Category: News

The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed Area Command (MMAC), generated ₦6.21 billion in revenue on Thursday, October 8, 2026, exceeding its daily target by more than four times, according to the command’s revenue report.

The command recorded ₦6,208,027,585.94 against a daily target of ₦1,164,480,877.51, representing 533.1 per cent of its expected revenue for the day.

The report showed that 260 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) were assessed during the period, contributing to the impressive daily revenue performance.

On a weekly basis, the command generated ₦8,821,698,547.96 against a target of ₦5,822,404,387.53. The figure represents 151.5 per cent of the weekly target, indicating that revenue collection exceeded expectations.

The weekly report also recorded 1,252 assessed SGDs, reflecting the volume of declarations processed during the period under review.

However, the command’s monthly revenue performance remained below its target. It generated ₦9,689,609,175.64 against a target of ₦24,065,938,135.12, representing 40.3 per cent of the expected revenue.

The monthly assessment covered 1,651 SGDs, according to the figures contained in the report.
For the year, the command generated ₦165,796,001,302.81 against a target of ₦288,791,257,621.50. This represents 57.4 per cent of its annual revenue target, with 53,164 SGDs assessed.

The figures show that while the command substantially exceeded its daily and weekly revenue targets, it still had significant ground to cover in meeting its monthly and annual revenue expectations as of October 8, 2026.

The revenue report highlights the command’s strong daily collection performance while underscoring the need to sustain revenue generation to close the gaps in its monthly and yearly targets.

The BOMARAH Foundation has rewarded outstanding students, schools and teachers with cash prizes, medals and educational materials at the grand finale of its third annual schools competition held at the MUSON Centre, Lagos Island.

The competition, organised in collaboration with Lagos State Education District III, brought together students and teachers from selected junior and senior secondary schools to test their knowledge, communication skills, creativity and academic abilities.

Held under the theme, “Building Brighter Minds Through Healthy Competition,” the three day event featured spelling bee contests, quizzes, debates and a current affairs challenge for teachers.

The preliminary stages took place from October 7 to 8, 2026, at St George’s Primary School, Falomo, while the grand finale was held on Monday, October 12, at the MUSON Centre.

Five junior secondary schools participated in the competition: Falomo Junior High School, Ireti Junior High School, Girls Junior Grammar School, Okesuna Junior High School and Eko Akete Junior Secondary School.

At the senior secondary level, the participating schools were Falomo Senior High School, Ireti Senior Grammar School, Okesuna Senior High School, Girls Senior Secondary Grammar School and Eko Akete Senior Grammar School, Lagos Island.

At the end of the contests, the first prize winning school received ₦250,000, school bags, medals and other gift items. The second place winner received ₦150,000 and additional gifts, while the third place winner went home with ₦100,000 and other educational materials.

Teachers were also recognised for their performance in the competition. The first place winner received ₦200,000, while the second and third place winners were awarded ₦150,000 and ₦100,000, respectively, alongside other gifts.

In her welcome address, the President of the BOMARAH Foundation, Hajia Bola Muse, said the initiative had grown significantly since its introduction three years ago, reflecting the foundation’s commitment to supporting education and nurturing young talents.

“Three years ago, we started with a dream. Today, that dream is standing tall before you,” she said.
Muse explained that the competition was designed to promote academic excellence while helping students and teachers develop confidence, character, teamwork and creativity. She said education should go beyond examination results to equip young people with the skills and values needed to succeed.

Reflecting on the foundation’s activities, she said the first edition in 2024 focused on healing and building confidence, with five Lagos schools participating. The foundation also awarded full scholarships to 10 orphans and vulnerable children, a programme she said had continued.

She said the foundation expanded its reach in 2025 by involving 10 schools across Lagos State and neighbouring areas. It also introduced the Teachers Current Affairs Challenge to recognise teachers’ contributions to education and national development.

According to her, other initiatives introduced in the second year included a family food support programme that reached 750 families during Ramadan and Christmas, the distribution of more than 1,200 school bags, books and uniforms, and a capacity building workshop for teachers organised in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.

The foundation also supported 100 widows and mothers with start up grants to strengthen their small businesses, she added.

Muse said the 2026 edition had attracted 20 registered schools and expanded the competition to include junior and senior secondary school quizzes, spelling bee contests, an advanced current affairs challenge for senior secondary school teachers, debates and STEM innovation.

