The Federal Government has assured Nigerian public servants that payment of outstanding wage awards will commence before the middle of August, as efforts to clear pending workers’ entitlements enter the final stage.

The assurance was conveyed in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Efe Ovuakporie, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance.

According to the statement, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, gave the assurance during a meeting with labour leaders led by the National President of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Trade Side, Kabiru Minjibir.

During the meeting, Oyedele stated that the Federal Government had already begun addressing several labour-related concerns before receiving the council’s formal submissions.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration to honouring agreements reached with Nigerian workers through continuous dialogue and constructive engagement.

“The objective is to build confidence by ensuring the government honours every commitment made,” he said.

The minister disclosed that the process for releasing the outstanding wage awards had reached its final phase and expressed optimism that eligible workers would begin receiving the payments before mid-August.

He also directed the relevant government agencies and officials to immediately review the council’s submissions and accelerate action on all outstanding labour matters.

Oyedele acknowledged concerns raised by labour representatives over delays in implementing previous agreements and pledged that the government would prioritise transparency, regular consultations and timely execution of approved commitments.

In addition to the wage awards, the Federal Government assured workers that outstanding promotion arrears are currently being processed in accordance with approved administrative procedures.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to maintaining stronger collaboration with organised labour, assuring workers that approved financial entitlements would be processed without unnecessary delays.

Similarly, the Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, revealed that significant progress had been made in addressing workers’ outstanding benefits.

According to him, Batch Seven promotion arrears, which were previously omitted, are now being processed alongside Batch Nine promotion arrears.

Danjuma further explained that the government is working closely with the relevant agencies to resolve issues relating to peculiar allowances and other outstanding labour-related concerns affecting public servants.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Director of Cash Management, Christiana Osho, confirmed that reconciliation of the outstanding wage award had been completed and that payment was now awaiting final release.

She stated that the process had reached its concluding stage and would soon be implemented.

Earlier, the JPSNC President, Kabiru Minjibir, urged the Federal Government to urgently resolve all pending labour issues affecting public servants across the country.

Among the unresolved matters highlighted by the labour leader were outstanding wage awards, promotion arrears, salary relativity for health workers and payment of peculiar allowances.

He stressed that prompt implementation of the government’s commitments would help strengthen industrial harmony, improve workers’ morale and boost public servants’ confidence in the administration’s commitment to their welfare.

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose is expected to be inaugurated today as the Chairman of the Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last month.

The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to hold by 10 a.m. at the Ministry of Power headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

Ahead of the event, Fayose met with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, in Abuja, where both men discussed strategies aimed at improving the agency’s capacity to deliver rural electrification projects across the country.

Speaking after the meeting, Fayose described the discussions as productive and focused on strengthening the performance of the agency.

“I met with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, an engineer, today, and we had fruitful discussions,” Fayose said.

According to the Presidency, the newly constituted REA board will be headed by Fayose, while Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar and Ilyasu Makinta will serve as members and non-executive directors.

The board will also include the agency’s Director-General, Abba Aliyu, alongside the three executive directors currently serving in the organisation.

The appointments are expected to reinforce the leadership structure of the Rural Electrification Agency as it continues implementing the Federal Government’s efforts to expand electricity access to underserved and rural communities across Nigeria.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has instituted a ₦2 billion lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), challenging the agency’s decision to freeze the state’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account, which he described as unlawful and unconstitutional.

Also listed as plaintiffs in the suit are the Attorney General of Osun State and the Accountant General of the state.

The case, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja by a legal team led by M. T. Adekilekun (SAN), names the EFCC, its Chairman, and First Bank of Nigeria Limited as the first, second and third defendants, respectively.

In the originating summons, the plaintiffs asked the court to determine several constitutional and legal questions surrounding the EFCC’s authority to freeze the state’s bank account.

