For calling Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election a thief, at the head of a “criminal enterprise,” Kenneth Okonkwo will have to cough out a whopping N5billion to avoid an impending law suit.

This was one of the conditions the former Governor of Anambra State gave to stop him from stretching the matter further through the courts, where he would seek a bigger penalty and compensation following the damage Okonkwo’s words had done to his name.

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The action is coming a day after Okonkwo, who was Obi’s spokesman during the 2023 presidential election when the former governor ran on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), had while appearing as a guest on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television accused him of running a “criminal enterprise.”

Specifically, Okonkwo had alleged that Obi and South-east caucus of the NDC demanded N10 million bribe from House of Representatives aspirants in the party to secure tickets for them, quoting one Obunike Ohaegbu, whom he said, sent a message and a receipt to him to that effect, stating that the former governor led the alleged scam.

Stating that Ohaegbu, an aspirant for the House of Representatives on the platform of Obi’s Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Nnewi North-South and Ekwusigo Constituency, claimed that after he and others aspirants paid the N10 million bribe, they were asked to go to field for primaries instead of giving them tickets.

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Stressing that instead of ensuring credible primaries, Obi, who was directing the entire affairs from Johnwood Hotel Abuja, where he allegedly wrote and submitted a list of the NDC’s candidates for various constituencies, he claimed that anybody who voted for the NDC and Obi in 2027 would be voting for criminality, arguing that the party had been criminally extorting aspirants.

Ohaegbu, himself had on Tuesday, denied making the statements, when he appeared on the same television networ, saying he never made such statements to Okonkwo, saying: “I am telling you that Peter Obi never told me to pay N10 million. I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi, in any way, told me to pay N10 million. I never accused the NDC South-east caucus of bribery and did not say that Obi compiled a list of candidates in Johnwood Hotel.

“What I said is that there was an allegation that the list had been prepared in Johnwood. I didn’t mention names.”

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In the letter to Okonkwo, Obi, who refuted the claims, told him that the allegations present him as a bribe collector, fraudster and dishonest political actor who is engaged in criminal conspiracy.

“These are extremely grave, damaging and reckless imputations of bribery, extortion, fraud, financial dishonesty and criminality directed at the character, integrity, reputation and public standing of my person.”

Stressing that Okonkwo made the allegations with clear intent and purpose of exposing him to hatred, contempt and ridicule and damaging his reputation, Obi then demanded Okonkwo’s withdrawal of the defamatory statements and publication of apology on Channels TV as well as across all his social media platforms within seven days.

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The letter said: “Take notice that should you fail, refuse or neglect to comply with the above demands within the stipulated period, our client (Peter Obi) shall be left with no option than to seek legal redress against you without further recourse to you.

“Such action shall include, but shall not be limited to, claims for general, aggravated and exemplary damages in the said sum of N5 billion and indeed such a higher sum as the court may deem fit, together with injunctive reliefs, public retraction, apology and the full cost of the proceedings.”

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Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance, General Chris Musa, Minister of Defence, Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA), Adeola Ajayi, Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Tunji Disu, Inspector General of Police (IGP), art to appear before members of the House of Representatives to answer question on the state of insecurity in the country.

Also to appear are the Service Chiefs – General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Idi Abbas,  Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Chief of Air Staff (CAS).

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While the Minister of Finance is expected to brief the House on the financial releases to security agencies to fight insecurity, the others are expected to brief the lawmakers on efforts to curb rising insecurity across the country.

The House called on the President to urgently deploy a more aggressive, comprehensive, and sustained security strategy aimed at flushing out bandits from their strongholds, securing vulnerable schools and places of worship, and ensuring the immediate and unconditional release of all persons currently held in captivity.

In their resolutions following two separate motions of urgent public importance sponsored by Abubakar Gumi (APC, Zamfara), and Ibe Osonwa (LP, Abia) the House also spoke of the need to revisit the cashless policy of government, which discourages the movement of large sums of money, adding that it is often difficult to pay ransom money through bank transfers.

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The House also asked the President to immediately order the recruitment of more forest guards in all states of the federation in line with the security challenges in the various states.

