General News
Unpaid contracts: Reps Request Payment Details From Account-General
The House of Representatives has mandated the Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi to provide the spreadsheet detailing the payments made to contractors as a part of the N2.4 trillion approval for payment by the government for project implementation.
The demand followed the confirmation by the Office of the Accountant-General that about N2.4 trillion has been approved for payment to contractors.
Similarly, the parliament also charged the contractors on projects authenticity, emphasizing the need for scrutiny to ensure that payments were made for legitimate and completed projects, stressing the contractors must ensure that projects paid for were “jobs well done” and not just for “a piece ofj paper or a certificate of completion.”
The aim essentially is to prevent situations where payments are made for projects that do not benefit citizens.
The Parliament spoke through its Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Budget implementation, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR after a marathon meeting with the leadership and membership of the Association of Indegenous Contractors of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.
Recall that on the heels of the street protests previously embarked upon by the contractors over months of unpaid fees after project implementation, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON set up the committee to interface with all the parties and stakeholders involved.
The Committee first met on September 4, 2025 and brokered a truce, necessitating the payment of 25% of the fees.
It later announced of a subsequent appraisal meeting on September 21, 2025.
At the meeting on Sunday, September 21, 2025the Director of Funds in the Office of the Accountant-General confirmed that N2. 4 trillion had been approved for payment.
He also revealed that the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun has further approved an extra N760 billion for warrant and cash backing for the remaining months, bringing the total to about N3.1 trillion.
The Deputy Speaker who chaired the House Committee expressed commendation for the government’s approvals for payment of contractors amidst economic stress.
Briefing Journalists at the end of the session that lasted about 4 hours, Kalu said that a follow-up meeting has been scheduled for October 5, 2025 for further appraisal of the agreement between the government and contractors.
He said: “You may recall we had the first meeting on the 4th of Septembe, born out of the desire to attend to what took them to the streets, because they were protesting, blocking the Ministry of Finance.
For days, they were on the streets and we needed to show them that we are the People’s Parliament, that what bothers them, bothers us. So, the House, in the wisdom of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, PhD, decided that I should chair a committee, a special committee, to look at what was the issue with the payment of these contractors.
“So, we decided to use the instrument of legislative diplomacy to do an intervention, which actually worked. We succeeded in getting them out of the streets after so much negotiation on the phone, and we brought them here and hosted them with an invitation extended to the Ministry of Finance.
The Minister of Finance was here himself. The Accountant General was here himself. The Permanent Secretary of Special Duties in the Ministry of Finance, all of them were here. And we were able to narrow the problem of the contractors into three areas.
“So, we decided that we’ll be gathering again in two weeks, which is today, to have an appraisal of how compliance has been done on both sides. Indigenous contractors of Nigeria are leaving the streets, not going back to the streets, and not protesting, and on the side of the government, taking steps to fulfill those three issues that we agreed to take care of.
“So, today, the Ministry of Finance was represented by the legal adviser, and the Accountant General’s office was represented by the Director of Funds, as well as the Chief of Staff to the Accountant General, only because the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General were invited to the Villa to take care of issues, also on the bid to proffer solutions to this problem that we ae handling. So they apologized but monitored the session through the phone.
“During the appraisal, we were able to find out that, according to them, 25% of the payments as agreed have been done within the two weeks, and they also said nothing has been done about the cash back and the warrant for the remaining months that they complained about, but they accepted that on the issue of batch numbers, the Ministry and the Accountant General have complied in full, 100% which means the batch number issue has been removed, 25% have been achieved within two weeks, and the cash back and the warrant was not handled.
“We invited the bureaucrats to respond to that, and they said, yes, they have about N2.4 trillion that was approved for payment, and out of this amount, they have paid up, leaving only 160 billion unpaid out of N2.4 trillion. It’s commendable by this government to have approved such an amount of money, and that in one year phase of our stress, economic stress, for the government to approve N2.4 trillion for payment of contractors is a great step towards the right direction, and I thank the President through the Minister of Finance.
“But in addition, he stated that approval has been granted for the third issue, which was the warrant and cash backing of the remaining months, which they said has not been taken care of, that was at zero percent level. So that also gladdened their heart that the administration, beyond approving what they requested, which was May and June cash backing and warrants, that the administration, through the Minister of Finance, has approved warrant and cash backing from May, June, July, August, even up to September, the month that we are in. And when they were asked for how much, they said they have about extra N760 billion approved to take care of what is outstanding within this, in addition to the N2.4 trillion, which is bringing it to about N3.1 something trillion.
“Within eight or nine months of this government, under the reform we are going through, and the stress we are going through, to be able to approve this amount of money for the payment of contractors shows that the government is a listening government. So, they left here today feeling satisfied that steps are being taken in the right direction, that we have not gotten there yet, but we are taking steps to get there.
