Crime
Kogi bailout: Outcry as bank returns N20bn allegedly ‘fixed’ by State govt to CBN
Political analyst in Kogi State have knocked the state government for forfeiting the sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 to the central bank of Nigeria.
The money was meant for the payment of Kogi State workers’ salaries, but was alleged to have been domiciled in an interest yielding account with sterling bank.
DAILY Post in this report takes a look at the fate of Kogi workers, pensioner, as many analysts have described the development as a turning point for more pain and hardship for the people of Kogi State amid poor infrastructural development in the last five years under Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration.
Genesis of Kogi bailout
Since Governor Yahaya Bello took over the mantle of leadership from his predecessor, Capt. Idris Ichala Wada in Kogi State in 2016, workers in the state have had different perceptions about governance. When the youthful governor came on board, he introduced screening exercise which according to many was an attempt to downsize the state workforce.
For the government, there were many bad eggs, ghost and unqualified workers who had corrupted the civil service system and it was necessary for them to be flushed out before things got out of hands in the state. During this period, there were reports of some civil servants committing suicide as they had alleged that they were wrongfully booted out of the civil service. Despite these measures put in place by the government in power, the issue of inconsistency in payment and percentage salaries still longer.
Although the then government of Capt. Idris Wada first requested for N50 billion bailout from the Federal Government to offset the backlogs of salaries and also meet with the then economic reality, his request could not see the light of the day before the expiration of his tenure. When Governor Bello came on board, he gained access to the first tranche of bailout fund which is N20 billion.
In July 2019, Governor Bello admitted that his administration had received a fresh N30.8 billion bailout fund from the federal government. Bello made the disclosure in Lokoja, the state capital while performing the ground breaking ceremony of a chapel in the Government House.
He said the money was the balance of the N50 billion bailout fund which his administration had earlier requested for. That brings to a total of N50 billion received by the state as bailout fund on behalf of the state and local government councils.
Bello, in his remarks then said the money would be used to clear the four months salary arrears being owed workers and pensioners in the state. “I want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for approving our latest request for bailout.
“I also thank the Attah of Igala for leading our traditional leaders to the president to strongly make our case. I thank the CBN Governor and everyone else in the value chain who helped to facilitate the money,” Bello said.
Despite gaining access to this huge amount of money from the apex bank, DAILY POST gathered that the stories of many workers and pensioners is still the same as they are greeted monthly with percentage salaries, poor renumeration and poor infrastructural development in the state, according to analyst, remains very visible.
Kogi govt VS EFCC
The latest faceoff between Kogi State and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) brought a new twist to the bailout scenario. On August 31, 2021, Justice Tijani Garba Ringim, a vacation judge, had ordered the freezing of the account following an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC.
The anti-graft agency, in a 13-paragraph affidavit in support of the ex-parte application, had stated that it received credible and direct intelligence, which led to the tracing of the funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities in an account No. 0073572696 domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc with the name Kogi State Salary Bailout Account.
Moving the application for the interim forfeiture of the funds on August 31, 2021, A. O. Mohammed, counsel to the EFCC, had urged the court to grant the order so as to prevent further dissipation of the funds in the account.
Mohammed had also told Justice Ringim that the N20 billion meant to augment payment of salary and running cost of the government was kept in an interest-yielding account with the bank.
According to him, “ Instead of using the money for the purpose it was meant for, Sterling Bank Plc, acting on the instruction of the Kogi State government, transferred it from the loan account and placed it in a fixed deposit account.”
Reacting, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi State Commissioner for Information debunked the allegation, stating that the State government judiciously used the funds for its intended purpose.
Fanwo said that the allegations have tarnished the reputation of the State and Governor Yahaya Bello.
But Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, granted the application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking to discontinue the matter involving the N20 billion Kogi State salary bailout loan.
The application, according to the commission’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), is sequel to the decision of the management of Sterling Bank Plc to return the N19, 333,333,333.36 standing in the credit of the frozen account to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Kogites, analysts react
Reacting to the forfeiture of the N20 billion bailout, workers in Kogi State have described the development as wicked on the part of the state government. According to them, it is an embarrassment and salt added to injuries of workers who are going home monthly with percentage salaries.
