News
Tinubu’s trips gulped N3.4bn in six months – GovSpend
The figure is 36 per cent more than the N2.49bn earmarked for the President’s travel expenditure in the 2023 budget.
Though Tinubu inherited the budget halfway, he spent more than what was apportioned for the whole year between June and December 2023.
The President also approved the sum of N3bn for the purchase of three bulletproof Mercedes Benz S-class 580 and the supply of other vehicles to the State House.
Last year, Tinubu’s government attracted public opprobrium for sponsoring at least 1,114 delegates to the United Nation’s annual climate summit, COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Although the Presidency said it sponsored only 422 delegates, reports say it spent N2.78bn on airfares and estacodes.
However, last week, the Presidency announced Tinubu’s decision to slash by 60 per cent his entourage size for domestic and international travels.
“President Bola Tinubu has approved that anywhere he travels within this country he will no longer accept or allow huge security delegations to be following him from Abuja, which attracts massive bills with respect to estacode and duty allowances,” the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Ajuri Ngelale, told journalists in Abuja.
Meanwhile, checks by our correspondent using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, showed that a total sum of N1.15bn was spent as provision for presidential trips and other related expenses in the last six months. The figure did not include estacodes of the President’s entourage.
A monthly breakdown of this amount revealed that the government spent N82.2m in June, N393.3m was paid for trips and related expenses in August 2023, and N287.9m was also spent for these expenses in September.
Though no amount was paid in October, President Tinubu spent N314.2m in November and N69.2m embarking on local and foreign trips in December.
Further analysis of the expenses showed that N732.8m was paid to two travel tour companies for the purchase of presidential international and local air tickets. This may suggest that the President has paused the usage of presidential air fleets for his trips. The two companies, Hinterland Travels and Travel Options, were paid N687.7m and N45.1m, respectively.
Also, the sum of N1.53bn was paid for the purchase of forex worth $5.1m, 300 euros during travels.
Specifically, on September 5, 2023, the President spent N791m to purchase forex worth $4m while the President’s wife, Oluremi Tinubu, paid N77.7m to buy foreign currencies worth $94.314.
In his first seven months in office, Tinubu has so far visited Paris, France (twice); London, the United Kingdom; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Berlin, German, spending 55 days.
While the Presidency defended these trips as vital for attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria, critics question the economic impact, particularly the size of the entourage.
Reacting, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, said the Tinubu administration has not been truthful with its stance to reduce the cost of governance, stressing that if the President meant business, he would have reduced allocations in the recently passed 2024 budget.
The human rights activist in an exclusive interview on Sunday, said, “Everyone knows that the government is lying because first and foremost, you just submitted a budget and it was passed weeks back and no attempt was made to reduce the duplication and waste in the budget. The President should have shown right from the proposed budget that he is serious about reducing the cost of governance so that all the duplication, waste and money meant to be diverted and stolen will be blocked.
“All he said is politics. The Tinubu administration has no regard and respect in terms of public spending. Let nobody be deceived that they meant what they are talking about. It’s sad because everything shouldn’t be political or politicised. There should be sincerity and honesty in everything we do.
“What Tinubu has done is simply to stir up public sentiments and get the public to applaud him for doing nothing. In reality, the President created more ministries and ministers unnecessarily. These are part of what is eating up public funds and not just travel expenses. The President should show his readiness to reduce the cost of governance by reducing budgetary allocations and stop playing public sentiments.”
Meanwhile, at the instance of the President, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Sunday departed Abuja to represent Nigeria at the 2024 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum scheduled to be held in Davos, Switzerland.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Sunday titled ‘VP Shettima off to Davos, to represent Nigeria at World Economic Forum.’
Switzerland has become Shettima’s seventh foreign destination since assuming office seven months ago.
He has represented Nigeria in Italy, Russia, South Africa, Cuba, China and the US, logging 36 days abroad so far.
Nkwocha said this time, the VP would join other political and business leaders across the world at the week-long annual Forum to discuss global socio-economic and development issues.
“Top on Vice President Shettima’s agenda, apart from the plenary session, is the launch of the Private Sector Action Plan for African Continental Free Trade Area at a special session to be co-chaired by him.
“He is also billed to hold high-level discussions with the Managing Director of IFC, Makhtar Diop and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, among others,” the statement read.
Shettima will also chair a roundtable dialogue on Nigeria’s economic path on the sidelines of the annual meeting.
He will attend a special session dedicated to building trust in the global energy transition programme.
The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria after participating in the week-long event.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
DSS Detains Novelist Okey Ndibe at Lagos Airport, Awaits Clearance from Abuja
Renowned Nigerian novelist, journalist, and academic, Okey Ndibe, was reportedly detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday morning.
Ndibe disclosed his situation in a message sent while in custody, stating: “I’ve been with the SSS now for more than an hour. They’re waiting for clearance from some oga before they let me go.”
According to sources close to the writer, his detention follows a pattern that dates back to previous administrations, including that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, during which he was frequently stopped and questioned over his critical commentaries on Nigerian governance and public affairs.
However, associates noted that Ndibe has largely stepped away from active commentary in Nigerian media over the past two years, focusing instead on writing books and his academic responsibilities at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he teaches.
A close friend of the author and former Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, said similar incidents had occurred several times in the past. He explained that airport DSS officials typically contacted their superiors in Abuja before eventually releasing Ndibe.
“It is a pity that this agency doesn’t update its database to enable officers on duty at the airport to know that the agency no longer regards Prof. Ndibe as a security threat to the administration,” Adinuba said.
He added that on previous occasions, the DSS had apologized to the respected author after determining that his detention was unwarranted.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the DSS regarding the circumstances surrounding Ndibe’s latest detention. The development has raised renewed concerns about the treatment of government critics and the continued use of security watchlists affecting returning Nigerians.
Hegseth made the disclosure during a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, where he said the directive was issued about a year ago after Trump became aware of attacks against Christians in Nigeria.
He explained that the operation involved behind-the-scenes coordination and deployment of military assets, adding that intelligence gathered during the mission contributed to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s second-in-command, during a joint operation involving U.S. and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
“Maybe a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.
According to him, the operation yielded significant results in the fight against terrorism in the region.
“And we got the assets there, and over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he stated.
Hegseth added that working on the Intel gathered, they have killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria.
The U.S. defence chief described the operation as part of the Trump administration’s broader commitment to counterterrorism efforts and the protection of vulnerable communities.
“So there are a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the President empowers the Department to do on behalf of the American people that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth stated.
ISIS second in command, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed in a coordinated U.S.-Nigeria military operation in northeast Nigeria earlier this month.
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