Gumi, who lamented that insecurity in Zamfara State and the entire North West had escalated into a complex humanitarian crisis, driven by armed banditry, kidnappings, and the infiltration of transnational jihadist groups, told his colleagues that between the first and sixth of June, 2026, rampaging bandits riding on about 250 motorcycles with three riders on each invaded Gumi/Bukkuyum federal constituency of Zamfara state and some parts of Sokoto state, killing 93 people.

He also said that on the night of June 2, 2026, into the early hours of June 3, 2026, seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, were abducted by bandits at their off-campus students’ hostel. Earlier, two senior lecturers of the same Polytechnic (Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda) were kidnapped and had been in captivity for more than two months, despite ransom payments for their release.

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He also spoke of the violent attack by bandits on Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State where four people were killed and several travellers abducted, while in Talata Marafa Local Government Area, a Councillor and a Director were abducted while travelling from Jangebe to the local government headquarters over Hajj activities for intending pilgrims from Jangebe.

He said the bandits killed both of them after refusing to collect any ransom, while also raising alarm at the escalation of bandit attacks in other North West States of Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa.

He said further that “on 3 1st May, 2026, 17 villagers were killed when bandits in their hundreds and riding on motorcycles invaded Dangulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State. It was also reported that more than 15 communities in Tureta and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas of Sokoto State have been deserted due to constant bandit attacks.

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“In Katsina State, a former Director of Defence Information of the Nigerian Army, Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari (rtd), and his wife were abducted when their vehicle was ambushed along the Marabar Musawa-Kafinsoli road in Matazu Local Government Area on 30 May, 2026.

He also expressed concern about the continuous, unchallenged movement of bandits between the towns, states and their hideouts, severely undermining the credibility of the nation’s security, while expressing conviction that if the recurring trend of insecurity and kidnapping in Zamfara State and the entire North West is not checked, it will destroy lives and ruin the socio/economic fortunes of the entire North West Region.

Stanley Olajide (APM, Oyo), also bewailing the situation, called for investment in satellite imaging to monitor activities of terrorists, while Olumide Osoba said state governments should invest in CCTV.

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Babajimi Benson spoke of the need to place the establishment of state police on the front burner of legislative activities, adding that the parliament should set aside a day to hold a special session to pass the bill on the establishment of state police.

Adopting another motion on insecurity by Ibe Okwara Osonwa (LP, Abia), the House called for immediate and decisive executive action to address the escalating wave of insecurity across Nigeria, particularly the surge in banditry, the daily abduction of schoolchildren, and repeated attacks on schools and places of worship.

In considering the motion, the House anchored its concerns on Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

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The House expressed grief and alarm over what they described as the unrelenting escalation of banditry, mass kidnappings, and terror attacks across various parts of the country, warning that the development has left Nigerians in a continuous state of fear, mourning, and uncertainty.

The House noted that the persistent abduction of schoolchildren has gone beyond isolated incidents, stressing that it has severely disrupted the nation’s educational system, forced thousands of children out of school, worsened the out-of-school children crisis, and inflicted lasting trauma on affected families and communities.

It further observed with concern that schools and places of worship, once regarded as safe havens for learning, spiritual reflection, and communal peace, have increasingly become prime targets for armed criminal groups.

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Lawmakers also highlighted the disturbing trend of attacks on worshippers, noting that religious congregants are now regularly abducted or killed during services, a situation they said constitutes a serious infringement on citizens’ fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

The House expressed worry that ordinary Nigerians are increasingly feeling abandoned by the state as insecurity continues to cripple economic and social life. It noted that farming communities have been deserted due to terror threats, businesses are collapsing, and families are being pushed into extreme poverty as they struggle to meet ransom demands for kidnapped relatives.

It also observed that despite trillions of naira allocated to the defence and security sectors in successive national budgets, the country’s security architecture appears overwhelmed, reactive, and incapable of effectively countering the sophistication of criminal networks operating across different regions.

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The House further raised concern over what they described as the absence of a decisive and coordinated military response, warning that the situation has created the impression that the state may be losing control over parts of its territory.

