News
State Governments Can Offset, Waive Minor Fines Owed By Inmates – Aregbesola
The Federal Government has revealed that state governors can offset or grant waivers to inmates with fines less than N1 million.
This is according to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, during the commissioning of a 20-bed space medical facility at Port Harcourt maximum security custodial centre.
Aregbesola said while the Federal Government is finding long time solutions to the challenge of prison decongestion, the State Government can in the meantime provide basic supports, like offsetting the meager fines and debts, building court houses at the correctional services premises or try the defendants virtually from the Correctional Centres for speedy determination of cases.
He held that some of the inmates are held behind bars for minor offences that can be easily waved by the states.
The Minister further stated that he recently asked the comptroller of Correctional centres to compile the list of inmates whose reason for incarceration is a fine or a debt not more than one million naira that are meant to be paid to the state governments.
According to him, about 5,000 inmates where shortlisted under this category and most of them have stayed long enough in the care of the Federal Government to consume foods worth more than they are supposed to pay as fines and debt to the states.
According to him, in Rivers State, there are about 22 of such inmates and the 22 of them are collectively owing a little above 3million naira, an amount he thinks the State Government can offset or wave for the inmates to be freed.
The minister noted that apart from reducing the financial burden on the Federal Government, such decisions by the state will also help in decongesting the correctional centres.
He said for instance, the Maximum facility in Port Harcourt was built 1,800 inmates, but as of May 12, 2023 the centre was holding 3,100 inmates.
While emphasizing that the situation in Port Harcourt is a reflection of the cases in most of the facilities across the country, the minister said Additionally, the Federal Government is building 6 mega facilities with at least 3,000 capacity in the six geopolitical zones to further decongest the existing facilities.
The one for the South-South is located in Bori in Khana Local Government Area of the Ogoni ethnic group in Rivers State.
News
Senate postpones plenary resumption to March 10
The leadership of the Senate urged all Distinguished Senators to take note of the new date and time for resumption, while expressing regret over any inconvenience the change might have caused.
The Senate has postponed the resumption of its plenary session earlier scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2026.
The development was contained in a notice issued on the directive of the President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio.
In the notice, signed by the Clerk to the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, the plenary will now reconvene in the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
The leadership of the Senate urged all Distinguished Senators to take note of the new date and time for resumption, while expressing regret over any inconvenience the change might have caused.
News
National Police Council Ratifies Disu’s Appointment
Disu is now expected to proceed to the senate for confirmation as the last hurdle before attaining a substantive position as the IGP.
The National Police Council has ratified the appointment of Olatunji Disu as the acting Inspector General of Police.
The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu , the third National Police Council session under his administration since taking office.
Disu was nominated by the president last week following the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun .
Disu is now expected to proceed to the senate for confirmation as the last hurdle before attaining a substantive position as the IGP
The National Police Council is responsible for the organisation, administration and operational oversight of the Nigeria Police Force, including the appointment and discipline of senior officers.Governors of Kwara, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Enugu and Plateau states attended the meeting, alongside the ministers of Police Affairs, the Federal Capital Territory and Interior.
News
DSS Arrests Suspect Over Edo Attack on Peter Obi, Others
Stephen stated online that Obi was lucky to have escaped in Benin, and vowed that the former presidential candidate wouldn’t be that lucky next time.
• Suspect Udeme Monday Stephen, posted on his X account @stevetom788.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a man suspected of being behind the recent attempt to assassinate the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, in Benin, the Edo State capital.
Obi, a former governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun, and several chieftains and members of the opposition All Democratic Congress (ADC), on February 24, escaped death by the whiskers when armed men fired several gunshots at them at their party’s meeting in Benin.
Shortly after the attack, one Udeme Monday Stephen, posted on his X account @stevetom788.
He claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened further attacks on Obi.
Stephen stated online that Obi was lucky to have escaped in Benin, and vowed that the former presidential candidate wouldn’t be that lucky next time.
“We warned Obi against his entrance into Edo State, but he mistook our resolve for his Obidiots online noise. Thank his stars he (Obi) survived this one…
“I learned that he’s going to my Rivers State… Na my men go handle that one and dem no dey miss target… Speak no peace to a bastard and wish him no long life, for he’s destined to die,” posted Udeme.
A top security source disclosed that, no sooner had Stephen issued the threat than DSS operatives began covert investigation, deploying forensic analysis to track and arrest him.
The source disclosed that the suspect is 26 year old called Udeme Monday Stephen, and teaches at Jessica High School in Eliozu, Rivers State, at Umuehere Community, in Obio-Akpor LGA of the state.
“I strongly believe that the outcome of the agency’s forensic investigations implicated the suspect,” the source stressed”
You know that, as a responsible security organisation saddled with the task of counter-espionage, VIP protection, among other asset protection duties, the DSS is always alive to its responsibility of investigating credible intelligence, irrespective of tribe or religion.
“They swiftly deployed operatives and the man who threatened Peter Obi was nabbed and is in custody,” the source declared, adding that Stephen would soon be charged to court.
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