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Gov Aiyedatiwa Appoints 28 SSAs, 316 SAs

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has appointed 28 Senior Special Assistants and 316 Special Assistants.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

He said the appointments were spread across the 18 Local Government Areas, 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and 203 Wards in the state.

“In continuation of efforts to enhance governance and service delivery to the people of the State, the Governor of Ondo State, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved the appointment of new Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs),” the statement read.

“While congratulating the new appointees, the Governor urged them to bring to bear their wealth of experience and dedicate themselves to serving the people of the State.”

The appointment comes two months to the Ondo State governorship election where Aiyedatiwa is seeking a fresh term in office.

Aiyedatiwa became governor following the death of Rotimi Akeredolu in Germany on December 27, 2023.

The new appointees are:
SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANTS (SSAs)

1 HON. OMOTAYO ABIDAKUN

2 HON AKINTOYE ALBERT

3 AKINDELE ADENIYI

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4 HON FOLAWE SIPASI

5 MICHEAL BOLODEOKU

6 HON ISIAKA ELEGBERUNIBON

7 CHIEF LADI TENABE

8 BARR FOLAJIMI OLASEHINDE VICENTE

9 BAR CLEMENT KOLAPO OJO

10 HON SOLA OLUYEDE

11 SOLOMON ELEFOLA

12 BARR. AJIMOTOKIN OLUSEGUN

13 EWATOMILOLA EMIOLA

14 AKINROTOYE OLAFUSI KEHINDE

15 HON OLAMIGOKE BUSAYO FRANCIS

16 ADESEMOYE ADEDAPO OLASEINDE

17 MRS MORENIKEJI ALAGA

18 ALEX OLADIMEJI

19 OLOWUJUNI SHEDRACK

20 NICHOLAS AKINBIOLA

21 HON. SOLOMON ADEJARE ADEYEFA

22 OLUYEMI FASIPE

23 BAYO OLATUNJI SEGEDE

24 PHILEMON EBIESUWA

25 ABIDEMI IWAJOMO

26 GBAMILA TAIWO

27 AKIN OMOJUWA

28 HON DARIJIMI LOGO

SPECIAL ASSISTANTS (SAs)

