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Arewa Forum alleges ethnic bias in Tinubu’s key appointments

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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A group for the emancipation of northern economy, Arewa Economic Forum has accused President Bola Tinubu of ethnic bias in the selection of appointees into crucial economic sectors. The forum said the appointments so far have shown that the President has special consideration for people from his south-west region, especially those with links to Lagos State.

“We are afraid to state that a situation whereby the appointees in crucial economic sectors are not only from the southwest but also connected to the Lagos axis suggests a deliberate ‘Yorubanisation’ and ‘Lagoslisation’ of the polity,” chairman of the forum Ibrahim Shehu Yahaya said at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

He however said it was not too late for President Tinubu to turn the corner and do the needful in upcoming appointments and crucial decisions.

The group pointed to the appointments of the minister of finance and the cordinating minister of the economy, Mr. Wale Edun; acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Folashodun Shonubi; minister of communications innovation and digital economy, Mr Bosun Tijani at the same the chairman of Senate committee on ICT, Afolabi Salisu, and that of House of Representatives, Adedeji Olajide Odidiomo are both from the southwest as enough pointers to the fact that the appointments are sectional.

Asked why his forum refused to raise such concern when former President Mohammadu Buhari also raised ethnic flag over competence and national spread in his appointments, Mr Yahaya simply said “Arewa Economic Forum was not established then.”

While the forum admitted that the appointees are eminently qualified for their respective positions, it however said competent hands could be found in other regions of the country to make it reflect national spread.

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“Competence should be the key word. It can be found in all parts of the country.

“Some agencies in the finance and ICT sectors whose chief executives were removed like the Nigeria Customs Service and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) were replaced by people from the Southwest.

“There is even confusion on the recent appointment of Engr Bisoye Coker-Odusote from Lagos as acting DG NIMC, after Engr Aliyu Abubakar Aziz was asked to go on retirement leave.

“The presidential directive stated that after acting for three months, Coker-Odusote would then immediately resume as substantive DG for a full tenure.

“This is curious and unprecedented. If the President could not allow the most senior director in the Commission to act for some time, he should have instructed Madam Coker-Odusote to resume her four-year tenure immediately instead of making her enjoy extra three months. This is capable of setting a bad precedent in public service appointments,” Yahaya said.

The group believes that the president means well for the nation but said, the president and his lieutenants need to understand optics as perception is reality.

“We urge Mr. President not to yield to sectional pressure for parochial appointments and patronage on the critical sectors of our economy.

“In his appointments, changes and replacements, we call on the President to be wary of actions that can send a wrong signal on his true intentions or the agenda of some of his key lieutenants.

“We expect President Tinubu to be fair, just and equitable in his decisions not only because the Northerners overwhelmingly voted for him but because that is the right thing to do,” the group stated.

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DSS releases Nnamdi Kanu’s doctor, Aghaji

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Martin Aghaji, retired professor
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…insider sheds light on reason for his arrest

Professor Martin Aghaji, personal doctor to Nnamdi Kanu, has been arrested by Nigeria’s security operatives, Aloy Ejimakor, Mr Kanu’s lawyer said in an X post on Saturday.

Mr Kanu is the convicted leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He is serving life imprisonment in Sokoto State after a federal high court in Abuja convicted him in November for terrorism.

Mr Ejimakor said in the X post that Mr Aghaji, a retired professor, was arrested at his residence in Enugu State on Friday.

The lawyer did not specifically say which operatives arrested the medical doctor, although he suggested that the arrest was connected to a medical report issued by the doctor on Mr Kanu which contradicted a similar report by the Department of  State Security (DSS).

“This is the height of the official harassment he has been facing since he issued the medical report that did not comport with the SSS’s medical report on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Mr Ejimakor said.

How they arrested the medical doctor

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In another post on Sunday evening, the lawyer claimed “the security operatives” stormed Mr Aghaji’s residence at about 3:00 a.m., violently pulled down his gate and forcibly gained entry” into the apartment.

“During the commotion, shots were fired. They’ve now taken him to Lagos,” he stated.

Release of the doctor

Mr Ejimakor, in a fresh post on Sunday night, announced that Mr Aghaji has been released from detention following the intervention of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and other bodies.

“While welcoming this development, the DSS is hereby admonished to do better than this,” he said, suggesting that the secret police earlier carried out the arrest.

DSS speaks

When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson of the DSS, Favour Dozie, confirmed the secret police indeed arrested Mr Aghaji from his residence in Enugu.

Ms Dozie, however, said the arrest was never linked to Mr Kanu or IPOB.

“He was arrested, but not in connection with Nnamdi Kanu,” she said, refusing to give details because the matter was under investigation.

The DSS spokesperson stressed that the retired professor’s arrest could not have been linked to Mr Kanu because the IPOB leader had already been convicted by a court and currently serving jail term.

She confirmed that Mr Aghaji was granted administrative bail and subsequently released to the NMA leadership in Lagos State on Sunday after providing a credible individual as his surety.

An official of the DSS later informed PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Aghaji’s arrest followed his alleged financial transactions to high-profile criminals under investigation.

“He was even sorry about it when he was informed of the transactions he made. The man himself felt very bad,” said the official who asked not to be named because he did not have permission to speak on the matter.

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PFIPC: Adeyemi’s father arrested as police intensify forgery probe

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The father of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, who is facing criminal charges over alleged forgery and impersonation, was reportedly arrested by police operatives on Monday in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

Residents told journalists that the arrest took place at the family’s residence, where officers reportedly arrived in several vehicles before taking Adeniyi’s father and another man said to have been visiting the home into custody.

Witnesses said the operation drew the attention of residents and caused anxiety within the household, particularly for the suspect’s elderly mother.

A resident, who requested anonymity, alleged that the officers quickly secured the premises and left with the two men, while a security presence remained in the area for some time after the operation.

Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi is currently standing trial over allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences arising from claims linked to the purported Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council.

The case is pending before the court.

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As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State Police Command had not issued an official statement confirming or explaining the reported arrests.

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Tiktoker, Peller, arraigned in court for threatening and videoing police officers on duty; granted 500k bail

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Peller
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The Lagos state police command today July 6 arraigned popular TikToker, Habeeb Hamzat aka Peller, and one other, Bello Oladipo, before a magistrate court on a three-count charge bordering on resisting police officers, obstructing them from carrying out their duties, and threatening and videoing police officers while performing their lawful duties.

Recall that on July 2, Peller clashed with some officers along the Coastal road in Lagos after he was intercepted for allegedly driving a car without a plate number.

Peller had claimed he had just purchased the vehicle.

The officers, however, dismissed his claim and insisted he must be taken to the station. Things, however, took a different turn after Peller began recording his interaction with the police officers.

He claimed the officers became hostile to him. He alleged that one of the officers dragged his shirt and even pointed a gun at him.

Monday morning, both Peller and his friend, who was in the vehicle with him, were arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate court.

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Count one of the charges reads:

‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m” of No. 16,Platinum Road Lekki phase 2 , on the 2” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Resisting public officers and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state 2015.

COUNT 2

‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m “ of Number 16, Platinum Road, Lekki Phase 2, on the 2’” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable court did obstruct one ASP Agbede Victor and three other police officers while engaged in the discharge of their constituted duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable by Section 117 (1)(2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all three counts.

The court subsequently granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties, one of whom must be a bl++d relative. The court also directed them to present two years’ tax clearance certificates as part of their bail conditions.

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