By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has received the Distinguished Alumnus Star Award from the National Defence College (NDC), Nigeria, for his contributions to strategic military leadership, professional military education and national security.

The award was presented on Friday, 28 August 2026, during the graduation ceremony of NDC Course 34 in Abuja.

The ceremony was attended by President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The event also highlighted the Federal Government’s focus on developing strategic leaders and promoting professionalism across the country’s defence and security institutions.

Lieutenant General Shaibu has previously served at the NDC as a Directing Staff and later as Director Coordination. During his time at the institution, he contributed to programmes designed to strengthen strategic thinking and leadership among senior military officers and other national security practitioners.

The Distinguished Alumnus Star Award recognises his record of service in strategic military education and leadership.

The honour also reflects his continued efforts to build a Nigerian Army that is professional, adaptable, combat-ready and resilient.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Fire Service (FFS) and Unilever Nigeria PLC have entered separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at deepening cooperation on security, trade facilitation, fire safety and consumer protection.

The agreements were signed on 27 August 2026 at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja. They are expected to improve coordination between government agencies and strengthen collaboration between Customs and the private sector in support of Nigeria’s economic development.

Speaking during the engagement with the FFS, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the agreement represented a strategic move to reinforce cooperation between the two agencies.

According to him, the partnership would promote improved fire safety standards at Customs facilities, faster responses to emergencies, joint training and capacity development, as well as better information exchange on emergency preparedness.

“I am very confident that this MoU will translate to practical actions that save lives, protect government assets, and enhance our collective capacity to respond to emergencies,” Adeniyi said.

The Controller-General of the FFS, Olumode Adeyemi, described the agreement as the first strong MoU between the Fire Service and a sister agency. He assured that the FFS would deploy its resources and expertise to protect Customs personnel and property.

The Customs chief also signed a separate agreement with Unilever Nigeria PLC as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation with the private sector.

Adeniyi said the partnership would support efforts against counterfeit products and illicit trade. He noted that it would also improve intelligence sharing and assist Customs in identifying and verifying suspected counterfeit goods.

He explained that the agreement would establish a formal avenue for the exchange of timely information on trademarks, product identification features, packaging and product samples.

The CGC said interactions with businesses could also provide valuable information for policy and operational decisions within the Service.

“Some of the takeaways we get from these engagements with the private sector influence the policies and decisions that we take,” he stated.

Adeniyi praised Unilever for its continued investment, innovation and contribution to employment in Nigeria. He described the company as an important player in the nation’s trade and industrial sector.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria PLC, Tobi Adeniyi, recalled the company’s long history in Nigeria, dating back to 1923.

He disclosed that over 70 per cent of Unilever’s raw materials were now sourced locally and that the company supports approximately 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Tobi also commended the NCS for reforms within the Service, with particular emphasis on digitalisation, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme and other measures designed to facilitate legitimate trade.

He said earlier interactions between Unilever and Customs had yielded tangible outcomes. One example, he noted, was the application of lessons from training attended by more than 70 Customs officers.

Tobi reaffirmed the company’s readiness to work with the NCS to tackle counterfeiting and illicit trade. He also expressed the company’s willingness to expand the partnership through further engagements across Nigeria.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Government has deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to Katsina and Kano states as part of efforts to contain an outbreak of the disease among children.

The government has also established an emergency task force to coordinate the response and address gaps in immunisation, disease surveillance and access to treatment in the affected areas.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ado Bako.

The intervention followed a directive from the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate.

According to the ministry, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency supplied the 500,000 vaccine doses “to support intensified immunisation activities in affected and at-risk communities.”

The emergency task force was formed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NPHCDA, the affected state governments and international health partners.

The government said the team had been mandated to focus on “three fronts” — outbreak containment and immunisation, expanded access to treatment and emergency support for referral care.

As part of the containment measures, the task force will “conduct outbreak investigations, strengthen disease surveillance and intensify community sensitisation to close population immunity gaps through the immunisation of unvaccinated children.”

The Katsina State Government has also been directed to establish treatment annexes in hospitals across the state’s three senatorial districts: Katsina, Daura and Funtua.

The ministry said the centres would “facilitate early intervention” for children affected by diphtheria and improve access to treatment within affected communities.

The Federal Government has also ordered urgent support for the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, which serves as “the principal referral centre for the state and parts of neighbouring states.”

The support will include Diphtheria Antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and personal protective equipment.

The ministry said the task force would coordinate the provision of timely treatment to affected communities and strengthen surveillance to monitor the spread of the disease.

The team will be co-chaired by the Director-General of the NCDC and the Director of Public Health. Its members will include representatives of the NPHCDA, health commissioners from Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in Katsina State.

The ministry’s Chief Epidemiologist will serve as the secretary of the task force.

