The Forum of Chief Executive Officers of State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Agencies, and Commissions has raised an alarm that thousands of Nigerian intending pilgrims may not perform the 2025 Hajj because the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, cancelled the Masha’ir contract.

The forum‘s secretary and Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abubakar Salihu, who spoke on behalf of the forum, raised the alarm in an interview with journalists on Sunday.

The forum comprises the chief executives of all the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Agencies, and Commissions in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Salihu said the NAHCON chairman’s purported cancellation of the contract signed with Saudi service provider Mashariq AL-Dhahabiah may deny Nigerians visas for the 2025 Hajj, barring them from the Muslim holy pilgrimage.

“It has become necessary and expedient to inform the general public that should Nigerian intending pilgrims miss out on the 2025 Hajj; they should hold the NAHCON chairman responsible. They should not blame the state pilgrims‘ boards. The NAHCON chairman should be blamed,” the forum’s secretary said.

Mr Salihu lamented that “it is unfortunate that after painstakingly selecting and signing Masha’ir’s contract agreement with Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah, the NAHCON chairman single-handedly cancelled the contract via electronic portal.”

He said the cancellation of the Masha’ir contracts “would deny Nigerian pilgrims access to process their visa in the Saudi E-Tract platform, thereby denying them the right to perform Hajj which they have paid for.”

The forum secretary explained that the forum leadership met with NAHCON executives between January 15 – and 17 to select Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah to serve state quota pilgrims in Muna, Arafat and Muzdalifah. The selected Rawaf Mina will serve VIP pilgrims. 

“After the meeting, NAHCON signed the contract and gave the service provider the go-ahead to execute it. Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah reflected the contact information on various Saudi Arabian Hajj agencies‘ platforms. – that includes NUSUK and E-Tract,” he said.

He said, “It is appalling to just wake up and realise that the Hajj commission chairman has cancelled the contracts we worked on and approved without recourse to us. This is unacceptable.”

The forum wondered why NAHCON would allow the tour operators, with less than 20 per cent of Nigerian pilgrims, to pick a service provider of their choice and denied the states, with over 80 per cent of the 95,000 pilgrims, to select their option.

He said the chairman’s action implies that “our pilgrims cannot access their visa in the E-Tract uploaded by Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah henceforth. And even if NAHCON engages another service provider now, the new service provider can’t access the E-Tract platform.”

Mr Salihu said Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah would certainly seek arbitration for violating the contract agreements it signed with Nigeria, which may jeopardise Nigerian pilgrims‘ participation in the 2025 Hajj.

He said the service provider was selected from five others after three days of thorough and careful cost and material analysis. He said the state pilgrims boards rejected Ithraa Al Khair, a service provider that shortchanged Nigerian pilgrims and rendered poor services to them in 2022, 2023 and 2024, despite efforts to impose it on them.

Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah is a veteran service provider whose chairman and management team provided excellent services to Nigerian pilgrims between 2015 to 2019.

The state pilgrims‘ boards and NAHCON’s selection of Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah have secured a $200 reduction for each pilgrim in the Hajj fare.

Based on the contracts signed with service providers, NAHCON was expected to make payments as soon as it uploaded funds to its portal.

About 50,000 Nigerians are expected to perform this year’s Hajj under the state quota, with another quarter of that number under the tour operators quota.

This newspaper gathered that the NAHCON chairman is on his way to Saudi Arabia to appoint another shoddy service provider that has never served African pilgrims, let alone Nigeria’s — to the detriment of Nigerian pilgrims.

Another commission official who spoke in confidence said petitions have already been sent to investigative agencies to probe the contract cancellation. He urged the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to intervene in this Masha’ir contract saga to save Nigeria from the P&ID and Mambilla/Sunrise- like scandals and embarrassment.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Hajj commission, Fatima Sanda Usara, couldn’t comment because she wasn’t briefed on the issue.

The Rivers State Police Command has detained one of its operatives for allegedly shooting and killing a father of six, Bright Egbule, at Omagwa community in Ikwerre local government area of the state.

Youths of Omagwa community, who were protesting the killing of Egbule, in the early hours of Sunday, blocked the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road with the corpse of the deceased.

Their action, LEADERSHIP learnt, was based on the fact that they were prevented from dumping the corpse of the deceased at the Omagwa Police Station.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a short message service (SMS) sent to journalists, said the corpse of the victim has been deposited at the morgue while normalcy has returned to the community.

Iringe-Koko said: “The command is aware, and the CP (Commissioner of Police) is on top of the situation. Normalcy has now been restored, and adequate security is present on the ground to prevent any breach of peace.

“The corpse has been deposited at the morgue while the police officer has been detained while investigation ongoing please.”

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says its commitment to strengthening national security is yielding results.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said officers recently carried out a series of operations across the country resulting in the arrest of a suspect concealing firearm and live ammunition in a transistor radio.

Adejobi said the officers of the Lagos police command arrested the suspect identified as Wisdom Obi at the Abule-Ado axis of the state.

He said the 24-year-old suspect was riding an unregistered motorcycle when he was stopped during routine checks.

