Abductors of a businessman, Tope Fuji, his wife, and their daughter, in Owo, Ondo State, have demanded a ransom of N30 million for their release.

Recall that the victims were abducted in front of their residence along Ipele Road, Owo, in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Family sources said the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N30 million but later reduced it to N20 million. Since then, there have been no further communications from the kidnappers.

A source said, “We were together on Friday because we were fasting. That day, we were all at his wife’s shop, playing, before we eventually parted ways. Later, I received a call from one of his sons, informing me that his father, mother, and sister had been kidnapped. We quickly got into a vehicle and rushed to Tope’s house.

“The boy who called me was the one who had stepped out of the car to open the gate. He said that while he was opening it, the kidnappers attacked, and he managed to escape. When the kidnappers called, they initially demanded N30 million, but later reduced it to N20 million.”

The source added that the victims are still in the kidnappers’ den, and their abductors have not communicated with the family since the ransom demand.

Contacted, the state police command spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, claimed ignorance of the abduction.

The economic hardship bedeviling Nigerians has forced many to indulge in several abnormal means to generate income for survival.

As parents are struggling, so children are turning to various means of survival.
Economy&Lifestyle discovered that in some cities, in several parts of the country, many commercial drivers, especially those with mini buses operating in academic environments, have now turned their vehicles into provisions’ stores.

Items ranging from sweets, chewing gums, snacks, bread, beverages are displayed in these buses to easily attract passengers and clients.

Apart from these, Point of Sale, PoS, services are also rendered by these drivers, who display their bank account numbers at various angles in the vehicles.

Mr. Emmanuel Uromu, a driver, said: “I drive a mini-bus in an environment where mainly students reside.
“I noticed that such primary needs as milk, pen, bread, snacks among others are things these students buy and sometimes they hardly find time to get them.

“So I decided to create a mini store in my bus as another means of survival since the money I get from this driving business hardly sustains myself and my family.

“When I started it was awkward because passengers were complaining of heat and you know how students are. So I fixed a small fan in the bus.

“So far I have had lots of patronage and some people even request things I don’t have.
“This has also helped me to grow the business.

“It is one of the best decisions I have taken so far.”
Testifying to the development, Mrs. Elohor Edebor said she saw such in Delta State and was amazed by such creativity and smartness.

“I saw a commercial bus with a mini provision store a few months ago when I visited Delta State.
“I was amazed and asked the driver how he copes with people not stealing from him.

“He showed me the cage wire he constructed which was locked and fixed directly to the roof of the bus.
“I was just looking at him with surprise and various feelings.

“Never in my life have I boarded a passenger bus which is also a provision store.

“That is the creativity the difficult state we are in the country has brought out of that man.
“Himself and his family must survive and stealing is out of the box for him.”

Mr. Omoniyi Abbey, a commercial bus driver said: “I don’t blame any driver for selling provisions to our profession.

“Do you know how much a tire is? Both fairly used and brand new tires.
“Even the prices of other spare parts are high.
“Then you will settle the owner of the bus daily.
“What about the garage levies paid at different bus stops.
“Also in situations where we fall into the traps of law enforcement agencies, we pay through our noses.
“All these are making commercial transport business tiring and less lucrative.

“So, few drivers are sourcing incomes through other means like selling provisions in the bus at the same time with picking and dropping passengers.”

Following recent defection of some aggrieved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to some opposition political parties, an APC chieftain, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has disclosed that no political gang up can affect President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

It would be recalled that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai defected to the SDP and also reaching out to the likes of Rauf Aregbesola and others to join him.

However, Oyintiloye in a statement on Sunday in Osogbo, described the effort as futile, saying the President has a winning strategy to unleash against his enemies at the right time.

Oyintiloye, who noted that defection was a normal phenomenon in politics, said that it would be a grave mistake for anyone to think that the defection of the “so called APC members” would affect the president in 2027.

“Leave it or take, no amount of political gang up can stop the re-election of President Tinubu in 2027. Those who are gathering against him ahead of 2027 should try and study the kind of person the President is.

“He has the winning strategy, and he is raising men and women of goodwill across Nigeria. His achievements, political sagacity, and love for the country will speak for him now and in the future,” he said.

Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, disclosed further that the President is doing everything humanly possible to put the country on the path of greatness, adding that Tinubu’s efforts has started yielding positive results.

“The president will succeed, and his political enemies will realise the mistakes they are making by not supporting him.Those who are whipping up sentiments against the President should check his track records, achievements, and popularity across Nigeria.

