Three youths in Shani Local Government Area of Borno State, Salihu Yahaya, Haruna Mohammed and Muhammed Mallum, have allegedly been arrested by the police following a Facebook post on the council’s receipt of about N3.11 billion in Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds between January and June 2026.
The youths were reportedly arrested at the instance of the chairman of the local government, according to sources close to the affected persons.
The Facebook post, seen by our reporter, contained an image with the caption: “Shani Local Government Received 3.110 Billion Allocation From Federal Government From January To June 2026.”
The figure was based on an analysis of the monthly FAAC disbursement reports for Shani LGA.
Sources close to the arrested youths said they were taken into police custody in Shani and subsequently threatened with transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or the Department of State Services (DSS) in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to the sources, the youths did not engage in any other activity apart from sharing or posting the information on Facebook.
One of the sources said the arrests had generated concern among young people in the area, with several youths taking to social media to demand the release of the affected persons.
“Our concern is that they only shared information about the allocation received by the local government. If the authorities believe the information is wrong, they should explain where the figures are wrong instead of arresting them,” the source said.
Another source said the development had created fear among youths who use social media to discuss issues concerning the local government.
As of the time of filing this report, the whereabouts and current status of the three youths could not be independently confirmed by our reporter.
Efforts to reach the chairman of Shani Local Government Area for his reaction were unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to him were not responded to as of press time.
The police authorities in Borno State could also not be reached for their reaction to the alleged arrests and the reasons for the detention.
*FAAC report confirms amount
Report by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation monthly FAAC disbursement for January to June 2026 shows that Shani Local Government Area of Borno State received a total of N3.11 billion in allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
An analysis of the reports showed that the local government’s allocation fluctuated during the six-month period, with the highest monthly allocation of N551.90 million recorded in May and the lowest, N474.92 million, recorded in March.
In January, Shani received N514.80 million as its total net allocation. The amount comprised N225.94 million in net statutory allocation, N12.07 million from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), N6.78 million in net share of ecology and N270.02 million in Value Added Tax (VAT).
The local government received N533.46 million in February. The allocation comprised N184.33 million in net statutory allocation, N22.85 million in augmentation, N6.22 million in net share of ecology and N320.05 million in VAT.
In March, the allocation dropped to N474.92 million, comprising N266.01 million in net statutory allocation, N7.98 million in net share of ecology and N200.94 million in VAT.
The April allocation stood at N496.11 million. The amount included N274.29 million in net statutory allocation, N45.71 million in augmentation, N13.54 million from solid mineral revenue, N10.01 million in net share of ecology and N152.58 million in VAT.
Shani recorded its highest allocation during the period in May, when it received N551.90 million.
The May allocation consisted of N252.02 million in net statutory allocation, N57.13 million in augmentation, N9.27 million in net share of ecology and N233.47 million in VAT.
In June, the local government received N538.95 million, comprising N325.28 million in net statutory allocation, N9.76 million in net share of ecology and N203.91 million in VAT.
The six-month analysis also showed that VAT and statutory allocation constituted the major components of Shani’s FAAC receipts during the period, while additional components such as augmentation, EMTL and solid mineral revenue varied from month to month.
The total monthly allocations were N514.80 million in January, N533.46 million in February, N474.92 million in March, N496.11 million in April, N551.90 million in May and N538.95 million in June.
Cumulatively, the six-month receipts amounted to N3,110,132,578.97. (Daily Trust)
