NIGERIA NEWS
FRSC decries celebrities’ recklessness, to prosecute Peller after car crash
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has expressed concerns over the growing trend of reckless road use among celebrities, content creators and social media influencers, warning that such behaviour endangers lives and weakens road safety efforts.
The traffic agency was reacting to the reckless driving by popular TikTok streamer, Habeeb Hamzat, better known as Peller, who was involved in a road crash blamed on distracted driving.
According to a statement signed by the corps spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed ordered the prosecution of Pelle, following a widely circulated video showing him engaging in a live video stream while driving, an act that reportedly resulted in a crash.
Mohammed described the incident as unlawful and dangerous, noting that it could have led to loss of lives. He said the incident “serves as a grim reminder that fame does not confer immunity from the law, nor does it excuse dangerous behaviour on public roads.”
Mohammed stated that “live streaming, content creation, recording or engaging in any activity that distracts a driver while driving is a direct violation of established road traffic regulations and poses grave danger not only to the driver but to other innocent road users.” He added that such actions undermine efforts to reduce road crashes and fatalities across the country.
Consequently, the corps marshal directed the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC to commence prosecution of the individual involved.
According to him, the charges would include “reckless driving, use of phone while driving, and distracted driving, in accordance with extant traffic laws.”
Mohammed also called on professional bodies within the entertainment industry to take responsibility for the conduct of their members. He urged actors’ guilds, entertainment associations, influencer networks and content creator communities to rein in their members and promote responsible behaviour on Nigerian roads.
Noting the influence celebrities wield, especially among young Nigerians, he warned that they “must be seen as ambassadors of safety, not symbols of recklessness.”
Issuing a warning on enforcement, Mohammed said the FRSC “will not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against any individual, celebrity or otherwise, found engaging in distracted or reckless driving.”
He stressed that “no social media content, online trend or momentary clout is worth a human life” and further reminded motorists that “public roads are not studios, stages or streaming platforms,” describing them as shared spaces governed by laws designed to preserve lives.
Recall that another TikToker, Ademola Abiodun, also known as DJ Chicken, was recently involved in multiple car crashes in Lagos.
Residents were gripped by fear on Monday night as suspected bandits launched a deadly attack on Jege, a community in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to local sources, the assailants struck under the cover of darkness, abducting an unconfirmed number of residents.
Details of the incident remain sketchy, and neither security agencies nor the state government have yet to issue any official statement.
Residents described the atmosphere as tense, expressing growing concern over the rising insecurity in parts of the local government area. Community members have called for increased patrols and urgent intervention to prevent further attacks.
Earlier on Monday, it was reported that the elder brother of Mr. Tosin Oluokun, the Chairman of Yagba West Local Government Area, was abducted. The victim was kidnapped while working on his farm within Yagba West LGA.
This latest attack underscores the persistent insecurity in the region, where farmers and other residents continue to face recurring cases of banditry and kidnappings.
Politics Nigeria earlier reported that gunmen stormed the First ECWA Church in Ayetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, abducting at least 20 worshippers.
Local sources said the assailants opened fire during the service, causing panic and forcing many congregants to flee, while some were seized and taken away through nearby bush paths.
Residents described the church attack as chaotic, noting widespread fear and confusion as the community grappled with yet another violent episode.
Nigeria’s import bill for food and beverages rose to N5.27 trillion in the first nine months of 2025, according to an analysis of data from foreign trade statistics reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This figure compares with N4.71 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024, translating to an increase of N553.22 billion or 11.74% year on year.
The expansion was driven largely by a sharp rise in primary food imports, while processed food imports grew at a much slower pace.
Quarterly data also shows that import growth strengthened progressively through the year, with the highest values recorded in the third quarter.
Primary food imports power overall increase
Primary food and beverage imports climbed to N2.54 trillion between January and September 2025, up from N2.11 trillion in the same period of 2024. This represents an increase of N434.53 billion, equivalent to 20.63%, making primary products the main contributor to the overall rise in food imports.
Imports of primary food items mainly for industrial use reached N1.52 trillion in the first nine months of 2025, compared with N1.27 trillion a year earlier. The increase of N244.98 billion reflects a 19.25% year-on-year growth, highlighting stronger demand for raw food inputs by manufacturers and processors.
Primary food imports mainly for household consumption also rose sharply. The value increased from N833.52 billion in the first nine months of 2024 to N1.02 trillion in 2025. This represents an increase of N189.55 billion, or 22.74%, indicating a notable expansion in household demand for imported primary food items over the period.
