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Is This Even Legal’: Internet Erupts as Senator Lawan Boasts About ‘Facilitating’ Secret Agent Jobs for Constituents

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A social media post by Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan,the former Senate President celebrating the recruitment of two constituents into the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has ignited a fierce online debate, raising critical questions about political ethics, meritocracy, and the security protocols surrounding Nigeria’s intelligence community.

Senator Lawan, representing Yobe North Senatorial District, took to Facebook on the 14th of July, 2026, to share photos and a statement detailing his role in facilitating the employment of Abdulsalam Shafiu Yaro and Abdullahi Sani Machina. In the post, he recounted meeting the young men after plenary, noting that their recruitment was “facilitated” with the DIA. He praised their character and charged them to be exemplary ambassadors of their district.

However, the celebratory post quickly drew sharp criticism when it was shared by biologist Abdulrazak Ibrahim, who simply captioned it: “Is this ethical?”

The comment section on Mr. Ibrahim’s wall became a microcosm of the larger national discourse, with netizens split on two primary issues: the propriety of a sitting lawmaker publicly admitting to securing jobs for individuals, and the potential security risks of publicly identifying new intelligence officers.

The Ethics of ‘Facilitation’ vs. Merit

The first wave of criticism targeted the Senator’s admission of direct influence in the hiring process. Critics argued that such actions undermine the principles of a fair and transparent civil service.

Commenter Ibrahim Mohammed voiced a common sentiment, stating, “Of all people, a Lawmaker should know better.” This was echoed by Rejoice Iyasco, who questioned the process with a pointed query: “Facilitated not merited?”

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While some, like Aliyu Jalal and a commenter named Vicky, dismissed the controversy as par for the course in Nigeria’s political landscape—with Vicky noting, “Yes, given the Nigeria of today, it is a big flex”—others maintained that the act, regardless of intention, sets a dangerous precedent.

Security Breach: Exposing Intelligence Operatives

A more severe criticism centered on the Senator’s decision to publicly display the faces and names of the new DIA employees.

Commenters argued that the public exposure contradicts the covert nature of intelligence work. Nate Alford raised the alarm, stating, “These gentlemen are supposed to operate under the radar due to the sensitivity of their work. Is it anything that is politics?”

Similarly, Amos Adziba questioned the logic of the post, asking, “I thought defence intelligence agency (DIA) is a secret organisation?” This point was further emphasized by Saminu Giwa, who stated, “I thought they were not supposed to be exposed according to the working ethics?”

The Distinction Between Recommendation and Influence

The debate over the Senator’s role was further refined by internet governance advocate Muhammad Bello Buhari. In response to a defense of the Senator’s actions, Mr. Buhari drew a distinction between a professional recommendation and what he termed “something completely opposite.”

“But a recommendation is absolutely different from this,” Mr. Buhari wrote. “In fact, recommendations are very ethical. They speak to the character and experience of the candidate. Employers usually ask that.” He added, “And to speak of intelligence Officers and even posting their faces and names! This is utterly embarrassing.”

In his original post, Senator Lawan framed his actions as a fulfillment of his commitment to youth empowerment. He described the recruits as “bright, disciplined, and eager to serve,” adding that “seeing the joy and renewed sense of purpose in Abdulsalam and Abdullahi’s eyes reminded me of why I remain deeply committed to creating opportunities for our youth.”

He charged the men to “remain loyal to the Constitution” and to discharge their responsibilities “with the highest level of professionalism.”

The incident highlights the ongoing tension in Nigeria between the political class’s penchant for “constituency projects” and the demand for a technocratic, merit-based civil service. Furthermore, it underscores the need for public officials to be mindful of the security implications of their social media activity, particularly regarding individuals serving in sensitive national security roles.

As of the time of filing this report, the DIA has not issued an official statement regarding the recruitment process or the public posting of their new officers’ identities. Also, the Senator in question has not make any further comments or post regarding the backlash.

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You’re a Hypocrite!” – Bashir el-Rufai Goes Nuclear on Brother Bello Over Uba Sani Loyalty

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

Bashir el-Rufai, son of former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai, unleashed a barrage of slurs at his brother, Bello, on Saturday morning.

