The Late 5: Abiola’s opponent, Tofa faults declaration on June 12, 35 containers of tramadol seized by Customs and other stories

These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

The Presidential Candidate of the National Republican Convention in the 1993 Presidential election, Bashir Tofa, on Sunday in Kano opposed President Muhammad Buhari’s decision to recognise June 12 as Democracy Day, insisting that the declaration deserves serious reconsideration.

In a reaction to the declaration in a press statement issued late Saturday night, he said, “whatever may be the prevailing sentiment and politics in Abuja, the idea that June 12 should be the new Democracy Day is also a matter that deserves serious reconsideration. Such decisions should be beyond some political cold calculations.”

He described the election as inconclusive and in response to those who canvassed same honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) for him, Tofa said he would not accept a national honour from the government even if given, adding that for history, all actions from the highest authority in the country should be based on fair play and law.


The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has said that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) seized not fewer than 35 containers of tramadol at various ports in the country but has, however, handed only nine containers to the agency.

The Director General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, said the nine containers had been destroyed by her agency, but decried the delay by the Customs authorites in handing over the rest of the containers to her agency.

Adeyeye restated that tramadol was a restricted drug that destroys children’s brain thereby threatening the future generation of the nation, but had been abused by Nigerian youths who use it without prescription. She lauded the present administration for placing an embargo on codeine, which she said, like tramadol, should only be given only by prescription as done in advanced country.


Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has been named as the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council in Ekiti.

At a news conference in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, announced the appointment shortly after the party inaugurated the State Campaign Council, adding that Bamidele had been nominated for the position before the shooting incident on June 1 and would remain in that position despite his present condition.

He further used the forum to debunk the news that Bamidele has been flown to the United Kingdom for post-surgery treatment, explaining that he was with Bamidele in Lagos till 1.00 am on Sunday where he is recuperating from the wounds received at the shooting incident which occured at the party secretariat.


A male suicide bomber was on Saturday killed when he mistakenly detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped on his body in a failed attempt on a crowd in Borno .

Commissioner of Police, Borno Police Command, Damian Chukwu, who confirmed the incident in a statement released in Maiduguri on Sunday, said the incident occurred on Saturday, at about 7:20 p.m. at the Monday Market general area.

“The male suicide bomber sighted massive presence of police and other security deployments at Oando Filling station near Post Office and hurriedly detonated the explosives, killing himself alone.


The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the collapse of a bridge along the Mokwa- Jebba road.

FRSC Spokesman, Bisi Kazeem, on Sunday said that the bridge after Mowo Junction,  18km from Mokwa, collapsed due to heavy rainfall and explained that vehicular movement from both sides of the road is affected.

He advised motorists going to Lagos and Abuja to use the Lokoja road in the interim.

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