The Supreme Court on Friday struck out a suit filed by the Attorney General of Osun State against the Federal Government over the withholding of local government allocations, ruling that the state’s Attorney General lacked the legal authority to sue on behalf of the 30 local councils.
In a split decision of six Justices to one, the apex court held that only elected and inaugurated local government officials have the legal standing to initiate such an action.
However, while dismissing the suit, the court strongly condemned the Federal Government’s action, declaring that withholding funds constitutionally meant for local councils is a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Mohammed Idris described the Federal Government’s conduct as “unjust” and admonished it to ensure direct payment of allocations into local government accounts.
Justice Idris further noted that since there was no evidence that the Osun Attorney General was instructed by the councils to act on their behalf, he could not competently file the suit.
The Court also rejected the Attorney General of the Federation’s contempt claim against his Osun counterpart, stating that the AGF was “in greater contempt” of the law for failing to release the funds as required.
In a minority judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim disagreed with the majority, insisting that the Osun AG had the right to institute the case. He condemned the Federal Government’s action as one capable of crippling local government operations across the state.
Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary and political activist, Comrade Timi Frank, has declared that recent moves by the United States have exposed the Nigerian government’s reluctance to confront terrorism, accusing authorities of protecting sponsors of insecurity while citizens are being slaughtered.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, Frank commended U.S. President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Congress and Secretary Marco Rubio for imposing visa restrictions on terrorism financiers linked to Nigeria, insisting the action has forced the Nigerian government to react after years of silence.
“I thank President Trump and the good people of the United States who have shown sympathy and support for Nigerians at a time when terrorists and bandits threaten to overrun our nation,” Frank said. “The U.S. is more committed to ending insecurity in Nigeria than our own leaders.”
Frank, who serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, described the U.S. sanctions as the “first serious international move” compelling Nigeria to act, adding that without America’s intervention, Nigerian leaders would “still be looking the other way.”
He lamented that despite receiving a comprehensive list of terror financiers from the United Arab Emirates during the Buhari administration, the Nigerian government has refused to release or prosecute those involved because many are politically protected.
“The government already has the list, but it has been buried because many of the sponsors are politically connected. Some are in the ruling party. That is the uncomfortable truth they do not want Nigerians to know,” he stated.
Frank accused the Nigerian government of prioritizing political indulgence over national security, citing reports of luxury vehicles being purchased for political allies even as mass killings continue.
“This shameless display shows exactly where their priorities lie, and it is not with the people,” he said.
He urged the U.S. not to share intelligence with Nigerian authorities until the “full, unedited list” of terror financiers is made public and prosecutions commence.
Frank, who is also Senior Advisor to the Global Friendship City Association (GFCA), USA, thanked President Trump, Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Riley Moore for supporting efforts to end violence in Nigeria.
“Their intervention has exposed what our own leaders have refused to confront and has given Nigerians renewed hope that this nightmare can end,” he added.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday swore in retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, charging him to accelerate ongoing reforms aimed at securing lasting peace across the country.
Musa’s appointment followed the resignation of former Defence Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, on December 1, 2025. His nomination was immediately forwarded to the Senate, which screened and confirmed him without delay.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, the retired general was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991. He went on to serve in various capacities before President Tinubu appointed him Chief of Defence Staff in 2023. He retired from service in October 2025 after a distinguished career in which he championed stronger inter-agency military collaboration.
With his swearing-in, the Tinubu administration expects Musa to assume office immediately and strengthen recent security gains while fast-tracking defence sector reforms to enhance peace and stability nationwide.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele; Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Others present were Mrs. Lilian Oghogho Musa, wife of the newly sworn-in minister; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and retired Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs.
KADUNA – Soldiers from 1 Division Nigerian Army, under Operation FANSAN YANMA, have rescued all 10 women abducted from their farms in Ungwan Nungu, Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The victims were kidnapped on November 29 while working on their farmland.
Military sources told NewsFocus that troops, acting on credible intelligence, tracked the bandits for days and struck at exactly 6:40 a.m. on Friday just as the kidnappers were about to collect ransom from the victims’ families.
“The troops engaged the criminals in a fierce gun battle. Overwhelmed by superior firepower, the bandits abandoned the women and fled into the forest,” a senior officer said.
During the operation, soldiers recovered:
– One locally fabricated AK-47 rifle
– One round of 9mm ammunition
– ₦1.6 million cash believed to be part of the ransom money
All 10 rescued women, aged between 25 and 55, have undergone debriefing and medical checks and have been reunited with their families in Sanga.
