Armed bandits have reportedly intercepted a vehicle conveying passengers returning from Sokoto city and shot everyone inside along the road to Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The exact number of people killed in the attack, which reportedly occurred on Wednesday, October 21, had yet to be confirmed as of Thursday. Conflict reporter Bakatsine, who covers security incidents in northwestern Nigeria, reported the incident and shared photographs of some of the victims. Some of those killed were reportedly among the 3,000 people recruited by the Sokoto State Government who had travelled to the state capital for further screening and…
Author: National Update
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) has commended the peaceful conduct of the October 17 local government elections in Kogi State but identified late arrival of electoral officials, inadequate materials and low voter turnout as major shortcomings. The human rights organisation also blamed inadequate voter education and declining public confidence for the poor participation recorded in several polling units. In its election observation report signed by its Executive Director, Idris Miliki Abdul, CHRCR said its observers found that several polling units lacked election officials and materials, contrary to the schedule announced by the Kogi…
By Handel Okoli As Nigeria inches towards another general election, against a backdrop of political tension, growing anxiety, and genuine national security concerns, certain aspects of the life and times of one of our finest statesmen have assumed renewed significance. The ideas, convictions, and political philosophy of Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, GCON, former Vice-President of Nigeria, deserves serious reflection as we consider the kind of country we wish to build. Dr. Ekwueme was born on 21 October 1932. Had he not passed away on 19 November 2017, he would have celebrated his 94th birthday on Wednesday, 21 October 2026. His…
***Coalition alleges ₦20m campaign to frustrate crackdown, demands probe of alleged military collusion Indigenous youth organisations in Plateau State have accused groups representing Fulani interests of attempting to undermine security operations through petitions and social media campaigns targeting security agencies. Addressing a press conference at the NUJ FCT Council in Abuja on Wednesday, the coalition urged President Bola Tinubu to sustain joint operations involving the Department of State Services (DSS), Mobile Police Force and Operation Rainbow. The youth leaders alleged that sponsors of armed militants were raising ₦20 million to fund media campaigns, court cases and petitions aimed at frustrating…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi State chapter, has warned that neglecting doctors’ welfare threatens patients’ lives, urging the Federal and state governments to improve remuneration, provide safer workplaces and address burnout among medical practitioners. The state chairman, Dr Mary Onyeche Obari, gave the warning during activities marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria.” Obari said doctors routinely work under intense pressure, handle emergencies and make critical medical decisions, often at the expense of their physical and mental health. She warned that such sacrifices should not be mistaken for professional…
Opposition leaders are stepping up efforts to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027, with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke among the prominent figures being considered for a consensus presidential ticket. The G100 coalition said Wednesday in Abuja that negotiations with opposition parties and presidential hopefuls were making progress, raising the prospect of a coordinated challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress. But with no candidate-selection formula publicly announced, the coalition faces a critical test: persuading rival political camps to rally behind one candidate and avoid a divided…
**”Demands emergency funding, tighter airport screening, modern quarantine law after reported Abuja case Twelve years after Nigeria earned international recognition for containing the Ebola outbreak of 2014, the Senate has raised the alarm over gaps in airport screening, emergency funding and public health laws, warning that the country cannot afford to repeat the mistakes that could allow the deadly virus to spread. The concern followed reports of a confirmed Ebola case in Abuja, prompting lawmakers at Tuesday’s plenary to demand urgent measures to strengthen surveillance, protect public health and prevent further transmission. Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar, representing Kwara North, said…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has slammed President Bola Tinubu over his decision to extend the tenures of the heads of the Nigerian Correctional Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service by 18 months, warning that the move could undermine career progression, weaken institutional discipline and fuel suspicions of nepotism. HURIWA said the government had no justification for retaining serving chiefs beyond their scheduled exit dates when qualified officers within the services could take over, describing repeated tenure extensions as a threat to innovation and orderly succession. In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko,…
Thirteen State Houses of Assembly have backed the proposed creation of state police, raising fresh hopes for the long-awaited reform as pressure mounts on state legislatures to meet the constitutional requirements for decentralising Nigeria’s policing system. Eight assemblies — Kwara, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ogun, Delta, Cross River, Plateau and Enugu — approved the proposal on Tuesday, bringing the number of states supporting the measure to 13. The development came as the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill submitted the proposed legislation and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review. The Chief of Staff to…
The Federal Government is tracing 44 contacts of Nigeria’s newly confirmed Ebola patient in Abuja, as health experts warn that delayed detection could trigger further infections and disrupt economic activities ahead of the festive season. The patient, a woman who arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was treated at a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory for several days before laboratory tests confirmed the infection on October 20. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the government had activated emergency response measures involving the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and…