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Amotekun Arrests 28 for Robbery, Kidnapping in Ondo

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Amotekun Arrests 28 for Robbery, Kidnapping in Ondo

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, on Tuesday paraded no fewer than 28 suspected criminals arrested in the state. The corps said the suspects were arrested across the 18 local government areas of the state, in collaboration with other security agencies and the local vigilante. Parading the suspects at the headquarters of the command in Akure, the state capital, the commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said they had allegedly been terrorising the state in recent times. According to Adeleye, the suspects were allegedly involved in various crimes such as kidnapping, theft, stealing, cattle rustling, and vandalism, among others. He said, “Today, I am parading a total of 28 suspects and I want to let you know that the criminal world is evolving. “Therefore, Ondo State Security Network Agency Amotekun always strives to be ahead of them. “We have now gone beyond arresting criminals and suspects alone. As we talk now, we are after their godfathers and backbones, and the reason is simple. So we are saying that until we uproot them, we won’t have total peace. “We need the socio-economic growth of Ondo State to continue to increase. By the intervention of Amotekun Corp, the IGR of Ondo State in 2023 increased by over 500 per cent and we don’t want to relent. Hence, our fight is not against the criminals alone, but against their sponsors. “The people we are parading today, there is a section of them that steal, kill, murder riders and dispossess them of their motorcycles. They have already made market receivers, who, within minutes, dismantle and sell to those who will later assemble and sell. “We’ve gone after them and we’ve arrested the suspect, we’ve arrested the sponsor, we’ve arrested all the culprits. The chain of criminality had to be broken and uprooted, and that is the directive of His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to create an enabling environment for investors to bombard Ondo State. “So today, four suspected kidnappers were arrested in the Elegbeka area. They are Kwangi, Kwanji, Kana, Kana, Sam, and Daniel, ages ranging between 18 and 27. “On rape and fraud, we have Abiola, aged 24. We have equally on defilement, rape, and sexual assault, one Ogungbemi. And we have Tosin on assault. To the Fulani communities, their cattle were rustled and taken away from the Igbara Oke axis. We went after the Fulani that stole the cattle, retrieved the cattle, arrested the rustlers, who are Abubakar Musa and Umar Mohammed, aged 20 and returned the cows to the Fulani men.” The Amotekun boss commended the other security agencies in the state for collaborating with it in the fight against crime and criminality. He stated, “We are here today to let you know that the security architecture of Ondo State is firm, and the best criminals can do is to run away from this state. “The joint patrol team in some parts of the state is still ongoing. And I can tell you this for free that we have dominated the forest. It is no longer a safe place for criminals to thrive.” In July, the corps arrested seven suspects for various offences, including kidnapping and the theft of electronics in the state. Adeleye said the corps recovered items worth N300 million during recent operations.

Rivers APC Ready to Work With Fubara, Says Okocha

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Rivers APC Ready to Work With Fubara, Says Okocha

Ahead of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s reinstatement to office on September 18, the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has declared its readiness to work with him when he is reinstated. The APC said collaborating with the governor will not stop the main opposition in the state from holding Fubara accountable on issues of governance. The state APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, made the declaration during a news briefing in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Tuesday. Okocha assured all that the APC would continue to consolidate on its membership base while also offering constructive criticism of the Fubara administration after his return. He said, “The governor who was suspended will return to office on September 18. The APC will work with him when he returns. “There are states where the governor and assembly members are in different parties, so we are going to work with him. “However, that will not take away our right to criticise him when he does wrong. But for us, the LG chairmen will work with him, except that we will not agree to vicious policies.” Okocha described the just-concluded local government elections in the state as an introduction to the 2027 general elections, noting that the APC deliberately chose not to field candidates in strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party but concentrated on areas where it had a comparative advantage. “The Rivers State LG election is a prelude to what will happen in 2027. “Whilst we were campaigning, I told our people that there is a need for us to believe in the centre and leave the periphery. “We did not field candidates in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGAs because we do not have the strength in those areas. “It was our own calculated strategy not to field candidates in those LGAs and concentrate only where we have a comparative advantage. Remember that Rivers State was a PDP state,” Okocha explained. He expressed optimism about the party’s growing influence, contrasting its position in the 2023 elections with its current status. “In 2023, APC in Rivers State had no shoes. Now we are wearing psychedelic shoes. “We are going to double and redouble our membership for the President. As far as my party is concerned, we will be fielding him for a second term in 2027,” he said. Okocha took a swipe at the PDP, saying the party was collapsing and its members were defecting in droves to the APC, which he said now calls the shots. He stressed, “PDP is in tatters and people are leaving them in droves for other parties, and we’re privileged to have them. “We’ll continue our pleas for the PDP members, particularly the FCT Minister, to come over to the APC and have peace. The PDP is in tatters.” Recall that Fubara was suspended from office by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, after he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following rising political tensions in the state. Tinubu had based his action on the attack on oil facilities in the state by militants who were allegedly sympathetic to the governor, accusing Fubara of not doing anything to stop the threats to cause mayhem. The President then appointed former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as Administrator of the state for an initial six-month period. Last Saturday, while speaking to newsmen after casting his vote in the just concluded local government elections, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said that with the poll, the ‘coast’ was now clear for Fubara to be reinstated. Punch

