Suspended Ningi demands reinstatement, threatens to drag Akpabio before NBA
Senator representing Bauchi Central, Ahmed Ningi, has spent a message to Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, requesting the removal of the current suspension imposed on him.
Ningi, who communicated with Akpabio through his legal representative, Femi Falana (SAN), said if his suspension was not revoked within the next week, he would take the matter to the Federal High Court.
On March 12, the Senate decided to suspend Ningi for a period of three months due to his statement alleging that the 2024 budget had been inflated by N3.7tn.
In the letter, Falana wrote: “On March 9, 2024, our client granted an interview to the BBC Hausa Service on the 2024 Appropriation Act.
“He expressed his views on the budget of the Federal Government in the exercise of his fundamental right to freedom of speech guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“Dissatisfied with the interview, you caused our client to be put on trial before the Senate on March 14, 2024 contrary to the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2018.”
Falana, in the letter, said the Senate President acted as the accuser, prosecutor and judge in the case, saying this was in utter violation of the provisions of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.”
Falana argued that apart from violating Ningi’s fundamental right to a fair hearing, the Senate also violated the right of the people of the Bauchi Central Senatorial District to representation in the Senate for three months.
“This is a breach of Section 111 of the Constitution and Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act,” the SAN said.
“As you are no doubt aware, the Federal High Court had struck down the suspension of some members of the Senate and the House of Representatives who had accused the leadership of both houses of budget padding, corruption or abuse of office.
“Specifically, the court declared the suspension of the affected legislators illegal and unconstitutional.
“As a senior lawyer, you (Akpabio) ought to have drawn the attention of the members of the Senate to these decisions and several others where the high courts of some states and the Court of Appeal have held that no parliament in Nigeria has the power to suspend or expel a legislator and confiscate his salaries and allowances.
“In view of the foregoing, you will agree with us that the suspension of Senator Ningi and the denial of his entitlements are illegal and unconstitutional in every material particular.
“We are compelled to request you to ensure that the said suspension is lifted forthwith.
“However, if you fail to accede to our request within seven days upon receipt of this letter, we shall not hesitate to pray the Federal High Court for the reinstatement of our client.
“We shall equally report you to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for treating the judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal with disdain.”
Suspended Ningi demands reinstatement, threatens to drag Akpabio before NBA
Newlywed Woman Remanded for Allegedly Stabbing Husband to Death Over Party Dispute in Kano
A Magistrates’ Court in Kano State has remanded a newlywed woman, Khadija Sa’idu, in a correctional facility over the alleged culpable homicide of her husband, Malam Auwal Adam, following a heated disagreement over her request to attend a social gathering. The court, presided over by Magistrate Haulatu Magaji Kankarofi, ordered the remand of the suspect after she was arraigned by the police on Thursday, August 20, 2026, for allegedly stabbing her husband in the chest and neck at their residence in Hayin Lawal, Rimin Kebe, Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.
According to the facts presented before the court, Khadija had sought her husband’s permission to attend a social gathering, but he reportedly refused to allow her to go. The prosecution alleged that following the disagreement, the suspect stabbed her husband in the chest while he was asleep on a couch at their residence. The victim, Malam Auwal Adam, was subsequently rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital for medical attention, where doctors reportedly confirmed his death from injuries sustained during the attack.
During Thursday’s proceedings, the prosecutor informed the court that the case file was still awaiting legal advice from the state counsel to determine the appropriate next step in the prosecution. Following the submission, Magistrate Kankarofi ordered that Khadija be remanded in a correctional facility. The court adjourned the matter until September 8, 2026, for further mention. The allegation against Khadija Sa’idu is yet to be determined by the court, and she remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This tragic incident is not an isolated case, as similar tragedies involving newly married couples have been reported across Nigeria. In a separate incident earlier this year, a housewife identified as Fatima allegedly stabbed her husband, Auwalu, to death barely two months after their marriage in Rimin Kebe quarters, Kano State. According to sources, the relationship had been strained, with claims that the marriage was not based on mutual affection. In another tragic case, a newlywed woman in Abia State, Sara Innocent, was arrested for allegedly stabbing her husband, Innocent Nwaoji, to death just eight months after their wedding in December 2025. The incident, which occurred on August 8, 2026, in Umuokereke Ngwa, Obingwa Local Government Area, left the community in shock as there had reportedly been no known disagreement between the couple before the incident.
