Category: PM News

A 70-year-old man, Olabiwonnu Rotimi and his 34-year-old son, Olabiwonnu Adedoyin were remanded in Ado Ekiti correctional centre on Monday over alleged murder of one Ogunsakin Sunday.

The suspects who were arraigned before Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court allegedly committed the offence on Sept. 14 in Afao-Ekiti.

In a form K brought by the Police, the prosecutor, ASP Akinwale Oriyomi alleged that one of the defendants, Olabiwonnu Rotimi, a former chairman of the Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria, Ekiti State Chapter, conspired with his son and murdered one Sunday.

Oriyomi said that the deceased was abducted by the defendants over a land dispute.

He told the court that he was pulled out from the car sustained injury as a result.

He added that he was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.

According to him, the offences contravened Sections 244 and 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

The prosecutor then urged the court to remand the defendants at the correctional centre, pending advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Their pleas were however, not taken.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Abayomi Adeosun, consequently ordered the remand of the defendants at the correctional centre pending the legal advice.

He adjourned the case till Nov.2 for mention.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has announced the donation of N250 million to support the families of 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Shettima announced the donation on Monday when he paid a condolence visit to the government and people of Niger over the incident.

Shettima also assured the family of deceased of justice for the loss of lives of their loved ones.

The Vice-President who was received by Governor Mohammed Umaru-Bago personally condoled with families of the victims who were present during the visit.

He conveyed the condolences of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the government and people of the state over the tragedy.

He said the Federal Government was in Niger to share in the grief of the people, listen to their concerns and reaffirm its commitment to protecting every citizen.

‘We come as sympathisers, as parents, as uncles and aunts, as brothers and sisters, and above all as leaders entrusted with your protection.

‘We have come to share your grief, to hear your concerns, to stand beside the bereaved and to reaffirm our obligation to protect every citizen without distinction or exception.

‘The death of 37 young men in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps is a stain on our national conscience.

‘A citizen deprived of liberty remains entitled to the protection of the state. No allegation, however grave, diminishes that entitlement,’ Shettima said.

The Vice-President assured that justice would be served and anyone found culpable would be held accountable.

He said no uniform or position should shield anyone from accountability, stressing that the government owed justice to the deceased, answers to their families and due process to persons under investigation.

Shettima also appealed to the people of Niger not to politicise the tragedy or use it to demonise Gov. Umaru Bago, noting that the NSCDC was a Federal Government agency and not under the control of the state government.

‘We should avoid weaponising the tragedy that has befallen our people to demonise the governor. We need to be fair to each other in this hour of bereavement,’ he said.

The Vice-President personally condoled with families of the victims who were present during the visit.

Responding, Gov. Umaru-Bago appreciated Shettima for the visit, describing it as a demonstration of empathy and evidence that the Federal Government stood with the people of Niger in the difficult moment.

Bago said the state had been bedevilled by several tragedies that had resulted in the loss of many lives.

He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its support and the N250 million donation to the families of the victims.

The governor appealed to the Federal Government to strengthen regulation of the mining sector, protect national assets and provide safe, legal and dignified opportunities for young people.

‘The tragedy of Sept. 17 must not be allowed to repeat itself, not in Minna, not anywhere in Nigeria,’ he said.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State says emergency responders and security personnel have not found any survivor following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area.

No fewer than 32 people were onboard the aircraft when it crashed.

Aiyedatiwa disclosed this on Monday, hours after the aircraft crashed in the riverine area of the state.

The governor said residents, emergency responders and security agencies had mobilised to the crash site and conducted search operations, but no person from the aircraft had been found alive as of the time of his statement.

‘From the information we got, no single life was saved up to this moment. They could not see any living soul that was in that aircraft,’ Aiyedatiwa said.

The crash occurred in the Igbokoda area, where the difficult riverine terrain has posed challenges for rescue and recovery operations.

The governor’s statement provides the latest update on the search effort, although the circumstances surrounding the crash and the condition of those on board were still being established.

Earlier reports indicated that the Nigerian Air Force aircraft was on a routine mission when it went down in the area.

Search and rescue teams, alongside security personnel and local residents, remained involved in efforts to locate the occupants and recover the aircraft.

Authorities are expected to provide further information as rescue and recovery operations continue and investigations into the cause of the crash get underway.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has confirmed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft which crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday morning.

According to Keyamo the aircraft, an ATR-42 with registration number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when crashed in Ondo State.

The Minister said the aircraft disappeared from radar at about 9:13 a.m and attempt by air traffic controllers to re-establish radio communication with it were unsuccessful.

He added that information later emerged that the aircraft had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.

The Minister said said the wreckage had subsequently been located with preliminary information indicating that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard.

