A former presidential aide, Remo Omokri has accused a key member of the opposition coalition, Peter Obi of lying that President Bola Tinubu borrowed more than ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari.

Omokri described Obi as a “manipulative trader whose lies can never make him a transformative leader.”

He insisted that Nigeria’s debt profile has reduced from $108.2 billion on May 29, 2023, to $94.2 billion.

Posting on X, Omokri noted that Obi’s desperation to become Nigeria’s president has made him keep lying.

He wrote: “On the issue of debt, Peter Obi blatantly lied about President Tinubu borrowing more money than Presidents Obasanjo, Yar’adua, Jonathan, and Buhari combined.

“Nigeria’s debt has actually reduced from $108.2 billion on May 29, 2023, to $94.2 billion today. What Peter Obi did was convert the $94.2 billion into Naira using the floated Naira rate of N1560 to $1 to give the impression that our debt has increased.

“When President Tinubu took office, our total debt was N49.85 trillion. But this was when Naira was N400 to $1. As of the end of 2024, our total public debt was N144.67 trillion.

“Now, while it may seem that our total debt has increased from N49.85 trillion to N144.67 trillion, the fact is that the N144.67 trillion is calculated using an exchange rate of N1536 to $1.

“However, when you quantify our debt in dollars rather than Naira, our total debt has actually reduced by over $14 billion.

“God sparing my life, I will appear on a live TV programme to present irrefutable evidence from the Debt Management Office to the Nigerian people.

“How can someone go on air and lie so blatantly? Peter Obi is a national security threat to Nigeria, because gullible Nigerians and unaware foreigners will watch his lies and believe them.

“Foreign investors may be swayed by his lies and refrain from investing in Nigeria. And those already in Nigeria may panic and start divesting.

“Peter Obi’s lies have consequences that will affect the economy and your pocket. His desperation to be President of Nigeria has made him careless with his words.”

Suspected armed assailants in the early hours of Sunday attacked a cattle tent in Wumat, a community in Tarangol District of Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, killing five cows and abducting two young boys.

Zagazola Makama reports that the victims, Shafiu Nuhu and Abba Nuhu, are sons of a herder Nuhu Ibrahim.

According to the Ardo (Fulani leader) of the district, the attackers stormed the makeshift settlement, slaughtered livestock, and kidnapped the children before escaping.

Fulani elders in the area expressed concern about the increasing violence targeting their people, and appealed for urgent intervention to ensure the children are rescued to prevent more bloodshed.

Personnel from the security agencies visited the scene and have commenced a manhunt for the assailants.

Plateau State continues to experience pervasive violence fuelled by farmer-herder violence.

Herders argue that attacks on their communities are often underreported, and this sometimes lead to deadly reprisals, especially in the absence of immediate and fair intervention.

Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa has expressed concern over environmental challenges in Ebem Ohafia, Ohafia LGA of Abia State, which is threatening to swallow the palace of the paramount ruler of Ebem Ohafia Ancient kingdom, Ezie Ukoha Kalu Ukoha and seven other sites.

The Speaker mandated the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Kalu Mba Nwoke, to lead an on-the-spot assessment visit to the erosion sites.

The intervention followed a matter of urgent importance brought before the House by the member, Kalu Mba Nwoke, who represents Ohafia South during a plenary session and an alarm by the Publicity Secretary of Ebem Ohafia Development Union, Ifeanyi Okali.

He tasked the Committee to collaborate with relevant agencies to develop a comprehensive erosion control and intervention plan for Ebem and similar affected areas.

Presenting the troubling situation to the Abia State House of Assembly, the member representing Ohafia South constituency, Kalu Mba Nwoke raised the alarm that erosion menace in Ebem Ohafia may result in disaster unless immediate actions were taken.

Apart from the threatened palace, the Ohafia South lawmaker said that the back of the police divisional headquarters in Ebem Ohafia, Mben Hospital and five other sites have beeen destroyed by the erosion.

“These areas are collapsing rapidly especially with the intensifying rainfall, the danger is growing by the day.

“If left unchecked, the erosion could wipe out the entire community”, Nwoke told the Abia parliament.

Meanwhile, Abia State House of Assembly has referred the matter to its committee on environment for legislative review and on-the-site assessment.