Category: PM News

The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into suspected power losses along the 132kV Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial corridor in Lagos and Ogun states.

The government said up to 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity could be going unaccounted for along the corridor, with the losses estimated to have cost the Nigerian electricity market about N120 billion in one year.

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, gave the directive on Friday during a meeting with industrial operators, electricity market participants and regulators.

Tegbe called for a transparent and data-based investigation into the difference between the amount of electricity transmitted through the corridor and the amount eventually billed and accounted for by electricity distribution companies.

He said the government needed to understand what was responsible for the huge gap.

‘We must know where the power is going and what is compromising it,’ the minister said.

‘Every consumer must be responsible for its actions and consumption,’ he added.

According to Tegbe, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has introduced technological monitoring systems to track electricity movement across the network.

The monitoring system, he said, had detected unusual loading patterns and major differences in the amount of electricity supplied and the amount eventually accounted for.

The government will investigate whether the losses are caused by meter tampering, manipulation of electricity consumption records, illegal connections, interference with power infrastructure or other forms of electricity theft.

Tegbe warned that the government would not allow activities that weaken the electricity market.

He stressed that electricity consumers must be held responsible for the amount of power they use.

The investigation will involve technical and commercial data from both the transmission and distribution sides of the electricity market. The aim is to identify where the unaccounted electricity is being lost.

The Ikorodu-Sagamu corridor has become an important industrial area, with several manufacturing companies and other large electricity consumers operating along the route.

The government said improving electricity supply to industrial areas would require stronger accountability, accurate metering and proper payment for electricity consumed.

Electricity theft remains a major challenge in Nigeria’s power sector. Several initiatives have been introduced to encourage members of the public to report illegal connections and other forms of energy theft.

Ikeja Electric, for instance, introduced incentive schemes in 2021 to reward whistleblowers whose information led to the discovery of electricity theft within its network.

Industry stakeholders have also warned about the financial impact of electricity losses.

Nosa Igbinedion, Chief Executive Officer of West Power and Gas, previously said the Nigeria Electricity Act allows states to establish laws and regulations governing electricity operations within their territories.

He also said Nigeria records average Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC and C) losses of about 45 per cent, resulting in annual losses estimated at more than N100 billion.

If the investigation confirms that a significant part of the N120 billion loss is linked to electricity theft or other commercial leakages, it could have serious consequences for the financial stability of the electricity market.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) introduced new penalties in 2025 for individuals and businesses found guilty of bypassing electricity meters.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of NISO and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), as well as representatives of Ikeja Electric, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and industries operating along the Ikorodu-Sagamu corridor.

Two Nigerian men have been extradited to the United States to face federal charges over alleged financially motivated sextortion schemes targeting American minors, including cases linked to the deaths of teenagers.

The suspects, Mudashiru Afeez Olawale, 24, and Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, were extradited from Nigeria on August 27, 2026, following a joint investigation involving the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other Nigerian authorities.

The development marks the latest escalation in the FBI’s international crackdown on financially motivated sextortion networks allegedly operating from Nigeria and targeting vulnerable young people in the United States.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Adekunle was extradited to Mississippi, where he appeared before a federal court in Oxford on August 28. He faces a three-count indictment arising from the alleged sextortion of a Mississippi minor whose death followed the alleged scheme.

Prosecutors allege that Adekunle committed sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, produced child sexual abuse material, coerced and enticed a minor, and issued interstate threats with the intention of extorting the victim.

If convicted of the charge involving sexual exploitation resulting in death, Adekunle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, according to U.S. prosecutors.

Olawale, meanwhile, was taken to North Carolina, where he appeared in federal court in Greensboro on August 28.

He had been indicted in August 2023 over allegations involving the financially motivated sextortion of two victims and the death of a North Carolina teenager.

The charges against Olawale include sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement, distribution of child pornography and interstate threatening communications.

The EFCC said its investigations, conducted in collaboration with the FBI, identified both men in separate sextortion cases involving male minors, particularly teenagers aged between 13 and 17.

The commission said the alleged schemes involved the use of child sexual abuse material to blackmail victims and demand money through channels including money-transfer services, gift cards and cryptocurrency.

The FBI linked the suspects’ alleged activities to two separate cases involving American minors who died by suicide after experiencing online sexual exploitation and extortion.

In one of the cases, the EFCC said a 13-year-old boy was contacted through Instagram by an individual who allegedly proposed an exchange of nude photographs.

