Metro
Labour faults FG’s meeting, insists on indefinite strike
The National Deputy President of the Trade Union Congress, Tommy Etim, said nothing would stop the strike, noting that Nigerian workers were disenchanted with the Federal Government.
He stated that the unions had given the government sufficient time to address their demands, stressing that the workers would not allow themselves to be deceived any longer.
Etim told The PUNCH on Wednesday that any fresh meeting was pointless and asked Nigerians to brace for the long-drawn walkout.
‘’The government had been given more than enough time to meet our demands but they did nothing. The strike has been fixed, nothing will stop it, and if they (FG) like, they can go to court as usual. The only thing that can stop the strike is if they meet all our demands,’’ he stated.
Asked what Nigerians should expect during the industrial action, the labor leader added, ‘’It will not just be a total shutdown of the nation, it is going to be the mother of all strikes. Do you know that they are even planning to sack 17,000 workers in this period when Nigerians are suffering great hardships?’’
Also, a top official of the NLC while speaking on the proposed strike, said, “The issues are straightforward, NLC’s joint communiqué was very clear. NLC has declared an indefinite nationwide strike which is to begin on October 3, 2023, and nothing will make us not start unless the government does everything we have said they should do.’’
Asked if the unions would shelve their plan if invited to a meeting by FG, the union leader noted, ‘’No meeting or promise that would make us stop; the only thing that would make us stop is the fulfillment of all those demands, nothing else.”
Fuel scarcity, blackout
Meanwhile, Nigerians may have to brace for fuel scarcity and nationwide blackout from Tuesday as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers and the National Union of Electricity Employees have vowed to join the indefinite strike declared by the NLC and TUC.
Also, the health workers said that they would not be available to attend to patients at the hospitals while the judiciary staff disclosed that the courts would be shut down nationwide.
Senior officials of NUPENG and NUEE told our correspondent on Wednesday that the unions would ground petrol and electricity supply once the strike begins.
NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, said the union would implement every instruction issued by the NLC, adding that it was non-negotiable for NUPENG to join the strike.
On Tuesday, the NLC and TUC announced an indefinite strike with effect from October 3, to protest the alleged failure of the Federal Government to provide post-subsidy palliatives for workers and implement policies that could alleviate the sufferings of the masses after the removal of the fuel subsidy.
After the 21-day ultimatum given by the NLC lapsed last week, the National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, lamented that none of the demands put before the government had been addressed.
Responding to a question on whether NUPENG would join the proposed strike, Akporeha said, “We are an affiliate of NLC and we will follow their directives to the letter.”
The NLC has over 40 affiliate unions, while the TUC has about 30 and the affiliates often participate in industrial actions called by the parent associations.
Also confirming the resolve of NUEE to comply with the strike directive, the acting General Secretary of the union, Dominic Igwebuike, said the association would ground power supply if the government failed to avert the proposed walkout.
“NUEE is an affiliate of NLC and we are complying with the directive of the congress by joining the strike from Tuesday. Workers in various electricity companies are our members.
“So, we are ready to join the strike, and our circular communicated that to our members. So, electricity workers are right now getting set to join the strike and this will lead to a massive shutdown of the power sector,” he stated.
Igwebuike had earlier said though the power sector employees were regarded as essential workers, they would still join the proposed strike.
He noted, “People in the power sector are also Nigerians. There is no different market for people working in the essential services sectors. We all go to the same markets, pay school fees, buy fuel, and face the same challenges. So we are Nigerians too.”
He explained that the September 5 and 6 walkout did not ground all the power stations because it was a warning strike, but stressed that the major strike beginning from October 3 would culminate in a complete shutdown of the country’s electricity grid.
Igwebuike urged the Federal Government to listen to the demands of the labor unions in order to avert the impending hardship that the proposed industrial action would bring upon Nigerians.
Speaking in the same tone, the healthcare workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives said they would join the planned nationwide strike.
Health workers
The acting National Vice Chairman of JOHESU, Dr Obinna Ogbonna, disclosed this to our correspondent on Wednesday.