However, he did not disclose the identities or conditions of those on board as he assured that as search-and-rescue operations are ongoing.

Keyamo said said the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority did not regulate or control military aircraft.

But he assured that the ministry would provide full cooperation and assistance to the ongoing rescue operation.

He also said that he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, over the incident.

Also, Director of Public Relations and Information of Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, confirmed the crash of the aircraft.

According to Ejodame, the aircraft was conducting a routine flight from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

He added that the Navy had immediately activated search-and-rescue operations in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies following the incident.

‘The NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing search and rescue efforts. Further details will be communicated in due course,’ Ejodame said.

The Ondo Police Command and community leaders in Igbokodo had had earlier confirmed the crash of the aircraft.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to commence nationwide distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to eligible Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a strategic engagement with journalists in Abuja.

According to the commission, the exercise will begin on Thursday.

The distribution will cover Nigerians who recently registered to vote, transferred their voting locations or requested replacements for damaged voter cards.

INEC said the exercise forms part of preparations to ensure eligible voters are able to participate in the 2027 elections.

Amupitan also said the commission was strengthening the use of technology to prevent stolen, lost or compromised PVC from being used by unauthorised persons.

He said the measures were aimed at protecting the integrity of the electoral process and preventing abuse of voter credentials.

The INEC chairman also warned political parties and their supporters against disrupting the campaigns, rallies and activities of rival parties as preparations for the elections intensify.

He urged political actors to conduct themselves peacefully and allow all parties to carry out legitimate campaign activities without intimidation or violence.

The campaign organisation of Adamawa State NDC governorship candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, has fired back at former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, warning against individuals who see themselves as ‘demigods’ within the party.

The fresh salvo follows Lawal’s accusation that Binani and other North-East governorship candidates were acting against the party’s national interests after rejecting his leadership role in the region.

Responding through her Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mathias Yohanna, Binani’s campaign said she would not be intimidated by what it described as ‘indecent language’ and personal attacks.

The campaign maintained that Binani’s position on the North-East leadership question was not a personal decision but the outcome of a meeting involving the party’s governorship candidates in the region.

It said the candidates had collectively resolved to recognise Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the party’s leader in the North.

‘Engr. Babachir Lawal, in his characteristic manner, seems poised for destruction rather than building the party and supporting individuals who have dissipated energy and resources to move the NDC to greater heights,’ the campaign said.

It argued that leadership within the party should be based on consultation, mutual respect and democratic consensus rather than individual ambition.

‘While we respect elders who stand for the truth, our respect should not be taken for granted.

‘We must admit that conscience, integrity, and respect for one another should be the bases of any sound political engineering,’ the statement added.

Binani’s camp also called on the national leadership of the NDC to intervene in the growing dispute and caution Lawal against comments it considered divisive.

‘Statesmen are known for building bridges of unity and progress in any society,’ Yohanna said.

The campaign then launched its strongest attack on the former SGF, condemning what it described as ‘cruel, indecent and unschooled language’ in internal party disagreements.

‘This calls for unmasking malignant narcissists from their grand delusions of seeing themselves as demigods,’ it said.

The dispute followed the decision of six NDC governorship candidates from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe to reject Lawal’s North-East leadership role, arguing that they were not consulted before the decision was taken.

The candidates had demanded broader consultation with stakeholders as the party strengthens its structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Binani’s campaign insisted that its opposition to Lawal should not be interpreted as anti-party activity, maintaining that its position was aimed at protecting internal democracy and unity within the NDC.

Tension has increased along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway over a disputed 3.5-acre piece of land claimed by both the General Overseer of Faith and Miracle International Church (FMIC), Pastor Genga Faith David, and the founder of One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji.

The dispute has led to the arrest of five people by the Oyo State Police Command.

The land, reportedly worth millions of naira, is located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Maharaj Ji claims it is part of his spiritual community, which he calls the Holy Land.

Speaking with journalists at a press conference in Ibadan, David accused members of the One Love Family of attacking some of his church members after a crusade was held on the disputed land.

He said the crusade, tagged ‘Possessing the Gate,’ was organised to establish the church’s presence on the property, which he said was legally acquired by the church.

David said the church had a Deed of Conveyance and Certificate of Occupancy to prove ownership of the land.

According to him, some church members were attacked after the crusade and were later taken to different hospitals in Ibadan for treatment.

He said the church had refused to take the law into its own hands and instead staged a peaceful protest at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.

David also dismissed Maharaj Ji’s claim that the crusade was part of a plot to kill him.

‘Maharaj Ji even alleged that we plotted to kill him and labelled our crusade as Operation Wetie. I don’t know anything about Operation Wetie. I was not even born then. How can a mortal being threaten to kill a self-acclaimed God on earth?’ he asked.

