Category: PM News

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has dismissed Atiku Abubakar’s plan to restore subsidy as a temporary fix that could worsen Nigeria’s fiscal and market problems.

Dare was reacting to Atiku’s insistence that he would bring back subsidy if elected president in 2027, including a proposal to supply crude oil to local refiners at preferential prices.

According to the presidential aide, the arrangement may sound attractive politically but would create an immediate revenue shortfall for the Federation Account.

‘Who pays the bill? Selling federation crude below market price creates an immediate fiscal hole in the Federation Account, directly slashing allocations to federal, state, and local governments for schools, hospitals, and security,’ Dare said.

He also warned that giving crude to selected refiners at discounted rates could distort the domestic market and create an uneven playing field for smaller operators.

‘Preferential crude allocations risk creating artificial monopolies, destabilising smaller indigenous modular refiners, and violating the clear deregulatory provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act,’ he said.

Dare further argued that any policy that significantly widens the gap between fuel prices in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries could revive cross-border smuggling.

‘The return of smuggling: Any regime that creates a wide gap between Nigerian pump prices and neighbouring West African markets guarantees a return of cross-border fuel arbitrage, no matter how many ‘auditors’ are promised,’ he said.

He concluded: ‘This idea is an economic safari. Applying painkillers to a festering wound.’

Atiku had earlier restated his intention to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027, disowning comments by one of his aides, Paul Ibe, who had suggested that such support would be temporary and gradually phased out.

‘I want to repeat categorically that when I said I would return to subsidy, I will! Nigeria is rich enough to look after the welfare of its citizens,’ Atiku said.

Ibe had explained that the proposal would involve selling crude to domestic refiners at discounted prices, allowing them to produce petrol and diesel at lower cost.

Dare, however, maintained that the plan would ultimately shift the financial burden back to government, reduce public revenue and risk recreating some of the distortions associated with the old subsidy regime.

The Presidency has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of playing politics with the hardship faced by Nigerians, questioning the consistency of his position on petrol subsidy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, made the accusation on Wednesday, saying Atiku and his aides had offered three different explanations of the former Vice-President’s subsidy policy within one week.

Onanuga said the conflicting positions had raised fundamental questions about whether Atiku was proposing a serious economic policy or merely exploiting the temporary hardship confronting Nigerians for political advantage.

According to him, the controversy began when Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, announced that an Atiku administration would restore petrol subsidy if elected and subsequently phase it out.

Ibe had presented the proposal as a temporary measure designed to give Nigerians and businesses relief and allow the economy to recover.

However, another senior aide, Phrank Shaibu, later described Ibe’s position as an ‘unauthorised and misleading characterisation’ of Atiku’s policy.

Shaibu said Atiku would not impose a predetermined deadline for ending the subsidy. Instead, he said the intervention would remain until domestic refining capacity expanded, fuel supply stabilised, competition increased and market conditions could deliver affordable petrol without government support.

But Atiku subsequently intervened personally and rejected the suggestion that his position had changed.

The former Vice-President insisted that his position ‘has not changed’, maintaining that he would restore what he described as a ‘targeted subsidy’ if elected president.

Atiku said he would ‘restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians.’

It was this sequence of statements that Onanuga described as evidence of confusion and political opportunism.

The presidential aide asked why Atiku’s spokesperson initially described the proposed subsidy as temporary and subject to a phase-out, while another senior aide publicly rejected that explanation and introduced a different framework based on market conditions.

Onanuga also questioned why Atiku subsequently had to intervene to reaffirm the original position.

‘This is not merely a matter of semantics. It is a serious policy contradiction and confusion,’ Onanuga said.

He argued that Nigerians deserved a clearly defined economic programme rather than policy positions that appeared to change depending on the circumstances.

‘Nigerians deserve clarity, not policy by trial and error,’ he said.

Onanuga also challenged Atiku’s understanding of the factors determining petrol prices, arguing that government subsidy alone could not guarantee cheaper fuel.

He said international crude oil prices, exchange rates, refining costs, transportation, distribution and other market expenses all contribute to the final pump price.

According to him, increased competition could improve efficiency and margins but would not completely insulate Nigeria from fluctuations in global crude prices or other input costs.

The presidential aide also took issue with Atiku’s argument that higher petrol prices automatically translate into higher food prices.