Ogbonna said the health workers in the affiliates of the TUC and NLC would not report for work during the strike period.
it was reported that JOHESU is the umbrella body of health workers’ unions and associations, including the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institution, the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals and Associated Institutions, and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations.
Ogbonna stated, “We will join the strike fully and strongly because there was a circular released in July 2023, by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
‘’It has to do with the upward review of Consolidated Health Salary Structure and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and it stated that it will be implemented from June 2023, and the reason why it was so was because of the biting economic situation, but up till this moment, it has not been implemented.
“The palliatives that are meant to be done for us in the health sector have not been done. So, why are we not going to join the strike?”
Ogbonna noted that health services would be paralyzed in government-owned facilities.
“We will only render skeletal services, especially to those in the Intensive Care Units,” he said.
Corroborating him, the National President of the NUAHP, Kamal Ibrahim, said the members of his union will also participate in the nationwide strike.
“We will be joining the strike and it is for the good of the people,” he added.
As members of the NLC, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria said its members will join the strike action.
The treasurer of the union, Musa Alonge, argued that the issues the NLC was canvassing affected its members.
He said, “We are an affiliate of the NLC and we cannot deny that. What they are agitating for affects us. We are going where the NLC goes on this matter.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, in a statement signed on Wednesday evening addressed reports that the President, Bola Tinubu, would roll out wage awards and palliatives for workers on Independence Day. He said, “For the benefit of the doubt, it is important to stress that the Director of Information at the Ministry of Labour does not speak for the President nor is he involved in writing his speech to warrant him making any categorical statement on its content.
“If and when the minister schedules a meeting with Labour, the public will be adequately notified through verified channels.”
In a related development, the leadership of the Labour Party has thrown its weight behind the planned industrial action, saying the Presidency has been insensitive to the plight of Nigerian workers.
Among other things, the NLC and the TUC were asking for wage awards, implementation of palliatives, tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers, and a review of the minimum wage.
Reacting to the proposed strike in a statement titled, ‘Workers strike: Labour Party identifies with Nigerian workers’ on Wednesday, National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, said the workers have shown enough patience and understanding.
Ifoh also added that the leadership of the party was in support of any legitimate means to press for better welfare for Nigerian workers.
The party, therefore, said it fully supported the resolution of the NLC and TUC to embark on an industrial action.
He said, “We have followed with keen interest, in the last four months, various meetings between Organised Labour and various government bodies including the president of the Senate, the Presidency, and the ministers of labor as well as all the efforts made by the Labour leadership to get the government to understand the magnitude of sufferings its policies have thrown Nigerian workers into since the enthronement of this administration.
“We are not in any way surprised at the government’s apparent indifference, insensitivity, intransigence, and recalcitrant posture towards the genuine demands of the Labour bodies because their usurpation of power was not sanctioned by both the workers and generality of Nigerians.
“Nigerians went to the polls with clear conviction of the government they wanted but this was denied them through institutional conspiracy. Today, Nigerian workers are being punished for taking a stand during the February 25 presidential election.
‘’Labour Party is also aware of the sordid conditions which workers, the majority of them being our members, are subjected to, where many go to the office on a Monday and are forced by the prevailing economic challenges to sleep in their offices all through to Friday before returning home.
“We are also using this medium to inform all our members and supporters to stock their homes with their necessary needs ahead of a long-drawn mass action until victory is ascertained. No retreat, no surrender.”
Speaking on the planned strike in an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday, the National President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, asked the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to account for the amount it claimed to have saved from the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol. Osifo said this during an interview on Arise Television.
In July 2023, the government noted that it saved more than N1 trillion following the removal of fuel subsidy.
Tinubu said the revenue saved would be used for the benefit of Nigerians.
“In a little over two months, we have saved over a trillion naira that would have been squandered on the unproductive fuel subsidy which only benefitted smugglers and fraudsters. That money will now be used more directly and more beneficially for you and your families,” Tinubu said.
