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Afegbua storms Force headquarters

I’m not a fugitive – Babangida’s media aide

Kassim Afegbua, the Spokesman to the former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, has turned himself in at the Force headquarters in Abuja.

Afegbua arrived the police headquarters at 10:32 a.m. in company of his wife, lawyer, Kayode Ajulo and friends.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had on Monday ordered Afegbua’s arrest over a statement he issued on behalf of Babangida, urging President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.

The ex- President’s media aide said when he was declared wanted by the police, Babangida called him and asked if he was a criminal.

When asked if he was in touch with his boss, Afegbua, who addressed journalists before entering the police headquarters, said: “It will even interest you to know that when I was declared wanted on Channels TV and Nigerian Television Authority, (NTA), my boss; IBB was the one who called me and said ‘why are they declaring you wanted?  Are you a criminal? and we laughed over it.

“He also asked if I was on the run and if I have been given invitation and he said, okay that is interesting. My boss said he heard on the news that they talked about defamation of character and he asked whose character have you defamed?

“So I am very much in touch with him and I am not doing anything out of the blues.  He is a man I have been with for the past 14 years as spokesman. Even when I went to serve in my state, I was still very much in touch with him. I have said it before that I am part and parcel of him, we are family and so I don’t have any cause to worry over anything.

“I am only here personally because I was declared wanted. I am not on the run, I am not a fugitive to the law and as a responsible Nigerian, I feel it was unwise on the part of the police to declare me wanted when I have not been formally invited. So I am here to present myself. I am here with my wife, other family members and my lawyer.”

On the insinuation that the second statement was sent by a family member, he added: “If the former President has spoken to Thisday Newspaper to confirm the veracity of the statement I issued on his behalf, the other letter wouldn’t be an issue because essentially, that statement as far as I am concerned did not speak for IBB and Gen. Babangida by the special grace of God was former President and his title is GCFR and not GCON. So to me, the purported rebuttal is unnecessary.”

” It is understandable why I will have to extract my own commitment by way of asking the law court to enforce my right because I have a right under the constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended to freedom of association, freedom of speech and dignity and even if anything warrants one being declared wanted, it shouldn’t be in that manner.”

On the withdrawal of the suit against Channels and NTA, he said: “It is because I am a media person. There is no complicity, I have withdrawn that of NTA and Channels TV this morning (Wednesday) at the Federal High Court.

“So, I am suing the IGP and the police for infringing on my rights, demeaning my person and maligning my reputation.”

When asked if he would withdraw the suit if the police apologizes, he stated: “That is secondary. When we get there, we will know.”

Shortly after Afegbua made his way into the building, journalists who were there to cover his arrival were asked to vacate the Force headquarters because the event was not organised by the police.

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Update : Bola Tinubu, with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron

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President Bola Tinubu, with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, during a working private lunch at the Elysee Palace, Paris. Wednesday, September 10, 2025

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Breaking : EFCC declares Sujimoto CEO , Olasijibomi Ogundele, wanted over money laundering

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared a Lagos-based businessman, Olasijibomi Ogundele, wanted over alleged diversion of funds and money laundering.

In a wanted notice signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, and posted on its official X handle on Friday, the Commission appealed to members of the public with credible information about Ogundele’s whereabouts to come forward.

The notice read, “The public is hereby notified that Olasijibomi Ogundele of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in an alleged case of diversion of funds and money laundering.

“Ogundele is a 44-year-old indigene of Ori-Ade Local Government Area of Osun State. His last known address is: G29, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

“Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices, or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: [email protected], or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies.”

Ogundele, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction, is known for high-end real estate developments in Lagos, particularly in Ikoyi and Banana Island.

The company has gained prominence in Nigeria’s luxury property market, with projects valued in billions of naira.

Although the EFCC has not disclosed the specific amount allegedly diverted, the declaration signals that Ogundele is under investigation for serious financial crimes.

The wanted notice also highlights the Commission’s increasing focus on high-profile individuals in the private sector who are suspected of laundering illicit funds through real estate and luxury investments.

The EFCC has in the past vowed to curb money laundering and bring to book those suspected of involvement, whether among politicians, the civil service, the private sector, or within Nigeria’s booming property market, which anti-graft agencies have repeatedly identified as a key channel for concealing the proceeds of corruption.

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Insecurity : Tinubu seeks federal lawmakers’ backing, says I have to create state police

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday expressed his administration’s readiness to work with the National Assembly leadership to dismantle political and bureaucratic bottlenecks stalling the operationalisation of state police.

Speaking at the State House, Abuja, during a meeting with members of the Northeast Governors Forum led by Borno State Governor Prof Zulum, the President said the time had come for a clear, collective path towards community-based policing that reflects the peculiar needs of different regions.

“I have been looking at the security situation more carefully. I have seen the Civilian JTF react to the security challenges, finding so many creative ways to protect neighbourhoods and communities around you, and that provoked my thinking about state police again.

“Politics apart, we can discuss with the National Assembly leadership to really look at a critical path to that again, see how we can eliminate or douse political alliances from state police that will be indigenous to the community and provide the additional safety buffer and effectiveness in the area. We have to look at it collectively together.”

The President stressed that while political concerns will always surface around the issue, they must not be allowed to derail urgent security reforms.

He said his government was committed to ensuring that the proposed structure would be insulated from partisanship and designed purely to strengthen safety across communities.

Tinubu also vowed not to allow partisan politics or early campaign distractions to shift his focus from national priorities.

“In the political environment we are being drawn into early political activities from our rival political parties but whichever way it is, I am not detracted. I am solidly focused, laser focused on what is ahead,” he told the governors.

He said the gains already being recorded in the Northeast – including improved security, resettlement of displaced persons, rising school enrolment, and new housing projects – were proof that collaborative governance works.

The president urged the governors to sustain their commitment to development and security while assuring them of continued federal support.

“In the short run of two years, we can beat our chest, the economy has turned round. Many of you are already sending back displaced citizens, the housing programme you embarked upon in Borno and collectively seen how displaced people are returning to their normal residences and having a roof over their head,” the President noted.

Tinubu further highlighted agricultural mechanisation as a priority, disclosing plans to establish training and maintenance centres in all zones of the country to drive food sovereignty.

He also commended Yobe State for producing outstanding students despite the region’s challenges, describing it as a sign of resilience and progress.

The president concluded thanked the governors for their dedication, saying the combined efforts of federal and state governments were laying the foundation for a safer and more prosperous Nigeria.

Zulum, who spoke for the governors, urged the president to prioritise the completion of 17 strategic roads across the region and resume oil exploration in the Kolmani and Lake Chad Basins.

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