By Janet Sam At the heart of Abuja, voices rose in unison for Nigeria’s most forgotten citizens: widows, orphans, and the elderly. During the CCWA Annual Convention themed “Empowering and Raising the Forgotten,” Engr. Obadiah Nkom, Director-General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, urged Nigerians, philanthropists, and institutions to take urgent action. “Government programs alone cannot reach everyone in need,” he said. “Every family touches a widow, an orphan, or an elderly person. Supporting them is not charity—it is our collective responsibility.” The gathering celebrated the enduring vision of CCWA Founder, Prof. Deborah Ajakaiye, whose initiative has grown over 33…
Author: National Update
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has congratulated its 2023 presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, on being conferred with a Doctor of Political Science (D.Pol) by Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State. In a statement signed by Acting National Chairman Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, the party described the honour as “well-deserved and inspiring,” highlighting that it reflects Prince Adebayo’s outstanding contributions to national development as an international lawyer, political leader, public intellectual, media entrepreneur, philanthropist, and advocate for human capital development. The statement also praised his philanthropic gesture of donating the Macualay and Margaret Omugbe Postgraduate Block to Western Delta…
In a sweeping crackdown that signals a new level of resolve in Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested notorious drug baron Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, alias Chisco Bee, and seized over 14 metric tons of cannabis (skunk) across multiple states. Ibemesi, 42, who operated under the guise of a businessman and hotelier, was apprehended at his Daisy Garden Hotel in Isolo, Lagos, following weeks of precision intelligence. Authorities recovered 42 jumbo bags and four cartons of Loud cannabis (1,762.8 kg), along with large sums of foreign currency. The arrest dismantled one of the…
In a decisive blow against criminal and terror networks in northern Nigeria, the Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Musa Abubakar, a suspected arms manufacturer and supplier linked to violent armed groups terrorizing Plateau State and surrounding regions. Abubakar was apprehended on 12 November 2025 after precise intelligence led DSS operatives to his clandestine weapons-production facility in Mista Ali, Bassa LGA. According to sources, he admitted to producing and distributing high-calibre firearms and ammunition to criminal gangs responsible for recurring attacks that have left communities in fear. Authorities recovered components for improvised explosive devices (IEDs), chemicals, and other arms-manufacturing…
The Federal Government’s abrupt cancellation of the national mother-tongue education policy has ignited widespread backlash, with the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) describing the move as “national, cultural, scientific, and educational suicide.” The 2022 National Language Policy, which required children in early education to be taught in their mother tongue or the language of their immediate community, was suddenly scrapped by the Ministry of Education. Dr. Tunji Alausa announced at the 2025 Language in Education International Conference in Abuja that English would now serve as the sole medium of instruction from primary to tertiary education. HURIWA’s National Coordinator,…
Ben Adaji Jalingo Few Months ago, Dr. Agbu Kefas, Governor of Taraba State announced the preparedness of his administration to embark on massive infrastructural development across the State in last October. Many dismissed the announcement with a wave of hands, believing that it is the Governor’s usual antics of promise and fail. Interestingly, the Governor has proved the douthing Thomases wrong. He has commenced massive road construction and other infrastructural development across Taraba State in fulfilment of his campaign promises and recent engagement with stakeholders across the Three Senatorial districts in the State. The Governor was widely criticised for not…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse In a strong push to deepen President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on human capital development, Senator Babangida Hussaini of Jigawa North-West has launched the construction of a state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre to equip youths with cutting-edge digital skills. The senator, in a personally signed statement made available to National Update in Dutse, said the project underscores his commitment to creating opportunities that prepare young people for the demands of an increasingly digital global economy. According to him, the ICT hub is designed to bridge long-standing gaps in digital access and literacy…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), convening its 2025 National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, has announced the expulsion of several prominent figures — including Nyesom Wike, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, and others — for what it described as persistent anti-party activities. In a brief but decisive communiqué, the party’s leadership stated that the measure was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of accredited delegates, signalling a strategic shift toward internal consolidation ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. According to the statement, the expulsions are intended to reinforce organisational discipline and…
The Delta State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has drawn a firm line in the sand, declaring that veteran politician Chief Great Ogboru is neither welcome in the party nor recognised as part of its political future. In a bold statement that has sent shockwaves through the state’s political circles, party stakeholders said Ogboru’s recent attempt to align with the ADC was “misplaced, suspicious, and completely out of tune with the aspirations of Delta’s grassroots members.” The stakeholders accuse Ogboru of trying to slip into the ADC after “losing political soil under his feet” in Delta’s evolving landscape,…
The Nigerian Army has confirmed that troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade came under a fierce ambush by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State, leaving two soldiers and two Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) operatives dead. The attack unfolded on Friday evening near Sabon Gari along the perilous Damboa–Biu highway—an area long stalked by insurgent violence. In a statement, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Appolonia Anele, said the troops were returning from a successful clearance operation in Sambisa Forest and had been conducting a routine patrol around Wajiroko in Azir Multe when the terrorists…