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States didn’t receive N570bn from FG, Makinde reacts to Tinubu’s broadcast

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Governor Seyi Makinde
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Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo says states did not receive N570billion from the federal government.
While addressing Nigerians in a broadcast during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests against hunger and hardship, President Bola Tinubu had said his administration had disbursed ₦570bn to the 36 states.

“Also, more than ₦570bn has been released to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to their citizens, while 600,000 nano-businesses have benefitted from our nano-grants. An additional 400,000 more nan0-businesses are expected to benefit,” the President said.

But Makinde in a newsletter personally signed by him and shared on his X handle on Thursday, said the state was not in the know of such a grant.

He said: “I responded to a question from a concerned citizen of Oyo State regarding the claim that the Federal Government ‘gave’ States over N570 billion as some kind of ‘hardship fund’ for citizens.

“Let me state categorically that this is yet another case of misrepresentation of facts. The said funds were part of the World Bank-assisted NG-CARES project—a Programme for Results intervention.

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“The World Bank facilitated an intervention to help States in Nigeria with COVID-19 Recovery. CARES means COVID-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus.

“It was called the Programme for Results because States had to use their money in advance to implement the programme.

“After the World Bank verified the amount spent by the State, it reimbursed the States through the platform provided at the Federal level. The Federal Government did not give any State money; they were simply the conduit through which the reimbursements were made to States for money already spent.

“It is important to note that the World Bank fund is a loan to States, not a grant. So, States will need to repay this loan. Note also that NG-CARES, which we christened Oyo-CARES in our State, predates the present federal administration.”

The governor further explained that the loan came in two tranches to states.

According to him, Oyo State got ₦5.98 billion in the first tranche and ₦822 million in the second tranche.

“So, in direct response to the message, the Federal Government did not give Oyo State any money. We were reimbursed funds (₦5.98 billion in the first instance and ₦822 million in the second instance).

“We invested in the three result areas of NG-CARES, which includes inputs distribution to smallholder farmers within our State. In fact, when the World Bank saw our model for the distribution of inputs preceded by biometric capturing of beneficiary farmers, they adopted it as the NG-CARES model,” governor Makinde added.

Makinde is the second Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor to have tackled Tinubu over the speech in recent times.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi had described the speech as empty.

Daily Trust

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NCDC Identifies Two Suspected Ebola Cases In North-East

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Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in the North-East region of the country.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in a post via its official X handle on Saturday, adding that both individuals had been isolated.
It also said contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is underway.

According to the agency, confirmation is subject to laboratory results.
Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing is ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted,” the NCDC said.

“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results.

“The public is advised to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”

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The latest update by the NCDC came days after it said it identified another contact, an e-hailing driver, linked to the confirmed case of the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, increasing the number of primary contacts to 54.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, told Channels Television on October 26 that efforts were ongoing to identify the secondary contacts.

“So we are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that we have all the contacts, and they have been followed up. So we are still not out of the woods; because the index case is out doesn’t mean that we don’t have that,” he said.

The Federal Government had announced Nigeria’s first confirmed case of the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja on October 20, 2026, identifying the patient as a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, who returned to Nigeria with symptoms on October 7, but the Ugandan authorities denied reports of an Ebola outbreak in the East African country.

The index patient was later flown to Switzerland along with her husband.

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Troops kill 71 terrorists in Borno, Yobe offensive

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Soldiers kill 964 terrorists in February- DHQ
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Nigerian troops have neutralised no fewer than 71 terrorists in coordinated ground and air operations across Borno and Yobe, while recovering weapons and ammunition and disrupting terrorist logistics networks.

The operations include a five-hour counter-offensive at Buni Yadi, Yobe, which reportedly accounted for 48 ISWAP fighters, as well as separate air and maritime strikes that neutralised 23 terrorists.

An operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, said the Buni Yadi operation followed an attack on troops at the North-East Theatre Training School in Gujba Local Government Area.

The report said the troops repelled the assault and neutralised 48 terrorists during the ensuing counter-offensives, recovering 42 AK-47 rifles, five PKT machine guns, four general-purpose machine guns and one 60mm mortar.

It added that other recovered items include 105 AK-47 magazines, two video cameras and thousands of rounds of ammunition of different calibres.

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The report said one soldier was killed during the engagements, while two others sustained minor injuries.

According to the report, the maritime component, supported by an armed unmanned aerial vehicle, had in another operation on Oct. 28, struck terrorist targets across Lake Chad.

“Preliminary battle damage assessment indicates that eight terrorists were neutralised, while 10 others sustained injuries.

“Similarly, an air operation near Ngirmishi settlement, north of Kerenoa, reportedly neutralised about 15 terrorists.