“Tinubu’s political strength, strong connection, influence, resilience which made him triumph over all obstacles to win in 2023, will see him through in 2027”, added the APC chieftain.

He, however, advised the President to start public engagement and sensitisation on the achievements recorded so far and projection ahead by his administration

The father of Nigerian singer Asake, Fatai Odunsi has confirmed that he and his son have reconciled following their recent dispute.

Naija News reports that Odunsi made this known in a viral video on Sunday, recorded at what appears to be his residence in Isale Eko, Lagos.

Earlier, he had publicly appealed for financial assistance to manage his deteriorating health, alleging that Asake had abandoned him for years—an accusation the singer swiftly denied.

Asake insisted that he had sent money to his father multiple times and was being pressured.

In the midst of the controversy, his family also accused him of neglecting his alleged 11-year-old daughter, Zeenat, and her mother, Adijat.

Following public backlash, Odunsi released another video revealing that the issue had been resolved.

He stated that Asake reached out to the family and agreed to cover financial obligations related to his health.

“I am proud of him. He will never fall. It’s just that it had been a while since I last saw him. Even his mother should have asked him when last he saw me. She didn’t. That was what enraged me,” Odunsi said.

“Asake has listened to me. He says he would gift me whatever I want. He has asked that a house be bought for me.

“They’re still looking for a good one to buy. He’s already looking for it here in Lagos. He and I have settled.

“He has spoken to me. He has agreed to take care of his daughter. There was never a time when he denied his daughter.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, citing political loyalty and gratitude for his ministerial appointment.

Speaking during an interactive session on TVC on Sunday, Wike stated that his political allegiance remains with Tinubu, who played a crucial role in his political stability.

Wike emphasized that loyalty should be reciprocal, arguing that Tinubu’s support for him cannot be ignored.

“When someone helps you, it is only right to stand by them in return,” he said.

He further explained that his political camp had initially expected Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to prioritize their interests but claimed that the governor had not lived up to those expectations.

“If someone remembers you when you need help, you should also remember them when the time comes. If the President had not given us this position, what would have happened to us?” Wike asked.

For this reason, he said he sees no justification for withdrawing his loyalty from Tinubu in the next election.

Wike also criticized ethnic politics in Rivers State, particularly the narrative that favors Governor Fubara as an Ijaw man.

He argued that the Ijaw people have not benefited significantly from Fubara’s leadership, stressing that performance—not ethnicity—should determine political choices.

“Many politicians manipulate ethnic narratives for personal gain but fail to share the benefits with the people they claim to represent,” he noted.

Wike urged political stakeholders to shift focus from ethnic and sentimental politics and instead prioritize long-term benefits and development.

Naija News recalls that Wike, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, had in the past admitted that he did not support his party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar.

The recently freed Afenifere National Youth President, Eniola Ojajuni, has disclosed that kidnappers have established at least 55 operational camps across the South-West region.
In a statement on Sunday, Ojajuni, who spent 12 days in captivity, revealed that Ondo State has the highest number of these camps, followed by Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun states.

He called on authorities to conduct comprehensive security operations in forests spanning Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ibilo, and Lagos states to dismantle these criminal hideouts.

Recounting his ordeal, Ojajuni noted that the kidnappers openly discussed their intentions to intensify abductions, particularly in Ondo and Lagos states.

He stressed the need for enhanced intelligence gathering by security agencies and state governments to tackle the rising threat.

“The criminals have established well-organised kidnapping camps across South-West Nigeria, strategically positioned for their operations: Ondo State – 27 camps; Ekiti State – 16 camps; Osun State – seven camps; Ogun State – five camps,” he stated.

“During my captivity, the kidnappers boasted of their plans to intensify abductions in Ondo and Lagos states, citing their hidden camps in these regions. They also revealed details of their operations along the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Road, near Oso-Sa Ijebu, weeks before my abduction.”

Ojajuni was kidnapped on February 17, 2025, while traveling from Ondo State to Abuja, sparking widespread outrage and demands for his release.

As negotiations dragged on, the kidnappers released distressing images and videos of him, appealing to Nigerians to raise a 100 million naira ransom.

In response, Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, deployed officers from the Intelligence Response Team, leading to Ojajuni’s eventual freedom.

Following his release, Ojajuni addressed the media, urging South-West leaders to take urgent and decisive measures against the worsening security situation.

He proposed the formation of a strong regional security network in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Forest Guards.

He also called on the Ondo State government to act swiftly in dismantling criminal networks operating in the region.