The government said the committee would provide weekly reports to the Coordinating Minister on “progress, emerging challenges and additional requirements.” It added that identified challenges would be escalated for immediate action.

The Federal Government said the intervention reflects its commitment to protecting children from diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.

“The Federal Government reaffirms its resolve to protect Nigerian children from vaccine-preventable diseases and remains committed to a swift, coordinated and evidence-based response to bring the outbreak under control,” it said.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan, has criticised the legal profession in Nigeria after his participation at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference attracted backlash from some lawyers.

VeryDarkMan was invited to speak during a panel session on insecurity at the conference in Port Harcourt, where he shared his perspective on the security challenges confronting Nigerians.

His appearance at the event drew criticism from some members of the legal profession, who questioned the decision to invite him to the gathering.

In a video shared on social media on Friday, the activist defended his participation and said his presence at the conference was aimed at representing Nigerians who lack a voice.

“I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he said.

He also suggested that his presence among members of the legal profession was a source of discomfort for some of his critics.

“Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst,” he added.

VeryDarkMan then challenged the view that the legal profession remains noble, while criticising those who condemned his participation at the NBA conference.

“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.

“Well, lately, law has not been a noble profession. I’m sorry to say. I’m not even sorry to say. It is what it is.”

The activist further claimed that a significant number of lawyers in Nigeria either do not practise or struggle to secure employment.

“But even you, some of you who are not even practising. Mind you, law is one of the most broke professions we have in the country,” he said.

“Because we never talk about it. Law is one of the most broke professions. One of the poorest professions in this country is law.”

He also questioned the number of lawyers who have jobs and those who actively practise in court.

“How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that.”

VeryDarkMan also criticised the number of people who graduate from law school each year despite what he described as inadequate opportunities within the profession.

“And every year, they say they have people graduating from law school. Four thousand have graduated from law school, only to end up selling bedsheets,” he added.

His comments followed the controversy over his invitation to the NBA’s annual conference, where he took part in discussions on insecurity and issues affecting ordinary Nigerians.

The activist’s presence at the event had generated mixed reactions from lawyers and members of the public, with some questioning the decision to include him in the conference programme.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to reopen Nigeria’s land borders with neighbouring countries if elected president in 2027.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the promise in a video shared online by ADC chieftain Dele Momodu on Friday.

He argued that restrictions at the country’s land borders had harmed cross-border commerce and contributed to job losses, particularly among young Nigerians.

Atiku pointed out that several northern states share borders with neighbouring countries, where many Nigerians depend on cross-border trade for their livelihoods.

“The Northern states is bordering Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic.

“And you close all those borders. All our young men who are doing trading between these countries, they carry goods across, they do this and that, all what we call transborder trade is a legitimate business,” Atiku said.

He said the border restrictions had pushed some young entrepreneurs out of business after their investments collapsed.

“All the upcoming young men and women who used to have a capital of 10 million, 20 million, and they were employing two, three other people, and then all of them went bankrupt and unemployed. How can there be security?” he asked.

“So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” he added.

Atiku Plans Southern Port Expansion

The former vice-president also disclosed plans to improve port infrastructure in the southern part of the country if he wins the presidency.

He said he had previously held discussions with shipping companies and other stakeholders in Europe about expanding ports in the South and South-East.

“During the last campaign, I went across to Europe to discuss with shippers and ship development companies how we can together develop South and South-Eastern ports so that there is balance as far as importation of goods and transportation of goods are concerned,” he said.

According to Atiku, stronger port facilities in the southern region would make it easier and cheaper to move imported goods to northern parts of the country.

He used the transportation of containers from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, as an example, noting that he has a factory in the city.

“So when, if I drop my container in Calabar or in Uyo or in Port Harcourt, it will just take me 24 hours to take the container to Yola.

“But right now, it takes me not less than two months to take my container from Lagos because you have to cross over from South-West, you go to North-East, and then there is even no road,” Atiku said.

He said the proposal reflected concerns over the movement of goods and the need for balanced development of the country’s ports.

Background To Border Closures

Nigeria’s land borders were closed in August 2019 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Federal Government at the time said the measure was aimed at tackling large-scale smuggling of rice, poultry products, petroleum products and other commodities. The government also cited concerns over the movement of weapons and drugs and sought to promote domestic agricultural production.

In December 2020, Buhari directed the reopening of four border posts: Seme in Lagos State, Illela in Sokoto State, Maigatari in Jigawa State and Mfun in Cross River State.

The administration of President Bola Tinubu later reopened the Tsamiya border with the Benin Republic in Kebbi State and the Kamba corridor linking Nigeria with Niger Republic in February 2026.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The United States is preparing to withdraw about 200 military personnel deployed to Nigeria earlier this year as part of efforts to combat Islamist militants, according to a report by The New York Times.

