Retired employees from the defunct NITEL-MTEL under the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) yesterday demanded payment of 35 months of pension arrears.

Organised under the Progressive NITEL-MTEL Pensioners Forum, the retirees also lamented prolonged neglect and exclusion from critical federal pension entitlements.

The group, at a briefing in Abuja, said NITEL-MTEL pensioners are the only class of retirees from defunct federal agencies yet to be paid their outstanding entitlements.

They cited comparative figures showing that other defunct agencies such as the New Nigerian Newspapers (219 months paid), Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (136 months paid) and NICON Insurance (100 months paid), have all received full payment.

The pensioners say they have also been unjustly excluded from key federal pension benefits, including; the N32,000 monthly pension increase approved by President Bola Tinubu for all DBS pensioners, the 20 percent and 28 percent consequential pension adjustments linked to the 2019 minimum wage review.

They also decried exclusion from a balance of 32 months from the 12.95 percent pension adjustment, which other DBS pensioners received.

Comrade Auston Ifedinezi, who spoke on behalf of the group said, “This level of exclusion and neglect is unjust, inhumane and a clear violation of the principle of equal treatment under the same pension system, we are not asking for charity, we are demanding our lawful rights as senior citizens who served Nigeria faithfully.

Many of our members are elderly, ailing or deceased, yet their next of kin remain unpaid.”

The pensioners called on President Tinubu to intervene directly, urging the Ministry of Finance, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), National Assembly and other relevant agencies to harmonise and fast-track their entitlements.

The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said he got to know what poverty truly is when he mounted the throne. 

Sanusi said this in a goodwill message at a public lecture with the theme: “Weaponization of poverty as a means of underdevelopment: A case study of Nigeria,” commemorating the 60th birthday celebration of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, in Abuja, on Saturday. 

The former CBN Governor said, “Many of the elite in Nigeria do not know what poverty is. As an economist, former CBN Governor, I see the numbers. I did not know poverty until I became Emir.

“And you go to the village and see the water they drink, the houses they live in, they two block classrooms without roofs.

“Do we actually love the people or do we just love ruling over them? What are our priorities. We make overheads and underpasses for ourselves in the cities while there in the rural areas cannot reach hospitals. We are in crisis, how do we get out should be our focus.”

Sanusi charged those saddled with the responsibility of leadership to inculcate the virtues of empathy with those they’ve been given a responsibility to lead.

Also speaking at the event, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai expressed concern that Nigerians kept repeating the same mistake of electing the worst among us into leadership positions.

According to him, “We keep electing people who only know how to grab power but don’t know what to do with it.”

A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, in his intervention, explained that most of the cases being handled in hospitals were not medical.

Yusuf blamed corruption and bad governance for the multidimensional poverty in Nigeria. He said unless citizens live up to their responsibilities and vote for what is right.

Muyiwa Awoniyi, the manager of Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has revealed that the singer wasn’t financially buoyant when they first met.

Featuring a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, Awoniyi recalled that the singer had only N200 in her bank account during their first encounter.

He explained that despite Tems’ financial status, she was determined and dedicated, which made him agree to work with her. 

He said, “There was something Tems did that made me say, ‘I don’t want to do a managerial contract with you, let’s do a company.’

“When she asked me to be her manager, I agreed and said I would send her a contact to sign. We had already verbally agreed for everything. You know when you present paperwork for artists to sign, it’s always tricky. But she was chasing me to sign my own part. And I have never experienced that before.
“I was like, ‘You don’t mind signing paperwork? Hold on, let’s not do this. You’re someone I can rock with for life. Let’s start a company.’ Prior to this, Tems and I were friends for about three months and we never spoke about working together.

“Back then when I was doing my podcast, she would just be sitting down while me and my cousin are talking.

“Then obviously, she wasn’t financially buoyant in any capacity. When I met Tems, she only had like 200 Naira in her account. And then I had a production company.

“So, if I had money, I would buy food. Another thing that shocked me was that even though she didn’t have money, she will order food for us. She didn’t even have a way of earning. So, I just realised that she is different from everyone I have seen in Nigeria.”

Some members of the Kano state delegation to Ogun for the National Sports Festival have been confirmed dead after a fatal accident on their way home.

