The Ebonyi State Government has announced an increase in the minimum wage of civil servants from N70,000 to N90,000.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebe, disclosed this on Thursday during a briefing for newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.

“We want to state categorically that this is not a political statement, as this government does not toy with workers’ welfare.

READ ALSO:Courts Summon Akpabio, Nwaebonyi Over Natasha’s Rights Violation

“The government has offset the pension and gratuities of state retirees from its creation in 1996 to date.

“The verification process for retirees in the Local Government Areas had commenced, and when completed, the payment will be made,” he said.

“The governor is a leader, builder of capacity, human beings, and infrastructure.

“The government is anchored on the biblical people’s charter of needs mantra, which is leading the people according to their needs,” the commissioner said.

READ ALSO:Drama As Ebonyi Politician Declares Self ADC National VC South-East

On Wednesday, SaharaReporters reported that the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, approved a new minimum wage of N104,000 for civil servants in the state, in response to the prevailing economic realities in the country.

Uzodimma announced the new minimum wage package on Tuesday night during a meeting with various labour union leaders at the Government House in Owerri, emphasising that there’s no way a government can thrive without a cordial relationship with organised labour.

The minimum wage was increased from ₦ 76,000 to ₦ 104,000. Additionally, the minimum wage for doctors was increased from N215,000 to N503,000, while that for teachers in tertiary institutions was increased from N119,000 to N222,000, among other changes.

The governor stated that Imo citizens had faced numerous challenges since his government took office, including insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic hardship resulting from reform policies, and disputes over minimum wage and the removal of subsidies.

Dr. Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha, who served as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service from 1999 to 2003, has passed away.

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, confirmed his death in a statement shared on his social media pages on Thursday.

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Musdafa, former CG of Customs. A man of service, dignity & duty whose legacy will live on. My prayers are with Lamido Adamawa, the Musdafa royal family & all who mourn him. May Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus,” Fintiri wrote.

Mustapha, an elder brother to the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, also held the revered traditional title of Sardauna Adamawa.

READ ALSO: Six Dead, 10 Missing In China Bridge Collapse

He joined the NCS as a young cadet and steadily rose through the ranks before his appointment as Comptroller-General in 1999, at the dawn of the Fourth Republic.

His tenure was marked by strengthened anti-smuggling operations, and he played a central role in several national task forces established to combat economic sabotage. In 1988, he received the Ministerial Award for Outstanding Performance, a recognition of his distinguished service.

Mustapha retired from the Service in December 2003, after more than three decades of active duty. In retirement, he remained a respected elder statesman within the Customs community and the Adamawa Emirate, where his counsel and influence continued to be widely sought until his passing.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a man, Ebuka Adindu, for allegedly stabbing Sodiq Ibrahim to death during a violent confrontation in the Mandillas area of Lagos on Wednesday.

A social media user, @JackFleet, who first raised the alarm on X.com, wrote, “There’s a fracas going on presently in Lagos Island, Mandillas to be precise.

“Two guys were fighting, and it resulted in the death of one of them. Right now, street urchins have taken the law into their hands, stabbing innocent people on the street.”

Reacting to the post, the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, dismissed the claim that miscreants had taken over the area.

READ ALSO:Lagos: Police Arrest Security Guard For Stealing Generators, Others

“Your claim of street urchins taking over the street is false. Please do not cause unnecessary panic. DPOs Lion Building and Ebute-Ero are currently on the ground with their men, maintaining the restored peace.

“Also, the suspect has been arrested and is in custody for further necessary actions,” Hundeyin stated in a post on Wednesday.

In a follow-up message to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, Hundeyin clarified that the incident was not a tribal clash, as was being speculated.

“The Lagos State Police Command hereby wishes to inform the general public that there was no tribal clash or disturbance between any ethnic groups and others inside Balogun Market today.

READ ALSO:Man Kills Self In Imo Over Hardship, Family Neglect

“There was an incident of a free-for-all between some hoodlums and miscreants in the Balogun Market in the early hours of today at around 11 am.

“During the fight, one Ebuka Adindu from Abia State stabbed one Sodiq Ibrahim from Kogi State to death, and the said Ebuka Adindu in turn stabbed himself on the shoulder and became unconscious.

“He is currently under arrest in the hospital, where he is being treated. Investigation into the matter will be concluded, and he will be prosecuted after he has been discharged from the hospital,” Hundeyin explained.

The police stressed that no innocent lives were lost, no other injuries were recorded, and no goods or property in the market was destroyed.

READ ALSO:Bandits Kill Worshiper, Abduct Others In Sokoto Mosque

The statement read, “The Lagos State Police Command wishes to reiterate that the incident is not a tribal clash but purely between miscreants and hoodlums around the Balogun Market. Normalcy has been restored.

“Marketers and the general public on the Island and other parts of Lagos State are encouraged to go about their businesses and other lawful endeavours without fear or apprehension.”

Hundeyin, quoting the state Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, called on Lagos State residents “to remain law-abiding and cooperate with the police command to sustain existing peace in the state and not to spread fear in the mind of the public, as Lagos is generally peaceful.”