He acknowledged the connection between energy costs, transportation and food prices but said petrol prices were only one of several factors driving inflation.

Onanuga identified agricultural productivity, insecurity, exchange rates, logistics, storage, flooding, input costs, money supply and supply constraints as other factors affecting food prices.

He argued that a serious economic programme should address those structural challenges rather than reduce the country’s cost-of-living crisis primarily to petrol prices.

The Presidency challenged Atiku to explain the details of his proposed targeted subsidy, including its cost, beneficiaries, funding source and the conditions that would eventually trigger its termination.

Onanuga said the former Vice-President should tell Nigerians precisely what he intended to subsidise and how the policy would be sustained.

‘We therefore urge Atiku to stop shifting positions and explain precisely what he means by ‘targeted subsidy’: how much will it cost, who will benefit, how will beneficiaries be identified, how will it be funded, and what objective economic conditions will determine its eventual termination?’ he said.

He warned that Nigerians could not afford what he described as another opaque and potentially expensive subsidy regime presented under a new name.

‘Nigerians cannot afford another opaque and potentially costly subsidy regime dressed up in new language,’ Onanuga said.

The presidential aide further challenged Atiku to demonstrate whether he had a coherent, costed and workable petroleum policy or was using the issue as an electoral strategy.

‘The economy is too serious for policy somersaults, incoherence, destructive populism and election gimmicks,’ he said.

The Presidency also questioned Atiku’s argument that his proposed subsidy would follow the price of crude oil, pointing to the range of products obtained from a barrel of refined crude.

Onanuga said petrol accounts for about 45 per cent of the products produced from a refined barrel, while the remainder consists of other products, including diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, petrochemical feedstocks, asphalt, Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids, lubricants and waxes, as well as petroleum coke and sulphur.

He said diesel accounts for roughly 25 per cent of the barrel, while jet fuel and kerosene account for about 9 per cent, with another 10 to 15 per cent producing base ingredients for synthetic rubber, nylon, polyester and plastics used in everyday products, while asphalt accounts for about 2 to 4 per cent.

‘Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids, including propane and butane, account for about 4 per cent, while lubricants and waxes constitute roughly 1 to 2 per cent,’ he said.

Against that background, Onanuga questioned whether Atiku intended to extend the proposed subsidy to all the products derived from crude.

‘Will Atiku subsidise all these by-products of the barrel as well, since kerosene is used by the underprivileged to cook, and many homes and factories use diesel to power generators and delivery trucks?’ he asked.

He also questioned whether refineries supplied with discounted crude would be allowed to profit from the other products produced from the same barrel while government support focused only on petrol.

‘And will he allow the refineries he will supply discounted crude oil to profit from 55 per cent of the by-products, while focusing subsidy only on petrol, his obsession?’ Onanuga asked.

Onanuga further pointed to Atiku’s record as Vice-President under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, recalling that diesel was deregulated in 2004.

He noted that kerosene and jet fuel were deregulated in 2009, while subsidies on kerosene were removed in 2016.

The Presidency used the history to question the consistency of Atiku’s current proposal, particularly his emphasis on petrol subsidy while other petroleum products remain subject to market forces.

Onanuga accused the former Vice-President of lacking sufficient understanding of the petroleum-market dynamics underlying his proposed policy.

‘The former Vice President is definitely suffering from a lack of basic understanding of his newfound policy prescription,’ he said.

The Police Command in Niger has arrested eight suspects and recovered dangerous weapons and cannabis in Minna.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, on Wednesday in Minna.

Abiodun stated that Police operatives attached to Maitumbi Division and members of a vigilante group, on Aug. 23 at 1:30a.m., conducted raids on some identified blackspots within Maitumbi area and arrested eight suspected miscreants.

The police spokesman said that also recovered from the suspects were lethal weapons including knives, cutlasses, sickles and stash of cannabis sativa.

He said that all the suspects were in custody while further investigation was ungoing to determine the level of their culpability.

Abiodun said that when the investigation was concluded the suspects would be arraigned in court. Meanwhile, the Police said it had rescued two suspected motorcycle thieves from a mob preparing to lynch them.

Also, the command’s spokesman said that it had arrested a man who had been impersonating a medical doctor in Kontagora, Niger.

