…Says Guards Brigade’s task is to protect Seat of Power

The Defence headquarters on Monday debunked allegations in an online media organization claiming that the Presidential Guards Brigade has been put on high alert following suspicious movements around the seat of power, indicating fears of coup plot.

A statement by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier Gen Tukur Gusau said, “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to a malicious and unfounded article published online (Not Vanguard) on 25 February 2024 claiming that the Guards Brigade has been put on high alert following unusual movements, leading to suspicion of a coup plot in Nigeria.

“The publication also asserted amongst other things that the suspicion prompted emergency meeting involving President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Staff to the President and Commander of the Guards Brigade.

“The Defence Headquarters wishes to categorically state that the allegation is totally false.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Guards Brigade has been statutorily assigned the responsibility of protecting the seat of power (The Presidency) and by extension the Federal Capital Territory and its environs.

“Hence, it is to be noted that the Guards Brigade has always been on high alert in order to effectively executive its assigned tasks.

“It will be recalled that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa had in various fora reiterated the unalloyed commitment of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the protection and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.

“Therefore, the Defence Headquarters strongly condemn this unsubstantiated assertion which is just a figment of imagination of the publisher and enjoins members of the public to disregard it.

“Furthermore, the Defence Headquarters calls on relevant security agencies to immediately take appropriate action against the Sahara Reporters for this unpatriotic action.

“Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters will seek legal redress on the issue which has the ulterior motive of creating unnecessary tension in the country.”

YORUBA Nation agitator, Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has vowed to continue defending his people against invaders.

He said this at Igboho town during the burial service of his mother, who died last year when he was away from the country.

Recall that Igboho fled the country on July 1, 2021, when combined security agents invaded his Soka residence in Ibadan, killing two persons, while 13 of his supporters were arrested. Igboho was later arrested in Benin Republic on his way to Germany.

He was, thereafter, granted bail by the Beninoise government.

He noted that he led the protests against the killing of his people when everyone in the West remained silent.

Speaking on the invasion of his residence during the previous administration, he narrated how former President Muhammadu Buhari allegedly wanted to kill him.

He said: “Buhari wanted to kill me. Our elders and kings were all afraid to talk. They were afraid of Buhari. When the Fulani herders were killing our people, I rose against it in the South West and Nnamdi Kanu stood up against them in the East. I said one Nigeria wouldn’t work because our leaders were using deceit to govern us.”

On the need for the youths to shun violence and hooliganism while pursuing their interest, the activist said: “If we need help from our elders or traditional rulers, we should lobby them not to disregard or abuse them.”

Igboho, who briefly narrated how much he suffered at the hands of the previous government, added that all his bank accounts were frozen by the former administration.

He said: “The Nigerian government froze my entire bank accounts and destroyed my property. It was the Yoruba in the diaspora that came to my rescue. They took care of me and paid my bills saying I mustn’t suffer in vain.”

In addition, he said: “We can get what belongs to us without resorting to violence and thuggery. In all the protests I led across the South West, no one can say I killed anyone or I destroyed their property. I was peaceful. I’m not a hooligan; I can say I belong to the camp of rich men. My friends were calling me then asking what pushed me into the protests offering to give me money. But I said, it wasn’t a money issue but I wanted freedom for my people.”

Explaining he would always defend his people against attackers, he promised to support carefully selected security guards that would guard his people in their farms against attackers.

Igboho said: “I want them to go to their farms without being kidnapped, killed, maimed or raped. Our fathers and mothers can’t go to farms any longer. So, let us have our security and drive away the murderers from our farms.”

In an emotion-laden voice, he narrated how he would have loved to meet his mother alive. “My mummy died because of me. At a point, I told God never to allow those who would not want me to bury my mother win the election and God answered my prayers. I wish I met my mummy before she died”, he said.

President Bola Tinubu acted in the best interest of Nigeria with his decision to remove subsidy on petrol on his inauguration day, the presidency has said.

The presidency said Tinubu’s removal of subsidy was geared towards saving the country from economic collapse and monumental financial mess.

Secial Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, made this known in a chat with TheCable.

Onanuga said Nigeria was in a bad place financially and the situation compelled the president to act quickly before things got worse.

The presidential aide said this in reaction to an interview granted by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Babachir Lawal, who said the announcement of subsidy removal by Tinubu a few minutes after his inauguration was haphazard and fuelled by arrogance without due consultations with relevant stakeholders.

