Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to release former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai if Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies are truly subject to presidential directives.

Atiku’s remarks came in response to President Tinubu’s directive ordering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court and vacate the order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government. According to the former Vice President, the President’s intervention contradicts repeated claims that Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies operate independently.

In a statement released on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that Tinubu’s action had exposed what he described as the “myth” surrounding the EFCC’s operational independence.

He also questioned the President’s claim that the EFCC obtained a court order before freezing Osun State’s accounts, noting that the commission’s public statement never mentioned such judicial approval.

“President Tinubu’s statement has raised more questions than it has answered,” Atiku said.

“While the EFCC’s official statement painstakingly explained why it froze the Osun State Government’s account, it made no mention whatsoever of obtaining a court order.

“Yet the President’s intervention is predicated entirely on the existence of such a court order, which he claims to have directed the EFCC to vacate.

“If indeed there was a court order, why did the EFCC omit such a fundamental fact from its official account? If there was none, then the President has introduced into the public discourse a legal process that exists nowhere in the EFCC’s own narrative.”

The former Vice President maintained that the President could not deny involvement in the operational affairs of the EFCC while simultaneously issuing instructions directing the commission to discontinue an enforcement action.

“He cannot claim that he neither knew of nor interferes in the operations of the EFCC and, in the very next breath, announce that he has directed the commission to discontinue its action and return to court,” Atiku said.

“If the EFCC promptly complies with that directive, then Nigerians have before them undeniable proof that the commission is not as operationally independent as the President wants the country to believe.”

Atiku further argued that the President’s intervention had created both a constitutional and moral obligation that should not be applied selectively.

“Having now demonstrated that he can issue direct operational directives to anti-corruption agencies whenever he considers it expedient, President Tinubu owes Nigerians an explanation as to why he cannot exercise the same authority in the case of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai,” he said.

“If he can direct the EFCC to discontinue its action today, then he cannot pretend to be powerless over the actions of the ICPC tomorrow.

“Executive power cannot be invoked selectively for political convenience while institutional independence is cited only when it suits the Presidency.”

El-Rufai has remained in ICPC custody since February 19 over allegations of financial misconduct linked to his tenure as Governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.

The anti-graft agency later arraigned the former governor before the Kaduna High Court on April 13, where he faces an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.

Atiku also contended that although the decision to reverse the freezing of Osun State’s accounts might reduce political tension ahead of the August 15 governorship election, it failed to answer critical questions surrounding the original decision.

“The unanswered questions remain: who authorised the freezing of the account of an opposition-controlled state just days before a governorship election, and why was such an extraordinary action taken at such a politically sensitive moment?” he said.

Victims abducted during the deadly attack on Woro Community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara Statehave arrived in Ilorin following their rescue after spending several months in captivity.

The rescued victims reached the Kwara State capital late on Thursday after regaining their freedom through sustained military offensives and coordinated operations by Nigerian security agencies.

They were transported from Niger State to Ilorin, where they were received at the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, Sobi Barracks.

The victims were later moved to a secure, undisclosed location where they spent the night.

Some of the rescued victims were taken to hospital for immediate medical attention due to the physical and emotional effects of their prolonged captivity.

The victims were among residents kidnapped when heavily armed attackers stormed Woro earlier this year, killing scores of villagers and taking many others into nearby forests.

The attack sparked nationwide concern and prompted intensified military and security operations aimed at locating and rescuing those held by the abductors.

The rescued victims are expected to be formally presented to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who has maintained close engagement with security agencies throughout efforts to secure their release.

Authorities are also expected to complete the verification of the rescued victims while ensuring they receive adequate medical care, psychological support, and other welfare assistance to aid their recovery after months in captivity.

Woro Attack

Armed terrorists attacked Woro Community in February, killing more than 150 people and abducting scores of residents.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu warmly welcomes the successful rescue of 308 Nigerian citizens who were abducted in different attacks in Niger and Kwara states,” presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said.

He disclosed that 163 victims were rescued from Woro, while 145 others were freed in Niger State.

According to the Presidency, the victims were rescued from the Kainji Lake National Park Forest, where they had been held by their captors.

The vast forests and game reserves stretching across parts of Nigeria have increasingly become safe havens for criminal gangs and armed groups responsible for mass abductions and violent attacks.

Onanuga described the operation as “the largest rescue operation ever carried out” in a single day, noting that it involved the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force.

Investigations into the February attack revealed that the terrorists had earlier sent a message to Woro residents announcing plans to visit the community to preach. After no one reportedly attended, the attackers returned in what residents described as a brutal retaliatory assault.

The assailants set homes ablaze, destroyed property, killed more than 165 residents, and abducted many others, according to eyewitnesses, although local authorities released lower casualty figures.