Quarterly trends show how rapidly primary imports accelerated in 2025. In the first quarter, primary food imports stood at N730.01 billion, only slightly above N726.76 billion recorded in Q1 2024. Growth strengthened significantly in the second quarter, when imports rose to N929.77 billion, compared with N711.23 billion in Q2 2024.
By the third quarter, primary food imports amounted to N881.11 billion, up from N668.38 billion in Q3 2024, reflecting a year-on-year increase of N212.73 billion or 31.83%.
Within Q3 2025, primary items mainly for industry surged to N535.34 billion, compared with N303.63 billion a year earlier. This increase of N231.71 billion represents a 76.30% rise. In contrast, primary imports mainly for household consumption eased slightly to N345.77 billion, down from N364.75 billion in Q3 2024, a decline of 5.21%.
Processed food imports grow slowly, industry takes the lead
Processed food and beverage imports rose more modestly during the period under review. Nigeria imported processed food products worth N2.73 trillion in the first nine months of 2025, compared with N2.61 trillion in the same period of 2024. The increase of N118.68 billion translates to a 4.55% year-on-year growth.
The increase was driven entirely by industrial demand. Processed food imports mainly for industrial use rose to N1.69 trillion between January and September 2025, up from N1.49 trillion in the corresponding period of 2024. This represents an increase of N199.92 billion, or 13.38%.
By contrast, processed food imports mainly for household consumption declined. The value fell from N1.11 trillion in the first nine months of 2024 to N1.03 trillion in 2025, reflecting a decrease of N81.23 billion or 7.30%.
Quarterly data shows a mixed pattern for processed food imports. In Q1 2025, imports stood at N940.95 billion, up from N865.49 billion in Q1 2024. Imports dipped slightly in Q2 2025 to N801.63 billion, compared with N818.25 billion a year earlier. However, Q3 2025 recorded a rebound, with processed food imports rising to N983.45 billion, up from N923.61 billion in Q3 2024.
The Q3 increase was driven by processed items mainly for industry, which rose from N510.54 billion in Q3 2024 to N638.84 billion in Q3 2025, an increase of N128.30 billion or 25.13%. Meanwhile, processed food imports mainly for household consumption declined from N413.08 billion to N344.61 billion, representing a drop of N68.47 billion or 16.57%.
Overall, the NBS data shows that Nigeria’s food and beverage import growth in 2025 was led by primary food items and industrial demand, while household consumption of imported processed foods weakened over the nine-month period.
NIGERIA NEWS
President Not Empowered by Constitution to Suspend Governors, Legislators – THISDAYLIVE
•Says exercise of such powers subject to judicial review to prevent arbitrariness, abuse
•Strikes out PDP governors’ suit challenging emergency rule in Rivers
•Verdict an evil wind against democracy, opposition party declares
“Outside a validly declared state of emergency, the president possesses no power whatsoever to interfere with state executive or legislative institutions”
Chuks Okocha and Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Supreme Court, yesterday, stated that Section 305 of the Constitution did not confer power on the president to temporarily dissolve executive and legislative institutions of a state during emergency rule.
Alluding to the deliberate silence of the constitution on the spirit of the section 305, the Supreme Court added that the exercise of such powers remained subject to judicial review to prevent arbitrariness and abuse.
The apex court, which delivered judgement in a suit by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) states against the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, however, struck out the suit.
Tinubu had in March, citing threat to peace in Rivers State, declared a state of emergency, and, subsequently, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, as well as the entire Rivers State House of Assembly members for six months.
Tinubu, in addition, appointed a retired naval chief, Ibok-Ete Ibas, as sole administrator for the state, for the period of the emergency, which lasted six months.
While the emergency was in force, 11 PDP governors had through their states’ Attorneys-General approached the apex court to challenge the powers of the president to suspend elected public office holders, such as the governor of Rivers State and the state lawmakers.
The plaintiffs, in arguing their case, pointed out that they were not denying the president’s power to proclaim a state of emergency, but were challenging “the extent to which the proclamation can be made to affect the offices of the governor, deputy governor, and the State House of Assembly”.
Justice Mohammed Idris, who delivered the lead judgement and went into the merit of the suit, pointed out, “By virtue of sections 4-7 of the constitution, governmental powers divided among the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, and distributed across the Federal, State, and Local Government tiers.
“No arm or tier of government is constitutionally superior to another, and none may lawfully usurp the powers expressly vested in another.”