Osifo explained that since the government announced that N1trn had been saved, there was no reason for the government to continue to obtain loans.
“The President and commander in chief on its own came and said the country has saved N1 trillion. The Federal Government went everywhere to announce that if the subsidy is removed, it’s going to save substantial money.
punch.
A pastor, whose identity has not yet been revealed, has vacated a property in an upscale estate after failing to pay rent for seven years.
The situation has gained attention online, with various details surfacing about the circumstances surrounding the eviction.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the pastor’s belongings being packed up and removed from the premises, sparking conversations about the implications of such a prolonged period without payment.
As the story unfolds, many are left wondering about the reasons behind this unusual situation and the pastor’s next steps.
Details of the incident were shared by @Kingleviconsult on the popular video-sharing platform, TikTok.
According to @Kingleviconsult, he was handed over the house to manage.
However, upon reviewing records, it was discovered that the tenant hadn’t paid rent for 7 years.
Sharing details about the incident, @Kingleviconsult revealed the landlady, based outside Nigeria, doesn’t keep thorough records of rent payments.
He further revealed that the tenant doesn’t respond to the landlady’s calls or messages.
In an update on the incident, the landlady is currently in Nigeria with her elder brother, who resides in China, while the tenant has vacated the premises.
According to him, he tried to avoid going to court and instead had a meeting with the tenant, who promised to pay the rent by August 2025.
”We had a meeting together and he said that by August this year 2025, he’s going to pay the outstanding rent and he’s going to settle the matter and he will pack out,” he stated in the now-viral TikTok video.
Meanwhile, details of the estate weren’t disclosed, with netizens sharing their thoughts and opinions.
Watch Video Below:
@kingleviconsult So I was handed a house to manage, and when I checked the records, I found out the tenant hadn’t paid rent for seven years… but wait till you hear how he left! #S#StorytimeR#RealEstateTikTokP#PropertyManagerLifeL#LandlordProblemsT#TenantDramaU#UnbelievableStoriesH#HouseStoryC#CrazyTenantsP#PropertyTokTrueStory
Gistreel
A Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Musa Dahiru, has ordered the remand of one Idris Kurma for allegedly killing his wife, Aisha Idris, following a disagreement over her refusal to grind groundnuts to make kuli-kuli.
Kuli-kuli is a popular delicacy made from roasted groundnuts that are spiced and then deep-fried into a flat, crunchy snack and enjoyed across Northern Nigeria.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred in Goda village, located in the Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to court proceedings, the suspect was arraigned on a one-count charge of culpable homicide, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code.
The prosecution counsel, Barrister Lamido Abba Soron Dinki, read the charge to the defendant during the hearing, but the defendant pleaded not guilty to the allegation.
Subsequently, Barrister Soron Dinki requested an adjournment to allow the prosecution to present its witnesses in the case.
Justice Dahiru granted the application and ordered the remand of the defendant in a correctional facility pending further hearing.
While the case was adjourned to December 12, 2025, for continuation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured a five-year conviction of a former Managing Director of Bonghe Micro Finance Bank, Grace Karka, for her role in a N32m fraud, with an option of fine.
According to PUNCH Metro, in a statement by the EFCC on Thursday that the agency received a petition from the bank alleging that the defendant transferred N32m while she was the bank’s MD to an unknown account.
The statement noted that the petitioner said the fraudulent act was discovered during an audit of the bank’s account domiciled with a commercial bank.
She was subsequently arraigned before Justice Benjamin Lawan Manji of the Adamawa State High Court on counts of criminal conspiracy and cheating.
One of the charges read: “That you, Grace Andreas Karka and Prince Moses Batalu, between August 2020 and March 2021 in Yola, Adamawa State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did agree amongst yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit theft of N66,792,960.00 from Bonghe Micro Finance Bank Nigeria Limited (account number 2013668857 domiciled with First Bank Nigeria Limited) by dishonestly moving the said sum without necessary approval, contrary to Section 61(2) of the Adamawa State Penal Code Law 2018.”
