The President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, Dr Mohammed Suleiman, says doctors will no longer work under slave-like conditions.

Suleiman gave this warning on Thursday while speaking in an interview on Arise Television.

He asked members to limit call duties to a maximum of 24 hours beginning October 1.

He also explained that the new directive is part of measures to address burnout, poor welfare, and mass exodus of doctors from Nigeria.

Suleiman also stated that the association has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the federal government to act on its demands.

“If you look at the statistics, in the last 10 years, we have lost close to 15,000 to 16,000 doctors from this country to other countries.

“Ten years ago, the federal government, due to one of our actions, sacked about 15,000 doctors on one strike. But they brought all of us back,” he said.

He warned that the shortage has forced doctors to take on unsafe workloads.

According to him, the decision to limit calls followed NARD’s annual general meeting in Katsina, where members unanimously resolved that doctors are not slaves and must prioritise their wellbeing.

Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has raised concerns over what she described as the capture of democracy by powerful interests, warning that citizens have become marginalized in the democratic process.

Speaking on Arise Television’s news programme on Thursday, Ezekwesili said democracy is no longer functioning effectively because it has been corrupted over time, leaving citizens powerless and disengaged.

“Democracy is being captured by the powerful in most societies where it exists. The marginalization of citizens happened gradually, as people realized that the social contract with the state was failing them,” she said.

According to her, the withdrawal of citizens from active participation has created room for state capture, while institutions meant to regulate the process have also been compromised.

She pointed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the judiciary as examples of institutions that no longer command public trust.

“The INEC as an electoral umpire is compromised. They don’t have the trust of society. The judiciary has also engulfed itself in political shenanigans. And so when you have this kind of complex situation, you see the massive mess we have these days,” she stated.

Ezekwesili added that stakeholders globally are now exploring ways to place citizens back at the center of governance, noting that freedom and citizen participation are essential for innovation and societal advancement.

The Kano State Police Command says it has arrested two notorious robbery suspects and intercepted consignments of suspected illicit drugs and liquid intoxicants, locally known as Akuskura, valued at N42.95m.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the suspects, identified as 20-year-old Nura Sani of Zango Town, Bauchi State, and 35-year-old Ibrahim Lawan of Katsina State, were apprehended after a robbery at Tokarawa Quarters on September 14, where they allegedly stormed a residence with dangerous weapons and carted away a Mercedes Benz GLK worth N26.5m, alongside phones and other valuables.

“In a related operation, operatives recovered 540 packets of suspected Pregabalin capsules valued at N40.5m in Jalli Village, Dawakin Tofa LGA,” the statement read.

Kiyawa added that “on September 30, at about 11:15am, a surveillance team intercepted two other suspects, Alhaji Isyaku Babayo of K/Mazugal and Mohammed Ahmed of Dorayi Babba, at Dangauro Trailer Park.”

They were allegedly found with seven bags of Akuskura, each containing 350 bottles, totalling 2,450 bottles, valued at N2.45m.

The police said all the recovered illicit substances, including suspects linked to over N120m worth of Tramadol, Pregabalin, and Cannabis Sativa, had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Kano Command, for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the officers for their professionalism and assured that efforts were ongoing to arrest fleeing suspects and recover more stolen items.

He also appreciated the support of residents, urging them to continue cooperating with security agencies in the fight against crime.

Crisis deepened in Osun State’s local government system on Thursday after a faction of local government workers, under the umbrella of the Association of Concerned Local Government Workers of Osun State, directed striking council staff to immediately resume work.

The directive runs contrary to the position of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Osun State chapter, which had ordered workers to stay off duty since February 17, 2025, following violent clashes between members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress over control of councils.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the coordinator of the breakaway group, Adedayo Adekunle, accused the state NULGE leadership of insensitivity for keeping workers at home for nearly eight months.

Adekunle insisted that council staff were apolitical and should return to duty.

He said, “To avoid degradation and possible job loss, concerned local government staff hereby call on all patriotic and law-abiding workers to resume work without delay.

Information at our disposal is that staff auditing has been slated for next week to ascertain the actual number of staff in the office.

“In addition, all staff are to report at their mother council with their first appointment letter, confirmation letter and last promotion letter for easier and proper identification. Sequel to the above, we want to assure our members that we are apolitical.”

But in a swift response, Osun NULGE, through its Publicity Secretary, David Owoeye, dismissed the directive as fake and warned its members not to comply.

The statement read in part, “The union is using this medium to inform our esteemed members that such  information did not emanate from the elected state NULGE Executives under the leadership of Comrade Dr. Nathaniel Kehinde Ogungbangbe.

“It was authored to destabilise the peace of the state, through which our members could be massacred and our membership strength reduced. Therefore, the union beseeches all our members to see the write-up as the handiwork of the killers of destiny, which must be completely jettisoned, and stay away from office until further directive from the REAL elected State NULGE executives.”

Meanwhile, the Osun State House of Assembly has again warned commercial banks, especially the United Bank for Africa’s Osogbo branch, against honouring unauthorised financial instructions on local government accounts.

In a letter signed by the Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, dated Thursday, October 2, 2025, the Assembly described as unconstitutional alleged directives authorising deductions of up to 15 percent of September allocations from some local government councils, including Boluwaduro.

The House insisted that under the Osun State Guidelines on Local Government Administration and the Public Financial Management Law, 2020, only the Local Government Chairman and the Director of Administration and General Services are recognised as signatories to council accounts.

The Speaker warned, “Any transaction in breach of this position shall attract the full constitutional and legal consequences, including summons before the House, warrants of arrest, and referrals to anti-corruption agencies. Your institution will also stand the risk of blacklisting and withdrawal of the privilege to operate government accounts.”

Earlier this week, the Assembly had resolved that any attempt by unauthorised persons to access local government funds would be treated as aiding and abetting financial fraud, stressing that the step was taken to safeguard grassroots resources from abuse or diversion.