The House also warned that should the administration fail or prove unwilling to decisively halt the worsening insecurity within a clearly defined timeframe, the Service Chiefs should honourably resign their positions, having failed in their constitutional responsibility to guarantee the safety and welfare of Nigerians.

It further mandated its Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, and the Army to intensify oversight of the implementation of the resolution and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.

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The House reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property remains the fundamental duty of government under the Constitution, urging urgent and sustained action to stem the tide of insecurity across the country.

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Now that push has come to shove, with hundreds of its citizens being evacuated due to continued xenophobic attacks, Nigeria may be considering retaliatory measures against South Africa over the hostilities, which have intensified in recent months.

Nigerians and other black African migrants in the country, have come under serious attacks, with their businesses being looted by South Africans demonstrating against what the refer as illegal immigrants populating their country.

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But Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of Foreign Affairs while expressing the displeasure of Abuja over the development stressed that the actions being directed at black African migrants were particularly troubling given the role they played in supporting South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.

Giving example with the efforts of Nigeria in particular, she said: “Nigeria is not happy because Nigeria has sacrificed much for the South African struggle for independence. Nigeria sacrificed quite a lot, committed funds, committed resources to aid South Africa.

“In schools, seats were reserved for South African students. My own generation, we carried placards. We demonstrated in front of South African assets. Sometimes, we even got arrested for doing this. And Nigeria is a serious frontline state, and Nigerians are not happy about how they have treated us.

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“They (South Africans) are not asking other migrants to leave. They’re only asking black migrants to leave. Well, that (retaliation) is a situation that we are considering. This is up to our legislature. This is a decision that has to be taken at the highest level of government, but it’s not off the table.”

Blaming the South African authorities for failing to act, she lamented how the police in particular had always looked the other way while Nigerians were being attacked saying this did not speak well of the country’s attitude to the crisis.

“So, our citizens are imperiled. They are in distress. So, they cannot be said to be illegal migrants. People who are doing legitimate business have their shops looted, they have their shops set on fire,” she added.

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The remarks come amid mounting concern over anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa, where Nigerians and other African nationals have increasingly become targets of protests and campaigns demanding the removal of undocumented migrants.

There have been growing concerns over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa following renewed anti-immigrant protests and hostility directed at foreign nationals.

The demonstrations, which have taken place in parts of Pretoria and Johannesburg, have largely focused on undocumented migrants, with protesters accusing them of contributing to unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.

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Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on Monday doubled down on his attack on Atiku Abubakar, whom he a fortnight ago, accused of having sympathy for terrorist rampaging across Nigeria, especially those of Fulani extraction.

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The former SGF had recently accused the VP of not condemning the attacks carried out by the group, including kidnap of citizens in various parts of the country and in some cases, actually killing their victims, apart from other acts of outright carnage against communities.

But Atiku, had in a strong rebuttal, dismissed the allegation, stating that the beef with him stemmed from losing out in the last presidential primaries of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where a candidate he had promised the party’s ticket for financial gains, lost the bid.

But unpersuaded, the former SGF claimed that the attempt by the former VP, who is now the candidate of the party, having picked the ticket at the end of the exercise, to extricate himself of complicity fell flat on its face because the only time he spoke against the series of attacks, was to direct his condemnation against the government rather than the perpetrators,

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A guest of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, he argued that making general comments condemning insecurity did not equate to specificity in calling out the actual criminals committing the carnage.

Lawal, a prominent member who announced his decision to quit the party a fortnight ago, after accusing the former VP of corrupting the process, said he and other party members had expected a keen contest among the leading aspirants.

Hear him: “Someone like Rotimi Amaechi was very confident that if we go to primaries he would win. Everybody around him was extremely confident that Amaechi would win. And for me, who has been in this process, I was watching the indices to see where his confidence was coming from. Among the three candidates, he was the one moving around, working hard to see that he got the ticket

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“Then, we have Atiku Abubakar. That time we used to wonder what is he going to do to win the primary because he was practically not doing much. He was not talking, he was not campaigning, he wasn’t going out. We were wondering how was he going to do it? So, we were watching how it was going to be done. But he ended up manipulating the exercise in his favour.”

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