According to the statement, the defendant was arraigned in November 2024, but she pleaded not guilty, which led to a full trial.
The EFCC said during the trial, the prosecutor presented witnesses and tendered several documents, while the defendant presented three witnesses.
Following the trial, the judge found the defendant guilty and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment.
“Justice Manji, on October 17, 2025, while delivering judgment, said the prosecution proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted the defendant accordingly on counts one and two.
“The judge also sentenced Karka to five years’ imprisonment with an option of N3m each on counts one and two. The sentence is to run concurrently.
“In addition, the court ordered the convict to restitute the balance of N29,877,040 to the petitioner,” the statement added.
This is not the first time a former bank MD has been jailed for fraud.
In 2024, PUNCH Metro reported that a five-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and six-year jail term slammed on a former MD of the now defunct Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.
Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of a four-bedroom duplex with two sitting rooms and boys’ quarters in Lekki to the Federal Government after finding that it was used for illegal drug activities.
The judge, on Tuesday, ordered that the property located at Block 11, House 2, Mobolaji Johnson Estate, Lekki Phase 1, be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government following an application filed by counsel for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Buhari Abdulahi.
Abdulahi told the court that the property belonged to a suspected drug baron currently resides in Canada, and was used as an operational base for trafficking Canadian Loud — a high-grade strain of cannabis sativa — into Nigeria.
“The property served as the operational base for Adebanjo’s illicit drug activities,” the NDLEA counsel said. “He purchased the house and used it to coordinate the storage, distribution, and sale of hard drugs smuggled into Nigeria from Canada.”
He informed the court that an interim forfeiture order had earlier been granted on March 20, 2024, and that, in compliance with the court’s directive, details of the property were published in the Daily Sun of May 20, 2024, and in the Vanguard of August 1, 2025, inviting any interested parties to contest the forfeiture.
“Despite the publications and adequate notice, no person or entity came forward to lay claim to the property or provide any explanation,” Abdulahi said, urging the court to grant a final forfeiture order.
He added that the application was brought under the NDLEA Act, which empowers the court to confiscate assets used in committing drug-related offences.
After reviewing the submissions and supporting documents, Justice Owoeye granted the final forfeiture order, describing the property and items within it as “instruments used in committing drug offences.”
“Having carefully examined the affidavit evidence and the unchallenged application by the NDLEA, this court hereby orders the final forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the judge ruled.
According to an affidavit filed by Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Nasir Garba Bungudu, attached to the NDLEA’s Lagos Strategic Command, the agency had received intelligence in 2023 about a drug trafficking network smuggling Canadian Loud from Canada into Nigeria.
He said investigations traced the syndicate’s base to the Lekki property, which served as a warehouse and coordination centre for storage, financing, and distribution of the illicit drugs.
He said following weeks of surveillance, NDLEA operatives conducted a raid on February 5, 2023, during which they recovered 1.088 kilograms of Canadian Loud and arrested five suspects: Tijani Hakeem, Eric Makuo, Adaobi Fortune, Ahmed Jubril, and Ekwejunor Oritsematosan.
“Our investigation confirmed that the property was purchased and maintained with proceeds of drug trafficking,” Bungudu stated. “It was the central hub for the syndicate’s criminal operations.”
Four of the suspects were later convicted in Charge No. FHC/L/122C/2023 — FRN v. Tijani Oladapo Hakeem & 3 Ors after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges.
The fifth suspect, Ekwejunor Oritsematosan, is still facing trial alongside Femaffix Global Services Limited in Charge No. FHC/L/501C/2023 for offences linked to the same cartel.
NDLEA investigators also established that Adebanjo, identified as the ringleader, purchased the Lekki property to house his associates and manage the syndicate’s operations, allegedly using a firm to launder proceeds from the illicit trade.
“Since the property was sealed, neither Adebanjo — who remains at large — nor any representative has come forward to claim ownership or offer any explanation,” Bungudu added.
Justice Owoeye consequently ruled that the property and all items within it be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government as assets derived from, or used in, the commission of drug offences.
