By Our Reporter

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has formally declared erstwhile Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, wanted over alleged criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds.

EFCC posted the wanted notice on its website today, Saturday, 9th May, 2026.

According to the anti graft body’s notice, Farouq, 52, is an indigene of Zamfara State, and her last known address is EN 008, Okpo River, off Agulu Street, Maitama, Abuja.

Signed by the Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the notice urged members of the public with information on her whereabouts to contact the commission.

“The public is hereby notified that Sadiya Umar Farouq, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in an alleged case of Criminal Conspiracy, Abuse of Office, Diversion of Public Funds.”

The commission further directed anyone with useful information to contact its offices in Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, or Abuja, or call 08093322644, or email info@efcc.gov.ng, or contact the nearest police station.

We recall that Farouq was Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023 whose tenure was dogged with several allegations of misappropriation of funds against it.

By Felix Umande from Makurdi

More than 13,000 refugees from Cameroon are currently residing in Benue State, placing additional pressure on already overstretched host communities, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management and Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA, Dr. James Iorpuu, has disclosed.

Speaking on Thursday during the distribution of food and other essential items to Internally Displaced Persons across 15 camps and host communities at the BSEMA headquarters in Makurdi, Iorpuu said the influx has adversely affected economic activities in receiving areas and called for immediate intervention from the Federal Government.

“The state is already grappling with its own insurgency and therefore needs Federal Government support,” he stated.

According to Iorpuu, the presence of thousands of Cameroonian refugees has intensified competition for limited resources, farmland, and market access in several border communities. He noted that while Benue continues to host displaced populations from internal conflicts, the added burden of cross-border displacement requires coordinated federal assistance to prevent further strain on local economies and social infrastructure.

He commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for sustained funding and unwavering support to BSEMA, saying the governor’s commitment has strengthened the state’s emergency response framework and enabled the agency to reach vulnerable populations more effectively.

“The consistent support of the Benue State Government remains a clear demonstration of leadership, compassion, and dedication to the welfare of displaced persons and affected communities,” Iorpuu said.

The BSEMA boss also revealed that the Benue State Government is collaborating with the International Organization for Migration and the National Emergency Management Agency to strengthen disaster risk reduction at the community level.

The partnership, he explained, will enhance local emergency management structures and provide critical training for grassroots volunteers, improving preparedness, resilience, and community-based response mechanisms during emergencies.

“Benue SEMA is pleased with the ongoing collaboration with IOM and NEMA to strengthen communities in Benue State on Disaster Risk Reduction,” he said.

Reaffirming the agency’s mandate, Iorpuu pledged that BSEMA would continue to discharge its duties with integrity, honesty, transparency, and accountability.

“We remain determined to serve humanity with compassion and dedication, ensuring that every support entrusted to us reaches the intended beneficiaries,” he assured.

He also lauded the resilience of displaced families in camps and host communities, noting that their determination to remain hopeful despite daily hardship continues to motivate humanitarian workers and stakeholders.

By Isaac Uzaan

In a political climate often defined by elite bargaining and backroom negotiations, a different kind of statement emerged from Benue State—one written not in rhetoric, but in genuine appreciation, sacrifice and hope.

Recently at the Old Banquet Hall of Government House, Makurdi, members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Benue chapter, and the Benue Motorcycle Owners Association (BEMOA), stepped forward with a gesture that has since resonated across the state’s political landscape: the joint purchase and presentation of the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for Governor Hyacinth Alia.

In monetary terms, the forms, valued at ₦50 million are significant. But in symbolic weight, they carry something far greater: a grassroots endorsement that money alone cannot manufacture.
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For many observers, the moment was not merely ceremonial. It was a reflection of a deeper political undercurrent—one where ordinary citizens, often marginalized in decision-making, chose to take ownership of the political process.

Pensioners, once described as “forgotten” and even “dead people” in the system, and commercial motorcyclists, whose daily earnings depend on the state of roads and security, are not typical political financiers. Their involvement shift the narrative, frankly, from partisanship motives to the demonstration of the mass’ appreciation, love and encouragement to go on with what he has started.

This was not a case of a group of politicians purchasing forms for their own to go for re-election. It was a case of those who mostly have no partisan interest but were out only to identify with their governor who is significantly different in the service of the state.

The chairman of the NUP in Benue State, Comrade Michael Terngu Vembe, captured the essence of this shift. He spoke of a past where retirees waited years to be placed on pension, recounting his own six-year ordeal. But today, he noted, new retirees are enrolled almost immediately, with their arrears and gratuities paid without lobbying, bribing or begging anyone. All issues are being addressed systematically. Therefore, for pensioners, the gesture was to signify what they think is most appropriate: reciprocity.

Similarly, for members of BEMOA, the improvements in road infrastructure and the broader economic environment have translated into tangible daily benefits: safer travel, reduced operational costs, and expanded access to livelihoods.

Their decision to contribute financially toward the governor’s re-election bid signals a rare alignment between policy impact and public sentiment.

In Nigeria’s democratic space, political support is often measured by rallies, endorsements, or defections. What unfolded in Makurdi introduces a different metric: shared ownership.

By pooling resources to purchase the forms, pensioners and okada riders effectively declared themselves stakeholders in the continuity of governance. It is a model that blurs the line between leadership and followership—where citizens are not just voters, but investors in leadership outcomes.

For Governor Alia, this kind of endorsement carries both political advantage and moral responsibility. It strengthens his position ahead of the 2027 elections, but it also raises expectations. Such support is not easily withdrawn.

Beyond Benue, the development sends a broader message to Nigeria’s political class: performance can inspire participation.

The gesture challenges a long-standing assumption that political loyalty must be negotiated through patronage. Instead, it suggests that when governance translates into visible, relatable impact—timely salaries, improved infrastructure, enhanced security—citizens are willing to go beyond passive support. They are willing to commit.

As the political season gradually takes shape, the implications of this moment will continue to unfold. Within the All Progressives Congress (APC), it positions Governor Alia as a candidate with demonstrable grassroots backing. Among the electorate, it reinforces a narrative of accessibility and responsiveness.

But perhaps its most enduring significance lies in what it represents: a redefinition of political engagement.

In Makurdi, the act of purchasing nomination forms became more than a procedural step in the electoral proces