Metro

Lawmaker Wants Finance Minister, FIRS Chair Sacked Over N4tr Owed To Contractors

Published

3 weeks ago

December 6, 2025

Member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency Ikenga Ugochinyere, has called for the immediate dismissal of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji.

Ugochinyere made the call while addressing members of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), who have been protesting the non-payment of N4 trillion owed to them by the federal government for executed contracts.

Ugochinyere, who visited the Ministry of Finance in solidarity with the protesting contractors on the fourth day of their protest, stated that the non-payment signifies a deeply distressed economy.

He accused the duo of “deliberately sabotaging” President Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.

“There is no other way to renew hope than to pay local contractors who will now pay their suppliers. It’s the surest way to inject liquidity and renew economic hope in the country,” Ugochinyere said, stressing that settling these.

He specifically called out the two top officials for their alleged role in the payment delay.

He said, “The finance minister and the FIRS man are not doing Mr. President any good because people are so angry. Families cannot fulfil their obligations. Banks cannot get their money back.

“If the local contractors cannot be paid, I don’t think there is any reason why the finance minister should be in office. It’s not a favour, it’s a call to national duty.”

The lawmaker further alleged that the government has the funds to pay, citing the FIRS’s claims of increased revenue and the existence of the “Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.”

He questioned the legality and use of the infrastructure fund, alleging that “unappropriated national revenue running into trillions has been placed there and used to award high-value contracts without parliamentary oversight.”

The lawmaker called on the President to investigate the fund, insisting that “It is time for him to ask for the account balance sheet of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund. He needs to see the payment that they’re making and compare how important they are to the lives of Nigerians to this non-payment of local contractors.”

He also condemned any suggestion of calling in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to audit the already certified contracts, dismissing it as “nonsense” and a delay tactic.

Meanwhile, the members have been protesting for four days in a row, since Tuesday, 2nd December 2025, demanding that the Minister of Finance fulfil an alleged promise to offset N760 billion as the first tranche of the payments.

AICAN President, Mr. Jackson Nwosu, said that AICAN is not leaving the ministry without getting paid.

He expressed frustration at the political handling of the matter despite work having been completed over a year ago.

“The people cannot work and you don’t pay them for over a year. What is Nigeria doing with the funds? What is the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu doing with our funds? Every contractor needs their payments,” Mr. Nwosu insisted.

He expressed worry that the Minister may be deliberately stalling payments until the end of the year, which would transfer the debt to the next year’s liabilities, a move the association vehemently rejects.

Metro

Explosion Rocks Kwara, Five Wounded, Four Buildings Damaged

Published

6 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

A suspected bomb on Christmas night hit Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, wounding about five people, including a couple and their young daughter.

The sad incident, which residents suspected to be a bomb explosion, occurred at Yidi (Muslim’s prayer ground) along the Offa-Ijagbo road.

The woman, identified as Iya Ayo, and her daughter, Aisha, were seriously affected and hospitalised at the nearby First Care Hospital.

Fellow neighbours told The Weekend Guardian that the woman was seriously injured, while another boy’s ear was chopped.

They said: “They were already asleep when the explosion happened. Iya Ayo’s breast, stomach and arms were pierced by nails.”

Eyewitnesses said an artisan was also affected, with four adjoining buildings seriously damaged.

A petty trader, Madam Joy, said, “We saw it coming with lights beaming, then rammed into this (pointing) upstairs before going through the other three buildings it pulled down.”

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Adekimi Ojo, however, corrected the rumour that a bomb was brought into the city by the American military.

According to the police chief, “There was no bomb scare in Offa, there was no plane crash.

“What happened was just an ordinance, and our IED experts have evacuated the debris. There is no more cause for alarm, everything is now under control as our IED experts have immediately started discreet investigation,” he told newsmen at the site of the incident.

Meanwhile, an official preliminary statement by the Offa LGt, copied by The Guardian, described the cause of the explosion as suspected ordnance-related.

It stated that security agencies have cordoned off the affected area to allow for further investigations.

The Executive Chairman, Hon. Suleiman Olatunji Omituntun, briefed the media, saying: “It was at 9:38pm yesterday (Thursday) that I received a distress call about this incident. Thank God, no life was lost.”

“This is not a bomb explosion, this is not a plane crash incident, it is just an ordinary happening that rocked this area. Thank God everything is now calm with residents going about their normal activities.

“The police have come with their experts,” he said, adding, “I suspect it could be that a drone was being tested and it backfired or it malfunctioned,” he suspected.