Among the issues presented before the court are:

“Whether, having regard to the express provisions of sections 1, 6, 36, 44 and 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the 1st and 2nd Defendants possess the lawful authority to freeze, restrict, block, place a ‘post no debit’ order on, or otherwise interfere with the Osun State Statutory Account maintained with the this Defendant, without regard to due process of law.

“Whether, having regard to the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the 1st and 2nd Defendants possess the lawful authority to freeze, restrict, block, place a ‘post no debit’ order on, or otherwise interfere with the Osun State Government Federal Statutory Allocation Account, Number 2017170947, maintained with the 3rd Defendant, without first obtaining and serving a valid, subsisting, and specific order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Whether, having regard to the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the directive of the 1st Defendant to the 3rd Defendant ordering the freezing or restriction of the Osun State Statutory Account No. 2017170947, maintained with the 3rd Defendant, vide its letter with Reference No. CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TA/OSUN/VOL.17/666 dated 5th August 2026 and authored by ACE I Adenike S. Babalola (for: Director, Investigation), without any prior or concurrent court order sought, obtained and served on the third Defendant, does not constitute an egregious act of executive lawlessness, an unlawful resort to self-help, a flagrant abuse of statutory powers, an unlawful suppression of the constitutional powers and functions of the Plaintiffs, a threat to the constitutional and corporate existence of Osun State, a brazen and unlawful denial of the democratic rights and dividends of the people of Osun State, and a direct violation of the fundamental constitutional principles of due process, the rule of law, and the financial autonomy of a federating unit.

“Whether, having regard to the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the third Defendant, being the banker to the Government of Osun State in respect of the said statutory account, can lawfully freeze or continue to freeze, restrict, block, or deny the Government of Osun State unrestricted access to the said account merely upon an administrative directive, letter, request, instruction, or communication from the first and/or second Defendants in the manner done herein, in the absence of a valid, subsisting, and specific order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Whether, having regard to the effect of the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, and in the absence of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, this Honourable Court ought not to forthwith set aside the directive given by the first Defendant to the third Defendant in a letter dated 5th August 2026 ordering the freezing, restriction, blocking, or placing of a post-no-debit instruction on the Osun State Statutory Account with the third Defendant, given that such action was allegedly taken in violation of due process, and in a manner demonstrably capable of crippling the constitutional and statutory obligations of the Government to the people of Osun State.”

The plaintiffs further asked the court to determine:

“Whether, having regard to the effect of the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, and in the absence of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, the 3rd Defendant did not breach the duty of care owed to the Osun State Government when, on the purported directive of the first and second Defendants, it placed a restriction on the Osun State Statutory Account with the third Defendant, given that such action was allegedly taken without a court order, in violation of due process, and in a manner demonstrably capable of crippling the constitutional and statutory obligations and rights of the Government and people of Osun State.”

The Osun State Government is seeking declarations that the freezing of its account was unconstitutional, unlawful, beyond the powers of the EFCC and therefore null and void.

Among the reliefs sought are:

“An order setting aside, vacating, and nullifying the freezing, restriction, blocking, post-no-debit instruction, or any other restraint placed on the Osun State Statutory Account maintained with the 3rd Defendant vide its letter with Reference No. CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TA/OSUN/VOL.17/666 dated 5th August 2026 and authored by ACE I Adenike S. Babalola (for: Director, Investigation), for being unlawful, unconstitutional, and without legal basis.

“An order mandating the third Defendant to forthwith unfreeze, unblock, and remove all restrictions, and to allow the Government of Osun State immediate and unrestricted access to and operation of the said Osun State Statutory Account.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first and second Defendants, whether by themselves, their officers, agents, servants, privies, or any person acting on their behalf, from freezing, restricting, blocking, placing a post-no-debit instruction on, or otherwise interfering with the Osun State Statutory Account or any other account of the Government of Osun State without following due process of the law.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd Defendant, whether by itself, its officers, agents, servants, privies, or any person acting on its behalf, from acting on any directive, letter, instruction, or request from the first and/or second Defendants to freeze, restrict, block, or deny access to the Osun State Statutory Account, except in the manner stipulated by law.”

