Politics
Cleric Seeks Ex-Convicts’ Hall Of Shame
The Primate of Church of
the Lord Worldwide, Rev. Rufus Ositelu, has called on Federal Government to set up National Hall of Shame for convicted officials.
A statement in Lagos yesterday said the Primate made the call during the grand finale of the 80th Tabieorar celebration in Ogere-Remo in Ogun.
Ositelu said that photographs of convicted persons with details of their crimes should be publicly displayed for posterity.
He said this would serve as deterrent to prospective unpatriotic and corrupt persons.
The primate urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in his fight against corruption, stressing that corruption had been the monster that had eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigerian economy.
Ositelu said that the government should create special courts to adjudicate on corrupt cases.
He said that that all hands must be on deck to fight corruption so that Nigeria could move forward.
“Transparency, accountability, good governance and the fear of God should be the watchwords,” he said.
The primate who said that there should not be abject poverty in a country with abundant human and natural resource attributed the poverty in Nigeria to greed and corruption in high places, adding that corruption had led to social deprivation, insecurity, criminality and kidnapping.
Ositelu also called on the government to use intelligence information to drive security security forces to forestall criminality, saying that he supported state policing because the federal policing system was grossly inadequate and ill-equipped to cope with the current security challenges.
Ositelu stressed the need to return the Chibok girls to their parents, while the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) should be properly rehabilitated.
According to him, the government should provide good schools, hospitals and other social amenities for the citizenry.
He expressed regret that public schools were introducing religious dresses, an action, he described as planting the seed of discord in the psyche of future leaders of the country.
Ositelu also condemned the high rate of unemployment in the country, especially among the youths and called on the government to correct the infrastructural deficit currently militating against the growth of the economy.
He said that the call for immunity and life pension for legislators was not in the public interest in a country currently battling with corruption among public officials.
According to him, part-time legislature will discourage the “infiltration” of the National Assembly by indolent, corrupt and selfish individuals.
Ositelu condemned the culture of constituency projects by the legislators, which he said, usurped powers of the executive arm of government.
The primate said he welcomed elimination of wastages in government through merging of government agencies with overlap functions, especially the merging of EFCC and ICPC.
Ositelu called for far reaching reforms in the judiciary to bring corrupt judges and their accomplices to book in order to restore the dignity and credibility of the judiciary.
Politics
Alleged Coup: Protests Rock N’Assembly As Detained Officers’ Children, Wives Demand Justice
Scores of children and wives of military officers detained over an alleged coup plot yesterday staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly, demanding a speedy trial and the release of the accused officials.
The protesters who gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, moved in a slow procession while clutching placards with inscriptions such as “Don’t Kill Our Daddies,” “Detention Without Trial is Injustice,” and “Six Months of Torture: Enough Is Enough.”
Amid tears and trembling voices, the children appealed for justice and access to their detained fathers, many of whom they said they had not seen for months.
The appeal was made during a press briefing in Abuja attended by no fewer than 20 wives and several children of the detained officers, including a two-month-old baby.
The families were accompanied by human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju and activist Omoyele Sowore.
At the briefing, the families lamented that the officers had been held for over 160 days without trial or contact with their relatives, describing the situation as a violation of their fundamental rights.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Memuna Bashiru said the prolonged detention had thrown their households into uncertainty and emotional distress, noting that while allegations had been widely publicised, families remained in the dark about the fate of their loved ones.
The arrest of the indicted officers was first announced on October 4, 2025, by the then Director of Defense Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, who disclosed that 16 officers were taken into custody for alleged breaches of military regulations and acts of indiscipline.
However, an interim investigation later suggested the existence of a clandestine network of officers, allegedly coordinated by a senior Army officer, which had begun preliminary planning for a coup.
According to the report, the alleged plot involved surveillance of key national assets, including the Presidential Villa, Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja, and major international airports, with October 25, 2025, cited as the planned date for the operation.
Those reportedly in custody include Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A. A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M. A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A. A. Yusuf, Lt S. S. Felix, Lt Cdr D. B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S. B. Adamu and Maj I. Dauda.
The alleged plot, according to findings, targeted senior government officials, including President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In a statement issued yesterday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, said the exercise would take place in all wards and designated centres nationwide.
He called on existing members to update their records, while encouraging new entrants to join the party through the digital platform.
“As the electronic membership registration exercise resumes in all wards and designated locations nationwide, we urge existing members to validate their membership while new members are encouraged to register and join the progressive family,” Mr Morka said.
According to him, eligibility for registration is limited to individuals aged 18 and above who possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN).
The party said the initiative is part of efforts to modernise its operations by transitioning to a digital database that would enhance record accuracy and accessibility.
Mr Morka noted that the e-registration would “digitise the party’s membership register, ensure the integrity of records, and enhance efficient access to membership data for planning and management decisions.”
He added that the move is also aimed at promoting internal democracy within the party and strengthening its commitment to democratic innovation.
The APC had previously introduced electronic registration as part of broader reforms to streamline its membership system and improve organisational efficiency.
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