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Niger State drags Attorney-General to Supreme Court over 13% derivation
By Ebere Agozie
The Niger State government has dragged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to the Supreme Court over omission in the 13 percent derivation.
In an originating summons sighted at the apex court, Niger state government through its counsel Mohammed Ndarani, SAN, seeks the interpretation and application of section 232 (1) & (2) of the Nigerian constitution.
The suit seeks the inclusion of Niger state in the 13 percent derivation as enshrined in the Enactment of Allocation of Revenue (Federation Account, etc.) Act, 2004.
He wants the court to determine whether Niger State does not qualify to be classified among the states that that produce natural resources and therefore entitled to thirteen percent derivation within the meaning of 162(2) of the 1999 constitution.
The subject matter of the suit is the failure of the federal government to include Niger State among the beneficiary states of the 13 percent derivation.
It is also about the omission of remitting same proceeds of fiscal revenue generated and accrued through Hydroelectric Power dams in Niger State, the territory and part of the resources of Niger State to the overall electricity generation to the national grid in Nigeria since 1968 till date.
Ndarani argued that the State hosts four major hydroelectricity dams: Kainji Dam, Jebba Dam, Shiroro Dam and Zungeru Dam, which serves as a power house for electricity supply to various states in Nigeria.
He also said that through these power stations, the Federal Government extends electricity supply to the Republics of Benin, Togo and Niger
He averred that the attorney-general was brought before the apex court because he has an oversight legal advice function over advising and representing the Accountant-General.
The Accountant-General has the constitutional role of preparing the Nation’s Financial Statements arising from collection and receipts of income, fees, rentals and taxes and payment out of the Federation Account.
That the attorney general at all times is charged with legally advising and representing the Auditor-General of the Federation and the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission that oversees revenue accruing to, and disbursement of such funds from the Federation Account.
He said that the defendant represents and advises the president on all legal matters involving the functions of the president but has failed over the years in its duties.
This, according to him, should have been to ensure equitable distribution of resources in conformity with the current realities, particularly, in relation to the enormous fiscal revenue generated by Niger state.
The learned silk averred to the fact that Niger State is a purely agrarian state as the inhabitants are subsistence farmers whose produce are enjoyed across the state and beyond.
He noted that the fact that as a result of the large expanse of the land occupied by the dams, a large population of the citizens and residents of Niger State are denied the opportunity of engaging in agricultural activities.
He said that Niger state, host to the dams which were established in 1968 and have laid the golden eggs has been a victim of incessant and continuous flooding in recent years and still counting.
This has resulted in wanton loss of human lives and livestock as well as destruction of properties, leading unavoidably to displacement of many residents from their homes.
He claimed that Physicochemical/Microbiological Impact Assessment Report conducted by the state government showed the level of degradation in the affected areas.
This represents an impending danger that looms large in the horizon for the state over the coming years if urgent stringent environment protection measures are not taken.
To the chagrin, detriment, continuous exploitation and utter impoverishment of the people of Niger State, the defendant continuously and continually whisked off profits from the state.
The federal government should not be only concerned about benefiting from the dams located in the territory of the state without a care for its people.
He said that unfortunately the office of National Bureau of Statistics had no information on the volume of electricity by megawatts generated by the dams since 1968 and 2019, except for those of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
They gave the NBS’s computation of the volume of electricity by megawatts generated into the national grid from 2020 – 2023 as follows:
“The sum total megawatt generated in 2020 is equal to 2,232,706.27, 2021 equal to 2,632,348.00, 2022 equal to 2,830,002.96 and in 2023 equal to 2,658,612.96.
These dams have generated fiscal revenue which has been controlled by the federal government and have been indisputably redistributed equally amongst the constituent states without considering the host (Niger State) since 1968 till date.
Ndarani stated that Niger state and its citizens and residents suffer continuous exploitation, neglect and ravaging flood owing to the power generating activities of the federal government and its agencies.
Conversely, the federal government continues to enjoy the profits from the dams, leaving the state in penury and misery.
He added that the pitiable, miserable and hopeless plight of the Niger State indigenes and residents alike cannot be over emphasized
In spite of the misfortune of Niger state at the hand of the federal government, the federal government has also paid no attention whatsoever to the adverse environmental impacts of the activities of the power generating companies at the dams.
It is such a sorry state of affairs that not even the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), has put any program in place to ameliorate the sufferings of Niger state’s citizens and resident
More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.
Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.
A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.
According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.
Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.
Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.
The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.
As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.
“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”
Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.
This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.
For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.
Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.
However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.
They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.
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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
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