While justifying Tinubu’s action, Onanuga said Buhari did not make provision for subsidy in the 2023 budget, adding that the country was in dire financial straits.

Onanuga said: “Is Babachir still talking? Well, that is his opinion that the subsidy was hastily removed. The truth is, the subsidy was meant to be removed by the end of June 2023 according to what former president Muhammadu Buhari left behind.

“President Tinubu only announced it on May 29 on the day he was sworn in. That is to show you that something is wrong somewhere and that the nation had a problem at that time.

“What I find out is that Nigerians easily forget things, we have a short memory about things. They should cast their minds back to what happened at that period. The NNPCL was saying the government owed them N4tr of subsidy money. NNPCL was the only importer of fuel and towards the general elections; fuel scarcity was all over the country.

“Due to the scarcity, in some places, fuel was selling for about N700 – N800 before President Tinubu was sworn in. NNPCL didn’t have money to import fuel because they were being owed over N4tr by the federal government. People have easily forgotten about that.”

Onanuga said the country would have been in deeper problems if Tinubu did not act swiftly to address the situation.

“Tinubu knew the problem and that was why he made the announcement on the day of his inauguration. The language he used was ‘Subsidy is gone’ because even in the budget, there was no provision for it.

“I will challenge journalists to go and check that budget, when you look at that budget made by Buhari before leaving office, you will find out that aside no provision for subsidy, 97 percent of our income will be spent on servicing debts. If 97 percent of budget is used to service debts, what is left for Nigerians to spend?

“That 97 percent budgeted for debt servicing does not include the money the Federal Government owes the NNPCL. There were serious problems then and Tinubu just needed to do something quickly to arrest the deterioration.

“You can see what has happened in the last nine months with those measures he took. Yes, those measures are painful but they are needed to reset the economy and financials of this country. Otherwise, we would have ended into a much more disastrous situation.”

Lagos Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reiterated his administration's commitment to providing a friendly environment for investors, particularly multinationals from the United States and Africa, to invest in the State. 

He said Lagos is open and ready for investments and therefore urged foreign and local investors to see the State as an investment attractive destination, noting that his administration is willing to do what is expected of the government to create a conducive environment for business to thrive.

Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke during a courtesy visit by the Corporate Council on Africa led by its President/CEO, Ms. Florie Liser at the Lagos House, Marina, on Saturday.

He said: “The world is actually moving and it is moving very fast. And it is no longer news that if the world wants to move, Africa is where that movement can happen. For us in Lagos, we are ready and our government is open.

“We have a city to run, a massive subnational that’s bigger than some other African countries. We are striving to make the city livable, resilient and equally competitive with other cities in the world and when we see ratings and outcomes of global rankings, we are excited. What it does for us is that it makes us also work harder because nobody is slowing down.

“This government is certainly committed. We are pushing on all the verticals of our economic agenda. We are trying to make life more meaningful for our citizens. We are trying to galvanize all the opportunities that are here. Lagos is open; it is ready and it is really for people to see it, smell it, and make the right call. The call is to see it as an investment attractive destination. And whatever you want us to do as a government, we are always willing to do it.

“We are happy that you have come on a courtesy visit. We are willing to grow the partnership. My government is open and willing to engage further in whatever form that can make your members feel confident that the government is helping and willing to help investments. The number is here, people are here and the environment is here. Let us create a mutual government-to-business and business-to-government relationship.”

Speaking about his administration's achievements in line with the THEMES+ developmental agenda, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his government has intervened and created several intentional opportunities in critical areas such as public transportation, health, education, technology and entertainment.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also expressed his excitement about the Red Line rail, which is expected to be inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday. He said he is excited that his administration, which started the project, is going to hand over the infrastructure to the public.  

He said the train service, which is expected to carry hundreds of thousands of Lagosians from one destination to another, is one of the ways his government can make Lagos livable for the residents of the State.

Speaking earlier, Ms. Liser, said the Corporate Council on Africa, which is a business association with members of both United States and African multinationals, is willing to partner with Lagos State Government in energy, power, infrastructure, agro-business, technology, trade and finance, among others. 

Liser, who disclosed that they are excited to be in Lagos for a trade and investment mission, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's administration for his laudable achievements in the State, especially the Red Line project.

