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Again, IGP invites Governor Yusuf’s spokesperson over alleged Ganduje’s suspension

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The Inspector General of Police IGP, Kayode Egbetokun has ordered it’s monitory unit to produce Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa at the force headquarters over alleged criminal defamation as a result of Ganduje’s suspension.

You may recall that in 2024, the APC exco of Ganduje ward suspended the party’s national chairman from being a member over what they described as anti-party activities and lack of payment of the party dues.

This decision was alleged to be mastermineded by the Kano Governor’s spokesperson Mr. Sanusi Bature, who happened be from the same locality.

In a letter dated 23rd May, 2025 with file no. CR/3000/IGP-SEC/MU/ADM/14/ABJ/VOL 118/57, addressed to Secretary to the State Government, Kano state, the IGP demanded the release of Dawakin-Tofa to appear before one SP Mojirode B. Obisiji on Thursday 29th May, 2025.

According to invitation letter signed head, IGP Monitery Unit, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Akin Fakorede, addressed to SSG, “the police is investigating a case of Criminal Defamation of Characters, Intentional Insult, Impersonation and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace, reported to the IGP in which the above mentioned appointee attached to the office of the Executive Governor of Kano state as Chief Press Secretary featured prominently.

“In view of the above, you are requested to release the said Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa to report for an interview with the undersigned, through SP. Mojirode B. Obisiji on Thursday 29th May, 2025 by 1200hrs at the first floor Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, to shed more light on the allegation raised”. DCP Akin Fakorede.

Recalled that the IGP, in December, 2024 issued similar order with the deployment of operatives of the IGP’s monitoring unit to arrest the Governor’s spokesperson and produce him to the force intelligence headquarters, Abuja.

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It was gathered that the police is being intensifying the arrest of Dawakin-Tofa for allegedly involved in the suspension of National Chairman, of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje by Ganduje ward Exco in 2024.

The controversy erupted after Ganduje alleged a conspiracy spearheaded by Dawakin-Tofa, who hails from the same local government as Ganduje, and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)-led Kano State Government, where the APC chairman alleged Dawakin-Tofa was behind his suspension, a move he described as an attempt to cripple his political influence.

The animosity between Dawakin-Tofa and Ganduje dates back nine years to 2015 when Ganduje, as governor-elect, reportedly ordered Dawakin-Tofa’s arrest over his opposition during that year’s gubernatorial election.

Subsequently, a High Court granted a restraining order against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), DSS, and other security agencies from arresting Dawakin-Tofa, the spokesperson of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

The interim injunction, granted on 12th December 2024, shields Dawakin-Tofa from “harassment, detention, and intimidation” by the IGP, DSS, and other security agencies.

The order was also extended to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 1, Commissioner of Police Kano, SP Mojirade Obisiji, DCP Akin Fakorede, Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps, and others.

According to suit No. K/M2500/2024, the order of the Court prohibits any action that could infringe upon Dawakin-Tofa’s fundamental rights to liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement.

The court also directed that all legal documents be served to the respondents, including the APC and senior police officers, through special bailiffs.

Later, the Kano State High Court dismissed Dawakin Tofa’s case against the APC Ag. National Chairman and the Inspector General of Police.

Dawakin Tofa’s lawyer Barr. HM Muhammad had already appealled the judgement at Kano division of the appeal court in May, 2025.

The Governor’s spokesperson was a key opposition figure from Ganduje’s home town who contributed immensely for Ganduje’s Abba to lose House of Reps seat for APC in 2023 elections.

Sanusi Bature is believed to be taking the fight too personal as a revenge to Ganduje as his first victim in 2015 when the latter ordered the arrest of the former.

“Dawakin Tofa was the first victim of Ganduje because in 2015, the police arrested him on the orders of Ganduje, a position that made him a stip opposition figure”

The battle between NNPP and APC in Kano ahead of 2027 is centred around the local politics at Ganduje’s hometown who is determined to place his son “Abba Ganduje” and the Kano emirate tussel between the 14th and 15th Emirs of Kano with both Abdullahi Ganduje and Sanusi Bature deeply involved trying to over power one another for the benefit of their respective camps of Gandujiyya and Kwankwasiyya.

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President Tinubu Counters Police Academy in Kano, Establishes New Campus in Ogun

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a new campus of the Police Academy in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area in Ogun State.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President,
Information & Strategy, says President Tinubu also approved a special take-off grant of N15billion for the college.

The President’s approval was in fulfilment of the provisions of the Nigeria Police Academy (Establishment) Act, 2021, particularly with respect to the expansion of the Police Academy based in Wudil, Kano state, into multiple campuses across the country.

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The intervention fund will be sourced from the TetFund 2026 allocation to finance priority infrastructure, academic facilities, student accommodation, and core training assets.

