House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the alleged contract racketeering in the Nigerian Police amounting to billions of naira.

The decision was taken after a motion of urgent national importance moved by the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia federal constituency, Abia, Rep. Ibe Osonwa during the plenary on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Osonwa had raised concerns over the alleged award of N6 billion contact by the Nigerian Police Procurement department without due process which according to him was erosion of public trust.

“The Nigeria Police Force Procurement department allegedly awarded N 6 billion contract to Crown Natures Ltd.

By splitting it into 66 separate contracts in a deliberate attempt to circumvent the public procurement Act of 2007 particularly in procurement of uniforms,” he said.

The lawmaker who expressed concern over the violation of section 214 of the 1999 Constitution as amended by the Police, called for urgent action to address the allegation.

Mr Osonwa, further called the attention of his colleagues to undermining of the country’s internal security architecture by the Nigeria Police with its award of contract for procurement of arms to private companies in violation to procurement rules.

The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas referred the motion to the committee on public accounts and public procurement for further legislative actions.

President Bola Tinubu has declined to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill, 2025 into law.

The President’s decision not to sign the bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly was contained in a letter read in the Green Chamber on Thursday during plenary.

The President, citing Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), explained that the proposed law seeks to empower the NDLEA to retain a portion of the proceeds from drug-related crimes, a move he said contradicts existing financial regulations.

He noted that under the current system, “All proceeds of crime are paid into the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.

Disbursements to any recovery agency, including the NDLEA, can only be made by presidential approval, subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.”

The President maintained there was no compelling reason to alter a process designed to uphold accountability through executive and legislative oversight.

Details later….

Niger State Government has commenced the disbursement of its earlier pledge of N1 billion in relief funds to victims of Mokwa flooding in Mokwa Local Council of the state.

The state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, said that the relief funds aimed at providing immediate relief and temporary resettlement support for the victims while awaiting the Federal Government’s intervention in constructing permanent housing units for the displaced people.

Represented by his deputy, Yakub Garba, Bago explained that each household that was affected by the flood received N1 million cash grant.

He also said that shop owners, whose means of livelihood were disrupted, received N500,000 each.

Aside from the cash grant, the state government also distributed food items to the affected families to ease their burden.