She commended the sponsors, donors, technical partners, volunteers, organising committee, judges, school administrators and parents for their contributions to the programme. She also urged the students and teachers to value the knowledge, confidence and relationships gained through the competition, regardless of their final positions.

“The awards and medals are temporary, but the knowledge, confidence and friendship you gain here are permanent,” she said.

Muse expressed optimism that the initiative would help nurture future professionals and leaders capable of contributing to Nigeria’s development, while reaffirming the foundation’s commitment to educational advancement and community support.

The members of Njiko AniochaOshimili have congratulated His Royal Majesty, Obi (Professor) Epiphany Azinge, OON, SAN, the Asagba of Asaba, on the second anniversary of his ascension to the revered throne of Asaba Kingdom.

In a goodwill message marking the anniversary, the group described the monarch’s two-year reign as a period of visionary, people-oriented and progressive leadership, noting that his stewardship has brought renewed dignity, intellectual depth and purposeful direction to the traditional institution.

Njiko AniochaOshimili commended the Asagba for his commitment to promoting peace, unity and cultural renaissance across Anioma, describing his contributions as a distinguished legal practitioner, scholar and royal father as a source of wisdom and guidance to the people of Asaba and the wider Aniocha-Oshimili community.

The group said it was proud of the monarch’s achievements since ascending the throne and prayed for continued divine wisdom, sound health and strength to enable him lead Asaba Kingdom towards greater honour, unity and prosperity.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Long Live the Asagba of Asaba! Long Live Asaba Kingdom! Long Live Njiko AniochaOshimili!”

Somewhere in a police barracks tonight, an officer is putting his children to bed. He joined the Force years ago, gave it his youth, and has waited patiently for the promotion he has earned. He follows the rules because he believes the rules will, in the end, follow him. Now he hears that retired officers may be coming back, and he is afraid to ask what that means for his rank, his seniority, and his future. He is afraid because he cannot see a single voice of authority willing to ask on his behalf.

That silence is the story I want to talk about.

The question no one wants to ask

The facts are not complicated. The rule says a public servant leaves at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service, whichever comes first. On January 31, 2025, the Police Service Commission retired 455 senior officers after a dispute over how their dates of first appointment should be computed. The officers went to court. The National Industrial Court declared the retirement unlawful and ordered reinstatement, and the Court of Appeal later dismissed the appeals. A fresh order on September 22, 2026 has now halted the reinstatement. “Court Halts Reinstatement Of 455 Retired Senior Police Officers” — Fresh Injunction Stalls Earlier Court-Ordered Return To Service – TheNigeriaLawyer +2

The legal fight is what courts are for. What troubles me is how little has been said by those whose job it is to speak.

Police Service Commission: what changed?

The Commission carries the heaviest burden here, because promotion, appointment and discipline in the Force are its responsibility.

In January 2025, it retired these officers, saying they had passed the threshold. That was a considered decision, taken at the highest level, and it affected hundreds of careers. When the judgment came, the Commission said it was studying it and might appeal. It did appeal, and it lost.

Then, according to one report, the Commission approved the regularisation of these officers’ dates of first appointment in June 2026. The Force began bringing them back.

So I put the question directly to the Commission. What changed? Did new evidence emerge that the Commission did not have in January 2025? Were the officers’ dates of first appointment wrong when it retired them, or are they wrong now? If the 2025 decision was right, why has it been undone? If it was wrong, who answers for the hundreds of officers it sent home?

Either answer is serious. The Commission owes the Force, and the public, an explanation in plain language. Serving officers cannot be expected to trust a promotion system whose own decisions swing from one direction to the other without a word of reasoning.

Where is the Ministry of Police Affairs?

The Ministry does not decide promotions. That belongs to the Commission. But it does set policy guidelines for the Force. A dispute that touches how service is counted, how retirement works and how the Force plans for the future of state policing is a policy matter. The Ministry should be telling the country what its guidelines are and how this episode fits into them. I could find no public position from it.

Where are the National Assembly committees?

The House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs and the Senate Committee on Police Affairs have the power to summon officials, demand answers and hold public hearings. I searched for a public statement or hearing from either on this matter and found none. If I am wrong, then the message has not reached the officers who need to hear it. Either way, there is a gap.

