A human rights activist and President of the Centre for Change, Joe Odumakin, has strongly criticized former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), over what she called a “hatchet job” to “mislead the present generation of Nigerians.”

Naija News reports that Odumakin, in a statement on Friday, particularly objected to Babangida’s “Maradona-style double-speak,” noting that in “one breath, he took responsibility for annulling June 12” while also shifting blame to the late General Sani Abacha, who served as his Chief of Army Staff.

She said, “It is indeed ridiculous that Babangida would stoop to accusing a dead man of such a heinous crime, knowing full well that the accused can never defend himself.

“It is indeed ridiculous that Babangida, as the Commander-in-Chief of that junta, could descend so low to accuse a dead man of such a heinous crime, knowing fully well that the accused would forever remain silent.

“Has Babangida forgotten that as the Head of State, he had the power to sack Abacha if, indeed, the latter had threatened the people’s mandate given to Abiola?

“Has IBB forgotten that his so-called transition to the civil room programme was not only long and winding but also full of booby traps?”

According to Odumakin, it was clear that Babangida’s transition programme was not designed to hand power over to a democratic government.

She cited the “banning, unbanning, and rebanning of political associations and individuals” as further evidence that IBB harboured no real intention of relinquishing power.

“We recall that he postponed the hand over date to a democratically elected government on two occasions in 1990 and 1992 before cancelling the election in 1993. Will he also blame Abacha for those postponements?

“What about the banning, unbanning and rebanning of political associations and individuals? Would Abacha also take the blame for that? It was an open secret that Babangida’s transition to civil rule programme was not designed to achieve a real hand over of power to democratic Government,” she stated.

The Osun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has announced its withdrawal from the Saturday local government election, citing security concerns and inadequate preparations by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).

LP Chairman in Osun State, Adebayo Bello, made the announcement on Friday while speaking with newsmen in Osogbo.

He called for the election’s postponement by one or two months to enable OSSIEC to adequately prepare and resolve legal issues surrounding the poll.

“The postponement would allow the electoral umpire to resolve the legal issues surrounding the conduct of the election,” Bello stated.

Chairmanship Candidate Speaks On Withdrawal

Similarly, LP’s Chairmanship Candidate, Oyebode Babalola, said the party would not participate in the election due to concerns about security arrangements.

“Although we are ready for the election, we are not going to participate due to security concerns,” he said.

Babalola alleged that there were signs the election might be disrupted and that the party did not want to endanger its supporters.

“We have seen some traces that the election might be disrupted tomorrow, and we are not ready to put the lives of our people in jeopardy,” he added.

He also criticized OSSIEC for inadequate preparations, stating that the party’s agents were denied accreditation tags before the withdrawal decision.

APM Also Pulls Out, Expresses Disappointment

Naija News gathered that the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has also withdrawn from the election, citing similar concerns over OSSIEC’s preparations.

APM Chairman, Adewale Adebayo expressed disappointment over the electoral body’s handling of the process. He revealed that when he attempted to officially submit the party’s withdrawal letter on Thursday, no OSSIEC official was present to receive it.

“We want to confirm that we are not participating in the illegal local government election slated for Saturday,” Adebayo declared.

A former Assistant Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mohammed Ngoshe, has provided insight into the DSS operation at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ngoshe confirmed that the House of Assembly invited the DSS due to anticipated violence linked to the ongoing leadership crisis.

“What played out in Lagos had a build-up. And all this build-up was covered by the State Security Service. At the point that the situation was almost getting out of hand, there was a situation to save,” Ngoshe explained.

DSS Acted To Prevent Crisis

According to Ngoshe, intelligence suggested a high likelihood of unrest, prompting the DSS to intervene before events escalated.

“If you do not stop that thing from happening, it becomes useless. So the DSS did a lot of undercover activities. There were a lot of happenings, a lot of goings on that took place before the DSS went into the House of Assembly in Lagos,” he said.

Ngoshe further emphasized that security agencies do not need to wait for explicit orders to act in situations that pose risks to lives, properties, and national institutions.

“If you’re working as a security agency and you see trouble breaking out, the probability of loss of lives, damage to property is very high. Why do you need somebody to come and tell you that you should go and act when you know that is your responsibility?” he questioned.

He stressed that securing government institutions, including the legislature, is a primary duty of the DSS and other security forces.

“The House of Assembly of a state is a political institution, an arm of government. It is one of the cardinal responsibilities of the State Security Service to protect that institution and make sure it works where it is threatened,” he stated.

Ngoshe highlighted the importance of timeliness in security operations, warning that any delay could result in a failure to prevent an incident.

“In security operations, timelines are very key, because any delay to take action on a particular intelligence might lead to that action being carried out. And the moment it is carried out, there is a failure,” he concluded.

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.