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  • Malami lists income sources to prevent assets for feiture

    Malami lists income sources to prevent assets for feiture

    Immediate past  Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to reverse its January 6 order for the interim forfeiture of some of his properties.

    Malami, in a motion filed by his lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), also provided details of his earnings while in office.

    In the motion, he is seeking the release of three out of the 57 properties affected by the interim forfeiture order granted by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Malami is asking the court for two reliefs.

    He is seeking an order vacating, setting aside or discharging the interim forfeiture order of January 6, 2026, as it relates to properties listed as numbers 9, 18 and 48 in the schedule attached to the forfeiture order.

    He said the properties were duly declared in his asset declaration forms throughout his tenure as a public officer, adding that property No. 48 is held in trust for the estate of his late father, Khadi Malami Nassarawa.

    He is also asking the court to restrain the EFCC, its agents or privies from interfering with the properties or disturbing his ownership, possession and control of them while purportedly enforcing the interim forfeiture order.

    The three properties include Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, purchased on July 31, 2019.

    The others are a bedroom duplex with boys’ quarters at No. 12, Yalinga Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, purchased in October 2018 for N150 million, and the ADC Kadi Malami Foundation Building, acquired for N56 million.

    Read Also: Hearing stalled in EFCC’s suit seeking Malami’s assets forfeiture

    The latter two are listed as numbers 18 and 48 in the EFCC’s schedule.

    Malami argued that the properties listed as numbers 9, 18 and 48, which are the subject of the interim forfeiture, are not linked by any prima facie evidence to unlawful activity or a specific offence.

    He said he declared the assets listed as numbers 9 and 18 in his asset declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in 2019 and 2023.

    According to him, property listed as number 48 is held in trust for the estate of his late father.

    “These assets, their value and their root of title have been clearly stated and specifically demonstrated in the various asset declaration forms spanning from 2019 to 2023,” Malami said.

    “The declaration above is prima facie evidence of the legitimacy of the acquisition and ownership of the properties.”

    Malami stated that his asset declarations also detailed his earnings to include N374,630,900 from salaries, estacodes, severance allowances and other official income.

    He said he earned N574,073,000 as income from disposed assets; recorded a turnover of N10,017,382,684 from businesses; extended loans of N2.522 billion to businesses; and received N958 million as traditional gifts from personal friends.

    He further stated that N509.88 million was realised from the launch and public presentation of his book titled “Contemporary Issues on Nigerian Law and Practice, Thorny Terrains in Traversing the Nigerian Justice Sector: My Travails and Triumphs.”

    “These streams of income, and the continuing profits generated from the businesses over the years, sufficiently show that the properties sought to be forfeited were acquired through legitimate and lawful means,” he said.

    Malami argued that the interim forfeiture order was not based on any prima facie evidence of unlawful activity and was therefore liable to be set aside.

    He accused the EFCC of suppressing material facts and misrepresenting information to obtain the order ex parte, alleging exaggeration and inflation of asset values through manipulated valuations designed to mislead the court.

    He also argued that the proceedings amounted to an infringement of his fundamental right to property, presumption of innocence and right to peaceful family life.

    According to him, the court should dismiss or strike out the suit to prevent conflicting outcomes and duplicative litigation.

  • Wike camp fixes PDP convention for March 28

    Wike camp fixes PDP convention for March 28

    • Turaki group: we will wait for C’Appeal judgment
    • Caretaker takes interest in Oyo State chapter

    The Wike/Anyanwu faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday unfolded plans to hold the National Convention on March 28 and 29 in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The proposed convention followed last week’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan affirming Abdulrahman Mohammed caretaker committee as the authentic leadership of the party.

    Justice Uche Agomoh, also voided the November 16, 2025 convention of the PDP in Ibadan and all the decisions taken there from because the convention was stopped by two Federal High Courts judgments.

    Kabiru Turaki (SAN) was elected at the convention along with other members of his National Working Committee (NWC).

    The convention also expelled senior figures of the party, including Nyesome WIke, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, Senator Mao Ohunabuwa, among others.

    All these were nullified by the judgment. 

    Justice Agomoh also directed that only a caretaker committee can run the PDP until another convention elects the leadership.