The report said American and Nigerian officials considered the deployment relatively small but credited it with producing significant results against militant groups.

Most of the troops are expected to leave Nigeria by the end of September. However, small teams of US military trainers and intelligence analysts are expected to remain in the country, according to the report published on Thursday.

US officials reportedly described the Nigerian deployment as a potential model for future American counterterrorism operations across Africa.

The planned withdrawal follows a May military operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS, in the Lake Chad Basin.

Last month, Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), said the United States had already withdrawn a significant number of its troops from Nigeria after the operation.

According to Anderson, the operation dealt a major blow to ISIS leadership in Nigeria and beyond.

He also said Nigeria had been “very active” since the May operation and was working to prevent terrorist groups from sustaining themselves.

Despite the reduction in troop numbers, Anderson said the US would maintain its intelligence-sharing partnership with Nigeria.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of 500 additional compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling stations across Nigeria as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs, in what, according to many citizens, appears to be fear of losing 2027 election.

Tinubu disclosed this in a statement he personally signed on Thursday after discussions with members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on measures to make transportation more affordable.

According to the President, the governors had agreed to pursue measures that would lower transport costs, with particular attention to the savings offered by CNG-powered and electric vehicles.

Tinubu said the Federal Government is already supporting more than 100 gas-related projects across the country. These include 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations.

He said the Federal Government and state governments had also agreed to establish a joint committee that would commence work on the agreed measures immediately.

“I have also directed the additional rollout of another 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide in addition to the 500 stations ordered earlier in the year by the Fund, bringing the programme to 1,000 stations across the country,” the statement reads.

The President said state governments have an important role to play because intra-state transportation has a direct impact on Nigerians.

“Intra-state transport is where Nigerians feel the cost most directly, and it is where the states hold the levers.

“I am encouraged that our Governors are moving to bring these benefits closer to the people they serve.

“We have agreed to set up a joint Federal and State committee to begin implementing these measures immediately. A vehicle running on CNG spends 60 to 80 per cent less on fuel than one running on petrol.

“From October 1, our goal is that Nigerians begin to partake in those savings through lower transport fares. We have agreed that cheaper fuel should result in cheaper fares!”

The President urged all levels of government to coordinate their efforts to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the programme.

“Each tier of government must keep doing its part and work together for the benefit of every Nigerian.”

Governors Consider Nationwide Fare Reduction

The development follows a communiqué issued by the NGF after its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

The governors said they were considering a nationwide reduction in transportation fares under the proposed National Affordable CNG Transit Programme (NACTP).

The forum said the programme would take advantage of the lower operating costs associated with CNG to provide more affordable public transportation.

Tinubu approved the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) in August 2023.

The Presidency said the initiative was designed to reduce the impact of petrol subsidy removal on Nigerians through lower energy costs.

With the latest directive, the number of CNG refuelling stations targeted under the programme is expected to rise to 1,000 nationwide.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America”, in a move that has added a new dimension to the growing tensions between the United States and Canada.

Trump announced the change on Thursday after signing the order at the Oval Office.

“This is official, effective immediately,” Trump said.

The president also said he had completed the required procedures for the renaming.

Trump said he had “filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else” for the name change and “notified all of the various people that we have to notify”.

Lake Ontario is one of North America’s five Great Lakes. It lies along the Canada-US border, with the Canadian province of Ontario located to its north and New York State in the United States to its south.

The other Great Lakes are Huron, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Together, the five freshwater bodies contain about one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater.

The lake has been known as Lake Ontario for centuries. Its first known appearance under that name on a map dates to 1656, although historians believe the name was already in local use before then.

Trump’s executive order justified the new name on the grounds that most of the lake’s volume lies within US territory.

The order stated that “the deepest parts of the Lake’s waters lying within United States territory, the United States claims most of the Lake’s volume” and that the lake has “long been an integral asset to American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense”.

However, it remains unclear whether the name change will be recognised outside the United States because geographical names are not governed by a single international authority.

Canada Rejects New Name

Canada has already indicated that it will continue to use the traditional name.

Earlier in the week, before Trump signed the order, Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said: “We’ll always call it Lake Ontario”.

Lake Ontario was formed after the last Ice Age from the earlier Lake Iroquois about 11,400 years ago.

By the mid-18th century, before the American Revolution and the eventual establishment of Canada and the United States, Lake Ontario had become the established name.

The name “Ontario” is believed to have Iroquoian origins. The Canadian Encyclopaedia says it may mean “beautiful lake” or “sparkling water”, while some historians interpret it as “vast body of water”.

French missionary records from around 1641 also referred to the body of water as Lake Ontario. The Canadian province of Ontario later adopted the name when it was created at Confederation in 1867.

