The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has successfully pressured the Federal Government to reduce the recent telecommunications tariff hike from 50 percent to 35 percent.

Decision came after a 10-man committee meeting between government representatives and the NLC at the National Security Adviser (NSA) office on Friday, February 21, 2025.

Government sources who spoke with Vanguard confirmed that an official communique announcing the tariff reduction is expected to be released on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

How NLC Secured The Reduction

According to insider reports, the meeting, which started at 4 PM and lasted till 7 PM, saw the NLC insisting that the tariff hike must be completely withdrawn.

After intense deliberations, the Federal Government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) agreed to a 15 percent reduction, bringing the tariff increase down from 50 percent to 35 percent.

NLC’s Earlier Protest Against Tariff Hike

On February 12, 2025, the NLC expressed outrage over the tariff hike by telecommunications companies, arguing that it violated an earlier agreement with the Federal Government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The labour body demanded an immediate reversal, warning that failure to do so would lead to serious consequences.

“If the telecommunications companies fail to revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, a total shutdown of their operations nationwide will commence from March 1, 2025,” the NLC declared.

To demonstrate its seriousness, the NLC had earlier directed Nigerian workers and citizens to boycott telecom services daily between 11 AM and 2 PM, beginning on Thursday, February 13, 2025.

The boycott targeted major network providers, including MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO, and was set to continue until the end of February 2025.

A physically-challenged father of 5, who could no longer afford his children’s school fees, has received a life-changing intervention after his emotional plea for help went viral on social media.

The distressed father took to social media to share his struggles, revealing that his five children had been forced to drop out of school due to financial difficulties.

Posting a picture of himself with four of his children, he expressed his helplessness, stating that his financial strength had been taken away and he could no longer support their education.

“Universe, I’m reaching you directly on behalf of these innocent children of mine (+ first son isn’t here) that dropped out of school this term. They need education. @PeterObi. I’ve tried up to this point, my purchasing powers have been taken away like many others,” the father of 5 wrote.

His heartfelt plea caught the attention of Nigerian chess master and philanthropist, Tunde Onakoya, who responded with an extraordinary act of kindness.

Tunde Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, pledged to cover the full tuition of all five children until they complete their university education.

In a post on social media, Tunde Onakoya assured the father that his children would not be deprived of education.

He also revealed that he had made a personal donation to the family while offering prayers for their well-being.

“Your children will definitely go back to school. @chessinslums will take full responsibility for their tuition until they complete university. Just made a donation as well. May God keep you well and alive to see your children excel,” Tunde Onakoya wrote.

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Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, a Catholic missionary priest in Gambia, has unleashed a scathing rebuke of modern-day Christianity, claimed that many of those crowding churches every Sunday are the same ones frequenting native doctors and placing their faith in ‘juju.’

In a fiery Facebook post on Friday, February 21, Fr. Ugwu pulled no punches, said this hidden double life is why juju practices and beliefs have crept from traditional shrines straight into church altars.

He took aim at Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin, founder of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry (CMDM), accused him of running a ministry drenched in juju practices. According to Fr. Ugwu, over 90% of what Fufeyin does, from selling water and oil to other traded products, bears the unmistakable mark of traditional sorcery.

The priest also called out Prophet Odumeje, leader of The Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, for allegedly blending occult rituals into his ministry.

He described Odumeje’s alleged act of pouring seven bottles of Goya oil around his new home to drive away evil spirits as nothing more than a juju ceremony wrapped in a Christian cloak.

Fr. Ugwu exposed even more, highlighted practices like bringing a photograph of a potential spouse to Pastor Oyedepo’s Shiloh and placing it on the altar to force a marriage by “fire by force.” He labeled this, too, as a twisted form of juju disguised as faith.

He wrote in parts;

“Taking a picture of the person you want to marry to Shiloh and placing it on the altar so that they will marry you by fire by force is a juju practice.

“Odumeje emptying seven bottles of Goya oil at every corner of your newly built house to dedicate it and drive away evil spirits is a juju practice.

“Miracle bank alerts, where money with no trace or giver simply enters your account because you shouted the loudest ‘Amen’ in church, is a juju practice.

“Praying for your neighbor to die by fire because you don’t like them or are angry about their progress is a juju practice.

“More than 90% of everything Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin does, including the sale of water, oil, etc., are juju practices.

“Catholics venerating images to the point that they have turned those images into objects of worship is a juju practice.