Where are our constitutional lawyers?

Nigeria has some of the finest legal minds on the continent. A question that touches how public service years are counted, how far court orders can reach and how they should be challenged affects every civil servant in the country. Is there truly nobody willing to say what the rules mean?

Silence is not neutrality. When those who know the law stay quiet, the loudest voice wins, and it is not always the correct one.

What the silence costs

The officers who followed the rules. They have waited their turn. If retired officers return to the same ranks, some of them will be pushed down or aside. Years of loyalty will count for nothing.

The Force itself. A police service survives on discipline, and discipline depends on belief in fairness. An officer who thinks the system is rigged does the minimum, and in a service that asks people to put their lives on the line, the minimum is not enough.

The money. Every naira spent on salaries and arrears for officers already past their limit is a naira not spent on training, equipment and welfare for those who are serving.

The future of state police. This is what worries me most. When Nigeria moves toward state policing, states will draw officers from the federal Force to start their own structures. If the lesson of this episode is that service can be counted differently after the fact, every secondment and recruitment will become a fight. A state police built on a disputed precedent starts with cracked foundations.

A weak police force does not lead the way for anything. It has to be carried.

Must we wait for a disaster?

History is full of countries that understood the importance of policing only after it failed. By then, the price was paid in lost lives, lost trust and lost years. Must the police be damaged before we all realize what we had?

What should happen now

I am not asking anyone to defy a court. I am asking those with the power and the duty to speak to do so:

The Police Service Commission should explain publicly why it retired the officers in 2025, what changed by 2026, and how it will protect the promotions and seniority of serving officers.
The Ministry of Police Affairs should state the policy guidelines that apply to service computation and retirement.

The House and Senate Committees on Police Affairs should call public hearings and put seniority, cost and precedent on record.
The President should set up a committee of the Attorney-General, the Head of the Civil Service, the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to give an authoritative interpretation of the Public Service Rules on employment and retirement.
Constitutional lawyers and civil society should examine the issues openly so the public can understand them.

The Nigeria Police Force faces an uncomfortable choice. It can implement court judgments that, on the face of the Public Service Rules, allow officers to serve beyond the retirement limit. Or it can defend those rules and risk accusations of disobeying the courts. How the government resolves this will shape police discipline, public finances and the credibility of the civil service.

How The Dispute Began
The officers at the center of this case joined the Force as recruit constables. After five to ten years, many earned university degrees and were appointed Cadet Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs) as “force entrants,” alongside fresh graduates who came in as “direct entrants.” These are Courses 18, 19 and 20 of the Police Academy, Kano.

For decades, nobody disputed that their years of service began on the day they were enlisted as constables. The Police Act 2020 (section 18(8)) and Rule 020810 of the Public Service Rules set compulsory retirement at 60 years of age or 35 years of service, whichever comes first. On January 31, 2025, the Police Service Commission approved the retirement of officers who had passed either threshold.

Then, as these officers reached 35 years from their enlistment dates, a new claim emerged: that their service should be counted from the date they were appointed ASPs. The police have described the document cited as the basis for this claim as non-existent. If the claim holds, years of service already rendered would be erased, and officers who had reached the limit would be allowed to stay.

How The Courts Came To Rule For The Officers
A group of the affected officers sued at the National Industrial Court. Among them were officers who had worked in the Force’s own legal section, people who understood these records and procedures well. On September 30, 2025, the court declared the mass retirement unlawful and ordered reinstatement with salaries and allowances.

The way the Force was represented in that litigation deserves scrutiny. In my view, the case was defended poorly by interested parties. The Police Service Commission, which is responsible for appointments into the Force, did not step in to protect the rules it is meant to uphold. The court decided on the evidence before it. A judge can rule only on what is placed on record, and where the record is incomplete or one-sided, the outcome can be wrong.

The appeal fared no better. By my account it was not properly pursued, and the Force lost again. An appeal by the former Inspector-General and the Force Secretary was struck out in March 2026.

The Reversal, And A New Order
After the judgments, the Police Service Commission moved to have the Inspector-General absorb the retired officers back into service. Reports put the number at over 470, with a six-month induction course.

An NGO then went to court to challenge this change of policy. On September 22, 2026, the National Industrial Court issued an ex parte order restraining the IGP, the Force and the Commission from going ahead with reinstatement. The police complied. The officers have gone back to court to challenge that order.