Reports confirmed that 35 passengers were in the vehicle that plunged into a bridge at Kura local government after their games in Ogun state.

A survivor from the accident, Ado Salisu Gama who spoke to DAILY POST said some of his colleagues were confirmed dead on the spot, while others were rushed to Kura General Hospital.

Speaking from the hospital on Saturday morning, he said: “22 people have been confirmed dead at Dakatsalle bridge, just before Kura. The driver too is dead. As I speak with you, one other member just died.”

Ado Salisu who was clearly in shock said others still at the hospital are receiving care.

Among the dead are athletes, journalists, medical personnel and administrators.

Details are still emerging as some members of the team that won 29 medals are said to have gone.

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Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Police Command have arrested Rev. Pastor Prince Bassey Ajah, the General Overseer (Daddy G.O.) of “Wells of Salvation” in Abuja over alleged child trafficking.

A statement issued on Saturday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh said the G.O. was arrested alongside two other suspected accomplices identified as Nancy Atoo and Deaconess Vera Duru.

She explained that on May 24, 2025, a distress call was received by the Gwagwalada Area Command from officials of Wazobia Motor Park, Gwagwalada, reporting a male exhibiting suspicious behavior while attempting to travel with a young child. 

She said a Police Emergency Response Team was immediately dispatched to the scene, where one Isreal Ajah was arrested while attempting to board a vehicle to Owerri, Imo State, with a 7-year-old boy in his custody.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the child was handed over to the suspect by his elder brother, one Rev. Pastor Prince Bassey Ajah, the pastor and General Overseer (Daddy G.O.) of “Wells of Salvation” Church located in Byazhin Across.

“Pastor Prince Ajah was promptly arrested alongside two other accomplices identified as Nancy Atoo and Deaconess Vera Duru”, the PPRO said.

She further revealed that a search conducted at the residence of Nancy Atoo led to the rescue of another victim, a 4-year-old girl identified only as “Mercy”, a name given to her by the suspect.

“No documentation or identifying information was found for the child, who is currently in protective custody as efforts are underway to trace her biological family”, she said.

“Further investigation revealed that both children were being trafficked to Owerri for sale.

“The suspects confessed that Muktar Hassan was to be sold for ₦1.2 million through arrangements facilitated by Deaconess Vera Duru”, the statement added.

According to the statement, Muktar has since been reunited with his family.

Earlier in the week, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a well-known cleric based in Kaduna State, was barred from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage after Saudi Arabia banned him from entering the country.

Gumi indicated in a social media post on Monday, that he had returned home to Nigeria. He further confirmed that the Saudi authorities were “uncomfortable” with him being in the Holy Land, even with a valid visa.

“For some obvious reasons- my views about world politics- the Saudi authorities are uncomfortable with me being at the Hajj, even after issuing a visa! Thanks to the Nigerian authorities who immediately made it clear they would engage with the Saudi authorities. That is the value of our cherished freedom and democracy,” Gumi wrote, but failed to elaborate further. 

The issue has sparked widespread debate across social media platforms, with many speculating on the reasons behind Saudi Arabia’s decision to bar the cleric.

However, an investigation by DAILY POST revealed that the ban may not be unrelated to Gumi’s public sermons, where he had criticized the Saudi leadership for deviating from its traditional religious governance model in favor of modernization and alignment with global political norms.

Gumi reportedly believes this transformation undermines the strict Islamic identity Saudi Arabia has long been known for.

In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Friday, Sheikh Gumi reiterated his stance, declaring that he would not stop speaking the truth about Saudi Arabia until the country reforms, emphasizing that Nigerians have the right to speak freely—unlike those living under the kingdom’s authoritarian regime.

“Saudi Arabia is a police state where you have no freedom of expression. We, on the other hand, were raised in freedom here in Nigeria, and I value that more than anything. In Saudi Arabia, when a mistake is made, people are expected to remain silent. That contradicts Islamic principles, which do not condone silence in the face of wrongdoing. That is the root of our misunderstanding.”

When asked whether he feared being banned from the country again during Hajj, he responded:

“It’s not compulsory that I must go for Hajj. Even Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio never performed Hajj, yet look at the immense service he rendered to Islam. So no, I am not afraid of being banned.”