“But one of the things I sent them with was my charge to the Accountant General’s office to give us the spreadsheet of those they have paid. We need to see how the government has paid N2.4 trillion, and see people who are still standing on the street saying that the government is not paying. It’s not giving the government a good image. How can we pay N2.4 trillion into the system and the same contractors are on the street? So, we want to verify and investigate to know whether these are the people who are paid, or the people who are claiming that they have worked.
“I gave them a charge also: on the part of the government, we are putting the pressure on government to pay up, but on their part, they should ensure that what the government is paying for is a job well done. The government is not paying for a piece of paper or a certificate of completion when the jobs are not done. We told them it would be wickedness to claim that a hospital has been built and lives have been lost because there’s no hospital to attend to people, that schools have been built when students are learning under trees, that roads, farm roads, have been built when post-harvest destruction is still on the increase because there’s no way to bring those things down.
“That was my charge to them, so that let us demand what we have worked for, because the principle of ‘let him that work, let him be paid’ should apply. But at the same time, we don’t want ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’—people who have done nothing are paid, and people who are doing something are not paid”
General News
Mother Subjects Daughter to Abuse, Admits: “I made $300 from my 8-yr-old daughter’s pornographic video’
By Nick Ibe
The viral video on the social media involving an 8-year old girl whose ordeal was caused by her money loving mother has been arrested.
The arrest was facilitated by vigilante police operatives in the area, as well as bloggers and residents who provided information that assisted the investigation leading to the arrest of her 36-year-old mother, Anulika Onyeanusia, Onitsha, Anambra state.
According to the police, the Anambra State Police Command arrested her over alleged child pornography in Onitsha, by uploading a video involving her eight-year-old daughter on a pornographic platform to make money.
Onyeanusia, after the arrest, reportedly, told investigators that the highest amount she had made from uploading such content was $300.
The suspect also disclosed that the eight-year-old girl seen in the video is her second child, while preliminary investigation by the police allegedly revealed that she had also subjected her first daughter to similar acts and uploaded the content on a pornographic platform.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly blamed the act on the devil, telling police: “It is the devil, please forgive me” while adding that her husband was unaware of what she had allegedly been doing to their two daughters.
The arrest followed the circulation of a video showing the woman allegedly using sex toys on the eight-year-old girl. The video prompted police operatives to act on what the command described as open-source intelligence and traced the suspect.
In the disturbing footage, the girl could be heard crying and pleading with her mother to stop as the alleged abuse continued. The police said the video showed the suspect allegedly engaging in the act while apparently producing the content for an online audience.
During the operation, which was carried out on Thursday evening, the command said four children, aged two, three, six and nine years, were rescued.
The Police also disclosed that sex toys and other items believed to be relevant to the investigation were recovered from the suspect.
The command said investigation was ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged abuse and determine whether other persons were involved.
Spokesman for the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect and rescue of the children, said, ” The suspect is currently in police custody as the Command intensifies its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence and the possible involvement of other persons. The husband of the suspect is also undergoing interrogation to determine whether he has any connection with the alleged offence.
“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji, who is deeply disturbed by the alleged act, described it as unacceptable, particularly because it involves the exploitation and abuse of children who are incapable of protecting themselves. He has therefore directed a thorough and professional investigation while ensuring that the rescued children receive appropriate care and protection.
“To this end, the Command notes that beyond the investigation and prosecution, its priority is the safety, dignity and wellbeing of the rescued children.
“The Command will work with the appropriate child-protection and relevant support agencies to ensure that the victims receive the necessary care, protection, counselling and other support required for their recovery. Their identities and privacy will be protected throughout the process, and they will be treated with compassion and sensitivity.
“The Command also commends the vigilante operatives in the area, as well as bloggers and residents who provided information that assisted the investigation and led to the arrest of the suspect”, he stated.
General News
Lawyer Assaulted by Police: NBA Gboko Branch Secures N500 Million General and Exemplary Damages in Makurdi Court
By Our Reporter
In the pursuit of justice for a colleague, B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq., who was recently assaulted and battered by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gboko Branch, under the leadership of Felix Uwar, Esq., on Friday, 11th September, 2026 obtained judgement in favour of its member.
The facts which impregnated the suit that delivered the sweet victory are that, sometime in May, 2026, a client retained the legal services of B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. to secure his bail at Koti-Mbaduku, Shangev-Ya, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
On arrival at the police outpost, the officer in-charge, one Inspector Terngu Ikyuur, demanded for money as a condition for the bail of the said client. Confused, the learned Iliamkondo, Esq. requested to know why he had to pay for bail when it was statutorily free of charge whereupon the police officer got infuriated and ordered him to vacate the police outpost immediately or face being implicated in his client’s cause. Mr. Iliamkondo then made to deliver his written application for the bail of his client but the officer instead seized him by the shirt, stalked him to the ground and cramped him into detention alongside his client and other inmates.
