There was tension on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday as Obinna Aguocha, the Labour Party (LP) member representing Umuahia North/Umuahia South/Ikwuano Federal Constituency of Abia State, clashed with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen over his attempt to draw the attention of the House to the worsening health condition of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as reported by PREMIUM TIMES.

Temper rose shortly after plenary resumed from the annual recess, when Mr Aguocha raised a matter of urgent importance concerning the deteriorating health of his constituent, Mr Kanu, who has been in the custody of the State Security Services (SSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021.

The IPOB leader hails from Umuahia in Abia State.

Aguocha’s complaint
Presenting his motion, Mr Aguocha told the chamber that he had, since 26 August, written separate letters to the Speaker, President Bola Tinubu, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, urging immediate intervention in the IPOB leader’s failing health.

“On August 26, I wrote to Mr Speaker, to the Attorney General, and to the President, appealing for urgent medical attention for my constituent, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Up until today, I have not received any response. Reports from both his personal doctors and the Nigerian Medical Association confirm that he has organ deficiencies and dangerously low potassium levels. As we speak, he is on the verge of death,” the lawmaker said.

He reminded the House that a court had ordered independent medical examinations of the detained IPOB leader, noting that all three reports, including one commissioned by the court had confirmed his critical state.

“It is about fundamental human rights. The court has said that only a man who is alive can stand trial,” he said. “Kanu has not been convicted of any crime and should be granted the same opportunity as others who have travelled abroad for treatment.”

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Mr Aguocha urged the speaker to use his office to press the executive for compliance with court directives and to secure medical care for Mr Kanu, warning that “it is a matter of life and death and demands the attention of the House.”

Who is Nnamdi Kanu?
Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist movement agitating for the independence of the South-east region from Nigeria. He was first arrested in 2015 and later granted bail in 2017 but fled the country after his home in Abia State was raided by soldiers.

In June 2021, Mr Kanu was intercepted abroad and returned to Nigeria to face trial on multiple charges, including treasonable felony, incitement, and terrorism-related offences.

His prolonged detention has sparked repeated court battles and political appeals for his release, with critics accusing the government of disobeying court orders.

Speaker objects
Responding to Mr Aguocha’s presentation, Mr Tajudeen said the matter did not qualify as one of privilege, the procedural route under which the lawmaker had brought it to the floor.

“I do not see where your privilege is conflicted,” Mr Tajudeen said. “If it is a letter written to my office, you have direct access to me. Even a phone call or a visit could have addressed it. This is not the kind of thing to come by way of privilege.”

But Mr Aguocha pushed back, insisting that he personally submitted the letter to the speaker’s office on 27 August and received acknowledgment.

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The exchange quickly became tense as both men spoke over each other.

“It’s a matter of life and death,” Mr Aguocha repeated. “The rules of this House allow me to raise a matter of privilege when it concerns a citizen’s fundamental rights.”

The Speaker, visibly displeased, maintained his stance, “It is only when your privilege is compromised or denied that you can bring it up,” Mr Tajudeen said. “You have access to my office and can seek an explanation directly. Please, step it down.”

When Mr Aguocha insisted that Rule 6(2) of the House Rules empowered him to raise the issue, Mr Tajudeen ruled him out of order and Mr Aguocha’s microphone was immediately turned off.

“You are ruled out of order. Listen to the gavel,” the Speaker said.

Deputy Speaker intervenes
Sensing the rising tension, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu intervened, appealing for calm and assuring Mr Aguocha that the matter would be entertained formally during the week.

“I understand the pain of the member regarding the subject matter of Nnamdi Kanu,” Mr Kalu said. “Let us bring it properly before the House so that it can be given the hearing it deserves. Maybe tomorrow or any other sitting day, we will give full time to present it.”

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In response, Mr Tajudeen agreed to Mr Kalu’s suggestion, clarifying that his objection was merely procedural.

“No problem at all. Itt’s just the procedure that I was challenging, not the substance of the issue.

“I will be willing and ready. Anytime you are ready to bring up the matter, we will do the needful and give you all the time to present,” the speaker said.

