(DDM) – Fresh tension erupted in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, after part of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign office was demolished by officials of the Benue State Urban Development Board.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the demolition, which occurred late Wednesday night, has sparked outrage among supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who described the act as politically motivated and a deliberate attempt to humiliate the president’s loyalists in the state.

Eyewitnesses said the demolition team arrived in the early hours of Thursday, using heavy machinery to pull down the front section of the building that had just been renovated and inaugurated two weeks ago as the official Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office in Benue State.

A source close to the office management told DDM that no prior notice was served before the demolition.

He alleged that the action was carried out on orders from top state officials who claimed the structure violated new zoning and setback regulations recently introduced by the Benue State Urban Development Board.

Reacting to the incident, the APC Publicity Secretary in Benue, Daniel Ihomun, condemned the demolition, calling it a “provocative attack on democracy” and accusing the state government of intolerance.

He demanded an immediate apology and compensation for the destruction of party property.

However, officials of the Urban Development Board defended their action, insisting that the structure encroached on a public drainage channel and failed to obtain proper building approval.

The board’s spokesperson said all illegal structures would face similar treatment, regardless of political affiliation.

Political analysts who spoke to DDM warned that the incident could heighten tensions between the ruling APC at the federal level and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government in Benue.

They noted that the state has remained a political flashpoint since the last general elections, which saw bitter rivalry between both parties.

The Benue APC youth wing has vowed to organize a peaceful protest in Makurdi, demanding the resignation of the Urban Development Board chairman and calling on President Tinubu to intervene directly in what they describe as “systematic political persecution.”

Meanwhile, security operatives have been deployed to prevent further escalation, as fears grow that the demolition could spark reprisal vandalism or political clashes ahead of the 2025 election cycle.

DDM will continue to monitor the situation as reactions pour in from across the state’s political spectrum.

(DDM) – Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed deep condolences to Alhaji (Dr.) Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the passing of his mother, Hajiya Halima Mu’azu.

In a heartfelt message shared on his verified handle and obtained by Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), Obi described the late matriarch as a woman of “exemplary moral standards, compassion, and grace,” whose life of service and humility will continue to inspire generations.

He wrote, “My Dear elder brother, Alhaji (Dr.) Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, Walin Darazo, with profound sorrow, I extend my deepest condolences to you and your family on the passing of your beloved mother, Hajiya Halima, a woman of exemplary moral standards, compassion, and grace whose legacy will forever inspire.”

Obi prayed for divine comfort for the Mu’azu family, asking Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest in Al-Jannat al-Firdaus and to strengthen her children and loved ones through the painful loss.

The condolence message has since attracted wide reactions on social media, with many Nigerians commending Obi for his empathy and humility in reaching out to leaders across political and religious divides.

According to DDM correspondents, Hajiya Halima Mu’azu was widely respected in Darazo, Bauchi State, for her charitable works and dedication to community development.

She was known for supporting widows, orphans, and indigent students through quiet acts of generosity that earned her admiration within and beyond her local community.

Political observers note that Obi’s condolence message reflects his consistent emphasis on unity and compassion across faiths and ethnic lines.

Despite political differences, he has often used personal gestures and public statements to promote mutual respect among Nigerians.

The former Anambra governor’s message concluded with words of prayer and solidarity: “May Allah grant her Al-Jannat al-Firdaus and bestow upon you and your family the strength to bear this irreparable loss. In sympathy and respect.”

The late Hajiya Halima’s burial, according to Islamic rites, took place in Darazo, Bauchi State, with prayers led by prominent clerics and attended by family members, community leaders, and sympathizers from across the country.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has published the names of some defaulters, owing over five trillion Naira across several banks.

According to the list released by CBN, Mr. Tony Elumelu of Heirs Holdings took a loan of N41.5 billion at fifteen per cent interest rate per annum.

The list also captured Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, owned by the late Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah.

The oil company is the highest defaulter with over one hundred and fifteen billion Naira, according to CBN.

Other on the list include NICON Investments Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited (MMA2) and Josepdam & Sons Limited.

Tony Elumelu of Heirs Holdings

It also includes Tinapa Business Resort, Home Trust Savings, Geometric Power Limited, and the rest.

Below are the some of the debtors with the default amount:

Crime without consequence

Reacting to the expose, a concerned Nigerian, Otunba Mark Adesanya, decried the unhealth business practice of the defaulters stifling the financial industry.

Adesanya said: “There are still many of them roaming freely in an opulence lifestyle.

“If the CBN published all the names of defaulters, there are about 20 of them owing over N5 trillion Naira.

“The past government set up a committee through AMCON (Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria) to get the money from them.

“But just like an elite game, Nigerians did not hear much of what happened.

“These men are super elites and above the law; most of the debts are now classified as bad debts.

“But they are sitting on riches and even contesting elections, and some are in the National Assembly, making laws for us.

“These people are responsible for where we are at the moment.

“Some tonnes and tonnes of money deposited in the banks have disappeared without trace.

“Some debts have been declared doubtful because the effort to retrieve them have not been successful.

“Whereas, those who took the loans from these banks may not have supported it with collateral, getting their collateral to go for it is not possible because there’s nothing on ground to auction.

“This is the seriousness of the huge financial crime they have inflicted on Nigeria.”

Adesanya, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be serious about revitalising the banking industry.

He demanded that those who had contributed to the parlour state of the economy must be brought to book.

“They must cough what they have swallowed.

“Nigeria will only survive if we are determined to take difficult decisions on critical matters bothering on the economic survival of our great country,” he added.