“The court is satisfied that due process has been followed,” Justice Owoeye declared. “Accordingly, the property and its contents are hereby forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The Enugu State Government has confirmed the arrest of one Ozioma Okonkwo for allegedly defiling his two biological daughters, aged two and five.
Okonkwo, who is a native of Imo State residing in Enugu, was arrested on the night of Saturday, October 25, 2025, after a concerned citizen alerted authorities about the disturbing incident.
This was contained in a statement issued by the state Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs, and Social Development on Sunday.
According to the statement, the suspect is in police custody and will be charged in court once investigations are concluded.
The ministry also revealed that the two children have been admitted into a government-approved shelter, where they are receiving medical care and psychosocial support.
Their mother, described as deeply traumatised, will also undergo therapy under the supervision of the ministry’s social welfare and counselling team.
“The Enugu State Government commends the Nigeria Police Force for their swift and professional response, which led to the prompt arrest of the suspect,” the statement read.
Reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy on sexual and gender-based violence, the ministry warned that all offenders would face the full weight of the law.
The ministry also condemned the act, calling it “a heart-wrenching and unacceptable crime against innocence.”
The statement reads, “The Enugu State Government under the leadership of Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, remains unwavering in its commitment to protect every child and ensure that perpetrators of such evil acts are brought to justice.
“No child should ever have to endure such trauma, especially from those meant to provide care and protection.”
The government also thanked citizens for their vigilance and cooperation, urging continued support in efforts to safeguard the rights and dignity of women and children across the state.
In 2022, a father, Michake Ogbar, was sentenced to triple life imprisonment for defiling and raping his three daughters of age 10, 20, and 24 years.
Ogbar faced three counts bordering on defilement and rape, offences which violate Sections 137 and 258(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has predicted varying weather conditions, including dust haze and rainfall, across different parts of the country between Monday and Wednesday, urging residents to stay alert.
In its weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja, NiMet projected slight dust haze with good visibility over Borno, Zamfara, northern Kaduna, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina States on Monday.
The agency added that isolated thunderstorms with light rain were likely in parts of Taraba and Adamawa States during the afternoon or evening hours on Monday.
NiMet forecast sunny skies with patches of clouds over the central region, with prospects of isolated thunderstorms and light rain in the FCT, Nasarawa, and Kogi States later in the day.
The statement read, “Cloudy conditions are expected in the southern region on Monday morning, with isolated thunderstorms and light rains over parts of Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
“Later in the afternoon and evening, thunderstorms with moderate rainfall are anticipated in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Ondo, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Edo, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
“On Tuesday, NiMet forecast continued slight dust haze in good visibility over northern states, while Taraba and Adamawa may experience isolated thunderstorms and light rain throughout the day.
“Sunny skies with intermittent clouds are predicted in the central region, alongside chances of early morning thunderstorms in Benue and later moderate rain across FCT, Nasarawa, and Kogi States.”
NiMet also projected cloudy skies across the southern states, with moderate rainfall over Rivers, Cross River, Ebonyi, and Akwa Ibom in the morning, intensifying later in the day.
The agency warned of possible flooding in parts of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Cross River States, urging local authorities to activate emergency response measures where necessary.
For Wednesday, NiMet anticipated sunny skies across the northern region, with isolated thunderstorms and light rain expected later in the day, particularly over parts of Taraba State.
“The central region will experience sunny skies with patches of clouds, while isolated thunderstorms with light rain are likely over Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory.
“In the south, cloudy conditions are expected in the morning, followed by thunderstorms with moderate rains later in the afternoon and evening across Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom,” it stated.
NiMet reiterated a high risk of flash floods, urging motorists to exercise caution when driving in rain and for authorities in vulnerable areas to implement flood response measures immediately.
The agency also advised individuals with asthma and respiratory conditions to limit outdoor exposure due to dust particles suspended in the atmosphere over the northern parts of the country.
Airline operators were urged to obtain airport-specific weather reports from NiMet for flight planning, while the public was encouraged to follow updates via the agency’s website and communication channels.
NAN
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