Sheikh Gumi added, “We are only helping them correct their mistakes—just as they try to reform society. This is an error on their part, but let it be known: anyone who tries to prevent people from visiting the Grand Mosque in Mecca will not last.”

When asked whether the ban might be related to his recent sermons, Gumi replied:“Yes, that’s true. If you are going to stand for truth, you must be prepared to endure. Truth is not loved by everyone. While Saudi Arabia has done a lot to help many countries, it’s now on a path of self-destruction. Any Muslim nation that aligns itself with Western powers is bound to face ruin. This is exactly what happened when the Arab world followed the British in ousting the Ottomans—only for the British to betray them by giving Palestine to the Jews. Not everyone in Saudi Arabia supports what’s happening. Even descendants of King Faisal once resisted Western influence. So why should we, who enjoy freedom of speech in Nigeria, remain silent?
“How can you witness what’s happening in Palestine and stay silent? How can someone funding and arming this oppression be honored, while Muslims are disregarded? No—we will not stop speaking out unless they change. And if they don’t, we will continue to speak.”

Efforts by DAILY POST to get a response from the Saudi embassy in Nigeria were unsuccessful, as the embassy’s media officer, Mohammed El-Sahabi, did not respond to the message sent via WhatsApp regarding the incident.

This incident marks a new chapter in Nigeria-Saudi relations, especially in northern Nigeria, where Saudi Arabia holds considerable religious influence and soft power.

Thousands of Islamic scholars from northern Nigeria studied in Saudi institutions on government scholarships, and many are often expected to defend Saudi’s interests.

It is therefore rare to see a cleric who spent years studying in the kingdom to openly be at odds with its leadership—making Sheikh Gumi’s case a notable exception.

Nollywood actor, Yemi Awomodu has opened up about his relocation to the United Kingdom, the struggles he faced after his first divorce, and how he rebuilt his life.

Awomodu in a recent interview revealed that his move abroad was influenced by both personal loss and an opportunity presented by his then-partner.

Awomodu explained that after his father’s death in 2003, he suppressed his grief to support his mother and siblings. He said, however, two years later, the emotional toll became unbearable.

He said at the time, he was in a relationship with a woman based in the UK who knew of his passion for education, adding that she informed him about a school offering English Language studies, and he seized the opportunity.

“After losing my dad in 2003, I could not grief because I had to console my mom and siblings but somehow grief caught up with me,” he said.

“I was tired, I wanted to be by myself, to grief in 2005. I just needed to grieve that time, so I was indoors for almost two weeks, but actors who knew my house came to me for work, and I had to.

“However, at the time, I was dating someone who lives in the UK. She knew about my passion for education so she told me about a school offering English Language study so I didn’t think much about it, especially with the grief I was expressing so I took the opportunity and left.”

The film star said initially, relocating was seamless because he was married, and his wife helped ease the process. He, however, revealed that after their separation, his life took a drastic turn.

Awomodu disclosed that for months, he endured harsh conditions. He said he slept on buses, park benches, and struggled to afford basic necessities like food and hygiene.

He said his situation, however, got better after he called Tosin Abiola, his colleague, who offered him a place to stay.

“Going to the UK was smooth for me because I was married at the time so my wife at home made things easier,” he added.

“But I went through a lot in my marriage and I ended up leaving the marriage and then I became homeless.

“I was sleeping on buses, in the cold, park benches in the UK; no bathing or brushing. It was hard but it a stage in my life that made me who I am now. I was hurt but not depressed.

“The situation got to me when a woman who recognised me as an actor advised that I should eat well so my face can look better.

“At one point I begged for money on the road to make a call. After getting the money, I went to the phone booth and I called Tosin Abiola who offered me a place and I got me off the street.”

The Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas has shared details about the death of his sister, Atsi Kefas, in 2024.

TheNewsGuru reports that contrary to earlier reports suggesting she was murdered by bandits on the Wukari-Chinkai Road, the governor revealed during a statement in Jalingo, the state capital, on Friday, May 30, that investigations indicate she was actually shot by a police officer escorting their mother.

The tragic event took place while Atsi was traveling alongside their mother from Jalingo to Abuja.