Leave Before Visa Expires, UK Warns Foreign Students

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Leave Before Visa Expires, UK Warns Foreign Students

Tens of thousands of international students in the United Kingdom are being directly contacted by the government with a warning: leave the country when your visa expires or face removal, the BBC reported on Tuesday. The Home Office has launched a new campaign aimed at tackling what it describes as an “alarming” rise in student visa holders attempting to stay in the UK by claiming asylum. In a first-of-its-kind move, the government is now proactively contacting students via text and email to issue formal warnings about the consequences of overstaying. The campaign came amid growing concern in Whitehall about students using the asylum system as a way to remain in the country after their studies end. “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you,” the messages read, as reported by BBC. According to Home Office data, around 15 per cent of asylum applications last year—approximately 16,000—were submitted by people who originally arrived on student visas. While the data does not specify how many of those were made after visas had expired, officials say the pattern is clear enough to warrant immediate action. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that some students are “claiming asylum even when things have not changed in their home country.” She added, “We obviously will do our bit to support genuine refugees, but if nothing has changed in their country, people should not be claiming asylum at the end of a student course.” Cooper also said the growing number of students entering the asylum system is placing added pressure on already overstretched asylum accommodation and hotel services. Around 10,000 students whose visas are nearing expiry have already received direct warnings. A further 130,000 students and their families are expected to be contacted in the coming months, coinciding with the busy autumn intake period, according to the BBC. The message being sent reads in full, “If you submit an asylum claim that lacks merit, it will be swiftly and robustly refused. “Any request for asylum support will be assessed against destitution criteria. If you do not meet the criteria, you will not receive support. “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you,” as reported by BBC. The crackdown is part of a broader tightening of immigration rules under the Labour government. In May, the Home Office announced that universities would face stricter thresholds on visa refusal and course completion rates to maintain their ability to sponsor international students. While much public attention has focused on small boat arrivals across the Channel, ministers are increasingly concerned about legal entrants—such as students—who later switch to the asylum system. Of the 108,000 asylum applications made in the UK last year, around 40,000 came from people who arrived legally, including on work, study, or visitor visas. By contrast, about 35,000 came from small boat crossings, BBC reported. Among legal entrants, student visa holders made up the largest group seeking asylum, with numbers almost six times higher than in 2020. Although the figure has since fallen by 10 per cent, the Home Office wants further reductions. Cooper acknowledged that student visa asylum claims account for just over 10 per cent of total applications but insisted that “to fix the system, we must tackle every single bit of it.” The government has also moved to reduce the amount of time overseas graduates can stay in the UK after completing their courses, from two years to 18 months. The number of successful asylum claims from skilled worker visa holders has also declined, according to recent Home Office figures. Punch  

Wike Meets PDP Secretary, Others in Abuja

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Wike Meets PDP Secretary, Others in Abuja

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, are currently meeting with the minister at his official residence in Abuja. The meeting, which began at 8.40pm, has entered a closed-door session. Among the top-ranking members of the party present are the National Secretary of the PDP, Sam Anyanwu; National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih; and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom. Others include former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and former Senator representing Rivers East, George Sekibo, along with other zonal and state party chairmen. More details later… Punch  