The General Officer Commanding 1 Division praised the troops for their gallantry and vowed that the fleeing bandits will not escape justice.
Security sources say intensive patrols and tracking operations are ongoing in Sanga and neighbouring forests to prevent reprisal attacks.
ABUJA – The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (VIO) has announced it will appeal to the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal on Thursday upheld a landmark ruling that permanently bars its officers from stopping vehicles, impounding cars, or imposing fines on motorists in the Federal Capital Territory.
A three-member panel of the appellate court unanimously dismissed VIO’s challenge against an October 2024 Federal High Court judgment, describing the agency’s roadside enforcement practices as “unlawful, oppressive and unconstitutional.”
The original suit was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Abubakar Marshal, who dragged VIO to court after officers seized his car in Jabi in December 2023. The High Court had awarded him N2.5 million damages and issued a perpetual injunction against VIO, the FCT Minister, and the Transport Secretary.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi ruled that no law empowers VIO officers to act as mobile courts on the highways, stressing that only properly constituted courts can impose fines or confiscate property.
Reacting to the verdict, acting VIO Director Deborah Osho told NewsFocus: “We are heading to the Supreme Court. If we cannot enforce traffic laws on the road, there will be chaos. Abuja drivers already feel they are above the law.”
Motorists and rights groups have hailed the decision as a major victory. “This ends years of extortion on our roads,” said commuter rights activist Comrade Yusuf Abdul. “VIO should limit itself to vehicle inspection at designated centres as the law intended.”
Legal experts say the ruling currently applies only to the FCT but could set a precedent for the entire country if upheld by the Supreme Court.
For now, VIO officers in Abuja have been directed to stand down from roadside operations pending the final outcome of the case.
ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu has sent a blockbuster list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, in the biggest diplomatic shake-up since he recalled all envoys in September 2023.
The list, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday, contains:
– 34 career foreign service officers
– 31 non-career (political) appointees
Every state and the six geopolitical zones are represented.
Notable names include:
– Former INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega
– Former Interior Minister Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd)
– Former Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (rtd)
– Ex-Senators Folasade Grace Bent, Solomon Ita Enang and Jimoh Ibrahim
– Former Akwa Ibom First Lady Chioma Ohakim
– Controversial commentators Femi Fani-Kayode and Reno Omokri
– Retired diplomats and security chiefs
The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, has one week to screen the nominees. Confirmation is expected before the Christmas break.
This fresh batch comes on top of three names submitted last week, bringing the total pending ambassadorial approvals to 68.
With most Nigerian missions abroad currently run by chargés d’affaires for over two years, the new appointments are seen as critical to reviving Nigeria’s economic diplomacy and foreign investment drive.
ABUJA – The Nigerian Senate has declared the deadly lead poisoning outbreak in Lagos-Ogun border communities a national public health emergency and ordered an immediate, country-wide clampdown on all sources of contamination.
Following chilling revelations of blood-lead levels up to 186 times above safe limits in Ogijo, lawmakers on Thursday directed the Ministries of Health, Environment and Solid Minerals, NAFDAC, NESREA and SON to enforce strict regulations on battery recycling plants, lead processing factories and industrial emissions across Nigeria.
The upper chamber also mandated the establishment of a dedicated National Lead Poisoning Response and Remediation Office under NEMA, deployment of free mass screening and chelation therapy by NCDC, and full environmental clean-up of affected soil, water and homes.
Senators Mukhail Abiru (Lagos East) and Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), who moved the motion, described the situation as a “silent killer” that has turned Ogijo into a sacrifice zone.
The Senate commended the recent closure of seven illegal factories and suspension of lead ingot exports, but insisted the response must now go nationwide to prevent similar tragedies elsewhere.
A compliance report has been demanded within six weeks.
ABUJA – As Nigeria grapples with persistent threats from bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers, a prominent peace advocate and intelligence specialist has voiced optimism that the country stands on the brink of decisively curbing its security woes, crediting National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu’s innovative strategies.
Dr. John Metchie, Deputy Commander-General (Intelligence) of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), described Ribadu’s leadership as marked by “strategic brilliance and uncommon resolve,” positioning the NSA’s flagship Forest Security Service Special Guard Initiative as the long-overdue solution to the nation’s recurring violence.
In a statement on Thursday, Metchie argued that Nigeria’s vast forests—spanning over nine million hectares and long serving as ungoverned havens for criminal networks—represent the critical “missing link” in the country’s security framework.
“Forests are always a potential breeding ground for terrorism. If you do not dominate the forests, you cannot defeat criminals,” he said. “The NSA has now taken over that domain, that is why this menace will stop in a matter of months.”
