club remained confident of proving its innocence and stressed that the Premier League process was not over.

‘The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,’ Al Mubarak said.

He said the club could not disclose more about its position because of the confidentiality surrounding the case, adding that City had continued to respect the legal process.

The Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State has thrown its weight behind a vocational skills acquisition programme designed to equip youths with practical skills for employment, entrepreneurship and economic self-reliance.

The council chairman, Prince Abdullahi Momodu, disclosed this, on Sunday, pledging the council’s collaboration with the organisers of the initiative, which seeks to widen access to legitimate economic opportunities for youths in Esanland.

The programme organised by the Centre for Moral Value and Justice, in collaboration with the Edo State Ministry for Public Safety and Security, is meant to provide vocational and entrepreneurship training to young people in the five local government areas in the Esan axis.

Convened by Comrade Inegbenehi Sylvester, with Chris Okojie, as co-convener, the initiative will be officially flagged off on October 6, at the Esan West Local Government secretariat.

The training will subsequently be decentralised to Esan West, Esan South-East, Esan North-East, Esan Central and Igueben local government areas.

It will be facilitated by the Nigerian Association of Engineering Craftsmen, affiliated with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), with participants expected to acquire practical knowledge in various areas of vocational enterprise.

Momodu said the council would mobilise youths in Esan Central to participate actively, stressing that practical skills could bridge the gap between formal education and the changing demands of the labour market while opening pathways to sustainable livelihoods.

He added that the council would work with the organisers to ensure that the initiative translated into tangible economic opportunities beyond the award of certificates.

Momodu urged the youth to embrace the programme as a pathway to self-reliance, improved living standards and productive contributions to their communities.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria cannot afford to gamble with its energy security, stressing that reliable electricity remains central to national development and economic survival.

Shettima spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new ultramodern National Control Centre of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

The Vice President, who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Legal Services, Bashir Maidugu, said the electricity sector powers industries, supports businesses, enables hospitals and schools to function, and drives the growth of communities and enterprises.

‘For Nigeria, therefore, the question of electricity is not merely a question of infrastructure. It is a question of national development,’ the Vice President said.

He noted that transforming the power sector required more than increasing generation capacity and expanding transmission lines, stressing the need to build institutions that are clearly defined, professionally managed and accountable.

Shettima said the Electricity Act 2023 provides the framework for the transformation of the sector, including the integration of renewable energy into the national grid.

According to him, the new National Control Centre would provide NISO with a modern platform for real-time grid monitoring, system control, operational coordination, communications, data management and enhanced security.

The Vice President, however, warned that infrastructure alone would not transform the electricity sector without strong institutions to manage and operate it.

‘Infrastructure alone will not transform the electricity sector. The institutions operating that infrastructure must also uphold the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, accountability and technical discipline,’ he said.

In his remarks, the Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, said the new ultramodern control centre would equip NISO with the capacity to monitor developments across the national grid and respond promptly to emerging challenges.

Tegbe, who commended President Bola Tinubu for his determination to address the underlying weaknesses affecting electricity supply and deliver improved results for Nigerians, said the existing control centre, built 64 years ago, could no longer meet the demands of NISO’s current responsibilities.

‘The National Control Centre is an integral part of our national power infrastructure. Generation plants and transmission lines depend on effective coordination to deliver electricity safely.

‘Through NISO, the centre supports the continuous balancing of electricity supply and demand, monitors grid network conditions and coordinates responses to disturbances,’ Tegbe stated.

Giving details of the project, the minister said the main building would comprise a basement, ground floor and first floor, accommodating operational, technical and support functions.

He said the facilities would provide an enabling environment for modern grid monitoring and control, while giving operators clearer and timely information on developments across the national grid.

Tegbe added that once equipped, tested and commissioned, the centre would strengthen coordination across the electricity industry and improve the ability of operators to respond to disturbances before they spread and coordinate restoration when interruptions occur.

He said the facility would also support the safe integration of renewable energy resources and Nigeria’s operational coordination within the West African Power Pool.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director of NISO, Engr. Bello Mohammed, described the ultramodern control centre as a foundation for the future of Nigeria’s electricity grid.

