The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the reported abduction of 15 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Kogi State, describing the incident as a failure by the Federal Government to protect young Nigerians serving the country. The group called for the immediate and unconditional rescue of the corps members, urging security agencies to deploy all available resources to bring them home alive. The corps members were reportedly abducted on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while travelling from the NYSC orientation camp in Bayelsa State to Abuja. They were reportedly intercepted by armed men along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo…
Author: National Update
The Federal Government has activated an emergency multi-agency task force to contain a diphtheria outbreak affecting children in parts of Kano and Katsina states. The government has also deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to the two states as part of measures to contain the outbreak and protect children in affected and high-risk communities. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, ordered the emergency response, according to a statement signed by the ministry’s Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako. The task force is expected to strengthen disease surveillance, close immunisation gaps and ensure…
The latest attack on passengers along the Ankpa-Adoka-Makurdi federal road in Kogi State has renewed concerns over the safety of travellers and traders using the route, after three people were reportedly killed and nine others abducted. The incident occurred in the evening as passengers, mostly traders from Ajobe community in Ojoku District, were returning from the Nkwo Idoko Market in Awo. The victims were travelling in a pickup van when they reportedly encountered gunmen operating along the road in Ankpa Local Government Area. Some of the passengers reportedly attempted to escape after sighting the attackers. A resident, Yakubu Ishyaku, said…
By Baba Dantiye Politics, by its nature, produces different categories of leaders. Some follow familiar patterns, easily defined by their ideology, alliances and methods of operation. Others remain difficult to categorise because they continually challenge expectations and adapt to changing circumstances. Senator Kawu Sumaila belongs to this latter category—a politician whose career has been marked by resilience, conviction, controversy and an uncommon ability to remain relevant across changing political seasons. To understand Kawu Sumaila is to examine more than the offices he has occupied. It is to explore the qualities that have sustained his political journey: grassroots connection, strategic adaptability, personal courage…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has honoured the Chairman of the Kano State Multi Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji, as an Ambassador of the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA. The recognition was conferred on Thursday, August 27, 2026, during a courtesy visit by the NDLEA Zone 5 Commander, ACGN Mohamed Ajiya, and members of his management team. NDLEA Zone 5 covers Kano and Jigawa states. A statement issued by Lamara Garba, Member of the Media and Publicity Committee, said the recognition was in appreciation of Magaji’s commitment to combating drug abuse and…
Former Cross River State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, Donald Duke, has warned that opposition politicians could hand President Bola Tinubu another presidential victory if they allow personal ambitions and disagreements to prevent them from working together. Duke said the opposition’s biggest threat ahead of the 2027 general election may not be the strength of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, but its own inability to form a united front. He spoke in an interview shared by Symfoni on its YouTube channel on Friday. According to Duke, opposition politicians are “rigging” the election against themselves…
By : John Akubo For Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the journey to the top of Nigeria’s civil service was not a straight road. It was a career shaped by difficult assignments, political pressures, professional setbacks and changing responsibilities. But it was also a journey marked by competence, resilience and the support of people who recognised her ability at critical moments. As Walson-Jack retires after 34 years in public service, revelations by former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator Seriake Dickson have provided a rare glimpse into some of the turning points that shaped her rise to become Head of the Civil Service…
Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, Executive Director of the Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, has delivered a scathing assessment of Nigeria’s economic situation, saying he has never witnessed the level of hunger and poverty currently confronting Nigerians in his 69 years. Ehusani attributed the worsening hardship to what he described as poorly thought-out economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira. The cleric said the reforms were implemented without adequate measures to cushion their impact on citizens, arguing that the government “put the cart before the horse.” He said the depth of the current crisis was evident…
President Bola Tinubu has set October 1 as the target date for Nigerians to begin feeling the impact of cheaper transportation, following his directive for the rollout of 500 additional Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refuelling stations nationwide. The new stations will expand the Federal Government’s planned CNG network to 1,000 stations as the administration intensifies efforts to reduce the cost of running vehicles after the removal of petrol subsidy. Tinubu announced the directive after a meeting with state governors, who agreed to work with the Federal Government to bring down transportation costs in their respective states. The President said the…
The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Aminu Yusuf Wushishi, has died after a brief illness. Wushishi reportedly died on Friday, August 28, 2026, in Niger State. News of his death reached Minna, the state capital, around the time of the Juma’at prayer, triggering mourning among his associates, political allies and members of the public. His Special Adviser on Media, Stanley Nwosu, confirmed the development. “Yes, it is true. The NPC chairman died after a brief illness,” Nwosu said. Wushishi, a prominent figure in Niger State politics, previously served as Secretary of the state chapter of the Peoples…