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How #EndSARS Coordinators Shared Millions — Beneficiary

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A social media user, Princess Banke Oniru, has alleged that some coordinators of the protest against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force shared millions of naira severally.

Nigerians attracted global attention after they took to the streets across the country in late 2020 protest to call for the disbandment of SARS, accused of extrajudicial killings, extortion, and torture.

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At the twilight of the protest in October 2020, unarmed protesters waving Nigerian flags were allegedly killed after soldiers and police invaded the Lekki Tollgate, the main convergence point of the protest in Lagos State.

While there had been several controversies around the funds generated for the protest, with Feminist Coalition (FEMCO) facing public scrutiny over the group’s alleged inability to properly account for the funds received, some details emerged on Sunday about how funds from the government were allegedly shared by acclaimed coordinators of the protest

Taking to his X account on Sunday, Oniru explained that while initial funds offered by the Lagos State Government were rejected, coordinators later shared several millions of money from the government.

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READ ALSO: Court Grants 10 #EndBadGovernance Protesters Bail

She claimed she initially refused the largesse but later asked her assistant to pick it from a popular social commentator, Sarah Ibrahim, and she (Oniru) shared the money accrued to her as giveaways.

Oniru, with tweets from the handle @HRH_bankeoniru on X, wrote, “Following the EndSARS unrest, and during the panel of inquiry, the Lagos State Government’s initial funding offer was met with resistance.

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“@sarahibrahim and associates then consulted Mr. Femi Falana regarding the substantial sum proposed for advisory purposes. Despite Mr. Falana’s counsel to accept the funds as a gift, I deemed it incongruous to accept financial compensation from those we were opposing, fearing it may undermine our integrity.

“The first funds Sarah called me to pick up was N1.5m. The second was N1m. I have proofs. Messages to back it up. The #endsars coordinators shared millions of money severally. Going back and forth to pick a Ghana must-go filled with cash at Alausa Ikeja.

“On two separate occasions, I entrusted my personal assistant to collect money from Sarah, ensuring she took photographs for evidentiary purposes. Afterward, I shared images of the funds received on EndSARS United and Competent Nigerians platforms for public dissemination as giveaways. Adeshina Ademola Ogunlana of blessed memories was the only lawyer that stood genuinely for the endsars. He can never be bought.”

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READ ALSO: #EndSARS, One Of The Most Successful Movements — Soyinka

‘Lagos offered N100 million’

But countering the claim, Ibrahim explained that Oniru displayed “severe ingeniousness” in her allegations, adding that though the Lagos State Government reached out to her and offered N100 million, she never accepted the offer.

Tweeting from @TheSerahIbrahim, Ibrahim in a lengthy post on X, said that after consulting her lawyers, she asked the government to use the funds in supporting Lekki Toll Gate victims’ families, and those who are injured.

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She wrote, “So yes, I was reached by the Lagos State Government to offer N100 million. A meeting they were trying to have for months but I kept refusing because I was rightfully pissed at them.

“Finally, I attended one of the meetings after speaking with my lawyer Fusika SAN, who then took me to also consult jointly with Falana SAN, on what to do. At one of the meetings, I attended with @akintollgate where one of Sanwo Olu’s commissioners apologised for what happened at the Toll Gate and wanted us to make amends.

“He spoke like a father, he was nice and very understanding and wanted us to make peace with the govt, and move on. Truthfully, his words calmed me. After all was said and blame passed back and forth, he stated there was a financial offer to us to cover for all we must have spent and gone through during the period, an amount of N100 million. Immediately I refused, I didn’t want to involve myself with it. And I spoke with Akin who agreed with my thought on it. I only requested that prosthetics be done for those who were amputated so that we can help them move around.”

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READ ALSO: How #EndBadGovernance Protest Cost DSS, NIA Bosses Their Jobs

She claimed that upon rejecting the monetary offer, she started getting calls from families of victims and she had to change her stance.

“So after, I started getting calls from the victims, I was pissed. I went to the lawyers and told them what was happening. The govt informed me that the money was in cash and it was to be given to me, that I should come and pick it up and do with it what I wish. So speaking to Falana SAN, he then said if the govt is remorseful and wants to finally help those they shot and killed at the toll gate, let me not block it but allow it to happen.

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“I told Falana SAN that I personally did not want anything to do with the money and I did not want to go pick it up like the govt wanted, and I wanted to stay out of it, and he immediately right there and then, wrote a letter for me and told me to give to the commissioner stating that the govt should do it the right way. The govt stated that the money was in two ranches of N50 million each and so there were two letters one stating N50 million and another stating the total of N100 million.

“I insisted that the govt should just give out the compensations as instructed by the panel, rather than this ‘backyard assistance’ like my dad called it.”

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s spokesman, Gboyega Akosile, was yet to respond to a WhatsApp message on Monday morning seeking the government’s reaction to the alleged funds paid to victims’ families and protest coordinators.
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Sowore Regains Freedom, Says Detention ‘Illegal

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Human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has been released from police custody.

Sowore had been detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory since Wednesday when he honoured an invitation from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit.

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The activist confirmed his release in a Facebook post.

He described his detention as “illegal and unjust.”

READ ALSO:Why Sowore Is Being Detained – Police

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The Nigeria Police Force has capitulated to the demands of the revolutionary movement. I have been released from unjust, illegal and unwarranted detention.

