Metro
APC Destroyed Nigerian Economy, All Institutions Built For 16 Years – PDP Governors

Governor elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PPD, have accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of running down the nation’s economy and inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians.
The governors, under the umbrella body of PDP Governors, expressed dismay and grave concern over what they called “unprecedented hardship faced by the majority of Nigerians as a result of the dismal performance of the APC-led federal government”.
They frowned at the long delay in the minimum wage negotiations.
Rising from a meeting hosted by Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, the governors welcomed the autonomy granted Local Government Councils, and said that they believe in the efficacy of the Local Government system which ensures that governance is taken closer to the people as enshrined in the constitution.
The Forum also frowned at what it called the destruction of good institutions and developments put in place by the party when it was in power at the federal level by the ruling APC.
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The Forum expressed strong support for the Governor of Rivers State in his political battle and said that a political solution that would bring peace to the state would be initiated.
A communique from the meeting read by the Forum’s Chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State said:
“The meeting deliberated on a wide range of issues bordering on critical national interest. The unprecedented hardship faced by the majority of Nigerians as a result of the dismal performance of the APC led federal government, the minimum wage negotiations and the recurring issue of intergovernmental relations with special reference to local government autonomy and funding.
Following an exhaustive discussion and consultations with all the organs of the party as you can see here, the national Working committee of the party.
Upcoming congresses
“In the spirit of the founding fathers of our great party who adopted internal democracy as a fundamental principle on which our party was built, the congresses leading to the elections of the party leaders at the various tiers must be all-inclusive, transparent, fair and in compliance with the constitution of our party. To ensure the successful conduct of the congresses of the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory”.
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Off-season election.
“Of the off-season elections in Edo and Ondo, the Forum admonishes all parties in the election to ensure that campaigns are issue-based, violence-free and in strict compliance with the provision of the electoral act. The forum urges the Independent Electoral Commission INEC to provide a level playing field that guarantees transparent, fair and peaceful elections as any act of bias will be resisted. The forum urges the president to show leadership as a true democrat by refraining from making any statement suggesting political interference in the entire process”.
The economy
“The Forum notes with dismay and grave concern the mismanagement of the economy by the APC led federal government”.
The Minimum wage
“The Minimum wage negotiations are becoming unduly protracted in the face of the attendant unprecedented hardship and impoverishment of the people. The forum resolves as follows: The Labour’s demand for a substantial salary raise is eminently justified and therefore commands total support of the forum. While the forum supports Labour’s demand, agreement must take into consideration the ability to pay by the sub-nationals, the federal government and the third tier of government.
“While negotiations are ongoing, we appeal for restraint in both utterances and actions that could lead to a complete breakdown of law and order and ultimately the collapse of the economy”.
Supreme court ruling on LG autonomy
“The forum believes in the efficacy of the local government system which ensures that governance comes closer to the people as provided in the constitution. The forum will also support the autonomy of the local government as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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Restoring the Nation’s Past Glory
“The forum regrets that the 16 years of the tremendous development of the PDP-led federal government during which the country with single-digit inflation, the establishment of the existing anti-corruption institutions and higher standard of living by the majority of Nigerians has been eroded during the lifespan of the lacklustre APC led federal government.
“The forum identifies with the Nigerian populace in these troubling times and promises to bring back those good old days of low inflation rates, affordable food, fuel and transportation, steady FDI influx resulting in high Naira value and great quality of human life that was recorded.
“In that regard, the meeting commended the Governors of the PDP-controlled states for their innovative approach to governance in many fields, especially infrastructure, education, health, women and youth initiatives and the timely delivery of developmental projects across the country.
“The forum notes the crisis in Rivers State of the party and commits to supporting the governor of Rivers State and also resolved that the issue could be done through the political solution that will be required and other measures that all the leaders of the organs of the party will be committed so that we can go together and resolve this issue with minimal friction, division or rancour.
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“The forum therefore calls on all Nigerians to refrain from any anarchy as we all march towards the return of the PDP to power in 2027”.
