The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Vice Presidential candidate, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, has been accused of hijacking party structure in the North West

In a statement jointly signed by the party’s Northwest Vice Chairman Mohammed Rabiu Serina and Kano State Chairman Hussaini Isa Mariga respectively. the former Kano state governor was accused of excluding non-Kwankwasiyya members from contesting elective offices on its platform.

The duo who described themselves as pioneer members of the party, said they were appointed by the party’s National Leader, former Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, before the party’s registration and later confirmed as substantive officers through congresses and the national convention.

Serina and Mariga further stated that they were instrumental in building the party’s structures across Kano State and the Northwest before Kwankwaso and his supporters joined the party.

“The problems began when Kwankwaso sought complete control of the party structure in Kano State during the state congresses.

“The dispute prompted the intervention of the party’s national leader, Seriake Dickson who convened a meeting and brokered an agreement granting Kwankwaso and his supporters 60 per cent control of the party structure in Kano, while the party retained 40 per cent,” the party officials said.

The Lagos State Police Command has reassured residents, parents and school authorities that there is no verified intelligence suggesting any planned attack or abduction of schoolchildren by bandits in the state.

The assurance followed the circulation of a threatening notice allegedly pasted at a school, claiming that bandits intended to attack and abduct pupils.

However, to forestall any security breach, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, has ordered the deployment of watertight security measures across the affected area and other strategic locations in the state, with police personnel and other security agencies mobilised to protect schools, critical infrastructure and communities.

Reacting to the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the Command had assessed the situation and found no credible intelligence indicating any imminent threat.

According to her :”The Lagos State Police Command has seen reports of a threatening notice allegedly pasted at a school, claiming that bandits intend to attack and abduct school children. The Command wishes to reassure parents, guardians, school authorities and all residents that there is presently no verified intelligence indicating any imminent threat of such an attack within Lagos State.

“While every security concern is treated with the utmost seriousness, members of the public are advised to remain calm and avoid panic.

“The Commissioner of Police has directed an immediate assessment of the situation and strengthened security architecture around vulnerable and strategic locations across the state.

“The Command wishes to emphasise that Lagos State remains secure and that every lawful measure is being taken to prevent criminal elements from infiltrating or operating within the state,” she said.

“The Command will not tolerate any attempt by miscreants, bandits, kidnappers or other criminal elements to threaten the peace and safety of residents. Any individual or group found engaging in acts capable of causing fear, panic or insecurity will be decisively dealt with in accordance with the law”, she stated.

Adebisi urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to support security agencies with timely and credible information, noting that security remained a collective responsibility.

She also advised members of the public to promptly report suspicious persons, objects, movements or activities to the nearest police station or through the Command’s emergency lines.

“The public is once again assured that all hands are on deck to ensure the continued safety, security and well-being of every resident of Lagos State,” she added.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has threatened to embark on industrial action if the worsening wave of terrorism, banditry, and kidnappings across the country continues unabated.

The labour centres issued the warning during a joint media briefing on the sidelines of the ongoing 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The labour leaders also dismissed claims by some state governors that negotiations were ongoing with workers on a proposed ₦100,000 minimum wage, insisting that such assertions did not reflect the current realities of discussions on workers’ welfare.

Details later.