The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Ikoyi, has handed over ₦107 million recovered from a disputed property transaction to a Lagos resident who petitioned the commission over the matter.

According to the EFCC, the petitioner had paid ₦167.575 million in connection with a property transaction but was unable to take possession of the land after a dispute arose over the property. Efforts to either recover his money or secure possession of the property were reportedly unsuccessful.

The petitioner subsequently approached the EFCC through Babatunde Oni SAN & Co., alleging obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy and extortion. Following its investigation, the commission said it recovered ₦107 million, which was returned to the petitioner on September 30, 2026.

The EFCC described the recovery as part of its efforts to protect members of the public from fraudulent transactions and recover funds lost through financial crimes. The commission’s intervention also underscores the risks associated with disputed property transactions and the importance of conducting proper due diligence before making substantial payments for land or other real estate.

The development was disclosed by the EFCC in a statement reported on October 5, 2026, highlighting the commission’s continued recovery of proceeds linked to alleged economic and financial crimes.

There was heavy traffic congestion along the Eleyele Road in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday after a fuel-laden tanker fell and caught fire near Bovaa Filling Station.

The incident reportedly caused panic among motorists and residents in the area as flames engulfed the tanker, forcing vehicles to slow down and seek alternative routes.

Emergency responders are expected to move in to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings and facilities, particularly given the presence of a filling station close to the scene.

Motorists using the Eleyele axis are advised to exercise extreme caution and consider alternative routes while efforts are being made to clear the affected section of the road.

The cause of the accident and whether there were casualties or property damage could not immediately be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed profound sadness over the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The aircraft, with 25 passengers and seven crew members on board, crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda on Monday while reportedly on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. The Nigerian Air Force subsequently activated search and rescue operations.

Tinubu extended his condolences to the families of those on board, the Chief of the Air Staff and the entire Nigerian Air Force community. The President described the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and said the sacrifices of military personnel serving the country would not be forgotten.

The President also directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, with the aim of preventing similar incidents in the future. He commended the Air Force for promptly activating search and rescue operations, as well as first responders and the Ondo State Government for their response at the crash site.

Earlier, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo confirmed that the aircraft’s wreckage had been located and that rescue operations were ongoing. Reports initially said the condition of those aboard had not been officially established, while later reports citing the President’s statement indicated that the occupants were being mourned as victims.

The Alago Oja of Oja Kingdom has declared that nobody dethroned him as the traditional ruler of the kingdom, insisting that he remains the rightful occupant of the stool. The monarch made the declaration alongside his legal counsel while addressing issues surrounding the traditional institution and recent developments in Oyo State.

The Alago Oja also claimed ownership of Agodoyo, stating that the historic land was under his authority before he granted part of the land to Atiba to settle after the destruction of Oyo-Ile by the Fulani. He maintained that the historical relationship between Oja and the old Oyo Empire remains an important part of the kingdom’s identity.

The monarch expressed appreciation to Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, for inducting his name into the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs. He described the recognition as significant and said it would further strengthen the role of the traditional institution in promoting peace and development across the state.

The Alago Oja stressed that his priority is not conflict but peace, unity and development. He said he is committed to working with relevant stakeholders and traditional rulers to foster harmony among communities and contribute positively to the progress of Oyo State.

He therefore called on all parties involved in matters concerning the traditional institution to embrace dialogue and mutual understanding, stressing that the people of Oja Kingdom and Oyo State at large deserve peace and unity.

•Orders party to upload name on INEC portal
•Hashim calls for reconciliation

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party for the 2027 presidential election.

The court’s declaration, on Monday, brings a major legal dispute over the party’s presidential ticket to a decisive conclusion.

Justice Mohammed Umar, in his judgment, dismissed the preliminary objections filed against Hashim’s suit and rejected the purported letter relied upon to communicate the cancellation of the party’s presidential primary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court also ordered the Accord Party to upload Hashim’s name to INEC as its presidential candidate, effectively recognising his emergence from the party’s presidential primary held on May 30, 2026.

Hashim had approached the court seeking recognition as the duly nominated presidential candidate of Accord Party, where he maintained that he was the sole aspirant and winner of the May 30, 2026 primary.