300B Loan: Enough of Reckless Governance in Oyo State – Olaoluwa

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300B Loan: Enough of Reckless Governance in Oyo State – Olaoluwa

The Atayese of Fiditi and President, Peter Olaoluwa Foundation, POF, Olaoluwa Peter Abidemi, popularly called OPA, has cautioned the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde to end his reckless governance. Olaoluwa, in a statement on Saturday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, described the recent loan approval by the state lawmakers as most unreasonable. OPA, a 2027 governorship aspirant, condemned Governor Seyi Makinde and the state House of Assembly following revelations by the lawmaker representing Saki West Local Government, Hon. Ibrahim Shittu, about the secret approval of a controversial N300 billion loan during an emergency sitting held amidst the Assembly’s ongoing recess. He described the administration of Governor Makinde as one who will give down in history of the state as most reckless and lack financial foresight who is bent on throwing the coming generations of Oyo State indigenes into eternal slavery through debt. He added that the leadership of the House of Assembly and its legislators have become willing tools in the hand ou unquestionable emperor holding sway in the state. “When one takes a critical look at the rate Oyo state government has made itself a loan collector with over N500 billion in debts between May 2019 and June 2025, one may be forced to ask if the lives of the good people of the state depends on the loan, despite increase in monthly revenue allocation from federal government. “Oyo State is highly geared. Therefore, the State is overtrading, biting more than what one can chew, which is not a good sign of the state of financial health of an Entity. “It’s not bad to borrow money in as much as the returns on what the loan is to be used for is greater than the cost of borrowing that fund, which is loan interest. “Since the government is not a profit making entity, hence accumulating a loan is not good since what the loan will be used for will not generate revenue to guarantee the repayment of the loan plus the interest.” The Chartered Accountant turned politician cautioned that such unreasonable borrowing poses a serious danger to the financial sustainability of Oyo State. Olaoluwa appealed to men and women of good conscience irrespective of religion, status, and political affinity to speak out with courage to condenn and demand accountability from the administration of Governor Makinde henceforth.

UK Bans 100 Occupations From Foreign Recruitment in Bid to Cut Migration

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UK Bans 100 Occupations From Foreign Recruitment in Bid to Cut Migration

  The United Kingdom Government has announced sweeping new restrictions on overseas recruitment, barring more than 100 occupations from being filled by foreign workers as part of its drive to cut net migration. The Home Office disclosed the policy shift in a statement on X Saturday morning, saying it was focused on opening up opportunities for British workers while reshaping the visa system. “More than 100 occupations are no longer eligible for overseas recruitment – opening up more jobs for British workers. A fairer, skills-focused system is now taking shape,” the Home Office wrote. This development marks the latest move by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who took office on July 5, 2024, following Labour’s landslide victory, replacing Rishi Sunak. Critics, however, have warned the policy could worsen labour shortages in sectors such as health and social care. The Home Office has not yet published the full list of restricted occupations, PUNCH Online however reports. More details to follow

OYRTMA Debunks Social Media Rumour on Alleged Tricycle Rider’s Death

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OYRTMA Debunks Social Media Rumour on Alleged Tricycle Rider’s Death

The attention of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) has been drawn to false reports circulating on social media, particularly on Facebook, alleging that OYRTMA officials were responsible for the death of a commercial tricycle rider at the University of Ibadan axis on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. We wish to state categorically that the report is untrue, misleading, and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Authority. For the past three months, OYRTMA officials have been stationed at the U.I axis, enforcing compliance with traffic lights to ensure sanity and orderliness on our roads, an effort heavily supported by the financial commitment of the Oyo State Government. On the said date, at about 11:30 am, a commercial tricycle with registration number MNY 805 QU willfully violated the traffic light. The rider was flagged down but attempted to escape dangerously. He was eventually apprehended at the Preboye traffic light. In the course of enforcement, the rider bit one of the officers and, in a desperate move to avoid lawful arrest, feigned collapse, pretending to be dead, ostensibly to incite mob action against OYRTMA personnel. As the officers were being distracted by the crowd, the rider suddenly stood up, entered his tricycle, and sped off before the arrival of policemen from Sango Police Station. Therefore, the allegation that OYRTMA officials killed a tricycle rider is not only false but also mischievous. To put the record straight, we pose the following pertinent questions to those spreading the rumors: Who took the allegedly “dead” tricycle rider to the hospital? Which hospital was he taken to, and which doctor certified him dead? Where was his supposed corpse deposited? Who removed the said tricycle from the scene? Did the police officers who later arrived at the scene find a corpse or a tricycle? Did OYRTMA officials abandon their duty post, or did they continue their lawful duties as evidence that no such death occurred? These questions remain unanswered because the incident was clearly staged by the tricycle rider to evade the consequences of his traffic violation. OYRTMA assures the public that it remains committed to carrying out its statutory duties in line with the law and will not be distracted by baseless allegations. We call on members of the public to always seek the truth and not be misled by unfounded speculations.