“All those silly talks during harvest and bazaar, where in a bid to get money, they tell you to buy an apple for 100k because it will give you the fruit of the womb, or buy a candle for 50k because it will make you see riches, or buy a handkerchief for 30k because it will wipe your face and make you see your future husband quicker, are all juju practices.

“Christianity is not the problem; your juju mindset is. This is why the version of Christianity most of you practice in Africa is an upgraded version of juju and witchcraft.

“So, I say it again. . . Juju does not work. What works in juju is fear. If it works, stop speaking grammar—just disappear and appear at my location. Or, from where you are, command something in my body to go missing. Mtchwwww!”

SEE HIS POST BELOW

Voletta Wallace, mother of hip-hop legend The Notorious B.I.G., has passed away at the age of 78.

She died in the early hours of Friday at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, according to Monroe County officials. 

While initially dismissive of her son’s music—once referring to it as “noise”—Wallace became a driving force in preserving his legacy after his tragic death in 1997. She founded the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, an organisation dedicated to providing educational resources for children.

In 2003, she paid tribute to the mothers of other musicians who lost their lives prematurely—Aaliyah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, Tupac Shakur, Jam Master Jay, Big Pun, Big L, and Freaky Tah—during “B.I.G. Night Out,” a benefit event for the foundation.

Wallace also took legal action to seek justice for her son. In 2004, she dropped a wrongful-death lawsuit against Amir Muhammad, also known as Harry Billups, who was previously suspected in the rapper’s slaying.

Her son, The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of the most celebrated figures in hip-hop history. With two posthumous albums released, his certified United States sales have surpassed 28 million copies, including 21 million albums. Rolling Stone once hailed him as the “greatest rapper that ever lived.” In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing his influence on music and culture.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over a total sum of $120,548.43 and N70,602,841.46 to American, Spanish and Swiss victims of local fraudsters.

The EFCC said the handover is a gesture of its commitment to tackling economic and financial crimes and, offering restitution to victims of fraudulent practices.

Speaking at the handover on Friday at the EFCC’s corporate headquarters in Abuja, Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede said the event demonstrates President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s commitment to the fight against corruption and financial crimes.

Olukoyede further said the restitution marked a commitment to good governance, stimulation of the economy and measure to prove that Nigeria is not a safe haven for financial crimes.

He further described it as a “commitment to international cooperation and international synergy in the fight against financial crimes, which you will agree with me, has become a global crime.”

Handed over in addition to the money are vehicles and real estate which were returned to citizens of Spain, United States of America and Switzerland.

Acting Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Maria Higon Velasco received the sum of $1,300 and evidence of N30 million already transferred to the Embassy of Spain in Nigeria for onward transmission to a victim, Maria Del Rosario San Jose.

Also, Senior Political Officer, First Secretary, Embassy of Switzerland, Florent Geel, received $100,011.43 on behalf of a victim, Chantai Helene Lavancy, formerly known as Chantai Helene Maeder.

Similarly, Legal Attache, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Embassy of the United States, Charles Smith received the sum of $7,344; N7,963,483.35 and Bitcoin cryptocurrency valued at $4,470.00 on behalf of the US Embassy in Nigeria for onward transmission to a victim, Maria Jesus Brockell.

Also received by Smith was Mercedes Benz E550 4Matic Chasis with No:WDDHF9AB6AA111112; Mercedes Benz C450 AMG with Chasis No: WDD20J0641F282467, and one residential bungalow, located at 17/19 Seaman Street, Unguwar Maigero, Kaduna, Kaduna State on behalf of the Embassy for onward transmission to the crime victim.

Additionally, Smith received the sum of $7,527 on behalf of the United States Embassy in Nigeria for onward transmission to the victim of the crime, Michael Smith.

He also received the sum of $11,710.00 on behalf of the US Embassy in Nigeria for onward transmission to the crime victim, Cheryle Williams.

Lastly, Smith received the sum of N32,639,358.11 for onward transmission to the crime victim, Marva Marrow.

In her remarks, Velasco expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government and the anti-graft agency, saying, “This is a sign of the collaboration between Nigeria and Spain, and we are very grateful for this collaboration.”

Thirty-nine years after, former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida has thrown more light on two major events that shaped his administration – the assassination of renowned journalist Dele Giwa and the execution of his friend and colleague, Major General Mamman Vatsa, over a coup plot.