1 SOLA NERI

2 HON OLANIYI ENI-OLOTU

3 ADEOLU IWAKUN

4 HON MAKINDE OLANREWAJU

5 OMOTAYO VINCENT OLIBAMOYO

6 HON BUNMI OLAWOYE

7 MRS RONKE TASHILANI

8 HON IDEBI MICHAEL

9 ALHAJA RAFAT AHMED

10 HON IDEBI MICHAEL

11 HON NAJEEM ADEGBOYE

12 MR FADOJU SUNDAY OLANIYI

13 DR ADEMOLA ADEGBOYE

14 ALIU OLALEKAN

15 ROBERT AKINKUNMI

16 FELIX ESAN

17 SOLA ADEGBOLA

18 TOYIN BENSON

19 OLORUNTOBA MICHAEL SUNKANMI

20 BOSEDE SAMA

21 HON SHOLA ALAJO

22 RABIU OLUWASEGUN KAYODE

23 ABEGUNDE TAYO

24 OMOLAYO TOPE

25 OLASUNKANMI AKINROGBE

26 OLADIMEJI OLANREWAJU

27 OLABODE ANIMASAHUN

28 MRS OLAYINKA O. ANUNOBI

29 MRS FAMUSIWA ODUNAYO

30 MR WALE THOMAS

31 MR JIMOH YINUS

32 MRS FUNKE ARUNA

33 TOLU ILORI OGUNBADEJO

34 OLALEYE OLADIMEJI AJEGUNMA

35 MAXWELL OMOSUWA

36 AZEEZ OLATUNDE OLAYINKA

37 OLADIMEJI OKEYEMI OLUWAKEMI

38 IJASAN WILLSON OLARINDE

39 OMOLARA AKINROGBE

40 OLABISI BALOGUN

41 OROFIN OGOOLUWA

42 SIJU OMONOJO

43 RT. HON DAISI ODOGUN

44 DR. OMOTOSHO SALIU ADEWOLE

45 MRS. ADEJORE LYDIA

46 ELIJAH AKINLOYE BALOGUN

47 DAVID GODSPOWER ILAYE

48 HON CENSUS OGBARO

49 TOPE GLORY MESHACK

50 HON BUNMI OSABIYA

51 TUNDE OWANIKI

52 JUSTINA MAFOLABOMI

53 JOHN IFEOLUWA AWODEYI

54 SALIU MUMUNI

55 OSENI MUYIDEEN

56 AIDI FATAI

57 ROTIMI EKUNDAYO

58 AGUDA SUNDAY

59 LATEEF BALOGUN

60 UARUDEEN ABDULASIS

61 FOLASHADE BALOGUN

62 OGUNMODEDE MAGARET ATINUKE

63 SALIU ADEYEMI

64 RAZAK TAIWO IBILOYE

65 LATEEF AHMED

66 OLUGBENGA AJAYI

67 MRS YINKA OGUNLEYE

68 FAUSATBALOGUN

69 HON ADE PELEMO

70 ROTIMI KAREEM

71 OGUNGBEMI FASANSI KEHINDE

72 ENAS MOHAMMED

73 ADEOLA R. FYNCH

74 OLATUNBOSUN OGUNLEYE

75 OLAGUNJU OLASEHINDE

76 ALHAJA F. I. GIDADO

77 ABIODUN KIKIOWO

78 HON JULIUS MESHE

79 PRINCESS OREOLUWA AGBAYEWA

80 LAWRENCE OWOLANKE

81 ANTHONY MAYOWA OGUNMODEDE

82 ALADE MARGRET ABIOLA

83 AKOSILE OYENIYI OYEYINKA

84 MR AMIMI JULIUS FOLUSO

85 DAPO ADEPOJU

86 AKINTOYE OLATUNJI

87 OLAJIDE OLABISI-OJO

88 MR FALEYE SUNDAY

89 EWAJANE SAMSON KAYODE

90 TITI OPARINDE

91 MR JIMOH TOSIN

92 MR LATEEF BALOGUN

93 MUYIWA ADEBAYO

94 REV TAYO ABISOLA

95 OJO AJAYI

96 OLAWALE EDDO

97 PAUL ADENIYI

98 OLAYINKA JOHNSON MODUPE

99 HON DELE FAGORIOLA

100 YEMISI ALADESAYE

101 SODIQ WILLIAMS

102 HON IDOWU AKINSOLA

103 TUYI FATUKASI

104 AYODELE ADEWOLE

105 AJULO OLAWALE

106 MR OMOSEKE OLAWALE

107 OMOTUNMISE TOKUNBO

108 MICHEAL AFOLABI

109 MRS OBAYA

110 TOPE ALUKO

111 DAMILOLA ABBEY

112 ADEFISOYE HAMMED

113 MR ADEUTI OLUMIDE