“However, it is nothing to celebrate, but thank you for not giving up!” he wrote.

His release comes hours after his supporters had staged protests in about five different states on Friday.

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WAEC Releases Revised 2025 WASSCE Results, Apologises For Grading Error

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The West African Examinations Council, Nigeria, has released reviewed results for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, for school candidates, following the discovery of grading discrepancies that significantly affected candidates’ performance statistics.

In a press briefing on Friday, at the council’s national office in Yaba, Lagos, the Head of WAEC Nigeria, Dr. Amos Dangut, admitted to a serious error in the marking of serialised papers, which led to a misrepresentation of candidates’ performance.

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With deep sorrow and regret, I, on behalf of the Registrar to Council, Management and Staff of WAEC Nigeria, apologise for the discrepancies discovered in the grading of serialised papers.

“This is very difficult for us to say, but we have to admit that it is very embarrassing,” Dangut said.

According to him, the council had implemented a new security innovation known as paper serialisation, already in use by another national examination body.

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READ ALSO:WAEC Under Fire As Results Portal Goes Down

However, during post-examination reviews, it was discovered that the English Language Objective Test (Paper 3) was scored using incorrect keys due to a wrongly assigned serialised code file.

Other serialised subjects included Mathematics, Biology, and Economics.

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We investigated and discovered that a serialised code file was wrongly used in the printing of the English Language Objective paper.

“This resulted in them being marked with incorrect answer keys. It is important to note that candidates who wrote the exams using the computer-based mode were not affected,” Dangut explained.

With the error corrected, 1,794,821 candidates — representing 91.14 per cent— obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects (with or without English and Mathematics).

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READ ALSO:JUST IN: WAEC Shuts Down Result Portal Over Technical Issues

Notably, 1,239,884 candidates or 62.96 per cent, obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics, a significant improvement from the previously reported 38.32 per cent.

Of this number, 657,819 (53.05 per cent) were female, while 582,065 (46.95 per cent) were male candidates.

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However, this still reflects a 9.16 per cent drop from the 72.12 per cent performance recorded in 2024.

WAEC reported that a total of 1,969,313 candidates sat for the examination, including candidates from schools in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea, which operate the Nigerian curriculum.

The council also catered to 12,178 special needs candidates, including the visually impaired (112), hearing impaired (615), physically challenged (37), and spastic/mentally challenged (52). These candidates’ results have also been processed and released.

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READ ALSO:VeryDarkMan Mocks Okpebholo Over Alleged Poor WAEC Results, Drags Portable, Fufeyin [VIDEO]

All these candidates were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination,” said Dangut.

While 1,763,470 candidates (89.55 per cent) have had their results fully processed, 205,916 (10.45 per cent) still have one or more subjects pending due to technical issues.

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WAEC assured all that efforts are ongoing to conclude processing and release outstanding results shortly.

Meanwhile, results of 191,053 candidates (9.7 per cent) have been withheld over allegations of examination malpractice.

This is lower than the 11.92 per cent recorded in 2024.

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READ ALSO:WAEC Speaks On Rumoured Cancellation Of 2025 WASSCE Exams

Investigations are ongoing, and affected candidates can seek redress via waecinternational.org/complaints.

WAEC will continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice. All hands must be on deck to sanitise the system,” Dangut emphasised.

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WAEC encouraged candidates to access their results via the official portal www.waecdirect.org and apply for their digital certificates, which will be available within 48 hours after result verification. Hard copy certificates will be ready within 90 days.

Dangut reminded all that candidates sponsored by indebted state governments would not have access to their results until the council receives payment.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: WAEC Shuts Down Result Portal Over Technical Issues

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We appeal to the concerned authorities to do the needful to enable affected schools and candidates to access their results,” he urged.

Dangut offered an unreserved apology to stakeholders.

We acknowledge the emotional ordeal that candidates, parents, teachers, school administrators, Ministries of Education, and the media must have endured.

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“This is a trying time for us at WAEC. We are doing everything we can to ensure this dismal situation does not recur,” he said.

WAEC also thanked the Federal Government, the Minister of Education, and state education bodies for their support during the review and resolution process.
(PUNCH)

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Fuel Pump Fraud: NNPC Fires Attendant In Viral Video, Suspends Manager

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Retail Ltd has announced the sack of a pump attendant and suspension of a Station Manager for attempting to swindle a customer at its station in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

A statement by the NNPC Ltd. on Friday said its attention was drawn to a recent video circulating on social media platforms depicting a pump attendant at a filling station attempting to swindle a customer.

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It said following a thorough investigation, the incident was traced to a station in Ikorodu, Lagos.

READ ALSO:PDP Announces National Convention Zoning Committee Inauguration Date

The NNPC Retail Limited wishes to state categorically that such behaviour is unacceptable and does not reflect the company’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and exceptional customer service.

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“In response to this incident, NNPC Retail Limited has taken the following decisive actions in line with its sanction grid:

“The pump attendant involved has been disengaged. The Station Manager has been suspended.

READ ALSO:NNPCL Increases Fuel Price

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“A formal warning letter has been issued to the dealer,” the company said.

The company, while thanking the public for being vigilant, encouraged the reporting of any incidents through the appropriate channels (customer service numbers and email displayed at all stations) for immediate action.

It also assured all customers of its continued strict enforcement of compliance with its operational standards across its network of filling stations.

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