Cases of domestic violence involving married couples have continued to raise concern across Nigeria, with authorities repeatedly urging families to seek peaceful ways of resolving conflicts instead of allowing arguments to turn deadly. The police say investigations into these cases are still ongoing, and suspects will face the full weight of the law. Gender-based violence remains a critical issue in Nigeria, and these tragic incidents highlight the need for improved conflict resolution mechanisms and support systems for couples in distress.
Newlywed Woman Remanded for Allegedly Stabbing Husband to Death Over Party Dispute in Kano
Asaba, Delta State – Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has made a surprising disclosure about the state’s salary structure, revealing that his monthly salary of ₦503,000 is significantly lower than the ₦900,000 earned by Permanent Secretaries in the state. He also disclosed that the Head of Service earns ₦1 million monthly, making it the highest-paid civil service position in Delta State. The governor made the revelation on Thursday during the inauguration of 12 four-bedroom terraced duplexes for Permanent Secretaries and the presentation of 12 official vehicles to newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in Asaba, the state capital. His remarks, captured in a video posted by ARISE TV on YouTube, have sparked widespread discussions about salary structures in the public service.
According to Oborevwori, the state government increased the salaries of Permanent Secretaries in response to their complaints that some Directors were earning almost the same amount as them. “When the Permanent Secretaries said most of the Directors are receiving almost the same thing with them, we increased their money. Today, Permanent Secretaries… Your salary is 900, my salary is 503,000, Governor’s salary. Head of Service is one million. It’s clear,” he said. The governor added with a touch of humour, “So, you know some of them don’t want their husbands to know how much they are receiving.”
The salary increase for top civil servants was part of a broader welfare package approved by the governor. In June 2026, Oborevwori approved over 50 per cent increment in the salaries of the Head of Service and Permanent Secretaries, alongside a threefold increase in cash prizes for outstanding public servants. This adjustment came after concerns were raised about salary compression, where Directors in the civil service were earning almost the same as their supervising Permanent Secretaries.
Oborevwori also announced that his administration had prioritised the welfare of civil servants, noting that 302 public officers had benefited from the Public Officers’ Vehicle Loan Scheme, while 119 others had accessed the Public Officers’ Housing Loan Scheme. Additionally, civil servants interested in agriculture have been provided with farm inputs to enable them to generate extra income while contributing to food production in the state. The governor stated that 450 senior management officers had been sponsored to participate in a seven-weekend training programme organised in partnership with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria.
The governor further disclosed that Delta State was among the first states to implement the new national minimum wage after consultations with relevant stakeholders, including the Head of Service, the Commissioner for Information, and the Nigeria Labour Congress. He also announced the approval of a 13th-month salary for civil servants in the state, scheduled to commence from December 2026. The governor disclosed that the state government is in the process of sending an executive bill to the Delta State House of Assembly to give this gesture legal backing. “So, it is something that is compulsory. By the time it has legal backing, even when I leave office in 2031, they will still be paying you your 13th month salary,” he said.
The governor noted that the appointment of the 12 Permanent Secretaries in May ensured that all 25 local government areas in Delta State are now represented at the Permanent Secretary level in the state civil service. He emphasised that the appointments were based strictly on merit and were not influenced by political recommendations. “The process was properly done. Not by saying, even the one that was appointed in my place, I don’t even know the person. All the Permanent Secretaries appointed, no one was recommended by anybody, but by merit,” he said.
The governor’s salary disclosure has generated mixed reactions. While some commend his transparency, others have questioned the salary structure that allows top civil servants to earn more than the state’s chief executive. Critics argue that the revelation highlights a disconnect between government officials and ordinary citizens struggling with the cost of living crisis, noting that millions of Deltans can barely afford a single meal a day amid skyrocketing food and fuel prices. Supporters, however, view the disclosure as a demonstration of the governor’s commitment to transparency and the welfare of civil servants, noting the various initiatives his administration has introduced to improve the lot of state workers.
