The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Oyo State Command, has denied allegations that its State Commandant, Augustine Padonu, extorted money from personnel under his command.

The command described the allegation as unverified and misleading, saying there was no directive from the commandant compelling officers to make financial contributions towards his personal celebrations.

The denial was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan and signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Opebiyi.

The statement followed a recent online publication alleging that personnel deployed to various beats across Oyo State were forced to contribute money towards Padonu’s birthday celebration and a church harvest programme.

According to Opebiyi, the allegations were false, stressing that the commandant neither directed nor authorised any officer to make financial contributions for either event.

He explained that Padonu’s birthday and the church harvest celebrations took place in early August and were strictly private family matters, with no connection to official resources or activities of the Corps.

The command also questioned the timing of the allegations, noting that they emerged shortly after a major restructuring and personnel redeployment exercise conducted on September 24.

Opebiyi said the exercise was part of routine administrative measures aimed at improving operational efficiency and strengthening the Corps’ preparedness ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He suggested that the publication may have been linked to dissatisfaction among some personnel affected by the new postings.

According to him, disgruntled individuals unhappy with the redeployment exercise could be attempting to undermine the integrity and reputation of the State Commandant.

The spokesperson maintained that personnel rotations and redeployments were normal administrative procedures within the Corps and were necessary to enable the NSCDC to effectively carry out its national security responsibilities.

“The State Commandant remains fully committed to the mandate of the Corps of protecting lives and property, safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure, and supporting other security agencies in maintaining peace and security in the state,” Opebiyi said.

He added that the commandant remained committed to staff welfare and discipline, while reaffirming the Corps’ zero-tolerance stance on unauthorised levies and deductions from personnel allowances.

The command urged any officer with a legitimate grievance to make use of the appropriate administrative channels for investigation and resolution.

Opebiyi further warned that personnel found to have engaged in misconduct would be subjected to formal disciplinary procedures in accordance with established regulations.

The NSCDC spokesperson also called on media organisations to uphold objectivity and verify allegations before publication, particularly where such claims concern the integrity of security personnel and institutions.

He urged members of the public to disregard unverified reports that could damage confidence in the leadership of the Oyo State Command.

“The command will not be distracted from its duties in an attempt to undermine public confidence in the Corps or the leadership of the State Commandant,” he said.

command.

The command described the allegation as unverified and misleading, saying there was no directive from the commandant compelling officers to make financial contributions towards his personal celebrations.

The denial was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan and signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Opebiyi.

The statement followed a recent online publication alleging that personnel deployed to various beats across Oyo State were forced to contribute money towards Padonu’s birthday celebration and a church harvest programme.

According to Opebiyi, the allegations were false, stressing that the commandant neither directed nor authorised any officer to make financial contributions for either event.

He explained that Padonu’s birthday and the church harvest celebrations took place in early August and were strictly private family matters, with no connection to official resources or activities of the Corps.

The command also questioned the timing of the allegations, noting that they emerged shortly after a major restructuring and personnel redeployment exercise conducted on September 24.

Opebiyi said the exercise was part of routine administrative measures aimed at improving operational efficiency and strengthening the Corps’ preparedness ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He suggested that the publication may have been linked to dissatisfaction among some personnel affected by the new postings.

According to him, disgruntled individuals unhappy with the redeployment exercise could be attempting to undermine the integrity and reputation of the State Commandant.

The spokesperson maintained that personnel rotations and redeployments were normal administrative procedures within the Corps and were necessary to enable the NSCDC to effectively carry out its national security responsibilities.

“The State Commandant remains fully committed to the mandate of the Corps of protecting lives and property, safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure, and supporting other security agencies in maintaining peace and security in the state,” Opebiyi said.

He added that the commandant remained committed to staff welfare and discipline, while reaffirming the Corps’ zero-tolerance stance on unauthorised levies and deductions from personnel allowances.

The command urged any officer with a legitimate grievance to make use of the appropriate administrative channels for investigation and resolution.

Opebiyi further warned that personnel found to have engaged in misconduct would be subjected to formal disciplinary procedures in accordance with established regulations.

The NSCDC spokesperson also called on media organisations to uphold objectivity and verify allegations before publication, particularly where such claims concern the integrity of security personnel and institutions.

He urged members of the public to disregard unverified reports that could damage confidence in the leadership of the Oyo State Command.

