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Operation Positive Identification: Stop Army Operation, Reps, NBA, CDHR Tell Buhari

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The House of Representatives on Tuesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend Operation Positive Identification being planned by the Nigerian Army.

Several members of the House, who spoke on a motion by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, condemned the operation as anti-people which allegedly posed threats to human rights.

Besides the lawmakers, Nigerian Bar Associations and other groups including Committee for the Defence of Human Rights faulted the exercise.

The Army had last month said it planned Operation Positive Identification in the North-East to flush out Boko Haram insurgents

But later on September 25, it said the exercise would be extended to other parts of the country. It stated the exercise would enable soldiers to accost citizens on the streets or roads and ask them to produce a means of identification.

It said the exercise would check bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic militia, cattle rustlers, as well as other sundry criminals across the various regions of the country.

But in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, lawmakers unanimously resolved that the Nigerian Army should develop “a pro-people strategy in confronting our security challenges instead of measures that would further victimise the people.”

They also urged the President, being the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to “review the situation and stop the Army from commencing the planned operation scheduled to begin on November 1, 2019, to make way for further consultations.”

The House also directed the Committee on Army to liaise with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, to develop “a pro-people strategy in combating crimes before commencing same.”

Moving the motion, Elumelu said the OPI would “downgrade Nigerians to suspects and in fact conquered persons in their country, thereby stripping them of their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of movement.”

According to the Minority Leader, the operation is a recipe for the possible militarisation of Nigeria.

He warned that the nationwide operation would also amount to an “indirect imposition of a state of emergency across the country by the Army.

Elumelu said military operations that had direct contact and regulation of civilians could result in “abuses and serious safety issues, especially at this time the nation is battling with the scourge of victimisation and extrajudicial killings.”

He said the planned implementation of OPI across the nation would rather worsen the security situation in the country.

A member, Ahmadu Jaha, criticised the security chiefs for the multiple code-named military operations across the country.

Jaha said, “I will like to emphasise that if our security chiefs are out of ideas, they should let Nigerians know about that so that they can voluntarily give way for other people who have new ideas on how to fight insecurity in this country.

“Travelling from Abuja to Maiduguri (Borno State capital), before linking the various local government areas, it takes not less 14 hours. That is under normal circumstances. In the event whereby you (military) have to ask them (commuters) to identify themselves at different military checkpoints before they proceed, for God’s sake, how many days will take them to move from Abuja to Maiduguri or from Maiduguri to Chibok or from Maiduguri to Damboa or Maiduguri to Gwoza?

“So, this is basically not the work of the military but the work of the Nigeria Immigration Service. How do you tell a common man from my village that he must have an identity card before he moves around? This is a violation of fundamental human rights.”

Besides members of the House of Representatives, prominent lawyers and human rights groups condemned the exercise.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the entire National Assembly should throw its weight behind the call to suspend the Operation Positive Identification, which he described as “the height of insanity and madness”.

“They should withdraw that policy as urgently as possible,” Ozekhome told one of our correspondents on the telephone.

He said, “It should not just be the House of Representatives, it should be the entire National Assembly that should descend on this policy heavily, to show that it’s not a rubber-stamp National Assembly people were saying it would be.

“They should not just shout it; they should put it in their votes and proceedings, pass the resolutions, pass motions, and stop this maddening government from going madder and madder.

“It is the height of insanity for citizens to be told to produce their identity card or driving licence, or passport when they are on the streets of their country.

“I have never heard of that. Even the United States of America does not tell foreigners to produce their passports or driving licences when they go about their normal duties. That is why I said this policy is the height of insanity and madness.

“What it simply means is that on the day you forget your identity card or other means of recognition, at home, it means you are an illegal immigrant and will be deported immediately. The more we tend to excuse this government, the more it delves more and more into infamy.”

He called on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to “remind itself that we are not in despotism, we are not in a military dictatorship, we are not in absolutism, we are not in fascism; this is supposed to be a democracy, not the government for the few by the cabal and by the dictators.”

BIG STORY

BREAKING: GTCO Becomes First Banking Stock To Exceed N100 On NGX

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Guaranty Trust Holding Company has achieved a strong mid-market showing during the July 16, 2025, trading session, surpassing the N100 milestone.

This makes GTCO the first banking stock listed under the NGX Banking Index to cross the N100 benchmark, while Stanbic IBTC Holdings remained just below at N99.

The upward movement aligns with the broader positive sentiment in the banking sector, where the NGX Banking Index has gained over 22% so far in July.

The development follows GTCO’s recent dual listing, which involved 2.29 billion ordinary shares being listed on the London Stock Exchange on July 9, 2025, and another 2.28 billion shares added to the Nigerian Exchange the next day.

The stock’s rise appears driven by investor response to its cross-border listing and its strong Q1 2024 financial performance. Month-to-date, GTCO has posted a gain exceeding 27%.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Atiku Abubakar Resigns From PDP

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The presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has officially withdrawn his membership from the opposition party.

Atiku submitted his resignation ahead of the 2027 general elections, following confirmation of his involvement in forming a new coalition known as the Alliance Democratic Congress.

The resignation was contained in a letter dated Monday, July 14, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in Jada 1 ward, Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa State.

A copy of the letter was shared on X by the Special Assistant on Media to the former Vice President on Wednesday.

The letter stated, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the party.

“Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life.

“As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.

“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.

“I wish the party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and support.”

 

More to come…

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BIG STORY

EFCC To Appeal Ruling Acquitting Fayose Of Money Laundering Charges

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it will challenge the judgment that cleared Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, of money laundering and fraud accusations.

In his decision on a no-case submission, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke ruled that the prosecution did not provide enough evidence to require Fayose to present a defence.

After the judgment, EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs stated that the commission would obtain the certified judgment and begin the appeal process.

Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, had been re-arraigned on an 11-count charge of laundering ₦6.9 billion, allegedly during his time as governor.

The charges included allegations that Fayose received ₦1.2 billion for his 2014 campaign and accepted $5 million in cash from Obanikoro, bypassing standard banking procedures.

He was also accused of laundering several sums and using over ₦1.6 billion to purchase properties via proxies and firms such as De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

During the May 19 no-case submission, Kanu Agabi, Fayose’s lawyer, argued that the prosecution failed to prove its case and pointed out that Abiodun Agbele, allegedly central to the transactions, wasn’t charged, which weakened the EFCC’s position.

“With due respect, the predicate offences do not hold water. Criminal breach of trust and conspiracy are distinct offences, and no co-conspirator was charged,” Agabi stated.

He asked the court to find that Fayose had no case to answer.

Olalekan Ojo, lawyer for the second defendant, also submitted a separate no-case application dated March 21, 2025, with supporting documents filed on May 16.

Ojo contended that the main evidence provided by the prosecution, particularly Obanikoro’s testimony, was unreliable since he confirmed there was no direct communication between Fayose and Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser.

Jacobs, however, urged the judge to dismiss the no-case submissions, arguing that there were unexplained financial activities that needed clarification.

He questioned why Fayose didn’t use his personal account if the money was legitimate, referencing EFCC investigator Abubakar Madaki’s claim that Fayose acquired properties through associates who later denied ownership, even though Fayose admitted the properties were his.

“If the money was clean, why not buy the properties in his name?” Jacobs asked.

He also referred to Obanikoro’s account that Fayose requested the money in cash and introduced Agbele to receive it, saying Fayose must explain these actions.

Despite these arguments, the court ruled in favour of the defendants and granted the no-case submission.

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