General News
Tinubu working assiduously to engender responsible borrowing to address Nigeria’s public debt – Speaker Abbas
…Advocates stronger oversight to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda for sustainable growth
By Saint Mugaga, Abuja
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is working assiduously to address Nigeria’s public debt through a non-oil revenue drive.
This is even as the Speaker noted that public debt, if well utilised, can engender growth and development in any country.
He said Nigeria could leverage responsible borrowing for sustainable development as demonstrated by the Tinubu administration.
“Indeed, public debt, when managed prudently, can be a tool for growth and prosperity. Yet, when left unchecked, it becomes a burden that erodes economic stability and threatens the welfare of future generations,” Speaker Abbas noted.
The Speaker said while delivering his keynote address in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC). He was represented at the event by the Leader of the House, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere.
The Public Accounts Committee of the House, with the support of WAAPAC and international development partners, organised the event with the theme ‘Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Debt: The Role of Finance and Public Accounts Committees.’
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, noted that the Speaker’s remarks were not a call to reject borrowing outright but reflected a responsible approach to debt management—one that ensures that borrowing translates into real value for Nigerians.
This, the statement noted, aligns squarely with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises fiscal discipline, prudent resource management, and channeling funds into critical areas like infrastructure, education, green energy, and social welfare.
Last week, President Tinubu announced during a meeting with the stakeholders of The Buhari Organization in Abuja, Nigeria, had met its revenue target for 2025 ahead of schedule and would no longer rely on borrowing to fund its budget.
The President also said his administration’s non-oil revenue drive had yielded enough to meet this year’s projections by August, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on external loans.
“Today I can stand here before you to brag: Nigeria is not borrowing. We have met our revenue target for the year, and we met it in August,” the president said.
At the WAAPAC event, the Speaker emphasised the “need for stronger oversight, transparent borrowing practices, and a collective resolve to ensure that tangible economic and social returns match every naira borrowed.”
He added, “When we examine the sources of Africa’s external financing, it becomes clear that the weight of debt on our continent is shaped by whom we borrow from and on what terms. Today, Western private lenders hold about 35 percent of Africa’s government debt through banks, asset managers, and oil traders.
“Multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank and the IMF, account for another 39 percent, while bilateral loans from other governments comprise 13 percent. Chinese creditors, despite much of the public debate, hold only 12 percent.
“To place this in sharper focus, in 2019, bondholders alone represented 27 percent of Africa’s external debt, making them the single largest creditor group, ahead of China at 13 percent.”
Speaker Abbas stated that if Africa is to grow stronger, the countries must not only negotiate fairer terms of borrowing but also rethink their dependence on external finance.
“We must channel more energy into mobilising domestic resources, fostering intra-African trade, and creating financial instruments that serve the continent’s own development priorities. Only then can we move from vulnerability to resilience, and from dependency to true economic sovereignty,” he said.
The Speaker stated that the conference could not have come at a more opportune time, “as our nations face mounting fiscal pressures that demand stronger legislative oversight of public debt and borrowing.”
He also noted that the theme “speaks directly to the urgency of safeguarding our financial future,” stressing that it “goes to the very heart of democratic governance and sustainable development.”
Speaker Abbas said, “Therefore, oversight of public debt is a democratic duty and a moral responsibility of the legislature. Our parliaments must ensure that every borrowing decision reflects prudence, transparency, and the collective interest of our citizens.
While noting that the implications of this debt structure are far-reaching, the Speaker said a “significant share of our national revenues is tied to debt servicing rather than being invested in the things our people need most: roads, schools, hospitals, and innovation.”
He added that the high cost of commercial loans, coupled with the burden of repayment in foreign currencies, leaves many African economies vulnerable to market shocks. “This narrows fiscal space, constrains domestic policy choices, and slows the pace of sustainable development,” he said.
–Plaintiff Fined N20m
By Son Tertsea, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over byJustice Peter Lifu today dismissed a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Lifu while delivering the Judgement also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi in favour of the ex-president.
The further awarded a 1 million fine against the plaintiff in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
He held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year’s poll.
The judge added that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, and he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.
The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process”.
Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivoloud was equally dismissed.
Before this judgment, Lifu had awarded a N1 million fine against Jideobi in favour of the ex president for lack of due diligence in the prosecution of the matter.
Jideobi had sued Jonathan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and AGF as the 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.
The former president Jonathan first assumed power in 2010 after the death of ex-President Musa Yar’Adua. The Bayelsa-born politician served as vice president under Yar’Adua.
A year later, he contested and won the 2011 presidential election. But in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated him, the first time an incumbent had lost a presidential election since the return of democracy in 1999.
Since then, there have been calls on him to run in the 2027 polls even though the former president has moved away from partisan politics since his exit.
Following calls for him to join the race, Jonathan told youths under the Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan that he would consult before deciding on the matter.
“Yes, you are asking me to come and contest the next elections,” the former president told the group when members visited him in Abuja.
