General
Social Media Overblew Lekki Toll Gate Shooting—Sanwo-Olu
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Governor Babajide Sanw0-Olu of Lagos State has blamed the social media for overblowing the proportion of the unfortunate shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate by the military on Tuesday evening with what he described as “false information” being shared by those who were not at the scene of the incident.
According to him, “There have been several false information that we have seen over the incident and we will appeal to people to show more restraint in posting information that cannot be verified.”
One of such “false information” was the accusation that the state government was aware of the use of soldiers to disperse the peaceful and unarmed #EndSARS protesters demanding for a better police in the country.
Speaking on Wednesday on the Morning Show programme on Arise News, the Governor maintained that the state government did not order the military shooting, which left about 11 of the youths severely injured.
He also sustained his earlier assertion that no protester died in the incident, stressing that he and officials of the state government had gone round private and public health facilities across the state without being able to identify bodies of those allegedly killed in the incident except one that died from blunt force trauma and another corpse that was recovered by the police in the Victoria Island area with bullet wounds, noting that his administration was already investigating whether the deceased was a protester.
Mr Sanwo-Olu asked members of the public with credible information on anyone or group of persons killed in the incident to come forward with the claim.
On the alleged removal of Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) security cameras at the Toll Plaza before the shooting started, the Governor debunked the claims that he ordered the action.
He explained that the cameras that were removed were not security cameras but laser cameras meant to capture vehicles’ electronic tags and number plates. He said the removal of the laser cameras was a decision taken by Lekki Concession Company (LCC) that owns the facility.
“When I spoke to the Managing Director of LCC over the matter, he told me the company took the decision to remove installations critical to their service when the curfew was announced.
“Those cameras that were displayed in the viral pictures were not security or motion cameras. They are laser cameras for vehicles, specifically designed to pick electronic tags and number plates on cars.
“Security cameras installed at the Toll Plaza are still there as I speak and the footages from them are the ones that we will be using in probing the Lekki incident. Since Tuesday, the security cameras at the Toll Plaza are still there and nobody can touch them,” he said.
The Governor said the multi-agency investigation into Lekki incident may begin next Monday when the order would have been fully restored across the State, pointing out that the recordings of the CCTV security cameras at the Toll Plaza would be useful in unravelling the circumstance that surrounded the incident.
Members of the public, the Governor said, will be part of the investigation for transparency. He added that security experts would be involved to analyse the recordings of the CCTV security cameras to ensure the footages captured since the time the protesters started camping at the tollgate were not tampered with.
On the allegation that he influenced the switching off of the billboard that illuminated the Toll Plaza area at night, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the concessionaire that operates the billboard took the decision independently after the curfew order was announced.
Speaking on the aftermath of the organised attacks on government properties, iconic buildings and private assets, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the nature of the destruction indicated an attempt by the arsonists to keep the State in limbo. He said the attacks were specifically targeted at emergency response infrastructure of the State to weaken its response in the case of large-scale violence.
The Governor disclosed that the arsonists, in the organised destruction, razed four State-owned fire stations and five fire trucks. He said the reconstruction of the damaged assets would cost billions but said the state would bounce back after the devastation.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said it would be insensitive for him to buttress the narrative linking the arsonist attacks on public buildings to sectarian elements, saying his immediate priority was to salvage the damaged assets and prevent further attacks. He, however, said all materials suggesting the arson may have been organised by secessionists would be left for security agencies for proper analysis.
Clarifying his statement that forces beyond him were behind the deployment of troops to Lekki axis, the Governor said: “The hierarchy and chains of command in the military are not within my purview. This is not something I have responsibility for. I do not have such power to control or activate the military. That essentially is what I was trying to say in that particular phrase.”
He also explained that he reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari on two occasions to seek for more help as public assets in the state were being destroyed. He said the President responded, directing the Chief of Defence Staff to liaise with him.
He said: “I made phone calls to speak to the President twice yesterday (Wednesday). The first time, he (president) hadn’t come to the office. The second time, he was at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
“Indeed, I haven’t spoken to him directly. He was actually the one who directed the Chief of Defence Staff to call me and I feel that it was when he got my message. Because, when the Chief of Defence Staff called me, he said to me it was the President that asked him to call. But, I haven’t spoken to the President directly; maybe later today, that might happen.”
Aftermath of the destruction, Mr Sanwo-Olu urged the residents of Lagos to come together and heal the wounds inflicted on the state by the arsonists. He said the ugly incident put citizens’ patriotism to test, urging them to unite and re-build the State from the ruins left by the attacks.
He said: “We are at a point where all of us as a people living in the State must come together more than ever before. Our patriotism has been put to test and we need to re-engage ourselves and heal the several wounds that have been inflicted on us. We do not have any other country; this is our country.
“In Lagos, we cannot afford to put to waste what our forefathers and the generation of leaders before us have put in place. We need to preserve our heritage and we need to know that indeed we can build a future for our children. We need to put an end to any form of anger, protest, confrontation and bleeding. Let us come together and start a real healing process.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ebonyi State Police Command has insisted on conducting a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death of Miss Mary Habila, a physiotherapist who died at the residence of the Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The demise of the deceased, which occurred in late June, recently became public and has sparked calls for a probe from many quarters.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has approached the court to stop the autopsy, but experts tell Business Post that the family has no authority to file an affidavit, as this is a case of suspected murder against the state and not the family.
