News

EndSARS: Man Demands N50m Compensation, Unraveling Of Killers Of Father, Uncle, Others From Panel

Published

5 years ago

December 3, 2020

A 41-year-old Smart Odojie Ofagba, the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of SARS and related abuses appealed to the panel to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of his father, uncle, labourer, just as he demanded N50million compensation.

Narrating how his father, a retired army officer, Mr. Samuel Udojie Ofagba, was allegedly murdered by one Divisional Police Officer, Aisabor in Usenu Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State in March 9, 1999, Ofagba also told the panel that his uncle, Mr. Abhulimen Ofagba and his father’s labourer, Kingsley were allegedly murdered alongside his father by the same police officer.

Mr. Smart who said he was 20 years old when the incident happened, told the panel that one Kingsley who works with his father in his farm was accosted by the police officer when he was coming from a night burial and was taken to his father (Mr. Samuel Udojie Ofagba) for identification.

He said when his father saw Kingsley, he identified him as one of his workers.

Narrating his experience further, he said his father (now deceased) asked Mr. Kingsley, the labourer what brought him to his house that early morning in his native language but was stopped by the police man for conversing in his tribe instead of English language that everyone could understand.

“So, the said police officer made an attempt to slap my father (now deceased) but he quickly held his hand and that one argument further led to the other which eventually landed them at the police station”, he said.

Smart said, his father, uncle and his father’s labourer were kept behind the counter and were told to come and bail themselves with the sum of N 40, 000 adding that they were only able to raise the sum of N 23,000 which the police allegedly rejected.

He said he was later told by the Investigative Police Officer to come back the following day to see the DPO since it was already late in the day only for them to hear that they have been shot dead and their bodies dumped at the Irrua Police Division and labelled “armed robbers” by the DPO.

Smart explained that the police claimed that they engaged them in a shoot out with his men at Ewu junction, Irrua, and the police proceeded to produce a cut to size locally made barrel gun and 10 live cartridges alleged to have belonged to his late father and uncle.

He noted that to make the matter worse, their bodies were not released to the family for burial.

Smart prayed the panel to compel Mr. Aisabor to lead him to where his father was buried so that he could exhume him and give him a befitting burial.

He also asked for the prosecution of officers who were remotely involved in the killings of his father, uncle and his father’s labourer.

He further sought for a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force for defaming his father, uncle and his father’s labourer.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (rtd), upon listening to the petitioner, ordered that the said Aisabor be summoned before the panel.

“This is the collective view of the panel that the said police officer named in the petition, one Mr. Aisabor be summoned before this panel to answer to issues as contained in the petition”, Justice Ada said.

News

Nigerian Govt Launches LG Proof Of Address To Improve Citizen Identification

Published

7 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has officially rolled out the Local Government Proof of Address, POA, project, an initiative designed to strengthen national security, improve citizen identification, and enhance service delivery across the country.

The project, initiated by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, was formally approved through a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, with reference number 5964B/S,13/VBA/T.IIIA/704.

According to the circular, the POA scheme took effect from October 1, 2025. However, implementation is at various stages in different federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

According to the circular, under the new arrangement, all federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, government-owned corporations, and public institutions are mandated to replace the long-standing use of utility bills as proof of residence with the standardized Proof of Address issued at the local government level.

The circular explained that the POA project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point development agenda, particularly, in the areas of governance reform, security enhancement, and institutional efficiency.

It is domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, serving as the coordinating federal agency.

“For years, the reliance on utility bills as proof of residence has posed major challenges. Many Nigerians do not have utility bills in their names, while others rely on outdated or shared documents that do not accurately reflect their current place of residence.

“In the same vein, the increasing use of digital services and prepaid utilities has further reduced the reliability of utility bills as a credible verification tool,” the circular stated.

Also, it noted that while the National Identification Number, NIN, remains a critical component of Nigeria’s identity management framework, a significant number of NIN records do not capture current or accurate residential addresses, limiting their effectiveness for residency verification, security profiling, and service planning.

“The POA is therefore designed to fill this critical gap by providing verified, location-specific, and up-to-date address information directly linked to local governments.

“The POA framework places residency verification at the grassroots, where local authorities have better knowledge of their communities. By anchoring address verification at the local government level, the initiative is expected to improve community-level intelligence, crime prevention, emergency response, and population data accuracy,” it added.

Beyond security, the circular noted that POA data is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits, including improved public service delivery, equitable resource allocation, disaster management planning, urban development, social intervention targeting and financial inclusion.

The circular directed state governments to lead awareness and sensitisation efforts within their jurisdictions, with technical and institutional support from the OSGF, NIPOST, and ALGON.

News

Tax Reform Law: Reps Minority Caucus Seeks Suspension Of Implementation

Published

8 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has demanded the immediate suspension of the implementation of the recently enacted tax reform laws.

The demand follows allegations that the statutes were unlawfully altered after being passed by the National Assembly and assented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, in a statement issued on Monday alongside other principal officers of the caucus, expressed deep concern and overwhelming disappointment over the controversy surrounding the tax reforms.

According to the caucus, the allegations, if proven, strike at the core of Nigeria’s legislative integrity, constitutional order and democratic governance.

While acknowledging that disagreements often accompany major reforms, the caucus stated that the present situation goes far beyond routine policy debate, as it involves claims that the laws were fraudulently altered, gazetted and circulated in a form different from what was duly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and signed into law by the President.

It recalled that the matter was formally raised on the floor of the House during a recent plenary session, leading to the constitution of a high-powered investigative committee to probe the allegations.

News

Outrage, Confusion Trail Rumours Of Mohbad’s Wife Giving Birth Two Years After His Death

Published

8 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

Many Nigerians on social media have reacted to the trending news about Wunmi, late singer Mohbad’s wife.

Rumours have emerged online that Wunmi recently welcomed a new baby with another man.

The rumours came a month after Mohbad’s family banned Wunmi from using their surname.

The viral rumour that started on X sparked controversy on social media with netizens raising eyebrows – since Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, and his body is still in the morgue.

The development has revived calls for a DNA test on her son with the late singer, Liam, who was five months old when Mohbad died.

Following the controversial circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death, and allegation of infidelity against Wunmi, the deceased’s father, Joseph Aloba, requested a DNA to determine Liam’s paternity.

Reacting to the development, actor Stanley Ontop in a post on Instagram wrote “Mohbad dled in 2023 Him wife give birth in 2025? What God can not do does not exist! Clap hand for Jesus. Anyways in life as a man try not to kpai, no matter what. Life goes on Anyways congratulations iyawo Mohbad.”

Also @MasterminddBoB wrote on X; ”Dis is not life pausing ooooo dis is her been a stupid person amid speculation of the requested DNA test for Liam..make una get sense small.”

@AgbafianTV wrote “If the News about mohbad wife allegedly giving birth is through, then know that women are ruthless in all their ways. To be able to deal with women, you’ve to be very ruthless. Don’t die because of any woman.”

@callme_Riken wrote; “I don’t know if the news about Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi, giving birth is true. But if it is. Sooner or later, she was going to move on, whether her father-in-law agreed to bury his son or not. Life doesn’t pause forever.”

@djokaymegamixer wrote on X; “I won’t be surprised if it’s later found out that the story of the late Mohbad’s widow, Wunmi, giving birth was a hoax. There is nothing these guys can’t tweet all in the name of hustling engagements for Elon Musk’s money.”