“The command will not be distracted from its duties in an attempt to undermine public confidence in the Corps or the leadership of the State Commandant,” he said.

and said the recent allegations emerged shortly after a personnel redeployment exercise.

Traditional rulers and community leaders in Agege and Orile-Agege, Lagos State, have appealed to former Agege Local Government chairman, Ganiyu Egunjobi, and Azeez Yusuf to reconsider their defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and return to the party.

The appeal was made during a peace meeting held on Sunday to address growing concerns over political developments in the area ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting followed the defection of Egunjobi and Yusuf from the APC to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), where they emerged as candidates for the Lagos State House of Assembly seats in Agege Constituencies I and II respectively.

The stakeholders at the meeting included traditional rulers, representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslim clerics and members of the Arewa community.

The Alaige of Orile-Agege, Oba Ambaliu Agbeleyi, said the meeting was convened following reports of possible violence arising from the political disagreements in the area.

Agbeleyi, who said he had been on the throne for 14 years, stressed that his priority was the peace, stability and development of the community.

“We want peace and progress in our community. When I heard that there will be bloodshed in the coming election, I cannot fold my arms and watch without doing anything,” he said.

The monarch appealed to Egunjobi and Yusuf to reconsider their positions and return to the APC, urging them to preserve the peace that had prevailed during their years in office.

The Olu of Agege, Oba Oyedeji Kamila Ishiba, similarly urged politicians and their supporters to avoid confrontation and actions capable of disrupting peace in the community.

“We don’t want fight or rancour in our communities. Promotion is of God.

We don’t pray for commotion in our communities.

We want you to work on achieving peace and stability,” he said.

The Baale of Dopemu, High Chief Shuaib Ajayi, urged political stakeholders to uphold truth and support the efforts of religious and community leaders towards maintaining peace.

The Chairman of CAN in Orile-Agege, Apostle J.B. Olubode, said religious leaders would continue to pray for peace and progress in the community and the APC.

Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Dopemu, Alhaji Sulaiman, called on party leaders to intervene in the disagreement and prevail on their members to avoid actions capable of triggering violence.

He said political positions were temporary and should never become a reason for the loss of lives.

“I am for the community. I stand for peaceful coexistence in Agege constituency,” he said.

The cleric appealed to political leaders to take responsibility for resolving the disagreement.
“I appeal to party leaders. They are at the centre of this. They have the strength to call to order their members,” he added.

The CAN Coordinator in Agege Local Government Area, Pastor Bayo Jesuniyi, said the primary concern of religious leaders was the preservation of peace and continued development in Agege.

Jesuniyi urged political leaders and their supporters to embrace tolerance and avoid actions that could undermine peaceful coexistence.

He said the forthcoming elections should be treated as a democratic exercise rather than a conflict.

“We are not going to war. We are going to vote come January 16 to further the development.

Let us align with the wishes of our leaders and avoid conflict,” he said.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission’s revised timetable places the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027, while the Lagos State House of Assembly election is scheduled for February 6, 2027.

Egunjobi demands APC reconciliation
Responding to the appeal, Egunjobi, who is the APM candidate for the Agege Constituency I House of Assembly election, said he was unaware of the peace meeting until he was invited by one of the clerics.

Describing the period as politically sensitive, he called on the APC leadership to act fairly and pursue reconciliation among the contending groups.

Egunjobi claimed that he won the APC primary election but that the party subsequently settled for another candidate.

He argued that the development should have been followed by a reconciliation process involving those affected.

The APC had previously maintained that Egunjobi and Yusuf failed to secure its tickets before obtaining nominations from the APM.

The Lagos State chapter of the party subsequently announced their expulsion from the APC over alleged anti-party activities and disloyalty.

Egunjobi said the party should have engaged him and his supporters after the disputed primary.

“When you know that a candidate would be selected, you won’t tell us to go to the field.

If I am relieved of my winning, the party should deem it fit to invite us to a meeting,” he said.

According to him, the APC leadership had not reached out to him for reconciliation since the disputed primary, adding that he expected the party leadership to convene a meeting involving the various sides.

Egunjobi also disclosed that he and his supporters had considered seeking legal redress over the matter but were prevailed upon by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, not to proceed with the court action.

He criticised the state APC leadership for failing to intervene earlier in the disagreement.

“Before the issue degenerated into this, the leadership of the party in the state led by Hon.

Cornelius Ojelabi did not deem it fit to intervene by inviting us to a reconciliatory meeting.