“Upon searching the suspect, a brownie pistol along with 13 rounds of live ammunition was discovered concealed within an MP3 radio. The suspect was taken into custody, with the motorcycle and recovered items documented as exhibits, while investigation continues,” the statement reads.

In a separate operation on the same day, a team from the Orile Iganmu division apprehended four alleged traffic robbers identified as Kadir Ibrahim, Ifeanyi John, Oduwole Shola, and Rilwan Olajuwon.

The suspects were intercepted while attempting to rob passengers of a broken-down vehicle at the Ascon White Sand area in Orile Iganmu.

The police urged citizens to be wary of “the cunning schemes of traffic robbers who blend in as innocent traffic traders”.

“These efforts reflect the determination to create a safer environment for all citizens while reinforcing public trust in the security apparatus. The recent successful operations carried out by Police operatives across the nation serve as a testament to this ongoing dedication to protect the lives and property of all residents in the country,” he said.

“The Nigeria Police Force uses this medium to caution citizens against violent confrontations and encourage those offended to seek proper redress through stipulated legal procedures. Citizens must avoid taking the law into their hands.”

Adejobi assured Nigerians of the commitment of the police to ensuring their safety and security.

He added that the police is working to combat crime while upholding the fundamental principles of justice

The police command in Akwa Ibom state says a 10-year-old boy is currently in detention over alleged defilement of a three-year-old girl.

A statement on Saturday by Timfon John, the state’s police spokesperson, said the boy admitted to committing the offence without coercion.

He denied the claim that the boy was subjected to trial by ordeal after his arrest.

“To set the records straight, the command wishes to clarify that the said minor was taken into custody following allegations of defilement of a 3-year-old girl (name withheld),” the statement reads.

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“The case is currently under investigation and findings, including a medical report, have provided evidence of the incident.

“Additionally, the suspect voluntarily admitted to the offence without coercion. He will be charged to court accordingly on the 10th of February, 2025.

“Furthermore, the command categorically states that there was no trial by ordeal in this matter. Such practices are criminal under Nigerian law, and the police strongly condemn any form of extrajudicial actions.”

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The spokesperson said Baba Azare, the Akwa Ibom police commissioner, is committed to ensuring justice is served in line with due process.

She advised the public to exercise patience and allow investigations into the case run its legal course

The Imo State Police Command has denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of the missing president of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, who was reported missing on Saturday night at about 7 pm.

A family source disclosed to journalists that unidentified gunmen, reportedly dressed in black and numbering up to seven, arrived in a Sienna and a Lexus SUV and stormed the residence of the OYC president at Works Layout, Owerri, the Imo State capital, where they arrested him.

The family source further stated that they became apprehensive after repeatedly attempting to reach him through his mobile lines immediately after the incident, but all efforts proved abortive.

“Since this sad news broke, attempts by teeming members of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, family members, friends, and associates to reach him through his mobile lines to ascertain his whereabouts have failed, as all his lines were switched off immediately after the ugly incident,” the family source revealed.

Following the incident, the Igbo National Council president, Chilos Godsent, has called on security agencies in the state, particularly the Nigerian Police Force, to launch an investigation to uncover those responsible for the abduction of the Ohanaeze Youth president.

Reacting to the incident, the Imo State Police Command, through its spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, issued a press statement clarifying that the missing president of the Ohanaeze Youth Council is not in police custody.

He, however, stated that the command has initiated an investigation to determine the whereabouts of the OYC president.

The police spokesperson also urged members of the public to provide the command with any useful information that could help uncover those responsible for the abduction

Saudi Arabia has restricted Nigeria and 13 other countries to single-entry visas, limited to 30 days.

The changes apply to tourists, business travellers, and those visiting family members but exclude applicants for Hajj, Umrah, diplomatic, or residency visas.

Beyond Nigeria, the affected nations are Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.

Explaining the rationale for the new regulations, Saudi Arabia cited the misuse of multiple-entry visas as a key reason for the policy shift.

It further noted that some travellers used long-term visas to stay in the country illegally or participate in Hajj without proper authorisation.

The Saudi government regulates Hajj attendance through a fixed quota per country, and unauthorised pilgrims have contributed to overcrowding.

Officials described the suspension of multiple-entry visas as a temporary measure but have not provided a specific timeline for its review.

The development comes ahead of the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.

In 2024, over 1,200 pilgrims lost their lives due to extreme heat and congestion, a crisis authorities believe was exacerbated by unregistered attendees

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George, has vowed that he will never leave the party.

Bode George spoke in an interview with NAN on Sunday on Lagos.

He was reacting to the leadership crisis in the party and how some old members are leaving the party, citing internal wranglings.

George said the present problems in the PDP would be resolved and that the party would get stronger .

He said he strongly believed in the ideology of the party, adding that no other political party had strong principles as PDP or practised strong internal democracy like the party.

“I can’t leave PDP, I can’t. Look, every other party is like a miniatured congregation of strange bed fellows.

“They do not have the principles that we have in the our party. So why would I leave reality for others? I would rather go home because I believe so much in the principles of the party

“A rolling stone gathers no moss.If we have crisis in the party,we will stay there and resolve it,we are going nowhere,” he said.