“The Ondo State government, in particular, has been criticised for its lack of urgency in addressing this crisis,” he said. “The growing audacity of these criminals must not go unchecked. Immediate action is needed to restore security and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Ojajuni pledged to share critical intelligence gathered during his captivity to aid security forces in dismantling the kidnappers’ operations.

He also emphasized the need for more security checkpoints along highways and forest borders to curb escalating criminal activities.

“The Nigerian government must act swiftly and decisively to combat this crisis by deploying additional security personnel to high-risk areas, establishing more security checkpoints along highways and forest borders, enhancing intelligence-gathering and surveillance operations, and identifying and prosecuting collaborators aiding these criminals,” he urged.

Commending the Inspector General of Police for the intelligence-led rescue operation, he also appreciated the Nigeria Forest Team’s prompt intervention but insisted that more needs to be done.

“This intelligence should serve as a wake-up call to all security agencies and state governments in the South-West. If urgent measures are not taken, more innocent lives will be at risk,” Ojajuni warned.

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, is set to reveal his next political platform on Monday (today) after resigning from the PDP.

A close associate of Jandor disclosed that he held a strategic meeting with his political movement, Lagos4Lagos, on Sunday at his office in Liberty House, Ikeja.

During the meeting, Jandor reportedly updated his supporters on the progress of his ongoing consultations with political stakeholders regarding his next move.

Speaking to Western Post, the source said: “Jandor had a meeting with us, the inner caucus of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, today in Liberty House. He informed us of what he had done so far after resigning from the PDP.

“And we assured him of our utmost support in the ongoing consultations. We are with him 100 percent.”

Jandor has been engaging with key political figures since leaving the PDP.

Last Monday, he met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa for nearly two hours. He also met with former Heads of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar. Additionally, he consulted with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, and other national political leaders.

The PDP National Secretary and other party leaders have also visited him, urging him to reconsider his resignation from the party.

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has reported that soldiers entered their substation and took two staff members into custody early Friday morning, allegedly due to power supply concerns.

Speaking to TheCable on Sunday, Babatunde Lasaki, EKEDC's general manager of corporate communications and strategy, confirmed that military personnel from the 15th Field Engineer Regiment, Topo Barracks, Badagry forcibly accessed the substation premises around 1:00 AM on March 14th.

According to Lasaki, the soldiers detained both a distribution substation operator and a security guard who were on duty. The staff reportedly sustained injuries after being physically assaulted, though they were released later that same morning.

Lasaki explained that the power outage prompting the incident was caused by an ongoing upgrade project at the Transmission Company of Nigeria's Agbara facility. He noted that this information had previously been communicated to "Lt. Col. S.L. Lawn," the commanding officer of the barracks.

While no infrastructure was damaged during the incident, EKEDC has filed a police report and submitted a formal complaint to military leadership in Abuja.

This follows a similar occurrence on March 6th, when Nigerian Air Force personnel reportedly entered Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company premises following an electricity disconnection at Sam Ethnan Air Force Base. In that incident, IKEDC reported office vandalism, staff assault, and theft of company property.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Nigerian singer Ahmed Ololade popularly known as Asake has finally taken action after intense public scrutiny over his ailing father Fatai Odunsi.

Earlier Odunsi’s emotional plea for help as he battled severe health challenges.

In a recent video interview with content creator Mr. Milgaga, the elderly man expressed deep pain, lamented that his son had not reached out to him for a long time.

However, a shift appears to be underway. Odunsi stated that he has let go of past grievances, acknowledged that Asake has now stepped up to take responsibility for his medical treatment.

He also disclosed that the singer is making arrangements to secure a house for him and has promised to care for his abandoned daughter.

When questioned about his past role as a father, Odunsi stood firm, insisting that no one could claim he was anything but responsible.

His stance was further reinforced by the interviewer, who cited testimonies from Isale Eko residents. According to them, Asake’s father played a significant role in his son’s upbringing and welfare.

SEE VIDEO POST BELOW

State governors have launched a fresh push against the planned disbursement of federal allocation to the local government councils in a renewed bid to delay the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on LGA autonomy.

Some of the governors, during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, last Tuesday, kicked against payment of the LG allocation through the Central Bank of Nigeria, citing the need to address the multi-billion dollar debts allegedly incurred by the councils.

Presidency officials said the governors used the opportunity of the Iftar dinner to lobby the President and renew negotiations on direct allocation to the councils, which has suffered delays.

