By Adedapo Adesanya

A lawsuit against has been filed against the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, over their failure to account for the spending of the N14 trillion fuel subsidy savings they allegedly collected from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

The suit was filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) following reports that the 36 governors and the FCT minister have collected trillions of Naira from FAAC allocations as fuel subsidy savings since mid-2023.

However, the increased allocations have allegedly not translated into improved access to quality healthcare and education for poor and vulnerable Nigerians as promised.

In the suit number FHC/L/MSC/1424/2025 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr Wike to disclose the details of the spending of the increased FAAC allocations being savings from the removal of fuel subsidy in May 2023.”

The organisation asked the court to compel the governors and Mr Wike to disclose details and the location of the projects executed, if any, with the increased FAAC allocations from the savings from the removal of fuel subsidy.

It noted that, “Opacity in the spending of the increased FAAC allocations from fuel subsidy savings collected by the governors and Mr Wike would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens,” arguing that the savings from the removal of fuel subsidy ought to be spent solely for the benefit of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the removal.

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Ms Oluwakemi Agunbiade and Ms Valentina Adegoke, also said, “There is a significant risk of mismanagement or diversion of funds linked to the increased FAAC allocations collected by the states and FCT.”

“The spending details of the money collected by several states and the FCT from fuel subsidy savings have been mostly shrouded in secrecy.

“Millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians have not benefited from the trillions of naira collected by the governors and FCT minister from as a result of the subsidy savings. Nigerians continue to face a worsening poverty crisis,” the group alleged.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, December 28, 2025, departed Lagos for Europe.

A statement from his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the trip to an unspecified country in Europe is in continuation of his end-of-year break.

A few days ago, Mr Tinubu left the seat of power in the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, to observe Christmas in Lagos.

He has now left the nation’s commercial nerve to Europe ahead of an official trip to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

According to Mr Onanuga, the President is travelling to the Middle East on the invitation of his counterpart in the UAE, Mr Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January.

The weeklong summit is an annual event that mobilises leaders from government, business, and society to chart the next era of sustainable development.

With the theme The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go, ADSW will connect ambition with action across innovation, finance, and people, showcasing how the world can move forward with confidence.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The federal government has concluded plans to immediately deploy the 7,000 forest guards, who completed an intensive three-month training programme.

This information was revealed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Rabiu Ibrahim.

It was disclosed that the forest guards were drawn from seven frontline states comprising Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu, was quoted as saying that, “There will be no delay between graduation and deployment. Salaries and allowances will commence immediately, and every certified guard will proceed directly to assigned duty posts.”

The personnel are indigenous to their respective local government areas, enabling them to leverage terrain familiarity and community trust in countering banditry, kidnapping, and the illegal exploitation of forest resources.

The programme is under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative launched by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025. It represents a coordinated Federal–State security intervention aimed at reclaiming Nigeria’s forests from criminal exploitation.

The scheme is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture by denying terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal groups sanctuary within forested and hard-to-reach terrains.

The training was deliberately intensive, structured, and demanding, designed to transform loyal and committed Nigerians into agile, disciplined, and capable field operatives. The curriculum integrated environmental conservation principles with advanced security competencies, ensuring a balanced, professional, and mission-ready force.

Trainees underwent extensive physical and mental conditioning, including endurance exercises, obstacle-crossing drills, and long-range patrol simulations to prepare them for sustained forest operations.

They were also trained in tactical fieldcraft, including movement techniques, enemy-contact drills, ambush response, rescue operations, and coordinated offensive actions—equipping them to deny criminal elements any form of sanctuary within Nigeria’s forest spaces.

Equally central to the programme was a strong emphasis on ethics, legality, and professionalism. The curriculum placed significant focus on human rights, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), gender rights, and the protection of civilians.

Arms handling and use-of-force protocols were strictly regulated in line with an Arms Management Manual jointly agreed upon by all participating agencies.

“These Forest Guards are not just uniformed personnel. They are first responders, community protectors, and a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture. They will hold ground, gather intelligence, and support security agencies in reclaiming territories previously overtaken by criminal elements,” Mr Ribadu added.

The training recorded a 98.2 per cent completion rate. A total of 81 trainees were disqualified on disciplinary grounds, while two trainees passed away due to pre-existing medical conditions. All successful participants have been fully certified and cleared for operational service.