Earlier the chairman of the Forum described the meeting as “an extraordinary meeting of the PDP Governors Forum and some of our major stakeholders, including our National Working Committee and various organs of the party. This meeting is very unique and auspicious because we are here to showcase our history as a party. We have been leading in this country as a party. We have all the structures established before the commencement of the APC administration”.
The governors in attendance were Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Umo Eno of Akwa-Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, and Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, and the host governor, Peter Mbah.
Also in attendance were the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara and the Acting National Chairman of the party, represented by the Deputy National Chairman, South, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, former governor of Kaduna State and former Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and former governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu.
Metro
Train Attack: Terrorist Leader Gave Mamu N50m From Ransom — DSS Operative

A Department of State Services (DSS) investigator has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that Tukur Mamu was offered a N50 million share by Shugaba, the leader of the terrorist group, who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna-bound train in 2022.
The DSS operative, who testified as the 6th prosecution witness (PW-6) in the ongoing terrorism trial of Mamu, the alleged terrorists’ negotiator, told Justice Mohammed Umar while being led in evidence by the DSS lawyer, David Kaswe.
The witness, who gave his testimony behind a witness screen for security reasons, said the group also asked Mamu to teach them how to open a website for their terrorist activities.
He stated this while interpreting four voice notes played in the courtroom containing the defendant’s telephone interactions with the terrorists who held the abducted train passengers hostage.
The audio recordings were extracted from Mamu’s mobile telephones during interrogation after he was arrested in Egypt and brought back to Nigeria.
“The first voice note that played was for the defendant (Mamu) fixing a date for the delivery of the ransom.
“The second voice note that played for five minutes was the voice of Shugaba, the leader of the terrorist group.
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“In the voice note, he was appreciating the defendant’s effort and asked him to remove N50 million for his personal use from a particular tranche of ransom sent to them.
“The last voice note that played, Baba Adamu, who is their spokesperson, was heard requesting the defendant to help them procure speakers and a public address system for their preaching activities, and the defendant responded that he was going to look into their request.
“They also requested that the defendant teach them how to open a website for their activities,” the witness said.
Mamu was alleged to have convinced the terrorists to discuss ransom payments with individual families of the hostages of the train attack instead of the Chief of Defense Staff Committee set up by the Federal Government for his personal financial gain.
The defendant was said to have been nominated by the terrorists who attacked the train sometime in March 2022, where scores of passengers were held hostage.
Mamu was alleged to have collected ransoms on behalf of a terror group from families of hostages, confirmed the amount, and facilitated the delivery of the same to them.
The PW-6, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting lawyer, Kaswe, told the court that after Mamu was brought back from Egypt, he submitted his Samsung tablet and two phones to DSS officials.
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The witness, who said he was part of those who investigated the case, told the court that when the defendant was intercepted in Egypt, he put a call to his in-law, identified as Mubarak Tinja and directed him to move out all his valuables, comprising of cash, cars and other items of values, from his house to a safe location, to avoid detection by security agents.
“The defendant was subsequently arrested in Egypt and returned back to Nigeria, where a team of investigators was on the ground to receive him.
“A duly endorsed search warrant was executed in his property and office in Kaduna, during which cash, in both local and foreign currencies, vehicles, and other valuables were recovered.
“In compliance with his directive to his in-law, Mubarak Tinja, and the other dependants in the house, some cars and cash were moved out of the house to various locations,” he said.
He said investigators later traced and located some of the items, including about 300,000 US dollars, about seven cars, including a Toyota Camry (Muscle), a Peugeot 5008, a Lexus, a Mercedes E350, and a Hyundai car.
Vehicle documents relating to the cars were later tendered by the prosecution through the witness, which the court admitted in evidence.
The witness added that when the defendant was brought back to the country, he “handed his Samsung tablet and two of his phones to our exhibit keeper, who sent them to our forensic department for forensic analysis.
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“The outcome of the forensic analysis, which included the voice notes of the conversation between the defendant and the terrorists, was part of the content that was presented to the interrogation team and the items recovered from his home.
“He (the defendant) was subsequently interviewed, during which the content of his phones and other items were presented to him.
“During the interview, the defendant admitted giving instruction to Mubarak to move his belongings from his house.