“The operation followed the sighting of suspected terrorists around a structure believed to be a logistics base, which was subsequently struck in a precision attack.”

The report said that in Borno, army troops of 5 Brigade arrested seven suspected terrorist collaborators, informants and logistics suppliers at Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area, on Oct. 28.

Items recovered, according to the report include mobile phones, food supplies, drinks, blankets, cooking oil and other household materials, alongside N483,550.

It added that troops of 112 Task Force Battalion, working with Hybrid Forces, also ambushed suspected terrorists attempting to cross the Mafa-Ajiri road at Kassasewa, Mafa Local Government Area, on Oct. 27.

The report revealed that the suspected terrorists fled, abandoning five rocket-propelled grenade bombs and 175 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

The report added that in another development, troops of 202 Battalion apprehended a suspected terrorist informant and logistics supplier attempting to infiltrate Bama town.

“The troops also intercepted a suspected member of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) who reportedly escaped from a terrorist enclave in Bama and was on his way to surrender.

“Meanwhile, troops of 403 Amphibious Brigade, working with the Multinational Joint Task Force and Civilian Joint Task Force, discovered an improvised explosive device along the Baga-Cross road in Kukawa Local Government Area on Oct. 29,” it said.

In Plateau, the report said troops of Operation Enduring Peace foiled a kidnapping attempt at the ECWA Staff Quarters in Jos North Local Government Area in the early hours of Friday.

It said that the troops responded to a distress call and forced the suspected kidnappers to abandon their operation and flee.

According to the report, troops also arrested a suspected kidnapper at Akwaba, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa, during a joint operation with the Department of State Services.

“The suspect and N200,000 recovered during the operation were handed over to the DSS for further investigation.

“In Ondo, troops of 322 Artillery Regiment, working with the Nigeria Police, raided a suspected criminal and ritualists’ hideout at Kajola Camp.

“Three suspects were arrested, while counterfeit United States dollars and other foreign currencies were recovered.

“The suspects and recovered items were handed over to the police in Ore for further action,” it also said. (NAN)

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29-Year-Old Nigerian Man Dies After Tree Crushes Car in London

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Late James Abiwon
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A 29-year-old Nigerian man, James Abiwon, has died after a tree fell on his car during Storm Boelo in Mill Hill, north London.

According to Metro UK, Abiwon was driving along Dollis Road at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday when the tree fell amid strong winds.

Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics and an air ambulance, rushed to the scene. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Abiwon’s cousin, Tyrrell Okolo, described him as “a master of everything” and a devoted family man.

The deceased worked as a technology sales executive and held a degree from the University of Essex. He was also a semi-professional footballer who played for Aldershot, a musician whose YouTube channel had about 40,000 viewers, and a mentor to many people, according to his cousin.

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Abiwon had been preparing to celebrate his 30th birthday with a padel tournament. Following his death, the event will go ahead in his memory, with proceeds expected to support his family.

His close friend, 29-year-old Kwame Affum, said they had played padel together just two days before the fatal incident.

“I’m trying hard to get my head around this,” Affum told Metro UK.

He said a friend had messaged Abiwon shortly before the accident about money owed to him for the court booking, but he did not respond, prompting concern.

Affum described Abiwon as a sports enthusiast, a talented footballer and an Arsenal supporter. He also said the deceased had graduated with a first-class degree and recently received an award at work.

“He was full of energy and talent,” Affum said.

“He was going to celebrate his 30th birthday in two weeks. It just seems impossible this has happened.”

A witness who laid flowers at the scene told Metro UK that she heard a helicopter and went outside to discover that a fallen tree had blocked the road, with a car trapped beneath it.

According to the witness, Abiwon’s girlfriend and best friend arrived while rescue operations were still underway. They were reportedly shaking as they waited, hoping he would be rescued alive.

The witness said his aunts and other relatives arrived later and were inconsolable over his death.

She described Abiwon as someone who was clearly loved by many, adding that the community had lost one of its own.

Traffic on Dollis Road was reportedly heavy at the time of the incident, as roadworks on a nearby street had diverted more vehicles onto the road.

A neighbour whose home overlooks the scene expressed concern about the circumstances, saying: “If it had been 10 minutes later, it could have been me.”

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to Dollis Road at about 12:40 p.m. on Sunday following reports that a tree had fallen onto a moving car.

The police said they were working with the local authority and coroner to establish the circumstances surrounding Abiwon’s death.

Storm Boelo brought wind gusts of up to 84 mph across parts of the United Kingdom over the weekend.

A 60-year-old man was also killed by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, while other people were injured in incidents linked to the storm.

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