    New members of the National Working Committee (NWC) would be elected at the March 28 convention, according to a statement by the Caretaker Chairman Mohammed and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

    Read Also: Wike inaugurates, NDDC 9.4km road, 1,500-seater hall in Rivers community

    According to the statement,  the decision to hold the convention was taken at the 105th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the official residence of the Minister of the FCT Wike.

    The party secretariat, popularly known as Wadata Plaza, has been under lock and key by the police following a bloody battle there between the two factions.

    To restore stability and constitutional order, the NEC approved a comprehensive schedule for party congresses across the country.

    The Ward and Local Government Congresses will hold in February while the State Congresses hold in March 2026.

    The NEC mandated the National Caretaker Committee to immediately “activate Convention Sub-Committees and commence full logistical, administrative, and consultative preparations” to ensure the process remains transparent and credible.

    The NEC reconfirmed the Mohammed-led National Caretaker Committee as the “only lawful national administrative organ of the Party.”

    To prevent any administrative vacuum, the NEC also extended the tenure of Caretaker Committees at the State and Zonal levels.

    The faction welcomed the judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which validated its current leadership structure.

    It said: “NEC welcomed and affirmed the judgment… which upheld the legality of the Party’s leadership and administrative arrangements and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to recognize the duly constituted National Caretaker Committee.”

    Mohammed declared that the “cloud of uncertainty” hanging over the party had  fizzled out.

    He described the judgment as a “much-needed legal clarity” that affirmed the legitimacy of his leadership and that of Anyanwu.

    He said: “The judgment has conferred existential credibility on the leadership of our great party as presently constituted. This outcome did not come by accident. It is the reward of your collective decision to stand on the side of the law. “

    The chairman described 2025 as a “testing and refining period,” noting that the party survived internal attempts to by-pass established procedures.

    He said the PDP did not collapse under the pressure of judicial challenges but  emerged “refined, strengthened and reoriented.”

    Mohammed said: “We are today firmly positioned to roll out our activities without hesitation or uncertainty.”

    Urging reconciliation,  he added: “In this process, there are no absolute losers. I call on all members of our great party, at every level, to jettison divisive tendencies and destructive rhetoric. Now is the time to heal wounds and rebuild trust.”

    Mohammed praised Wike for his “intellectual depth” and leadership during the “trying period”, and also extended gratitude to former Senate President Bukola Saraki for his insistence on due process and the “supremacy of the law.”

    Wike, at the meeting declared keen interest in all activities of the Oyo State chapter of the PDP.

    Wike insisted that his concern is the survival, stability and success of the party.

    He said: “Let me declare my interest clearly: I am interested in the survival and success of this party. I am also interested in all the happenings in Oyo State PDP.”

    Wike said the party would wait for the Caretaker Committee to issue clear directives  on the congresses.

    Turaki faction kicks

    However, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki faction, Ini Ememobong, dismissed the proposed convention as a ruse.

    He said “Wike and friends are merely living in fools paradise with their proposition. The world knows they are extensions of the APC and therefore cannot claim to be members of the PDP.

    “We await the judgement of the appellate courts and we are hopeful that when the judgements are in, the issues would have been resolved and the court will confirm the reality that the convention held in Ibadan was a reflection of the wishes of the true members of the People’s Democratic Party.”

  • Uzodimma, Buni, Akande, 70 others in APC convention panel

    Uzodimma, Buni, Akande, 70 others in APC convention panel

    Preparations for next month’s National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) kicked off yesterday.

    A 73-member Central Coordination Committee for the convention was set up by the National Working Committee (NWC) at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The committee is chaired by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma..

    The Chairman of  Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq will serve as vice chairman while former National Caretaker Committee Chairman and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni will serve as Secretary.

    A statement by the National Secretary,  Senator Ajibola Basiru, said the committee was set up during the NWC’s 183rd meeting, following consultation with various statutory organs and  stakeholders.

    Apart from Uzodimma and Buni, all the remaining 27 governors would serve in the committee.

    Read Also: Uzodimma inaugurates committee to investigate insecurity in Okigwe, rebuild zone

    Other members are former National Chairmen –  Chief Bisi Akande, Senator Adams Oshiomole, and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje;  Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Senate President,  Barau Jibrin, and Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu.

