metro
Omokri to el-Rufai: Your arrest fear a ruse
Omokri to el-Rufai: Your arrest fear a ruse
Former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir el-Rufai’s claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration plans to arrest and prosecute him is unfounded, a former presidential aide has said.
Reno Omokri said el-Rufai’s alarm was his habitual strategy of manipulating the public whenever he lost out in a power game.
The former governor recently raised the alarm that the federal government planned to arrest and prosecute him, insisting that he would not be intimidated into going into exile. He said he would remain in the country to lead the fight for good governance.
However, Omokri, in a statement, said el-Rufai was suffering from a persecution complex, noting that the former governor had accused past governments of targeting him.
He said: “The same Nasir el-Rufai, who falsely accused President Goodluck Jonathan of planning to kill him, is the same person now accusing President Bola Tinubu of wanting to arrest him. Indeed, the devil has no new tricks other than recycling the same old tired lies!”
Omokri contended that el-Rufai’s allegation was a veiled attempt to ward off ongoing investigations of his administration by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He explained that the former governor habitually manipulated public opinion to shield his shortcomings.
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He accused the former governor of politicising a legitimate criminal investigation, “If the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigates and finds him wanting for financial crimes, that is not a political action. That is purely a law enforcement incident, and the only defence against that would not be that ‘President Tinubu is after me.’ It would be that you are innocent.”
Digging into el-Rufai’s past, Omokri said the former governor would go to any length, including spreading false propaganda, to achieve his purpose.
He said: “On page 272 of ‘Power, Politics and Death: A Front-row Account of Nigeria Under the Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’, a former THISDAY editor and former President Umaru Yar’Adua’s spokesman, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, wrote, ‘On the way, Balat, himself a former minister in Obasanjo’s government, asked, ‘Segun, this cabal thing, were you a member?’ Before I could respond, former Federal Capital Territory minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who played a prominent role in the campaign that eventually brought Jonathan to power, interjected, ‘There was no cabal, we created the myth in the media to neutralize Turai (Yar’Adua’s wife).”
Omokri pointed out that el-Rufai spread the propaganda about a non-existent cabal while he was in exile for fear of criminal investigation by the President Yar’Adua administration.
“If el-Rufai could lie against a man on his deathbed and his devastated wife, who is President Tinubu that he cannot lie against?” he queried.
He dismissed the former governor’s claim that a former senator, Shehu Sani, had been recruited to destroy his (el-Rufai) reputation as unfounded.
He said, “Nasir el-Rufai was described by his boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as a known liar in his book, My Watch Volume 2. In that work, former President Obasanjo said, ‘Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological. Why does he do it? I recognised his weaknesses, the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently, but only to Nasir el-Rufai.
“He barefacedly lied, which he did to me against his colleagues and so-called friends. I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who was like his foster father in the African setting. I shuddered when I heard what he did to his half-brother in the Air Force, who is senior to him in age.”
Omokri to el-Rufai: Your arrest fear a ruse
metro
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.
Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.
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According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.
The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
metro
Delta State Police Recover Arms, Arraign 18 Suspects in Crackdown on Cultism, Violent Crimes
Delta State Police Recover Arms, Arraign 18 Suspects in Crackdown on Cultism, Violent Crimes
The Delta State Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, has made significant strides in its ongoing campaign against cultism and violent crimes. Recent operations, including an intelligence-led arms recovery in Abraka and the arraignment of 18 suspects, highlight the command’s intensified enforcement efforts across the state.
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Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe said on Saturday that the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), under ASP Julius Robinson, executed a successful operation on December 6, 2025, targeting cult-related activities and the proliferation of illegal firearms. Acting on credible intelligence, officers conducted a coordinated search at No. 2 Umeghe Community, Abraka, the residence of Isiakpere Friday, 67.
The move underscores the Delta State Police’s commitment to restoring safety and security in communities affected by criminal and cult-related activities.
Delta State Police Recover Arms, Arraign 18 Suspects in Crackdown on Cultism, Violent Crimes
metro
Nigerian Army Suspends Retirements for Officers Amid Nationwide Security Emergency
Nigerian Army Suspends Retirements for Officers Amid Nationwide Security Emergency
The Nigerian Army has temporarily frozen both statutory and voluntary retirements for certain officers, including Generals, following the nationwide security emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu. The decision aims to bolster manpower as the country faces a surge in kidnappings and worsening insecurity.
The move comes after more than 600 abduction cases were reported in November 2025, including the kidnapping of over 300 students in Niger State, 38 worshippers in Kwara State, and 25 students in Kebbi State.
An internal circular dated December 3 and signed by Maj. Gen. E. I. Okoro on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff cited provisions in the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service Officers (HTACOS) 2024, allowing service extensions “in the interest of the service.” The memo explains that officers usually retire upon reaching age limits, completing 35 years of service, or failing promotion/conversion boards, but these rules can be overridden during national emergencies.
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The suspension affects officers who have:
- Failed promotion examinations three times
- Been passed over repeatedly at promotion boards
- Reached rank age limits
- Failed conversion boards thrice
- Completed 35 years of service
Officers granted extensions will remain in service but will not be eligible for further promotions, courses, secondments, or extra-regimental appointments. Those unwilling to continue can still proceed with standard exit procedures.
Commanders have been instructed to communicate the directive and manage morale across units, with the policy to be reviewed once national security conditions improve.
Nigerian Army Suspends Retirements for Officers Amid Nationwide Security Emergency
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