“Life is very precious to me. You can’t just end someone’s life and think God will be happy with you. My younger sister was shot and killed by a police escort who was inside the same bus with her/

“Investigation revealed that my sister Atsi was shot at close range. The policeman is still under investigation so that justice should prevail,” he said.

The governor confirmed that pellets from a firearm were discovered in Atsi’s body during surgery, which ultimately led to her death.

This finding contradicts earlier public beliefs that the vehicle carrying the governor’s mother and sister had been attacked by bandits attempting a kidnapping.

While demanding justice for his sister, Kefas also addressed the recent violent incident in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area, where more than 50 people were reportedly killed.

During the briefing, he led a minute of silence to honor both his sister and the victims of the Karim-Lamido violence.

He strongly condemned the rising unrest in parts of the state and called on residents to embrace peace and unity rather than conflict.

Additionally, the governor announced plans to establish a commission of inquiry tasked with investigating the causes of the Karim-Lamido crisis and recommending strategies to ensure lasting peace in the area.

The Federal Government has proposed the establishment of National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination infractions to serve as deterrent to others.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa said this in Abuja while receiving a committee report on improvement of quality examinations.

Affirming the recommendations of the 17-man committee, headed by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Administrations and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the minister said it would improve the quality of examinations in the country.

Alausa assured the committee members that all the 12-point recommendations would be implemented, noting that the government would deploy all its machineries to fight the menace of examination malpractice.

“Let me assure all the committee members that you have done so much work here, and all the recommendations you have given us as a government, we will implement every single one of them.

“All the 12 recommendations that you reeled out, everyone will agree with me today that none of them will be impossible to implement.

“They are all practicable things. Those that will be implemented now, we will do that right away,” he said.

Recall the Minister inaugurated the committee in January and it submitted its interim report after five months of extensive work.

In one of the recommendations, the committee urged the Federal Ministry of Education to interface with the National Assembly to enact law establishing a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination malpractices.

The committee also recommended that documents, including certificates, registration and result slips, should contain National Identification Number (NIN), photograph and date of birth of candidates, to guard against identity theft and impersonation.

“All Invigilators and Supervisors must register through NIN and subscribe to the examination body’s Short Code, using the same pattern of 55019/66019 of JAMB in order so track and have full information about the examination officials, including examiners, supervisors and invigilators.

“Swapping of Invigilators and Supervisors, should commence with effect from the 2025 private SSCE due to the strong views against student swapping expressed by the four concerned examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS).

“Except where absolutely impossible, Invigilators and Supervisors should always be public officials, teachers on pensionable appointments

“The standard requirements of examination halls/centres should not be waived for any school, while the recommended seating arrangement should be 1.5m by 1.2m. or 1.8 sqm per candidate,” the committee stated.

The committee also recommended that all examination halls and centres should be equipped with stationary CCTV cameras for surveillance and monitoring purposes.

”In addition, every examination centre shall have a mini control room where the CCTV camera is monitored for urgent and immediate alert.”

The committee also recommended that examination bodies shall jointly own central control facilities for their use during examinations to save cost; and
body camcorders should be deployed to examination halls and centres for effective monitoring.

Also recommended by the committee was that, at the point of entry into basic school, every pupil must generate a unique code which is linked to his/her NIN which must be identified with the pupil throughout his/her educational journey in Nigeria.

The committee noted that the non-implementation of the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act suggested either a lack of political will or non implementable.

It, therefore, recommended a review of the Act in such a manner that it could be immediately implemented to curb examination malpractice.

“Rather than wait till 2027 as initially suggested, the Computer Based Examination (CBE) should be implemented for objective questions in 2025 private examinations and in full for school candidates in 2026.

“The 30 per cent Continuous Assessment component in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations has become a veritable source of corruption in the examination system due to the fraudulent process of inputting the scores in arrears.

The committee, therefore, recommended the immediate review of the Continuous Assessment System by the relevant agencies.

Igbo women under the aegis of Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, have scored President Bola Tinubu’s administration low, saying Nigerians are worse than they were two years ago before Tinubu mounted the saddle of leadership.

National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who spoke with Vanguard, decried the high level of hunger, insecurity and political rascality in the country, and blamed Tinubu’s administration for failing to contain the menace. 

