Nigeria, March 24 -- Fresh details have emerged regarding cash payments made to Nigerian lawmakers during President Bola Tinubu's push for a state of emergency in Rivers State.

In response to allegations of bribery, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has denied that the payments were intended to secure lawmakers' support for the emergency rule.

Investigative journalist Jaafar Jaafar reported that Betara reached out to clarify that the $5,000 given to lawmakers was simply a "Sallah Gesture" and not a bribe. According to Betara, this was part of a long-standing tradition and unrelated to the political crisis in Rivers State.

"The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Al...