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How I Escaped Attacks in Ekiti — Fayose
A former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, on Friday said he escaped attack by a whisker while leaving the House of Assembly in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Fayose, who appeared at the Assembly on Friday on the invitation of the legislative body, said, “It was on our way from the Assembly that some people trailed us in a Pick-up purposely to attack us. We managed to escape. In short, one of them nearly broke my head.”
The former governor, who said he came to honour the Assembly’s invitation because “a clear conscience fears no accusation”, said, “When I got to the Assembly, they said they were not ready and that they would inform me when they were ready. As a matter of fact, since they accused me of financial misappropriation, they were supposed to be ready.”
However, he went into a closed-door session with the Speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, and two other lawmakers.
The Assembly had summoned Fayose; a former Speaker of the Assembly, Kola Oluwawole; a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Mr Dapo Olagunju; a former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Kola Kolade; and the 16 local government chairmen elected during Fayose’s tenure over allegations bordering on misappropriation of funds.
The former governor in a told journalists said, “I got this by noon yesterday (Thursday) and I called the Speaker to confirm whether it was true and he confirmed it. You know my style. When the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) wanted me, I told them ‘I’m here’.
“So, I have come to the House of Assembly to tell them I’m available for their questions. I drove down from Lagos to tell them that there was no hiding place for some of us, so, I am here and ready to give an account of my stewardship.”
Fayose, who denied he had been given a soft landing by the Federal Government in the EFCC’s case against him, said he would not compromise standards.
He said, “I will not follow the multitude to sin. I want to believe that selective justice will not help our country.
“I have condemned anyone who says that in Nigeria, when you come to the All Progressives Congress, then you become a saint. I am telling you, I will never become a member of the APC, I will never defect.
“If I wanted a soft landing against my party, against my candidate, that would have happened in the past, I stood my ground during the elections. So, that is impossible.”
Meanwhile, Afuye said that Fayose’s “ambush” to the House of Assembly complex was resisted because he came unannounced.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Tai Oguntayo, the Speaker said, “After the resolution of the Assembly at the plenary on Thursday inviting the former governor to appear before the House, he called the Speaker to confirm if the report was true.
“The Speaker confirmed to Mr Fayose that it was true and that was the end of the discussion.
“When Mr Fayose announced his readiness to the Speaker, he was told to go back and await the official invitation letter from the House of Assembly.
“The former governor was accorded his due respect on arrival at the House of Assembly, being a former first citizen of the state.”
The spokesperson for Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Yinka Oyebode, did not answer his calls.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for Ekiti State Command, Caleb Ikechukwu, said, “I have not been briefed about that.”
The Punch
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