“He also admitted communicating with the terrorists, using his voice notes, which were extracted from his two phones and Samsung tablet.”
He added that the defendant also admitted owning a pump-action gun, which was recovered from his house, which he claimed was duly licensed.
The witness, however, told the court that investigators later discovered that the licence expired in December 2021, nine months before he was arrested.
The DSS operative said about 98 per cent of the conversation on the voice notes is in Hausa Language, some of which were translated to English by him, because there were too many.
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Kaswe then applied to tender the recorded voice notes stored on compact disk plates and flash drives, which the court admitted, after Mamu’s counsel, Johnson Usman, reserved his objection until the final address.
The recorded conversations were played in the courtroom.
The witness added that in the course of the investigation, two victims volunteered written statements in which they recounted their experiences.
He said one of the statements was written in English and the other in Hausa.
He, however, said that the victims, a male and female, were no longer available, because they expressed their unwillingness to attend court to testify because of fear and trauma.
The court admitted the statements of the victims in evidence and marked them as exhibits after it was not opposed by Usman.
The court also admitted in evidence eight statements made to investigators by Mamu and video recordings of the statement-writing sessions.
Kaswe then informed the court that he would be bringing a formal application for the court to visit where the items recovered from Mamu’s house and office are kept.
Metro
PHOTOS: Fire Guts Factory In Anambra

Production machines, office equipment, and other valuables worth billions of naira were on Wednesday razed by a mysterious fire at a factory in Abubor Nnewichi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The fire, which sources said started around 5:50 a.m., destroyed goods in the production process and finished products as well as office equipment.
A resident of the area, who identified himself as Obinna Okoye, said the fire took them by surprise as they were still asleep when it started.
He, however, said firefighters were on around to battle the inferno.
READ ALSO:Fire Ravages Residential Building In Oyo
“The fire service men are still trying to quench the fire. You know how inflammable pampers and tissue papers can be,” he added.
Confirming the incident, the Commander of Fire Service in charge of Nnewi zone F Machine Parts, Jeremiah Anwuobi, said the fire had been brought under control.
Anwuobi disclosed that his office was alerted by 5:30 a.m. when they rushed to the scene of the incident to fight the fire.
READ ALSO:Fire Guts Section Of Rivers Secretariat
He, however, said no casualties were recorded, while the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
Reacting to the incident, an Internal Auditor of the company, Chikelu Edwin, described it as a mystery fire.
Edwin said there was no electricity supply at the section where the fire started at the factory, which surprised them.
See more photos below:
Metro
Police Stop Egungun Festival In Lagos Community

The Lagos State Police Command has ordered the suspension of an Egungun festival in Oregun area of the state, earlier fixed for Friday and Saturday.
The command has also arrested suspects linked to the circulation of posters and social media posts warning residents against free movement in the area during the festival.
According to a statement signed on Wednesday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the suspects, allegedly acting under the name “Oje Parapo of Oregun,” were apprehended after distributing handbills that restricted people’s freedom of movement, expression, and dignity.
The police described these actions as capable of inciting fear and disturbing public order.
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“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Olohundare Jimoh, has therefore ordered an immediate suspension of the festival scheduled for November 27 and 28, 2025.
“He warned that the command would not tolerate any activity capable of breaching public peace, threatening safety, or disrupting law and order in the state,” the statement read.
The police vowed that no cultural event or gathering that could heighten tensions or endanger lives would be permitted in the state.
“In a similar incident on November 23, 2025, at Mafoluku in Oshodi under Makinde Division, the police swiftly arrested 12 individuals behind another attempt to incite disorder through circulation of provocative publications.
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“All suspects remain under investigation and will be charged upon conclusion of inquiries,” the statement added.
Reiterating the suspension, CP Jimoh directed the Oje Parapo group to desist from any attempt to proceed with the festival, stating that security for such an event could not be guaranteed.
He condemned the fear already created among residents as unacceptable and warned that anyone attempting to undermine public peace would face the full weight of the law.
The command urged Lagos residents to continue their lawful activities without fear, assuring them of sustained protection of life and property.
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