
News
Insecurity: Nigerians paid N2.2trn as ransom to kidnappers in one year
The National Bureau of Statistics said that Nigerians paid a total of N2.2 trillion as ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024 amid worsening insecurity across the country.
This is according to NBS’s latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report.
The report showed that this was paid by households affected by kidnapping incidents, highlighting the growing threat posed by criminal activities in the country.
According to the report, an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households in the reference period.
The survey showed that the North-West region led the chart with the highest incidents- 14.4 million cases reported, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8 million incidents.

In contrast, the South-East region reported the least crime, with 6.18 million incidents.
The findings from the survey indicated that rural areas were more affected by crime than urban areas, with 26.53 million crime incidents in rural households compared to 25.36 million in urban areas.
The report highlighted the severity of kidnapping, with 4.14 million households experiencing home robbery.
“The average amount paid as ransom was N2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of N2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period,” it highlighted.
News
Another fake agency uncovered, FG suspends three perm secs, orders arrest
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries over the discovery of another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The affected PS are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
The President also ordered the arrest of one George Buchi Nwabueze.
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the President for the second time in two days, following an earlier meeting on Thursday.The
Aliyu said the newly uncovered fake office, operating under the name “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” had been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the OSGF, contrary to extant laws and without presidential authorisation.

He said the discovery emerged in the course of the commission’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by the President.
The ICPC boss identified the promoter of the fake office as one George Nwabueze, who was said to be operating under multiple aliases.
“The fake agency office, National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, was promoted by one George Buchi Nwabueze, with active suspected collaborators in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, contrary to extant laws and without authorisation of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The promoter was discovered to also operate under four other variations of his name: George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze,” Aliyu said.
He revealed that the ICPC had engaged the OSGF to ascertain vital information relating to the fake office under investigation, and had comprehensively briefed the President on the new developments.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.
Aliyu said following the discovery, “Mr President has directed as follows: the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze; the immediate suspension of the following permanent secretaries; M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.
Friday’s development is the latest in a scandal that began with the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, is currently facing prosecution on charges of forgery and impersonation.
The ICPC’s interim report, submitted to the President on August 6 after a 30-day investigation, had earlier disclosed the existence of two other fictitious bodies, the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth fake agency uncovered after the PFIFC scandal since early April.
News
Enugu ADC chairman allegedly murdered in his village
Tension and grief have enveloped the political community in Enugu State following the suspected murder of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairman in Udenu Local Government Area, Chisimdiri Emmanuel Ngwu.
Ngwu, said to be one of the longest-serving members of the ADC in the state, was reportedly found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in circumstances suspected to be suspicious.
A family source, who spoke to our correspondent, said Ngwu left the house shortly after waking up on Wednesday morning but never returned alive.
“He woke up early in the morning on Wednesday and walked out and that was the last we heard of him,” the source said.
According to the source, the family became worried after discovering that Ngwu was missing, before his lifeless body was later found outside the compound.

“When we woke up, we didn’t see him only to discover his lifeless body in front of our compound. We saw scratches on his neck which was twisted backwards,” the source added.
The circumstances surrounding his death have continued to generate concern among family members, friends and political associates.
Meanwhile, two persons have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.
However, their identities and the circumstances surrounding their arrest were not immediately disclosed as of press time.
The development has reportedly sent shock waves through the ADC in Udenu and the wider political community in the state, with calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ngwu’s death.
News
2027: Tinubu’ll relocate Nigeria’s capital to Lagos if he wins – Primate Ayodele
Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has claimed that President Bola Tinubu will relocate the capital of Nigeria to Lagos if he is declared the winner of the 2027 general elections.
Primate Ayodele made this statement in a video posted on X.
President Tinubu is seeking re-election under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Speaking about Tinubu’s re-election, the cleric said, “Lagos architecture will change. You may not see this one very seriously, but if Tinubu wins the second time, the capital of Nigeria will be relocated to Lagos.
“When this happens, the capital can be in Epe or Lekki or anywhere at all in Lagos.”

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