114 MR OLAWOLE SUNDAY

115 HON HENRY OLATUJA

116 OLONIMOYO OLUBUNMI

117 MR ADEGUNLOYE FIOYE

118 AKINYO TOBI

119 HON BIYI AYANNOLA

120 AKINIOYE LANRE

121 JOSIAH ADEWOLE

122 HON OMOKINSUN SUNDAY

123 AKINDE ABIMBOLA SILAS

124 ENIOLA ISAAC

125 OLANEGAN OLADIMEJI

126 ADEREMI OYEWOLE

127 ENGR AKIN AKINBAMIDO

128 PASTOR MARCUS ADEOTI

129 MR ANDREW ADENODI

130 JIMOH IBRAHIM

131 DR ANTHONY ENIOLA

132 COMRADE OMOTAYO

133 HON FATAI OLUGUNA

134 OMOLERE AKINRINMADE

135 MRS MOPELOLA DINYO

136 MRS RALIAT ADENIKE OLAWOYE

137 JOHNSON OLAWOLE AKINLOSOTU

138 ADEBOYE TAOFEEK EWENLA

139 ADEALA ADEMULEGUN

140 ABIOLA FAYEHUN

141 MR FOLAMI RICHARD AKINTEWE

142 CHIEF MRS GRACE AKINRIBIDE

143 TAOFEEK AZEEZ

144 HON IFEOLU LASAN

145 MR BANKOLE ADEGBULUGBE

146 HABIB YEKINI

147 WALE AYEJUNI

148 PIPE IKOTUN

149 AKINTUNDE JOHN FOLAJIMI

150 FLORENCE OLAWOYE

151 OYETUNDE MUKAILA AKEREKORO

152 MRS BOLAJOKO OYEDELE

153 ALHAJI RASHEED OLAWOYE

154 AGBOOLA LEPE

155 ALABA ORIRETAN

156 HON AKINSUNMI DAYO

157 HON AROWOLO MOSES ILEMOBADE

158 MR. OLUFEMI BABATUNDE

159 MR ADEYEMI AREMU

160 MRS TOLA ADEYEMI

161 ENGR JIMI AKINRINMADE

162 SOLA AKINMEJIWA

163 MR OLALEKAN OLAYINKA

164 MR ADEGEYE KEHINDE PAUL

165 SALAUDEEN WAHEED

166 TOPE AKINNEYE

167 OLAWUNMI SEYI

168 HON WALE AKINKUOTU

169 JOSEPH KOKUMO

170 HON OBANLA KEHINDE SAMUEL

171 CHIEF MRS YEMI AJONIBODE

172 CHIEF MALOMO BAYODE OJO

173 HON FAFUNMILADE TILEEWA

174 SHABA BABATUNDE

175 HON AZEEZ AWE ELI

176 BAWA AKINSANYA

177 OLAYODE EMMAN JAYEOLA

178 PRINCESS FOLAKEMI OGUNSILE

180 MR ALU OJO EMMANUEL

181 BODE AWE

182 SEIDU FATAI OYEWOLE

183 OLORUNFEMI CHRISTOPHER

184 UMAR MUSLIU BOBOYE

185 AKEJU AGUNLOYE

186 AGBI STEPHEN OMOBAMIDELE

187 OLUMIDE AWOLUMATE

188 MRS AIYEGBUSI BRIDGET ADUNNI

189 OLOWOMUKE OMONIYI

190 HON AYENIYI OLAYEYE

191 HON BORIRE SUNDAY SOLA

192 SUNDAY OTEKAYE

193 OYEPITAN SUNDAY

194 FEMI OLADOKUN

195 AYETIRAN OLAJIDE PETER

196 ODOLE VICTOR

197 ADEBAYO AUGUSTINE

198 FEMI JOHNSON

199 IKUYINMINU IBIKUNLE

200 IKULALA SEUN

201 MORAYO JOSEPHINE ITIOLU

202 ADETARAMI OLOWOLAFE

203 BIDEMI ABAYAGBON

204 SEGUN LEMAN

205 ANDREW IDOWU EDEMA

206 MRS OLAWUNMI MEDAHUNSI

207 KUNLE OROKOTAN

208 PRINCESS AGBEKE CECILIA OROJO

209 MR OMOYELE ABRAHAM

210 HON (CHIEF) RAPHAEL ABEJOYE

211 RT. HON DOYE OLAJIDE

212 HON IKUPOLUYI AJINDE

213 MR FAMOUS GUNTEI

214 COMRADE TIEWEI EBIMOTIMI AKINS

215 HON BARR CORPORAL E. NANAOPIRI

216 BARR EDDY KPILIBOH

217 COM.JAPHET EREGHA

