The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has congratulated the Super Eagles of Nigeria for clinching the bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, describing the feat as a source of inspiration to millions of Nigerians.

The Super Eagles secured third place in the continental tournament after defeating the Pharaohs of Egypt 4–2 on a penalty shootout.

Akpabio conveyed his message in a statement released yesterday, and signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh.

He said, “The match against the Pharaohs of Egypt was a testament to your skills and determination, and I commend you for your exceptional performance. Your victory is a testament to the talent and resilience that Nigeria is renowned for, and we are proud to have you represent our country on the international stage.

“I urge you to celebrate this achievement with pride and use it as a motivation to strive for even greater heights in your future endeavours. Your achievement is a source of inspiration to millions of Nigerians, and we look forward to seeing your continued success.

“Once again, congratulations to the Super Eagles on this remarkable achievement. May your bronze medal serve as a reminder of your capabilities and the heights you can reach with hard work and determination.”

The Senate President’s commendation comes amid widespread praise for the national team’s resilience and character following a challenging AFCON campaign that saw Nigeria narrowly miss out on a place in the final.

Nigeria secured a record-extending ninth Africa Cup of Nations bronze medal after defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties following a tense, goalless third-place play-off at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on Saturday.

The Super Eagles and the Pharaohs, two of Africa’s most decorated football nations, were inseparable after 90 minutes of attritional football, with both sides failing to find a breakthrough in regulation time before the contest was decided from the spot.

The victory preserved Nigeria’s flawless record in AFCON third-place play-offs, as the Super Eagles have now won all eight such matches they have contested.

Nigeria entered the match seeking consolation after their dramatic semi-final defeat to the host team, Morocco, where they lost 4–2 on penalties following another goalless draw.

Egypt, on the other hand, were aiming to bounce back from a narrow 1–0 semi-final loss to Senegal, which brought an end to their long-standing dominance at that stage of the competition.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, also known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” 12 years after his alleged involvement in the killing of three NDLEA officers.

Jimoh was arrested last Friday, January 16, 2026, in Owode town, Ogun State, following intelligence-led operations by tactical teams of the agency.

A search of his hideout led to the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

A statement released yesterday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the suspect has been on the NDLEA wanted list since June 15, 2014, when he allegedly mobilised armed thugs to attack NDLEA officers who attempted to arrest him at his enclave.

He said, “Following his involvement in the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers, Kanmo-Kanmo, who is notorious for drug trafficking, evading arrest and mobilising armed thugs against security agents, was on Friday, 16th January 202,6 tracked to his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State by tactical teams of the agency following credible intelligence. During the clinical operation, the suspect was found in possession of 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

“The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the agency’s commitment to ensuring that no fugitive, regardless of how long they evade justice, remains beyond the reach of the law.

“?Lekan Jimoh’s criminal history is marked by extreme violence and lawlessness. As a result, he had on 15th June 2014 orchestrated a barbaric mob action against a team of NDLEA officers who had attempted to arrest him at his enclave. The attack resulted in the cold-blooded murder of three NDLEA officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others, who were killed by armed thugs mobilised by Jimoh. While the suspect managed to escape the scene that day, the agency remained resolute in its pursuit of justice for the fallen heroes.”

In a related operation on August 12, 2023, NDLEA operatives raided Jimoh’s residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, where 139 sacks of skunk weighing 1,922 kilograms were recovered.

The suspect again evaded arrest at the time. The property, which was used as a drug warehouse, was later forfeited to the Federal Government following court proceedings.

In a separate operation, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives in Edo State on Tuesday, January 13, raided Arokpa forest in Uzebba town, Owan West Local Government Area, arresting a 53-year-old suspect, Isihor Edika, and seizing 320 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.

In Abuja, Babafemi said a 44-year-old woman, Yinka Agboola, at Kaura District, over the alleged online sale of illicit drugs was arrested.

He said items recovered from her residence included 2.2 kilograms of skunk and quantities of cannabis oil.

Babafemi said, “In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, operatives on Friday, 16th January, tracked and arrested a 44-year-old lady, Yinka Agboola, following intelligence on her online sale of illicit substances.

“At the time of her arrest, 2.2kg of skunk and litres of cannabis oil, which she produces in her kitchen and sells through online advertisement, were recovered from her home at the Kaura district, Abuja. Another suspect, Tordue Pius Richard, 30, was on Tuesday, 13th January arrested with 148.3 grams of cocaine and skunk at his 12 Biskira Street, Abacha Estate, Abuja home.”

In Lagos, he said NDLEA officers seized 118.1 kilograms of skunk from Dauda Kareem and Saheed Obisesan at Fadeyi, Mushin, last Friday, January 16.

On the same day, 116 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a warehouse at New Market area of Enugu, Enugu State.

Meanwhile, along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway in Delta State, Babafemi said two suspects, Zaharadeen Yahaya, 25, and Sanusi Maman, 23, were arrested on Thursday, January 15, while transporting 410,800 pills of tramadol, 84.2 litres of codeine syrup, 82,250 tablets of diazepam, 900 tablets of swinol and 65 pills of Molly.