David appealed to Maharaj Ji, whom he described as an elderly man, to allow peace to prevail. He said the presence of the church in the area should not be seen as a threat to the One Love Family.

He also called on security agencies to intervene quickly to prevent the dispute from developing into a religious crisis in Oyo State.

However, Maharaj Ji rejected the church’s account of the incident.

He accused the church members of trespassing on the Holy Land and described them as illegal occupants.

In a statement, Maharaj Ji said five of his security personnel were arrested after they tried to stop the church members from entering the spiritual community.

He said the church members entered the Maharaj Ji community through an area he described as part of the Holy Land instead of using the entrance to their own premises.

Maharaj Ji said he was not at the scene when the incident happened but received reports from his security personnel about a confrontation with the church members.

According to him, the church members said they wanted to cut down trees in the area.

The security personnel questioned their presence and directed them to use their own access route.

He alleged that the church members refused to leave, leading to a confrontation with the security personnel.

Maharaj Ji said his men tried to raise the alarm and settle the matter peacefully before the police arrived and arrested five of them.

He identified the arrested persons as Ogochukwu Ogonna, Chijoke Orji, Osike Itabalume, Ugonna Chukwu and Elue Mazi.

He said the men were first taken to the Tollgate Police Station before the case was transferred to the Eleyele Police Command.

‘These are people doing security service here, and so we ask for their release,’ he said, appealing to the authorities to intervene.

Maharaj Ji maintained that the disputed land was part of his spiritual community and that visitors and outsiders were expected to follow its access rules.

He also accused the church of using the police to intimidate members of his community, claiming that similar tactics had been used in previous land disputes.

Maharaj Ji urged the police and other relevant authorities to investigate the arrests and ensure that the matter was resolved according to the law.

He also appealed to Pastor David to pursue peaceful and lawful means of resolving the dispute, warning that further escalation could lead to loss of lives.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, has commissioned 11.2 kilometres of major road projects and launched 230 mass transit vehicles as part of efforts by the Katsina State Government to modernise urban infrastructure and public transportation.

The Vice-President commissioned the projects and cut the commissioning plaque during his one-day official visit to Katsina State.

The commissioned projects comprised the dualised 4.80-kilometre Kofar Sauri-Central Mosque Roundabout Road, the dualised 2.40-kilometre Central Police Station Junction-Kofar Kaura Underpass Road and the newly constructed 4.00-kilometre Filin Polo-Ring Road.

The Vice-President also launched 30 CNG hybrid buses and 200 Phase I electric tricycles at the Old Ministry of Works, marking a major step in the State Government’s plan to provide cleaner, more efficient and accessible public transportation.

Earlier In his address, Governor Radda said the commissioning marked a significant milestone in his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development, urban renewal and the modernisation of public transportation.

According to him, the projects were designed to improve connectivity, ease traffic congestion, enhance road safety and create an enabling environment for investment, productivity and an improved quality of life.

‘Our administration recognises that an efficient road network is fundamental to economic growth, urban development and social progress. Accordingly, we have continued to invest in strategic road infrastructure designed to improve connectivity, ease traffic congestion, enhance road safety and facilitate the movement of people and goods,’ Radda said.

The Governor said the three commissioned roads formed part of a broader urban renewal network designed to improve traffic circulation, reduce travel time and strengthen connectivity across Katsina metropolis.

He recalled that the Central Mosque Roundabout-Water Board Roundabout Road was commissioned in October 2025, while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, commissioned the Eastern Bypass Road in May 2025.

Radda explained that the projects were part of 12 major urban renewal road projects being implemented within Katsina metropolis, stressing that his administration’s approach was to develop an integrated and interconnected road network rather than isolated roads.

‘Our development philosophy is to establish an integrated and interconnected road network rather than undertake isolated projects. This approach ensures that individual roads complement one another and collectively improve accessibility across the metropolis,’ he said.

He added that the same approach was being extended to Daura and Funtua to ensure that urban renewal and infrastructure development reached the three senatorial zones of the State.

Beyond the urban centres, Radda disclosed that more than 240 kilometres of urban and rural roads had so far been covered through ongoing infrastructure interventions across the State.

He said the investments were aimed at connecting communities to markets, schools and healthcare facilities, while reducing transportation difficulties and creating better conditions for agriculture, commerce and private-sector investment.

On public transportation, Governor Radda said the State was launching a fleet of hybrid buses incorporating electric, diesel and CNG technologies to provide more convenient and efficient mobility for residents.

He said the buses would serve Katsina, Daura and Funtua, thereby extending the benefits of modern public transportation across tMhe three senatorial districts.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu influenced the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Hitech Construction Company, saying he alone was responsible for the procurement decision.

