The Taraba State House of Assembly has approved an estimated ₦653.5 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year, barely three weeks after it was presented to the legislature by the state government. Speaker of the House, John Bonzena, described the passage of the appropriation bill as one of the core constitutional responsibilities of the Assembly, commending members of the Appropriations Committee for their diligence and thorough scrutiny that led to the final figures. Bonzena said the timely approval of the budget would enable Governor Agbu Kefas to effectively deliver good governance and the dividends of democracy to the people of…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
The Ogun State Police Command has reiterated that the sale and use of fireworks, knockouts and bangers remain prohibited as residents prepare for the 2025 Christmas and New Year celebrations. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, stated that the loud sounds generated by such items could easily be mistaken for gunshots or explosions, thereby causing fear, panic and unnecessary tension among the public. Babaseyi warned that anyone found causing public disturbance, injury or damage to property through the use of fireworks would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. According to him, the police have put in…
President Bola Tinubu has paid glowing tribute to late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a model of discipline, integrity, and selfless public service. Tinubu spoke on Monday in Abuja at the launch of Buhari’s official biography, where he also extended condolences to the former president’s family. “I extend the nation’s warmest embrace to Her Excellency, Aisha Buhari, her children, and grandchildren,” the president said. “May you find comfort in knowing that the prayers of Nigeria are with you, and that the Buhari name will continue to inspire noble service for generations,” he added. The president stressed that Buhari’s…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dismissed claims that it is being politicised or weaponised against opposition figures, describing such allegations as a deliberate attempt by some political actors to shield themselves from corruption investigations. The anti-graft agency made this known in a statement issued by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, in which it rejected accusations ranging from the “weaponisation of the EFCC” to the “erosion of its independence” and the alleged persecution of opposition politicians. According to Oyewale, the claims amount to a misrepresentation of the commission’s statutory responsibilities and a distraction from its core mandate of investigating…
An association of Igbo clergymen, the Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission (CIMC), has accused governors of the South-East states, with the exception of Abia State Governor Alex Otti, of lacking sincerity in their pledge to work for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. The clerics made the allegation in a statement issued on Monday, following what they described as the continued inaction of most South-East governors after promising to engage President Bola Tinubu on a political solution to Kanu’s detention. InfoStride News recalls that shortly after Kanu was convicted on November 20,…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has recorded major successes in its nationwide crackdown on illicit drugs, arresting a notorious supplier to bandits in Niger and Zamfara states and intercepting large consignments of cannabis, opioids and other controlled substances across the country. In a statement issued on Sunday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that a 33-year-old suspect, Mohammed Sani, popularly known as Gamboli, was arrested three weeks after escaping an earlier raid on his residence in Anguwan Makera, Kuta, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. Babafemi said NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, raided Gamboli’s house on…
The Bauchi State Executive Council, SEC, has approved a 100 per cent salary increase for medical and healthcare workers across the state, with special focus on personnel serving in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Dambam, disclosed this while briefing journalists after an extraordinary meeting of the State Executive Council held over the weekend. Dr Dambam said the new salary structure would be complemented by the introduction of special allowances for health workers posted outside local government headquarters, as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery in underserved communities. He also revealed that…
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has reaffirmed its commitment to defending democracy, deepening economic integration, and strengthening collective security in the face of growing instability across the sub-region. The pledge was made by leaders of the bloc at the 68th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, held at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, called for unity among member states, warning that ECOWAS is weakest when divided. “We do not share geography by accident; we share it by design, by history and…
A supremacy tussle has emerged within the Delta State Traditional Council between the Forum of Urhobo Kings, also known as Ukoko r’ivie (FUK), and the Traditional Chiefs of Urhobo Land Association (TCULA), over the existence of parallel chieftaincy associations in Urhobo land. The crisis followed a directive by FUK banning what it described as “parallel chieftaincy associations” across Urhobo communities, a move TCULA has rejected, describing it as unconstitutional, null and void. FUK, led by the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Dr Emmanuel Sideso, Abe I, through its spokesman, the Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Obukowho…