She also praised the State Government for focusing on fintech, health and driving investment into Lagos State. 

Liser also invited Governor Sanwo-Olu to the CCA Africa business summit holding in Dallas, Texas on May 6-9 for him to address the summit on what he has done as the Governor of Lagos State.

SIGNED

GBOYEGA AKOSILE

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

25 FEBRUARY 2024

 All the gates that are standing against you will crash today in the name of Jesus! And the gates of heaven - life, prosperity, favour, grace, opportunities, healing and breakthrough are opening for you. While the gates of hell – opposition, failure, disappointment, enemies, sicknesses and death will close. Yes, you cannot enter or exit circumstances, positions without going through the gates.  Everything about life is a function of gates. The decisions about life and death take place at the gates. Remember the word of God said that the battle is at the gates. And that is why bible talks about the gates of heaven and the gates of hell. If the gates (powers, doors and windows) of heaven open for you, you will be blessed on earth. And if the gates of hell are unleashed against you, my dear you will sure need an urgent divine intervention to overcome them. You are where you are today because of the activities of these gates. Thank God that Jesus assured us that those rampaging gates of hell will not, never prevail against us. You must get my book / audiobook Power of Midnight Prayer immediately to have a deeper insight into the locations, operations and the powers of these two opposing gates and how their activities affect us. I called it there crashing the gates!

    But here, let’s limit ourselves to the gates of Jericho, “Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or come in.  But the LORD said to Joshua, ‘I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.” Joshua 6:1-2. Are there people like that today? Nothing good, no favour is coming in or going out of their life. Everything around them is stagnant. God told Joshua and the Israelites that he had given them Jericho and everything in it, but when they approached, the wall was too high and the gates tightly, securely, firmly shut. Nothing, nobody, no goods and services were going in or coming out of the city. They knew that the Israelites were around and they didn’t want to give them any chance. The enemy has made things very difficult for you because he knows and understands God’s plan for you. True. He heard the divine promises for your life. He is aware of your confessions, ambitions, prayers and efforts to reach your goal and destiny, hence, his determination to frustrate, block and if possible destroy you and your plans.

   Yes, he did same to Jesus. He knew about Jesus’ mission and wanted Joseph to disown Marry and the baby in the womb, so that they would label the child a bastard. When he was about being born, there was no place for him except the animal’s pen. When he was eventually born, the jealous and wicked Herod killed hundreds of children, targeting him. But he divinely ‘escaped’. And throughout his life and ministry he struggled with the gates and powers of hell. The enemy struggled to oppose, discredit and destroy him. Even at the cross, he almost missed it. When he was buried the same gates of hell sealed his tomb and mounted soldiers there, but the power of God overruled. Thank God he eventually fulfilled his mission and ascended gloriously. This is also how the enemy goes after all of us. But today, God is saying that he has given you the keys to open the gates and also the power to bind and crash those ones that are against you. 

Seven Times

   God told Joshua and the Israelites that they must march round the city of Jericho once a day for six days with seven priests walking ahead of the Ark, and seven times on the seventh day. My God! There are so many things, blessings that God has given to us that we must have to act before we take actual possession. True. Yes, Joshua had the divine encounter and assurance with the commander of the LORD’s army, but the Israelites will still have to march in obedience. You have the prophecy, the vision, the dream and the promise, but you must also act and do something towards that vision. And not just doing something, you must act on time and in total obedience to the divine instructions and plan if you want to be successful. Every divine promise has a divine plan, road map to bring it to pass. You must find and follow it to succeed. Now, seven is the number of completion and rest. From now you will have rest from those your struggles in the name of Jesus! God rested at the seventh day of creation.  Yes, we can have rest here. We must not struggle throughout life. No. God can give you rest, prosperity and victory right here.

    There is something divine about this number seven. And can we scratch it a little here? Jacob was to serve seven years to be able to obtain his dream wife Rachel. The famine and the time of plenty at the time of Pharaoh and Joseph were to be seven years each. And the king’s dreams were also seven fat cows, seven thin cows, seven heads of grain, etc. Elijah after the decisive battle of Mount Carmel prayed seven times before the rain came. Are you listening? I love that encounter so much. When your prayer, sacrifice and obedience are complete, the rain will pour down in torrents. You also remember that Elisha told Naaman to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River to be healed of his leprosy.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State on Sunday, says he has done his best for internally displaced persons and vulnerable residents threatening to join terrorists in the forests.

