Category Nigeria News

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has signed into law a bill prescribing a 10-year jail term for anyone who violently or forcefully gains entry into state-owned property.

The governor also assented to another provision stipulating a five-year imprisonment for individuals involved in the unauthorized sale or transfer of government property without the governor’s consent.

This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, and made available to journalists on Tuesday in Benin.

Itua said the new legislation underscores the administration’s zero tolerance for corruption, impunity, and the misuse of public assets.

“The Edo State Public Property Protection Law, 2025, establishes the Edo State Public Property Protection Committee, a statutory body mandated to oversee, safeguard, and recover all public properties belonging to the state”, the statement read.

READ ALSO: Indigenous Contractors Protest Non-Payment Of Debts At National Assembly

“The law empowers the committee to prevent unauthorized occupation, vandalism, encroachment, alienation, or destruction of public assets”.

The committee, he added, is empowered to identify, inspect, seal, and recover encroached public properties, investigate disputes, and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to ensure strict compliance.

It may also initiate legal actions through the Ministry of Justice against any individual or organization found in violation of the law.

Okpebholo reaffirmed that public assets belong to the people of Edo State, not private individuals.

“This law ensures that no one, no matter how highly placed, can appropriate public property for personal gain”, he said.

Under the new law, unauthorized sale or transfer of government property without the governor’s consent attracts a five-year prison term, while violent or forceful entry into state-owned property could result in up to 10 years ‘ imprisonment, depending on the gravity of the offence

It stipulated that professionals who aid or abet illegal land transactions involving state property will also face sanctions, including prosecution and possible referral to their professional regulatory bodies for disciplinary action.

The Senate has appealed to protesting government contractors to remain calm, assuring them that the Senate will soon approve the President’s request for ₦1.150 trillion domestic borrowing to settle outstanding debts owed to them.

Some contractors had earlier besieged and barricaded the entrance of the National Assembly over unpaid debts for executed projects, vowing to sustain their protest for seven days until their demands were met.

The blockade disrupted accessALSO to the premises, delaying the day’s plenary and creating tension among lawmakers.

Speaking during plenary, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, disclosed that the upper chamber had already approved domestic borrowing to enable the Federal Government clear the backlog of payments. He urged the contractors to be patient as government takes steps to address their grievances.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Seeks Fresh ₦1.15trn Domestic Loan To Fund 2025 Budget Deficit

“We have just approved domestic borrowing to settle the indebtedness of contractors. I appeal for calm and urge them to give the Federal government time to resolve the issue”, he said.

Also during plenary, the Senate announced plans to debate recent comments attributed to former U. S. President Donald Trump alleging a Christian genocide in Nigeria.

Akpabio said he would await the Federal Government’s official response before making any comment on the issue.

Akpabio clarified that he was not in a position to respond to President Trump, underlining that the matter involves sensitive diplomatic considerations.

According to him, “Who am I to respond to President Trump”?

Akpabio’s rhetorical question was geared towards clarifying that he never made such comments. He revealed that he has already petitioned the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) and taken legal action against the blogger behind the false report.

The Senate President also called for caution in public discourse, urging Nigerians and the media to avoid spreading misinformation or inflammatory narratives that could jeopardize national unity.

He, however, assured lawmakers that the Senate would formally discuss the development at a later legislative date.

The Senate President also called on the Cybercrime Unit to identify and prosecute those responsible for spreading fake news about the Senate and its leadership.

Akpabio further noted that Nigeria’s internal challenges must be viewed from all perspectives, underscoring the need for peace and unity in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s problems must be weighed from all sides. What we need is peace”, he said.

Members of the Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria on Tuesday staged a protest at the National Assembly gate in Abuja, demanding payment for completed projects.

The contractors accused the Federal Government of failing to pay debts owed for projects executed, completed, and commissioned since 2024, despite repeated assurances.

According to them, over 50 per cent of the affected projects are constituency projects reportedly awarded by some members of the National Assembly.

The protest prompted security operatives to lock the first and second gates of the National Assembly complex to prevent escalation.

Ismaila Mustapha, a popularly referred to as Mompha, and another defendant in the ongoing fraud trial have been accused of prima facie charges by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja.

The defendants’ no-case submission was rejected, according to a post on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) official X account on Tuesday, stating that there is sufficient evidence to warrant their submission.

Mompha and his business, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, are facing charges of money laundering and allegedly running an unlicensed bureau de change, according to the EFCC.

In order to continue the hearing, the court then adjourned the case to January 27 and February 28, 2026.

Mompha’s case has seen a number of legal developments over the years. Prior to his initial accusations of laundering about $32.9 billion, the EFCC filed an eight-count charge involving about $36 billion.

Also read: Mompha, a alleged Internet fraudster, files a lawsuit against EFCC, seeks N5m in compensation
The offenses include failing to report assets, keeping criminal proceeds, and conspiracy to launder money obtained through unlawful activity.

The court granted him bail in the amount of $ 200 million and two similar guarantees in January 2022. His bail was later voided in June 2022 after he failed to appear in court, leading to the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest.

In August of this year, the EFCC accused him of keeping the proceeds from criminal activity and making false asset declarations.
The EFCC made the announcement in May 2023 that Mompha had been re-arrested in connection with alleged $6 billion laundering in collaboration with international partners.

Court records revealed that his account reportedly had received more than $30 billion, which was thought to be crime proceeds, by July 2024.

The court accepted a report from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the court’s earlier hearings, alleging that Mompha’s iPhone was used to attempt to transfer account details abroad and attempt money transfers.

Mompha has consistently refuted all allegations, accusing the EFCC of misusing his case to promote its reputation. He insists that the charges brought against him are untrue and maintains innocence.

President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate requesting Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Ude, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Enugu State,’s appointment as a minister.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the letter expressing the President’s request during Tuesday’s plenary.

Senator Akpabio sent the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration and evaluation after making the announcement.

Uche Nnaji, the former minister of innovation, science, and technology, resigned from Tinubu’s government, according to the news.

Read more about Uche Nnaji’s resignation as science minister after a certificate scandal.

Nnaji, who was the Tinubu administration’s only minister, resigned last month over a controversy involving his certificate, which was claimed to have been obtained from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.

His resignation left Enugu State without a minister and created a vacuum in President Tinubu’s administration.

Following a motion to allegedly grant the Federal Government lands for illegal and criminal purposes at the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, the House of Representatives held a rowdy session on Tuesday.

Ad hoc committee review would be suggested in the motion, which Representative Ademorin Kuye sponsored.

However, several members voted against the proposal, saying that it should be handled by the standing Committee on Commerce, whose authority it falls.

READ MORE: &nbsp, Senate Launches Probe Into Nationwide Rail Failures As Derailments Surge

The Deputy Speaker, who was in charge, decided in favor of the initial proposal after the motion was cast.

The Deputy Speaker repeatedly overruled several members as they continued to voice their anger and voted against subsequent motions.

Every member who attempts to make one motion is repeatedly yelled down by the legislators, who have insisted that no additional motion be made.