As part of moves aimed at restoring Nigeria’s global reputation, the Senate on Tuesday advanced a bill that would strip Nigerians convicted of crimes abroad of their international passports for a minimum of 10 years, as reported by Channels Television.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Abubakar Bello (Niger North), seeks to amend the Passport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, introducing tough penalties designed to deter criminal conduct by Nigerians overseas and repair the tarnished image of the Nigerian passport.

Leading the debate on the floor, Senator Onawo Ogwoshi, speaking on behalf of the sponsor, described the bill as imperative and compelling, underscored that it would serve as a strong deterrent to those who damage Nigeria’s international reputation through criminal activity.

“Innocent and patriotic Nigerians suffer harassment in airports, visa denials and constant suspicion simply because of the actions of a few, the green passport, once a symbol of pride, is now widely disrespected. That is nothing less than a state of emergency,” he lamented.

According to the proposed legislation, any Nigerian convicted of a crime in a foreign country would have their passport withdrawn for a decade following the completion of their sentence. Lawmakers argue the measure will both punish wrongdoers and signal to the global community that Nigeria is committed to accountability.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has reacted to the fire that engulfed a section of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex on Monday evening, October 6, which destroyed some properties.

The fire was said to have started after office hours on the ground floor of the Podium Block and damaged part of the nine-storey building.

Fubara dissolves Rivers’ pension board

The fire outbreak came barely a week after the governor announced the dissolution of the Rivers State Pensions Board. It was gathered that the office of the board was not affected, despite being close to section of the complex gutted by the inferno.

According to The Punch, Governor Fubara and the immediate past administration of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), recently approved funds for the renovation of the secretariat.

Addressing the fire incident on behalf of the governor, the state head of service, Inyinge Brown, explained that the fire was a result of an electric fault and that there was no casualty.

Brown further explained that operatives of the Rivers State Fire Service, the Federal Fire Service, Renaissance, and the military swiftly responded to the situation to stop the blaze.

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Nigerians react to Rivers fire incident

The video of the fire incident that emerged on social media has started generating mixed reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their reactions:

Foundational Ijesa man wrote: “Because the governor says head go roll, perm secs done move into action. If we can’t solve the civil service problem, Nigeria can never be free.”

Victor Oliseh blamed the situation on corruption: “If you know how deep corruption is in this country, we won’t wait till 2027 before we decide to pay this bunch of evil beings their rewards.”

SafetyOne condemned people near the fire: “See people inhaling toxic smoke like it’s nothing. ‘People push for lack of knowledge’ Inhaling CO-contained smoke can kill you in 5 minutes, especially for someone with underlying health issues who is probably in that crowd.”

Tal Ebraheem John commented: “This tells you how insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, killings and other sundries thrive in a country.”

Mohammed Inde commented: “Records which Fubara set eyes on as evidence are gone! So none of the perm sects would be unhappy.”

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Pressure has continued to mount on President Bola Tinubu to break his silence on the forgery case against the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, as senior lawyers, activists, as well as opposition political parties and leaders called for a thorough probe and resignation or removal of the presidential aide, as reported by ThisDay.

This followed revelations that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disowned the academic and service certificates he presented during his Senate screening in 2023.

But the minister yesterday refuted allegations of certificate forgery against him, alleging that it was politically motivated, and well-crafted by a governor to tarnish his reputation ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Enugu state.

The alleged forgery gained national attention after UNN, in a letter dated October 2, 2025, stated that it did not issue the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree certificate in Biochemistry and Microbiology, which the minister claimed to have obtained in July 1985.

The letter, signed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, explained that while Nnaji was admitted into the university in 1981 to study Biochemistry and Microbiology, he did not complete the programme and therefore could not have been issued a graduation certificate.

“From every available record and information from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, we are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study,” the university stated.

Reacting to the development, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Seyi Sowemimo, described the allegations as serious and called for an independent investigation.

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“I don’t see how the minister would tender a forged certificate. That would be criminal conduct—something that should be investigated. If it is found that the certificate is indeed forged, then this would amount to criminal conduct, and we would demand that he be removed from office,” Sowemimo said.

Similarly, Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi (SAN) advised that the minister should “do the honourable thing and resign” if the allegations are substantiated after due inquiry.

Similarly, in a statement by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) blamed President Bola Tinubu for the continued stay in office of the minister, saying that if the minister is not honourable enough to resign, the Tinubu administration should remove him from office.

