News
National Assembly Postpones Minimum Wage Bill Transmission
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The National Assembly has delayed the transmission of the minimum wage bill, which may now be sent to President Bola Tinubu by Monday.
The bill, which underwent second and third readings in both legislative chambers within minutes of being transmitted by the President, was approved separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Initially, the National Assembly had planned to transmit the bill on Thursday. However, it has yet to reach the presidency for assent.
Speaking to Punch on Saturday, the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Abdullahi Gumel, confirmed the delay in transmission.
Senator Gumel said, “Yes, we delayed the transmission of the Minimum Wage bill because the money bills, the N6.2tn 2024 Appropriation bill (Amended), and the Finance bill were not ready.
“The Appropriation committees still had one or two things to tidy up on the money bills, so there were no point transmitting the Minimum Wage bill without sending the bills that will cater to the money required to pay the minimum wage.”
Senator Gumel further noted that the leadership of the National Assembly also wanted to personally deliver the bills to the President.
Also, the leadership wants to take the bills to the president themselves, so they’d take it to him either this weekend or by Monday,” he added.
The President had earlier sent the Minimum Wage Bill through an executive communication to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.
He also wrote separately to the Senate and the House of Representatives, requesting a prompt consideration of the bill to amend the National Minimum Wage Act 2019, raising the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
Additionally, the President requested that the lawmakers reduce the period for the periodic review of the national minimum wage from five years to three years.
This followed the agreement reached by President Tinubu and labour leaders on ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers after a meeting at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja.
News
Just in: Dangote Refinery jerks up price of fuel
The refinery announced the increase on Wednesday, hiking the the price from N1,200 to N1,275 per litre.
In the same way, coastal prices have gone up to N1,215 per litre.
This adjustment amid Brent crude trading at $114.80 per barrel marks a 3.15% increase.
Recall that the Brent crude has increased to $115 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose to $103 per barrel on Wednesday.
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Unbelievable: Police say officer who publicly executed handcuffed Delta man was under “spiritual attack”
The Nigeria Police Force has claimed that the extrajudicial killing of a handcuffed suspect by Officer Usman Nuhu in Delta State to potential spiritual forces, a statement that has sparked widespread outrage and disbelief across the country.
“I will start with the issue at hand, which is a very sad issue.
” There is no explanation for this. I don’t just get what was wrong with that policeman (Mr Nuhu),” Bright Edafe, the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, said in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday.
“Police cannot attribute problems to spirituality, but that may not be far from it. Because that’s the only explanation one can give to what he did,” Edafe added.
The shocking statement comes days after a viral video sighted showed Officer Usman Nuhu executing a handcuffed suspect in broad daylight along the Warri–Sapele Expressway in Effurun, Delta State.
The victim has been identified as Mene Ogidi, a young man who had been apprehended for allegedly attempting to waybill a parcel containing a Beretta pistol with four rounds of ammunition.
In the graphic video, the handcuffed suspect was seen begging for his life, shouting, “I will talk! I will take you to the person who gave me the waybill!”
Despite his pleas, Officer Nuhu was seen taking a magazine from a fellow policeman, inserting it into his AK-47 rifle, and shooting the suspect at close range. The victim died instantly.
The police spokesperson’s suggestion of a spiritual explanation has been met with widespread condemnation from human rights activists, legal experts, and ordinary Nigerians who view it as an attempt to deflect responsibility from the officer’s actions.
Many have pointed out that the police force had already condemned the killing and transferred Officer Nuhu to Force Headquarters in Abuja to face the Force Disciplinary Committee for summary disciplinary measures and prosecution.
The Inspector-General of Police had also extended condolences to the family of the deceased and assured them that justice would be served.
However, the latest statement from the Delta Command appears to contradict the earlier stance of the Force Headquarters, raising questions about whether the police are seriously pursuing accountability or seeking supernatural excuses for extrajudicial killings.
News
Police nab suspects over alleged removal of 19-yr-old girl’s womb
The police have nabbed two suspected human trafficking operatives in connection with the alleged removal of the womb of a 19-year-old girl in a disturbing case of gender-based violence and organ trafficking.
Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, made the disclosure on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, during the Command’s first quarter press briefing, where he outlined operational achievements from February to date.
According to a report filed on April 3, 2026, at about 5:30pm., a woman from Ekpan community in Uvwie local government area raised alarm after her teenage daughter returned home in a visibly deteriorated state of health.
The victim, who had been residing with her father in Okpaka, reportedly visited her mother in Ekpan, where concerns about her condition prompted questioning.
In her account, the 19-year-old disclosed that in September 2025, she and two friends were introduced to a woman identified as Blessing Mongo, 47, who allegedly linked them to another suspect, Esther, 32.
The suspects reportedly facilitated their movement under the pretext of travelling to Ivory Coast.
The victim alleged that shortly after arriving in Ivory Coast, she was injected with an unknown substance and subsequently taken to a hospital.
Upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that her abdomen had been surgically treated.
She further claimed that she was later returned to Nigeria and abandoned in Lagos before finding her way back to Delta State.
Following the report, police operatives arrested two suspects, Blessing Mongo and Esther, while investigations commenced.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a more detailed probe.
Medical examination conducted as part of the investigation reportedly confirmed that the victim’s womb had been removed without her consent, raising serious concerns over an alleged organ trafficking operation.
Police authorities confirmed that the two suspects remain in custody as investigations continue, with efforts ongoing to apprehend other individuals linked to the case.
The police assured the public that justice would be pursued and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, particularly those involving human trafficking and exploitation.
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