‘On Aug. 24, at about 8:00p.m., based on information received at ‘B’ Division Kotangora that one Hassan Adamu, 35 years and Bashar Isah, 28 years, both of Usubu area of Kotangora, were seen with a suspected stolen motorcycle, the police patrol team of the Division moved to the location. The suspects were immediately rescued from the agitated crowd who gathered at the scene to lynch them and they were taken into custody,’ he said.

Abiodun said that during interrogation, the suspects confessed to stealing the motorcycle at about 3:00a.m., from a residence at Federal Low Cost area, Kotangora.

The police spokesman said that investigation was ongoing following which the suspects would be charged to court.

Abiodun said that on the same day, at about 4:30p.m., based on credible information received, one Aminu Yusuf, 35, of Unguwan-Tukura Kotangora, who presented himself in the community as a medical doctor, was arrested.

He said that during investigation, Yusuf confessed to posing as a medical doctor and administering medications and injections on different persons.

Abiodun also said that the suspect admitted to collecting N30,000 each from the number people allegedly treated for different ailments.

He said that on completion of investigation the suspect would be prosecuted in court.

Troops of Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) in collaboration with local security personnel have arrested a wanted militant kingpin in Bayelsa.

The operation also led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, three loaded magazines and a mobile phone from the suspects, the Base Information Officer, Sub-Lt. Japhet Dauda said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘The arrest followed credible intelligence report regarding the continued movement and activities of the wanted suspect who had been on the run since the raid on his camp at Fununu Community, on Aug. 6,’ the navy said.

Speaking on the operation, the Commanding Officer (CO), Capt. Sunday Haruna, the operation also triggered a pursuit of other suspected associates who reportedly fled into the surrounding bushes, with some believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter.

He added that the operation led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, three loaded magazines and a mobile phone from the suspects.

Haruna, said in the course of interrogation, the suspect and his 2iC confessed to terrorising, kidnapping and sometimes killing of innocent civilians within neighboring communities, which made the communities to live in constant fear.

According to him, the successful arrest represents another major step in the ongoing intelligence driven efforts to dismantle militant networks and restore peace and security within the area of responsibility.

The CO commended the troops for the successful operation and a display of professionalism, courage and operational discipline.

He further reiterated the commitment of the Base to sustained operations against criminal elements while the search operations remain on course to locate and apprehend other fleeing suspects.

The CO said the suspects are in custody for further investigation and interrogation.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has come under fire on social media after describing the 2027 presidential contest as a battle against ‘thieves.’

Atiku made the statement while addressing supporters at his residence in Abuja, accusing those in power of stealing the election, the economy and, ultimately, ‘everything.’

The remark was contained in a video shared on his X account.

The former Vice-President said the opposition was entering the 2027 contest against what he described as a political establishment that had taken control of the country’s political and economic resources.

His comment immediately triggered a wave of reactions on X, with some users questioning his moral authority to accuse political opponents of wrongdoing and others criticising his economic proposals.

One user, @bigbank0125, described Atiku as ‘419’ and argued that the country’s economic realities, including the devaluation of the naira and the higher minimum wage, made it difficult for politicians to fulfil some campaign promises.

The user contrasted Atiku’s promises with those of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, arguing that politicians should first examine government finances and establish what is economically feasible before making commitments to voters.

Another X user, @Alexslowfire, responded sarcastically with ‘grand theft auto.’

@HarrisonJo35544 questioned whether Atiku himself was in a position to make such accusations, asking whether the former Vice-President was ‘decent’ enough to criticise those he described as thieves.

The backlash became more direct from other users.

@GiftLoaded5000 dismissed the political differences, writing, ‘You’ll are the same.’

@beet_kon questioned whether Atiku’s criticism was driven by his exclusion from alleged wrongdoing, asking: ‘Is it because you’re not stealing too? Why are you bitter.’

Another user, @iam_sethpresh, fired back: ‘See thief dey call person thief.’

@Dospage1 similarly wrote, ‘Thief calling out his mate.’

Other reactions were mocking rather than accusatory.

@MALIKK said Atiku was ‘so obsessed with Nigeria,’ while @Streetbosspolitickin dismissed the former Vice-President’s comments, writing, ‘This one don Dey loose him mind.’

@ishola ayorinde also mocked Atiku, writing, ‘See bale ole talking,’ while @Oluwafemi simply responded, ‘Says another thief.’