The person allegedly obtained the photographs and subsequently threatened to distribute them to the boy’s Instagram contacts unless he paid money.

According to the EFCC, the communication reportedly continued even after the teenager indicated that he intended to take his own life.

The investigation subsequently generated intelligence that enabled U.S. authorities to identify individuals allegedly connected to the scheme, leading the FBI to seek assistance from Nigerian authorities.

Olawale’s extradition also followed a lengthy legal process in Nigeria. The EFCC initiated proceedings at the Federal High Court in Lagos after receiving the U.S. request, but the court rejected the extradition application in June 2024.

The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation appealed the decision, and on July 7, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Lagos overturned the Federal High Court ruling, clearing the way for Olawale’s transfer to the United States.

The two men were initially arrested in Nigeria in August 2023 as part of a wider FBI-led operation targeting alleged sextortionists preying on minors in the United States. Their eventual extradition came after about three years of legal and investigative proceedings.

FBI Director Kash Patel described the men as ‘high-value targets’ and said their return to the United States demonstrated that international borders would not shield suspects from prosecution for alleged crimes committed online.

The U.S. Justice Department said the cases form part of Operation Artemis, an FBI initiative focused on financially motivated sextortion rings operating from Nigeria. The agency said such networks have been linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.

The U.S. authorities also acknowledged the cooperation of Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the EFCC in securing the extraditions.

The EFCC said the development underscored the growing partnership between Nigerian and American law enforcement agencies in combating transnational and internet-enabled crimes, particularly offences involving the sexual exploitation of children.

Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has warned opposition parties against attempting to defeat President Bola Tinubu separately.

Duke urged opposition parties to unite if they are serious about removing Tinubu from office in 2027.

He stated this in an interview with Symfoni TV, stressing that the political system naturally favours the incumbent and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to him, opposition parties must recognise the advantages enjoyed by the incumbent and work together rather than remain divided.

Duke said, ‘We can’t compare ourselves to China; even if the APC did nothing, they are the party in power.

‘If there is a problem on that day, the IG of Police will not go to any of the candidates, but to the president, so everything is in favour of the incumbent; respect that.

‘The only way you can seriously tackle the incumbent is to come together and have a voice; otherwise we will be factionalised.

‘So when you talk of rigging, I think we are rigging it against ourselves, and because of our ego, we need to come together.’

The former governor described Tinubu as a formidable politician, warning that the opposition would be taking a major risk by confronting him without a united strategy.

Duke said, ‘Bola Tinubu is not an average politician. You don’t go to fight a lion who also has horns.

‘Can you imagine a lion with horns? It is already a dangerous animal. Then you now give it horns, and you say go and fight it with a knife and fork. You will be the dinner.’

A legal expert has challenged arguments that the United Kingdom’s present government cannot be held responsible for wrongdoing committed during the colonial era, saying changes in political leadership do not change the identity of the state under international law.

Dr. Asikia Karibi-Whyte, a jurisprudence and international law expert, made the argument during a panel discussion at the University of Lagos following the launch of CO2lonialism, Ecocide and Reparations, a new research report examining the ecological legacy of colonial rule in Africa.

Responding to questions surrounding Britain’s potential responsibility for colonial-era environmental damage, Dr. Karibi-Whyte said the argument that a current government cannot pay for the wrongdoing of previous governments is weak because the law recognises the United Kingdom as a continuing state entity, irrespective of changes in government personnel.

The discussion formed part of a broader examination of whether environmental destruction associated with colonial rule can be incorporated into African reparations claims.

The report documents the ecological consequences of colonial economic systems and argues that these should be subjected to rigorous assessment and monetary valuation.

Dr. Karibi-Whyte also highlighted the Certain Phosphate Lands in Nauru proceedings before the International Court of Justice as an important precedent. The case involved environmental devastation caused by phosphate mining during the colonial period and demonstrated that environmental damage associated with colonial administration can become the subject of an international legal claim.

The report’s lead author, Professor J. G. Nkem Onyekpe, said the ecological dimension of colonial extraction represents a potentially enormous category of historical damage.

He cited a 2022 peer-reviewed estimate valuing resources appropriated from the Global South through unequal exchange at more than $10 trillion in 2015 alone, arguing that a comparable analysis extended across the full period of colonial rule and affected African states could potentially run into the hundreds of trillions.