“The presidential race is not a computer game, but I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely.”
The ravaging effects of cybercrime on society have convinced Kogi State Government for the mounting of Anti-Internet Fraud Campaign Clubs in schools and tertiary institutions across the state. The effort is to combat cybercrime and promote ethical values among youths.
Governor Usman Ododo made the call during the official flag-off of the Kogi Anti-Internet Fraud Campaign at the Government House, Lokoja, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Arike.
He emphasised the need for parents, schools, religious institutions, and community leaders to support government efforts in tackling internet fraud, warning that poor moral upbringing and the quest for quick wealth were damaging societal values.
“The system is going bad, and it is in our hands to correct it,” while advocating the creation of anti-fraud clubs in schools to promote awareness among students.
Earlier, the Convener of the campaign and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Fraud and Internet Matters, Oluseyi Eleta, said the initiative was designed to protect the image and future of Kogi State.
Intelligence and talent become dangerous when not guided by integrity, he said, urging youths to use the digital space for innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment rather than cybercrime.
CP Nathaniel Diton, while speaking for ICPC, identified pressure, opportunity, and rationalisation as major factors encouraging fraudulent behaviour.
In a lecture entitled, “Internet Fraud and the Nigerian Youth: The Way Forward,” Diton urged youths to embrace ethical means of livelihood and warned against defending corruption based on ethnic or social sentiments.
Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, advised against seeing the state based on the activities of a few internet fraudsters, saying Kogi people as intelligent, dynamic, and hospitable.
Fanwo blamed some parents for indirectly encouraging internet fraud by accepting expensive gifts from unemployed children without questioning the source of the money.
The commissioner added that the state government was developing innovation hubs to help youths channel their digital skills into legitimate ventures.
He donated ₦100,000 to Great Onize Suleiman of GYB Model School for her brilliant performance at the occasion.
On their part, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Helen Adebirimibe, and the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Taiye Abanika, called on parents to make sacrifices for the future of their children while encouraging youths to make productive use of the internet.
GYB Model School and Faith Academy students presented papers which exposed the dangers of internet fraud on individuals, families, and society.
Government officials, students, security agencies, and education stakeholders, present were united in the call for stronger moral values and collective action against cybercrime for a better Kogi State.
General News
Calls for Justice Groe Over Death of 17-Year-old in Makurdi as Activist Alleges Polive Cover-up
Police say suspect died after gunfire exchange; family demands independent probe
By Felix Umande, Makurdi
Outrage is mounting in Benue State over the death of 17-year-old Atser Sesugh, with civil society voices demanding a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Benue-based activist and humanitarian, Ukan Kurugh has accused the Benue State Police Command of attempting to manipulate the narrative and protect powerful interests.
In a statement circulated online, Kurugh alleged that the teenager was killed “in broad daylight” before witnesses, and said the family was being subjected to further pain through what he called “careless lies” and “shameless attempts to twist the truth.”
“A young boy died, a mother is crying herself to sleep. A family has been thrown into permanent pain yet your priority is propaganda instead of justice,” Kurugh said, directing criticism at the Police Public Relations Officer, Dsp. Udeme Edet.
He further alleged that the police were trying to shield influential figures while ordinary citizens suffer, adding that “no official statement can suppress the voice of innocent blood.”
The controversy follows a press release issued by the Benue State Police Command detailing its version of events.
According to the command, on 28th April 2026, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi, arrested three suspects—James Onuh, Atser Sesugh, and Solomon Aondoakura Orhena—in connection with alleged fraud and cybercrime. The suspects reportedly escaped from lawful custody at the EFCC Makurdi facility on 4th May 2026.
The police said credible intelligence led EFCC operatives to a hideout behind Mechanic Village, Kanshio, Makurdi, on 23rd May 2026 at about 1500hrs. On arrival, operatives encountered a group of armed young men suspected to be cultists who opened fire. During the exchange of gunfire, EFCC operatives said they later found Sesugh lying in a pool of blood by the roadside.
The suspect was taken to the Police Cottage Hospital Makurdi, where he was confirmed dead. His body has since been deposited at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The Commissioner of Police has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, to investigate the circumstances of the death. Efforts are also ongoing to apprehend the other fleeing suspects.
While the police have assured the public of a thorough investigation and reiterated commitment to the rule of law, Kurugh and other residents have called for an independent probe, arguing that public trust requires transparency beyond internal police inquiries.
Kurugh warned that “all evil has an expiry date and time,” urging authorities to prioritize truth and accountability over narrative control.
Meanwhile, there is another account from Gberindyer, a settlement in Makurdi, which is that, Sesugh and a friend had escaped from EFCC custody after a raid and were later traced to the area. Eyewitnesses allege further that when EFCC operatives arrived, Sesugh attempted to flee but was shot in the leg, he fell before being allegedly shot in the chest again. As a result, residents demanded that his body would not be taken away. However, EFCC operatives took the body and since then the family had no access to it.
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