ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, on Wednesday convened an emergency security meeting to review the security situation in the state and strengthen measures aimed at addressing emerging security challenges in some communities.

The meeting, which brought together key security stakeholders, focused on reviewing and reinforcing existing security strategies to ensure a more coordinated and effective response to threats across the state.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Internal Security, Haliru Wasagu, said the governor called the meeting as part of his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property and sustaining peace across Kebbi State.

According to Wasagu, the discussions centred on fine-tuning the state’s security architecture and enhancing collaboration among security agencies to improve operational effectiveness.

“Our governor is fully committed to flushing out criminal elements and dismantling their hideouts. Anyone found engaging in criminal activities will face the full weight of the law,” the commissioner said.

He added that Idris had continued to intensify efforts to maintain peace, law and order, assuring residents that the government would not relent in confronting all forms of criminality.

Wasagu also appealed to residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence capable of aiding the identification, arrest and prosecution of criminal elements.

“If members of the public remain vigilant and work closely with security agencies, the fight against crime will be more effective,” he said.

The commissioner further commended security personnel operating in the state for their dedication, professionalism and sacrifices in ensuring peace, stability and public safety, assuring that the state government would continue to support their operations.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Kano State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Private Health Institutions Management Agency, the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, and the Kano State Police Command, has arrested some suspects allegedly conducting an illegal medical outreach in Panshekara, Kumbotso Local Government Area, as part of ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of residents.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Nabilusi Abubakar, confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the arrest of the suspects followed credible intelligence received from vigilant members of the public regarding the unauthorised medical activity.

“We acted immediately upon receiving the report. A joint team from the Ministry of Health, PHIMA, and KNCDC was deployed to the location, leading to the arrest of the suspects.

“We subsequently contacted the Kano State Police Command, and the suspects are currently in police custody at the Bompai Headquarters for further investigation,” the Commissioner for Health, Abubakar Yusuf, was quoted as saying.

Yusuf explained that the suspects were found operating under the name Brother Paul Legacy Foundation, a purported non-governmental organisation, where they were distributing registration cards bearing the organisation’s name and collecting money from unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of providing medical services.

He further revealed that preliminary investigations conducted by officials of the Ministry of Health, PHIMA, and KNCDC established that the mastermind and the other suspects were neither qualified health professionals nor possessed any recognised health-related certification.

According to the commissioner, the registration cards issued by the suspects, which bear an address in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, falsely promised “free treatment” in an apparent attempt to lure unsuspecting victims into the illegal operation.

Yusuf urged residents to remain vigilant and refrain from patronising unlicensed individuals or self-acclaimed healthcare providers, emphasising that medical services should only be sought from government-approved health facilities and duly licensed healthcare professionals.

He also commended the state police command, under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, and his officers for their decisive intervention.

He further commended the public-spirited individuals whose timely report led to the arrest of the suspects, describing their action as a demonstration of the vital role citizens play in safeguarding public health.

The commissioner called on members of the public to promptly report any suspicious or illegal medical activities to the appropriate authorities, reaffirming the Kano State Government’s unwavering commitment to eliminating quackery, protecting lives, and ensuring that healthcare services across the state remain safe, ethical, and professionally regulated.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has explained why it froze the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the action was taken to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds despite the state’s August 15 governorship election.

The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, saying it had been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged fraudulent handling of about N11bn in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

According to the commission, some officials of the state government, including the Accountant General, had already been questioned as part of the ongoing investigation.

The EFCC said the investigation alone would not have warranted freezing the accounts, but claimed it detected suspicious movement of funds from the government’s accounts beginning August 2.

“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.

“The Commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” the statement read.

Defending its decision, the commission said it had a legal responsibility to protect public funds and could not ignore suspicious financial transactions because of the forthcoming governorship poll.

“The Commission’s preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources.

“The Commission cannot watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged. While the Commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state.

“It will be uncharitable for the Commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it stated.

The EFCC further disclosed that Osun was not the only state under investigation, saying it was monitoring the finances of several state governments.

“It is equally needful to state that the Commission is keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the Commission to ensure accountability and probity.

“The Commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted,” the statement added.

The commission urged Nigerians to ignore what it described as false narratives surrounding the action.

“The public is enjoined to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonization of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the Commission,” it said.

The explanation came hours after Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, challenged EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to publicly justify the freezing of the state’s accounts.

Speaking with journalists at the Government House in Osogbo on Wednesday, Adeleke described the action as illegal, insisting that it was carried out without a court order.

“All I ask is for the EFCC chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and to Nigerians in general why he froze Osun State Government Account, and show proof to support whatever reason he presents,” the governor said.

He also directed the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), to challenge the action at the Federal High Court in Osogbo.

Jimi-Bada argued that while the EFCC had the power to investigate government accounts, it lacked the authority to freeze them without first obtaining a court order. He said the state government would seek judicial redress.