Bashir, in a series of expletive-laden posts on X, attacked Bello over his recent political moves, accusing him of abandoning the family while he was aligned with Uba Sani, his father’s successor.

Sani, the incumbent governor of Kaduna, was a former ally of el-Rufai, but both men fell out after the former won the 2023 governorship election.

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Following el-Rufai’s resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2025, Bello, who represents Kaduna north federal constituency, remained in the ruling party.

However, on May 7, 2026, Bello eventually defected from the APC to join his father in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Commenting on Saturday, Bashir alleged that his brother remained loyal to Sani until he realised he was being “dumped”, after which he began talking about family loyalty.

“Stuck with Uba Sani until he realized he is being dumped then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to ADC. Where was he since? Purely serving his interest,” Bashir wrote.

He accused his brother of being neutral while others criticised the Kaduna state governor.

Bashir also alleged that Bello asked him to “pipe down my criticism of his former boss,” presumably Sani.

One of Bashir’s tweets. The expletives have been redacted.
“At this stage in my life, I hate nonsense,” he added, while calling his brother a hypocrite.

Bashir also made several other allegations against his brother in the X posts, some of which were later deleted.

The allegations bordered on fertility status and unsubstantiated drug use.

Their father, el-Rufai, has been in custody since February 2026 over alleged financial impropriety during his tenure as governor of Kaduna between 2015 and 2023.

On April 13, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned him at the Kaduna high court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is also prosecuting el-Rufai before the federal high court in Abuja over allegations of wiretapping.

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Court Ultimatum Forces FBI to Hand Over Tinubu’s Fraud Records to Judge—But Keeps Them Hidden from Public

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has hand delivered records of President Bola Tinubu’s 1993 drug-trafficking and money-laundering case to Judge Howell Beryl of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, saying they are for her eyes only, court filings seen by Peoples Gazette indicated.

The FBI secretly submitted the records on Friday to avoid disobeying a court order while sidelining transparency campaigner, Aaron Greenspan, who petitioned the Bureau for the Nigerian leader’s records in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Following years of foot-dragging on a FOI petition filed by Mr Greenspan in 2023, the FBI on Friday complied with a court order directing it to release Mr Tinubu’s records. Mr Greenspan worked with Nigerian journalist, David Hundeyin, to file the petition in 2023.

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The records submitted as “under seal, ex parte, in camera declarations were hand delivered to the Court on August 28, 2026 in compliance with this Court’s Minute Order dated August 20, 2026,” filings showed.

Mrs Beryl lost her patience with the FBI after the bureau missed several deadlines , giving excuses on why it could not immediately provide the records.

She issued August 28 as the final ultimatum to the FBI, which prompted the FBI’s decision to comply, showing it “in camera” to the judge alone, without carrying along the petitioner.

Earlier this week , FBI claimed that submitting the records would violate Mr Tinubu’s privacy and argued that FOI was established to screen the operations and records of government institutions, not necessarily private individuals.

For decades, Mr Tinubu has avoided speaking on the drug affair, refusing to clarify controversies surrounding his involvement in a case that saw him forfeit hundreds of thousands of dollars to the U.S. government.

Mr Tinubu also sought to block the release of his records, asserting his rivals only sought to use them to discredit him in a Nigerian presidential election. He begged the court to protect his privacy rights.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2023 released documents holding Mr Tinubu’s encounter with American authorities over allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.

 

 

 

 

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NFF President Gusau Resigns

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nigeria Football Federation President, Ibrahim Gusau, has resigned from office, announcing his decision during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

According to the Super Eagles news account on X (@SSE_NGA), Gusau was joined by board members of the Executive Committee in resignation.

The crisis follows the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a first in Nigeria’s history, after a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the play-off.

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The Falcons had earlier been knocked out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the quarter-final stage by Cameroon. The Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The NFF has separately faced scrutiny over its handling of a ₦17bn Federal Government intervention fund released in 2024, as well as a fact-finding committee report alleging that board members and officials influenced national team invitations for financial gain.

Gusau’s exit comes ahead of the NFF’s elective congress, scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

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