While stating that Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution was clear in its grant of power to proclaim a state of emergency, Idris remarked that the section was silent on the precise content of the “extraordinary measures” that might follow.
He said, “This silence is intentional. Emergencies are inherently situational, varying in scope, intensity, and threat. The constitution, therefore, entrusts the president with discretion to determine the measures required to restore peace and security, subject always to constitutional limits, proportionality, legislative oversight, and judicial review.”
The majority judgement cited the apex court decisions in the declaration of emergencies in 2004 and 2006 in Plateau and Ekiti states, respectively, and that of 2013 in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, to show that emergency powers were not governed by a rigid formula.
It added that the constitutionally permissible response depended on the magnitude of the threat, the functionality of state institutions, and the necessity of intervention to restore constitutional order.
Idris added, “Nevertheless, the President’s discretion under Section 305 is not unfettered. Emergency measures must be temporary, corrective, and proportionate. They must be directed towards restoring constitutional governance, not extinguishing it. Any permanent displacement or abrogation of democratically elected institutions would constitute a constitutional aberration.
“Outside a validly declared state of emergency, the president possesses no power whatsoever to interfere with State executive or legislative institutions.
“On the whole, a proclamation of a state of emergency is constitutionally valid where it is issued under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), approved by not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly in accordance with their Standing Orders, and implemented through measures that are temporary, proportionate, and directed at restoring constitutional order.
“The exercise of such powers remains subject to judicial review to prevent arbitrariness or abuse.
“Having clarified these constitutional principles, I reiterate that the instant suit failed to disclose any reasonable cause of action capable of invoking the original jurisdiction of this Court under Section 232 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“No justiciable dispute between the federation and any or all of the Plaintiffs’ states has been established.”
The apex court, in the split judgement of six-to-one, held that the court lacked the necessary jurisdiction to entertain the suit brought by the 11 PDP states, which were the plaintiffs in the matter.
According to the majority judgement, the plaintiffs could not establish any cause of action that would warrant the apex court to activate its original jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The apex court held that the court lacked the necessary jurisdiction to entertain the suit and subsequently struck it out.
Idris, who delivered the lead judgement, explained that the plaintiffs failed to show that there existed any actionable dispute between the plaintiffs and the federation to require the court to exercise its original jurisdiction.
According to the judgement, the emergency declaration was not declared in any of the states of the plaintiffs to clothe them with the necessary legal powers to initiate the suit, in the first place.
The apex court, in the majority judgement, having established that the plaintiffs lacked the necessary locus standi to challenge the action of the president in addition to the absence of a cause of action, proceeded to strike out the suit and subsequently dismissed it for want of jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, Justice Obande Ogbuinya, in a minority judgement, insisted that the president could not suspend elected public officials under a state of emergency.
According to Ogbuinya, although the president could declare a state of emergency, he could not use such power as a tool to suspend elected state officials, including governors, deputy governors, and members of legislature.
PDP: It’s an Evil Wind Against Democracy
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the Supreme Court judgement as an evil wind against democracy and its principles.
PDP said though it had accepted the judgement, it was counterproductive to democracy and its principles.
The party said the judgement of the Supreme Court consciously promoted authoritarianism and entrenched tyranny.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, PDP said, ‘’While we respect the authority of the apex court and recognise its finality within our jurisdiction, we are, nevertheless, compelled to draw attention to the grave dangers that can emanate from the interpretation of the reasoning in this judgement on the political landscape of our country.
‘’Our concern is anchored on the age-long principle of law that the express mention of one thing excludes others (expressio unius est exclusio alterius), and the clear constitutional position that no person or institution (other than the State House of Assembly or a court of law) is empowered to remove a governor from office, even temporarily, during the subsistence of a constitutional term.
‘’To hold otherwise is to create a pathway by which a President, with the active support of the National Assembly, can compel political alignment or compliance through the instrumentality of emergency powers in ways not envisaged by the constitution.
‘’We submit that the interpretation of this judgement has the potential to reverse the hard-won democratic gains by unwittingly making state governments completely subservient to the Federal Government, forcing them to seek to ‘connect to the centre’ by joining the ruling party, as we are already witnessing.”
The statement added, “‘More troubling is the fact that the logical extension of this reasoning based on the provision of Section 305(3)(c) ‘extraordinary measures to restore peace and security’ could, in the future, be interpreted to justify the suspension of other constitutional institutions, including the judiciary itself.
