The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a notorious fugitive from Benin Republic, Sunday Kotin, during a covert operation in Ogun State and handed him over to security authorities in Cotonou. Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday. Kotin, who had long been on Benin’s wanted list, is accused of spearheading cross-border criminal activities ranging from armed banditry and arms smuggling to cattle rustling and drug trafficking. According to Hundeyin, operatives of the Police National Central Bureau (NCB) of Interpol Nigeria trailed Kotin after receiving a formal request from Interpol Benin Republic. The…
Author: National Update
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Chairman of Buji Local Government Council in Jigawa State, Arch. Najibullah Falalu Tukur, has rolled out a ₦48 million scholarship scheme benefiting 426 indigent students across various tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The initiative, executed under the Matawalle Students Care Programme, covered registration fees for 355 newly admitted students and 77 returning undergraduates. Tukur said the scheme targets brilliant but less privileged youths who excelled in their SSCE and JAMB examinations. A breakdown of the sponsorship shows ₦11.05 million was spent on 113 students admitted into three universities — 50 each at Federal University Dutse (FUD)…
By: Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Jigawa Education Accountability Forum (JEAF) has commended Governor Malam Umar Namadi for approving over ₦779 million to provide vital teaching and learning materials aimed at strengthening basic education in the state. JEAF, a State-Level Accountability Mechanism supported by the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), described the move as a direct response to its year-long advocacy on improved funding for schools and better incentives for School Support Officers (SSOs). Co-Chair of JEAF, Malam Tasi’u Abubakar, said in a statement that the forum, with technical support from PLANE, had earlier conducted spot checks on…
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced plans to resume operations on the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train service, following the successful completion of repairs and safety checks on the rail track at Asham. The service was suspended after a derailment incident on August 26, 2025. In a statement issued on Saturday, September 27, the NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, said the corporation had worked tirelessly since the incident to restore both infrastructure and rolling stock to global safety standards. He noted that the corporation has already refunded 512 of the 583 passengers on board the affected train, with efforts…
As the world marks World Rabies Day today, health and veterinary experts in Nigeria are warning that the country must step up mass dog vaccination if it is to end the deadly but preventable disease. This year’s theme, “Act Now: You, Me, Community,” underscores the urgent need for collective responsibility. Globally, rabies kills an estimated 59,000 people every year. Africa bears about 21,000 of those deaths, while Nigeria alone records between 1,000 and 2,000 human fatalities annually. Children under 15 remain the hardest hit. Experts note that over 99% of infections in humans come from dog bites, mostly from free-roaming…
Seventeen passengers travelling by boat along the Calabar waterway have been abducted by suspected sea pirates, the Cross River State Police Command confirmed on Saturday. Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, said the attack took place on Thursday shortly after the boat departed Oron for Calabar. He assured that security operatives had swung into action to secure the victims’ release. Ewa disclosed that a serving police officer from Akwa Ibom and a prominent Cross River politician, who were also on board, narrowly escaped being seized. One survivor, who declined to be named, recounted the ordeal: “They stopped our…
The Catholic Secretariat in Abuja came alive on Saturday as Dr. Chikamkpa Amaechi, son of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, exchanged vows with his bride, Anita Nwabueze, in a colourful ceremony that blended faith, family, and political glamour. Officiating the wedding mass at St. Gabriel Chaplaincy, Rev. Fr. Steve Dedua charged the couple to build their home on patience and divine guidance. He reminded them that marriage is a covenant designed by God and urged them not to become part of Nigeria’s rising divorce statistics. “From the beginning, God made them male and female to become one. What God…
The standoff between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has taken a dramatic turn, with the company describing the union’s directive to halt gas and crude supply as “economic sabotage.” PENGASSAN had ordered its members nationwide to cut supply to the $20 billion refinery in protest against the dismissal of more than 800 workers linked to the union. In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, Dangote Refinery said the move was not only reckless but also a direct assault on what it called a “strategic national asset.” “This is economic sabotage against…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse Tension has gripped Kazaure, Jigawa State, following the arrest of Comrade Hannafi Yakubu Jawo, a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and close ally of Senator Babangida Hussain, representing Jigawa Northwest. Jawo, who chairs the Wali People First support group for the senator, was reportedly picked up from his residence in the early hours of Saturday by police operatives and taken to the Area Command headquarters. Sources within the senator’s political structure told National Update that the arrest stemmed from a petition allegedly filed by the senator’s Personal Assistant, Muhammad Alhassan, popularly called Dan Alhassan. The…
Edo State’s renewed security drive has recorded another victory as the Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers, dismantled five suspected kidnapper camps in Ekeke Erah Forest, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo North. The joint operation, led by the Governor’s Principal Security Officer (PSO) with the support of the Nigerian Army, vigilante groups, and other security agencies, witnessed operatives trek nearly five kilometers into the dense forest between Afuze and Ora. According to squad member Eribo Ewanta, clear signs revealed the camps were still active. “We found fire still burning and a pot of food…