The backlash extended beyond the reactions supplied by Atiku’s critics. One social media user, Akinyemi Jones, accused Atiku of involvement in the alleged mismanagement of more than $16 billion meant for power projects and described him as a ‘thief.’ That allegation is the user’s claim and is not established as fact in the reaction itself.

Atiku links ‘thieves’ claim to 2027 battle

Atiku’s comments came as the 2027 political contest gathers momentum, with the ADC candidate increasingly attacking the economic record of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He has criticised the removal of petrol subsidy and argued that the policy has increased hardship through higher fuel, transportation and food costs.

Atiku has also reaffirmed that he would restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, despite comments by his media aide, Paul Ibe, suggesting that an Atiku administration would initially restore the intervention and later phase it out as the economy recovers.

Atiku subsequently disowned that explanation, insisting that the decision to restore subsidy was his own policy position and that Ibe had not been speaking on his authority.

He has since framed his proposal as a targeted subsidy, rather than a return to the former import-based arrangement, arguing that the objective would be to reduce energy and transportation costs and restore Nigerians’ purchasing power.

The subsidy proposal has itself attracted criticism.

Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, accused Atiku of inconsistency, pointing to his previous position during the 2023 campaign that subsidy should be removed. Adebayo argued that Atiku’s current position represented a change from his earlier stance.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has also criticised Atiku’s proposal. Felix Morka, the party’s spokesperson, previously described the subsidy pledge as ‘desperation of the most pitiful kind.’

The Presidency has likewise challenged the economics of Atiku’s proposal. Otega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital and New Media, estimated that the proposed petrol subsidy could cost Nigeria N19.1 trillion annually, questioning how such an intervention would be financed. That figure is the Presidency’s estimate, not an independently established cost.

Subsidy debate deepens

Atiku’s renewed subsidy pledge comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s account of savings generated from the removal of the policy.

Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, said the reforms generated an estimated N15.8 trillion in subsidy savings for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

The breakdown provided by the Finance Ministry showed that N5.43 trillion accrued to the Federal Government, N6.52 trillion to states and N3.88 trillion to local governments.

Atiku, however, has questioned what Nigerians have gained from the savings, arguing that the removal of subsidy has not translated into sufficient improvements in living standards. He has maintained that the country’s resources should be used to protect citizens from severe economic hardship.

… Urges members to approach assignment with professionalism, objectivity, urgency, patriotism

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has urged members of the Presidential Committee on the National Threat Assessment and Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan to approach their assignment with the highest degree of professionalism, objectivity, urgency and patriotism.

The SGF gave the charge on Wednesday while inaugurating the Committee established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to prepare a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan for the country.

He said the Committee had been entrusted with an assignment of considerable national importance and must deliver both documents within 90 days for the consideration and approval of the President.

According to the SGF, the Committee has been authorised to consult or co-opt representatives of other Ministries, Departments and Agencies whose specialised knowledge may be required in the course of its work.

He assured the Committee of the full support and cooperation of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in carrying out the assignment.

The SGF said the inauguration represented an important step in strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to understand, anticipate, plan for and respond effectively to an increasingly complex and evolving security environment.

He noted that contemporary security threats had become increasingly interconnected and adaptive, with the capacity to exploit gaps between institutions, jurisdictions and operational theatres.

While acknowledging the significant successes recorded by the Armed Forces and other security agencies across different theatres in recent months, the SGF said the government must move beyond responding to individual security challenges to establishing a system capable of anticipating threats, setting priorities, allocating resources rationally and sustaining operational momentum.

He said such a system must also ensure that national security objectives are consistently translated into measurable outcomes.

According to him, although heads of defence, intelligence and security agencies must retain the flexibility required to respond to immediate threats, their responses should be anchored on a shared national understanding of the security environment and a coherent short-, medium- and long-term strategy.

He observed that operational requirements were sometimes considered independently without sufficient reference to an agreed national threat assessment, clearly prioritised national objectives or a unified capability plan, a situation he said made coordination more difficult and limited the efficient deployment of scarce resources.

The SGF said the Committee was therefore expected to help establish a coherent strategic system in which Nigeria’s assessment of threats would determine operational objectives, while the objectives would, in turn, determine the capabilities required.

He added that capability requirements should inform expenditure, procurement, force development and industrial priorities.

‘In simple terms, we must establish a clear path from threat to objective, from objective to capability, from capability to resource, and from resource to measurable outcome,’ he said.