Professor Nnagugwu Oscar Uluocha, Professor of Geography at the University of Lagos, reinforced the environmental dimension of the argument, describing the ecological damage inflicted on Nigeria under British colonial rule as ‘colossal.’

The report is expected to be submitted to the African Union’s Committee of Experts on Reparations and Legal Reference Group on Reparations as part of efforts to develop a common African approach to reparations.

The Civil Defence, Correction, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has called on applicants shortlisted for employment into Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Fire Service (FFS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to check the board’s website for selection of oral interview dates and venue.

This is contained in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, by the Secretary to the board, retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulamalik Jubril.

Jubril said that candidates should check for their qualification and invitation letter at the official website https://recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng.

He added that those to check the website, are candidates who took part in the recently concluded physical and medical screening exercise for recruitment into the four paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior.

The ‘The board has concluded the assessment and shortlisting process into the paramilitary agencies.

‘Consequently, all successful candidates who applied under the Graduate Category are required to visit the official CDCFIB recruitment portal at ‘https://recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng’ between Monday and Wednesday.

‘Candidates who applied with NCE/OND/SSCE should also visit the same official CDCFIB recruitment portal between Sept. 7 to 9, 2026 to check for shortlisted successful candidates for the Oral Interview,’ he said.

The Secretary said that shortlisted candidates would be requested to select a venue nearest to them, a date and time as well as to print their letters of invitation.

‘Candidates are to appear strictly in the dress code specified in their letters of invitation.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, only candidates who are shortlisted for this final exercise will be granted access to the venue,’ Jubril added.

He warned that the CDCFIB does not and will not send out emails, emphasizing that all communications should be obtained from the portal.

He reiterated that the entire recruitment process was transparent and free of charge.

‘Applicants are therefore advised to disregard any individual or group demanding payment for employment in whatever form and to report such person(s) to the nearest security agency, or person in authority.

‘All candidates are further enjoined to take note of the board portal address highlighted above and official communication channels for updates,’ he concluded.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun on Saturday issued an Executive Order establishing a Coroner Inquest/Panel of Inquiry into the killings and violence that occurred in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of the state, on Monday.

Adeleke, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Malam Olawale Rasheed, in Osogbo, said the Executive Order would take effect from Aug. 31.

The governor said the panel was empowered to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the identities and number of victims.

He said it would also establish the immediate and remote causes of the violence and examine whether criminal responsibility was connected with the deaths recorded during the incident.

Adeleke said Magistrate Ayokunle Shiyanbola had been appointed Chairman of the panel, while Mr Abiodun Badiora would serve as Secretary.

Other members of the panel are AIG Aderanti C. Kayode(rtd.), Mr Dele Akintayo, a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association, Wale Balogun, representing civil society organisations, a community representative from Ikire, and Dr Babatunde Afolabi, the medical/forensic representative.

The governor said the panel was mandated to determine the circumstances leading to the shootings and killings and examine the role of security operatives.

He said the panel would also establish whether live ammunition or other weapons were used and whether their use complied with the law, rules of engagement and human rights standards, among other issues.

According to him, the panel might recommend prosecution, disciplinary measures, compensation for victims and institutional reforms to prevent a recurrence.

‘The inquiry will have powers to summon witnesses, demand relevant police and medical records.

‘It will also inspect the scene of the incident and other relevant locations, receive oral and documentary evidence, and recommend protective measures for witnesses and persons at risk of intimidation or retaliation,’ he said.

Adeleke also directed the preservation of firearms and ammunition records, station diaries, communication logs, incident reports, duty rosters, medical records, autopsy reports, photographs, videos and other materials relevant to the inquiry.

The governor said the Inspector-General of Police, Police Service Commission and Commissioner of Police in the state had been formally requested to take appropriate interim administrative steps concerning any police officer whose continued operational command might prejudice the inquiry or affect public confidence.

Adeleke said the panel was expected to commence sitting within seven days of its inauguration and submit its final report to the state government within 30 days from the date of its first sitting, subject to any necessary extension approved by the government.

The governor assured the people of Ikire, families of the deceased, the injured and the general public that the incident would be investigated thoroughly, fairly and transparently.

Adeleke said no person found culpable would be shielded from justice, irrespective of status, office, political connection or institutional affiliation.