    Others include  former Senate Presidents and Speakers of House of Representatives, and serving and former principal officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly.

    Ministers who will serve on the committee are Atiku Bagudu (Budget and Planning), General Christopher Musa (Defence),  Mohammed Idris (Information and National Orientation) and Senator Ibrahim Giadam (Police Affairs).

    Basiru said details about the inauguration of the committee would be announced later.

  • Gen Uba may be alive, says Defence Minister

    Gen Uba may be alive, says Defence Minister

    Minister for Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd) has said there were indications that the captured 25 Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. Musa Uba feared killed by terrorists in the North East might be alive.

    He explained this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

    Brig.-Gen. Uba was captured by suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in November along Damboa–Biu axis after leading his team on an operation against the criminals.

    Initial reports indicated that Uba successfully escaped from an ambush that reportedly killed his troops, took cover and was communicating his location with air support forces before the terrorist got to him.

    Confirming they had gotten him, the criminals released a video footage of the Brigade Commander where he was reportedly killed.

    But during the interview, the Defence Minister said they were still working on the probability that he was alive.

    He said the military were yet to recover his body, a development he noted was not in line with the modus operandi of the terorrists.

    “He is currently classified as Missing-in-Action because we are not certain he is dead. His body has not been retrieved which is against the known tactics of the terorrists.

    Read Also: Temitope Adeoye calls for carbon credit awareness across Nigeria

    “Usually, they leave the bodies of those they killed for troops to recover them but in the case of Brig-Gen Uba, there has been no trace,” said the Minister.

    He added that there were rumours Uba could be alive, adding that the military was investigating it to ensure his safe rescue from the terorrists.

    The minister also decried what he described as a failure of strategic communication, saying a handful of individuals project negative images of Nigeria globally while the country neglects to celebrate its many achievers across different fields. According to him, the silence around positive stories creates space for damaging narratives to thrive.

    On defence partnerships, Musa said Nigeria was prioritising capacity building through technology transfer, co-production and training rather than outright equipment purchases.

    He said intelligence sharing with partners was being strengthened to address terrorism financing, logistics and command structures, stressing that real-time intelligence is critical in asymmetric warfare where enemies often blend with civilians.

    Musa further identified poor infrastructure, difficult terrain and the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as major challenges confronting troops, explaining that military operations are often slowed by the need to avoid civilian casualties.

    He said efforts were ongoing to improve mobility, surveillance and rapid response through helicopters, drones and specialised vehicles. He added that training and maintenance arrangements were being put in place ahead of new deployments.

    On border security, Musa said Nigeria was reviewing multiple options, including technology-driven surveillance and physical barriers in critical areas, noting that effective border control requires data integration and collaboration among defence, interior and foreign affairs institutions.

    He stressed that Nigeria’s non-aligned status allows it to partner with diverse countries in its security efforts, adding that a holistic national database and centralised coordination are essential to tackling security threats.

    Musa assured Nigerians that progress was being made, urging sustained public support for the Armed Forces. “If Nigeria fails, everyone fails,” he said, calling on citizens to stand together in safeguarding the nation.

  • Ebonyi communal crisis: DC coordinator, two monarchs in Police custody

    Ebonyi communal crisis: DC coordinator, two monarchs in Police custody

    The Coordinator of Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo, Anya Baron-Ogbonnia,  and two traditional rulers were arrested yesterday by the police in connection with last week’s killing of four persons in Oso-Edda in Edda Local Government Area (LGA).

    Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state Police Command, Joshua Ukandu, gave the names of the two monarchs as Onyaidam Bassey and Godfrey Oko-Obia.

    Ukandu said that their arrest followed a joint operation by the Army, the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    The police spokesperson added that  10 people were earlier arrested in connection with the incident.

    Read Also: Ebonyi orders school closure, 20-hour curfew in Amasiri after deadly clash

    He said: “On the Thursday attack, the update is that the coordinator of Amasiri, two traditional rulers from Amasiri and other individuals were arrested by a joint operation of the security agencies in the state.

    “Those arrested are all in our custody, and investigations into the killings are still ongoing.

    “The command and other security personnel will not relent until all those involved are brought to justice.’’

    A long-standing dispute between Oso-Edda and Amasiri over ownership of a farm settlement called Okporojo snowballed on Thursday, leaving four persons dead and houses torched.