218 HON IJI WARERE

219 OMOMOFE KOLEDOYE

220 BARR LEKAN OBOLO

221 BLESSING MEFUN

222 ALORE OMOSUYI

223 BARR AKOJE TOPIC

224 PRINCESS YEMISI IJI AYEOLA

225 WILLIAMS EBI

226 TIMI SOBUJON

227 TAYO KUPOLUYI

228 MR AWENE ODIGHIMIYENTIMI

229 BARR BISI AYENI

230 AJOBIEWE DAVID

231 OTERUKU SUNDAY

232 AROGUNDADE SEGUN

233 OMOLORUN CHRIS

234 BIOLA BALOGUN

235 SOLOMON OGUNNIYI

236 BARR. PETER ALABA OJO

237 OMOBA ADEDAPO ABIOLA

238 OLANIKE ADAMS

239 OLADOTUN ADESIDA

240 GIDEON OMOJOLA

241 OGUNLEYE JOSHUA

242 MRS (CHIEF) BUKUNMI AKEJU

243 MR ADEBAYO CYRIL

244 HON GBOGI EMMANUEL

245 AYODELE ADEYEMI

246 HON JEROME ABIODUN

247 OLUMIDE AKOMOLAFE

248 MRS YEMI AKEJU

249 BIOLA CHRISTIANA IJIMAKINWA

250 MRS. OYINKANSOLA WILLIAMS AROLOYE

251 MR. SUNDAY OLALUBI

252 MR FALADE AYODELE

253 CHIEF ABULOYE BANJI

254 BARR ASANI BAKARE

255 DARE AJAYI

260 MR KUNLE ADU

261 MR. TUNDE ADEGBONMIRE

262 MR. AYODEJI ORIKOGBO

263 MR. GBENGA ADU

264 ADEGUNLEHIN JOSHUA

265 IFEDAYO AYODELE FEMI

266 AANU OBEBE

267 AKOSILE ESTHER

268 DR. AKINBOLADE OMOSUWA

269 CHIEF ALADEKUGBE SOLA

270 HON. ADEBUSOYE JOSHUA .O

271 OLUWAROTIMI ILUYEMI

272 AYODELE JOHNSON

273 SAYO OGUNMADE

274 CHIEF OLATUNJI JOHN

275 SEGUN OMOYOFUNMI

276 NELSON MAFO

277 TALE ADEBAWO

278 SINA AKINMADE

279 SUNDAY AROGBO

280 YETUNDE ADEFUWA

281 DAVID OBAJULAYE

282 LAWSON AKINTOKUN

283 EVANG OLADOKU MOYEYE

284 BOSE OLOWODARA

285 EGBOWON BAYO

286 DR BELLO TITUS ABIODUN

287 OLATINPO OLANIYI OLUKAYODE

288 AMINU VINCENT

289 HON FEMI AGBEDE

290 MR GABRIEL ENIALOLA AYIMORO

291 MR. TEMITOPE SHABA

292 ELDER ADEGBOLA RUFUS

293 MR GBODE OJO

294 MRS OJULAYO IRETI IDEHEN

295 HON AJAYI JOHNSON ADEDAYO

296 MRS IRETI IDEHEN

297 TIMOTHY KOREDE

298 AREMO CHRISTOPHER

299 DESMOND KOLAWOLE

300 BUSAYO OGUNYEMI

301 HON. JEROME OLORUNYOLEMI AKINLOYE

302 MR. TOYIN ADEPOJU

303 FADARE AKINTOMIWA BABTUNDE

304 HON ADENUGBA A. LAWRENCE

305 HON. FADAMITAN SINA KUNLE

306 KEHINDE OMOYELE

307 PASTOR IGE SUNDAY ADETOYE

308 CHARLES ADEDEJI

309 KEHINDE TAIWO

310 FADARE AKINTOMIWA BABATUNDE

311 AKINBOYEDE BOSE

312 ADEDINNNI MICHEAL OLUWATOSIN

313 KOLA DAVIS

314 MRS AKINMUSOLA ELIZABERTH BOSEDE

315 THICK DEBO OBAZUAYE

316 EMMANUEL GBOTEMI IGIOWO

National

Amnesty International urges Nigeria to enact anti-mob violence laws

Amnesty International is calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to take action against mob violence by enacting anti-mob violence laws.