‘’We cannot reconcile how in a federation (not a unitary state) an elected President can be empowered to dismantle the democratic structures of a federating unit, sack elected officials and appoint leaders there, without consciously promoting authoritarianism and entrenching tyranny.”
PDP said, ‘’As a political party wholly committed to the protection and consolidation of democracy in Nigeria, we hereby call on the National Assembly to urgently initiate constitutional and legislative safeguards that clearly define and limit the scope of emergency powers of the president, to prevent imminent abuse and preserve Nigeria’s federation.
‘’We also urge Nigerians, civil society organisations, the media, and the international democratic community to remain vigilant in the defence of constitutionalism, federalism, and the sanctity of the electoral mandate.
‘’We remain hopeful that, at the next opportunity, the Supreme Court will have cause to extensively clarify the constitutional boundaries of emergency powers, in the overriding interest of justice, democracy, and the long-term stability of our Republic.”
US President Donald Trump on Monday filed a lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion from the BBC over a documentary that edited his 2021 speech to supporters ahead of the US Capitol riot.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, seeks “damages in an amount not less than $5,000,000,000” for each of two counts against the British broadcaster, for alleged defamation and violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Trump, 79, had said earlier on Monday that the lawsuit was imminent, claiming the BBC had “put words in my mouth,” even positing that “they used AI or something.”
The documentary at issue aired last year before the 2024 election, on the BBC’s “Panorama” flagship current affairs program.
The video spliced together two separate sections of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021 in a way that made it appear he explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.
“The formerly respected and now disgraced BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election,” a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said in a statement to AFP.
“The BBC has a long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda,” the statement added.
The British Broadcasting Corporation, whose audience extends well beyond the United Kingdom, faced a period of turmoil last month after a media report brought renewed attention to the edited clip.
The scandal led the BBC director-general and the organization’s top news executive to resign.
Trump’s lawsuit accuses the edited speech in the documentary of being “fabricated and aired by the Defendants one week before the 2024 Presidential Election in a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence the Election’s outcome to President Trump’s detriment.”
The BBC has denied Trump’s claims of legal defamation, though BBC chairman Samir Shah has sent Trump a letter of apology.
Shah also told a UK parliamentary committee last month that the broadcaster should have acted sooner to acknowledge its mistake after the error was disclosed in a memo, which was leaked to The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
The BBC lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal action Trump has taken against media companies in recent years, several of which have led to multi-million-dollar settlements.
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The post Trump sues BBC for $10 billion over documentary speech edit appeared first on Vanguard News.
Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Niger State Police Command have arraigned eight suspected child traffickers before Minna Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Head of the Squad, DSP Ahmed Sa’idu, led the team to arrest the suspects in Nasarawa State for being in possession of stolen children from various parts of Niger.
The defendants include Leo Ugochukwu, Ngozi Ugochukwu, Henrietta Obiako and Rosemary Ogbulogo. Others, according to police First Information Report (FIR), were Chiroma Onyaja, Vincent Emmanuel, Joy Ndife and Olusegun Isaiah, all of Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa.
They were charged on eight counts bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, concealing or keeping kidnapped/abducted persons, dealing in human beings, child stealing, trafficking in persons, indecent treatment of children, wrongful confinement and wrongful confinement in secret.
The FIR marked MMC/CMC/74/25 Report (FIR), made available in court, noted that the eight charges were punishable under Section 60 (2),(a) (1), 211, 238 and 239 of the Niger State penal code.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Aliyu Kuta, told the court that on November 5, 2025, about 3.00pm, Victoria Ebunoha of Loko, Karu Local Council of Nasarawa, was arrested at Dikko Junction in possession of three male children suspected to be stolen.
During interrogation, she confessed to have stolen the children from Lambata in Gurara Local Council of Niger State, heading to Nyanya in FCT to sell them.
On further interrogation, she disclosed that she stole seven other children from their parents, namely, Mohammed Bala, Danlami Zhami, Bello Usman and others at Lambata and Sabon Wuse.”
The stolen children, according to the prosecutor, were sold to Leo Ugochukwu of Loko, at the rate of N1.1 million.
“On further interrogation, they all confessed to have intentionally purchased the children from Ebunoha, knowing fully that the children were stolen by her,” he stated.
When the charges were read to them by the presiding Chief Magistrate, Murtala Ibrahim, they all pleaded not guilty, while Kuta applied for a new date for further mention of the case.