One Mr. Henry said, ” it is so painful that we have a government that does not care for its workers. You mean we have such an amount of money domiciled in a bank account, yielding interest when workers are suffering? Can you point out any thing this government has done to better the lives of the masses?
“This money was given to the government to cushion workers suffering. But they decided to hoard it for their own selfish interest. Now, look at it, the money has been returned back to the Central Bank of Nigeria. They know what they are doing. They will never agree ownership of the money because of their political ambition.”
Another individual identified as Paul Ocheni said the State Government is not telling Kogites the real thing that transpired concerning the bailout fund. “What just happened now is a clear indication that this government has lost it. Is it a ghost that owns the money? Why are they taking us for a fool? Things are getting tough on a daily basis here in Kogi State. The roads are bad, our schools are nothing to write home about.
“Look at our health care sector, especially hospitals located in the rural areas, you will cry for Kogi State. Do u know what N20 billion would have done to the lives of Kogi People? Now it is gone and they want us to be clapping for them. Are they telling us that the N50 billion bailout given by the Federal Government is finished? This government has sold their conscience to the devil. They should not forget, there is a day of reckoning”.
A Political analyst, Mohammed Isah said this is beginning of more hardship for workers in Kogi State. Continuing he said,” Let somebody tell me that I’m dreaming. This should not be happening in this jet age. Money that is meant to put smiles on the faces of our pensioners and civil servants has been thrown to the river; all thanks to the self-centeredness and wickedness of the people in power.
“Where do we go from here? Who have we offended in Kogi State? This government should tell us what they have done to better the lives of their people. Is it the so called flyover at ganaja junction, the caricature renovation of specialist hospital in Lokoja and other places, the newly established Confluence University of Science and Technology? What else can they boast of? Nothing! They should all hide their heads in shame”.
Isah, however, called on Governor Yahaya Bello to resign, adding that he had failed the youths is his constituency. ” Governor Bello should resign honourably if he has integrity. He should forget governance and concentrate on his business”.
Similarly, Kogi-born activist, Austin Okai also berated Governor Yahaya Bello for mismanaging the state’s resources.
Reacting to the Friday’s withdrawal of a suit filed against Kogi State government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the N20 billion bailout loan, Okai said the decision to return the N19.33 billion in the alleged bailout account to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will affect the state economy negatively.
Okai said, “Kogi State just lost N20bn to the EFCC because of Yahaya Bello’s greed and wickedness. The poor workers in the state who are victims of percentage salaries in recent years are the real victims of this obnoxious act.
“Yahaya Bello’s dirty and shady deal orchestrated and coordinated to defraud and milk Kogi State is what led to this harsh decision from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). It is unfortunate that this is happening at a time when civil servants and pensioners are committing suicide due to hunger and starvation.
“I always know that this government has nothing good to offer the good people of Kogi State. I have been called different names whenever I raised alarm of Bello’s counterfactual navigations. But today, I have been vindicated.
“In as much as the unfolding scenario has exposed the high level of corruption in Kogi State financial dealings, it will have negative impact on our workers and the economy,” he said.
Okai queried the alleged decision of the state governor to fix bailout funds meant to offset salaries of workers in the state in an interest-yielding account.
Meanwhile, the State government is yet to officially react to the latest development.
The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder of a 56-year-old man, Mr Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area, two days after he was reported missing.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, August 21, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who said the breakthrough followed a coordinated search and investigation by police operatives, local vigilantes and members of the deceased’s family.
Madu was reported missing by his wife on August 18, after he reportedly left home on the evening of August 17 and failed to return.
According to the Command, the search for the missing man took a grim turn later that day when his wife returned to the police station to report that he had been found dead in a nearby bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.
Police operatives immediately mobilised to the scene, where they found Madu’s lifeless body with a deep axe wound to his head. His remains were subsequently evacuated and deposited at a hospital mortuary for preservation.
Following the discovery, detectives intensified their investigation and arrested the deceased’s 32-year-old friend, Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, who allegedly confessed to being involved in the planning of the killing.
Preliminary findings by the Command indicated that Nwankwo allegedly obtained money from Madu through fraudulent means, claiming he would assist him in acquiring a piece of land.
Police alleged that the suspect subsequently engaged two other persons to eliminate Madu in an attempt to conceal the alleged fraudulent transaction and prevent the victim from recovering the money.