Earlier in the week, some IDPs who lamented over the widespread hardship in the land, said they were considering joining the sect wooing them.

But while addressing some IDPS, at Mafa, on Sunday, Zulum expressed displeasure over the action, warning that those who intend to go back to the forest to realise that there is no second chance.

“Yesterday, I received a report that some IDPs in Dikwa have protested that they will return to the bush because we could not provide food to them. This afternoon, others in Mafa have also done the same,” Zulum said.

“In the last couple of years, we have consistently provided food to internally displaced and vulnerable people. Believe me, what we are doing is even beyond our capacity. In the last four years, the Government of Borno State spent nothing less than N40bn to provide food and non-food items to the people of the State.”

“No government, be it state or federal, has the capacity to provide food to everyone and let me categorically state that I cannot do more than this. The hardship we are facing is not only in Borno State, but all over Nigeria. There are economic crises in all parts of the world. No state in Nigeria is doing better in the distribution of palliative than Borno.

“We distributed food to IDPs and vulnerable communities every quarter. However, with the improvement in the security situation, we decided to reduce the number of our distribution because people have started earning their livelihood.

“Most of you here (more than 80%) now have access to agricultural land, and I believe you have cultivated your farmlands and harvested your farm products.

“Both State and Federal governments spend huge amounts of money on security. We have realised substantial progress in terms of development and terms of security. Let me be frank with you that we will not condone mischievous activities. If you think life in the bush is better than living here, you can go.”

The Governor expressed gratitude to the federal government for providing the needed support to attain substantial peace in Borno State.

A former Member of the House of Representatives, Dr Usman Bugaje, has said President Bola Tinubu’s loyalists who served with him when he was Lagos governor misled him on the post-Niger coup crisis.

Some of Tinubu’s loyalists from Lagos who are also in the presidency have been dubbed ‘Lagos Boys’.

Bugaje, who represented the Kaita/Jibaya Federal Constituency of Katsina state from 2003 to 2007 said the Lagos Boys exhibited arrogance and failed to consult experts before advising Tinubu to threaten Niger after the coup.

Recall Nigeria’s neighbouring nation, Niger experienced a coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023.

Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, who served as the commander of the Nigerien presidential guard has taken over since then.

President Tinubu, the Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) sent a delegation to the Niger’s junta seeking the return of the democratically elected government but efforts put abortive.

The ECOWAS chair also issued threats of using military force to end the military takeover but Tchiani did not bulge.

Tinubu, after several efforts failed, closed the Niger-Nigerian border, and cut electricity, medicine, and others.

Speaking about how the Nigerian government handled the Nigerien crisis, Bugage who just returned from the coup-hit nation said Tinubu acted beyond the ECOWAS brief.

Bugaje, former House Chair on the Foreign Affairs Committee disclosed this in an interview with Trust TV.

“The social media says that ‘Lagos Boys’ know everything. So, maybe this is the arrogance they came with. They think and don’t consult; whatever it is,” Bugaje said.

“I want us to see that as a country we have violated the norms, we have done things that are far beyond the ECOWAS brief, and that has created a lot of negative reactions from Niger.”

Based on his interactions with Nigeriens when he visited their country, the ex-federal lawmaker said, “Niger is taking these things with a lot of humility and decorum; and they are still saying that despite what you people have done to us, we still see Nigerians as our brothers, we still see these colonial boundaries as artificial, not barriers.”

After the meeting over the weekend, ECOWAS has lifted sanctions imposed on the three Sahel junta-led nations – Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Says Claims Are Speculative & Protests Legally Questionable

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has alleged that the government has perfected plans to launch attacks against the two-day nationwide peaceful rallies it scheduled for 27 and 28 February.

NLC President Joe Ajaero made the allegation in a statement he signed and made available to journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

In a swift response, however, the federal government has denied the allegation describing it as “speculative.”

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said by raising the allegation, “NLC is feeling guilty in hatching its hidden agenda influenced by partisan considerations.”

Mr Onanuga who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the alleged attack, said the planned protest is illegal as it is against a subsisting order of court.

He said the NLC had a hidden agenda because most of the issues raised by labour for embarking on the protest had been addressed by the government.