He also prayed the court to remand them in Minna Old Correctional Centre till the next adjourned date. The Chief Magistrate remanded them and adjourned till January 5, 2026, for further mention.
Says APC has transformed into biggest party in Africa
There can’t be a better successor than Tinubu – Katsina gov
President Bola Tinubu on Monday paid tribute to his immediate predecessor in office, late Muhammadu Buhari, for leaving enduring legacies as former president.
- Says APC has transformed into biggest party in Africa
- There can’t be a better successor than Tinubu – Katsina gov
The occasion was the presentation of a book, From Soldier to Statesman: Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr Charles Omole.
Addressing the gathering of governors, the President of Gambia, Adama Barrow, traditional rulers and former service chiefs, President Tinubu described the late Buhari as a leader who built enduring pillars and etched his name in the minds of Nigerians.
Tinubu, who recalled the uncertain days of the formation of the All Progressives Congress with himself and Buhari as arrowheads, expressed delight that the erstwhile main opposition party has since transformed into the ruling party and the greatest political platform in Africa.
He said:
“The measure of a leader is not simply the offices he held or the motorcades that accompanied him. It is what persists when the sirens fall silent.
“President Muhammadu Buhari left behind a reputation for integrity, a Spartan lifestyle, and the belief that public office is a trust and not a windfall.
“I stand here not just as president, but as a brother, friend, and political partner who shared a journey with President Buhari through challenging times.
“Together, we built a broad coalition, campaigned across the country, and proved that Nigeria could chart a new course. Our movement united diverse interests and achieved a historic victory in 2015 by unseating an incumbent president, thus reshaping Nigeria’s political landscape.
“The coalition we built in 2014 is now the fastest-growing political party in Africa today. Its growth continues.”
Tinubu enumerated lasting legacies of his predecessor in areas of security, building social infrastructure and entrenching social justice, and restated his commitment to building on them.
“First, humility. President Buhari preferred simplicity over ornamentation. He believed that a leader must first discipline himself before he can discipline a system. He lived modestly, and he carried the dignity of that modesty into power.
“Second, security. President Buhari recognised that security is the foundation of citizenship and prosperity. He invested in platforms and personnel, improved capacities across our armed services, and pushed for reforms that endured beyond the headlines.
“Third, vision. He understood the importance of long-term thinking, constructing bridges, restoring railways, building roads, modernising our airports, and renewing critical infrastructure while prioritising maintenance and sustainability.
“Fourth, social justice. He believed in targeted social investments to ensure that the state did not ignore the poor and vulnerable.
“These are the pillars of his legacy. But a legacy is given greater meaning when those who follow choose to continue what has been started. That is my duty.”
In his welcome address, Katsina State governor, Dikko Umar Radda, who described the book as an informative account for future generations, declared that the partnership between President Tinubu and the late Buhari built the APC into a formidable political party.
The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the state government of complicity in the spate of kidnappings and banditry in the state.
The opposition party hinged its allegation on a viral video showing the confession of suspected bandits arrested in Edo State.
The suspects allegedly claimed that officials and agents of the Kwara State Government supplied them with arms to carry out attacks in parts of the state.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin, the state capital, the PDP State Chairman, Isa Adamu, said the party was deeply disturbed by the widely circulated video and reports of criminal suspects apprehended by men of the Nigerian Army in Auchi, Edo State.
“In the said video, the criminal suspects categorically alleged that officials of the Kwara State Government supplied them with AK-47 rifles and a government-crested operational vehicle for their criminal activities,” he said.
Adamu added that the allegations placed “an enormous burden of explanation” on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who, he noted, is both the Chief Executive and constitutionally the Chief Security Officer of the state.
“This video evidence clearly indicates that the Governor of Kwara State and many of his agents, including some local government chairmen, may have information regarding the banditry, terrorism, and deadly attacks that have ravaged communities in Kwara North and Kwara South for some time,” he said.
Describing the allegation as one of “state-sponsored criminality,” the PDP chairman called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the situation as a matter of urgent national concern.
He demanded a comprehensive federal investigation into the confessions of the arrested suspects, particularly their claim that the AbdulRazaq-led government sponsored and supported their criminal activities.
“In the interest of justice, morality, and public safety, it is reasonable to demand the declaration of a state of emergency in Kwara State, including the suspension of the governor, to allow for an independent, transparent, and interference-free investigation,” Adamu said.
He also urged the Office of the National Security Adviser to advise security agencies to suspend official engagements with the governor or his representatives pending the conclusion of investigations.
