The Kogi State Police Command on Wednesday confirmed that three operatives of the command were killed by unknown gunmen at a check-point in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of the State.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP William Ovye Aya who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with journalists explained that the late officers met their death in the hands of some Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers in the early hours of Wednesday.

Aya stated further that the State Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye has directed the immediate deployment of the Police tactical team to the area in pursuit of the gunmen.

“I can confirm to you that three of our officers on duty were killed today in Egbe; a border community with Kwara State.

“The Commissioner of Police has deployed tactical squad to the area. We are currently on the trail of this Men of the underworld and they will all be arrested”, he stated.

Core News reported that Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Saturday kidnapped three passengers from a bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway, killing a bystander. Other passengers were however rescued from being ferried into the bush following the providential arrival of a team of the State’s Vigilantes.

….party loyalists rally behind party leader, Hon. Abejide

A group under the aegis of Concerned Members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has uncovered and raised alarm over an alleged plot by some “powerful individuals” to forcefully hijack the leadership of the party in Kogi State.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabba, the group’s spokesman, Usman Lukman described the move as unconstitutional and warned that it would be resisted with every legal and constitutional means available.

“Credible intelligence available to us indicates that certain individuals, unknown to our structures and alien to our operations, are plotting to forcefully take over the leadership of the ADC in Kogi State,” Lukman said.

He stressed that while the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of association, no individual or group has the right to topple the party’s leadership through unlawful means.

“The ADC is governed by its constitution, values, and democratic ethos. Those who recklessly destroyed the PDP cannot be allowed to invade our party and subject it to the same fate. The ADC in Kogi was built painstakingly from the grassroots and nurtured with sacrifice, loyalty, and discipline. Any attempt to hijack it through unconstitutional means will be firmly resisted,” he added.

The group reaffirmed its loyalty to Rt. Hon. Elder Leke Abejide, whom it described as the undisputed leader of the ADC in Kogi State. It dismissed those allegedly plotting to destabilize the party as “political opportunists and strange bedfellows” with no stake in the party’s growth.

Our correspondent reported that some loyalists defended the leadership of the party against criticism, attributing any setbacks to external factors rather than internal party dynamics, thereby highlighting the party’s efforts to maintain unity and cohesion amongst its members.

They used the occasion to call on security agencies in the state, and across the country to urgently intervene, noting that the alleged plot poses a serious threat to peace and stability in the state.

“Our democracy thrives on order, respect for process, and adherence to the rule of law, not on desperate power grabs by faceless interlopers. Thousands of our members across the state are already agitated and determined to resist any attempt by frustrated political wanderers to destabilize our party,” the statement warned.

The group further advised security agencies not to recognize or provide security cover for any ADC meetings, gatherings, or activities not sanctioned by Elder Abejide or the constitutionally recognized State Chairman of the party.

“Any such gathering by faceless impostors is illegal, illegitimate, and a calculated attempt to breach the peace and security of Kogi State,” the group insisted.

…“Govt Cannot Continue to Use Nigerians as Sacrificial Lambs” – TUC

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has issued a strong warning to the Federal Government to withdraw its planned five per cent tax on petroleum products.

In a statement on Monday, the labour centre described the proposal as an act of “economic wickedness” against already burdened Nigerians.

The Federal Government had earlier introduced the surcharge through the newly signed Nigeria Tax Administration Act, which mandates that the levy be applied on all sales of petrol and diesel, whether imported or locally refined.

According to the law, the tax will take effect from January 1, 2026, although cleaner fuels such as renewables, kerosene, cooking gas, and compressed natural gas are exempted.

Stakeholders in the oil and gas sector have warned that the policy will inevitably push up the pump price of fuel, which already averages N950 per litre across the country.

They stressed that this is a sharp increase of over 380 per cent from the N197 per litre price recorded when President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

Petroleum marketers under the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria also cautioned that the measure could drive many of its members out of business.

TUC President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, said Nigerian workers are already suffering from the removal of fuel subsidy and cannot withstand another blow from additional taxes.

The union maintained that workers and citizens are still reeling from fuel price hikes, food inflation, and a collapsing naira.

It accused the government of deliberately compounding suffering and pushing millions into deeper poverty.

Speaking further, Osifo declared: “Government cannot continue to use Nigerians as sacrificial lambs for its economic experiments. Instead of offering relief, jobs, and solutions, it has chosen to further squeeze citizens dry.

The statement warned that unless the Federal Government withdraws the new tax within 14 days, the union would have no option but to mobilise workers and the masses for nationwide resistance.

It added that strike action is “firmly on the table” if the authorities ignore the warning and proceed with implementation.

The union has also directed all its state councils, affiliates, and structures across the country to remain on alert for further instructions.

TUC further called on civil society organisations, professional bodies, student unions, market associations, faith leaders, and other groups to stand in solidarity in rejecting the policy.

The statement concluded that Nigerians deserve relief, jobs, and economic justice, not endless punishment.