Fear and terror gripped Palaita and Kakuru communities in Erena Ward, Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, on Wednesday as armed bandits launched brazen attacks on residents. In Palaita, chaos erupted around 2:00 p.m. when bandits stormed a rice farm, abducting 24 villagers, including pregnant women, as they worked under the scorching sun. Villagers said the attackers moved with alarming speed, vanishing into the bush before soldiers from a nearby military camp, just five kilometers away, could intervene. “They came out of nowhere,” a distraught local recounted. “By the time anyone realized what was happening, they were already gone with…
Author: National Update
Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary and global governance advocate, Comrade Timi Frank, has condemned the recent military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, calling it “a dangerous interruption of democracy and a warning of Africa’s deeper governance crisis.” In a statement Thursday, Frank stressed that while coups are unacceptable, African leaders and regional bodies share responsibility for creating conditions that make them possible. “Military rule is never the answer. But we cannot ignore that coups emerge from failing democracies—rigged elections, unconstitutional term extensions, and leaders who refuse to respect the people’s will,” he said. Frank, recently appointed Senior Advisor to the Global…
The pro-good-governance group, Hope Alive Initiative (HAI), has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership in tackling Nigeria’s security challenges, describing his actions as a “source of hope” for the nation. In a statement by its Director of Media and Communications, Ernest Omoarelojie, HAI said the President has shown “clarity, courage, and capability” in addressing one of the country’s most difficult security periods. He called Tinubu “the leader Nigeria needs today,” citing his rapid and coordinated response to abductions and violent crimes across multiple states. Recent security operations underscore these efforts: all abductees in Kebbi and Kwara states…
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s dairy industry through coordinated reforms, strengthened partnerships, and the implementation of a newly validated national policy framework. Speaking at the 2025 FrieslandCampina WAMCO CNDDD Annual Dairy Development Webinar, Co-Chair of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (PLRIC) Professor Attahiru Jega has declared that Nigeria is at “a turning point” and must take decisive action to build a productive and sustainable dairy value chain. The keynote speaker Represented by Professor Demo Kalla indicated that demand for dairy and other animal-sourced foods is expected to surge dramatically as Nigeria’s population grows. Citing…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja GOVERNOR Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Abu Ali, the Etsu of Bassa Nge Kingdom and former Military Governor of Bauchi State. In a condolence message issued through his Special Adviser on Media, Ismaila Isah, the Governor described the late monarch as a father figure, a stabilizing force, and a pillar of wisdom whose leadership contributed immensely to peace, unity, development in Kogi State and Nigeria. Governor Ododo hinted that the news of the passing of the revered Paramount ruler and Etsu Bassa-Nge was…
By John Adams, Minna Tragedy struck again in Niger State on Wednesday as two parents of abducted students from St. Mary Catholic Missionary School, Papiri, Agwara LGA, collapsed and died of heart attacks amid the ongoing crisis over the kidnapping. The deaths come just a week after gunmen raided the school at midnight, abducting 303 students and 12 staff members. While 50 students escaped at a riverbank during a ferrying attempt and have been reunited with their families, 253 students and 12 staff remain in the hands of the bandits, with no updates on their rescue. The Chairman of CAN…
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is among hundreds of foreign election observers stranded in Guinea-Bissau following a dramatic military takeover just hours before official presidential election results were due. Jonathan arrived in the West African nation as head of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission. He and other observers have been unable to leave after the military seized power, shut down borders, and imposed a nationwide curfew. According to reports, panic gripped diplomats and election monitors who rushed to Osvaldo Vieira International Airport shortly after the coup announcement. Soldiers, however, sealed off all land, air, and sea…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja The Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET) has urged stronger coordination and proactive engagement between government agencies, security forces, traditional authorities, and civil society to curb the escalating insecurity across Kogi State. Chairman Hamza Aliyu made the call in response to recent incidents of kidnappings, armed attacks, and banditry, particularly along the Kabba–Obajana–Lokoja corridor and in rural communities of Yagba East, Okene, and Koton-Karfe. “Over the past several months, Kogi State has experienced a sharp rise in security threats affecting both urban and rural areas. These incidents have instilled fear, disrupted economic activities, and displaced families,” Aliyu said.…
The Nigerian Senate has urged swift federal action to tackle the surge of insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States, insisting that kidnappers face the death penalty as a decisive deterrent against violent crime. Senators also called for a comprehensive review of the country’s firearms laws, aiming to empower law-abiding citizens in defending themselves and their communities—an approach aligned with practices in over 175 countries globally. The resolution stemmed from a motion on the urgent need to tackle rising insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States, moved by Lola Ashiru (Kwara South). The motion highlighted a recent wave of attacks…
Four years after the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) came into effect, the Niger Delta has yet to see the benefits of two major environmental funds, the House of Representatives Committee on South South Development Commission (SSDC) revealed on Tuesday. Hon. Julius Gbabojör Pondi, committee chairman, warned that the Abandonment and Decommissioning Fund and the Environmental Remediation Fund—intended to hold oil companies accountable for cleaning up degraded lands and waterways—have been largely inactive, denying the region an estimated N1.65 trillion since 2021. “If properly operationalised, these funds could have amassed between N850 billion and N1.1 trillion for decommissioning and N420 billion…