Court Rejects Trump’s Use of Emergency Power to Impose Tariffs

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Court Rejects Trump’s Use of Emergency Power to Impose Tariffs

  A United States federal appeals court ruled that most of former President Donald Trump’s tariffs are unlawful, dealing a significant blow to one of the defining pillars of his economic policy, Reuters reported. The ruling, which came in a 7-4 decision on Friday, from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, found that Trump overstepped his legal authority in imposing broad tariffs using emergency powers. The decision is stayed until October 14, giving the Trump administration time to appeal to the US Supreme Court. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump slammed the ruling, calling the court “highly partisan.” He warned, “If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country,” but added that he remains confident the Supreme Court will overturn the decision. The tariffs in question were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law traditionally used to sanction foreign adversaries or freeze their assets. Trump, however, used the act to justify sweeping tariffs on imports from a number of US trading partners, arguing that persistent trade deficits and the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl posed national emergencies. The court rejected that argument, stating in its ruling, “The statute bestows significant authority on the President to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax.” It continued, “It seems unlikely that Congress intended, in enacting IEEPA, to depart from its past practice and grant the President unlimited authority to impose tariffs.” The ruling covers two sets of tariffs imposed during Trump’s second term: a set of “reciprocal” tariffs introduced in April as part of a broader trade offensive, and another set from February targeting China, Canada, and Mexico. Trump had linked the latter to what he claimed was those nations’ failure to curb the flow of illegal fentanyl across US borders — an assertion all three countries have rejected. Punch

Nigerians to Pay $80 Duty On US shipments – NIPOST

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Nigerians to Pay Duty On US shipments – NIPOST

  The Nigerian Postal Service has announced that, with effect from August 29, 2025, all postal shipments from Nigeria to the United States, except letters and documents, will attract a mandatory prepaid customs duty of $80 or its naira equivalent. In a public notice to its customers on Friday, NIPOST explained that the new charges stem from a recent Executive Order signed by the Government of the United States of America suspending de minimis exemptions for all postal shipments globally. The directive, it said, was issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. “The Nigerian Postal Service wishes to inform our esteemed customers of a recent policy change by the Government of the United States of America, enacted through the Executive Order on ‘Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries’ under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act,” the notice read. According to NIPOST, the decision by Washington applies to all designated postal operators worldwide and is not limited to Nigeria. “This Executive Order applies to all postal operators and designated postal administrations worldwide, and the payment of the additional duty affects all global postal inflows into the United States, not just those from Nigeria,” it added. The agency said the new measure will have far-reaching implications for Nigerians sending parcels and goods to family, friends and business partners in the U.S It warned that global logistics operations were already adjusting to the policy, with airlines and cargo carriers adopting stricter protocols in handling shipments destined for America. “Global logistics operations are also being affected, as airline and cargo carriers adopt more cautious measures in handling U.S.-bound shipments. This may extend both transit and processing times, potentially resulting in delivery delays,” NIPOST stated. The notice further stated that all U.S.-bound items would undergo additional Customs checks on arrival. This, officials said, may compound waiting times for recipients. NIPOST, however, assured customers that it was actively working with international partners to cushion the impact. “NIPOST is actively engaging with the Universal Postal Union, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and our airline partners to minimise service disruptions and safeguard customer experience,” the agency said. The postal service reiterated its commitment to ensuring efficient and reliable service delivery despite what it described as a “global regulatory adjustment.” It added, “We reassure our customers that NIPOST remains committed to providing safe, reliable, and efficient postal and courier services despite this global regulatory adjustment.” The PUNCH reports that the United States on Friday ended tariff exemptions on small packages entering the country from abroad, in a move that has sparked concern among small businesses and warnings of consumer price hikes. President Donald Trump’s administration cited the use of low-value shipments to evade tariffs and smuggle drugs in ending duty-free treatment for parcels valued at or under $800. Instead, packages will either be subject to the tariff level applicable to their country of origin or face a specific duty ranging from $80 to $200 per item. But exclusions for some personal items and gifts remain. Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, told reporters that closing this “loophole” helps restrict the flow of “narcotics and other dangerous and prohibited items” while bringing fresh tariff revenues. But the monthlong lead time Trump’s order provided has sparked a frenzy. Postal services, including in France, Germany, Italy, India, Australia and Japan, earlier said most US-bound packages would no longer be accepted.