The Force is therefore caught between two court positions. Contempt of court is a serious matter, and no one should treat it lightly. But a judgment obtained on an incomplete record should be challenged properly, and where an appeal was botched, the state must find a lawful way to put the matter right.

What Is At Stake
Public money. Taxpayers would be paying salaries, allowances and arrears to officers who had already retired. Some of them, reportedly, have already accessed their pensions. Keeping them in service means paying twice for the same people.

The integrity of the civil service. Retirement rules exist so that every public servant is treated alike. If officers can stay beyond 35 years on the strength of a disputed way of counting their service, others across the civil service will
cite the same ruling. A rule that bends for one group stops being a rule.

Police effectiveness. Policing is physically demanding and it is run by command. Putting officers who are well past the retirement threshold back in senior positions weakens leadership at the top of the structure just when it needs to be strong.

Morale And Discipline
Serving officers who have waited years for promotion would lose seniority to colleagues who had already left. That is a recipe for resentment and, in the worst case, protests, breakdown of discipline, and even confrontations between serving and recalled officers. The Force can ill afford any of that, least of all before the coming general elections, when it will be asked to deliver security at scale.

State Police
As the country moves toward state police, officers will be seconded from the federal Force to staff the new structures. If the ruling stands, those seconded or recruited may cite it to claim longer service and higher seniority.

A new system built on a disputed precedent will start with disputes over its own staffing, and could stall the project.

A Way Forward
Respect for the courts and respect for the rules do not have to conflict. Where a judgment appears to have been reached on an incomplete record, and the appeal was not properly pursued, the answer is a proper, authoritative interpretation of the rules, not quiet compliance and not defiance.

The President should immediately set up a committee comprising the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission. Its job would be to state clearly the body and spirit of the Public Service Rules on employment and retirement, including how years of service are counted for officers who rose from the ranks into cadet officer entry. The committee’s findings should guide the Force’s next steps and the government’s position in any pending proceedings.

The aim is not to punish any officer or to undermine the courts. It is to make sure the rules that bind every other public servant bind these officers too, and that a decision made on a thin record does not become the law for the whole public service.

“Nteje union unveils new toilet facilities, welcomes Uchenna Odieli as Oyi/Ayamelum House of Representatives hopeful”

The Nteje Development Union, Lagos Branch, has inaugurated a new executive committee to pilot the affairs of the Association and advance the interests of its members and the Nteje community.

The inauguration, which brought together members of the union and other well wishers, also featured the commissioning of newly constructed toilet facilities provided by Anataogu Age Grade.

The new facilities were described as a welcome development that would improve sanitation and contribute to a healthier environment for members of the Association.

The occasion also provided an opportunity for the Association to welcome one of its sons, Barrister Uchenna Nicholas Odieli, who is seeking election to the House of Representatives to represent the people of Oyi and Ayamelum Federal Constituency in the forthcoming general elections.

Odieli, while addressing members of the Association, expressed his commitment to contributing to the development of Anambra State if elected.

He said his ambition was driven by a desire to brighten the prospects of the people and support initiatives capable of improving their welfare and economic opportunities.

The gathering also witnessed a leadership transition as Chief Chinedu Odiaka took over the leadership of the Nteje Development Union, Lagos Branch, from Chief Engr. Chinedu Orakwe.

The new administration has already received the support of members, with the Association reportedly having more than N7 million committed to its ongoing town hall building project.

The fund, according to the leadership, would provide significant support for the completion of the project, which is regarded as an important development initiative for the community.

Odiaka pledged to lead the Association with humility, accountability and a strong commitment to the welfare of its members.

He described himself as a servant leader and promised to work with members to move the Association towards greater progress and a more prosperous future.

He also called for unity and cooperation among members, stressing that the success of the Association would depend on the collective commitment of its members.

Members, in turn, welcomed the new leadership and expressed their readiness to support Odiaka’s administration in implementing programmes that would benefit the Association and the wider Nteje community.

The inauguration therefore marked a new chapter for the Nteje Development Union, Lagos Branch, with the leadership transition, sanitation project and ongoing town hall development providing a strong platform for the Association’s next phase.

