The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed as false, malicious, and misleading a report by an online platform claiming that the cancellation of events marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary was connected to an alleged attempted military coup. In a statement on Saturday, the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, said the publication’s claim that 16 senior military officers were arrested for plotting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a fabrication intended to incite fear and sow distrust among citizens. Gusau clarified that the DHQ’s October 4 announcement only stated that the affected officers were under investigation for acts…
Author: National Update
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Kano State Government has filed criminal charges against former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, three of his children, and several associates over the alleged secret transfer of the state’s 20 per cent equity stake in Dala Inland Dry Port Limited, a move that reportedly cost the state billions of naira in public assets and contracts. In a suit before the Kano State High Court, prosecutors allege that Ganduje used his office to reallocate the state’s shares in the company to private hands—including his children—while approving over ₦4 billion in state-funded contracts for the port’s infrastructure. Investigations…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse In its drive to make quality education accessible to every child, the Jigawa State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen planning and accountability in the education sector — with strong backing from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). At a workshop convened in Dutse to review and develop the Local Education Sector Operational Plan (LESOP), stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to building a more responsive and inclusive education system that addresses the unique needs of children across the state’s 27 local government areas. The initiative, supported by UNICEF, is aimed at helping local governments align education interventions…
A United States–based advocacy group, Ikenga Think-Tank North America, has called on Nigerians at home and abroad to unite behind activist Omoyele Sowore’s peaceful protest movement demanding the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). In a communiqué titled “The People’s Communiqué for Justice and Liberation,” signed by the group’s coordinator, Dr. Dankwu Aghambu, and released on Saturday, the organisation said the call was born out of “a duty to defend truth, justice, and freedom” in the face of what it described as “a continuing injustice” in Kanu’s detention despite court rulings…
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has declared that Nigeria’s creative and tourism industries hold the potential to replace oil as the country’s main economic driver. Musawa made the statement in Awka, Anambra State, on Friday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Ministry and the Anambra State Government to establish Renewed Hope Creative and Cultural Villages. Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Nneka Ikem Anibeze in a statement quoted her to have indicated that the initiative is designed to preserve historic sites, promote tourism, and create…
The Obidient Movement has declared full readiness ahead of the forthcoming Anambra State elections, vowing to defend the people’s mandate and resist any attempt to subvert the electoral process. Speaking at a press conference held on Friday at the George Moghalu Campaign Office in Udoka Estate, Awka, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said the movement had completed the inauguration of its Polling Unit Commanders across all 5,720 polling units in the state, signalling what he described as “total grassroots coverage.” “From Awka to Awkuzu, from Nnewi to every village and community, our grassroots structures are…
Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has strongly denied reports alleging that the Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a lawsuit against him over alleged vile remarks directed at Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing the claim as false, malicious, and politically motivated. In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Romanus Uzor Ozioko, Senator Nwebonyi said the story, originally published by Sahara Reporters, was a “fabrication by mischief makers desperate for attention and relevance.” “The report is entirely false and a product of mischief. The Federal Government has not…
The Honourable Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, CON, mni, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its air power capabilities during a strategic inspection of ongoing aircraft production at Leonardo S.p.A’s defence facilities in Italy. The inspection was part of activities marking the Minister’s participation in the official visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to Italy for the AQABA Process Meeting in Rome. During the visit, the Defence Minister toured two key Leonardo divisions — the Helicopters Division in Vergiate, where AW109 Trekker attack helicopters for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) are being assembled, and the Aircraft Division in…
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, has called for stronger collaboration between government institutions and citizens to overcome Nigeria’s security challenges. He made the call on Friday while speaking as Special Guest of Honour at the inauguration of projects by the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. The commissioned projects include new officers’ accommodation, the Niger Barracks Extension, and the link road connecting the Nigerian Army Resource Centre at Mambilla Barracks with AHQ Command Mess 1 and the Defence Intelligence Agency. Speaker Abbas commended the Federal Government for its sustained commitment to national security and…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) has commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for its sustained commitment to strengthening children’s right to education and improving educational planning in Nigeria. The Director-General of NIEPA, Dr. David Shofoyeke, gave the commendation on Friday at the opening of a three-day training on the Local Education Sector Operational Plan (LESOP) for education managers in Dutse, Jigawa State. Shofoyeke, represented by Dr. Grace Omiyale, a Senior Training and Research Fellow at the institute, reaffirmed NIEPA’s dedication to driving educational transformation across the country. He explained that the…