The initiative, approved by President Bola Tinubu in May as part of a broader national forest policing drive, calls for the recruitment and deployment of up to 130,000 specialized guards across states to reclaim 1,129 forest reserves from insurgents and outlaws.
Ribadu’s office, alongside the Ministry of Environment, oversees the program, which integrates advanced tools like drones, satellite tracking, and night-vision units into training modeled on global counter-guerrilla tactics.
Metchie praised the guards’ specialized preparation for rugged terrains, contrasting it with urban-focused traditional policing. “Ribadu’s forest guards are trained precisely for this terrain… The training and equipping happening now have never been seen in Nigeria. Ribadu is rewriting the security narrative,” he added.
Enugu State exemplifies the initiative’s momentum, with Governor Peter Mbah restructuring its Forest Guard corps and announcing recruitment for 1,000 personnel across 17 local government areas to bolster patrols and community nominations.
The guards, armed with modern rifles, patrol vans, drones, and motorbikes, aim to disrupt hideouts and safeguard farmlands, complementing federal efforts.
Metchie urged nationwide adoption: “If every state keys in, insecurity will be defeated faster than expected. The forest guard initiative is the game changer.”
Ribadu echoed this hope during a December 4 dialogue on conflict prevention in Abuja, organized by the National Peace Committee and his office, where he acknowledged Nigeria’s “painful times” but affirmed that terrorism would soon be history through collaborative, community-driven action.
He highlighted 775 terrorism convictions and international support from the US, UK, and France as signs of progress.
Yet, as states like Kaduna and Ondo lag in recruitment, critics warn that uneven implementation could blunt the initiative’s impact amid ongoing attacks.
Metchie, however, remains bullish: “If this momentum is sustained, the war against terror will be won in a matter of months.”
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) yesterday stunned the Nigerian Senate when he revealed that hackers gained access to his personal bank account exclusively through two popular fintech platforms, OPay and Moniepoint, without touching any traditional bank.
Speaking during the second reading of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 (Amendment) Bill, the former labour leader and two-term governor of Edo State used his personal experience to underscore the urgent need for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend stricter supervision to non-bank financial institutions that have grown into systemically important players.
“I was a victim,” Senator Oshiomhole told a hushed chamber. “My account was hacked through OPay and Moniepoint. No single registered bank was involved in the breach. I know the directors of our regular banks, but I don’t know the directors of OPay. I don’t know the directors of Moniepoint.”
The lawmaker warned that the anonymity and rapid growth of some fintech operators were creating dangerous loopholes that cybercriminals were exploiting. “If these institutions collapse tomorrow, it is the government that will bear the burden,” he said, urging his colleagues to “block every possible loophole” in the proposed legislation.
The BOFIA amendment bill, which scaled second reading yesterday, seeks to empower the CBN to regulate and supervise “systemically important non-bank financial institutions,” a category that now includes major fintechs such as OPay, Moniepoint, PalmPay, and Kuda.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions for further legislative work, with a directive to report back in four weeks.
Neither OPay nor Moniepoint had issued an official response to Senator Oshiomhole’s claims at the time of filing this report. Both companies are licensed by the CBN and have repeatedly stated that customer funds are insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
Cybersecurity experts, however, say the incident highlights the growing sophistication of fraudsters who exploit weak Know-Your-Customer (KYC) processes and phishing attacks targeting mobile wallets.
Senator Oshiomhole’s disclosure has reignited the long-running debate over the balance between financial inclusion driven by fintech innovation and the need for robust consumer protection in Africa’s largest economy.
The Senate’s decision to fast-track the BOFIA amendment suggests that tougher rules for Nigeria’s booming fintech sector may be on the horizon.
The Senate on Tuesday unveiled a major reshuffle of key standing committees, following a reconstitution directed by the Selection Committee chaired by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
A prominent change saw Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North) appointed as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence. Abdullahi previously chaired the Committee on National Planning, a position he now vacates.
The Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry also received new leadership, with Senator Shehu Buba (APC, Bauchi South) named chairman. Buba had served until last week as chairman of the National Security and Intelligence Committee, making way for his redeployment.
In a corresponding move, Senator Mustafa Musa (APC, Yobe East) has been appointed as Chairman of the National Planning Committee, succeeding Abdullahi.
Additionally, the Senate announced changes in the leadership of the Air Force Committee, with Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu State), the Minority Whip, appointed as Acting Chairman. Ngwu previously served as the committee’s Deputy Chairman.
The reconstitution reflects the Senate leadership’s intent to realign committee leadership for greater efficiency and oversight across critical sectors.