He said those leaving PDP over challenges in the party were not committed to the party in the first place.

George said some of the heavyweights who left the party had since realised that the PDP was the only party practising true internal democracy.

He said the failure of late Chief Alex Ekwueme, a foundation member, to get the party’s presidential ticket on two attempts meant PDP was not built around individuals.

Speaking on whether PDP missed defected chieftains like Mr Peter Obi and Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, George said the party did not miss anyone.

He said what had been missing were the selflessness, dedication and progressive politics of the founding fathers .

The PDP chieftain said that individual interests should be subsumed under the interest of the party for the PDP to rise above its challenges.

George stressed the importance of unity, and legacy-building in political leadership, citing the “exemplary conduct” of former vice president, late Chief Alex Ekwueme.

According to him, Ekwueme contested with President Obasanjo and he declared he lost.

Lauding Ekwueme’s steadfast commitment to democratic principles and party unity, George said, “He never, at any time, raised his hands to demonise or destroy the party.”

The marriage between popular Nigerian gospel singer, Paul Nwokocha and his second wife, Mrs. Goodness Nwokocha, has reportedly ended.

DAILY POST recalls that Nwokocha had married Goodness in September 2023.

The singer had accused his first wife, Alice Nwokocha, of maltreatment, leading to their separation, hence his subsequent second marriage to Goodness, who hails from Nkpa in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

A family source told journalist, Promise Uzoma Okoro that trouble began in May last year, after the new wife was allegedly subjected to ill treatment by the gospel singer.

“Goodness was said to have had no prior relationship with the gospel singer before their marriage. She reportedly relocated from Lagos to marry him at the insistence of his uncles, without conducting any background checks.

“As of now, the bride price has been returned to to the family of Paul Nwokocha, signaling the formal end of the union,” the source said.

Paul Nwokocha reacts:

However, reacting to the development, Paul accused his new wife of sending nude images and videos to other men.

DAILY POST sighted a video where the gospel singer made the allegation.

He alleged that his wife was taking nude photos and videos and sending them to men.

“Greetings to you all, all my friends and well wishers, thank you so much, my name still remains Paul Nwokocha, a minister of the gospel.

“I have heard so many people talk about my marital problem on social media, and I want to tell you something, If I marry today and I find out that the wife I married is doing abominable things before God and man, I will send you out of my house.

“Hear me again, If I marry today and I find out that the wife I married is doing abominable things before God and man, I will send you out of my house without any apology.

“You that is talking and showing pity on her, how will you feel if the woman you call your wife is taking nudes photos and videos and sending them to men, how will you feel if you find such thing, how will you feel, I need your comment.

“I married a wife, not a whore. So, I owe nobody apology for this, stop calling me names. Not even minding how long I married you, if I find you are doing evil before God, you are going out of my house,” he said

A former winner of Nigerian Idol, singer Kunle Ogunrombi popularly known as K-Peace, has accused the show organizers of not paying prize money.

The season 5 winner made the allegation during an interview on the latest episode of the ‘Honest Bunch Podcast’ with Nedu Wazobia.

DAILY POST reports that in 2015, K-Peace was announced the winner of the Etisalat-sponsored Nigerian Idol Season 5.

Speaking 10 years after his win, the singer in a trending video on social media, stated that the organizers failed to fulfill prizes announced to the public.

Expressing his frustration and disappointment, he said “I came outside of the Nigerian Idol platform with zero naira in my account.”

Speaking in pidgin English, he continued “As Nigerian Idol winner, I go waka all through Lagos, go for interviews without food for belle despite winning N7.5 million.

“They announced that I had won N7.5 million. When I asked about the prize, they said they are still branding the car. What they announced on national TV be say I won N7.5 million with a brand new car and I’m supposed to have a two week trip to Dubai. I go through hell after winning the show.”

Nigerian Idol is a music talent reality show

Gbemisola, the elder sister of Nigerian controversial musician, Portable, has claimed that her embattled brother is under the spiritual spell of one of their family members.

Gbemisola made this claim following the singer’s ongoing legal battle with the Ogun state government.

DAILY POST reports that the Ogun state government on Thursday arraigned Portable who is currently at large for assaulting the officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

He was arraigned with nine of his associates before Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court by the state police command.

However, speaking from his hide-out, the singer pleaded with the government to release his associates from detention, stating that he is being “set-up by some certain individuals”.

Why challenging the officers to provide video evidence of the alleged assault, Portable further warned that he might take his own life following the overwhelming frustration caused by the situation.

Reacting to the development in a viral video circulating on X, Portable’s sister apologised for his controversial actions, alleging that a family member is spiritually influencing the singer.

“People of Nigeria, I greet you all. I’m Portable’s eldest sister, the first child of his mother. We are just three that our mother gave birth to.

“Portable has never steal before. I have never come out like this to speak, and he hasn’t even posted me despite being his sister. But he is the only one taking care of the family. If not for him, I would have died during my sickness.

“One of our family members, Akeem is the one casting spell on Portable, he is the one spiritually influencing Portable to misbehave and offend Nigerians.”