The Command said two other suspects linked to the alleged plot were also arrested, bringing the number of persons apprehended in connection with the case to four.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, psc, mnips, has directed investigators to intensify the probe and identify every person involved in the alleged conspiracy and murder.
The CP vowed that all persons found culpable would be brought to justice.
The Command, through Ikenga, assured residents that it would continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing and community partnerships to prevent violent crimes, uncover criminal networks and ensure that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
Headline
Crime
2 Suspected Kidnappers, Armed Robbers Neutralised as Anambra CP Orders Probe into Head Bridge Shooting
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Two suspected armed robbers and kidnappers have been neutralised by operatives of the Anambra State Police Command.
The development came as the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into an incident involving police operatives and a suspect at the Head Bridge, Onitsha.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the incident involving the suspected criminals occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
Ikenga said operatives of the Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, acted on credible intelligence that a group of suspected armed robbers and kidnappers had been sighted along Eziowelle Road.
He said the operatives swiftly mobilised to the area, but the suspects opened fire upon sighting the police team, leading to a gun duel.
“During the ensuing encounter, two of the suspects sustained fatal gunshot injuries, while other members of the gang fled the scene with varying degrees of gunshot wounds,” Ikenga said.
He added that the operatives recovered one AK-47 rifle with a magazine containing four live rounds of ammunition, one pump-action gun and five live cartridges from the scene.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police has ordered a thorough and impartial investigation into the separate incident at the Head Bridge, Onitsha, where gunshots were reportedly fired during an attempted arrest.
Addressing residents and other members of the public in Onitsha on Wednesday, CP Oji Ama said the immediate priority of the Command was to ensure that those injured in the incident receive adequate medical attention and recover fully.
The Commissioner subsequently visited the victims at the hospital, where he assured them of the Command’s support and pledged to personally ensure that their medical expenses were covered.
CP Oji Ama further ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the events that led to the discharge of the firearm.
He stressed that the investigation would establish the facts and ensure that appropriate action was taken based on its findings.
The Commissioner appealed for calm and urged members of the public to remain peaceful while the investigation runs its course.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to professionalism, accountability, respect for human life and strict adherence to the rule of law.
Meanwhile, the situation around the Head Bridge area has been de-escalated, with the free flow of vehicular and human movement restored.
The shooting, which lasted for about 12 to 15 minutes, occurred shortly after Adeleke left the palace hall where he had met with the monarch.
Adeleke had arrived at the Ataoja’s palace at about 3:15 pm in a motorcade of about 20 vehicles after leaving the Osun State headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osogbo, where he received his Certificate of Return following his re-election.
An eyewitness, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said Adeleke and his entourage were received by Oyetunji, where the governor reportedly presented his Certificate of Return to the monarch.
The eyewitness said trouble started as the meeting was winding down after the monarch had offered prayers.
According to her, Adeleke had already left the hall through an exit reserved for the monarch and his wives when the shooting started.
She said, “He was already in the bus that brought him and his close aides to the palace when we started hearing heavy gunshots. Those that attacked had come in an unregistered Sienna space bus through the Ita Olokan area of Osogbo.
“The shooting lasted for about 12 to 15 minutes before the governor’s convoy eventually left the palace. The governor’s security men and those hoodlums exchanged gunshots. Those hoodlums later fled the scene.”
She said, “We suspected that those hoodlums heard about Adeleke’s visit and had been waiting for him. They came in a Sienna space bus. They even damaged the main gate to the palace. They shot at the palace main gate, but the security men pushed them back.
“We all ran away and left our wares. They also engaged the governor near the Osogbo Central Mosque before they fled towards Ita Olokan along the Osogbo-Ilesa Road.”
The incident caused panic in the area as traders and other residents reportedly fled their businesses and sought safety during the shooting.
When contacted, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, confirmed the attack.
Alimi said the governor’s security personnel successfully repelled the assailants and that no casualty was recorded.
“They are hoodlums, and the governor’s security repelled them. They attacked the governor’s convoy at Ataoja’s palace. No casualty,” he said.
As of 4:45 pm, when our correspondent left the scene, sporadic gunshots were still being heard around the area, while several business owners had hurriedly shut their shops for fear of being caught in the violence.