The SGF explained that the Committee was expected to produce two key documents – a National Threat Assessment and a Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan.

He said the National Threat Assessment should provide the government with a comprehensive and objective understanding of Nigeria’s security landscape by identifying what threatens the country, why the threats matter, how they are likely to evolve, the consequences of failing to address them and the appropriate government response.

The assessment, he added, would provide a common planning basis for the Armed Forces, intelligence services and other relevant security agencies, while helping the government distinguish between immediate threats requiring urgent operational responses and emerging threats demanding early investment in intelligence, technology, infrastructure, doctrine, training and other capabilities.

The Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan, on the other hand, is expected to translate the National Threat Assessment into practical and prioritised operational requirements.

The SGF said the plan should establish what must be achieved in each operational theatre and identify the forces, capabilities, equipment, infrastructure, logistics, intelligence, technology and other enablers required to achieve the objectives.

It is also expected to identify existing capability gaps and establish priorities based on the severity and urgency of identified threats, as well as provide a realistic implementation timetable specifying what is required, when it is required, why it is required, who is responsible for delivering it and how progress will be measured.

He said the five-year timeframe would provide the medium-term horizon required for force development, capability acquisition, infrastructure development, training, maintenance, research and development and the strengthening of Nigeria’s defence industrial base.

The plan would, however, operate on a rolling basis and be reviewed annually to accommodate emerging threats, changing operational realities, technological developments and lessons from ongoing operations.

Under its Terms of Reference, the Committee is to review the principal security threats facing Nigeria, including existing and emerging threats, and assess their relative urgency and strategic implications.

It is also mandated to define operational priorities and identify the capabilities required in each theatre; identify capability gaps and the equipment, logistics, infrastructure, technology, personnel and support requirements necessary to address them; and determine procurement priorities based on assessed threats and operational requirements rather than institutional preferences.

The Committee will also establish implementation steps and realistic timelines for each priority, including measures for monitoring progress and assessing outcomes, as well as make other recommendations necessary for the formulation and effective implementation of the Strategic Defence Operations Plan.

The SGF said the nation’s military and security personnel, who continue to demonstrate courage and commitment in defending the country, deserved a strategic framework that clearly defines their objectives and provides the capabilities, resources and support required to accomplish them.

He thereafter formally inaugurated the Committee on behalf of President Tinubu and wished its members wisdom, diligence and successful deliberations in the discharge of the national assignment.

The Committee, which will be coordinated and supported by the Office of Mr. President’s Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka A. Famadewa (Rtd) has the following membership: National Security Adviser – Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Defence – General Christopher Musa (Rtd); Minister of State for Defence – Alhaji Bello Muhammad Matawalle and Chief of Defence Staff – General Olufemi Oluyede.

It also has the Chief of Army Staff – Lt. General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff – Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and Chief of Naval Staff – Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; Inspector General of Police – Olatunji Rilwan Disu; Director-General, Department of State Service – Tosin Ajayi and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency – Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed as members.q

In his closing remarks, the Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, Major General Adeyinka Famadewa (rtd), expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in members of the Committee and for the opportunity given to them to contribute to the security and wellbeing of the country.

Famadewa urged members to work collectively and in synergy towards strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture, stressing that the assignment must be approached as a shared national responsibility.

He said his role would not be to command members of the Committee but to facilitate collaboration and harness their collective expertise towards achieving the objectives set by the President.

The Special Adviser also disclosed that subcommittees would be established to facilitate the work, enable members to focus on specialised areas and ensure the Committee completes the assignment within the stipulated timeframe.

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace (JTF-OPEP), have rescued two kidnapped victims in Bassa and Kanam Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Plateau.

Capt. Polycarp Oteh, the Media Officer of the operation, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Jos.

He said that the victims were rescued following an operation conducted as part of deliberate efforts aimed at denying terrorists elements freedom of action across Plateau.

Oteh explained that the operation recorded appreciable successes owing to the support from residents and community leaders.

‘At about 9:00a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, troops of our Sector 3, deployed within Bassa LGA, acting on a credible information on the move to kidnap one Mr Ndubuisi Onuigbo, initiated search and rescue operation leading to the successful rescue of the victim. Similarly, in the early hours of Wednesday, Aug. 26, troops of our Sector 2, deployed in Kukawa Community, Kanam LGA, during a patrol encountered suspected terrorists elements along the route. Troops aggressively pursued the terrorists leading to the immediate rescue of a kidnapped victim, Malam Sambo Abdullahi, who was abandoned by the fleeing terrorists. The rescued victims have been successfully debriefed and reunited with their families,’ he said.