Mr Umahi has also called for a probe.
The Ebonyi Police Command said the autopsy was necessary to establish the cause of death and support its ongoing investigation, despite objections from the deceased’s family.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, stating that the police had commenced a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms Habila’s death.
Mr Ukandu said preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased and a colleague were members of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works and had accompanied him to his hometown in Uburu, where she later died in a room within the compound of his residence.
According to him, detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) have visited the scene, documented relevant evidence and obtained statements from persons connected to the incident.
He added that the command had concluded arrangements to engage a qualified pathologist to carry out a post-mortem examination, which it considers crucial to determining the actual cause of death.
Mr Ukandu explained that the police became involved in the matter after receiving a distress call on June 27, 2026, from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ohaozara Division, informing the command of a medical emergency involving Habila and requesting his presence at the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu.
“On arrival, the DPO was informed by hospital authorities that Miss Mary Habila had been brought in dead.
He immediately briefed the Commissioner of Police, who directed that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thorough investigation,” the statement read.
The police spokesperson disclosed that while the family of the deceased had opposed the conduct of an autopsy, the command considered the procedure necessary in view of the circumstances surrounding the death.
“The Command therefore awaits the attendance of the family or their duly appointed representative, as their presence is essential to the conduct of the post-mortem examination,” Mr Ukandu said, assuring the public that the investigation would be conducted professionally, transparently and without bias, stressing that every necessary step would be taken to uncover the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.
Mr Ukandu further assured that the command would continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses.
Family Seeks to Stop Autopsy
The family of the deceased, who is a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and was seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works, formally requested the withdrawal of further investigation into her death and declined an autopsy.
In an affidavit titled Affidavit of Withdrawal of Case filed before the High Court of Justice of Ebonyi State, her father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, said the family was not alleging any foul play in her death and wished to proceed with her burial.
According to the affidavit, Mary Habila died on June 27, 2026, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The deponent stated that before her death, Habila was a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and had been seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works in Mabushi, Abuja, where she served in the Office of the Minister of Works for about three years.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Federal High Court in Apo, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of billions of Naira worth of assets linked to businesswoman and socialite, Ms Aisha Achimugu, to the federal government.
Justice Jude Onwugbuzie granted the order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), directing the permanent forfeiture of jewellery valued at N4.645 billion, 11 exotic vehicles worth N4.293 billion, $50,000 and N30 million in cash.
The ruling followed the EFCC’s request for the final forfeiture of the assets, which the commission said were linked to Ms Achimugu.
The forfeited assets include: Jewellery valued at N4,645,170,294.90; 11 exotic vehicles worth N4,293,000,000; $50,000 in cash; and N30,000,000 in cash.
The court’s judgment vests ownership of the assets in the federal government, bringing the forfeiture proceedings to a close.
In March, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to the Lagos socialite. However, in an interview in April, she denied that $13 million was discovered by the EFCC in her residence, describing the claim as inaccurate and misleading.
Justice Nwite had, on August 22, 2025, granted the anti-graft agency’s motion ex parte for an interim order forfeiting the sum of $13 million linked to Oceangate Ltd to the federal government over allegations that the fund was proceeds of unlawful activity.
The judge had then directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily for interested people to show cause within 14 days why the fund should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
In 2024, the businesswoman gained significant media attention for a seven-day birthday celebration in Grenada, which was attended by high-profile guests, reportedly including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The socialite also defended her widely publicised birthday celebration, noting that it had been “planned for 10 years” and was not funded with any money under investigation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
To boost fertiliser production, strengthen food security and advance Nigeria’s domestic gas utilisation agenda, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited has signed a 16-year Gas Sale Agreement (GSA) with Indorama Fertiliser FZE for the supply of up to 60 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Assa North Ohaji South (ANOH) Gas Processing Facility.
The agreement was signed by the chief executive of Renaissance, Mr Tony Attah, and Indorama’s counterpart, Mr Manish Mundra, with both executives describing the deal as a significant milestone in advancing Nigeria’s domestic gas utilisation agenda, industrial development, and agricultural growth aspirations.
“This agreement reflects our commitment to unlocking the value of Nigeria’s abundant gas resources through partnerships that create real and lasting impact,” Mr Attah said, adding: “By supplying natural gas to a major fertiliser producer such as Indorama, we are supporting a value chain that is critical to food security, agricultural productivity, industrial growth, and economic development.”
The agreement will provide Indorama Fertiliser with a secure and reliable source of natural gas to support uninterrupted production and enable the company to meet growing domestic and regional demand for fertiliser products.
The resulting increase in fertiliser availability is expected to contribute to improved crop yields, enhanced agricultural productivity, and strengthened food security across Nigeria and Africa.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr Mundra said the deal was an important milestone for the company in its ambition of supporting Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“Reliable access to natural gas is fundamental to fertiliser production, and this long-term arrangement provides a strong foundation for sustainable operations and future growth,” Mr Mundra said. “We appreciate the partnership with Renaissance and look forward to leveraging this collaboration.”
The transaction aligns closely with Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiative and further demonstrates the strategic role of natural gas in driving industrialisation, supporting manufacturing, enhancing energy security, and enabling economic diversification.