While he dismissed insinuations of his administration’s orchestration of the Giwa assassination on October 19, 1986 as “cheap and foolish,” Babangida said Vatsa’s death, via execution for a coup plot, “was a personal loss of a childhood friend.”

Among other major incidents, like the Gideon Orkar coup, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) crisis, Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) protests, the C130 air crash, the Dele Giwa and Vatsa deaths had more personal impact on the former military president who described both as close friends.
Giwa, the founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch Magazine, was murdered in Ikeja, Lagos State on October 19, 1986 through a parcel bomb with an alleged federal government logo.

His close friend, associate and veteran journalist, Ray Ekpu, had in an interview stated that the government knew those who killed Giwa, recalling that the Oputa Panel said the Babangida administration was culpable.

Also, a retired police chief, Chris Omeben, who conducted the investigation on the murder of renowned journalist, told NAN in 2015 that the high-profile investigation was marred by interference from “high places”.

Babangida, who defined his friendship with Giwa as close, recounted how his death impacted him, while refuting insinuations that his administration was involved.

In his book, ‘A Journey In Service, which was launched on Thursday, Babangida said, “The insinuation that the parcel may have come from the headquarters of the administration was cheap and foolish. Why would an officially planned high-level assassination carry an apparent forwarding address of the killer? Why would a government-planned and executed crime point directly at the suspect? All this did not make sense to me.

“Much as this incident rattled me, I also accepted and understood it to be part of the challenges of the task I had taken on. I was responsible for acting in the public interest, but only in the context of the institutions and mechanisms of government. I had no alternative but to resort to the state’s investigative apparatus. The police and the intelligence services were all I had to rely on.”
Babangida accused The Newswatch legal team of resorting to play to the gallery of public sentiment which did not help the case.

He said the legal team directed public focus to only one suspect, his administration, which “may have hurt the path of a fruitful investigation.”

The former president described Giwa as his good friend with whom he spoke often on the phone, noting that the novelty and tragic impact of the incident badly shook the nation.

“I was equally shocked by it all. On a personal level, I had just lost a friend. Mr Giwa was a good friend, like a few other senior journalists in the country.

We spoke often on the phone and met a few times.

I valued his deep insight on national issues and respected his views and reach as a media leader.

“My sense of loss was, however, overwhelmed by the public outcry and the feeling of tragedy in the introduction of an entirely novel mode of killing in our country,” he said.

He said media hysteria did not help the investigation of the Giwa murder.

“As is typical of the Nigerian media, the direction was marked by an adversarial attitude towards government, which has remained the hallmark of the Nigerian media from its colonial heydays.

“It was an attitude of ‘we versus the government’ that has remained today. It is a situation in which the government is adjudged guilty even before the evidence in a case is adduced.

“When the Obasanjo civilian administration reopened the Giwa case at the Oputa Panel on Human and Civil Rights, I expected that the police and lawyers would come forward with new evidence as to their findings on the Giwa murder over the years. Nothing of such happened. The Giwa, like all mysterious murders, has remained unsolved after so many years. I keep hoping the truth will be uncovered in our lifetime or after us. More often than not, mysterious crimes are solved long after their commission,” the former president said.

IBB, as he is fondly called, also reflected on the drama that surrounding the coup and the eventual execution of General Vatsa, whom he described as a childhood friend.

Vatsa and nine other co-conspirators were executed for planning a coup against the Babangida administration in March 1986.

Some prominent Nigerians had sought clemency for Vatsa who insisted on his innocence.

Babangida however maintained that the evidence against Vatsa was overwhelming, recalling that he had dismissed several rumors of the coup plot involving his former friend.

“When the coup was first uncovered, I did not quite believe the extent of Vatsa’s involvement. Even worse were the details of the dastardly plans, including plans to bomb the Eko Bridge in Lagos and possibly hijack the presidential jet to eliminate the president.

“As the details kept coming in, it became harder not to believe the integrity of the disclosures. I felt a deep personal sense of betrayal. There were details of conversations, funding, travel itinerary and recruitment of troops to support the operation,” he said.

He added that Vatsa and the other conspirators had planned a bloody coup which would have plunged the country into darkness.

“I had to choose between saving a friend’s life and the nation’s future. Above all, everyone who had signed on to military career understood clearly what it meant to plan a coup and fail. The penalty was clear and unmistakable.”

