The reported payment of N6 million and N3 million by families of abducted prospective corps members has raised fresh questions about how 20 victims regained their freedom in Imo State. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged President Bola Tinubu, Governor Hope Uzodimma and the police to explain conflicting accounts surrounding the victims’ release. While the police attributed their release to sustained search-and-rescue operations, the Imo State Government maintained that no ransom was paid. However, accounts attributed to some parents suggest that money was raised and allegedly paid to secure their children’s freedom. One of the mothers,…
Author: National Update
With poor eyesight posing a potential danger on Nigerian roads, BATMEDICS has sponsored free eye screening, medications and corrective surgeries for about 500 commercial drivers and motorists in Abuja. The intervention, organised in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Corps, was held on Thursday at the Abuja Medical Store beside Jabi Park to mark the 2026 World Sight Day. Beyond routine screening, the programme covered prescription medications and corrective eye surgeries for beneficiaries diagnosed with severe visual impairments. Director-General of BATMEDICS, Ojeje Onimisi, said the initiative was designed to address healthcare needs among professional drivers whose vision is critical to…
Supporters of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have criticised the All Progressives Congress over its proposed 30-day petrol discount, describing the initiative as temporary relief after years of rising fuel prices. The group questioned why Nigerians should settle for a month-long discount after the removal of petrol subsidy pushed pump prices higher and increased the cost of living. It accused the APC of offering short-term relief instead of addressing the underlying problems confronting Nigerians. The group warned that motorists could face another round of price increases once the discount expires. “Nigerians do not need a 30-day discount. They need affordable fuel,…
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Timi Frank, has asked President Bola Tinubu to apologise to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Nigerians, arguing that the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount has revived questions about its opposition to restoring fuel subsidy. Frank said the temporary discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited retail outlets amounted to a retreat from the administration’s earlier hardline position on subsidy removal, which Tinubu announced in May 2023. In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, he argued that the government should acknowledge Atiku’s proposal to restore subsidy as a measure…
Former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, has warned political actors against using attacks on Peter Obi to divide Ndigbo, declaring that prominent supporters of the 2027 presidential hopeful are ready to break their silence. Udenwa said the fact that Obi’s supporters had remained quiet should not be interpreted as a sign of abandonment, insisting that many influential figures were backing the former Anambra governor’s presidential ambition. “The fact that we have chosen to remain silent does not mean we are not behind him,” he said. The former governor expressed anger over comments he said had come from some government officials…
The Arewa Consultative Forum has accused political leaders of allowing preparations for the 2027 elections to overshadow the worsening security crisis, warning that Nigerians continue to face killings, abductions and attacks on their communities. The northern socio-political group urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to shift its attention from electioneering to protecting lives, saying the scale of violence across the country demands urgent action. In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, the ACF said armed groups continued to attack communities, abduct citizens and destroy livelihoods while political actors focused on the next elections. “Without equivocation…
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of turning fuel price relief into an election-season tactic, questioning why Nigerians must endure years of high costs before getting a 30-day discount. Atiku said the Federal Government’s proposed discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) filling stations was a temporary political gesture that would do little to ease the cost-of-living crisis. In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku described the initiative as an inadequate response to the hardship caused by high petrol prices. He asked…
The Federal Government is turning to public transport operators in a fresh attempt to ease the pressure of rising fuel costs, announcing a 30-day petrol discount at NNPC filling stations while negotiating a ₦1,350-per-litre landing-cost ceiling. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, announced the measures in Abuja on Thursday, saying public transporters would receive priority under the temporary discount scheme. The intervention comes as rising petrol and transportation costs continue to squeeze household budgets and increase pressure on businesses. Oyedele said the government was negotiating a ceiling of ₦1,350 per litre on petrol’s ex-gantry or…
The parents of abducted prospective corps members have claimed they raised millions of naira in ransom to secure the release of their children, directly contradicting the Imo State Government’s declaration that no payment was made. The family of one of the 20 victims said it raised N6m through loans, donations and contributions from relatives, friends and sympathisers after the kidnappers demanded money for his release. The mother of the victim, Alirat Wahab, said the abductors initially demanded N50m for each of the 20 prospective corps members, before reducing the demand after the parents pleaded with them. She said the kidnappers…
Fear of violence may keep thousands of Nigerians away from the polling booths in 2027 if politicians continue to inject threats, gun references and war-like language into election campaigns, activist Prince Babawale Sayo has warned. Sayo said politicians who casually invoke weapons such as the AK-47 risk turning elections into events voters associate with bloodshed and danger rather than the peaceful exercise of their democratic rights. The activist spoke against the backdrop of the controversy over Edo State APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe’s reference to “AK-47 fire” while discussing the party’s target of 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in…