A high-level consultative meeting involving the Minister of Police Affairs, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, officials of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Inspector-General of Police and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) recommended the siting of the new campus in Erinja.

The meeting considered student intake capacity, funding realities, academic quality assurance, and the long-term needs of the Nigerian Police Force, which is currently recruiting more men.

President Tinubu believes the expansion will strengthen institutional governance, modern policing education and national security.

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Retired Police Storm Villa Gate, Call Contributory Pension Scheme a ‘Killer Disease’

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Retired police personnel and their families, under the umbrella of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, on Monday blocked one of the gates of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in protest.

The retirees are demanding the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they described as “fraudulent, illegal, inhumane and obnoxious.”

Protesters carried placards reading “End CPS,” “If military, DSS were removed from PENCOM, why not police?” while many were chanting, “Police dey work, PenCom dey chop.”

They said the protest was aimed at urging President Bola Tinubu to assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and transmitted to the Presidency on March 16, 2026.

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According to them, the bill, if signed into law, would exempt police personnel from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”

Speaking in a video of the protest posted by Channels Television, a retired ASP, Nurudeen Dahiru, said, “We are not begging anybody. We have come to fight for our rights. We have suffered.

“We are not here to fight anybody. We are just here to demand for our rights. We have served for 35 years.

“According to the Constitution of the country, when you serve your country for 35 years, you should go home and rest. But see us suffering now. We are not able to take care of our children.

“We have no food to eat. We are dying. Silent killing. So this contributory pension scheme is a killer disease. 35 years is not easy. We are not here to fight anybody.”

Another retired officer said, “We don’t have anything to train them. As I retired 20 years ago, how much are they paying me?

“It is 24,000 that I am paying you because I retired with the inspector. So they have to sign our bill and give us all our money.

“So that somebody can use it for something. You can buy a house. And then now we don’t have a house.

“How can an ASP, a DSP, a CP retire and they are paying him how much? No, no, no. Enough is enough. It is a do or die. Even if some people are killed today, others are coming.”

Speaking to reporters, the National Coordinator of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd), who led the protest, said the group was at the Villa to press for the President’s assent to the bill exiting the police from the CPS.

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Court Admits Nine Exhibits Against Malami and Family

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja and presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Monday, April 20, 2026 admitted nine exhibits against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.

The exhibits were presented before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in its ongoing trial of the former Minister and some family members.

The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities to the tune of N8,713,923,759.49 (Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Nine Naira, Forty-Nine Kobo), contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The exhibits, which are documentary in nature, were tendered through the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, J. S. Okutepa, SAN, the witness told the court that, in the course of his official duties, he received correspondence from the EFCC requesting documents relating to several accounts linked to the defendants and associated entities.

“I work as a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, Maitama branch. My duty includes receiving correspondence from law enforcement agencies and responding accordingly,” he said.

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Bata further disclosed that the bank complied with EFCC’s requests by providing both soft and hard copies of documents relating to accounts belonging to the defendants and companies such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.

“My lord, the documents are nine,” he stated, confirming his ability to identify them when presented in court.

Upon application by Okutepa, the court admitted the documents, dated between July 19, 2024 and March 12, 2026, as Exhibits D1 to D9, despite an initial objection by defence counsel, J. B. Daudu, SAN, who noted that “the dates are almost all in March.”

Continuing his testimony under further examination by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the witness provided details of transactions contained in the exhibits.

He identified Exhibit D1 as containing account opening documents and statements for accounts belonging to Abubakar Malami and A.A. Malami & Co, including a naira account and a dollar account.

According to him, the statement of account for one of the accounts covered the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2023.

The witness confirmed that the accounts were active between 2015 and 2023, noting that “there were transfers within that period.”

He further revealed that total credits into one of the accounts stood at N383,637,21.55 between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2023, while total credits from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015 amounted to N560,506,465.12.

On debits, he stated that N384,322,120.85 was recorded between 2016 and 2023, while N571,891,174.08 was debited between 2012 and 2015.

Giving further breakdown of transactions, the witness told the court that on November 11, 2020, the account received N194,791,608.00 from New Horizons Limited, and on June 24, 2022, it received N622,500,000.00 from Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

He added that on July 1 and July 7, 2022, the account received N250 million each from Rayhaan Hotels Limited, while on December 22, 2022, there was an inflow of N500 million linked to Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

Continuing in that format, the witness identified so many transactions running into billions.

Following the testimony, the defence counsel, J.B Daudu SAN sought an adjournment to enable him study the exhibits and prepare for cross-examination.

“My lord, we need time to go through the nine exhibits tendered,” Daudu said.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter till May 13, 2026, for continuation of trial.

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