A South African court on Thursday remanded four National Traffic Police officers accused of killing a Nigerian motorist, Osinakachukwu Onu.

Ekwutosblog Metro learnt on Sunday, from a report by South African news outlet Independent Online, that the officers were denied bail by the Klerksdorp Magistrates’ Court.

The officers were identified as Inspector Rudolph Foromo, 29; Inspector Smanga Dladla, 31; Inspector Colani Senzo Dlamini, 34; and Inspector Vusumuzi Justice Simelane, 36.

Although the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting were detailed in the report, the officers were believed to have been on official duty at the time of the incident.

The suspects allegedly fled the scene shortly after the shooting but were later tracked down and arrested by police.

An IOL report, earlier carried by Ekwutosblog on Friday, disclosed that Klerksdorp detectives arrested the four officers on charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice following the death of the 37-year-old Nigerian.

According to the report, police said they were alerted to the incident and responded to the scene, where they discovered that the traffic officers involved had already left.

Onu, who was reportedly in South Africa legally, was said to have been chased by the four traffic officers while they were conducting an operation.

“Preliminary investigations led detectives to a location in Klerksdorp, where the suspects were traced,” the police said.

The officers’ official firearms were seized and are expected to undergo forensic ballistic analysis as part of ongoing investigations.

Meanwhile, the North West Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Ryno Naidoo, welcomed the arrests and commended Klerksdorp detectives for what he described as a “swift and effective response.”

He also thanked members of the public who provided information that aided the arrests and urged communities to continue cooperating with law enforcement to combat crime.

The killing adds to a growing list of reported cases of Nigerians being killed in South Africa.

In July, Ekwutosblog reported the brutal killing of two Nigerians, identified simply as Austin and Ayo, who were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Durban.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, July 9, when three masked gunmen stormed Austin’s office at about 8 pm and shot the two men dead on the spot.

The Federal Government has revealed that 15.2 million Nigerian homes are structurally unsafe, highlighting a severe housing crisis across the country.

In a post on the ministry’s X handle recently, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, disclosed the findings during the presentation of the National Housing Data Initiative by the National Housing Data Technical Committee in Abuja.

According to the Ministry, Kano State recorded the highest number of inadequate housing units, while Bayelsa State had the lowest, underscoring regional disparities in housing quality across the country.

He noted that the findings confirm that Nigeria’s housing challenge is both quantitative and qualitative, with national housing deficit estimates varying depending on data sources and methodological approaches.

He said, “Beyond headline deficit figures, the application of harmonised and internationally recognised methodologies now allows us to state with clarity and confidence that Nigeria currently faces a housing inadequacy problem affecting approximately 15.2 million housing units nationwide.

“The 15.2 million inadequate housing units are homes that exist physically but fall below acceptable standards of safety, habitability, access to basic services, infrastructure, and durability.

The findings were derived from the application of the Household Crowding Index, the Adequate Housing Index, and a Composite Index Methodology, supported by datasets from the National Population Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other housing sector institutions.”

The Committee was established in August 2024 to develop a harmonised national framework for housing data to support evidence-based housing policy, planning, and investment.

“These findings clearly demonstrate that Nigeria’s housing challenge is not only about building new houses but equally about upgrading existing housing stock, regenerating deteriorated neighbourhoods, improving basic services and infrastructure, and ensuring dignity, safety, and adequacy in housing outcomes,” he added.

While highlighting the importance of the findings, the minister emphasised that housing inadequacy represents only one dimension of Nigeria’s broader housing deficit.

He stressed the need to sustain the same level of analytical clarity across other critical areas, including absolute housing shortages, affordability gaps, access to land and secure tenure, availability and cost of housing finance, infrastructure and service deficits, and regional and urban–rural disparities, as well as population growth rates, urbanisation trends, household formation patterns, and demographic projections.

According to him, a holistic examination of these dimensions is necessary to accurately assess current needs, anticipate future demand, and design sustainable and responsive housing policies.

The Minister formally accepted the presentation and report of the National Housing Data Initiative on behalf of the Ministry, describing it as “a major intellectual, technical, and institutional milestone” in Nigeria’s housing and urban development reform journey.

He further disclosed that the Federal Government has commenced steps to institutionalize housing data through the establishment of a National Housing Data Centre, which will be domiciled within the Ministry in the short term and institutionalized through a Special Purpose Vehicle or statutory framework in the longer term.

According to the minister, the proposed centre will create a permanent national institution capable of supporting housing policy formulation, investment decisions, access to housing finance, and housing delivery at scale.

He commended the National Housing Data Technical Committee, led by Taofeeq Olatinwo, and acknowledged the contributions of participating institutions, including FMHUD, NMRC, NBS, NPC, CBN, FMBN, FHA, Family Homes Funds Limited, REDAN, AHCN, MBAN, HDAN, and other industry experts.

He announced that all committee members and participating institutions will be issued formal Letters of Participation and Recognition by the Ministry in acknowledgement of their contributions to the report and its outcomes.

The minister noted that the National Housing Data Initiative aligns fully with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and strengthens the government’s capacity to support affordable and social housing delivery, deepen access to housing finance, improve investor confidence, stabilise housing markets, and monitor outcomes with credibility and accountability.

Describing the presentation as a turning point in Nigeria’s housing reform journey, the minister stressed that data is no longer peripheral to housing delivery but central to it.