The human rights organisation’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, made this plea in their report, “Instantly Killed: How Law Enforcement Failures Exacerbate Nigeria’s Wave of Mob Violence,” presented on Monday in Abuja.

Sanusi emphasised the need for these laws to combat the growing trend of jungle justice in Nigeria.

According to Amnesty International, between January 2012 and August 2023, at least 555 people fell victim to mob violence in 363 documented incidents, character1sed by killings, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment.

“Mob violence has spread with impunity in Nigeria over the past decade.

“The surge in mob violence, including against women and children, has sparked nationwide calls for justice from victims, their families, and human rights advocates.

“Law enforcement failures have exacerbated the problem, highlighting the need for effective legislation.”

“To address this issue, Amnesty International recommends that the Nigerian government should take concrete steps to prevent mob violence, protect victims, and hold perpetrators accountable.”

He said addressing this includes enforcing existing laws, providing training for law enforcement, and promoting community-based initiatives to prevent violence

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Nigerians rejected your ideas in 2023 election; Presidency tells Atiku

The Presidency has hit back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.

The clash began after Atiku, in a statement on x, outlined what he claimed would have been a more effective approach to tackling Nigeria’s economic challenges.

Atiku criticised Tinubu’s handling of key reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies, and proposed a slower, more cautious rollout of economic policies.

He argued that his administration would have been more empathetic and better prepared to handle the fallout of such reforms.

“I am not the president, Tinubu is. The focus should be on him and not on me or any other. I believe that such inquiries distract from the critical questions of what President Bola Tinubu needs to do to save Nigerians from the excruciating pains arising from his trial-and-error economic policies,” he wrote.

Responding to this, Presidency, through the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said Atiku “tried to discredit President Tinubu’s economic reform programmes” while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.

The Presidency added that Nigerians rejected Atiku’s ideas in the 2023 election, claiming they his proposals lacked substance.

“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details, were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll,” Onanuga said.

The Presidency also claimed that if Atiku had been elected, his administration would have been riddled with corruption, citing Atiku’s alleged plans to sell key national assets to close associates.

“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism,”

“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends.”

The Presidency’s statement also took aim at Atiku’s tenure as vice president from 1999 to 2003 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of overseeing a “questionable privatization programme”

“He (Atiku) and his boss (Obasanjo) demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder,” he added.

“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.”

The Presidency also noted that despite Atiku’s futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement that “it is gratifying that the former VP could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.”

The presidency, however, defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, stating the president “met a country facing several grave challenges” with “fuel subsidies were syphoning away enormous resources” that it could not afford, as well as the “criminal arbitrage in the forex market.”

It stated, “No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.”

The Presidency also dismissed Atiku’s call for a “gradualist approach,” stating that it “only showed that he (Atiku) was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.”

“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser,” the presidency added.

“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.

“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.

“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”

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Tinubu to swear in seven new ministers on Monday—Presidency

Barring any last-minute changes, President Bola Tinubu is set to swear in seven new ministers tomorrow (Monday), marking a significant development in his administration’s restructuring efforts.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on his verified X handle on Sunday.

The new ministers, who were cleared by the Senate last week, will assume critical roles in various sectors under the President Tinubu-led administration after their inauguration.

The newly appointed ministers include Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment, and Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Other appointees are Dr. Jumoke Oduwole as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Trade and Investment), Idi Mukhtar Maiha as Minister of Livestock Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad as Minister of State for Education.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will swear in the new seven ministers tomorrow Monday. The Ministers are: Dr Nentawe Yilwatda – Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi – Minister of Labour & Employment; Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu – Minister of State Foreign Affairs.

“Others are Dr Jumoke Oduwole – Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Trade and Investment), Idi Mukhtar Maiha – Minister of Livestock Development; Yusuf Abdullahi Ata – Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development and Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad – Minister of State Education.

“The Senate cleared the ministers last week.”