All is not well with the current traditional leadership of Ugwu-Oji Autonomous Community in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State as a man, Mr. Emeka Alison has reportedly chosen to sidestep the gazetted constitution of the community to emerge the Igwe of the area.

Concerned indigenes of the autonomous community have therefore resorted to court action seeking to strip him of the title as he allegedly violated the extant provisions and procedures on how an Igwe should be chosen for the community.

One of the concerned indigenes Dr(Barr.) Philip Eze while speaking with the media at the weekend in Lagos said the Igweship story could be traced back to early 2000 when Enugu State Government gave four quarters linked by ancestral lineage an autonomous community of their own.

Eze, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) who hails from Isiugwu-Ugwu-Oji community explained that he was serving as the National Chairman of Isiugwu Progressive Union at the time.

According to him, soon after their autonomous community was created, a constitution drafting committee was set up to fashion out how the Igweship seat would be rotated among the four quarters that traditionally make up the autonomous community.

The quarters were Umu-Ogilieze Umu-Obia, Umu-Asema, Umu-Agbo. The fifth quarter that would have naturally joined was Owere-Eze which opted out seeking its own separate autonomy.

Following the adoption of the draft constitution by the indigenes of the four uniting quarters, copy of the constitution was forwarded to the Enugu State Government through the appropriate Ministry and following due process, the constitution was gazetted in January, 2004.

Since the four quarters represent four ancestral brothers, the choice of Igweship was predicated on seniority. The first Igwe was therefore meant to come from Umu-Ogilieze as their fore-father was the first among the siblings. However, they declined to assume the position as they declared not being ready at that time to produce the first Igwe.

According to Barrister Eze, since Umu-Ogilieze declined to take the first shot at the Igweship, the next in seniority which is Umu-Obia represented by Simon Adun – the Oha Buenyi I, emerged the first Igwe of the Autonomous Community.

He said that when Igwe Adun passed on, the next Igwe following the rotational agreement as contained in the gazetted constitution was Umu-Asema. The quarter produced Igwe Fabian Eke who later died on 30th December, 2023 after his reign on the throne.

The retired Assistant Commissioner of Police pointed out that when the throne became vacant and would have been filled by Umu-Agbo the fourth and last child in lineage, people from Umu-Asema began to struggle for the seat again.

Eze who is from Umu-Agbo said one Chief (Dr) Stevo came up declaring that community elders had annointed him to take over as the next Igwe. Mr. Emeka Alison also emerged seeking to occupy the same throne.

The people of Umu-Agbo were opposed to such overtures until the Honorable Commissioner in charge of traditional affairs in Enugu State summoned all the parties to his office in October, 2024.

After listening to the parties, the Commissioner had reportedly declared openly that the constitution in question was unambiguous in its provisions with respect to the rotation of Igweship.

According to him, Mr. Emeka Alison did not accept it as he went ahead with his plans to become the Igwe.
Subsequently, the people of Umu-Agbo and Umu-Ogilieze represented by two persons respectively joined together and took the matter to court and filed a civil suit against the move to breach the constitution.

In spite of this, Alison and his group went on to campaign for Igweship position in an election illegally set up to choose a new Igwe but the two quarters which took the matter to court boycotted the election even as they had earlier instructed their lawyer to file ex parte application to stop the election.

Regrettably, due to court adjournment, the election could not be stopped. Along the line, Chief Stevo who earlier claimed to have been anointed by the elders reportedly withdrew from the race. Alison eventually emerged winner in the election which was described as kangaroic.

Soon as a date was set aside for his coronation, “we instructed our lawyer to seek an interlocutory application either by ex parte or service to stop him but sadly, court adjournment once again made it difficult and he had his way,” Eze explained.

Alison’s purported coronation on September 23, 2026 as Igwe was however said to be devoid of any physical representation of government officials, yet since then he has been parading himself as Igwe with a staff of office.

This has brought some twist to the matter as it leaves the people of Ugwu-Oji Autonomous Community in a state of uncertainty whether the government has subtly made Alison the Igwe when a case is still in court over the matter.

The people have therefore appealed to the Enugu State Governor, His Excellency Peter Mbah to wade into the matter to avoid actions that may trigger off violent clash that could lead to break down of law and order in the community. They insist that since the matter is still in court, it amounts to contempt of court for Emeka Alison to be parading himself as the Igwe.