  • Fed Govt signs MoU with six bodies to train 10m Nigerians in financial inclusion

    Fed Govt signs MoU with six bodies to train 10m Nigerians in financial inclusion

    A free nationwide training  targeting 10 million Nigerians on financial inclusion and financial literacy was kicked off yesterday by the Federal Government with  the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six professional bodies.

    The programme, being implemented by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), is designed to empower Nigerians, particularly youths and women, with essential financial skills, investment knowledge and digital competencies for sustainable wealth creation.

    Under the MoU, the Federal Government will collaborate with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, the National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA), the Chartered Risk Management Institute (CRMI) and the Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NIIE) to jointly design training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives and mentorship platforms.

    Speaking at the kick-off ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Vice President Kashim Shettima described the agreement as more than a formal document.

     Shettima  said Nigeria would only reap bountifully from its demographic dividend if young people and women were deliberately equipped with relevant skills and strong ethical grounding to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.

    In a statement  by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “It is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure—the human, institutional and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest”.

    Read Also: PalmPay seeks deeper financial inclusion

    He explained that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which PreCEFI is mandated to implement, recognises that financial inclusion goes beyond access.

    “Financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust and capability. We cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards or disconnected professional ecosystems,” he said.

    According to him, the framework created by the MoU would harness the collective expertise of the professional bodies to advance inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment and support for small and medium practitioners.

    Shettima stressed that inclusion would remain a slogan without professionals who understand MSME formalisation, credit risk beyond collateral, consumer protection, digital risk management and innovation-driven enterprise development.

    He urged PreCEFI and the partner institutions to treat the MoU as a “living platform for execution” rather than a ceremonial agreement.

    “On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  I hereby flag off the free training of 10 million Nigerians, with priority for women and youth across the country,” the Vice President declared.

    In his remarks, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, said exclusion was often driven by limited skills and weak institutional capacity rather than lack of access alone.

    “Financial inclusion is achieved when people and institutions are equipped to use infrastructure responsibly, productively and sustainably,” he said.

    Earlier, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, hailed the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, saying visible improvements in the economy informed the decision to support the initiative.

    He assured the government of the professional bodies’ commitment to the success of the programme, describing their participation as an institutional honour.

    Also, Chief Executive Officer of WAWU Africa, the technical partner for the programme, Mr Emmanuel Lennox, pledged the organisation’s readiness to deliver the digital platform and enabling environment required for the project.

  • Metering brouhaha: To pay or not to pay

    Metering brouhaha: To pay or not to pay

    The Federal Government has implemented several initiatives aimed at ensuring adequacy in electricity metering. These efforts have however proved to be almost ineffective even as the metering gap in the country remains at seven million. Stakeholders in the industry have since called for the liberalisation of meters’ sales and purchase as a way around the conundrum. Last week, the Power Minister appeared to have stirred the hornet’s nest declaring that meters under DISREP be issued and installed free of charge to consumers. The fallout has caused bickering between the electricity distribution compampanies (DisCos), consumers and other stakeholders threatening the installation of 1.5 million meters, MUYIWA LUCAS writes.

    Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, may have been a self-effacing man during his time at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). However, owing to the quantum of demands and expectations of the ministry he superintends presently, the Adelabu has had to shout himself to the rooftops.

    While the minister may have unwittingly been vocal, stakeholders are convinced that it may be as a result of the need to succeed by delivering power to the Nigerian public, especially at a time when patience seem to be running out.

    His latest outburst on metering is one that obviously touches the raw nerves of electricity consumers as well as the utilities.

    “I want to mention that it is unprecedented that these meters are to be installed and distributed to consumers free of charge—free of charge! Nobody should collect money from any consumer. It is an illegality. It is an offence for the officials of distribution companies across Nigeria to request a dime before installation; even the indirect installers cannot ask consumers for a dime. It has to be installed free of charge so that billings and collections will improve for the sector,” an elated Adelabu said last week during an on-site inspection of newly imported smart meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos.

    The statement of the Minister exposed a brewing tension in the sector, leading to divergent tunes from all stakeholders in the electricity value chain, placing the DisCos and the Federal Government at logger heads over who pays for the cost of the meters and installation.

