The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a man identified as Falade for allegedly impersonating a retired United States military officer.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Afolabi, who disclosed this while addressing journalists in Akure on Monday, March 24, 2025 said Falade and his followers recently caused unrest in the Idogun community, Ose Local Government Area of the state.

He confirmed that Falade had been prosecuted in court and remanded at a correctional centre in Akure following his arrest.

“A report was made to this office of the activities of one Falade, who claimed to be a retired Navy Captain who served in the American military. For years now, Falade has been a terror in the Idogun Community, under the Ose Local Government. When this matter was brought to my attention, I called him with the intention of inviting him over to my office to give his own side of the story,” Afolabi said.

“What I received in response were unprintable words. Even at that height of provocation, I remained calm. Even when the matter was given to one of our tactical commanders to look into, when he invited him over, he called him stupid. That notwithstanding, I called for a peace meeting that took place in the police mess, which he attended. The chairman of Ose LG and other stakeholders from their community were there. All of them were enjoined to go back and maintain peace. Unfortunately, when he returned, instead of de-escalating tension, he escalated it.”

The police commissioner further alleged that Falade operated with individuals posing as airforce personnel and used a fake passport.

“Now, this Falade in question goes about with fake, fake passport and fake airforce personnel, who also joined him in perpetrating his nefarious activities. Just last week, a report came that some of the boys on the side of Falade, led by the same Falade, abducted some of the people going to the farm, confiscated their properties, went away with it, and I said I’ve had enough,” Afolabi stated.

He explained that after Falade’s arrest, he faced a 10-count charge in court.

“So, the SWAT team moved in and apprehended Falade, brought him to Akure, started an investigation, and in the course of the investigation, he was found criminally liable, and there were 10 count charges against him, and he was prosecuted accordingly.”

Afolabi noted that following Falade’s remand, his supporters in the Idogun community reacted violently

“When the matter got to court, he was remanded at a correctional center, and the moment the people in the community heard this, they went riotous, made bonfire, cut a very big tree across the road, so we had to move in more men to go to that place. Now, in the course of trying to restore peace, one of our officers was given a machete cut on his head. But the area was later calmed by the policemen deployed in the town.”

The police boss urged residents of the state to use lawful means to address community challenges rather than resorting to violence or illegalities.

By Deborah Nnamdi

The Nigeria Police has made over 2,300 arrests in various operations carried out nationwide from February 2025 to the present.

A breakdown of the figure showed that 602 were armed robbery suspects, 385 kidnapping suspects, 557 murder/homicide suspects, 215 individuals involved in unlawful possession of firearms, 286 rape suspects, and 276 suspected cultists.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, the Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said operatives also recovered 333 firearms, 6,422 rounds of ammunition of various calibres and 200 stolen vehicles.

He added that a total of 324 kidnapped victims were rescued during these operations.

Adejobi said, “Focusing on operations conducted from February 2025 to date, the Nigeria Police Force has made substantial progress in combating crime across the nation. Numerous arrests were made in connection with various heinous crimes.

“The Force recorded the arrest of 602 armed robbery suspects, 385 kidnapping suspects, 557 Murder/homicide suspects, 215 suspects connected with the unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, 286 rape suspects, 276 suspected cultists and recovery of 333 various firearms, 6422 ammunition of various calibres. The Force was also able to recover 200 stolen vehicles and rescue 324 victims of kidnapping.

“On display in today’s briefing are several exhibits connected to these crimes, including, 89 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, 6 AK-47 rifles, 1 AK-49 Rifle, 1 Israeli Pump action rifle, 2 pump action rifles, 1 single barrel rifle.”

Highlighting one of the high-profile cases, Adejobi said operatives arrested eight kidnappers at the Kogi-Edo border.

He identified the suspects as—Tukur Salisu, Sani Abubakar, Mahmud Sani, Umar Abdullahi, Salisu Mohammed, Salisu Usman, Bashir Audu, and Jibril Haruna.

He said, “On 11/3/2025 at about 1830hrs operatives of IRT en route to Edo state on special duty at Oshara Ganden, a boundary between Kogi and Edo states ran into an ambush by kidnappers.

“The operatives employed their operational prowess to overpower the armed to-the-teeth kidnappers, arrested eight of them, and recovered from them 1 AK 47 rifle with 29 rounds of ammunition, 1 new Israeli pump action rifle with four rounds of cartridges, two pump action with seven rounds of cartridges, a single barrel with two cartridges and two operational motorcycles.”

Every Australian worker will be getting $268 tax cut as part of Anthony Albanese’s bid to win over voters battling the cost-of-living crisis.

The relief is going up for two years in a row, adding up to $536, as income tax rates are reduced from 2026 and 2027 for Australians in part-time work.

From 1 July 2026, the 16 per cent tax rate for incomes earned between $18,201 to $45,000, will be reduced to 15 per cent – leading to tax relief of $268.

And from 1 July 2027, this tax rate will be reduced further to 14 per cent – producing relief of $536 over two years.

That means every Australian taxpayer earning above $45,000 will get an extra tax cut of $268 in 2026-27 and $536 from 2027-28.

Combined with the stage three tax cuts introduced last year, a worker with a middle income of $72,592 will receive a total tax cut of $1,762 in 2026-27 and $2,030 annually from 2027-28.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the tax cuts, worth $17.1billion plan over four years were part of a plan to give all Australians some relief from rising prices.

‘Every Australian taxpayer will get a tax cut next year and the year after, to top up the tax cuts which began last July,’ he told Parliament.

‘This will take the first tax rate down to its lowest level in more than half a century.

‘The Government’s tax cuts reward participation, encouraging Australians, particularly women, part-time and lower income earners, to take on more hours of work.’

The Treasury Budget papers argued the relief was about addressing bracket creep where those in work pay higher levels of income tax as their pay levels rise to keep up with inflation.

‘These new tax cuts return bracket creep by lowering average tax rates for all taxpayers, especially for low- and middle-income earners,’ it said.

But H&R Block tax expert Mark Chapman told Daily Mail Australia tax thresholds would need to be indexed annually for inflation to tackle bracket creep where routine pay rises see Australians pay more tax.

Labor’s focus on providing tax relief to low-income earners extends the government’s rejigging of the former Coalition government’s stage three tax cuts, which were first legislated in 2019 to start in July 2024.

The Australian government’s tax take is expected to climb to $735.9billion by 2027-28, up from $645.2billion in 2024-25, making up 23.4 per cent of gross domestic product.

Government payments are expected to climb to $777.5billion in 2025-26.

The tax-free threshold is remaining at $18,200.

The 30 per cent marginal tax rate of 30 per cent remains in place for those earning $45,000 to $135,000, as the 37 per cent tax bracket stays in place for those earning between $135,000 and $190,000.

The 45 per cent tax rate remains in place for those on more than $190,000.

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