His case was argued by Henry Akunebu, SAN; who urged the court to compel the party to recognise Hashim and forward his name to INEC.

Akunebu had challenged the validity and evidential value of documents relied upon to dispute Hashim’s emergence, particularly a purported letter notifying INEC of the cancellation of the presidential primary.

He argued that the alleged cancellation letter lacked the party’s official stamp and imprimatur and questioned the circumstances surrounding its receipt by INEC.

Accord’s position was represented by T.W. Olusesi, who maintained that the presidential primary had been cancelled and that no valid primary produced Hashim as the party’s candidate.

Counsel for INEC, D.J. Gusen, similarly argued that the commission did not monitor the purported primary because it had received notification that the exercise had been cancelled.

Justice Umar, however, dismissed the preliminary objections and rejected the purported cancellation letter, paving the way for the court to recognise the outcome of the May 30 primary.

The judgment follows months of legal contest over the Accord Party presidential ticket and the party’s failure to submit Hashim’s name to INEC despite his claim that he had emerged as the winner of the primary.

Hashim had argued that the party’s refusal to upload his name violated the Constitution, Electoral Act 2026 and relevant INEC regulations and guidelines governing the nomination of political party candidates.

In his originating summons, he asked the court to determine whether Accord Party could validly refuse to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal after the conduct of a primary in which he emerged as the winner.

He had also sought, in the alternative, an order directing the party to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would be allowed to participate.

Hashim maintained throughout the proceedings that he was a registered and financially compliant member of Accord Party, had paid the prescribed ₦50 million presidential nomination fee and contributed ₦7 million towards the party’s electronic membership registration programme.

He also maintained that INEC officials monitored the May 30 primary at which he emerged as the sole aspirant.

In his reaction to the ruling, Hashim dedicated the victory to God and called for reconciliation among stakeholders and party members.

“I give God the Glory for this victory, I dedicate the victory also to all stakeholders and our dear party members and my hardworking legal team .We are grateful to tthe Judiciary that has done justice on this matter.

“We won’t leave anybody behind…We should all come together and work for the party’s victory in the January 16, 2027 presidential election and all other elections .The march to a New Nigeria has started …” said Hashim.

The order provides a judicial resolution to the immediate dispute over the party’s presidential nomination and places Hashim’s candidacy on the official electoral process.

Several people are feared dead after a military helicopter crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday morning.

The aircraft reportedly came down in a swampy area opposite the Nigerian Navy facility in the coastal community, triggering panic among residents. Emergency and security personnel have since mobilised to the area to assess the situation and commence rescue efforts.

The Nigerian Air Force has now confirmed that the aircraft belonged to the force and was on a routine mission when it crashed. The NAF said a rescue operation was underway, although details of those on board and the extent of casualties were still being established.

The Ondo State Police Command also confirmed the crash, urging residents of Igbokoda and neighbouring communities to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information while authorities establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

As of the time of filing this report, the identities of those on board and the confirmed number of casualties had not been officially released. Authorities are expected to provide further information as rescue and assessment operations continue.

The Oyo State Government has declared Monday, October 5, 2026, a work-free day for teachers across the state to commemorate this year’s World Teachers’ Day.

The declaration is intended to allow teachers in public schools across Oyo State to join in activities marking the annual celebration, which recognises the contributions of teachers to education and human development.

World Teachers’ Day is observed globally on October 5 every year to highlight the rights, responsibilities and working conditions of teachers and to promote appreciation for the teaching profession.

The state government is expected to use the occasion to recognise the contributions of teachers to the development of the education sector and encourage continued dedication to teaching and learning across Oyo State.

•Ajaero carpets Atiku, Obi, Tinubu as ‘far-right’ market politicians

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said the economic positions of Accord Party and Social Democratic Party presidential candidates, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim and Adewole Adebayo deserve serious public attention ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Ajaero made the remarks during an interview, at the weekend , with Seun Okinbaloye on Mic On, where he was asked about the economic policy of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Rather than focusing on Atiku’s proposal, the NLC president said he had examined the positions of Hashim and Adebayo and found their approach sufficiently different to warrant engagement.

