Headline

Policemen Demand N100,000 Minimum Wage, As Strike Looms

Published

4 years ago

March 18, 2022

Despite efforts by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to dissuade junior police officers from embarking on strike, the cops have said there is no going back on the planned industrial action.

The junior officers said the strike would commence on March 26, the same day chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would gather in Abuja for their national convention.

According to an open letter addressed to the Inspector General, the men said they would not accept any pay rise below N100,000 monthly.

They decried the fact that a Level 3 officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly receives N280,000 monthly, while a constable receives just N45,700 per month.

Also, they said that a Level 8 officer of the EFCC goes home with over N490,000 every month, but an Inspector of police, with many years of experience, is being paid N109,200 as monthly salary.

The rank and file wondered why they were being treated like slaves, even when they protect other people’s lives, with their own lives.

The strike, which they said was long overdue, had now become an option due to what they called the “lackadaisical attitude of the police authorities in representing us before the Federal Government.”

While accepting the fact that the Nigeria Police Force is a regimental organisation whose personnel could be accused of mutiny if they embark on any industrial action, the cops said they have been pushed to the wall and do not have any trust in their leaders.

“Sir, are you aware of the suffering your officers are exposed to? Many of us can’t afford 3-square meals per day. Some can’t send their children to school without bribes. Go to the barracks, you will see the slums where those officers that escort you around sleep.

“Sir, the least constable, who pays house rent, electricity bills, feeds himself and his family still earns about N47,000 in a month. Tell me how such a constable will not extort members of the public?

“We know how much the Senators, House of Representatives members, governors and others we protect day and night earn monthly, yet we don’t misbehave; but don’t forget that a hungry man is an angry man,” the letter signed anonymously by concerned police officers read in part.

Speaking further, the aggrieved officers said they would embark on the purported strike, “if constables earn less than N100,000 monthly; if we continue to buy kits for ourselves; if our promotions are delayed without reason while you give those that serve in IGP SEC special promotions; if our men continue to die without compensation for their families; if the federal government continues to expose our men to danger by not providing weapons to combat crime.”

Recalls that the IGP, as a way of stopping the planned strike, ordered the implementation of the new salary structure for officers, the stoppage of tax for policemen, the distribution of accoutrements and others.

However, the rank and file said they have seen the signal, but added, “it’s unfortunate, we don’t believe your story on the salary increment; ‘no be today’.

“We believe in industrial action as the way forward to our problems and the only solution to our yearnings.

“Therefore, we are still interested in embarking on the planned strike on the 26th of March, 2022 as earlier scheduled.”

DAILY POST reliably gathered that there were briefings in almost all the 36 State commands on Thursday as police bosses pacified the rank and file not to go on strike.

Meanwhile, an activist, Deji Adeyanju, has promised to join the police in solidarity if they go on strike.

Adeyanju, in a post on his verified Facebook page, said security agents in Nigeria deserve better pay and treatment.

“I will be joining the Nigerian police in their strike action. Our security agents deserve better pay and treatment. Solidarity forever,” he said.

DAILY POST correspondent gathered that a message circulating among the cops is mobilising them for a nationwide protest at the Eagle Square in Abuja and the 36 State commands on March 26.

The message directed the men not to go for duty on the day, asking those attached to politicians to stay at home.

Headline

Benin Republic Presidency Breaks Silence On ‘Military Takeover’

Published

1 hour ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

Benin Republic military
Military personnel in Benin on Sunday said they had ousted President Patrice Talon, but the Presidency said he was safe and the army was regaining control.

Talon, 67, a former businessman known as the “cotton king of Cotonou,” is due to hand over power in April next year after 10 years in office marked by strong economic growth and rising jihadist violence.

West Africa has seen several coups in recent years, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and most recently Guinea-Bissau.

Early on Sunday, soldiers calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) said on state television that they had met and decided that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.”

The signal was cut later in the morning.

Shortly after the announcement, a source close to Talon told AFP the president was safe.

“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city (Cotonou) and the country are completely secure,” they said.

“It’s just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well.”

A military source confirmed the situation was “under control” and said the coup plotters had not taken Talon’s residence or the presidential offices.

The French Embassy reported on X that “gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo” near the president’s official residence in the economic capital and urged French citizens to remain indoors.

Benin has a history of coups and attempted coups.

Talon, who came to power in 2016, is due to end his second term in 2026, the constitutional maximum.

The main opposition party has been excluded from the race to succeed him, leaving the ruling party to compete against a so-called “moderate” opposition.

Talon has been praised for driving economic development but is often accused of authoritarianism.

(AFP)

Headline

JUST IN: Soldiers Announce Military Takeover Of Govt In Benin Republic

Published

2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

A group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s state television on Sunday to announce the dissolution of the government in what is being described as an apparent coup, marking yet another power seizure in West Africa.

Identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, the soldiers declared the removal of the president and all state institutions.

President Patrice Talon, who has been in office since 2016, was scheduled to leave office next April after the presidential election. His party’s preferred candidate, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, had been widely viewed as the frontrunner. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was disqualified by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have “sufficient sponsors.”

The takeover comes a month after Benin’s legislature extended the presidential term from five to seven years while retaining the two-term limit.

(AFP)

Headline

EU Fines Elon Musk’s X €120m For Violating Digital Content Rules

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has been hit with a €120 million ($140 million) fine by European Union tech regulators for violating multiple provisions of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

This marks the first significant penalty imposed under this landmark legislation.

On Friday, the European Commission announced the fine, citing various violations by X, including misleading platform features and a lack of transparency in research practices.

Regulators pointed out that one of the violations involved the misleading design of the blue verification checkmark. This feature is now linked to subscription payments instead of identity validation, which the EU described as “deceptive and potentially harmful.”

The Commission also criticized X for not maintaining transparent advertising records and for restricting researchers’ access to publicly available data on the platform.

This ruling is likely to heighten diplomatic tensions between Brussels and Washington. U.S. officials from the Trump administration had previously condemned Europe’s regulatory approach toward major tech companies, claiming that EU policies unfairly target American firms and restrict free expression.

However, the European Commission defended its stance, stating that enforcement under the DSA is not influenced by nationality. They emphasized that the legislation is designed to promote online accountability, protect users, and ensure transparency in digital operations—standards that are increasingly becoming global benchmarks.

“The DSA does not discriminate by company origin,” the Commission argued, maintaining that the penalties reflect Europe’s commitment to protecting democratic values and responsible digital governance.

The fine marks a significant test case for the EU’s new regulatory regime and could set precedent for similar action against other platforms not in full compliance with the law.