By Muhammed Danjuma Ogwu, Lafia As preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nasarawa State has announced plans to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise across the state’s 13 local government areas beginning in August. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Nasarawa State, Dr. Shehu Al-Wahab, disclosed this during a media briefing at the Commission’s headquarters in Lafia. Dr. Al-Wahab stated that the CVR exercise, which allows eligible Nigerians to register to vote or update their voter details, will begin with online pre-registration on August 18, 2025, while in-person registration will…
Author: National Update
By John Akubo In just one year, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has ignited a quiet revolution—breaking down financial barriers and opening the doors of higher education to thousands of young Nigerians. More than a funding scheme, NELFUND is fast becoming a cornerstone of national transformation, reshaping access, equity, and opportunity across the country’s education landscape. Hence NELFUND has marked its first anniversary—not with fanfare, but with a bold declaration: this is more than a student loan scheme; it is a bold national intervention poised to transform Nigeria’s future. But for its full promise to be realized, the private…
In a decisive move against the rising wave of infrastructure vandalism, operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have dismantled a suspected syndicate operating out of scrap dumps in Uyo. Acting on intelligence, the Command launched a coordinated operation on Monday, July 15, leading to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of significant quantities of suspected stolen government property. The breakthrough followed the arrest of Aniekpeno Essien Isaac, who, under interrogation, revealed locations where stolen public infrastructure was allegedly being trafficked. By 9:00 p.m. that same day, officers had stormed two suspected scrap yards, where they arrested…
***Appointment well deserved, Obanikoro, Arise, others It was a powerful show of bipartisan solidarity and national recognition on Thursday as Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, and other political heavyweights gathered to honour former Minister of State for Works, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, following his appointment to the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). For many of the dignitaries present, the moment was not just celebratory—it was redemptive. “Your reward is long overdue,” echoed Bamidele, Obanikoro, and Ayodele Arise, capturing the mood of a gathering that felt more like a homecoming for a political stalwart whose…
By John Akubo In an era marked by complex security threats and global supply chain limitations, Nigeria is beginning to embrace an urgent truth: national security must be locally secured. At the forefront of this awakening is Dr. Bright Echefu, a visionary entrepreneur whose bold investment in indigenous defence technologies is fast reshaping the narrative of Nigeria’s strategic independence. Earlier in the week, Dr. Echefu, Chairman of EIB Group and founder of Briech UAS, hosted senior editors and journalists from across Abuja to a media parley and facility tour — offering firsthand insight into the country’s most advanced private defence-tech…
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has launched a full-scale investigation into the importation of damaged solar panels worth over N3.3 billion from China into Nigeria, in what is emerging as one of the most disturbing cases of alleged international fraud and product deception. According to sources within the Nigeria Police Force, a high-level team of Interpol detectives is preparing to travel to China to work with local law enforcement in tracing and interrogating officials of the Chinese company Hebei-Kewang Import and Export Trading Co. Ltd, the firm accused of shipping the defective goods. The panels were allegedly ordered by…
The newly established Special Security Squad in Edo State has intensified its crackdown on cultists and criminal gangs, arresting several suspects during coordinated raids across Benin City on Wednesday, July 16. The operations are part of “Operation Flush Out Kidnappers and Cultists”, a state-wide initiative launched by Governor Monday Okpebholo to restore public safety and dismantle criminal networks that have long plagued parts of the state. The security team—which includes personnel from the military, police, NSCDC, local hunters, vigilante groups, and even repentant cultists—carried out intelligence-led raids in key flashpoints across the city, targeting suspected hideouts and cult enclaves. The…
In a renewed offensive against kidnapping and violent crime, the Nigeria Police Force has rescued 31 abducted victims in two coordinated operations across Edo and Taraba States, dealing a major blow to criminal gangs operating along key transport routes. The announcement was made on Friday by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who described the operations as “significant breakthroughs” in the nationwide fight against banditry and abduction. On Friday, July 11, suspected kidnappers laid siege to commuters along the Fugar-Agenebode road in Etsako East LGA of Edo State, opening fire and killing two people before whisking others away into…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is actively working behind the scenes to woo former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, back into its fold ahead of the 2027 general elections. This was disclosed by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, during an interview on Arise News Thursday night, where he described Obi as a “great political asset” and “a product of the PDP.” Obi, who ran as vice presidential candidate under the PDP in 2019, left the party in 2022 to join the Labour Party, where he emerged as the sole presidential…
The crisis within Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appears far from over, as the party has now confirmed it is considering expelling the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over what it describes as “anti-party activities.” Ibrahim Abdullahi, the PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, revealed during an interview on Arise News that a committee is already reviewing petitions against Wike and other party members whose actions have reportedly undermined the party’s unity and electoral prospects. Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, has remained a controversial figure in Nigerian politics, especially since he…