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to award ₦2 billion as exemplary and aggravated damages for what they described as the unlawful interference with public funds, in addition to the cost of the litigation.

No hearing date has been fixed for the suit.

The legal action comes shortly after President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account.

Earlier, the EFCC confirmed that it froze the account as part of an ongoing investigation, insisting the move was intended to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds and was unrelated to the forthcoming governorship election.

The commission said it had been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged fraudulent management of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations amounting to ₦11 billion.

Governor Adeleke, however, described the action as unconstitutional.

Amid the growing controversy, President Tinubu ordered the anti-graft agency to take immediate steps to lift the restriction on the state’s account.

In a statement personally issued on Thursday, the President said he felt “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action.”

The Nigerian Army has declared two senior leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) wanted, placing a combined ₦60 million bounty on them as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the terrorist group’s leadership structure in the Lake Chad Basin.

The wanted suspects are Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, identified as the Governor (Wali) of ISWAP, and his deputy, Muhammad Jidda, who are both accused of playing key roles in the terrorist group’s operations across northeastern Nigeria.

According to the military, the identities of the two leaders were uncovered through forensic analysis of technical devices recovered during a recent offensive carried out by troops of Operation Hadin Kai against ISWAP fighters in the Lake Chad region.

The Acting Military Information Officer of the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammed Goni, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday.

As part of the reward package, the Army announced ₦50 million for credible information leading to the arrest of Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, while ₦10 million has been offered for information that results in the capture of his deputy, Muhammad Jidda.

Captain Goni explained that the breakthrough followed successful military operations in northern Borno State, during which troops recovered several technical devices and valuable intelligence materials belonging to the terrorist group.

Among the recovered items was a camcorder allegedly used by ISWAP members to produce propaganda videos and document their operational activities.

According to the military, forensic exploitation of the recovered devices generated critical intelligence that exposed terrorist hideouts and identified several top ISWAP commanders operating within the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis along the Lake Chad Basin, covering parts of Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State.

The statement read:

“Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) has recorded another significant breakthrough following recent successful offensive operations against ISWAP/ISIS terrorists in the Lake Chad region of Northern Borno State.”

Captain Goni further stated that:

“Subsequent forensic exploitation of the recovered devices generated actionable intelligence, leading to the identification of locations associated with terrorist activities as well as identities of several senior ISWAP leaders operating within the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis along the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin in Abadam and Kukawa local government areas of Borno State.

“The identified terrorist leaders and key operatives include Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa – Wali (Governor of ISIS West Africa Province), his Deputy/Amirul Jaish Muhammad Jidda (“The One-Handed Man”) and Hamad Abu Hanifa, the Amirul-Fiya of ISWAP, among others.”

The Army described Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa as the most wanted ISWAP commander currently operating in the Lake Chad Basin and urged members of the public to assist security agencies with useful intelligence.

According to Goni:

“The military will offer a substantial financial reward to any individual whose credible and actionable information directly leads to his arrest.”

He assured Nigerians that any information provided would be handled with strict confidentiality and that informants would be protected in line with established security procedures.

The military also appealed to residents, particularly those in communities around the Lake Chad region, to continue supporting ongoing counter-terrorism operations by reporting suspicious movements and individuals.

“Operation Hadin Kai urges members of the public to support ongoing counter-terrorism efforts by providing credible and timely information that could assist security agencies in locating and apprehending these suspected terrorist operatives.”

The Nigerian Army advised citizens not to confront or attempt to arrest the suspects themselves but instead report any useful information through approved security channels or by calling 07084988859.

“Citizens are strongly advised not to confront or attempt to apprehend the suspected terrorists under any circumstances,” the statement added.

The latest development highlights the military’s continued efforts to weaken ISWAP’s command structure through intelligence-driven operations as security forces intensify campaigns against insurgent groups operating across Nigeria’s North-East.