Today’s Headlines: Police Arrest Rochas Okorocha in Abuja; Oyebanji Sacks DGs, Technical Advisers

Police arrested former Imo State Governor and Senator Rochas Okorocha at REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja on Monday night over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu, confirmed the arrest, stating that Okorocha was released on bail after about an hour of interrogation.

Okorocha was asked to return to the Force Headquarters on Tuesday for further questioning as investigations continued. The arrest reportedly followed his failure to honour previous police invitations scheduled for September 2 and September 8, with the latter date arranged at the request of his lawyers.

Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has approved the immediate disengagement of all directors-general of government agencies and technical advisers, directing them to submit their handover notes to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government. The decision followed the dissolution of the State Executive Council and completes the disengagement of political appointees, except for a few whose appointments were retained.

Oyebanji thanked the affected officials for their contributions to his administration and the development of the state, wishing them success in their future endeavours. The move comes ahead of his second-term inauguration scheduled for October 16, following an earlier dissolution of boards, commissions and parastatals and the termination of political aides’ appointments on September 27.

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike defended the Rainbow Coalition supporting President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, explaining that it brings together APC members and supporters from other political parties to strengthen the President’s electoral prospects. He cited Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as examples of figures associated with the coalition’s state-level coordination, stressing that the APC remained Tinubu’s political platform.

Wike dismissed concerns that the coalition could cause divisions among APC governors or trigger defections, insisting that its primary objective was to secure Tinubu’s re-election. He said political differences could be accommodated while pursuing a common goal, adding that supporters from different parties could contribute to the President’s campaign without necessarily abandoning their affiliations.

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill 2026 and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Amendment Bill 2026 to the Senate for consideration. The proposed NDLEA legislation seeks to repeal existing laws and establish a consolidated framework to combat the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, while strengthening the agency’s enforcement powers.

The NSIB amendment seeks to expand the bureau’s investigative mandate beyond aviation accidents to cover rail, maritime and other transport-related incidents, while strengthening its independence and transferring supervisory oversight to the Presidency. Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred both bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

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