Oteh said that Maj.-Gen. Maxwell Dangana, the Commander of JTF-OPEP, who commended the troops for the feat, promised sustained aggressive operation against criminal elements in the state.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has offered whistleblowers up to five per cent of recovered assets for credible information that can help the commission recover Nigerian assets allegedly taken abroad.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed this on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while speaking at the 43rd International Symposium on Economic Crime in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Olukoyede urged anyone with useful information about money or other assets allegedly stolen from Nigeria and hidden in foreign countries to come forward.

He said the reward would range between 2.5 per cent and five per cent of the assets recovered as a way of encouraging people to provide information.

The EFCC chairman said the reward could make whistleblowers wealthy if their information leads to the recovery of large assets.

Olukoyede also disclosed that the EFCC had recovered and forfeited cash and assets worth more than $500 million to the Nigerian government since he became chairman of the commission less than three years ago.

He said the recoveries were made possible through investigations, support from the courts and credible information provided to the commission.

Olukoyede also spoke about Nigeria’s use of non-conviction-based asset forfeiture. The process allows authorities to recover assets suspected to be proceeds of crime without waiting for a criminal conviction.

He listed some of the major recoveries made by the EFCC, including an aircraft, a university, estates and houses allegedly linked to proceeds of crime.

According to him, 752 housing units linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, had been recovered.

He also said investigations into former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, led to the identification of 57 properties.

Olukoyede said 48 of the 57 properties had so far been forfeited.

The Cambridge symposium brings together economic crime and anti-corruption experts from different parts of the world. Olukoyede delivered his presentation on the third day of the weeklong event.

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Dotun Oladipo, former Political Editor of The Punch newspaper and Publisher of The Eagle Online.

He described his passing as a painful loss to Nigeria’s media industry and the country.

Oladipo died at the age of 56.

In a condolence message issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu acknowledged Oladipo’s significant contributions to Nigerian journalism, particularly his years of political reporting and his efforts to provide credible information to the public through both traditional and digital media platforms.

The President said Oladipo’s career reflected the important role journalists play in strengthening democracy by keeping citizens informed, holding public officials accountable and creating platforms for robust public discourse.

Tinubu also recalled Oladipo’s passion for journalism and his contribution to the growth of digital media through The Eagle Online, which he established after his years of service at The Punch.

The President described the late journalist as a committed professional who devoted a significant part of his life to informing Nigerians and contributing to the development of the country’s democracy.

Tinubu extended his condolences to Oladipo’s family, colleagues in the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and his friends, while praying for the repose of his soul.

‘Dotun Oladipo’s death at the age of 56 is a painful loss to the Nigerian media community and to our nation. He was a committed journalist who devoted significant years of his life to informing the public and contributing to the development of our democracy,’ the President said.

He added that Oladipo’s contributions to political journalism and the digital media industry would remain remembered.

President Tinubu prayed that Almighty God would grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family and loved ones the strength to cope with the loss.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismissed a viral claim alleging that nearly all young people living around Nyanya, Mararaba, Karu and neighbouring communities had sold their kidneys for money.

The alarming claim circulated on social media after a Facebook user, Labran Abu Labco, alleged that police authorities had confirmed widespread kidney sales among youths in the affected areas.

The post further alleged that an individual operating from Mararaba was buying human kidneys from young residents.

But the FCT Police Command on Wednesday said no such report had ever been received or confirmed by the command.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the purported confirmation attributed to the police was false.

The command has ‘neither received nor confirmed any report of such nature,’ Adeh said.

She added that ‘no statement or communication to that effect has emanated from the Command.’

Police consequently urged residents to disregard the viral publication, warning against the circulation of unverified claims capable of creating fear and panic.

The command, however, said allegations involving human organ trafficking should be treated seriously and encouraged anyone with credible information to approach the nearest police station.

It urged members of the public with information concerning suspected organ trafficking or other security threats to promptly report to law-enforcement authorities.

The police clarification comes amid growing circulation of the claim online, particularly among residents of communities along the Abuja-Nasarawa corridor.