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JUST IN: Supreme Court Orders Immediate Direct Payment Of LG Allocations

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The Supreme Court has granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country.

In a landmark judgement on Thursday, the apex court ordered the Federal Government to immediately start the direct payment of local government funds to the latter’s exclusive accounts.

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In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court scolded the decades-long refusal of the state government on financial autonomy for local governments.

Justice Agim noted that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.

He dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors).

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The apex court directed that Local Government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them henceforth, and not to state government coffers.

READ ALSO: BREAKING States Lose As Supreme Court Rules On LG Financial Autonomy

Justice Agim pointed out that the state governors’ retention of the monies meant for the Local Governments truncates the latter’s activities.

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Justice Agim ordered the immediate compliance of the judgement, stating that no state government should be paid monies meant for Local Governments.

LG Autonomy At Last!
There are 774 local government areas in the country but the efficiency of the third tier of government has been hampered by the weight of some controlling and overbearing governors who have been accused of mismanaging funds meant for the administration of local governments.

In the last few months, calls for local government autonomy have increased in Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu also supported the calls. In May, the Federal Government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, sued the 36 state governors over alleged misconduct of local government funds.

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READ ALSO: IYC Commends INEC For Delineation Of Warri Fed. Constituency, Warns Saboteurs To Steer Clear

Currently, the Federal Government gets 52.68%, and states get 26.72%. In comparison, LGs get 20.60% of the country’s monthly revenue allocated by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) which operates under the Presidency, and disbursed by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

Interestingly, LG funds are paid into a joint account operated by state governments and local governments in their domains.

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In the suit filed by AGF, the Federal Government sought an order preventing the governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils. The suit by the AGF was on 27 grounds.

The 36 state governors, defendants in the suit, opposed the AGF for instituting the case.

But Justice Agim said the AGF has the right to institute the suit and protect the constitution.

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Metro

EFCC Probes Man Nabbed With Undeclared $420,900 At Kano Airport

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has launched a full-scale investigation into the case of one Ahmad Salisu, who was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service for attempting to smuggle large sums of undeclared foreign currencies through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

Salisu was intercepted during a routine security check on Monday, July 7, 2025, with a staggering sum of $420,900 (Four Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Nine Hundred US Dollars), £5,825, CFA3,946,500, and Cameroonian CFA 224,000.

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The concealed cash, wrapped in a polythene bag and hidden under clothes in the suspect’s luggage, was discovered during a physical inspection by Customs officials.

Following his arrest, Salisu allegedly confessed that he was acting on behalf of his brother, Auwal Ahmad, who is currently in Saudi Arabia.

READ ALSO:EFCC Arrests 31 Suspected Internet Fraudsters In Nasarawa

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He claimed he was instructed to deliver the money to two individuals: Yusuf Adamu and Abdulhamid Rabiu, who were arrested shortly after arriving to receive the funds.

In a statement on Tuesday, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said after preliminary interrogation and documentation, the trio, along with the seized funds, were handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.

He said during a joint press briefing held at the NCS Kano/Jigawa Area Command, the Kano Zonal Director of the EFCC, Commander Ibrahim Shazali, reiterated the agency’s firm stance against illegal cash smuggling and financial crimes.

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He said, “The EFCC and the Nigerian Customs Service, working in concert, have zero tolerance for illegal cash smuggling.

READ ALSO:EFCC Kicks As Yahaya Bello Seeks Court’s Permission To Travel Abroad

Our surveillance is active, our intelligence is sharp, and our resolve to apprehend offenders is unwavering.

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“Attempting to circumvent our financial laws and border controls is a futile and costly endeavour.”

He further urged members of the public, particularly those in the aviation and financial sectors, to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements of large volumes of cash.

READ ALSO:CBEX Fraud: EFCC Declares Two More Wanted

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The Customs Area Comptroller, Dalhatu Abubakar, emphasised the importance of currency declaration as a critical tool in Nigeria’s fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

These measures are designed to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system and prevent the flow of funds to criminal networks, terrorists, and drug traffickers,” Abubakar said.

According to the EFCC, the suspects will be formally charged in court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.

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Driver Stabs Former Boss To Death In Lagos

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The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old driver, Ayomide Oluwadamilare, for allegedly murdering his former employer, Kola Adun, and attempting to sell the victim’s stolen vehicle.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, the suspect was apprehended while trying to sell the deceased’s Toyota Camry in the Ijede area of Ikorodu, Lagos.

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Odutola said the murder came to light after residents of River Valley Estate, Ojodu Berger, raised alarm over a foul odour coming from the victim’s apartment.

At about 1300hrs on July 7, 2025, the Divisional Police Officer, Ojodu Abiodun Division, received a distress call from Mubarak area in Akute regarding an offensive smell from a building.

READ ALSO:INEC Opens Window For New Registration In Anambra

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Officers proceeded to Ogunmoyero Street, River Valley Estate, and upon forcing entry into the premises, discovered the decomposing body of one Mr. Kola Adun on the first floor.

“The body bore visible stab wounds with bloodstains found at the scene,” the statement read in part.

Odutola added that suspicions had already been raised the day before, when a friend who was supposed to pick Adun for Sunday service discovered the gate locked from outside and couldn’t reach him on the phone.

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His mobile phone later went off, prompting the friend to alert the victim’s family and the police,” Odutola noted.

READ ALSO:Man Bags Life Jail For Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

The PPRO stated that preliminary investigation revealed that Oluwadamilare, the deceased’s former driver, had allegedly broken into the residence on Saturday, and stabbed Adun to death before fleeing with his Toyota Camry with registration number AAA 193 GC.

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She said the case took a turn when the suspect tried to sell the car to a dealer in Ijede, Ikorodu, who found his story suspicious and promptly contacted the police.

The suspect was arrested at the point of sale.

“The remains of the deceased have been evacuated to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, for autopsy, while the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Abeokuta, for discreet investigation and prosecution,”Odutola concluded.

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Police Arrest Cultist For Murder, Abduction In Anambra Community

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The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old cultist identified as Chukwujekwu Okoye, also known as “Bus-Stop,” in connection with the murder of two persons in Oko community, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the spokesman for the state command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspect was arrested on Monday by police operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu.

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Recall that the incident, which reportedly occurred at the Total Junction near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, on May 22, left two persons dead and two others abducted.

It was gathered that the two abducted victims were later released in early June after ransom was paid by the families.

READ ALSO:Man Bags Life Jail For Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

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Ikenga, who disclosed the information of the arrest, also said the operatives recovered one automatic pump-action gun and two handsets from the suspect.

He said, “Police operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, on July 7, 2025, arrested a male suspect called Chukwujekwu Micheal Okoye a.k.a Bus-Stop, aged 25 years old.

“The arrest is a follow-up to the disturbing incident at Oko which records the injury to two persons, murder of two persons and abduction of two others who were later released after ransom was paid early last month at the Total Junction and Tipper Junction, respectively, all in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area.

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“The operatives also recovered one automatic pump-action gun and two handsets.

READ ALSO:Gunmen Kill 10 In Anambra Community

It would be recalled that the suspect in the early hours of May 22, 2025, robbed a victim of his handset and other valuables at gunpoint in Oko.

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“He confessed to being an active member of the Aye Confraternity Cult group and currently holding a position as a Lord.

“He also stated how they perfected plans for the initiation ceremony and rivalry cult attack yesterday, 7th July 2025, and revealed details of how he and six (6) other gang members attacked Oko on the 19th of June 2025.”

Ikenga said, given the information provided by the suspect, the police command has activated plans for the arrest of other gang members aimed at dismantling the criminal network in the state, adding that further developments would be communicated.

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