“A ministry whose mandate is to drive innovation, research, and the advancement of knowledge is now tainted by the dubious credentials of the man that President Tinubu has found fit to serve,” it added.

Also, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN) has said that any public officer accused of certificate forgery owes Nigerians a duty to come clean.

Also, the Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, described forgery as a serious offence which should not be treated with kid gloves.

Osigwe, responding to a question, said that while he may not want to comment on the issue because he was not seized of the facts of the allegation, any public servant accused of forgery should prove his innocence.

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“However, where the minister or whoever is alleged does not come out openly to either rebuff or prove that the certificate he is carrying is authentic, the matter should be referred for investigation because the public has the right to know whether the certificate being used by such a person is indeed forged or authentic,” he said.

Also, Obi, the LP presidential candidate, in a post on his X handle, said the country was not firm enough on public office holders, who were found to have forged their certificates.

According to him, whenever he talks about Nigeria being a crime scene, those who are part of the criminality and their hirelings will quickly start their noise-making, attacking and blackmailing him.

He said: “How do you tell young Nigerians to be honest and upright when those they are supposed to emulate are the least to be emulated because they are criminals and dishonest? Certificate forgery is a serious criminal offence in all countries of the world. It is one of the most corrupt practices heavily punished.”

Speaking further on the need for proper verification of certificates, Obi alleged that many public office holders today are parading forged certificates backed by fraudulent affidavits, which they used in 2023, after “scaling through” both INEC, security and Senate screening with forged documents.

“How do you tell young Nigerians to be honest and upright when those they are supposed to emulate are the least to be emulated because they are criminals and dishonest? Certificate forgery is a serious criminal offence in all countries of the world. It is one of the most corrupt practices heavily punished,” he said.

The former Anambra State Governor referenced Indonesia where if there’s forgery of educational qualifications required to participate in elections from local government to the state legislature, governorship, and up to the presidential level, they will be prosecuted.

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“But in my country Nigeria, though the laws are same as in other countries, that forgery is punished by immediate disqualification, the INEC makes no effort to scrutinise certificates before the elections, overlooks complaints of forgery and when you challenge them after the elections, court will dismiss the serious criminal issues as ‘pre-election matters’ without giving this criminal act appropriate punishment.

“INEC, even after the elections, does not bother to revisit or investigate these serious offences before the next election. The other concerning issue from all these is how criminals and dishonest people scale through all the scrutiny layers -security, parliament and government apparatus set to handle such.

“Even more disturbing, amounting to double tragedy, is that most of these dishonest people swore an affidavit before a law court attesting to the authenticity of the documents they presented. We are now preparing for the 2027 general elections. INEC has enough time to investigate past complaints about various forms of forgery and false claims.

“Our electoral amendments must include that anyone intending to contest for any public office, whether an incumbent or a new candidate, must submit all academic certificates to the electoral body immediately after party primaries, at least six months before the election.

“These certificates, alongside details of schools attended, what was studied, and years of study, should be made public for verification within 90 days. This process must also apply to appointed officials, ministers, and even aides, because when dishonesty starts from the top, it spreads to every level of governance, just like it’s happening now,” Obi argued.

In his intervention, human rights advocate Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, commented on the broader implications of the case:

“This story might shock the rest of the world, but in Nigeria, it seems par for the course. The Minister of Innovation, Science & Technology appears to have decided that innovation should start with himself—by allegedly forging a university degree and claiming one from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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“In reality, he is a university dropout. Importantly, Nigerian law does not require Ministers to hold a university degree, making this a gratuitous act of deceit rather than a legal necessity.

“He is neither the first nor likely the last in the current administration to present questionable credentials. The government is reportedly full of individuals with forged documents, criminal records, or sometimes both. Ultimately, this administration may be remembered for making it abundantly clear that, in its view, the only standards that seem to matter are criminal ones,” he stated.

However, Nnaji, has refuted allegations of certificate forgery against him as reported by a section of the Nigerian media.

Nnaji, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, alleged that it was politically motivated, and well-crafted by the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to tarnish his reputation ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.

Represented by his Special Adviser, Media, Dr. Robert Ngwu, the minister threatened legal action against those he said were spreading what he described as fake news.