Initial reports estimated that 176 residents were kidnapped, though Kwara State Police later stated that the figure had not been officially verified.

The attack left large sections of Woro reduced to rubble and ashes, forcing many survivors to flee the community.

President Bola Tinubu condemned the incident at the time, describing it as a “beastly attack.” He ordered the deployment of an army battalion to the affected area and attributed the assault to Boko Haram, although the name is often broadly used to describe jihadist groups operating in the region.

The attack came only months after the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for its first-ever attack on Nigerian territory in the same state, close to Woro.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that the current ₦70,000 national minimum wage is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of Nigerian workers, citing soaring inflation, rising living costs, and worsening economic conditions as reasons for an immediate wage review.

The call was made on Friday during the Nigeria Rights of Workers Summit 2026 held in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, where labour leaders, government officials, employers, civil society organisations, and representatives of the National Industrial Court gathered to mark 88 years of organised trade unionism in Nigeria.

The summit, themed “The Rights of Workers: Decent Work and a Just Economy in Nigeria,” focused on the welfare of Nigerian workers and the state of labour rights, with participants expressing concerns over declining purchasing power, unsafe working conditions, job insecurity, workplace discrimination, and the protection of workers in the informal and non-traditional employment sectors.

Representing NLC President Joe Ajaero, the Congress’ Deputy President, Adewale Adeyanju (Amba), said the country’s current economic realities have made the existing minimum wage inadequate.

“The current ₦70,000 minimum wage can no longer adequately respond to the realities confronting Nigerian workers, particularly with the rising cost of living,” Adeyanju said.

He noted that the lifespan of the current wage arrangement had expired, making it necessary for organised labour to begin fresh negotiations with the Federal and State Governments. He urged authorities to approve a new minimum wage that reflects present-day economic realities and protects workers from the impact of inflation.

Convener of the summit and Executive Director of Call a Lawyer, Ekpa Stanley, said the event was designed not only to celebrate the history of organised labour in Nigeria but also to assess progress made and identify practical solutions to improve workers’ welfare.

“This summit is not only about celebrating 88 years of trade unionism; it is also an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved, the challenges that remain, and what must be done to guarantee decent work for Nigerian workers,” he said.

Former NLC President Ayuba Wabba stressed that improving workers’ welfare should go beyond salary increases.

According to him, decent work also requires the protection of workers’ rights, adequate social security, and constructive engagement between government, employers, and organised labour.

“Decent work is not only about wages. It is also about workers’ rights, social protection and meaningful social dialogue between workers, employers and government,” Wabba said.

He urged policymakers to adopt measures that would protect workers’ dignity, strengthen job security, and expand social protection programmes to cushion the impact of current economic challenges.

Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris assured workers that his administration would fully implement any new national minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.

The governor also pledged to advocate for improved workers’ remuneration during discussions at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

“Whatever is agreed upon at the national level on the minimum wage, Kebbi State will implement it,” Idris said.

Participants at the summit also called for stricter enforcement of labour laws, safer workplaces, stronger protection against discrimination, and greater attention to workers in the informal sector.

They maintained that the 88th anniversary of organised trade unionism should serve as an opportunity to renew commitment to protecting workers’ rights and ensuring that collective bargaining results in meaningful improvements in the living and working conditions of Nigerian workers.

More than 300 people abducted in separate attacks across Nigeria have been rescued, in what the presidency is calling the largest single-day security operation of its kind. The rescue took place in Kainji Lake National Park in Niger State and involved a joint effort by the military, police, intelligence services and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.

Among those freed were 163 people taken during a February assault on the Woro community in Kwara State, an attack that killed scores of residents, along with 145 others abducted in Niger State. It remains unclear whether any suspects were captured during the operation. The rescued victims are receiving medical treatment at a military facility ahead of being reunited with their families.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said President Bola Tinubu welcomed the rescue of 308 citizens, calling it the largest such operation ever conducted in a single day. Tinubu pointed to the outcome as evidence of stronger coordination among the country’s security agencies.

The Woro attack was carried out by armed jihadists seeking to force residents to reject Nigeria’s government and constitution in favour of their own rule. Amnesty International reported that many victims were found bound at the hands and feet, with some killed by gunfire and others by knife. Nigerian authorities have attributed the attack to Boko Haram, though the group has not commented publicly.

The rescue follows the recent release of 44 students and teachers who were freed after more than 50 days in captivity following a school abduction in Oyo State, the result of a month-long security operation. The wave of kidnappings, spreading into north-central and southern Nigeria, has heightened concerns that insecurity is expanding beyond the country’s usual conflict areas.