…Calls for Probe, Commission of Inquiry into Violence in Ohaukwu, Ezza South
Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, has condoled with the family of Elder Onwe Ubochi of Osege Village, Umuogudu Oshia Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, following his gruesome murder.
Odii described the killing as a tragic loss to the deceased’s family and the people of Ohaukwu and Ebonyi State, urging security agencies to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.
He called on the Nigeria Police Force to identify and prosecute everyone found to have planned, sponsored, facilitated or participated in the killing, stressing that every Ebonyian’s life is precious regardless of political affiliation.
Calls for Commission of Inquiry
Odii also urged Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to constitute a high-powered commission of inquiry into the recurring violence and political tensions in Ohaukwu and Ezza South.
He said the commission should investigate previous incidents of violence, alleged threats, political tensions and other factors contributing to insecurity in the affected communities.
According to him, understanding the remote causes of the violence is essential to preventing further loss of lives and restoring public confidence.
Scholarship for Children
As part of his response to the tragedy, Odii announced scholarships for the children of the late Elder Ubochi through university level.
He said the gesture was intended to support the children and ensure that their father’s death does not derail their education.
“While nothing can replace their father, I want the children to know that they are not alone. I am committing to providing scholarships for his children up to university level. We will stand with the family and support the children in their education,” he said.
Odii also appealed to political, community and other stakeholders to reject violence and urged supporters of all political parties to remain calm and resist attempts to provoke reprisal attacks.
He said the people of Ohaukwu, Ezza South and Ebonyi State deserved peace, stressing that no political ambition was worth the life of a citizen.
He urged security agencies and the state government to act swiftly and transparently, saying justice for Elder Ubochi should be accompanied by concrete measures to prevent similar tragedies.
The reported killing of an elderly man identified as Elder Onwe Ubochi of Ngbo has sparked fresh concerns over political violence and the safety of citizens and political actors in Ebonyi State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to accounts surrounding the incident, Ubochi had attended a political gathering in Ohaukwu/Ebonyi Federal Constituency organised in support of an APGA candidate, where he was reportedly invited to lead an open prayer.
He was allegedly attacked and killed later that night, with reports also alleging that his mouth was mutilated.
The circumstances surrounding the killing, however, have not been independently established, while the identities and motives of those responsible remain unknown and subject to police investigation.
If the reported circumstances are confirmed, the incident would raise serious concerns about the safety of political supporters and citizens participating in lawful political activities.
The development has also prompted calls for the Inspector-General of Police to order a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ubochi’s death.
Among the questions investigators are being urged to establish are who organised and attended the gathering, when and where Ubochi was last seen alive, who was responsible for his movement after the event, and whether the killing was politically motivated.
There are also calls for investigators to determine whether the deceased had received any threats before his death and whether security lapses contributed to the incident.
Meanwhile, PDP chieftain Hon. Emmanuel Nwobo has reportedly raised concerns over the political atmosphere in parts of Ebonyi State, including Ohaukwu and Ezza South, during appearances on four television stations.
Calls are also growing for Governor Francis Nwifuru to consider establishing an independent panel to examine allegations of political violence and intimidation in the affected areas.
Supporters of the proposal say such a panel should investigate allegations from all political sides, hear from victims and witnesses, review previous incidents and recommend measures to prevent further violence.
The calls come as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Stakeholders have urged political leaders, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society groups to work towards maintaining peace and ensuring that political disagreements do not degenerate into violence.
They also stressed the need for political campaigns to remain within the bounds of the law, with disputes resolved through lawful democratic processes rather than retaliation.
The family of the late Elder Ubochi has meanwhile been urged to be allowed to determine arrangements concerning his remains in accordance with their wishes, traditions and applicable law.
Those calling for justice said the immediate priority should be establishing the circumstances of his death, identifying those responsible and ensuring that anyone found culpable faces the law.
The reported killing has therefore become another point of concern for stakeholders seeking a peaceful electoral environment in Ebonyi ahead of 2027.
The central demand from those calling for an investigation is that political participation must not expose citizens to violence and that any allegation of politically motivated killing should be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate authorities.
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EBONYI; LET’S STAND ON A BETTER, MORE PROGRESSIVE MANDATE; PDP ANYICHUKS ODII