    The metering schemes

    The issue of meters in the sector remains very touchy given that efforts at ensuring adequately metering of electricity consumers have at best not yielded the desired result. To date, Nigeria has an estimated shortfall of seven million meters- a situation that has both placed a huge revenue loss on the electricity value chain as well as the consumers who are slammed with bogus estimated billings.

    There are various metering schemes initiatives by the Federal Government aimed at reducing the seven million metering gap in the country. These include Meter Asset Provider (MAP), as enshrined in 2018/2019 via a NERC regulation allowing third-party investors to supply and install meters. Customers under this scheme pay upfront for meters and are refunded through energy tokens over time. MAPs are companies granted approval by NERC to procure and install meters for customers of DisCos. Customers are required to make an upfront payment for the meter and the cost recovered over a period of time approved by the NERC.

    In 2020, the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), a Federal Government initiative funded by the CBN to provide free meters to Nigerians, aiming to end estimated billing, was introduced. This intervention sought to increase metering rate, eliminate arbitrary estimated billing, strengthen the local meter manufacturing sector, create jobs and reduce collections losses. Under this scheme, meters are provided and installed at no upfront cost to the consumer.

    A seed capital of N200 billion was invested to facilitate the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) revenue collections through the programme. Under Phase-0 of the NMMP, the sum of N59.280 billion was set aside for financing the installation of one million meters.

    From inception to date, 89.96 per cent of the funds allocated for NMMP under phase 0 has been disbursed to the 11 DisCos for procurement of 962,832 meters through 23 MAPs.

    The funding under Phase 0 is through the CBN/NESI; financing for the phase 1, with a procurement of 1.5 million meter units, is through the CBN/ DMBs (Deposit Money Banks), while financing for the Phase 2, with a four million meter units procurement, is from the World Bank.

    Another is the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), established in 2023, as a five-year, 10-million-meter initiative, supported by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and World Bank, designed to fast-track metering. This initiative aims to close the metering gap for 60 per cent of estimated-billing customers by 2027 through the deployment of over five million smart meters to be funded by the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) and federation-funded initiatives. The Meter Acuisition Fund (MAF) Tranche B, guaranteed NERC-approved funds of N28 billion for DisCos to provide free meters specifically for Band A and B customers.

    Funding for meters under MAF is built from a pool of contributions from all DisCos based on their market collections. It gives priority in tiers- with the current phase (Tranche B) focusing on completing the metering of all outstanding Band A customers before fully extending to Band B. DisCos must use these funds to procure meters through competitive bidding and complete installations by specific deadlines.

    Also is the Distribution Sector Recovery Progranme (DISREP), a $500 million World Bank-funded initiative to deliver 3.4 million smart meters for free to consumers. It also aims to improve the financial and technical performance of the country’s DisCos. Like the NMMP and MAP Schemes, DisCos are expected to repay the cost of these meters over a period of 10-years. DisCos are also responsible for distribution, installation and maintenance of these meters within their franchise states.

    A for older metering scheme was the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI), introduced by the NERC in 2013. The scheme allowed electricity customers to pay for their own meters to speed up installation and avoid estimated billing. Customers, who paid for meters directly were to be refunded through energy credits over a set period. The scheme was wound down in 2016 after it was found that only about 500,000 meters were deployed between 2013 and 2016, with many DisCos failing to fulfill their obligations despite receiving funds.

    Read Also: Tinubu, Akume,  Osa-Oni, others pay final respect to  Bishop Adegbite’s late father 

    Has metering been free?

    Adelabu’s directive that prepaid meters procured under the World Bank–funded DISREP be installed freely has elicited mixed reactions.  While the government argued that electricity consumers will only pay for the ongoing free meter installation through deductions from their electricity tokens, the DisCos are concerned over the long period of recovery of such funds which spans over a period of 10 years. They argue that such arrangement has effects on their operations, especially cost recovery, installation expenses and the financial implications.

    The position of government is understandable given that suppliers, it claimed, have already been fully paid for both the meters and the installation. Therefore, the reasoning  is that DisCos charging consumers again for installation would not only slow down the meter uptake, but it will also undermine the goal of the initiative.

    The Minister’s team pointed to poor enumeration and inaccurate customer information as the main bottlenecks, disclosing that installers are often sent to wrong addresses or to premises that are not technically ready for metering.