He said given his closeness to Vatsa and the political interpretations that emerged about his coup plot after his trial and execution, it was not surprising that agents of subsequent political dispensations tried to weaponise the Vatsa coup as a political tool against him in the post-1999 political ploys.

“Unfortunately, some members of the Vatsa family lent their voices and presence to these ploys, which fizzled out in due course,” he said.

Nigerian singer Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known also known as Ayra Starr, has revealed that she was a social media troll before becoming famous.

She disclosed this on the I Said What I Said podcast, co-hosted by Feyikemi Abudu and Jola Ayeye.

“I had a troll page, I had a Nicki Minaj fan page before I became Ayra Starr,” she said.

Since becoming famous, Ayra Starr has been very vocal about bullying from online trolls.

She has been repeatedly trolled over her skimpy dressing and postures. She once responded to trolls, saying her “bad postures” were due to the weight of carrying Afrobeats singlehandedly.

The Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City, has convicted and sentenced 11 internet fraudsters to various jail terms for offences related to obtaining by false pretence, advance fee fraud, and possession of fraudulent documents.

According to a statement on Friday via X by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Justice W.I. Aziegbemhin handed down the sentences after the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate prosecuted the individuals on separate one-count charges.

The convicts include Izomor Samuel Efe, Nosakhare Bright, Emovon Destiny, Vincent Arogbo, Osarentin Morgan Aduwa, Osagiede Destiny Oghosa, Nosakhare Ernest Theophilus, Junior Emmanuel Efe, Osimen Princewill, Obamedo Clinton, and David Iyobor. 

According to the EFCC, the convicts were apprehended in a sting operation following credible intelligence linking them to fraudulent internet activities.

One of the charges, as presented against Efe, read, “That you, Justice Samuel Efe (m), on or about the 8th of February 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

All 11 individuals pleaded guilty to the charges when read to them. Following their pleas, prosecution counsels F.A. Jirbo, I.K. Agwai, and Salihu Ahmed urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

In response, the defence counsel pleaded for leniency, stating that the accused had shown remorse for their actions.

In his ruling, Justice Aziegbemhin sentenced Izomor Efe and Nosakhare Bright to two years imprisonment, with the option of a N200,000 fine each. Emovon Destiny and Vincent Arogbo received similar two-year sentences but with a N400,000 fine each.

Additionally, Aduwa, Oghosa, Theophilus, Junior Efe, Princewill, Clinton, and Iyobor were sentenced to three years imprisonment, with the option of a N200,000 fine each.

“In addition to their sentences, all the convicts forfeited their phones, laptop computers and sums of money seen in their bank accounts to the federal government and undertook in writing to be of good behaviour henceforth.

“The convicts’ journey to the correctional centre began with their arrest in a sting operation by operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC following credible intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities,” the statement added.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has made alarming discoveries in its ongoing enforcement operation at the Idumota open drug market in Lagos.

The agency uncovered unregistered narcotics, counterfeit GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) medicines, and vaccines improperly stored, with some shockingly found in toilets.

This was revealed in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. The statement reads, “In the ongoing enforcement operation at the Idumota open drug market, NAFDAC has uncovered more alarming products, including unregistered narcotics, counterfeit GSK medicines, and vaccines stored in toilets.

“During an operation on Tuesday, officials also seized expired USAID-donated condoms, which had been repackaged and sold under the name “Kiss Condom.”

The statement added, “More from the Idumota enforcement exercise, NAFDAC officials have seized, “Banned drugs such as Analgin, Vaccines meant for cold chain storage, Oxytocin for maternal health, improperly stored outside the cold chain and donated medical products.”

NAFDAC has vowed to continue its crackdown on counterfeit and substandard medicines, emphasising the grave health risks posed by these illicit products. The enforcement operation remains ongoing as officials work to dismantle illegal drug networks and ensure compliance with safety regulations

The Osun State Police Command and the state Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps may not be deploying operatives for today’s local government election, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

While the two security organisations did not officially confirm or deny their participation in the poll, top sources said security agencies were not directed to participate in the election.

A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We have not been directed to participate in the poll. You know the position of the Federal Government through what the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) said.

“The police and other security agents will be in town to ensure security but they are not told to participate in the election. But no one will speak to you about it here. The decision about it was made in Abuja.

“If you listen to IG’s remarks about the Osun local government crises when he spoke in Abuja on Thursday, you will have a better idea about the position of the police regarding the election.”