‘The true measure of this project will not be the size of the building or the sophistication of its equipment. Its true measure will be the difference it makes to the operation of the Nigerian power system and, ultimately, to the lives and economic activities that depend on reliable electricity,’ Mohammed stated.

The political camp of former lawmaker, Rt. Hon. Dr Saubana Ajibola Muraina, has dismissed his purported expulsion from the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the action came after he had already left the party and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Muraina’s Press Secretary, Engr. Laolu Adeyemo, stated this in a statement on Wednesday, reacting to a report that the APC Ward 09, Oke-Iserin, Igboora, had expelled the former lawmaker over alleged defection and anti-party activities.

Adeyemo said Muraina had already defected to the PDP and emerged as the party’s candidate for the Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election before the reported expulsion.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, Rt. Hon. Muraina is no longer a member of the APC. He left the APC, joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and has since emerged as the PDP Candidate for the Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election,’ he said.

According to him, Muraina’s defection and emergence as the PDP candidate had been publicly reported for months, before the APC’s reported expulsion announcement of September 29, 2026.

Adeyemo said the APC’s own statement on the matter acknowledged that Muraina had already defected to the PDP and secured the party’s ticket.

He questioned the reason for expelling someone who was no longer a member of the party.

‘An expulsion is ordinarily a disciplinary action against a member of an organisation. In this case, however, the chronology is important. Rt. Hon. Muraina had already made his political choice, joined the PDP and secured the PDP ticket before the APC Ward announced its purported expulsion,’ he said.

The aide also rejected any suggestion that Muraina was still presenting himself as an APC member, insisting that his current political affiliation and candidature were publicly known.

‘He is a PDP member and the PDP candidate for Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency for the 2027 election,’ Adeyemo said.

He urged the public, political stakeholders and the media to consider the reported expulsion in the context of the chronology of Muraina’s defection and not allow it to create confusion over his current party affiliation.

‘Rt. Hon. Muraina has moved on. He is in the PDP, he is the PDP flag bearer for Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, and his focus is now firmly on the 2027 election and the people of the constituency,’ he concluded.

The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on the government to take decisive steps to end insecurity and ensure that Nigerians displaced by banditry return to their communities.

Obi spoke on Tuesday during a visit to an Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in the Ramin Kura area of Sokoto State, where he interacted with displaced residents and assessed their living conditions.

The former Anambra State governor said it was unacceptable for Nigerians to remain in IDP camps in a country that was not formally at war.

He said, ‘As long as Nigerians live in IDP camps, the entire country is living in an IDP camp. This is unacceptable. That’s why we say we’ll deal decisively with these situations in security so our people can go back.

‘No Nigerian should live in an IDP camp. We’re not at war. Even if we’re at war, we should know and take care of them. Look at the living condition in which they live. These are fellow Nigerians.’

Obi said his interaction with the displaced persons showed that many of them wanted to return to their communities, but were concerned about whether the government could guarantee their safety.

He said, ‘From the interaction we have with the people, they want to return to their place. My concern is their concern. Most of them are talking with us here; they want to go back to their place. What is the assurance?’

The NDC candidate also expressed concern over the lack of basic amenities at the camp, particularly healthcare and education for children.

According to him, ‘There’s no hospital here. I asked them. I saw a child with a broken hand. There’s no primary healthcare to take care of their health. There’s no school for the children. It’s unacceptable in our country today.’

Obi said his visit was primarily aimed at monitoring the situation and listening directly to the concerns of displaced Nigerians rather than making a major intervention.

He, however, disclosed that he had made a personal contribution to the camp, while stressing that such assistance could not replace the responsibility of government.

‘I have given them my contribution. I’m going to send a message through him to come and give just a small gift. But that’s not what it should be.

‘The government should take care of the situation by assuring that this situation should not be there,’ he said.

Obi said he had been visiting different parts of Sokoto State to interact with residents and understand their concerns firsthand, adding that he intended to continue visiting IDP camps across the country.

‘I will be visiting IDP camps across this country every time I move out. I’ve been in Sokoto since yesterday, moving from one area, meeting one group or the other, because we want to listen to the people. We want to see for ourselves,’ he said.