    The Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayo Gbeleyi, takes the DisCos’ position with a pinch of salt. Gbeleyi, who attended the N501billion bond issuance signing ceremony to settle legacy debts in the power sector in Lagos, regretted that the god gesture of government in line with free metering was being antagonised by the utility companies.

    He maintained that claims of repayment over 10 years assertions were inaccurate and misleading, explaining that cost of meters, transformer, feeders, and other components of investments, are embedded in tariffs and recouped over time.

    “We’ve had pushback. The truth is, every component of investment that goes into the DisCos gets recouped through the tariff structure. So, whether it is a feeder pillar, whether it is a transformer, or whether it is a meter, we as consumers will ultimately pay for those pieces of equipment through the tariff design.

    “What they (DisCos) are not telling you is that the Federal Government’s major intervention is indeed one of the best loan transactions today extended to the power sector. It is a 20-year loan facility. It comes with a five-year principal moratorium and a two-year interest moratorium to the DisCos. We have never seen any capital lending to that sector of that magnitude in the history of the power sector in Nigeria.”

    A public sector analyst, Mayowa Sodipo, corroborated the position of Gbeleyi, insisting that at no point in time was meter allocation ever free of charge. For him, while Adelabu may have played to the gallery with his statement knowing that these meters and installation costs have been factored into the electricity tariff paid by the consumer, he may have equally saved the consumers from exploitation.

    “At no point was meter ever free to any consumer. You pay through your electricity purchase because it is deducted from your token over a period of time. So the DisCos are not the ones even paying for the meters as they are now trying to claim, but the consumers because the cost is deducted from their electricity tariff bought. So the DisCos are not paying but the consumers are paying for the meters,” Sodipo argued.

    But the DisCos are worried that as a business concern, the burden on payment for meters still rests with them. An official of a South West DisCo who spoke on condition of anonymity depriving payment for installation is an extra burden on the DisCos because this segment is contracted out to installers, who are not on the pay roll of the DisCos. 

    “So if consumers are not paying for installation, who should? Is the minster saying that the DisCos should still  be carrying the financial implication of this?” the official asked rhetorically.

    In a submission on the development, a Kano state based social commentator, Dr. Abubakar Ibrahim, said for Nigeria to close its metering gap, there is need for collaborative policy implementation between the regulators, government authorities, DisCos and meter providers and installers.

    “They must all agree to work together to establish a clear and sustainable funding framework that covers both meter procurement and installation.  The Federal Government on its part must design a financial framework that will balance customers’ interest with the sector financial sustainability,” Dr. Ibrahim said.

    He further said that while the Federal Government’s objectives are clearly to close the metering gap and ensure fair billing, however, lack of alignment with DisCos could unintentionally delay the very benefits the policy seeks to deliver.

    The Executive Director, Emmanuel Egbigah Foundation, Prof Wunmi Iledare’s submission in in sync with Dr. Ibrahim’s. He insisted that the development is a symptom of deeper structural and governance failures in the power sector. He said it is appalling for the Federal Government, as a part-owner of the DisCos, to publicly complain about their conduct without addressing underlying regulatory lapses, leaves more to be desired.

    Way forward

    Dr. Ibrahim and Prof. Iledare’s submissions summarises a critical issue in the metering scheme. Key industry stakeholders in the value chain blamed the DisCos shows of apathy of DisCos towards meter installation on the fact that they have not been part of the procurement process including the selection of installaters.

    “For this DISREP, the Federal Government nominated the installers, at a low cost expecting DisCos to cover some part of the cost to mobilise the installation activities. As usual since DisCos are not part of the entire procurement and acquisition process unlike other metering mechanisms, then they will show apathy; DisCos always wanted to have a say in some of these projects.

    “On paper, the paper the meters are free but the last mile issues are cost  burdens that the DisCos are not willing to cover. This is why the process is slow and bulk of the facilities are in stores across the DisCos,” a very senior official of a DisCo, who asked to be anonymous owing to the sensitivity of the matter, revealed at the weekend.

    With this recurring situation, Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Dr. Joy Ogaji, advocated that metering should be liberalised. To this end, Ogaji argued, both government and DisCos should hands off meter matters and allow it to run like the mobile phone is run in the telecommunications sector so that consumers can freely go to the open market to buy meters.

