The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the release of four men who had been accused of belonging to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Who they are

The four men, Emele Uduma Ibe, Berefgagha Appah, Ondokeyilemi Aggry and Oyeinmokebebeton Aggry, were arrested in May 2022 in the Sampou and Akeddei communities of Kolokuma/Opokuma and Sagbama Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State. That means they spent about four and a half years in custody before their release.

₦5 million each

After they were cleared of the allegations, the DG approved an initial compensation package of ₦20 million, with each man receiving ₦5 million. The men are also expected to receive psychological and medical support and help returning to normal life.

Security sources said investigations showed the men had been lured by people claiming to be IPOB members, who promised them ₦100,000 a month under the Federal Government's Amnesty Programme.

"Where we admit our mistakes, we offer compensation, and seek ways to improve operations in tandem with the rule of law," Ajayi said. One of the freed men, Emele Uduma Ibe, described the day as the happiest of his life.

Not the first time

This is not the first such case under Ajayi. After he took office in 2024, he ordered a review of more than 300 inherited terrorism cases. Others who have since been compensated include a Jos businessman shot in error by DSS personnel, who received ₦20 million, and several people cleared of IPOB ties who received between ₦5 million and ₦10 million.

Can money repair the damage?

For anyone who has spent years in detention over an allegation they did not commit, freedom alone may not be enough to repair the damage. There is the emotional suffering, the disruption of family life, the loss of income and the stigma that often follows such accusations.

The ₦5 million payment may provide some financial relief, but it cannot replace the time lost.

Still, the decision sends an important message about accountability within Nigeria's security system. Security agencies have a duty to investigate threats to national security and protect citizens, but that duty must be carried out within the law and with respect for the rights of people who have not been convicted of any offence.

Many Nigerians will be watching to see whether similar attention is given to other people who may have been wrongly accused or detained, especially given the controversies around IPOB-linked arrests in the South-East and South-South.

The bigger question remains: if someone is arrested, detained and later cleared of wrongdoing, should compensation automatically follow? What do you think about the DSS Director-General's decision?

Nigeria's political arguments have taken another interesting turn after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, questioned why former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi should be considered politically superior to other prominent leaders in the country.

What Umahi said

In remarks attributed to him, Umahi reportedly asked a direct question: "Who is Peter Obi better than? Is he better than me? Is he better than Anyim Pius Anyim?"

The comments have brought an old political argument back into focus, particularly in the South-East, where debates about leadership, political experience and who deserves national support continue to divide opinion.

The three men

Umahi is a former governor of Ebonyi State and now serves as Minister of Works. Anyim Pius Anyim is a former Senate President and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Both have held important positions in Nigeria.

Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State who contested for president under the Labour Party in 2023 and is now a member of the NDC, has built a strong following, particularly among young Nigerians who see him as an alternative to the traditional political establishment.

What makes one politician better than another?

Umahi's reported remarks raise a fair question. Is it the number of offices someone has held? The projects completed while in government? Or should Nigerians judge leaders by their integrity, performance, accountability and ability to improve ordinary people's lives?

All three men have political records that Nigerians can examine, and perhaps that is where the real argument should begin.

Rather than letting politicians decide who is superior through public arguments, Nigerians should be the ones examining their achievements and deciding who deserves their confidence.

Over to you

Between Peter Obi, David Umahi and Pius Anyim, who has shown the kind of leadership Nigeria needs today? Share your thoughts on their records, achievements and political contributions.

The Emir of Kano and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has urged President Bola Tinubu's government to listen to concerns about poverty rather than treating critics as enemies.

What he said

Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference convened by former World Bank vice-president Arunma Oteh, in comments reported on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, Sanusi reportedly said the government's habit of issuing statements from the Presidential Villa to condemn people who raise economic concerns was counterproductive. He argued that citizens who talk about poverty are not attacking the President personally, and that the government should distinguish between criticism and hostility.

On the economy

Sanusi also said Nigeria was dangerously close to economic collapse in 2023 and on the verge of hyperinflation, a view he said he had held and expressed at the time. His comments suggest he sees the need for reform, while insisting that the hardship many people feel should be acknowledged.

Background

Sanusi was CBN governor from 2009 to 2014 and is a well-known commentator on the economy. He was reinstated as Emir of Kano in 2024. The Tinubu government removed the petrol subsidy and unified exchange rates in 2023, and says these moves rescued the economy, pointing to falling inflation and rising reserves. Critics, including investment banker Atedo Peterside this week, say the poor have become poorer. Presidency officials have often responded sharply to such criticism, accusing some critics of playing politics ahead of 2027.

What happens next

The Presidency had not responded to Sanusi's comments at the time of reporting.

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has sparked debate with comments on poverty and hunger in Nigeria.

What he said

Appearing on a television politics programme, in comments reported on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, Olayinka reportedly pushed back against what he described as the narrative of widespread poverty and hunger promoted by young Nigerians, often referred to as Gen Z. While he acknowledged that people were facing economic pressure, he pointed to private building projects and construction in communities as signs that economic activity was continuing. He said there is hunger, but people are still building houses.

How people reacted

Many social media users criticised the comments, saying they showed officials were out of touch with ordinary people struggling with high food and transport costs. Others agreed that the economy was not as bad as some critics suggest and said the government's reforms needed time.

Background

The cost of living is one of the most debated issues ahead of the 2027 elections. On the same day, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, urged the government to stop treating talk of poverty as an attack, while investment banker Atedo Peterside said the reforms were making the rich richer and the poor poorer. The government points to falling inflation, a stronger stock market and higher reserves as signs of progress. Wike, a former PDP governor of Rivers State, is a key ally of President Bola Tinubu and leads the Rainbow Coalition backing his re-election.