She said: “Insecurity has become a monster in every region of the country. Nigerians are no longer secure. Even residents of Abuja, the seat of power, have come under increasing terror attacks. If Abuja is not safe, where else is safe in Nigeria?”

This is as the Co-chair of Interfaith Dialogue Forum, and a former Presidential Assistant on Privatisation Bishop Sunday Onuoha, has also identified hunger and insecurity as the greatest challenge of Nigerians under Tinubu’s watch.
Similarly, Professor of Banking and Finance at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, MOUAU, Professor Sabastine Uremmadu, attributed Nigeria’s worsening economy to Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy without necessary preparations.

Professor Uremmadu also blamed the hardship in Nigeria on Tinubu’s obsession for taxation and his inability to assemble the right team to drive the economy. Arguing that every economy revolves around the cost of fuel, Professor Uremmadu called for the immediate restoration of fuel subsidy if the country would exit its current hardship.

Bishop Onuoha advised the President to declare a state of emergency on hunger and insecurity if he would want to make meaningful impacts in the remaining two years of his administration.

“The level of hunger in the land and insecurity have made life hard for Nigerians. These two challenges must be addressed urgently”, the cleric said. IWA, noted that Tinubu is not the author of Nigeria’s woes but said his administration’s lack of direction and vision, accounted for its inability to navigate Nigeria out of the woods two years after being on the saddle.

The Igbo women group also blamed the poor results posted by the Tinubu’s administration on the President’s failure to put square pegs in square holes, accusing him of making political appointments based on tribal and primordial sentiments other than competence.

“The country has not felt any better under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The reason is simple: They are not putting the right peg in the right hole. Appointments are not given based on competence and what one is capable of offering but based on tribal and primordial sentiments or friendship. 

“That’s why it’s difficult to even say what will be done for Nigeria to become better because even the leaders know what should be done. But are they willing to do the needful?

“The way APC government is structured right from 2015 till now will make it almost impossible for Nigeria to get better because the APC seems to have a hidden agenda. What they are doing is not the way to run a country. They don’t seem to have direction. There’s a lot of chaos, a lot of confusion and conflict of interests. That’s why it’s difficult to suggest what could be done because those who feel it could hurt their interest will block it.”

IWA further said that President Tinubu did not come prepared but only grabbed power on the basis of:”it’s my turn mentality”, he his inability to make any meaningful progress two years down the line.

“Again, you cannot give what you don’t have. I don’t think President Tinubu has what it takes to run Nigeria. So long as the person at the helm of affairs does not have what it takes to drive change and good governance, I don’t think there’s anything anybody will say that can make any difference. The only thing I think Nigerians will do is to pray and endure till 2027.

“The only only solution to Nigeria’s problem is change of Government. If we get a better hand that can take over the state craft and navigate it to the right direction, Nigeria will become great again. 

“When former President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, he made a lot of mistakes that it would be difficult for Tinubu to correct. The whole thing started right from Buhari’s administration. So, Tinubu was not expecting what he met on ground, and that’s why he is unable to manage the situation.

“So, as long as he is unable to handle the situation, no advice to him may work because he also has a different mindset about governance. I don’t think he is bothered much about Nigeria. He seems to be more concerned about himself, his family, his Yoruba tribe and his friends. That’s not the right mentality if we must survive and thrive as a country.

“Tinubu’s Government has no clear direction of where it’s going let alone getting there. What they are doing is divide and rule, and that’s why the few who are favoured will continue to sing their praises against the growing public outcry due to hardship and high inflation”.

Professor Uremmadu said: “Nigeria is not better than it was two years ago. How can we be better with the removal of fuel subsidy without any preparations? Right from May 29, 2023 when President Tinubu unilaterally removed fuel subsidy, I knew life was not going to be easy again in this country.

“I knew Nigeria would suffer untold hardship and it has been so ever since then. Inflation has kept skyrocketing and life increasingly unaffordable. This is so because whatever affects fuel price affects the entire economy”. 

On the way forward, Professor Uremmadu said:”To salvage the ugly situation, the President has to restore fuel subsidy immediately; he has to remove multiple taxation; pursue effective fiscal policies; inject technocrats and not politicians to help drive the economy.”

The Professor of Banking and Finance expressed faith that Nigeria’s economy would improve if the President would heed the advice.