Umahi made the clarification on Sunday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, amid continuing questions over the procurement process, funding and the choice of Hitech for the multibillion-naira project.

According to the minister, Tinubu never instructed him to hand the project to the company.

‘The president never asked me to give it to Hitech. Till today, the president will not tell you that he called me to say, ‘Give this project to Hitech.’ Never!

‘Don’t forget that I also have my integrity. Don’t also forget that I have a journey of life and that I’m accountable for any decision I take as Dave Umahi.’

Umahi also dismissed allegations that the coastal highway was being used as a vehicle for money laundering by the administration.

He explained that Hitech was chosen because of its previous experience in dealing with coastal erosion and its work in restoring parts of Victoria Island.

The minister said the procurement process used for the project was permissible under Nigerian law, arguing that the law provided for different methods depending on the circumstances surrounding a project.

‘Can we talk about the procurement first because that’s the first thing you asked? There are three kinds of procurement, and it’s allowed by the law of the National Assembly.

‘We have the Kind of procurement where you advertise; we have the restrictive selective tendering where you can call, maybe if the project is very urgent, about five to six companies, run it through the BPP, ask them to qualify them, return them, then go for commercial bidding,’ he noted.

On why Hitech emerged as the preferred company, Umahi referred to its earlier intervention in Lagos, particularly its work on coastal erosion.

‘Do you know how long it took the President, when he was a governor, to invite Hitech (Construction Company)? Hitech initially resisted, but their methodology is what killed the ocean menace and then restored Victoria Island. That’s the reason why we did this special procurement using Hitech.’

The minister also dismissed suggestions that Tinubu’s relationship with the owner of Hitech, Lebanese-Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury, played a role in the award.

‘Have you lived with your enemy before? Does it matter if they are friends or not friends? It doesn’t matter because it has nothing to do with my procurement. I take full responsibility for all my decisions.’

Umahi further argued that the President had no reason to interfere in the procurement process after assigning the project to the Ministry of Works.

He said the project had to pass through the Bureau of Public Procurement before the relevant processes could be concluded.

‘Again, why would the President be involved? He gave me the job to do. Do you know the process by which projects are approved? It has to pass through the Bureau of Public Procurement. They have to look at it.’

Responding to questions about why the coastal highway project was not taken to the National Assembly for approval, the former Ebonyi State governor said parliamentary approval was necessary for the borrowing arrangement, rather than the procurement procedure itself.

‘Why should it go to the National Assembly? That’s not the procurement procedure. It doesn’t have to go to the National Assembly. It is the borrowing plan that has to go to the Assembly.’

Umahi also provided details of the infrastructure being incorporated into the coastal highway project to address flooding and improve access for communities and property owners along the route.

He said the Federal Government was constructing hydraulic channels and service lanes to move floodwater towards the lagoon.

‘What we are doing is that at every 50 metres, we are creating channels from the Southern part of the coastline, that is, from the ocean side, and we are taking it to the northern part of the coastal highway, which is where the lagoon is.

‘The Lagos State government has several channels running from point to point, taking floodwaters to the lagoon. Some of these channels are blocked. Some have not been fully constructed to take the surrounding drainages and evacuate the water.’

According to Umahi, the service lanes would serve a dual purpose by helping to address flooding while also improving movement for residents and property owners along the corridor.

‘What we are doing now is to create service lanes. So, we are not just trying to solve the problem of the flooding. We are also making life very easy for the people of Lagos State who have properties within that location. So we are creating very serious hydraulic channels in the form of drainages.’

On the expected lifespan of the coastal highway, Umahi said the road was designed to remain functional for decades with relatively low maintenance requirements.

‘It will last between 50 and 100 years with low maintenance.’

President Bola Tinubu has declared a three-day national mourning period for Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in the military aircraft crash in Ondo State.

The President also directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country throughout the mourning period as a mark of respect for the fallen officers.

This is contained in a statement was issued on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

The Nigerian Air Force aircraft, an ATR-42 jet, crashed on Monday near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State while on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.

According to the Presidency, 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft when the accident occurred.

Tinubu, who earlier expressed profound sadness over the incident, described the deaths as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and the nation.

‘This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,’ the President said.

In a condolence message to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and the entire Nigerian Air Force, Tinubu directed the service to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

‘The Chief of Air Staff has briefed me, and I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences,’ he said.

The President also commended the Nigerian Air Force for activating search-and-rescue operations immediately after the aircraft went down, as well as those involved in the emergency response.

The identities of the deceased personnel are yet to be officially released. According to the Presidency, the Nigerian Air Force will publish their names after their families have been contacted.