They didn’t reach out to us. Not even Mr Speaker.

Let us fear God,” Egunjobi said.

Egunjobi cites Ojelabi’s political history
The former council chairman said his decision to leave the APC was not without precedent, recalling a similar political development involving the current APC chairman in Lagos State, Cornelius Ojelabi.

According to Egunjobi, Ojelabi, who was chairman of Ojo Local Government Area in 1999, left the Alliance for Democracy (AD) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he was not returned to office.

He noted that the development occurred while Bola Tinubu was governor of Lagos State.

“In 1999, when he wasn’t returned, he left the AD for the PDP. Then President Bola Tinubu was governor of Lagos State,” Egunjobi said.

He maintained that he and his supporters had remained calm and law-abiding despite the disagreement.

“We were calm and law-abiding, but the party failed to do what was expected. We own our community, and nobody can dictate to us what to do,” he added.

Egunjobi further disclosed that he had initially not planned to contest the House of Assembly election but was persuaded to seek the position.

Despite the political disagreement, he commended the convener of the peace meeting and assured residents that the dispute would not degenerate into violence.

“I commend the convener of this peace meeting. The convener wants peace and progress of the community.

By the grace of God, there won’t be war in the community. I can only speak for myself; I assure you there won’t be war,” he said.

The peace meeting ended with renewed calls for political tolerance, dialogue and reconciliation as stakeholders seek to prevent political disagreements from affecting the peace and development of Agege and Orile-Agege ahead of the 2027 elections.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has said more than 10 million vulnerable Nigerians who benefited from the Federal Government’s N75,000 conditional cash transfer programme do not have access to mobile phones or social media.

Yilwatda made the disclosure on Saturday while speaking with journalists shortly after the conclusion of a three-day retreat of the APC National Executive Council (NEC) in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The APC chairman said the beneficiaries of the cash transfer programme were largely poor and vulnerable Nigerians who, according to him, have limited access to communication and media platforms.

He said the beneficiaries could therefore not easily participate in public debates or challenge claims about the impact of government programmes because many of them do not own mobile phones, use social media or have access to television.

“We have given N75,000 to over 10 million Nigerians across the country using the conditional cash transfer under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction,” Yilwatda said.

“Mind you, these people who are poor and vulnerable don’t have telephone to make calls; they are not on social media.

They don’t have television. They cannot come and challenge and discuss as we are doing here, but they are out there.”

Yilwatda also highlighted infrastructure projects being undertaken by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying road construction was ongoing across the country.

“We are constructing roads and paying people that are working on the road site and construction is going across the country,” he said.

According to him, the Tinubu administration had also implemented programmes including student loans and humanitarian interventions, which he said were part of efforts to support Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy.

APC NEC Reviews Party Affairs
Speaking on the outcome of the three-day retreat, Yilwatda said the APC NEC reviewed the affairs of the party at different levels, from the national leadership down to states, local governments, wards and polling units.

He said the party concluded that it remained strong and prepared for the 2027 general elections.

“At the retreat, the party also had a deep dive into the party affairs at the national, state, local government, ward and down to polling units.

After we reviewed the performance of the party, we affirmed that the party is strong and prepared for the 2027 general election,” he said.

The APC chairman said the NEC also passed a vote of confidence in President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as other APC candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries for the 2027 elections.

APC Condoles Niger Over Miners’ Deaths
Yilwatda said the party also expressed condolences to the government and people of Niger State following the deaths of 37 miners in the state.

“First, we extend our deepest condolences to the people of Niger State, the government and the good people of the state over the loss of the 37 miners in the state.

Our prayers and hearts are with the people of Niger State over the loss,” he said.

He added that the party had resolved to strengthen reconciliation efforts within its ranks ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, state chapters that had yet to establish reconciliation committees were encouraged to do so in order to address internal disagreements and strengthen the party.

“Also, we resolved to continue reconciliation where we need to make reconciliation.

We encouraged the state chapters to constitute reconciliation committees where they have not done it to ensure that we consolidate the party towards winning and to sustain the gains that we had in the previous elections,” he said.

APC to Drive Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign
Yilwatda further said the APC leadership would take the lead in promoting the achievements of the Tinubu administration as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.

He said the party would ensure that its message on the administration’s activities was taken to Nigerians across the country.

He added that the NEC called on Nigerians to continue supporting the administration and expressed the party’s intention to secure Tinubu’s return to office for a second term in 2027.