Mr Ajaero in his statement titled, “As the State Prepares to Unleash Violence on us” alleged that one of the groups being primed to attack the peaceful rallies is by a nebulous name, Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF).

“NCSF is one of the emergency groups put together, funded, promoted and remote-controlled by government to cause violence against our members for electing to peacefully protest against the hunger in the land.

“We would want the State to know that the solution to our horrible economic situation and hunger is not by suppressing peaceful dissent or inflicting violence on peacefully protesting citizens,” he said.

Mr Ajaero insisted that the NLC and its civil society allies were moving ahead with the protest rallies against economic hardship and insecurity in line with the decision of the National Executive Council.

“As citizens, we have a fundamental right to peaceful protest and history bears us witness that our protests are always peaceful except in instances of State-engineered violence.

“In light of this, we advise the State to put on its thinking cap and find solutions to the pains it continues to cause the people instead of further dehumanising them,” he said.

Mr Onanuga, however, insisted that the issues raised by the labour union had been addressed by the government, including the payment of a wage award of N35,000 monthly for six months.

He said the money had been paid to civil servants up till January 2024 and only that of February is outstanding.

The president’s aide said the federal government had inaugurated a 37-member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage to review and come up with an acceptable and sustainable Minimum Wage for Nigerian Workers.

He said the government had made substantial financial commitments on the provision of CNG Buses and Conversion Kits.

According to Mr Onanuga, the buses will be rolled out very soon to alleviate the transportation challenges being faced by Nigerians.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ola Olukoyede, says in less than 100 days of his assumption of office, the anti-graft agency received over 5,000 fraud petitions and recovered N60bn loot.

Of the 5,000 petitions, he said the EFCC had approved 3,000 for investigation.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Olukoyede EFCC chairman on October 12, 2023.

He replaced Abdurasheed Bawa, an appointee of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who was suspended, detained, and booted out of office by Tinubu.

Olukoyede, speaking on Saturday in Lagos as the guest lecturer at the 20th-anniversary lecture of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resources Centre, said the EFCC had recovered over N60bn and $10m, in less than four months since he assumed office.

He said, “When we set out to investigate, people see it as a fight between EFCC and the rest of us. It should not be so. How much will the EFCC do?

“How much will the ICPC do with its staff strength? I have less than 4,800 staff. I am talking of an agency that is serving people who are over 150 million.

“All we have to do is investigate and present the facts before the court. I will not be the one to give judgment. That is where we have collective responsibility. When you see something, you say something

“The issue is we are working as if we are not working. Upon my assumption of office between then and now, I have received over 5,000 petitions. I am not talking of just the one we received, but the one that we have checked and we discovered that there was substance in it. That is just for one agency, the EFCC.

“As I am talking to you I have approved the investigation of over 3,000 cases in less than four months, but what is our capacity? How many staff do we have? What resources do I have access to?

“In less than four months, we secured convictions of 700 and recovered over N60bn and over $10m.

“If I am able to recover over N60bn in less than 100 days, you can imagine how much has been stolen.

“I can tell you that for the billion that has been recovered, a trillion has been stolen.”

On his part, the Chairman of HEDA, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, noted that the anti-corruption fight had been challenging and urged all Nigerians to join the fight.

“We need an effective policing system with integrity, then the court must not continue to discharge persons with corruption cases still hanging on their necks,” Suraju said.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched an investigation following reports that a stampede during its discounted rice sale in Lagos left numerous people dead.

Eyewitnesses said chaos erupted on Friday at the Customs zonal office in Yaba as huge crowds scrambled to purchase bags of seized foreign rice being sold at N10,000 each, significantly below market cost.

In the ensuing stampede, no fewer than 7 persons were said to have been trampled to death while dozens more were injured. Customs authorities admitted the scenes were chaotic but blamed lack of patience by the crowds.

The Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed that one of its female members, Comfort Funmilayo Adebanjo, died in the incident while trying to buy the subsidized rice.

The rice sale was flagged off across NCS offices by the Customs boss, Col. Adewale Adeniyi (Rtd.) last week to ease economic hardship brought on by rising food costs. But the exercise has been marred by poor crowd control, casting doubts on its continuity.

Lagos Customs says it has kicked off an investigation to determine what led to the deadly stampede in Lagos to forestall a repeat as the rice sales continue in other locations.