Governor Agbu Kefas has approved over N1 billion for the payment of Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) fees for students across Taraba State. The initiative, announced on Tuesday in Jalingo, covers examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), according to government sources. The intervention is aimed at removing financial barriers that have prevented many eligible students from sitting for the examinations. Officials said the policy is designed to ease the burden on parents and guardians while expanding access to education for thousands of students in the state. The state government noted that…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed dissatisfaction with the option of fines for drug traffickers, calling instead for strict imprisonment to deter illicit drug activities in the country. Chairman of the agency, Buba Marwa, made the position known on Tuesday in Abuja, urging judges of the Federal High Court to impose custodial sentences on offenders who do not deserve leniency. Speaking at the unveiling of the National Minimum Standards on the Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and related laws across the 36 states, Marwa said the option of fines has failed to…
A 64-year-old man, Musa Gado, has been taken into police custody in Niger State over allegations of sexually abusing and impregnating his 16-year-old granddaughter. The minor, who hails from Lufari village in Mariga Local Government Area, has since delivered a baby boy, now four months old. The Director-General of the Niger State Child Rights Agency, Umulkhatum Mohammed, confirmed the development during an interview with journalists in Minna. According to her, the case was reported to the agency on October 5, 2025, by the girl’s father, Lawali Na’ababa, alongside the village head, when the victim was already about six months pregnant.…
Stakeholders in Okpoga have formally demanded the opportunity to produce the next member of the House of Representatives for Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, also known as Enone, in the 2027 general elections, citing decades of political exclusion. The demand was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a Town Hall Meeting convened by the Okpoga Now Movement at Ugwu Okpoga. In the communiqué, participants unanimously resolved that it is the turn of Okpoga to occupy the federal legislative seat, stressing that the demand is anchored on equity, fairness, and justice. They noted that since the return to democratic governance…
The caucus of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the House of Representatives has called for the prosecution and removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, over allegations of partisanship. The lawmakers made the demand following their inaugural meeting held on Sunday, April 12, 2026, where they reviewed recent political developments and expressed concerns about the credibility of the electoral body ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to the caucus, the INEC chairman has exhibited actions and made statements considered inconsistent with the expectations of neutrality required of his office. They cited allegations…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed an amended nine-count charge against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, bordering on alleged fraud, abuse of office, and corruption. Counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Abang, disclosed to journalists after proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court on Monday that the prosecution had dropped one of the earlier defendants, leaving El-Rufai as the sole accused. The court took the defendant’s plea and heard his bail application, but the matter could not proceed further as the defence said it had just been served with the amended charges. “The…
Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has declared his intention to contest for a senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 general elections. Okowa made the declaration on Monday as political activities begin to gather momentum across the country. The former governor, who was the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, said he would contest under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The senatorial seat is currently occupied by businessman and lawmaker, Ned Nwoko. Okowa served as governor of Delta State from 2015 to 2023.
The Edo State Police Command has arrested an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Bonny Paul Onajite, and four other officers over alleged harassment, abduction, and extortion of residents in the state. Other officers arrested include Inspectors Ehubarieme Wisdom and Arebame God’s Power, as well as Corporals Mordi Philip and Okon Elvis. Additional suspects apprehended in connection with the alleged crimes are Destiny Emmanuel, a dismissed police corporal, Goodluck Jaja, a Point of Sale (POS) operator, Samuel Nicholas, and Etim Bright, both minibus drivers. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Benin City.…
Concerns are mounting over the preparedness for the August 15, 2026 governorship election in Osun State amid reports of resignations and defections within political circles. Attention has increasingly shifted to Governor Ademola Adeleke, with observers citing what they describe as slow campaign coordination and limited visible political activity ahead of the polls. Despite signals from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicating the commencement of campaigns, the governor is yet to appoint a Director General for his re-election bid, raising concerns among stakeholders. Reacting to the development, the Convener of the Osun Accord Liberation Movement, Yusuf Adegboye, said the situation…
The Nigeria Police have unsealed the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wadata Plaza in Abuja, granting access to a faction of the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The development was confirmed by the factional National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, in a statement issued on Saturday through the National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed. According to the statement, the unsealing of both the party’s national secretariat and its presidential campaign office, Legacy House in Maitama, followed duly issued court orders. Mohammed said the properties have now been handed over to the faction’s National…