“When the governors came on Monday for Iftar, they sought to meet the President, which they did on Tuesday afternoon. Some of the governors came to meet the president. They were there with him for long. They left around past six that evening,” one insider told The PUNCH. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, another official privy to the details, explained further, “They finally met the President on Tuesday to try to find a solution. They are jostling for a favourable outcome.

“What is happening are two things. The Federal Government wants the allocations paid to the CBN, and all local government areas should open an account with the CBN.

“But the governors said no. They don’t want it that way. They said if the money goes to the CBN, it is as good as the Federal Government still controlling the whole thing.”

A source privy to Tinubu’s discussions with the governors revealed that the state executives wanted the disbursements sent to commercial bank accounts instead.

“One of the governors said that with the CBN handling the account, they would need approval from the Accountant-General. That means it is still under FG’s control, and they don’t want it that way. They want it to go to commercial banks. But the FG is saying no,” the source stated.

On the outcome of the meeting, the official revealed, “They said the meeting was positive. But I don’t know what they agreed upon. It appears they are working with some officials to find a way out. But the main thing is that the local government allocation was being withheld. It has not been paid. And it is because of this.”

Historically, the funding of local governments has long been a contentious issue, primarily due to the power dynamics between the state and local governments.

On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment affirming the fiscal autonomy of local governments nationwide.

It ruled that federal allocations to the LGAs must be paid directly to their respective accounts, bypassing state governments.

This followed a suit filed by the Federal Government, which sought to enforce fiscal autonomy for LGAs as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The Supreme Court emphasised that state governments receiving and disbursing LGA funds was unconstitutional and ordered an immediate end to the indirect payment system.

The judgment also included a provision that only democratically elected LGA leaderships are eligible to receive federal allocation.

The provision was introduced to address the widespread practice of state governors appointing caretaker committees or administrators to manage LGAs.

The court ruled that such appointed officials are unconstitutional and that only leaders elected through a democratic process can legitimately access and manage LGA funds.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria had mandated all LGAs to submit a two-year account audit before funds can be disbursed.

The CBN had also begun opening accounts for local governments to facilitate direct payments.

The apex bank in February announced that it had begun profiling local government chairmen and signatories to the bank accounts of the 774 local government areas as part of the process to implement financial autonomy.

The Director of Legal Services at the CBN, Kofo Salam-Alada, stated that this step was necessary to ensure financial accountability.

However, the National Union of Local Government Employees cautioned the CBN against aiding governors in obstructing financial autonomy, following reports that the bank had refused to open accounts for some councils due to alleged non-compliance with auditing requirements.

On its part, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria said it had received no formal communication from the apex bank regarding the opening of accounts.

Nonetheless, direct payments to LGAs have faced resistance and logistical challenges nine months later.

On March 2, 2025, this paper reported that the immediate-past Account-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had commenced talks on the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy.

In a move to enforce the verdict, the two senior officials were said to be holding consultations on the modalities for submitting LGAs’ bank accounts for direct payment of council allocation but are reportedly facing challenges identifying LGAs with democratically elected officials.

This was contained in the Federation Account Allocation Committee Technical Sub-Committee meeting minutes.

On January 1, 2025, President Tinubu said that his administration was in no battle with state governors over the controversial local government autonomy.

Tinubu, however, called for collaboration from the 36 state executives, highlighting their crucial role in grassroots development.

“There were gossips that we had disagreements on local government autonomy. No…Nobody wants to take them away from you, but we need collaboration,” the President said when he received Vice President Kashim Shettima and members of the Nigeria Governors Forum, who paid him a New Year homage at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos.

“We will not fight within us. I will drive the change. You control your local governments. You can restore hope by effectively fulfilling what the people expect at the grassroots level. Just drive development at the local government. Let’s do it together and ensure Nigeria is better off for it,” Tinubu added.

Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the NGF was pushing for a delay in implementing direct allocation to the LGAs over multi-billion dollar debts reportedly incurred by the governors in the name of the LGAs.

Speaking with The PUNCH, ALGON’s Secretary-General, Mohammed Abubakar, said the apex bank was facing bottlenecks in implementing the judgment.

He hinted that governors were pressuring the apex bank to delay the process over the multi-billion dollar liabilities incurred in the name of the local government areas of their states.

Abubakar said, “The Federal Government is also having its bottlenecks. The last time I engaged the FG team, it said the governors were also coming up with different excuses that they have some liabilities incurred in the name of local government. So all these things need to be properly itemized and there is a need to find a way to balance each other.”

He pointed out that the local government may be worse off as the CBN was particularly under pressure from the governors to divert local government funds to settle the debts.