FG Defends Passport Price Hike to N100,000, N200,000

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FG Defends Passport Price Hike to N100,000, N200,000

  The Federal Government, on Thursday, defended the upward review of Nigerian passport fees to N100,000 and N200,000, saying it was necessary to sustain quality, curb corruption, and ensure timely delivery of travel documents. The Nigeria Immigration Service, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, ACI AS Akinlabi, on Thursday, announced that from September 1, 2025, applications made within Nigeria will attract new fees of N100,000 for the 32-page, five-year validity passport and N200,000 for the 64-page, 10-year validity passport. “The review which only affect Passport Application fees made in Nigeria, now set a new fee thresholds for 32-page with five-year validity at N100,000 and 64-page with 10-year validity at N200,000,” the statement read. The NIS, however, said Nigerians in the diaspora will continue to pay $150 for the 32-page, five-year passport and $230 for the 64-page, 10-year passport. It explained that the adjustment was aimed at maintaining the integrity of the document while making issuance processes more efficient. The increase comes barely a year after the Federal Government approved an earlier adjustment in August 2024, which raised the 32-page, five-year booklet from N35,000 to N50,000, and the 64-page, 10-year booklet from N70,000 to N100,000. At the time, the NIS said the hike was necessary to sustain the quality of the passport and improve service delivery. On Thursday, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, defended the new hike. Speaking in Abuja during the ministry’s mid-tenure performance retreat, Tunji-Ojo said the hike would ensure timely delivery of passport and eliminate corruption, He said, “Our target is very clear: within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should have their passport in hand. Not just delivering quickly, but delivering quality passports that reflect our integrity as a nation,” he said. He noted that the new system was designed to eliminate long delays and extortion that once forced citizens to wait up to seven months or pay as much as N200,000 to fast-track processing. “The system that we inherited that had six months backlog which we were able to clear in two and a half weeks. Nigerians will apply for passports and wait endlessly, or be asked to pay hundreds of thousands of naira. “My own daughter had that bad experience. Even when I was chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, my daughter wanted passport, it was a problem. I had to pay hundreds of thousands to be able to get a passport for my daughter, a 12-year-old girl. That era is over,” Tunji-Ojo said. The minister disclosed that the centralised personalisation centre, the largest in Africa, would ensure faster processing and tighter security. “With this facility, we can print five times more passports than we currently need. Once you enrol, it doesn’t take us more than 24 hours to vet. Printing capacity is no longer our problem,” he explained. As part of the reforms, Tunji-Ojo announced that Passport Control Officers will no longer have the power to approve or delay applications. “Some PCOs had so much power that they could decide not to approve or not to print a passport until they were settled. That abuse of power ends now,” he declared. According to him, centralising the approval process would curb corruption and restore credibility to Nigeria’s travel documents. “We realised that the best way to cut corruption is to remove human contact to the barest minimum. Passport approval will no longer rest with PCOs. My responsibility is not for them to like me — it is to deliver efficiency. Let Nigerians be happy,” he said. He added that the reforms will also protect the integrity of Nigeria’s passport. “My responsibility is not just to make passports available, but to ensure that anybody carrying it is a Nigerian. If you are not a Nigerian, you cannot carry it. It’s about our national integrity.” Citing past abuses, he recalled how foreigners once procured Nigerian passports illegally. “In one incident, a Ugandan woman carrying a Nigerian passport was arrested at Lagos Airport after paying $1,000 to procure it. That cannot continue. Our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity,” the minister stressed.

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