National
Group Raises Alarm Over Defiance of IGP’s Directive by Police Officers
The Oodua Integrity Group has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to take swift and decisive action against officers at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCIID), Abuja, for allegedly disobeying a direct order from his office.
The directive in question pertains to the transfer of a case involving Jude Ozoemena to the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in Zone 13, Anambra.
In a letter dated July 4, 2024, and signed by the Principal Staff Officer 2 in the IGP’s office, it was clearly stated that the AIG of Zone 13 should take over the investigation.
However, despite these instructions, officers at the FCIID have reportedly refused to comply and continue to detain the suspect, Ozoemena, in Abuja.
According to Bolaji Tunbosun, Head of Human Rights at the Oodua Integrity Group, the investigation team, led by Sergeant Stanley, has complicated the matter.
Intelligence received by the group suggests there are allegations of bribery and undue influence from a non-governmental organization, which petitioned the police to transfer the case to the FCIID.
Despite this, the suspect is expected to be charged before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court today, September 10.
The Oodua Integrity Group has expressed concerns over the integrity of the investigation and is set to reach out to the police’s legal team to lodge a formal complaint.
The group is urging the IGP to intervene immediately to preserve the credibility of the police force and ensure that justice is served.
President Bola Tinubu has assured all 774 fellows under the newly launched National Health Fellows Programme of automatic employment after their one-year tenure.
“You are hired,” Tinubu declared during the programme’s launch at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday.
In April 2024, Tinubu approved the National Health Fellows Programme, a key initiative under his Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance accountability and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
The fellows, who have been undergoing training since February 27, 2025, under the Sector Wide Approach coordination office, will spend the next year monitoring Primary Healthcare Centres across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
The President’s announcement followed a call by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, for federal, state, and local governments to integrate the fellows into the workforce to advance Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
Tinubu hailed the fellows as pioneers of a new era in primary healthcare as Pate highlighted their crucial role in supporting the FG’s plan to expand PHCs from 8,809 to 17,618 by 2027.
The Defence Headquarters has stated that reports from the Nigerian military provide a more accurate account of counter-terrorism efforts in the country than those from external sources.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, stated this on Thursday while fielding questions on the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, which was released on March 5.
The index ranked Nigeria sixth globally, with a score of 7.658, moving up from eighth place in 2023 and 2024. It also recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria in 2024.
Using a family analogy, Kangye argued that information from the family head should be deemed more credible than reports from outsiders.
“Something is happening in my house. I am the head of the house. I have children, I have a wife, and then Kuma Shi (someone else) is reporting what is happening in my house to me. Which one would be more correct? The one I tell you as the head of the house or the one Kuma Shi is reporting from outside?” he asked.
He urged the media to verify and correct any misleading narratives about Nigeria’s security situation, adding, “I’m not countering what they put out there, but as observers, you should be the ones to give the correct version of what is happening in Nigeria.”
On the sit-at-home order in the South East, Kangye noted that fear still keeps many residents indoors on Mondays.
He, however, reassured that the military is actively working to restore normalcy and rid the region of IPOB/ESN fighters.
“Who gave the order? IPOB/ESN criminals. Because of what was happening in the South East, Operation Udo Ka was set up—just like Operation Hadin Kai in the North East.
“The past three commanders in the region have been doing very well. They continue to encourage people to go about their normal business, but in some areas, locals stay home out of fear of being attacked. The commanders are working hard to free the South East from IPOB/ESN influence,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a sustainable and globally competitive financial system to allow Nigerian banks and other financial institutions to thrive.
The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the statement on Wednesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new state-of-the-art headquarters of First Bank of Nigeria at Eko Atlantic City in Lagos State.
Shettima disclosed this in a statement posted on X.com on Wednesday.
The statement read, “President #officialABAT has said that his administration is working assiduously to create a system that is sustainable and globally competitive, enabling Nigerian banks and other financial institutions to thrive.
“He noted that government policies under his administration are driven by the reality that the nation no longer has the luxury of time to postpone its economic transformation.”
Tinubu who noted that banks can only prosper under a thriving economy, however, pointed out that everything his administration does—and sets out to accomplish—rests on the cooperation and capacity of financial institutions.
“Banks are the engines of economic growth, and we owe it to them to champion a system that guarantees sustainability and global competitiveness.
“Our expectation is for our banks to excel, expand beyond our shores, and earn their place among the world’s most viable and profitable enterprises,” he was quoted as saying.
According to the report, a host of prominent dignitaries and political leaders including the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of FBN Holdings, Femi Otedola, and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and governors were among the distinguished guests who attended the event on Wednesday.