“With the National Housing Data Initiative, Nigeria is better positioned to plan more accurately, invest more confidently, and deliver housing more effectively and equitably for Nigerians,” he said.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Shuab Belgore, said the report of the National Housing Data Committee would be published and circulated to all relevant agencies to formally legitimize the work carried out by the committee.

He also directed the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics to follow up on the establishment of the Data Centre in the Ministry, as earlier recommended in the report, with a mandate to ensure it is ready by mid-January 2026.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Housing Data Technical Committee, Taofeeq Olatinwo, noted that the housing deficit research involved the participation of various organisations, financial institutions, and industry experts, adding that the committee collaborated with the World Bank to ensure consistency and standardisation of the data.

He explained the multidimensional index used in assessing key aspects of housing quality, including access to water, electricity, sanitation, and other basic services.

The President of Dangote Group, Dr. Aliko Dangote, has given Kaduna-based businessman Kailani Mohammed a seven-day ultimatum to retract a libelous publication against him and his company, warning that failure to do so will result in a N100 billion lawsuit.

Dangote, in a letter to the businessman demanded immediate public explanation, retraction and unreserved apology from the Kaduna businessman for accusing him of engaging in an unclean business especially in 1980s in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Dangote’s letter was served on the Kaduna businessman by his lawyer Dr Ogwu James Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria of Onoja law firm in Abuja.

In the letter dated December 20, 2025, Dangote complained that the Kaduna businessman defamed him, lowered his reputation and tarnished his business engagements with the accusation that he engaged in unclean business in Port Harcourt and also queried his source of wealth as the richest man in Africa.

The offending remarks were said to have been made by Engr. Kailani Mohamed during an interview aired on Wednesday December 17th, 2025 on TrustTV news in reaction to his petition against Dr Farouk Ahmed submitted to independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission ICPC.

The letter is titled “Demand for public explanation, retraction and unreserved public apology on your libelous publication against Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON” and signed by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja SAN.

It read “We are solicitors to Alhaji Aliko Dangote and we write pursuant to his express instructions regarding grievously libelous statements broadcast by TrustTV news and uttered by you during an interview aired on Wednesday, 17th December, 2025 in reaction to the petition submitted by our client to Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).”

“Our client is a widely reputable international businessman. He is the richest black man on earth and he has the largest business conglomerate in Africa.

“Our client, through dint of hard work, integrity, diligent and perseverance over the years earned for himself the reputation and honour he is reckoned with all over the world.

“Our client’s attention has been drawn to statements made by you during the televised broadcast on TrustTV on the aforementioned date in reaction to our client’s petition submitted to Independent Corrupt Practices and the other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate and possibly prosecute Engr. Farouk Ahmad if found wanting, wherein you made false, reckless, malicious, scandalous and libelous publications concerning our client as a man that has monopolistic tendencies, corruptly enriched himself in business and engaged in economics cerbutach.

“Your statement also portrayed our client as a very cruel businessman whose stock in trade is vendetta and campaign of calumny to bring down others and exert monopolistic powers.

Among others you started as follows: “Can Dangote tell us the source of his money in the 80s when he was in Port Harcourt. Who is clean? Every time you want to monopolize, you bring allegations against people. Let him come and prove it. In the 80s we are aware of what happened in Port Harcourt and how he got his money. Nobody came out and said all these things”.

“These statements are false, scandalous and gravely deliberately impute unlawful or morally questionable conduct to our client and are calculated to expose him to public hatred, ridicule, suspicion and odium.

“By your reckless and unguarded defamatory statement and assertions, our client’s reputation has been greatly lowered in the sight of reasonable members of the International Community, including his business partners, associates and various governments of nations of the world where our client carries on business.

“Take Note that our client categorically states that at no time in his life has he carried out any business, commercial activity or wealth generating enterprise in Port Harcourt, whether in the 1980s or at any other period whatsoever as you alleged.

“Your assertion are therefore entirely fictitious, unfounded, malicious and without doubt, render you susceptible to both civil and criminal defematory action.

“In view of the gravity and depth of the allegations made by you against our client, you are hereby demanded to do the following within 7 days upon receipt of this letter:

“That you publicly explain on the same TrustTV platform and to the same audience, when, where and in what capacity our client was allegedly involved in any unclean activity or any activity whatsoever in Port Harcourt as claimed by you.

“That in the absence of verifiable facts capable of substantiating your assertions, you immediately and unequivocally retract the said statement in their entirety.

“That you issue a full, clear and unreserved public apology to our client which must be broadcast with equal prominence as your original publication.

“To pay our client the N100Bn only in damages for loss of reputation, character defamation and public redicule our client has been subjected to since the said statements were published.

“That you give a written undertaking to desist from making or publishing any further false or defamatory statements concerning our client.

“Be advised that allegations of this nature made without proof on a national media platform are indefensible in law and amount to a gross abuse of the right to freedom of expression which will culminate in both civil and criminal liability.

“Take further notice that should you fail to comply with the conditions stated above and within the time frame, our client shall, without further recourse to you, institute a legal action at a competent court of law against you and claim aggravated damages.

“This is without prejudice to our client’s right to make a formal report against you to the law enforcement agencies for your investigation and and prosecution for criminal defamation,” the letter said.