OPay has informed its customers that only users who receive a special notification on their mobile app qualify for the Federal Government’s monthly ₦50,000 relief payment.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The fintech company made the clarification in a post on X on Tuesday, amid growing public interest in the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).

According to OPay, customers selected by the government will receive a pop-up notification on their app homepage, providing instructions on how to access the financial support.

The company stated that customers who do not see the notification are not eligible for the programme, adding that it has no role in determining beneficiaries.

“Kindly note that customers who are unable to see the feature on the app are not eligible for it. Please note that we do not determine your eligibility,” the company said.

OPay directed customers seeking further clarification to contact the NERSI helpline on 07000222222.

The company also warned users to remain vigilant against fraudsters seeking to exploit the relief programme.

“OPay will never ask for your PIN or OTP to process a NERSI relief payment. Do not pay any agent or click unverified links,” it cautioned.

It advised customers to use only its official mobile application and USSD channel to check their eligibility status.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, had announced on October 30 that the Federal Government had commenced the programme, which is designed to provide vulnerable Nigerians with ₦50,000 monthly to help them cope with the rising cost of living.

Doro explained that the government had partnered with licensed digital financial service providers to manage the disbursement of the funds.

He added that beneficiaries would receive a consent SMS before the money was transferred to their bank accounts or digital wallets.

The participating platforms include ALAT by Wema, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.

The minister emphasised that beneficiaries were not required to submit applications, pay fees or register through agents to access the support.

He also warned Nigerians against disclosing their PINs or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to anyone, advising those uncertain about messages relating to the programme to contact the official helpline on 0700-022-2222.

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a suspect over the attack on the convoy of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in Calabar, the state capital.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The incident reportedly occurred at about 2:20 p.m. at the Watt Market Roundabout while the convoy was returning from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to the Metropolitan Hotel, where the party’s presidential town hall meeting was scheduled to take place.

The attack resulted in the windshields of some vehicles in the convoy being smashed.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, identified the arrested suspect as 27-year-old Victor Edet Yellow Duke.

According to the command, a group of suspected hoodlums, allegedly armed with machetes and sticks, emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis before attacking vehicles in the convoy.

The police said the exact number of vehicles affected had yet to be determined.

Officers deployed in the area quickly intervened to contain the violence. Their response, which involved the use of tear gas, resulted in the arrest of Duke, while the other suspected attackers escaped.

The suspect was subsequently transferred to the State Police Headquarters by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for what the command described as a discreet investigation aimed at preventing possible reprisals or further threats to public order.

The police added that normalcy had returned to the area.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify and apprehend the other suspects involved and establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack.

The command also cautioned the public against assuming that the arrested man was guilty, stressing that he remained entitled to the presumption of innocence.

“The arrest of a suspect does not amount to a determination of guilt, as the suspect remains entitled to the presumption of innocence pending the conclusion of investigation and any subsequent judicial proceedings,” the statement said.

The police assured residents, political stakeholders and visitors that adequate security arrangements remained in place across the state.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to “providing equal security protection to all political parties, candidates and their supporters, irrespective of political affiliation.”

The command urged members of the public to remain calm, refrain from circulating unverified information and report suspicious activities through established police channels.

The Osun State Government has placed the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, under close monitoring over what it described as inflammatory remarks capable of threatening communal and religious harmony.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The government disclosed its decision in a letter issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Office of the Permanent Secretary. The letter, with reference number CD.17/1/VOL.VIII/377, was dated November 2026 and signed by Wale Alliyu on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.

In the correspondence, the government directed the monarch to stop making remarks targeting people of other religious beliefs and fellow traditional rulers.

A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in his capacity as Chairman of the Osun State Council of Obas.

The government warned that the Oluwo’s alleged conduct was heightening communal tension, encouraging religious and communal division, and undermining the traditional values of his people and the Yoruba race.

In the letter, addressed to the monarch and received by his secretary on Tuesday, the government said it had taken note of several widely publicised statements and pronouncements attributed to Oba Akanbi, which it believed could trigger religious confrontation, conflicts between communities and a breakdown of public peace.

It added that the continued pattern of what it described as crisis-inducing remarks and disruptive behaviour had reached a point that the administration could no longer overlook.

The letter read:

“You cannot, and you must not, conduct yourself in any way that can foment religious crisis through serial attacks on people of other faiths. Your Royal Majesty is also invited to note that just as the traditional stool should not be used to incite religious war, its occupants should also be mindful not to erode the traditional values, culture and tradition of the society over which they preside.

“The government notes with shock and disbelief several statements and public utterances credited to Your Royal Majesty without denial.

“Your activities are raising communal tension, sowing seeds of communal and religious discord and increasingly discrediting the traditional values of your people and Yoruba society, of which your domain is a major part.

“These developments constitute serious threats to the peace, unity and stability of Osun State and your immediate domain.”

The government subsequently outlined a series of cautionary measures aimed at preventing a possible outbreak of religious or inter-community conflict.

It directed the Oluwo to:

1. Immediately stop making further attacks against people of other faiths, stressing that every citizen has the right to freedom of religion.
2. Refrain from attacking fellow traditional rulers to prevent possible conflicts between communities.
3. Protect and promote the culture and traditions represented by the traditional institution he occupies.
4. Conduct himself in accordance with the standards and regulations contained in the Chieftaincy Laws and resolutions of the State Council of Obas.
5. Comply with the ministry’s cautionary directives, with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs tasked with monitoring his conduct.
6. Take note that the State Council of Obas had also been directed to monitor and respond to recent developments in Iwo land.