A former lead counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has described the trial of the Biafra agitator as “tough,” recounting his experience while heading Kanu’s legal team. Ejimakor, who served as Kanu’s lead counsel for one year, made the disclosure in a video posted on his X handle, where he reflected on his role in the high-profile case. InfoStride News recalls that Kanu was rearrested in Kenya in 2021 and subjected to what his lawyers described as extraordinary rendition back to Nigeria. On November 20, 2025, the Federal High Court in…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of turning law enforcement into a political instrument following the revocation of bail earlier granted to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. In a statement, Atiku alleged that Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions have abandoned their core mandate, warning that the fight against graft is being transformed into a political witch-hunt. According to him, “the nation’s anti-corruption war is dangerously sliding off course and mutating into a brazen political witch-hunt.” Separately, the ADC also faulted the EFCC’s action, accusing the agency…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dismissed claims by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, that his bail was revoked due to his attendance at a political gathering in Kebbi State. The anti-graft agency, in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, insisted that Malami’s continued detention has no political undertone but is solely the result of his failure to meet the conditions attached to his bail. According to the EFCC, the allegations linking the issue to political activities or media appearances are misleading and do not reflect…
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has said that the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle insecurity should go beyond the replacement of service chiefs, stressing that Nigerians are more interested in tangible results. The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, made this known on Friday during an interview on Arise Television, monitored by newsmen. InfoStride News reports that the NLC has declared a nationwide protest scheduled for December 17 over the worsening insecurity across the country. According to Ajaero, frequent changes in security leadership have not translated into improved safety for citizens. “The Federal Government changing service chiefs and rejigging the…
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has presented a ₦1.3 trillion appropriation bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly. The budget, tagged the “Budget of Consolidation,” allocates ₦270 billion to recurrent expenditure and over ₦761 billion to capital projects. A breakdown of the estimates shows that recurrent spending accounts for about ₦270 billion, representing 26.19 per cent of the total budget, while capital expenditure stands at over ₦761 billion, amounting to 73.81 per cent. Presenting the proposal, Governor Bago said the budget would be financed through statutory allocations, value-added tax (VAT), internally generated revenue (IGR),…
The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA) has commended the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, for implementing key demands of the union. The President of ARD-FCTA, Dr George Ebong, gave the commendation during an outreach programme at the Durumi Area 1 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp in Abuja. Ebong said that despite the numerous challenges facing doctors in the FCT, the minister has taken steps to address several of the union’s demands. He, however, urged the FCTA to expedite action on the remaining outstanding issues. He noted that the association remains committed to providing…
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to residents of the state to exercise patience while using roads across Lagos, assuring them of adequate security and traffic management. The governor made the call on Friday during the inauguration of the rehabilitated Akilo 1.0 MGD Micro Water Treatment Plant, noting that the state is fully prepared to accommodate an influx of visitors. Sanwo-Olu urged road users to be mindful of others and obey traffic rules, stressing that traffic officials and security agencies are working round the clock to ensure safety and order. “Let us use this opportunity to appeal to people…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has destroyed counterfeit, expired and substandard products valued at over ₦5 billion in Nasarawa State as part of efforts to protect Nigerians from harmful consumer goods. The items, which were seized from Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Niger and Plateau states, were dismantled and set ablaze on Thursday at the Angwan Rere dumpsite in Lafia. Speaking at the exercise, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, represented by the North-Central Zonal Director, Kenneth Azikiwe, said the products were confiscated during routine surveillance and enforcement operations across the zone. According to her, the…
President Bola Tinubu’s Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has declared that the South-South geopolitical zone is now fully under the control of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Bwala made the remark while reacting to the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC. InfoStride News recalls that Fubara, while announcing his defection, said the PDP failed to protect him during the political crisis that threatened his position and political survival. The governor explained that he sought support from the federal government after facing challenges in Rivers State, adding that the APC…
The African Action Congress, AAC, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over its decision to launch a military operation targeting fleeing coup plotters in the Republic of Benin. In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Rex I. Elanu, the party described the action as evidence of what it called the selective application of state power by the federal government. According to the AAC, while Nigerians continue to face widespread insecurity, including kidnappings and killings, the government appears capable of swift and decisive action only when elite or foreign interests are involved. “Nigerians are being…
The Bauchi State chapter of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, has dismissed speculations that Governor Bala Mohammed may be considering a defection to the party, insisting that there is no place for him within its ranks. This was contained in a statement signed by the State Secretary of the party, Wada Abdullahi, and made available to journalists in Bauchi on Wednesday. According to the statement, the PRP’s attention was drawn to reports circulating on social media suggesting that Governor Mohammed could seek refuge in the party following what it described as the alleged disintegration of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,…