The Senate on Wednesday approved a ₦50 million donation to the families of five Nigerians who lost their lives during the operation that rescued schoolchildren abducted in Oyo State after 56 days in captivity. The upper chamber unanimously endorsed the gesture after Senate President Godswill Akpabio proposed that each of the five bereaved families receive ₦10 million in recognition of the sacrifices made by their loved ones. Announcing the decision during plenary, Akpabio recalled that the Senate had, a day earlier, applauded President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security agencies for securing the release of the abducted pupils and their…
Author: National Update
The Senate on Wednesday again declined Senator Kawu Sumaila’s bid to investigate the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an alleged agency listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budget of over ₦1.3 billion despite claims by the Presidency that it does not exist. The upper chamber ruled that the matter was already before the courts and under investigation by a presidential committee, making further parliamentary action premature. Raising the issue under the Senate Standing Orders on the appropriation process, Sumaila, who represents Kano South Senatorial District, sought a probe into the establishment, legal status, budgetary allocation and…
Second Open Letter To President5 BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR Mr President, Sir. It Is Time to Make a Final Decision on Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and NIOMCO By Dan D. Kunle Your Excellency, Good afternoon sir Nearly half a century ago, Nigeria embarked on one of the boldest industrial projects ever conceived on the African continent. The Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited was never intended to be just another government enterprise. It was designed to become the backbone of Nigeria’s industrial economy, the foundation upon which railways, bridges, refineries, power stations, automobiles, heavy machinery, defence equipment, construction materials, oil and gas…
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has argued that the 2027 presidential election should be driven by competence and justice rather than religious considerations, dismissing renewed conversations around a Muslim-Muslim ticket as politically misplaced. Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Adebayo said Nigerians have become more concerned about the quality of leadership than the faith of those occupying public office. He described the President Bola Tinubu-Vice President Kashim Shettima administration as a “zero-zero ticket,” insisting that the government has failed to deliver the justice and good governance Nigerians expected. “There is nothing like…
A support group, the Ibom Future Leaders Forum (IFLF), has accused unnamed individuals of orchestrating a campaign to undermine the reputation of the Akwa Ibom State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Commandant Geraldine Abetianbe. The group, which addressed a press conference in Uyo, insisted that the allegations of corruption, tribalism and discrimination circulating against the Commandant were false and intended to damage her credibility. Chairman of the Forum’s Board of Trustees, Rt. Comrade Emmanuel Johnny, described Abetianbe as a disciplined, transparent and result-driven officer whose leadership has improved the effectiveness of the NSCDC in Akwa…
Fear spread across the University of Jos (UniJos) on Tuesday after the body of a man was discovered on the institution’s permanent campus, prompting heightened security and an investigation into the incident. The deceased, believed to be a local farmer who cultivated land within the university environment, was found dead on farmland located on the campus. University authorities confirmed that the victim was neither a student nor a member of staff, dismissing speculation that the incident involved anyone within the institution’s academic community. Chief Security Officer of the university, Agama Tangni, said preliminary findings suggest the victim may have been…
A counter-terrorism operation by Nigerian troops has led to the arrest of a suspected Moroccan member of the Islamic State (ISIS), following the military’s successful repulsion of a terrorist attack on Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. Security sources said the operation began after troops thwarted a coordinated assault by insurgents, compelling the attackers to flee while abandoning weapons, communications equipment and other operational materials. The military immediately launched follow-up search and exploitation missions across the terrorists’ withdrawal routes, recovering additional intelligence assets believed to have been discarded during the escape. Among the recovered items were…
A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment over alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation. Justice Muhammed Umar ordered security agencies to arrest Adeyemi and produce him before the court on September 30 to answer an eight-count criminal charge. Although defence counsel Genesis Francis appeared in court on his behalf, the defendant was absent when the matter, listed as number 12 on the day’s cause list, was called. Prosecution counsel Wisdom Madaki…
The Senate on Tuesday rejected Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for a United Nations-led investigation into the abduction and rescue of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, urging the governor to withdraw what lawmakers described as an unnecessary and politically motivated demand. The upper chamber adopted the resolution after Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) introduced an additional prayer during consideration of a motion praising President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces and other security agencies for securing the release of the victims after 56 days in captivity. Oshiomhole described Makinde’s demand for an international investigation as “politics taken too far” and “unstatesmanly,”…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has intensified pressure on the Federal Government to open the controversial abduction and rescue of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State to international scrutiny, insisting that only an independent investigation can restore public confidence in the official account of the incident. The rights group said President Bola Tinubu’s administration should stop criticising Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for demanding a United Nations-led investigation and instead invite the UN, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other credible international agencies to independently examine the 56-day ordeal and the military rescue operation. In a…