Three months after devastating floods swept through Mokwa, Niger State, killing more than 150 people and displacing thousands, President Bola Tinubu has approved ₦16.7 billion for the urgent reconstruction of the collapsed Mokwa Bridge, a lifeline for the affected communities. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the approval on Saturday, describing it as a major relief for residents still reeling from the tragedy. “This is music to the ears of Niger people. The President has approved ₦16.7 billion for a 10-span bridge to reconnect communities cut off by the disaster,” Idris said. The May floods left…
Author: National Update
The Kano State Police Command on Saturday said it arrested 288 suspected thugs armed with guns and other dangerous weapons during the by-election in four local government areas of the state. Police spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrests, noting that the suspects were rounded up while allegedly attempting to disrupt the exercise, some in the company of their suspected sponsors. Recovered items included a pump-action rifle, four locally made guns, cutlasses, sticks, bows and arrows, knives and catapults. “These items were recovered as part of efforts to ensure a peaceful and credible election in Kano,” Haruna stated. Reports indicated…
***INEC Relocates Polling Units in Five Wards Over Security Concerns The by-election for the vacant Munya Constituency seat in the Niger State House of Assembly recorded impressive turnout and ended peacefully on Saturday under tight security. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it had to relocate polling units in five wards—Kuchi, Beni, Dangunu, Kabila, and Kazai—to safer grounds due to insecurity in the areas caused by bandit attacks. State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Ahmed Yushau Garki, told reporters that although relative peace had returned to the affected wards, the decision was taken “in the interest of voters and electoral…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse Member representing Auyo/Hadejia/Kafin Hausa Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, Hon. Usman Ibrahim Kamfani, has denied claims that he accused colleagues in the House of Representatives of taking bribes before passing bills. In a statement issued by his media aide, Comrade Ahmed Ilallah Hadejia, the lawmaker said his remarks in a viral Hausa-language video were misinterpreted and twisted by political opponents. According to Ilallah, Hon. Kamfani was only referring to consultancy costs associated with bill drafting, which could range from ₦2 million for contractual bills to ₦1 million for petition-related bills. “The member never alleged that his…
By Yisa Usman MSc, FCA, FCTI In Nigeria, conversations about governance almost always begin and end with the people in power. We complain about bad leadership, we demand reforms, we organise protests, and we flood social media with hashtags. We believe the problem is “them”, the politicians, the appointees, the government. And we say everything else would fall into place if they would just change. A comforting belief that ignores the uncomfortable truth that leadership is a reflection of the society it comes from. The ethics, values and habits of those in high office often magnify a version of the…
Nigeria has stepped boldly into the future of cultural preservation with the launch of its first Digital Museum, an innovation that places centuries of history, art, and traditions just a click away. Unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) Digital Museum is being hailed as a gamechanger in how nations can reimagine cultural heritage in the digital age. For the first time, Nigeria’s antiquities and artistic treasures usually locked behind glass displays or scattered across heritage sites will be accessible to anyone, anywhere,…
Security operatives in Kaduna State have arrested a man in possession of nearly ₦26 million in cash, allegedly earmarked for vote buying ahead of Saturday’s bye-elections in the state. The suspect, identified as Shehu Patangi, was apprehended in the early hours of Saturday at a popular hotel along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis, where he was reportedly coordinating the distribution of funds to influence voters in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election. Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement, disclosing that operatives recovered ₦25,963,000 cash from the suspect. According to the statement,…
By Uhuru Samuel, Jalingo Shock and outrage gripped residents of Karofi, a suburb of Jalingo, Taraba State capital, on Wednesday after Alhaji Bello Kasimu, an Adviser to Governor Agbu Kefas, allegedly attacked a mentally challenged teenager with a knife. The 19-year-old victim, identified as Adamu, was tied up by a factory guard on suspicion of theft before Kasimu reportedly arrived at the scene and inflicted multiple knife wounds on him. Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred at a pure water factory where the security guard, Tapawa, claimed he apprehended Adamu around 3 a.m. The guard said he tied up…
***Interim Chair Nenadi Usman Says Judgment Restores Focus, Ends Leadership Distraction The Labour Party’s long-running leadership tussle may have reached its final bus stop as the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday threw out Julius Abure’s case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ruling that he is no longer the party’s National Chairman. In Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1523/2025, the court held it lacked jurisdiction and leaned heavily on the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 verdict (Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025) that had already struck down all prior claims to Abure’s leadership. Reacting swiftly, Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, PhD, declared the…
The Labour Party’s festering leadership battle erupted anew after ousted national chairman Julius Abure secured an interlocutory order from a Nasarawa State High Court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise his faction and upload its candidates for Saturday’s bye-elections. Justice Mustapha A. Ramat’s July 23, 2025 ruling in Suit No. NSD/LF.84/2024 handed Abure and ally Umar Farouk Ibrahim sweeping powers — including control of access codes for both the August 16 nationwide bye-elections and the February 2026 FCT council polls. The case resumes September 22 after INEC failed to appear in court. Senator Nenadi Usman’s interim leadership…