The following day, Inspector Terngu Ikyuur brought Mr. Iliamkondo out of the detention facility and forced him to carry on his head a bucket of faeces and urine passed over night by inmates. The officer compelled him to sing that he was a-charge- and-bail lawyer as he marched Mr. Iliamkondo around the community with a loaded gun pointed at his head all the while, threatening to kill him if he stopped marching.
Upon the intervention of his learned friends, Iliamkondo was later released after being brutalized and stripped half-naked by the police Inspector. Aggrieved, the NBA Gboko Chairman, Uwar, Esq., quickly empanelled a team of lawyers to secure the enforcement of fundamental rights of their learned friend. The team had: I. S. Gese, Esq. ; F. M. Z. Uwar, Esq.; Bem-Ephraim Orlunan Ayati, Esq. ; T. I. Tur, Esq.; S.L.Puusu, Esq. ; B. I. Aker,Esq.; G. M. Jimin, Esq. ; S. S. Gbileve, Esq. ; C. M. T. Uwar, Esq. ; F. Tyoyima, Esq. ; B. E. Atser, Esq. ; and M. I. Tagher, Esq.
The team instituted SUIT NO: MHC/4110M / 2026 before the Benue State High Court of Justice, sitting at Makurdi with B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. as the Applicant against Inspector Terngu Ikyuur; CSP Banfa U. Nanzing; Commissioner of Police, Benue State; Inspector General of Police; Police Service Commission; and Nigeria Police Force as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Respondents, respectively.
In his judgement delivered on September 11, 2026, Hon. Justice M. M. Ikwulono, upheld the application and entered judgement in favour of the Applicant, Agugu Iliamkondo Benson Bemsen, Esq.
The Court awarded general and exemplary damages in his favour and against the Respondents in the sum of Five Hundred Million Naira (₦500, 000,000.00) only for the violation of his fundamental rights by the police.
The Court also Ordered the police to author and publish an apology to the Applicant in national newspapers with nation-wide circulation, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Applicant.
But besides the court ruling, the NBA has reportedly caused a formal petition to be written against Inspector Terngu Ikyuur and his DPO, CSP Banfa U. Nanzing, for discreet disciplinary action against them.
In their response to the outcome of the matter, the legal team said: “On our part as the legal team, we salute this judgement as sound in law, compensatory to our learned friend and deterrent against the police.
“We equally thank the Chairman of the Gboko Branch of the NBA, Uwar, Esq., under whose watch he ensured that our learned colleague’s humiliation got the justice that he deserves.”
At the time of filing this report, the NPF had yet to react to the judgment.
By Felix Umande
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has strongly condemned the deadly attack on Ayilamo Community in Logo Local Government Area, describing it as a “despicable act” and a grave threat to peace and security in the state.
The attack, which occurred on Wednesday night, claimed the lives of four police officers and seven civilians, while thousands were displaced.
In a statement on Thursday signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, the Governor said the killing of law enforcement officers “is particularly painful and underscores the enormous sacrifices being made by security personnel in the line of duty.”
“This despicable act is an attack on the peace-loving people of Ayilamo and a grave threat to the security and stability of Benue State,” Governor Alia stated.
He described the incident as “a disturbing reminder of the persistent insecurity and repeated attacks on vulnerable communities and law-enforcement officers in the area.”
Governor Alia extended heartfelt condolences to the people of Ayilamo, the families of all victims, and the entire Logo LGA community.
He also commiserated with the Inspector-General of Police and the Benue State Commissioner of Police over the loss of the four officers.
“We honour their courage and sacrifice and pray that God grants their families, colleagues, and loved ones the strength to bear this irreparable loss,” the Governor added.
The Governor commended the Department of State Services for the “prompt and professional operation” that led to the arrest of three suspects allegedly connected to the Ayilamo attack in Benue and Nasarawa States.
He described the arrests as “a significant step towards uncovering the full circumstances of the incident and bringing those responsible to justice.”
“We urge the DSS to intensify its investigation and make the best use of the information obtained from the suspects in its custody,” Governor Alia said.
Governor Alia assured that his administration will continue to collaborate with security agencies to strengthen security in Ayilamo, Logo, and other vulnerable communities across the state.
He appealed to residents of Ayilamo and surrounding areas to “remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding,” and to provide credible information to security agencies.
“We remain resolute in our determination to protect lives and property, uphold justice, and restore lasting peace across Benue State,” the Governor assured.
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