The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has debunked rumours of him being arrested, describing it as “recurring fake news.

Some social media posts had claimed that the former Anambra State governor was arrested in Abuja.

But in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Obi said the claims are entirely false and stated that he is currently at his home in Onitsha, Anambra State.

He recalled how similar “lies” had been circulated last September that the Department for Security Services (DSS) invaded his home while he was in Rwanda.

The Labour Party chieftain said that the motive of those peddling the rumours cannot be positive but urged Nigerians not to allow it to distract them from the critical challenges facing the nation.

The post reads, “The recurring fake News on me. I have been made aware of a circulating fake News about my alleged arrest. Let me state unequivocally that these claims are entirely false. I am currently at my home in Onitsha, Anambra State.

“Such fake News on my person has become a pastime for some people. Recall last year September, when I was in Rwanda, similar lies had gone out that DSS invaded my house; now, while I was in my home in Onitsha, Anambra State, they said I was arrested in Abuja.

“The motive of these peddlers cannot be positive but let us not allow baseless rumors to distract us from the critical challenges we face as a nation. I Thank the public for the concern, support, and dedication to the cause of a better Nigeria that is possible!!!”

Obi had on Tuesday alleged threat to his life following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in his new year message.

Obi’s allegation follows a statement credited to the national spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, in a recent interview.

Morka was quoted to have said that “Peter Obi has crossed the line so many times and has it coming to him whatever he gets”. However, the APC spokesperson has denied threatening the opposition leader or his family.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command says its patrol and guard unit intercepted 59 male children suspected to be victims of human trafficking

According to the FCT Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, the children are aged between 4 and 12.

Disu, at a press briefing on Wednesday, said the incident has been classified as a case of suspected child abuse and trafficking, given the absence of proper documentation or parental consent for the movement of the minors.

Disu said a preliminary investigation revealed that the children, who came from different families, were being transported by one Idris Usman, a male resident of Nasarawa State.

He said Usman allegedly travelled to Kano State to convene the children en route to Nasarawa State under the pretext of training them.

The statement reads in part, “On 6th January 2025, at about 1530 hours, a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sarki Umar intercepted a white Peugeot 15 bus with Reg. No. KMC 283 ZJ along the Abuja-Kano route.

“The vehicle was driven by Ali Ibrahim, a male resident of Kano State, accompanied by his motor boy, Al Hassan Ibrahim, also of Kano State.

“The bus was found to be transporting 59 male children aged between 4 and 12 years. Preliminary investigations revealed that the children, who came from different families, were being transported by one Idris Usman, a male resident of Nasarawa State. He allegedly traveled to Kano State to convene the children en route to Nasarawa State under the pretext of training them.”

“At present, the suspects, the vehicle, and all the children are in custody while a thorough investigation is underway. The Police Command is working closely with FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), to ensure that the children are safely reunited with their families and to bring all those involved in this act to justice,” he added.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, says that telecom tariffs will soon increase but assures Nigerians that it will not be the 100 per cent that telecom operators are pushing for at the moment.

The Minister disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on Wednesday in Abuja. He said consultations and engagements were ongoing to arrive at an acceptable rate, assuring that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), would soon approve the new tariffs and make it public to Nigerians.

“You have seen over the past weeks that there has been agitation from some of these companies to increase tariff. They are requesting for 100 per cent tariff increase

“But it will not be by 100 per cent. We are still looking at that study and NCC will come up with a clear directive on how we will go about it.

“We want to strike the balance as a government to protect our people, but also protect and ensure that these companies can continue to invest significantly.

“We need to ensure that as a sector, we get our acts together, ensure that from the regulation side, we put the right regulations in place that can ensure the growth of this sector.”

The Minister also noted that the Federal Government would no longer leave investments on infrastructure in the sector to private companies alone

As a country, over time, we have left this investments in the hands of the private sector. They typically invest where they can see returns in the short to medium term.

“We will not want this conversation to just be about tariff increase. I think what the world is talking about today is meaningful connectivity.

“You want to have access to very good quality service.

“A part of it that the consumers may not be aware of is the investment that needs to go into the infrastructure that is used to deliver these services,” he said.

The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), of the NCC Dr Aminu Maida said that the meeting with stakeholders was about the sustainability of the industry.

“We have looked at all of these factors, and that is why, like the Minister said, it is not likely that we are going to approve 100 per cent tariff increase.

“I know that Nigerians are agitated to hear the exact percentage approved. There is still some stakeholder engagements that we are going through, but you will hear from us within a week or two.”

He said that the NCC had put a number of tools and instruments into place by revising its quality of service regulations for compliance service quality.

He said that the MNOs must comply simplified templates to show Nigerians charges per minute for voice calls, SMS and a megabyte of data.

“We are moving away from the regime where you will have a main rate, then you will now have a bonus which is at a different rate.

“It makes it often complicated and difficult for Nigerians to actually understand what they are being charged for.

“This is one of the things when we took a lot of time over the past year looking at data there is this agitation that the MNOs are stealing our data,” he said.

The CEO of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, represented by Femi Adeniran, Airtel media spokes person, noted that for the telecoms commitment to delivering superior connectivity and fostering digital inclusion, there is need for tariff increments.

“The economic realities of rising operational and capital costs, necessitated the proposed tariff adjustments.

This is aimed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector while unlocking significant benefits for Nigerian consumers,” he said.