Ngwu stated that the minister was admitted into UNN to study Microbiology/Biochemistry in 1981 and graduated in 1985 with Second class Honours (Lower Division) contrary to some media reports that he did not obtain any certificate in 1985.

The media aide flaunted a document dated December 21, 2023 issued from the office of the UNN Registrar, Dr. Celine Ngozi Nnebedum, and signed by IAS Onyeador on behalf of the former.

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The document, he stated, was in response to an inquiry by Samuel Ogundipe of the People’s Gazette seeking for the minister’s academic records.

The document read: ”This is to confirm that Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji with registration number 1981/30725 was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/ Biochemistry in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

“Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985 with Bachelor of Science in Microbiology/ Biochemistry, Second Class (Hons) Lower Division.”

He added that the document was the official position of the university, noting that it remains very much valid.

The ministerial aide added that the document relied upon by the online platform for its “malicious and false narrative” was issued in May 2025, allegedly written by the university claiming that there were no records of the minister’s graduation.

He said: “Starting from May 2025, a purported letter surfaced allegedly written by the university suddenly claiming that there were no records of the ministers’ graduation. The question every Nigerian should ask is simple and logical: what changed between December 2023 and October 2025?”

He accused the then acting VC and the incumbent VC of orchestrating the purported new document, alleging that they are card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hired by the governor to do a hatchet job.

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“By Academic convention worldwide, the Registrar and not the Vice Chancellor is the custodian of all examination and graduation records. Any attempt by the Vice chancellor to assume that role is an aberration in the university protocol and in his case an obvious political overreach,” he said.

The minister’s spokesman said that when his principal got wind of an attempt to tamper or alter his academic files, he immediately sought legal redress by approaching the Federal High Court In Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, presided by justice HJ Yilwa.

According to him, on September 22, 2025, the court granted a series of protective orders, including an injunction restraining the Vice Chancellor and management of UNN from tampering or continuing to tamper with Nnaji’s academic records.

The second order, he said, was an order of Mandamus compelling the university to release his academic transcripts, while a third order was a directive to the supervising authorities to ensure compliance through their disciplinary power.

“These are not speculative claims, they are certified orders of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and that alone should settle the matter. Unfortunately, instead of adhering strictly to the valid court order, the Vice Chancellor of the UNN, a lawyer by profession, resorted to cyber bullying and politically-motivated media trial against Chief Nnaji,” the media aide alleged.

He stressed: “It is increasingly clear that this entire episode is not about education or integrity, it is about political desperation disguised as academic inquiry. The timing, the sources, the false documents and the paid narratives all point to a coordinated campaign to drag a reputable public servant into the mud of partisan politics. But Nigerians are wiser than that.

“The facts are before the court, the document is in public domain and the truth cannot be buried under political propaganda.”

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The minister, he added, cannot be distracted by those who want to weaponise institutions and media platforms for political He said that this was also reflected in the institution’s convocation brochure which remains part of the UNN archives, stressing that any other claim or document to the contrary is false, malicious and politically motivated.

However, there was a seeming inconsistency in the names presented in the document and the university convocation brochure.

In the document presented, the minister’s name was given as Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, while the brochure had Nnaji GG Uchenna, which the media aide dismissed as inconsequential.

When pressed further on the need to make his certificate public to clear any doubt on the controversy, he claimed the minister had made it public by submitting to the Department of State Services(DSS) during the ministerial screening .

In the same vein, hearing in the suit filed by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Nnaji, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, failed to proceed as scheduled, due to the inability of the lawyer to the UNN and its officials to file their responses against the suit.

Trial judge, Justice Yilwa subsequently adjourned the matter until November 10 for hearing.

The minister had dragged the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN and its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ortuanya, to court, following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.

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While the Education Minister, NUC, UNN and Prof. Ortuanya are the 1st to 4th respondents, the 5th to 7th respondents are the Registrar, UNN; a former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oguenjiofor Ujam; and the Senate respectively, in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025.

Nnaji, in an ex-parte motion, had sought an order granting him leave to issue prerogative writs prohibiting the university and its officials from “tampering with” or continuing to “tamper with” his academic records.