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the death sentences of two men convicted in separate murder cases in Jigawa State, dismissing their appeals and bringing the protracted legal battles to a close. In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, the apex court struck out the appeals marked SC/CR/2020/69 and SC/CR/70/2020, thereby upholding earlier rulings of the Jigawa State High Court and the Court of Appeal of Nigeria. The convicts, Abdulmajid Hassan and Adamu Audu, were found guilty in separate incidents involving fatal stabbings. With the Supreme Court’s decision, all legal avenues available to the defendants have been exhausted, effectively…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano State has arrested 21 suspects and seized various illicit drugs during a coordinated operation across the state. In a statement issued on Saturday, the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari, said the raids were conducted on April 11, 2026, under the leadership of the State Commander, D. Y. Lawal. According to the statement, operatives targeted major drug hotspots, including Filin Idi, Hotoro, Mariri, Fagge, and Farm Centre along Zaria Road. Items recovered during the operation include cannabis, pregabalin, codeine-based cough syrup, and rubber solution used as an inhalant. The agency…
The Kano State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has agreed to allocate 60 per cent of its leadership positions to former governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and his supporters. The decision was reached during a stakeholders’ meeting where party members deliberated on and adopted a new leadership structure. The state chairman of the party, Musa Ungogo, confirmed the arrangement, stating that Kwankwaso’s camp would take the larger share, while the remaining 40 per cent would be distributed among existing members and other groups that recently joined the party. Ungogo explained that no specific slot was reserved for former Deputy…
The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted claims that it has approved or directed the commencement of zoning arrangements ahead of its primaries and the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued on Saturday, the State Publicity Secretary, Benedict Yawe, urged party stakeholders to suspend any zoning-related activities currently ongoing in some local government areas. He said such moves should be halted pending an official position from the state secretariat. “The State Working Committee of the APC in Benue State wishes to clarify that it has not issued any directive for the commencement of zoning…
Activist Aisha Yesufu has joined growing calls for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan. Yesufu, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said it has become necessary for Amupitan to step down over what she described as his alleged partisan conduct. She made the call in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, noting that Nigerians are becoming increasingly active in demanding accountability. “I love how active Nigerians have become! #ActiveCitizens. I always focus on the little wins. They snowball into the big wins,” she wrote. The activist added…
Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun Corps, have arrested two suspected kidnappers and armed robbers in the state. The Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading the suspects at the agency’s headquarters in Alagbaka, Akure. Adeleye said the suspects were apprehended in Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area, adding that other arrests were made within the Oloko axis of Akure metropolis during a week-long clearance operation. He noted that the arrests were carried out through joint operations involving various security agencies in the state. According to him, a total of 164 suspects…
The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed an attack on a Police Mobile Force (PMF) camp at Nuku Village via Kaiama in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ilorin on Friday. According to her, the attack occurred in the early hours of April 10, 2026, at about 03:45hrs, when armed bandits launched a coordinated assault on the facility. She said five members of the National Forest Guards were killed during the нападение, while a patrol vehicle belonging to the police was extensively damaged. “At…
The Taraba State chapter of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has announced a shift in its political ideology, pledging to abandon godfatherism in favour of a system anchored on service, merit, and accountability. The declaration was made on Saturday during the official unveiling of the party’s secretariat in Jalingo, the state capital. Speaking at the event, the party’s state chairman, Sahadu Hassan Abubakar, said the new direction reflects the party’s commitment to transparent governance and competence-driven leadership. According to him, the move is aimed at restoring public confidence in the political process and ensuring that leadership positions are attained through…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, on the occasion of his 69th birthday. The congratulatory message was conveyed in a statement issued on Friday by the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu described Dangote as a shining example of enterprise, noting that his contributions continue to inspire generations of entrepreneurs. “I salute Aliko Dangote for his conglomerate’s role in job creation, infrastructure development, and unwavering belief in the Nigerian economy and its potential,” the president said. He added, “As you mark another year, I pray for his continued good health, wisdom, and greater accomplishments…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the postponement of the proposed nationwide voter revalidation exercise. The decision was taken following a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held on Friday, April 10. According to the Commission, the exercise has been deferred until after the 2027 general elections. In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC described the voter revalidation exercise as a critical component of its mandate to maintain a credible and up-to-date National Register of Voters. “The voter revalidation exercise is designed to verify…