Rather than the haphazard implementation of the Supreme Court judgment, he called for the engagement of stakeholders to address the looming mismanagement of local government allocation by the governors.

“The proper thing to be done is to engage the stakeholders, put things on the table, involve stakeholders like the ALGON, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, those who have had the opportunity to be in the system and some other professionals with experience on how things can be done to achieve a common goal without getting to further endanger the fund of the local government.

“This is because if they just do it the way they want to do it haphazardly, I can assure you that local government funds may begin to go into the hands of some people using the CBN again as a funding path to divert local government money by saying they are paying debts owed by local governments and the local government do not even know when these debts were incurred. So, we need to be careful. All these have to be looked into,” Abubakar insisted.

He acknowledged the fear of local governments losing their allocation to creditors who might have obtained judgments and garnishee orders against the CBN.

Abubakar also expressed concerns that the CBN may have engaged multiple consultants in a manner that could hinder local governments’ access to funds.

He further highlighted the risk of local government funds being mismanaged due to court-ordered financial settlements involving consultants.

The ALGON scribe noted, “There is this fear from our end that the CBN is in court with many so-called consultants, who have been working for local governments through ALGON.

“And the kind of judgment and garnishee orders they have procured from the courts is a thing that we’re also not too sure how CBN can handle such a situation, because, in previous times, CBN would say it doesn’t have money for local government so taking us to court to liquidate whatever the local government is owing is going to be difficult.

“Now, if the money now gets there, what excuse will CBN give again for them not to take their money when they already have their judgment and even the Attorney-General and Ministry of Finance have cleared them to be paid? So, the local government may end up losing money as this debt we’re talking about is in billions of dollars.

“And if these people fall on that money in CBN, you should be rest assured that the local government may end up even worse than before.”

He added that the LG chairmen should be diplomatic to allay the anxiety of governors that implementing the financial autonomy may hurt their relationship with the councils.

“Yes, ALGON is the coordinating body for the 774 local government areas but you have to carry the chairmen along so that they can, in turn, talk to their governors to assure that the judgment will not harm them, hinder their operations or deny them the relationship with governors.

“So, things have to come in very plain terms so there won’t be a question of they are leaving the usual way of doing things and going for the worse.

“You can rest assured that some of these chairmen wait on their governors to direct them on what to do. And if these governors are not up to date on what to do at the CBN and how it will be coordinated, they will slow down their chairmen from going to engage CBN in that process,” Abubakar added.

Furthermore, Abubakar attributed the delay in implementing the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government financial autonomy to the CBN’s failure to provide clear guidelines on account submissions and signatory verification for local government chairmen.

He stressed that information about how the LG chairmen are to engage the CBN is unavailable, noting that the council leadership was not well-informed about how to engage the CBN.

Expressing concern over the opaque process, Abubakar urged the CBN to clarify which department local government chairmen should approach and to outline the specific procedures required for them to receive funds directly from the Federation Account.

“The proper information and the guidelines are not available. Our chairmen have not received any properly documented details of how they should go about this. You just asked the chairmen to approach CBN and we expect that there should be a proper detailing process that clarifies this whole thing.

“The information about how they want to run it is scanty. If it’s CBN, put it in the public domain. What department in CBN is handling it? Everything must be out there.

“The last information we received is that the committee set up by the Federal Government is working on it. There’s a committee that has an ongoing discussion on how to go about it. Yes, there’s a subcommittee of that committee and the subcommittee has to submit their recommendations to the main committee,” Abubakar said.

He emphasized that the AGF should play a coordinating role in ensuring a smooth implementation of the process.

He urged the committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, along with other relevant offices, to engage in broader consultations with ALGON, NULGE, and other key stakeholders in local government administration.

“My advice is that the office of the Attorney-General, which is coordinating this committee, should engage in more consultations. They should reach out to the stakeholders and those components that have common interests in the administration of local government in this autonomy regime can be successful.

‘’But if you’re handling these things just within the confines of your committee, without reaching out to other stakeholders who provide solutions and advice on how things can work out, you begin to dish out instructions that people will hardly obey because there’s no proper information. You should be able to speak out. Let people understand what it is.

“We have made our position known to the office of Attorney-General via our lawyer, Mike Ozekhome,(SAN), that information and what is being profiled from the committee should be in the public domain. Let everybody know; Call a stakeholders’ meeting, and get their opinion so that we can move on.

“If stakeholders are carried along, the people who know what is at stake, are all on the table to discuss this matter, autonomy will commence as soon as possible,” he declared.