Oborevwori urged civil servants and political appointees to shun absenteeism, nepotism, waste, inefficiency, bribery and corruption, while promising continued investment in infrastructure and measures to improve service delivery.
Atiku’s Fuel Subsidy Plan Unrealistic, Destructive, Says Presidency
The Presidency has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected president, describing the policy as fiscally unsustainable, retrogressive and incompatible with the changes that have taken place in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the position known in a statement on Thursday titled, “Restoring Petrol Subsidies: Atiku’s Volte-Face and Desperation for Power.”
Onanuga said Atiku’s position represented a departure from his previous stance against petrol subsidy, arguing that the former vice-president had now embraced the policy for political reasons ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, Atiku had previously advocated the removal of fuel subsidy but had now “opportunistically recanted” the position in an attempt to appeal to Nigerians facing economic hardship.
The presidential aide, however, said Atiku had the constitutional right to propose alternative policies, but insisted that Nigerians were entitled to know how a renewed subsidy regime would be funded and implemented.
He explained that petrol subsidy was not money sitting in government coffers for distribution to motorists, but rather the difference between the regulated pump price and the actual cost of supplying the product.
Onanuga said restoring the old system would require a new legal, fiscal and administrative framework, particularly because the Petroleum Industry Act had provided for the removal of petrol subsidy by the end of June 2023.
He argued that President Tinubu merely accelerated the implementation of a reform already contemplated under the PIA by announcing the subsidy removal in May 2023.
The presidential aide also said Nigeria’s petroleum industry had changed significantly since the removal of subsidy, particularly with the emergence of large-scale domestic refining capacity.
He cited the Dangote Refinery as a major development that had altered the dynamics of the downstream petroleum sector, arguing that the country was gradually moving away from dependence on imported refined products.
Onanuga warned that returning to a subsidised petrol regime could undermine investments in local refining and reverse the gains recorded in domestic production.
He further argued that subsidy restoration would raise questions about who would bear the financial burden of selling petrol below its economic cost.
“If petrol is sold below its economic cost, someone must absorb the difference,” he said, noting that the burden would ultimately fall on public finances through reduced allocations, increased borrowing, higher public debt or reduced spending on infrastructure and social services.
The Presidency also rejected claims that the removal of subsidy had created a N30tn windfall for the Federal Government, describing such a figure as inaccurate.
Onanuga said the government had instead benefited from reduced fiscal pressure following the discontinuation of petrol price discounts and reforms in the foreign exchange market.
He added that the three tiers of government shared about N3tn from the Federation Account in July, describing the development as evidence of improved government revenues.
According to him, the country’s transition towards domestic refining and locally processed petroleum products could conserve foreign exchange, strengthen energy security, create jobs and support industrial development.
The presidential aide acknowledged that the removal of subsidy had increased the cost of living and placed considerable pressure on households and businesses.
He said the Tinubu administration was pursuing alternative measures to reduce the impact of high energy costs, including the promotion of Compressed Natural Gas, which he described as significantly cheaper than petrol for transportation.
Onanuga urged political actors to provide Nigerians with detailed fiscal calculations whenever they proposed policies such as subsidy restoration.
He asked Atiku to explain the annual cost of the proposed subsidy, the revenue source that would finance it, whether the government would borrow to fund it and whether amendments to existing petroleum-sector laws would be required.
He also questioned how any new subsidy regime would be monitored to prevent the abuses and corruption associated with the previous system.
The Presidency maintained that Nigeria needed sustainable solutions to the rising cost of living rather than a return to what it described as an opaque and financially burdensome petroleum pricing system.
It called for a broader debate on economic policy, but insisted that such discussions must take into account the realities of Nigeria’s current petroleum market and the country’s growing domestic refining capacity.
“Political promises must be backed by fiscal arithmetic,” Onanuga said, urging all political actors, including Atiku, to present Nigerians with the full fiscal and legal implications of any proposal to restore petrol subsidy.
Atiku’s Fuel Subsidy Plan Unrealistic, Destructive, Says Presidency