“I have looked at Gbenga Hashim’s position and I think he’s an expert to an extent. I also looked at Adebayo. I may listen to them.”

Ajaero contrasted their positions with those of Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as sharing broadly similar economic thinking.

“Peter Obi, Atiku and Asiwaju, they all have the same position and they have shown that they are market people from far right.”

He said Hashim and Adebayo, by contrast, were bringing “new ideas worthy of engagement.”

Ajaero’s comments have drawn attention to Hashim’s economic platform, particularly his Energy First agenda, which places affordable energy, increased domestic production, industrialisation and productive capacity at the centre of his proposed economic transformation.

Hashim has proposed a ₦605 per litre starting petrol price, with a longer-term target of ₦200–₦300 through lower production costs, domestic refining, increased crude production and improved efficiency.

He has also pledged to raise Nigeria’s crude production to at least four million barrels per day within 24 months, while expanding domestic refining and energy infrastructure as part of a broader plan to make Nigeria a major global energy power.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, has disclosed that security operatives have located the suspected camp where 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road are being held.

Bosso said the security agencies were able to identify the location through intelligence gathering and the use of drones. However, the planned rescue operation has been delayed by reports that explosives have been planted around the suspected camp.

The prospective corps members were abducted on Thursday while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their respective NYSC orientation camps. Gunmen reportedly attacked the two buses conveying them at Umunoha in Imo State and took the victims into the bush.

The development has heightened concerns over the safety of the abducted graduates, whose families have reportedly been given a 24-hour ultimatum to pay a total ransom of ₦1 billion, with the kidnappers demanding ₦50 million for each victim.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has meanwhile deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation. Security agencies are expected to carefully neutralise the reported explosives before moving into the area to secure the victims.

Authorities have assured the families that efforts are ongoing to rescue the prospective corps members unharmed, while further details of the operation remain undisclosed for security reasons.

Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has paid a condolence visit to the family of late civil rights leader and labour activist, Comrade Bolakale Salihu, popularly known as CB.

Hashim visited the deceased’s family at Ikokoro Compound, Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, where he commiserated with members of the family, friends and associates of the late activist.

Comrade Bolakale was a prominent human rights activist, labour unionist and civil rights campaigner in Kwara State.

He was a leader of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and was actively involved in civic and democratic advocacy in the state.

He was also associated with Kwara Must Change (KMC), Kwara’s prominent pro-democracy and civic advocacy organisation, and played a leading role in the Otoge political movement, which became a defining chapter in the state’s democratic and political history.

Beyond Kwara, Bolakale was connected to organised labour and the wider civil society movement. He was associated with the Joint Action Front (JAF), the Lagos based pro labour civil society coalition that has historically worked alongside organised labour and participated in Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) activities.

Bolakale was also a close associate of the late Comrade Biodun Aremu, popularly known as Aremson, a Marxist Leninist thinker, socialist fighter and “organic intellectual” whose decades of activism were closely associated with workers’ rights, democratic struggles and Nigeria’s progressive civil-society movement.

Aremu was a prominent figure in the Nigerian labour and civil society space and served as a leading figure in the Joint Action Front. His relationship with Bolakale reflected the wider connections between activists in Kwara and the national labour and pro-democracy movements.

Bolakale was also a staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Ilorin Airport, combining his professional career with longstanding involvement in human rights, labour and democratic activism.

His death has therefore been widely regarded by associates as a loss not only to his family but also to the broader community of human rights defenders, labour activists and pro-democracy campaigners with whom he worked.

During the condolence visit, Hashim paid tribute to Bolakale’s commitment to public service and civic activism, while commiserating with his family and associates over his passing.

The visit also brought together members of the activist community who had worked with Bolakale across different periods of Kwara’s civic and democratic struggles.

Hashim was received by Bolakale’s uncle, Justice Toyin Kawu, who was class mate with Gbenga Hashim at school of basic studies, Ilorin.

For many of his associates, “CB” represented a generation of activists whose engagement with public affairs extended beyond electoral politics into the defence of human rights, workers’ interests, democratic participation and accountable governance.