But the Osun Amotekun Corps said its men had been deployed in obedience to the order of an Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa, which mandated all security agencies to maintain law and order during the poll.

Speaking exclusively with Saturday PUNCH, the Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Isaac Omoyele, said operatives of the corps had been deployed for the exercise.

Omoyele, while responding to enquiry from our correspondent on whether the agency would join the poll, asked, “Have you seen a copy of the court order that said we should participate in the election?

“In obedience to that order, we have deployed men across the state for the election to ensure that we have a peaceful exercise. Amotekun will participate and provide security during the poll. We have been served the court order and we will obey.”

OSSIEC staff abandon office

Checks by our correspondents at the headquarters of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission in Osogbo showed slow pace of activities.

There was heavy security presence at the entrance of the building as those going in were subjected to thorough checks. But the premises were not sealed as speculated.

Party leaders, journalists and ad hoc staff were observed waiting for materials and identification tags to be distributed to them. But no official of the commission was on ground to attend to them.

The mobile phone number of the chairman of the commission, Hashim Abioye, was switched off when called around 5pm on Friday.

There was no distribution of materials on the premises and at the hall of Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, where the ad hoc staff recruited by the commission were told to converge.

Some staff members of the commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they stayed away from the office to avoid arrest.

One of them said, “We envisaged this and we have moved our materials out of the commission’s office since. Those that do not want the election to hold may arrest us.

“We have our offices in different places in the town. Our people are afraid. We have not been going to the office since Wednesday evening.”

Low awareness among residents

There was apparent low awareness about the poll among residents as some of them that spoke on the election were indifferent about it.

A trader around Olaiya area of Osogbo, Yusuf Olutope, who said he was unaware of the poll, said he was unsure he would vote.

“Election is being held tomorrow? (Saturday)”, he asked. “I am not sure I will vote. You can observe there’s no enthusiasm about it among residents.”

Another resident, who identified herself only as Kudrat, said, “I know the election is scheduled for tomorrow but you can see people don’t feel it. There’s nothing to suggest people are preparing for it.”

Osun court mandates OSSIEC to conduct election

Meanwhile, an Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa on Friday held that vacancies existed in all the 30 LGAs in the state and mandated the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to fill the offices.

Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, while ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Peoples Democratic Party in a suit number HIL/M/.192025, against the Osun State Electoral Commission and Hashim Abioye, the OSSIEC chairman, also directed law enforcement agencies to provide security during and after the local government election.

Aderibigbe held that vacancies exist in Osun LGA, after the election conducted by OSSIEC on 15th October, 2022, was invalidated by the Federal High Court in a judgement delivered on November 30, 2022.

He also said the judgement of the Federal High Court was confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 13, 2025.

APC kicks

Reacting to the ruling, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress berated the PDP over the  injunction calling on security agents to supervise the council election.

A press release by the Osun APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the interim order was a ‘joke taken too far.’

He contended that Nigerian statutes did not prescribe that a lower court should override an Appeal Court judgement.

He called for firmness with the way security agents had been enforcing the February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal judgement that reinstated the “cruelly sacked local government political functionaries by Governor Adeleke in 2022.”

“I can’t imagine a state in very civilized South Western Nigeria to be drifting into abyss and brigandage and perverting the rule of law which the ineptitude of its leadership is breeding,” Lawal added.

Labour Party seeks postponement

Also, the Forum of Labour Party candidates in the Osun council election, has called for a shift in the poll, lamenting that OSSIEC had not made available needed identification for party agents and others that would work during the poll.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the leader of the Forum, Mr. Bode Babalola, who is the chairmanship candidate of the party for Osogbo LGA, also said security situation was not encouraging and feared asking agents of the party to go out for the election might be a risk.

Speaking in a similar vein, the Labour Party Chairman in Osun, Adebayo Bello, who said the party spent over N5m to obtain nomination form for the election, said the decision of the candidates should be respected.

Police ask Adeleke to suspend poll 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has called on the Osun State Government to suspend the LG election.

The police stated that joint intelligence assessments revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, were mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace, and undermine the democratic process.

In a statement on Friday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the intelligence reports at the disposal of the police showed a high possibility of violence in the state should the election be held.

“The Nigeria Police Force has received credible intelligence indicating a high likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned Local Government elections proceed in Osun State.

“Given this imminent threat to security, the NPF strongly advises the Osun State Government to suspend the planned elections forthwith in the interest of public safety and national stability.”