“In Oyo State, Adetunji Ahmed Abayomi, 33, was nabbed on Thursday, 15th January at Moniya, Ibadan, with 321 litres of skuchies, and 2.5kg Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, while Rasheed Ajao, 28, was caught same day at Odo-Ona, Ibadan, in possession of 5.4kg Scottish Loud; 1.696kg skunk and 2.5kg Colorado, bringing the total weight to 9.696 kilograms.

In another raid at Agbeni area of the state capital, 52,430 pills of tramadol and bromazepam were recovered from the store of Orji Edwin, currently at large, on Saturday, 17th January, ” the statement added.

In Kwara State, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, January 13, raided a residence at the Gamo area of Ilorin, where 42 bags of skunk weighing 387.40 kilograms were seized.

In Jigawa State, Babafemi said an ex-convict, Gaddafi Ammani, 26, and his accomplice, Ahmed Sani, 32, were arrested on Saturday, January 17, at Nassarawa GRA, Ringim Local Government Area, with quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills.

He added that Ammani attempted to escape during the operation and injured an officer.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers across Ogun, Lagos, Apapa, Edo, Delta, Oyo, the FCT, Enugu and Kwara states for the arrests and seizures, and urged them to sustain ongoing drug control efforts.

He described the arrest of Kanmo-kanmo as a triumph of justice and a testament to the Agency’s long memory, adding that the arrest sends a clear and unambiguous message to all drug barons and fugitives.

“You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you.

?“The arrest of Lekan Jimoh is particularly significant because it closes a painful chapter that began on June 15, 2014. For twelve years, this individual lived with the blood of our gallant officers—Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others—on his hands. He mistakenly thought that time had erased his crimes,” he added.

Jimoh had been on the agency’s wanted list since 2014 following the killing of three NDLEA officers during an attempted arrest in Ogun State.

His arrest comes amid a series of coordinated raids across several states, reflecting the agency’s renewed push to tackle illicit drug production, distribution and trafficking, and to bring fugitives linked to past attacks on law enforcement to justice.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over their alleged failure to account for billions of naira spent as security votes since May 29, 2023.

SERAP said the suit was prompted by persistent insecurity across several states and the FCT, despite huge public funds allocated yearly to security votes, including reports of mass killings in Benue State and other violent incidents nationwide.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and made available to newsmen yesterday.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/95/2026, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is asking the court to compel the governors and the FCT minister to publicly disclose details of how security votes collected since May 29, 2023, have been spent.

The organisation is also seeking an order directing them to provide detailed reports on the allocation, utilisation, implementation status and completion of projects funded with security votes, as well as any plans to improve security infrastructure in their states and the FCT.

According to SERAP, over N400 billion is budgeted annually as security votes across the country, while at least 10 governors reportedly earmarked about N140 billion for the same purpose in the 2026 budget year.

In the suit, SERAP argued that Nigerians have a right to know how public funds meant to protect lives and property are being utilised.

“Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds, including security votes meant to ensure the security of life and property of Nigerians, are spent by the governors and the FCT minister,” the organisation said.

SERAP warned that escalating insecurity was taking a heavy toll on vulnerable Nigerians, worsening poverty, hunger and human rights abuses.

“The escalating insecurity in several states and the FCT is taking a devastating toll on socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians,” it said, adding that many governors and the FCT minister have failed to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.

The rights group argued that the Nigerian Constitution does not support secretive spending of public funds, stressing that democracy demands transparency and accountability.

“The framers of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] never contemplated opaque spending of public funds as security votes,” SERAP said, noting that citizens’ right to know promotes openness and strengthens democratic governance.

The suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Oluwakemi Agunbiade, Andrew Nwankwo and Valentina Adegoke, stated that secrecy around security votes increases the risk of embezzlement and diversion of public funds.

“There is a significant risk of embezzlement, misappropriation or diversion of public funds collected by the states and FCT as security votes,” the organisation argued.

SERAP further said that years of secrecy had undermined public oversight and accountability, allowing public officials to evade scrutiny over their handling of security responsibilities.

The organisation cited a Supreme Court judgment affirming that the Freedom of Information Act applies to public records across the federation, including records on security votes held by states and the FCT.

“With the landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has made clear that state governors can no longer hide under their unfounded claim that the Freedom of Information Act does not apply to them,” SERAP stated.

The group maintained that while certain operational details could be protected for national security reasons, there was no legal basis for withholding basic information on public spending.

“The failure by state governors and the FCT minister to disclose and account for the spending of security votes is a grave violation of the public trust,” SERAP said, adding that treating security votes as personal entitlement was contrary to constitutional and international standards.

It also referenced a recent World Bank classification of Nigeria as an economy in fragile and conflict-affected situations, linking rising insecurity to extreme poverty, food insecurity and weak state capacity.

“The World Bank recently classified Nigeria as ‘economy in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS)’, which explains why the country continues to face severe and persistent development challenges.

“Other 38 countries classified as FCS alongside Nigeria include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, and Sudan. The World Bank noted that insecurity is contributing to extreme poverty in Nigeria.

“According to the Bank, ‘the outlook for poverty in Nigeria is sobering. Millions of people are currently experiencing acute food insecurity. Severe gaps in education and health undermine human development in the country,” the statement partly read.

It was stated that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.