Security personnel foiled an assassination attempt by armed men suspected to be political thugs on a federal lawmaker representing the Esan North-East/Esan South-East Federal Constituency in Edo State, Henry Okojie.

Okojie’s media aide, Michael Ihaza, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday, saying that Okojie, the husband of the Nollywood movie Star, Mercy Johnson, was reportedly attacked at his residence by gunmen in a Lexus GX 470 carrying a Rivers State vehicle registration number – PHC 253 FF.

The statement noted that the planned assassination “was unsuccessful owing to the intervention of security personnel attached to the lawmaker”.

“The armed thugs who disguised as police officers along with two others, invaded the residence of Hon. Okojie, claimed to be on appointment and proceeded to the seating room.

“Following the intervention of the security personnel attached to the lawmaker, two of the armed thugs fled leaving behind the driver and another who are currently being interrogated by officers from the Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Uromi.

“The suspects have so far made a confessional statement stating that they were sent on the mission by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Esan North East Local Government Area,” the statement added.

Efforts to reach the Edo State Police Command for comments were not successful.

Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), has ordered the restriction of vehicular movement in Edo state during the governorship election.

In a statement on Friday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said the restriction will begin from 6am to 6pm on Saturday.

Adejobi said individuals on essential services like officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accredited media personnel, and emergency responders are exempted from the restriction.

The force spokesperson reaffirmed the ban on all security aides and escorts accompanying VIPs to polling units and collation centers.

Adejobi said unauthorised security personnel and quasi-security outfits are prohibited from operating during the election.

“In preparation for the election, the IGP has ordered the restriction of all vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation from 6am to 6pm on election Day. Exceptions will be made for essential services, including accredited media, electoral officials, ambulances, and emergency responders,” the statement reads.

“To maintain the integrity of the electoral process, the IGP has implemented a ban on all security aides and escorts accompanying VIPs to polling booths and collation centres.

“Unauthorized security personnel and quasi-security outfits are prohibited from operating during the election, and the use of sirens by unauthorized vehicles is strictly forbidden to ensure a calm environment for voters.

“Furthermore, the IGP has mandated that special attention be afforded to individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, and those with mobility challenges, ensuring that polling stations in both urban and rural settings are accessible to all.

“The inspector-general of police, through the deputy inspector-general (DIG) for Edo gubernatorial election, DIG Frank Emeka Mba, mni, has appealed to citizens to refrain from making prank calls to control room and designated help numbers, highlighting that text messages are more effective for operational purposes.

“The designated election lines for inquiries and reporting are: DIG Frank Mba, mni; 07025000383 and AIG Benneth Igwe, mni; 09085000029, while the general control room numbers are 08077773721 and 08037646272. The already-activated joint control room is manned by police and relevant agencies engaged in the electoral process.”

On Saturday, voters in Edo will determine who succeeds Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state, for the next four years from the 17 political parties participating in the election.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP) are the leading political parties in the election.

Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has directed the closure of the Gomboru drug market in Maiduguri, Borno state.

In a social media post on Thursday, NAFDAC said it was discovered that drugs affected by the flood were being washed and sun-dried for sale at the market.

“After the recent flooding in Maiduguri that submerged the Gomboru drug market where contaminated drugs were washed and sun-dried for resale, the NAFDAC DG ordered the immediate closure of the market to conduct a thorough shop-to-shop removal of these compromised drugs,” the post reads.

On September 10, many residents fled their homes following a flood incident which affected parts of Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, and Bulabulin in Maiduguri.

The flood occurred due to the collapse of the Alau Dam which has been at full capacity for weeks.

In a separate post, NAFDAC said it had shut down an illegal factory producing counterfeit cosmetic products at Benue Plaza, Trade Fair Complex in Lagos state.

“NAFDAC officers raided the location discovering various unregistered chemicals and packaging materials, along with expired products that were being revalidated for sale,” the post reads.

The operation also led to the seizure of over 1,200 cartons of fake cosmetic products.

Items including mini-mixing containers, unlabelled chemicals, batch coding materials, and thinners, were confiscated and take to the NAFDAC office for further investigation.

The agency estimated the street value of the confiscated items to about ₦50 million.

It urged the public to be cautious when purchasing cosmetic products and report any suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.