    Although she agreed that when customers buy meters from shops instead of DisCos, revenue assurance can become challenging, she nonetheless said this can be addressed through meter registration with DisCos to track usage and ownership; standardistion, by mandating the use of approved, tamper-evident meters with remote monitoring capabilities; implementing a centralised vending systems for meter top-ups, linking purchases to customer accounts and collaboration with shops and regulators to ensure compliance with industry standards, insisting that this approach helps DisCos track revenue and reduce losses

    “Design the standard or specifications for the meters for various categories- 1-phase, 3phase etc; make it available in shops for anyone to purchase; train installers and only contact your DisCos to inform them of synchronisation. With this, no cunnundrum; everyone is happy, except there are ulterior motives,” Ogaji submitted, warning that if after 15 years of privatisation of the sector, metering still remains a problem, then there is no point continuing with is the way it is being done.

  • Body of missing Kogi FCE student found

    Body of missing Kogi FCE student found

    Residents of Eika-Adagu Community, Lokoja, Kogi State have found the body of a 20-year-old  lady in the area.

    The body was dumped on the Lokoja/ Okene highway.

    Her vital organs were said to be missing, raising concern that the victim was a victim of ritual killing.

    Residents said the body was that of a student of Federal College of Education, Okene who was reported missing on January 24, this year.

    Read Also: Police urge NLC to shelve Tuesday’s planned protest

     Family, friends, and the college community added that they had been searching for her since.

    The body was taken by the police to Okengwe General Hospital morgue for autopsy and preservation.

    Some of the neighbours, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that bodies of  two commercial cyclists(okada operators) were recently found in the area with their vital organs also missing.

    The spokesman for the state Police Command, Ayisatu Saidu, has not responded to enquiries about the incident.

  • NAPTIP arrests four suspects, rescues 17 victims in Onitsha hotel

    NAPTIP arrests four suspects, rescues 17 victims in Onitsha hotel

    • By Precious Igbonwelundu and Elekwachi Chinedum, Onitsha

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested four suspected human traffickers and rescued 17 victims during a raid on a popular hotel in the 33 Area of Onitsha, Anambra State.

    The operation, carried out with support from the military, followed credible intelligence indicating the presence of underage girls at the facility. Two additional suspects linked to alleged baby trafficking in the South East were also apprehended.

    NAPTIP said four of the rescued victims tested positive for HIV and are receiving counselling and care from the agency, with support from volunteers of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA).

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    Investigations showed that residents had raised concerns about suspicious activities at the hotel, including the frequent influx of men and the presence of underage girls. The victims reportedly said they were recruited from Benue, Imo, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states and trafficked to Onitsha for prostitution, with daily remittances demanded by their handlers.

    NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed concern over the victims’ plight, particularly their health condition. She thanked the military and the Gender and Human Rights State Response Team under ANSACA for their collaboration.

    Bello said NAPTIP had launched a manhunt for the alleged “madam” who confiscated antiretroviral drugs given to the victims and barred them from accessing medical care, describing the act as criminal. She added that the owner of the hotel had been invited for interrogation as investigations continue.

    The Director-General reiterated the agency’s commitment to intensifying efforts against human trafficking nationwide.

  • Navy hands over seized substances in Apapa drug raid to NDLEA

    Navy hands over seized substances in Apapa drug raid to NDLEA

    The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has handed over illicit drugs, including Marijuana and Codeine, which it recovered when it raided a suspected criminals’ hideout at Gidan Drama, Agbo Malu area of Apapa, Lagos to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The drugs, it said, were recovered on January 24, following credible intelligence on the presence of suspected drug peddlers in the area.

    A statement yesterday said the seized illicit substances were handed over by the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Rear Admiral Paul Nimmyel.

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    Represented by the Base’ Executive Officer, Captain Idongesit Udoessien, Nimmyel said no arrests were made as the suspects fled on sighting naval personnel.

    He said the recovery reflects the Navy’s resolve to curb the spread and abuse of illicit drugs among youths, noting the attendant health risks and security implications.

    The Commander added that the operation aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, for the Navy to rid the maritime environment of criminal activities, working independently or in collaboration with other agencies.