He, however, said all allegations remained allegations until established by credible evidence before the Coroner Inquest/Panel.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Police Command had on Tuesday said two civilians were killed while two of its officers sustained serious injuries during an attack by suspected political thugs in Ikire.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said unidentified assailants, suspected to be political thugs, attacked a police patrol team attached to the Ikire Division at about 11 a.m. on Monday along the Ife-Ibadan Expressway.

He said the patrol team, accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ikire Division, was responding to a distress call over the alleged abduction of one Sunkanmi, whose surname was unknown.

According to him, upon arrival at the location, the officers came under a sudden and unprovoked attack by a group of unidentified hoodlums.

He said the assailants opened fire on the officers while they were inside their operational vehicle and succeeded in snatching an AK-47 service rifle.

‘The hoodlums used the stolen weapon to fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic loss of two innocent civilians,’ he said.

The police later said four suspects had been arrested in connection with the incidents.

Two medical doctors identified as Benjamin Oyime and Daniel Otukpa, both working for Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja and two others have been arrested by the police in connection with alleged N8.7 million organ harvesting deal involving two teenagers in Nasarawa State.

The four suspects were arrested by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad (STS) during a sting operation on 19th August 2026 at about 18:00 hrs in Auta Balifi, Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.

Operatives of the Special Tactical Squad arrested the suspects acting on credible intelligence, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu revealed on Thursday, 27th August 2026.

He identified the other suspects as Emmanuel Ode and David Idoko.

‘The suspects arrested are Emmanuel Ode, male, 23 years, of Auta Balifi, Nasarawa State; Dr. Benjamin Oyime, male, 48 years, of Edo State, a Nephrologist (Kidney Consultant) and Consultant to Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja; Dr. Daniel Otukpa, male, 53 years, of Benue State, also a Nephrologist and Acting Director of Clinical Services at Wellington Hospital; and David Idoko, male, 25 years’

According to him, during interrogation, Emmanuel Ode confessed to recruiting victims under false pretenses. He disclosed that on 24th April 2026, he lured one Samuel Ezekiel, 22, to Wellington Hospital, Life Camp, Abuja, where his kidney was allegedly harvested for the sum of $1,250 USD equivalent to ?1,700,000.00 at the current exchange rate.

Iniedu said a second victim alleged that he was lured by the same agent in 2022 to a hospital where his kidney was harvested, for which he was paid the sum of ?7,000,000.00 (Seven Million Naira).

The Force Police Public Relations Officer said investigations revealed that the suspects and their accomplices allegedly targeted vulnerable and uneducated young persons within Nasarawa State and its environs, exploiting their financial desperation to obtain consent for illegal organ harvesting.

He added that evidence gathered by the police indicated that the suspects forged official documents, including victims’ names, National Identification Numbers (NIN), birth certificates, age declarations, affidavits, and consent letters to facilitate these criminal activities.

‘The Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its unwavering commitment to dismantling human trafficking and organ harvesting networks across the country and protecting vulnerable citizens from exploitation. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects connected to the syndicate,’ he said.

The Nigerian Army says its official X account was targeted in an attempted cyber breach on Saturday.

Col. Appolonia Anele, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.

Anele said the incident occurred at about 5 p.m. and was being treated as a cybersecurity breach.

She said immediate technical and protective measures had been activated to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised access.

‘The Nigerian Army assures members of the public, the media and other stakeholders that appropriate measures are underway to fully secure the affected account,’ she said.

The Army spokesperson advised the public to disregard suspicious, misleading, unauthorised or unverified content emanating from the affected account.

She stressed that such content should not be regarded as the official position of the Nigerian Army.

Anele urged the media and public to verify information through the Army’s other official communication platforms pending resolution of the incident.

She said the Nigerian Army remained committed to information integrity, operational security and responsible strategic communication.

Anele appreciated the public for its vigilance, understanding and cooperation, assuring that further updates would be provided as necessary.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has mobilised two contractors to reconstruct a 15.4-kilometre failed section of the Benin-Sapele Expressway following a directive by President Bola Tinubu.

The President gave the order following series of complaints on the deplorable states of the road, Mr Chiedu Ebie, the Chairman of NDDC Governing Board said during the flag-off of the road construction on Friday.

The reconstruction project was flagged off at the Amukpe Roundabout on the Benin-Sapele Road.

Ebie said that President Tinubu directed the commission to immediately address the issues.

‘We have all suffered the delays by road and everything, so today we are here to deal with 15 km stretch of this alignment,’ he said.