This cabinet reshuffle comes amids months of growing calls from Nigerians for change and the need to put energy into the government.

President Tinubu’s administration has been working to address the country’s challenges, and these new appointments, according to Presidency officials, are expected to bring fresh perspectives and expertise to their respective ministries.

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Sanwo-Olu sues EFCC over alleged planned arrest, prosecution

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged threat to arrest, detain and prosecute him after his tenure as governor.

Sanwo-Olu, through his lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, filed the fundamental right enforcement suit before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja.

When the matter was called for mention on Tuesday, Ozurumba informed the court that he had withdrawn the earlier originating summons filed and replaced it with a new one.

The lawyer said the anti-graft agency had been duly served with the latest court documents.

However, EFCC’s counsel, Hadiza Afegbua, said she was yet to see the documents.

Besides, the proof of service of the processes was not in the court file and Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until Nov. 11 for further mention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024 dated and filed on June 6, the governor raised seven questions and sought 11 reliefs.

Sanwo-Olu sought a declaration that under and by virtue of the provisions of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, “the plaintiff, as a citizen of Nigeria, is entitled to right to private and family life as a minimum guarantee encapsulated under the Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, 1999 before, during and after occupation of public office created by the Constitution.”

He wants the court to declare that under and by virtue of the provisions of Sections 43 and 44(1) of the 1999 Constitution, he is entitled to acquire, own, operate and manage both moveable and immovable property.

This, he said, include bank accounts, as a minimum guarantee encapsulated under the constitution either before, during and after leaving public office of governor of a state.

He also wants the court to declare that upon community reading of the provisions of Sections 35(1) & (4) and 41(1) of the constitution, the threat of his investigation, arrest and detention by the EFCC  during his tenure of office as governor is illegal.

 He also said that the plan to arrest him was unconstitutional and a flagrant violation of his fundamental right to personal liberty and freedom of movement as guaranteed under Sections 35(1) & (4) and 41(1) of the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 ( as amended).

The governor prayed the court to declare that the incessant harassment, threat of arrest and detention, against him upon the EFCC’s instigation by his political adversaries based on false and politically motivated allegation of corruption is a misuse of executive powers and abuse of public office.

He further wants the court to declare it as an unwarranted Interference with his fundamental right to personal liberty, freedom of movement, fair hearing and equal protection of the law as guaranteed by the constitution and the Africa Charter on Human & Peoples’ Rights, CAP A9 LFN 2004.

Sanwo-Olu, therefore, sought an order restraining the EFCC from harassing, intimidating, arresting, detaining, interrogating or prosecuting him in connection with his tenure as the governor of Lagos State.

He also prayed the court to make an order prohibiting and restraining the commission “from seizing the properties, the international passport and travel documents of the plaintiff or freezing the bank accounts of the plaintiff, his family members or in any other way to further breach the plaintiff’s fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.”

He urged the court to make an order restraining the EFCC from inviting, arresting or detaining him in connection with his tenure as governor of the state or breach his fundamental rights to personal liberty, fair hearing, private and family life, freedom of movement, acquisition of moveable and immoveable property as enshrined in the laws

In the affidavit in support of the originating summons deposed to by Martha Kanu, a litigation secretary in the law firm, the lawyer said she was informed the facts by the governor at a tele-conference meeting which she believed to be true.

She alleged that as a way of getting at the governor, the EFCC was now making surreptitious plan to arrest some of his aides and family members based on the false and spurious allegations of diversion of funds.

She said the officials of the commission were now mounting pressure on some of the aides of the governor to come and make incriminating statements against him.

Besides, Kanu alleged that the anti-graft agency was also threatening to go after some contractors handling projects for the state government.

He said the agency was compelling them to come and make statements to implicate Sanwo-Olu of corruption as part of the orchestrated contrivance to build up a trump up case against him.

According to her, in a malicious attempt to get at the plaintiff, some of the plaintiff’s political adversaries in conjunction with some of the officials of the defendant are falsely ascribing to his administration of corrupt practices which are none existent.

