Politics
I Have No Link With Offa Robbery Suspects, Saraki Writes Police IG Again
For the second time, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has written to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in response to his invitation to appear for an interrogation over the allegations made against him by armed robbery suspects who attacked banks in Offa, Kwara State.
The police had in June invited Saraki for questioning over the bank robberies in Offa on April 5, but the Senate President responded to the invitation in writing.
The IG, in a letter dated July 23 and addressed to the Senate President, again asked Saraki to report to the police on Tuesday at 8 am to provide further clarification on his relationship with the five leaders of the robbery gang.
Idris, in his latest letter, insisted that the gang leaders claimed they were political thugs to Saraki, adding that “the Senate President supplies arms and money to the thugs; that everyone in Kwara Central fears them because of their guns and ability to kill anybody without hesitation.”
The Senate President, however, did not honour the invitation. He had escaped the siege laid to his Maitama, Abuja residence by the operatives of the Department of State Services and men of the Nigeria Police.
Asked on Wednesday if Saraki would answer the summons by the police, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, said his boss had responded to the police in writing.
Olaniyonu also said Saraki had answered all the questions raised by the police in his letter to the IG.
He added that Saraki’s letter was written and dispatched to the police on Tuesday, stressing that its receipt was duly acknowledged.
Olaniyonu further stated that after answering all the questions raised by the police in his letter, he did not believe that there was any further need for Saraki to go to the police personally.
“He has written a letter to them and the letter has taken care of the purpose of the invitation. He sent the letter to them yesterday (Tuesday). The letter addressed the issues raised in the invitation letter,” Olaniyonu said.
The police spokesman, Moshood Jimoh, could not be reached for comment on Saraki’s letter as he did not respond to several phone calls. He had yet to reply a text message as of the time of filing this report.
Also, it was learnt that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had written the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission requesting another date to appear before the commission.
It was learnt that Ekweremadu sent the letter to the EFCC on Wednesday.
A senior EFCC official told our correspondent that the senator noted that he wasn’t given ample time to honour the invitation and would, therefore, need more time.
The EFCC official said, “We received a letter from Senator Ekweremadu requesting another date to appear before us. We will respond to him in due course.”
Officials of the anti-graft agency accompanied by scores of policemen had on Tuesday laid siege to the Deputy Senate President’s home on Jim Nwobodo’s home, Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.
The EFCC operatives had attempted to arrest Ekweremadu barely hours after inviting him.
In a letter signed by the Director of Operations of the EFCC, Mohammed Abba, with a reference number, ‘CR.3000/EFCC/DOPS/Vol.49/40 dated July 24, 2018, the commission asked the Deputy Senate President to immediately make himself available for questioning.
In the letter titled, ‘Case of Conspiracy, Abuse of Office and Money Laundering’, the anti-graft agency said the request was made pursuant to Section 38(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes (Establishment) Act, 2004.
The letter read in part, “The commission is investigating the above-mentioned case in which your name featured prominently and the need to obtain certain clarifications from you became imperative.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to report and interview by the undersigned at 5 Fomela Street off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 2, Abuja on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, at 10 am prompt.”
EkweremaduEkweremadu could not be reached to confirm or deny his response to the EFCC. His Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, was contacted via telephone on Wednesday afternoon but he asked for more time to reach out to his boss. When he was called again at 7:45 pm, he said his boss was not home.
Anichukwu had yet to reply, as of the time of filing this report, to the text message sent to him telling him about the information from the EFCC source.
In a related development, Ekweremadu has given more details on the siege to his Abuja residence by the operatives of the EFCC.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, on Wednesday, quoted Ekweremadu as explaining the situation on Tuesday when the leaders and members of the Senate and the Peoples Democratic Party visited him after the security agents had left.
The Deputy Senate President said the security agents left at about 12:20 pm after spending about six and a half hours.
Ekweremadu said, “We anticipated that a number of our colleagues in the All Progressives Congress would defect and join the Peoples Democratic Party. In anticipation of that, the APC leadership had tried to stop them. When that didn’t happen, the first thing they did was to invite President of the Senate (Bukola Saraki) to come to the police this (Tuesday) morning. They believe that once the President of the Senate goes to the police, I would be the one to preside and probably give effect to the letter of defection.
“In anticipation of that, the police, the EFCC and other security agencies came together — about 200 of them — to stop me from going to the National Assembly. They said I should come to the EFCC to give an explanation over the things I was accused of. I agreed to follow them even though there was no prior invitation, but they were not eager to let me go to answer the invitation.
“The plan was to stop me and the President of the Senate from going to the National Assembly. Unfortunately for them, the President of the Senate was already at the Senate to preside over the plenary session.”
Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Tuesday night separately met with Saraki and Ekweremadu. While he visited the Deputy Senate President at his residence, the governor met with the Senate President at his office.
Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly, Fayose said the defections from the APC were for Nigerians and not the PDP. He said the defectors had taken a “path of honour.”
Two of the 14 senators who dumped the APC on Tuesday had denied joining the PDP. While Senator Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo-Central) said she defected to the ADC, Senator Lanre Tejuoso (Ogun-Central) said he had yet to join another party.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has approved the appointment of 10 new aides to serve in various capacities across his administration.
The appointments were announced on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula.
According to the statement, the new appointees are expected to bring their experience and expertise to their respective offices and contribute to the administration’s development agenda.
Those appointed include Kelvin Atsem as Principal Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation, Ulaha Paschal Aondolumun as Special Assistant on Community Relations, and Terhemen Ndiisaa as Principal Special Assistant on Politics.
Others are Galim Terhide, appointed Special Assistant on Revenue; Ankpo Tarvershima, Special Assistant on Sanitation; and Job Tseagh, Principal Special Assistant on Power.
Lubem Mbabov, Terwase Aondoakaa and Charles Tema were also appointed Principal Special Assistants on Community Engagement.
Governor Alia charged the appointees to familiarise themselves with his administration’s blueprint and ensure their activities align with its policies and guiding principles.
He urged them to demonstrate commitment, integrity and dedication in carrying out their responsibilities, stressing that the interests of Benue State must remain their priority.
The governor also expressed his expectation that the new officials would contribute meaningfully to service delivery and the implementation of government programmes.
The latest appointments come days after Alia approved 23 other appointments to fill vacant positions left by officials who resigned from his administration. He also constituted a five-member Benue State Primary Healthcare Board as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s healthcare administration.
Three political appointees serving under Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde have resigned from their positions, adding to a series of departures from the state government ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The officials are the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ayobami Oluwaseun Ojo; Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning, Simeon Adegbola Oyeleke; and a member of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Sunday Olugbenga Falana.
Their resignations were communicated on Monday, November 2, 2026, with all three officials indicating that their decisions would take immediate effect.
Ojo conveyed his resignation in a letter addressed to Makinde through the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde. He referred to his appointment letter dated June 22, 2026, but did not disclose the reason for leaving the position.
The former commissioner thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to serve Oyo State.
Similarly, Oyeleke, a former two-term member of the Oyo State House of Assembly and former local government chairman, tendered his resignation in a letter dated November 2.
Unlike Ojo, Oyeleke gave an explanation for his decision, stating that he was no longer comfortable with the working environment in the administration.
He said the circumstances had made it difficult for him to effectively pursue and fulfil the aspirations of his people while serving in the government.
Despite his decision, Oyeleke appreciated Makinde for his leadership, encouragement and support, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.
Falana, who hails from Ogbomoso, also resigned his appointment as a member of OYSIEC through a letter addressed to the governor via the Chief of Staff.
He did not state the reason for his departure but described his experience serving on the state’s electoral management body as worthwhile and expressed appreciation to the governor for the opportunity.
The latest resignations come weeks after the departure of Makinde’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, who stepped down in October after serving in the position for more than five years. The former Director-General of the state’s Due Process Office, Tara Adefope, also resigned around the same period.
Other officials have reportedly left the administration in recent months, including political appointees and members of the governor’s advisory team.
The developments are taking place as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, the three latest appointees did not collectively attribute their resignations to the forthcoming elections.
The Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) has introduced Nigerian entrepreneurs, business executives and investors to an investment programme that offers eligible foreign nationals a pathway to permanent residency in the United States.
The chamber organised an executive roundtable in Lagos on October 22, 2026, to explain the requirements and opportunities under the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme. The engagement was themed “Exploring the U.S. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme: A Strategic Pathway to U.S. Permanent Residency and Global Mobility.”
According to the chamber, the session was designed to help participants understand how qualifying investments can provide a route to US permanent residency, alongside opportunities for international business expansion.
The EB-5 programme allows eligible foreign investors to apply for permanent residency by making qualifying investments that meet requirements established by US immigration authorities. These include conditions relating to job creation and other applicable investment criteria.
The event was hosted by NACC National President, Alhaji Sheriff Balogun, while Moussa Ndiaye, Vice President of Business Development and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at U.S. Immigration Fund, spoke on the programme and how prospective applicants could navigate its requirements.
Grace Adeyemo, chairperson of the chamber’s Trade and Investment Committee, also participated in the discussion. The roundtable was sponsored by U.S. Immigration Fund and brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and prospective investors interested in learning about investment-linked immigration options.
The NACC said the initiative formed part of its broader efforts to promote investment education, encourage international business engagement and strengthen economic relations between Nigeria and the United States.
The chamber added that it would continue to provide platforms for business networking, investment facilitation and bilateral trade cooperation.
However, participation in the programme does not guarantee permanent residency. Prospective applicants must meet the relevant investment, job-creation and immigration requirements set by US authorities.
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