Ebie said that the contractors were to work from opposite ends of the project to fast-track its completion.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said that the interventionist agency decided to deploy contractors on the corridor, following series of appeal from residents and road users.

‘Mr President heard all your complaints and directed the NDDC to immediately come and intervene.

‘The deployment of two contractors is deliberate; they will work from opposite ends of the project to reduce the completion period.

‘We want to also assure you that we are willing to complete this project. We do not want to be on this site for too long,’ he assured.

Ogbuku described President Tinubu as a listening and caring president, whose administration had strengthened the commission to deliver critical projects across the Niger Delta.

‘This is the NDDC of President Tinubu, who is carefully watching what we do, directing everything we do and monitoring all steps. That is why we are also on our toes to ensure that we deliver,’ he said.

The managing director said that the economic impacts of the failed road became so great with vehicles conveying goods trapped for weeks in gridlock.

On his part, the NDDC’s Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Antai, said that the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Ronin and Fan Limited had been engaged to execute the project.

He said that the reconstruction covered approximately 15.4 kilometres, adding that it would be executed with rigid concrete pavement.

Antai assured that the agency would ensure that the project was done according to specification.

On his part, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, who flagged off the reconstruction work, commended the commission for the intervention.

The governor was represented by the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu.

Oborevwori described the intervention as a major boost to connectivity, economic activities and the wellbeing of residents in the state and motorists.

He said that the intervention underscored the importance of collaboration among governments and agencies in tackling infrastructure challenges across the Niger Delta.

Oborevwori said that the state government had also intervened in several federal road corridors in the state because the ultimate beneficiaries were the people of Delta.

‘The state government has constructed more than five kilometres of rigid-pavement dual carriageway on the Warri axis.

‘Bridges and flyovers have also been constructed on federal road corridors, including Otovwodo Junction, DSC Roundabout, PTI Junction and Enerhen Roundabout and Uromi Junction, Agbor,’ he said.

Oborevwori described the NDDC intervention on the Benin-Sapele corridor as a welcome development.

He said that when completed, it would ease transportation and contribute to the economic growth of Delta and indeed other states on the East West corridor.

Earlier, the Delta representative on the NDDC Governing Board, Mr Monday Igbuya, commended the commission for approving the reconstruction of the highway.

He said that the intervention should be extended to the Amukpe-Abraka-Agbor Road and the Sapele-Warri Road to further improve connectivity across the state.

In their goodwill messages, Sen. Ede Dafinone and Mrs Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu commended President Tinubu and the NDDC for the intervention.

Operatives of Nigeria Police Force have arrested a mother identified as Catherine Davou for allegedly plotting with two others to stage kidnapping of her two-year-old child Rito Jesse Davou allegedly for N7 million ransom.

CSP Ani Iniedu, the Force Public Relations Officer announced this in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, the parents had reported the abduction of the two-year-old child to the police.

Iniedu, however, said investigations revealed that Catherine Davou conspired with one 34-year-old Nansik Wuyep Sule to stage the kidnapping and create the impression that the child had been abducted, with an initial ransom demand of ?7 million.

He added that Further investigation revealed that the child was kept at Sule’s residence, where a subsequent ransom demand of ?15 million was made.

The Force spokesperson added that another suspect, Luka Emmanuel Butdam, was also arrested for allegedly making calls to the child’s grandmother in connection with the ransom demand.

He added that the child was subsequently located and safely rescued and, after receiving medical attention, handed over to his biological father.

Iniedu added that in a separate investigation, operatives arrested Idris Mohammed a.k.a. Yellow and Mohammed Bello Adams over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a commercial driver, Idris Zakari Baba, and other related criminal activities.

According to him, investigation revealed that the victim was allegedly lured under the pretext of conveying Mohammed from Abuja to Zaria before being intercepted by armed men, taken into the bush and held until a ransom of ?3 million was paid.

He added that the victim’s vehicle, a 2012 Toyota Corolla, was subsequently traced to Bauchi State and recovered while Mohammed was attempting to sell it.

Iniedu said further investigation also linked the suspects to the reported kidnapping of Pastor David Dahni and his driver, Abdullahi Abubakar, for which a ransom of ?10.5 million was reportedly paid.

The Nigeria Police Force continues to investigate the cases to identify other persons connected to the criminal activities and establish the full extent of the suspects’ involvement.