The newly confirmed Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, has called on the Federal Government to urgently develop a domestic military industrial base to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign arms suppliers. Speaking during his screening before the Senate in Abuja, General Oluyede warned that continued reliance on imported military hardware was “unsustainable, costly, and dangerous”, stressing that true national security must be built on local capacity. “For Nigeria to move forward, it is imperative that we develop our own military industrial complex,” he said. “We cannot keep buying from outside. These things are extremely expensive. It is…
Author: National Update
The newly Confirmed Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, on Tuesday presented a bold and cerebral vision before the Senate, declaring that the Nigerian Air Force must evolve beyond traditional warfare to confront a “smarter enemy” using technology, adaptability, and synergy with other services. Appearing before the Senate for screening, Aneke captivated lawmakers with a blend of humility, intellect, and strategic clarity rarely seen in such sessions. “The world is changing at a very rapid rate. Those that will survive will not be the strongest or the fittest—but those who have the ability to adapt,” he…
By Ibrahim John Recently, the ghost of the long rested Obono-Obla’s 86 luxury vehicles saga again assaulted our consciousness. Resurrected by some anti-corruption crusaders who took to the media to invoke the spirit, the apparition now hovers menacingly over us. The crusaders want President Bola Tinubu to revive the glaring corrupt case buried by his predecessor, late former president Muhamadu Buhari and punish the offender. There is doubt that Nigeria’s fight against corruption suffered its greatest setback during the celebrated case. To most watchers then , many Nigerians applauded the efforts of the Obla Committee’s commitment to corruption in the…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the removal of Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, from the revised presidential pardon list, following widespread public criticism. The Presidency announced on Wednesday that Sanda and others convicted of serious offences — including kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal possession of firearms — had been taken off the list. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said the review came after consultations with the Council of State and reflected growing concerns about national security and justice for victims. > “The decision was informed by public sensitivity, security…
…Every day I get to celebrate and honor being a mother, and honor my mother. Joining grateful children and mothers around the world to give gratitude and celebrate the special gift of motherhood is a priviledge. I celebrate the blessing of motherhood every second of the day because it is the ultimate gift. I celebrate being a mother and having the most special mother every moment and want to give a loving shout out to my mother. Anyone who knows my mother, Hajia Ladi Binta Musawa (nee Yusuf Gurshe Rafindadi), will be aware of what a difficult task it is…
***Moves Secretariat to Justice Ministry President Bola Tinubu has finalized a revised clemency list, removing high-risk offenders and commuting sentences for some, following consultations with the Council of State and public input. Under his constitutional powers, the President excluded individuals convicted of serious crimes—including kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms—from the pardon list. The decision considered the severity of offences, national security implications, victims’ sensitivities, law-enforcement morale, and Nigeria’s international obligations. The revised list has been transmitted to the Nigerian Correctional Service for implementation. In a broader reform move, President Tinubu ordered the relocation of…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Lokoja, Kogi State — The newly appointed Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, has officially assumed duty, pledging to prioritize community policing and strengthen inter-agency collaboration to safeguard lives and property across the state. Speaking at his maiden press briefing on Wednesday, CP Kankarofi said the initiative aligns with the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) Community Policing Policy, aimed at ensuring security strategies reflect the actual needs of local communities. “He who wears the shoes knows where it pinches. We will work closely with the citizens and communities of Kogi State so…
The United States-based counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Bruce Fein, has strongly criticised the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissing the no-case submission filed by his client. In a letter addressed to Justice James Omotosho and made public on Wednesday, Fein described the court’s ruling as a betrayal of legal and moral principles, insisting that the Nigerian government must not be allowed to benefit from actions he called unlawful and unconstitutional. “No government should profit from its own criminality. That has been binding law from time immemorial,” Fein…
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised alarm over the growing use of courier and delivery companies for drug trafficking across Nigeria, describing the trend as a disturbing sign of systemic decay and weak governance. In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Obi said the infiltration of criminal networks into the logistics sector exposes the failure of regulatory and security institutions to safeguard national integrity. “When criminal groups can freely use delivery companies to move drugs across the country, it shows how fragile our systems have become,” Obi lamented. He expressed disappointment that despite repeated alerts…
The Movement for the Emancipation of Kogi State (MEKSTA) has berated former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, over what it described as a “shameful display of administrative recklessness” following his use of official state insignia in a congratulatory message to the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Waidi Shaibu. Bello had come under fire after a letter he authored to the new Army Chief went viral online, bearing the Kogi State Government’s official letterhead and seal, despite no longer holding office. The backlash forced the former governor to delete the letter from his verified social media…