The applicant in addition also sought leave to issue a prerogative writ of mandamus compelling the university and its officials to release his academic transcript to him, and asked the Minister of Education and the NUC to exercise their supervisory powers to compel UNN to do so.

In another relief, the minister also sought an interim injunction restraining UNN and its officials from “tampering” with his academic records pending the determination of the substantive suit, among others.

But in her ruling on September 22, the judge granted three of the reliefs sought by Nnaji but declined to issue any injunctive order against the respondents, before adjourning the matter to October 6, for further hearing.

Meanwhile, when the matter was called on Monday, Nnaji was represented by Sebastine Hon, SAN, while E.M. Asogwa appeared for the 3rd to 7th respondents (UNN and its officers). However, no lawyer appeared for either the Minister of Education or NUC (1st and 2nd respondents). Hon, therefore, told the court that all the parties in the suit had been served.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded that President Bola Tinubu urgently sanitise his cabinet by sacking and suspending ministers entangled in alleged corruption and forgery scandals.

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The rights group warned that the President’s silence in the face of mounting allegations and presumed evidence of alleged misconduct portrays him as indifferent to accountability, transparency, and the fight against corruption.

In a statement issued, by Emmanuel Onwubiko National Coordinator, said that by keeping silence, Tinubu is aiding corruption

HURIWA described Tinubu’s refusal to act despite weighty allegations against members of his cabinet as “disrespectful to Nigerians who are the rightful custodians of national sovereignty.” It stressed that allowing allegedly tainted officials to remain in office makes the administration complicit in shielding wrongdoing at the highest levels of government.

It said what a good government does when such allegations come up is to take open, transparent and visible measures to investigate and then act swiftly if the accusations are proven.

ThisDay

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of a Fidelity Bank account belonging to Mars Aviation Limited over money laundering allegations connected to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), according to TheCable.

Musa Liman, the presiding judge, granted the order following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1299/2025, was filed on July 1 and moved by Geraldine Ofulue, the EFCC counsel.

Ofulue told the court that the account is under investigation in a case involving alleged criminal misappropriation and money laundering. She prayed the court to freeze the account pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Ruling on the motion, Liman held that the EFCC’s application had merit and accordingly granted the request. Although the order was made on September 22.

The EFCC had asked the court to empower its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, or any other authorised officer to direct the managing director of Fidelity Bank to freeze the account.

According to the motion, the account number 5250350283 (C03651082) is held by Mars Aviation Limited.

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In an affidavit supporting the motion, Abdulganiyu Olayide, an EFCC investigator attached to the commission’s special duties committee, said his team was assigned to probe the matter.

Olayide said the investigation followed intelligence alleging that NNPCL had made several payments to Mars Aviation for purported contracts that were phoney and granted in default of the provisions of the Procurement Act.

He added that preliminary findings revealed that huge sums of money were paid into the company’s Fidelity Bank account by NNPCL in multiple instalments.

The EFCC official said freezing the account was necessary to preserve the funds and prevent any transactions while the investigation continues.

“That I make this affidavit in good faith, believing its contents to be true and correct and in accordance with the Oaths Act,” Olayide said.

There are reports that Mars Aviation Limited is allegedly owned by Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, the founder and group managing director of AA&R. Bashir-Haske is married to the daughter of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

In August, Haske was placed on EFCC’s wanted list over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

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TheCable

President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to immediately review the 2026 Hajj fares.

The directive comes after the naira’s continued appreciation against the dollar, a key factor in determining the cost of Hajj.

According to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the review is necessary to ensure that the benefits of the improved exchange rate are reflected in the fares.

The previous fares were N8.1 million for pilgrims from the Maiduguri zone, N8.2 million for other northern states, and N8.5 million for southern states.

NAHCON has been given two days to submit a new fare proposal. The Vice-President emphasized the need for close coordination between national and state officials to ensure uniformity in adopting the revised rate.

He also called for quick payment and remittance of funds to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure a smooth and timely operation.

Ibrahim Hadeija, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, said the discussion focused on finalizing arrangements for the 2026 Hajj, particularly on reducing fares for intending pilgrims.

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He noted that the government’s economic reforms have strengthened the naira and that the president expects the benefits to be passed on to prospective pilgrims.