Meanwhile, Olatunji and the Special Adviser on Political Matters to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Hon. Femi Agbaje Whyte, and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Offa Division visited the scene immediately after the incident to assess the situation firsthand.

The council Chairman urged residents of Offa to remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding and always to verify information through credible and official sources to avoid the spread of fear and misinformation.

Metro

Eight Yoruba Republic Agitators Arrested In Ogun

Published

6 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Police in Ogun State have arrested eight persons for alleged breach of public peace, unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, and serious assault on police officers on Christmas Day.

The suspects, under the aegis of the Democratic Republic of Yoruba, were arrested for causing disturbance at Temidire Junction and Under-Bridge in the Sango-Ota area of Ogun State.

The suspects are Adewale Sosanya, ‘M’, aged 48; Opeyemi Oladotun, ‘M’, aged 31; Zara Gabriel, ‘F’, aged 22; Ajoke Gabriel, ‘F’, aged 19; Adewale Adebomojo, ‘F’, aged 48; Yusuf Tanimowo, ‘M’, aged 40; Olurotimi Ademola, ‘M’, aged 52; and Toyin Gabriel, ‘F’, aged 40.

Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi confirmed this to newsmen in a statement in Abeokuta on Friday.

Babaseyi said that upon receiving the information, the police immediately mobilised, moved to the scene and dispersed the group of agitators.

He said, “The Ogun State Police Command has arrested eight (8) suspects for breach of public peace, unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, and serious assault on police officers following a disturbance caused by the group in parts of Sango-Ota, Ogun State.Eight Yoruba Republic agitators arrested in Ogun

“On 25th December 2025, Christmas Day, at Temidire Junction and Under-Bridge, Sango-Ota, a group agitating under the aegis of ‘Democratic Republic of the Yoruba’ unlawfully barricaded roads, set bonfires, disrupted the free flow of traffic, and attacked police officers deployed to maintain law and order,” he added.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include a Toyota Dyna vehicle used to convey the suspects, two broadcast speakers, a carton containing flags, shirts bearing inscriptions of their agitation, and banners displaying their messages and manifesto.

The Police PRO added that the suspects will be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.
However, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, reassured residents of the Command’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property.

The CP warned that the command will not tolerate any act capable of breaching public peace, emphasising that any assault on police officers will be met with decisive action.

He urged members of the public to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activities promptly through the Ogun State Police Command emergency lines: Gateway Shield (General Complaints Line – Toll Free): 0800 000 9111; Emergency Numbers: 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, and 0708 497 2994.

Metro

Court Jails Two Ex-bankers For Diverting N10.3m Pension Funds In Enugu

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2025

Editor

The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has secured the conviction and sentencing of Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo, two former bankers, for diverting N10.3 million belonging to bank customers.

According to a post on X by the commission on Wednesday the judgment was delivered by Justice A. O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu.

The case was handled by the EFCC and relates to offences committed while the convicts were staff of Intercontinental Bank Plc, now Access Bank Plc.

Aferokhe and Odo were arraigned on January 18, 2016, on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and stealing the fund on a seven count of the charge reads:

“Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo on or about the 21st day of November, 2012 at Nsukka within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, while as servants of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc), stole the sum of Four Million, Four Hundred and Forty-four Thousand Naira (N4, 440, 000. 00) property of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) from a customer account with account name Udekwu F. A. O with number 00237808311 domiciled in Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) and thereby committed an offence”.

Count two of the charge reads:
“Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo on or about the 12th day of October 2012 at Nsukka within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while as servants of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc), stole the sum of Two Million, One Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Ten Naira, forty Kobo (N2, 113, 610. 40) property of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) from a customer account with account name Onuora George with account number 0023781315 domiciled in Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) and thereby committed an offence.

The offences are contrary to Section 459(a) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30 of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004. The defendants pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial.

During the trial, the EFCC, through its counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani, presented five witnesses and tendered several documents as evidence.

In its judgment delivered on Friday, December 22, 2025, the court dismissed counts six and nine.

The second defendant was convicted on counts four and seven, while the first defendant was convicted on counts one, two, three, five, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen.

The court sentenced the second defendant to five years’ imprisonment on counts four and seven, with an option of a N100,000 fine on each count.

The first defendant was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each of the counts, except count fifteen, for which he received a three-year sentence, all with an option of a N100,000 fine per count.

The convicts, who are former staff of Access Bank, were found guilty after conspiring to reactivate three dormant customer accounts belonging to pensioners without their consent and diverting the funds for personal use.