However, the Kwara State Government had earlier dismissed the allegation, insisting that no state government has the power to arm anyone with AK-47 rifles.
In a statement, the Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, said the suspects did not mention that the Kwara State Government supplied them with any weapons.
“Neither did the individuals state that the Kwara State Government gave them any arms,” she said.
Olukoju explained that the Ifelodun Local Government Authority clarified that the security van mentioned was initially given to vigilantes deployed in the area to strengthen security.
She added that the vigilantes had since left Ifelodun and that the local government had repeatedly complained to relevant authorities that the vehicle was not returned.
“To win the war against banditry and other violent crimes, there must be enhanced inter-agency coordination, intelligence sharing, and cooperation among security agencies,” the statement said.
The government also urged members of the public, particularly online media platforms and bloggers, to avoid misrepresentation or biased reporting, warning that such actions pose a threat to public peace and safety.
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The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed a total of N1.92 trillion as revenue for November to the federal government, states and local government councils.
The allocation was approved at FAAC’s December 2025 meeting held in Abuja and chaired by the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, according to a report by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Monday.
A communiqué issued after the meeting showed that the distributable revenue comprised ₦1.40 trillion from statutory revenue, ₦485.83 billion from value-added tax (VAT), and ₦39.64 billion generated from the electronic money transfer levy (EMTL).
FAAC disclosed that total gross revenue available for the month stood at ₦2.34 trillion. From this amount, ₦84.25 billion was deducted as the cost of collection, while ₦330.62 billion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds and savings.
The committee noted a decline in statutory revenue, stating that gross statutory receipts for November amounted to ₦1.736 trillion, down by ₦427.97 billion from the ₦2.164 trillion recorded in October 2025.
VAT collections also dropped during the period. Gross VAT revenue for November stood at ₦563.04 billion, representing a decrease of ₦156.78 billion compared to the ₦719.82 billion generated in October. From the VAT proceeds, ₦22.52 billion was deducted for collection costs, while ₦54.68 billion was allocated for transfers, interventions and refunds.
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A fire outbreak that ravaged the ‘yan Katako Market located near the railway station in Gombe city on Monday has caused severe losses to traders.
This is the second outbreak recorded at the market in 2025, raising concern among traders.
A statement issued on Monday, December 15, 2025, by the Director-General of Media to the Gombe state Governor, Ismaila Uba Misilli, confirmed the development.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya conveyed his sympathies to traders and expressed concern about their loss of shops or items that were destroyed.
SEMA and other relevant agencies were directed by the governor to promptly investigate the cause of the fire and provide support to those affected.
According to the statement, firefighters from the Gombe State Fire Service responded quickly, with support from volunteers from Gombe State University, the Federal Fire Service, the Red Cross, security agencies and members of the public.
The governor also expressed concern over an accident involving one of the fire service trucks during the rescue operation and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured.
However, the statement did not reveal an estimate of the loss recorded in the outbreak.
Jege in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State was plunged into fear on Monday night, December 15, 2025, following a violent attack by suspected bandits.
According to local sources who spoke with Sahara Reporters, the assailants stormed the community under the cover of darkness and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents, throwing the area into tension and uncertainty.
As of the time of filing this report, details of the incident remain unclear, with no official statement from security agencies or the state government.
Residents described the atmosphere in Jege as tense, noting that the attack had heightened concerns about growing insecurity in parts of the local government area.
Community members have called for increased patrols and urgent intervention to prevent further attacks.
The Jege incident comes on the heels of another abduction reported earlier on Monday, when terrorists locally dubbed as bandits kidnapped the elder brother of the Chairman of Yagba West Local Government Area, Mr Tosin Oluokun, SaharaReporters had reported.
The incident occurred while the victim was working on his farm within Yagba West LGA, further deepening anxieties among residents who are already grappling with recurring kidnappings in the region.
This latest attack adds to growing concerns over insecurity in Kogi State, particularly as communities continue to face repeated cases of banditry and kidnappings targeting farmers and worshippers alike.
On Sunday, SaharaReporters reported that no fewer than 20 worshippers were abducted when gunmen attacked the First ECWA Church in Ayetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
Local sources said the attackers stormed the church during a worship session, firing sporadically to create panic among congregants. While many worshippers fled the scene, an undisclosed number were seized by the assailants, who later escaped through nearby bush paths.
The church attack threw the otherwise quiet community into chaos, with residents describing widespread fear and confusion as the incident unfolded.