News
“Amaechi Not Hungry For Food But Power’ – Wike Fires Back At Ex-Minister
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, accusing him of being “hungry for power, not food,” following Amaechi’s recent comments on Nigeria’s economic hardship.
Amaechi, while speaking at his 60th birthday celebration last week, decried the state of the economy, saying: “We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am.
For us in the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from this power.”
The former governor also criticised the Nigerian political class, claiming, “In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing.”
However, Wike, who succeeded Amaechi as governor of Rivers State, dismissed the comment during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.
“We have no time to listen to nonsense in Nigeria,” Wike said. “I don’t understand why a man like Amaechi would choose his 60th birthday to lie to Nigerians about being hungry.”
Highlighting Amaechi’s long history in government, Wike questioned his sincerity.
“He was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, Governor from 2007 to 2015, and Minister from 2015 to 2023. He never spoke about hunger during those years. Why now?” the FCT Minister asked.
Wike went on to suggest that Amaechi’s comments were motivated by a desire to return to power rather than genuine concern for the people.
“Now they are regrouping. They are only hungry for power. This shows his failure,” Wike stated.
“How can you trivialise the issue of hunger? He joined Atiku and claimed hunger. It is clear he cannot stay out of power.
”He also took a jab at Amaechi’s political performance, referencing the 2019 elections.
“From 1999 to 2023, Amaechi stood before Nigerians and claimed hunger. He was a former governor who couldn’t secure even 25% for Buhari during elections, despite being the campaign DG,” Wike said.
Wike further praised himself as a political asset, aligning with President Bola Tinubu and dismissing suggestions of instability.
“I am not a liability; I am an asset. You may dislike me, but I am an asset in ensuring President Tinubu wins a second term,” he declared.
Commenting on Amaechi’s statement about “removing” those in power, Wike warned against what he described as inciting rhetoric.
“Let’s see how he plans to remove the president. Is it a military coup? The term ‘removal’ is synonymous with dictatorship or military coup.
“Nigerians remember what happened in 2015, and now he claims Nigerians are hungry,” he said.
Both Wike and Amaechi have had a storied rivalry, having served consecutively as governors of Rivers State.
While Amaechi was a two-term governor and later Minister of Transportation under Muhammadu Buhari, Wike served as Minister of State for Education and later became governor from 2015 to 2023 before joining the Tinubu administration.
An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus on fire after it reportedly crushed a commercial motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Friday, October 16, 2026. Eyewitness accounts and social media reports indicate that the motorcyclist was riding alone along the restricted BRT lane when the collision happened. He died at the scene.
Enraged residents and youths then attacked the bus driver and set the vehicle ablaze. Police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), who were nearby, intervened promptly and rescued the driver unharmed.
The identity of the deceased motorcyclist and the exact circumstances of the crash had not been officially confirmed at the time of filing this report. It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the burning of the bus.
News
ARISE News Wins Seven Honours At Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards
The awards recognised the network’s achievements in television journalism and programming, with ARISE News winning the Best TV Channel (Viewer’s Choice) category.
• ARISE News Anchor and host of What’s Trending Ojy Okpe was named Best Newscaster (TV – Female)
ARISE News has emerged as one of the major winners at the just ended Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards (NBMA).
ARISE News won seven honours across television broadcasting, news reporting, presentation and production during the ceremony.
The awards recognised the network’s achievements in television journalism and programming, with ARISE News winning the Best TV Channel (Viewer’s Choice) category.
The network’s flagship breakfast programme, The Morning Show, also won the Best TV Talk Show award, further strengthening its recognition in television broadcasting.
ARISE News Anchor and host of What’s Trending Ojy Okpe was named Best Newscaster (TV – Female).
Rufai Oseni was named Nigerian Broadcaster of the Year (Male), while Vimbai Mutinhiri-Ekpeyong received the Nigerian Broadcaster of the Year (Female) award.
The recognition extended to the network’s newsroom, with Ovieteme George winning Best TV News Reporter (Male) for his contributions to television news reporting.
Behind the camera, Sam Adeyemi received the Best Camera Operator/Cinematographer award, recognising his work in television production and visual storytelling.
News
Meta removes 3.7 million accounts in West Africa scam crackdown
The joint operation led to 28 arrests, identified more than 30 suspected scam centres and rescued 117 people allegedly trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds in Ghana.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages and groups linked to suspected scam networks operating in West Africa.
The joint operation led to 28 arrests, identified more than 30 suspected scam centres and rescued 117 people allegedly trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds in Ghana.
The company announced the crackdown in a statement on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. It involved 14 technology companies and law enforcement agencies from 10 countries.
The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency coordinated the operation with the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies. Nigerian authorities were involved.
Other countries included Ghana, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India.Tech companies that took part included Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase, Starlink and Adobe.
Meta said the partnership let participants share intelligence across digital platforms, countries and financial systems to identify criminal networks.
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