The organised labour in Cross River has directed state civil servants to return to work on Wednesday.

The directive is contained in a statement issued by the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Mr Monday Ogbodum, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

Ogbodum stated that the directive followed the success of the two-day warning strike over the government’s non-implementation of the new minimum wage.

According to him, negotiations between the state government and labour would resume on Thursday.

“The strike committee wants to thank all workers for their total compliance in the just concluded warning strike from Sunday midnight, November 24 toTuesday, November 26.

“This demonstrates our collective resolve to ensure that our workers get their due.

“We appreciate your resilience, not minding the excruciating working conditions we are subjected to.

“It is our firm belief that together we can move mountains,” the statement added.

It would be recalled that the workers had embarked on the warning strike, after the negotiation between labour and the government brokedown.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello after honouring the invitation of the commission over an alleged misappropriation of funds.

Bello went to the office with his lawyers on Tuesday morning, following the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed states’ cases on the constitutionality of the anti-graft agency.

The former governor drove himself in a black Hilux to the EFCC office with his lawyers and was still being held by operatives of the commission at the time of this report.

At the last hearing on November 14, the EFCC sought an adjournment until November 27 in the fresh case it instituted against Bello, saying that the 30-day window was still running for the summons issued earlier.

The Delta State Police Command has arrested three suspects accused of targeting ‘runs girls’ in clubs, robbing them, and sexually assaulting them.

The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, disclosed this on Tuesday, revealing that the suspects use a deceptive strategy to lure their victims.

According to Edafe, the suspects approach young women, most especially prostitute commonly referred to as runs girls, in clubs.

Edafe revealed that the suspects would engage with their victims by dancing, drinking in clubs, negotiate prices, and pretend to take them to a hotel.

He added that instead, they would divert the girls to a bush, rob them, transfer money from their bank accounts, and rape them.

“These three suspects operate in two folds. They go to clubs, carry runs girls, dance and drink with them, negotiate prices and take them out pretending that they are going to the hotel, they later divert these young girls to the bush, Rob them, transfer all their money from their bank account and Rape them. As usual, they regret their actions and pray for a second chance.” Edafe tweed.

In a video shared alongside his tweet, Edafe also explained that the suspects operate as a one-chance syndicate, targeting only young girls.

“They operate in two dimension. One is they pretend like they are transporters. Look for vulnerable young girls. They don’t target men. They target young girls. Pretend like they want to carry them. They will carry them as passengers. When they get to about 100 meters, another of their gang member will be waiting.

‘ They will now enter and they will now put the girl, the lady in their middle, drive them to a lonely road at times, to the bush, collect their phone, enter their mobile app, transfer all the money they have, collect their phones at times. They even rape these ladies.”

Edafe noted that one victim, although unwilling to speak publicly due to fear, had been identified.

“We have one of the victim with us, though she’s scared that she does not want to talk, and you know, we cannot compel her to talk. No, we have the suspect here, and they will tell us what they do what they do, how they do it and why they do it.”

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Wale Ajetunmobi for misrepresenting facts.

The Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

“Ajetunmobi was suspended following the misrepresentation of facts on his personal X account on a past incident,” Akosile said.

Akosile then reiterated that the Sanwo-Olu administration frowns at any form of extrajudicial punishment and will not be a part of any such action, adding, “That is not who we are. That is not our way.”

Ajetunmobi had shared on X that some of the hoodlums who burnt down TVC headquarters in Lagos during the #EndSARS protests of October 2020 have been “hunted down and executed.”

When an X user asked to know if he meant that extrajudicial killings were carried out against the arsonists, Ajetunmobi denied making such a claim.

“Lol… you want to create a narrative in your head. What is extrajudicial killing here? Some of the people were chased by soldiers and exchange of fire occurred.

“Then, arsonists were overpowered and killed in the process. Others ran away. Is that an extrajudicial killing to you?” he replied.

Governor Dikko Radda on Monday presented a budget estimate of N682.2 billion for the 2025 fiscal year to the Katsina State House of Assembly.

Tagged ‘Budget of Consolidation’, the fiscal estimate has an increase of N200.5 billion or 40 percent more than the N454.3 billion expenditure total for 2024.

Radda said Capital Expenditure of the budget estimate stands at N524.2 billion or 76.8 percent of the total estimate, while Recurrent Expenditure is expected to gulp N157.9 billion or 23.1 percent of the total fiscal expenditure.

He said the economic sector is expected to gulp N302.2 billion or 44.3 percent of the total budget, Administration to take N98.2 billion (14.4 percent), Law and Justice, N6.2 billion (0.9 percent), and Social Sector, N275.5 billion (40.4 percent).

Giving a specific breakdown for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDA), the governor said the Education sector would take N96 billion (14%), Agriculture and Livestock, N81.8 billion (12%), and Works, Housing and Transport, N9.6 billion (10%).

Others are Rural and Social Development, N58.7 billion (9%), Water Resources, N53.8 billion (8%), Environment, N49.8 billion (7%), Health, N43.8 billion (6%), Internal Security and Home Affairs, N18.7 billion (3%), and Others, N230.7 billion (31%).

Radda said Recurrent Revenue stands at N381.3 billion, and that the budget is expected to be funded by federal allocation (FAAC) of N316.9 billion, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N64.4 billion, Aids and Grants of N126.4 billion, and Capital Development Fund of N154.4 billion.

The Speaker, House of Assembly, Nasiru Yahaya assured lawmakers would carefully analyse the budget draft, conduct effective oversight, and monitor the implementation of the developmental projects outlined in the estimate once it is approved.

Yahaya said the Legislative arm would continue to work together with the Executive arm to ensure timely implementation of policies and programmes that would better the lot of the citizenry.

Troops of Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), in collaboration with the Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have thwarted an attack on the Kukawa community in Borno State.

According to the task force, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists used a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) to ambush the soldiers.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama on Monday in Maiduguri that the terrorists launched their attack with the SVBIED, but the troops swiftly responded.

Soldiers of the 101 Special Forces Battalion thereafter killed the bandits in an ensuing fierce gun battle.

Additionally, he added that other surviving insurgents were forced to abandon their rifles and logistic supplies, fleeing towards Lake Chad.

Makama reiterated that the troops received aerial support from the Air Component of OPHK, which carried out precision airstrikes on the retreating ISWAP terrorists.

Besides the airstrikes, he added that the reinforcement of the special forces battalion has helped consolidate military dominance, forcing the terrorists to retreat in disarray.

The troops also recovered several fighting equipment during the coordinated military operations in the Lake Chad region.

Military intelligence sources warned that ISWAP may attempt to regroup by potentially targeting reinforcements or military posts with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

He, therefore, urged the troops to maintain heightened vigilance.

“This is in anticipation of a possible attack on the military base at Malam Fatori, a border community with Niger in Borno State,” said Makama.