She alleged that the EFCC, through some of its officials, were desperately inventing false, spurious and malicious allegations against the governor in order to use same as a basis for investigating, arresting and prosecuting him after leaving office as governor.

NAN reports that Sanwo-Olu was sworn in as the Governor of Lagos State on May 29, 2019 and was re-elected and sworn in again for a second term on May 29, 2023

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Why Police Can’t Help EFCC To Arrest Yahaya Bello — Onanuga 

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga says security agencies have not been able to arrest embattled former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello because of the “complicated” nature of the case.

Onanuga was a guest on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-economic programme aired on Channels Television.

In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Bello, who was Kogi governor from May 2015 to May 2023, wanted for alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2 billion.

The EFCC had at various times, stormed Bello’s residence in an attempt to arrest the former governor but his successor, Usman Ododo, had come to his rescue, whisking him away to his lodge.

The matter has been in court but the former governor has not appeared before the trial judge despite many adjournments.

Asked why police authorities can’t order orderlies attached to Ododo to arrest Bello, Onanuga said, “I think it’s a bit complicated. The EFCC is an agency of the Federal Government, and it wants to arrest Yahaya Bello. Yahaya Bello is hiding under the agbada (flowing robe) of the governor of Kogi State, his (Bello’s) successor, who happens to enjoy immunity.

“That’s the problem because if he (Bello) stays inside Governor Ododo’s house, the police cannot do anything because they will be violating that immunity that the man enjoys.

“It’s like a diplomat enjoying certain immunity, you cannot do anything about it. You remember in the UK when they were looking for the Wikileaks man and he went to hide in one embassy in Britain, there was nothing they (security agents) could do, they left him there. I think he later came out and they arrested him.

“It’s the same thing. Ododo enjoys immunity. Yahaya Bello is believed to be hiding there. They cannot storm the place and say they want to arrest him. That’s the problem of the EFCC, and the police cannot help the EFCC.”

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Onanuga Says Tinubu Bought Refurbished Jet, Not New One

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said, contrary to popular opinion, his principal, President Bola Tinubu, did not acquire a new official jet but a refurbished one.

“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane, it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property,” Onanuga said on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-economic programme aired on Channels Television.

He said some jets in the presidential fleet like a 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 purchased under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo are all in bad condition, and their maintenance costs were outrageous. Hence, instead of spending a bogus amount of money on aircraft maintenance, the President sought the approval of the National Assembly for a refurbished jet still in good condition.

Onanuga said the refurbished Airbus A330 would save Nigeria high maintenance costs in servicing the old aircraft.

Onanuga urged Nigerians to prioritise the President’s safety, noting that the newly acquired plane is Nigeria’s property, not Tinubu’s.

The presidential spokesman said Tinubu won’t take the just-acquired jet with him when he leaves office. Onanuga said the jet would also benefit Tinubu’s successor.

Onanuga said, “The president did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.

“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago.

“There was a time the President went to Saudi Arabia, that plane developed some problems and the President had to leave with a chartered jet to The Netherlands.”

‘Prioritise Tinubu’s Safety’

The presidential spokesman said he spoke with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, on the faulty plane and he said the maintenance costs because of the age of the plane were exorbitant hence the need for another plane.

“People should try to prioritise the safety of the president. I’m not sure anybody wishes our president to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.

While the Presidency has continued to defend Tinubu’s action to purchase the refurbished Airbus A330, the move has been criticised by many Nigerians and some of his contenders in the 2023 election, who felt the President was unfeeling to the plight of poor Nigerians grappling under the weight of unprecedented food inflation, and energy prices which have quadrupled in the last one year.

The health state of the Presidential Air Fleet has been a source of concern of late. In May, a faulty presidential jet stopped Vice President Kashim Shettima from attending the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa.

Last December, a presidential aircraft, the Falcon 900B, was put up for sale, with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) asking interested persons to submit their bids for the purchase of the aircraft.

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