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Kukah Queries EFCC’s Secrecy Over Ikoyi Cash Haul
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has expressed worry at the failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to disclose the owner of the huge stash of monies it discovered at the Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, recently.
The anti-graft agency had penultimate Wednesday, found $43million, £27,000 and N23million at a flat in a luxury building on Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
In an interview with journalists in Kaduna, last Wednesday, Kukah said the manner in which huge sums of money were being hidden was very demoralising and humiliating.
The cleric, who was attending a sensitisation seminar on money laundering/counter-financing of terrorism for religious leaders organised by Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), said the EFCC must tell Nigerians who the owners of the monies are.
“I feel quiet demoralised. I also feel very humiliated as a Nigerian. But the confusion is not helped by the fact that we are dealing with monies that are about the sizeable budget of many states in Africa. It is just unthinkable that we can say that we have money running into billions of naira and we don’t know who has the money,” he said.
“Frankly, if I were a foreigner, I think my respect for Nigeria will dwindle seriously. So, for me as a Nigerian, I feel quiet violated.
“I am not sure whether this theatre is really the best way to go. I think that the agencies concerned should have a less dramatic, but most effective way of telling us the work they are doing other than this endless washing of linens whose owners we don’t know. It is not helping the fight (against corruption) at all.”
According to him, Nigeria is going through trying moments and resources are not being accounted for.
“This is not the best of times for our country. We are losing human lives, our resources are unaccounted for and Nigerians have never felt collectively more psychologically assaulted as they feel now,” he said.
“I think that the government needs to speed up the process of national integration because, it is worrying, really worrying, the faith of many people in our country is severely tested, but whatever it is, we must hang together. I think the government must construct a slightly different narrative.”
Earlier in his keynote address at the occasion, Kukah urged religious leaders to focus more on values which unite people as children of God and as citizens of Nigeria.
“What has really been making things difficult for us in our country, is that we are moving in different directions, and the result is that Christians are on one side, Muslims are on the other side, and we maintain this dual loyalty,” he said.
“The only time when Christianity and Islam don’t matter, is when they are burying the money under the ground. When they are sharing the contracts, Christianity and Islam don’t matter. When they are sharing the loot; that is when religion doesn’t matter.
“Religious leaders must stand firm on believability. A religious leader must be knowledgeable; I am not talking of book knowledge. There is nothing as beautiful as calling people by their names. There is nothing more beautiful than having neighbours around you, and your interest in them.”
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The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying he was moved by counsel during a New Year Mass.
Speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, yesterday, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.
He said, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
In 2025, Akpabio had filed several high-profile defamation lawsuits, including one against colleague Senator Natasha Akpoti?Uduaghan.
In late 2025, Akpabio filed a N200 billion defamation lawsuit against her over allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied and urged her to substantiate in court.
Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife also filed defamation suits against Akpoti?Uduaghan over claims she said had harmed her family’s reputation.
Relations between the two lawmakers soured after Akpoti?Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, following her public allegations of misconduct.
The Senator had previously challenged actions taken against her in court, including a N100 billion defamation suit she filed against Akpabio and other defendants over alleged remarks that she said damaged her reputation.
With yesterday’s announcement, Akpabio has formally ended all pending legal disputes arising from defamation claims, signalling closure to the publicised litigations as the year begins.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the best form of gratitude Rivers people owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for protecting the interest of the State is to galvanize massive support for the President in 2027.
Fubara disclosed this last Monday during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries Quarters built by his administration at Elimgbu in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
He said that the State has what it takes to deliver the President during the 2027 general elections.
“We’ve taken a decision,our decision is for the good of Rivers State, our decision is to say thank you for the protection we have from Mr President, our decision is to prove that we have what it takes to deliver Mr President.”
Fubara expressed delight over the completion of the project, stating that the initiative was to provide accommodation, a basic need of life for public servants in the state to improve their productivity.
He explained that lack of effective social welfare was at the root of some incriminating actions that undermine the purpose of governance, noting that the commissioning of the newly built Permanent Secretaries Quarters marks a significant milestone in civil service welfare and institutional development.
“Insecurity begins when individuals are uncertain of what the next hour holds. This situation is especially challenging for family men and women, affecting confidence and decision-making,” he observed.
Fubara emphasized the need for proper maintenance of the facility and urged the beneficiaries to protect the project like a personal property, while directing the State Head of Service to appoint a facility manager to ensure long-term maintenance.
In her remarks, the Special Guest of Honour and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who unveiled the project, expressed appreciation to the governor and Rivers State for inviting her to commission the project.
She commended Fubara for prioritizing the welfare of Permanent Secretaries who are senior public servants and accounting officers, noting that the project reflects purposeful and visionary leadership, and urged other states to borrow a cue from the Rivers State Governor.
Walson-Jack described the initiative as a strategic investment in staff welfare and institutional continuity which she noted is in line with Renewed Hope Initiative on provision of mass housing and social stability.
“The commissioning of these houses reflect a deliberate commitment to the dignity, welfare, and productivity of senior public servants responsible for policy coordination and service delivery,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibode Bashiru, who led a high powered delegation on a visit to the governor, congratulated Rivers people for aligning with the Pan Nigerian political party, assuring that the interest of Rivers State will be duly protected in the APC.
He described President Bola Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian who anchors his leadership on equity, fairness and justice, adding that the APC will provide a level playing ground for all.
The APC chief scribe also commended Fubara for providing good accommodation for public servants, stating that it will address issues of sabotage, compromise and disloyalty on the part of public servants.
Giving the project description, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, said the estate comprises 29 units, including nine standalone duplexes and 20 terrace buildings.
Facilities feature a water treatment plant, synchronized power generators, CCTV and alarm systems, a gym, recreational areas, and green spaces—designed to enhance comfort, performance, and productivity.
Earlier, the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr Mrs Inyingi Brown, had thanked the governor for his visionary initiative and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Rivers State Civil Servants, and restated the commitment of the State civil servants to the success of Fubara’s administration.
By: Taneh Beemene