Trump Links Move To Previous Renaming

The decision follows Trump’s earlier attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”.

Trump referred to the two renaming decisions while speaking about Lake Ontario.

“We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now all we need is an ocean so maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific,” Trump said, referring to the bodies of water on either side of the US coastline.

The latest move comes amid renewed tensions between Washington and Ottawa after trade negotiations between the two countries broke down late Friday.

The United States subsequently imposed 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian exports, further straining relations between the neighbouring countries.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Federal Government to account for more than N600 billion reportedly disbursed under its cash transfer programme for vulnerable Nigerians.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), raised the concerns in a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, on Thursday.

He also questioned the difference between the number of households the government currently says have benefited from the programme and an earlier figure announced by the Presidency.

On July 16, President Bola Tinubu said the expanded cash transfer programme had reached 15 million vulnerable households and lifted an estimated 7.5 million Nigerians out of poverty.

However, Bernard Doro, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, said on Wednesday that more than N600 billion had been disbursed to slightly over 10 million households since Tinubu became president.

Doro made the disclosure during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he said the beneficiaries could amount to about 40 million people based on an average household size of four.

“We have done over N600 billion in cash transfers to be able to support vulnerable Nigerians within three years,” Doro said.

Atiku Questions Five-Million Household Difference

Atiku said the figures from the government did not correspond and called for clarification on the actual number of beneficiaries.

“On 16 July 2026, the Presidency officially declared that expanded cash transfers had reached 15 million vulnerable households,” the statement reads.

“It repeated essentially the same figure on 2 August 2026. Yet on 26 August 2026, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs suddenly told Nigerians that only ‘slightly over 10 million households’ had been reached.

“So where did five million households go? These are not opposition figures. They are Tinubu’s figures contradicting Tinubu’s figures.”

The former vice-president also challenged the government’s expenditure figures based on the amount each qualifying household was expected to receive.

According to him, the government had indicated that eligible households would receive N25,000 monthly for three months, which amounted to N75,000 per household.

“If 10 million households received the full payment, that would be about N750 billion. If 15 million households did, it would exceed N1.1 trillion. Yet government says it spent just over N600 billion,” he said.

Atiku demanded information on the number of beneficiaries who received one, two or all three payments. He also sought details of failed and reversed transactions.

“A name on a social register is not a bank alert. Counting people in a database is not the same thing as proving money reached them,” Atiku said.

Atiku Demands Disbursement Records

The ADC presidential candidate urged the Federal Government to publish verifiable records showing how the funds were distributed.

“If N600 billion truly moved, then government must show the trail: unique verified households, payment tranches, state-by-state distribution, failed transactions, reversals and an independent audit,” he said.

Atiku also criticised the government’s wider poverty-reduction strategy. He argued that economic policies should tackle the factors that increase the cost of living rather than rely mainly on cash support after households become vulnerable.

He cited his proposed intervention in the domestic petroleum value chain as an approach aimed at reducing fuel and transportation costs.

“When petrol becomes cheaper, the bus driver spends less, the farmer moves produce more cheaply, the trader pays less for haulage, businesses face lower logistics costs and the savings travel through the economy to the family kitchen,” he said.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has opposed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027, describing the promise as “deception” and warning that it could further disrupt Nigeria’s economy.

Sani made the remarks at a press conference in Abuja, where he argued that Nigeria could not afford to return to a subsidy system that had cost the country trillions of naira and created opportunities for corruption and fuel smuggling.

He said the priority should instead be the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries and the expansion of domestic crude oil refining capacity.

According to the former senator, Nigeria had spent between N3 trillion and N4 trillion on petroleum subsidy, a situation he described as unsustainable for an oil-producing nation.

“I don’t think any candidate that is worthy of leadership should pull us back to that era,” Sani said.

He alleged that the former subsidy system was exploited by some individuals who diverted public funds through questionable petroleum import arrangements.

Sani also said subsidised fuel was often smuggled into neighbouring countries, where it was sold at higher prices. He said such activities denied Nigerians the intended benefits of the subsidy programme.

He questioned the logic of exporting crude oil, importing refined petroleum products and then using the country’s scarce foreign exchange to subsidise those imports.

“If any politician makes pledges of revamping our refineries so that we can be able to refine our own crude oil, then he’s making sense,” he said.

“But a politician that has been in the economic field for a very long time telling us that the way forward for us as an oil-producing country is to continue to import all petroleum products and again use our own foreign currency to subsidise it for our people to consume, for how long can we continue to do that?”

Sani acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy had increased the economic pressure on Nigerians. However, he maintained that restoring the former arrangement would not provide a lasting solution.

“The return of subsidy will not bring down the prices of commodities. It will simply distort the economic stability of our country,” he said.

He called on the Federal Government to make the ongoing economic reforms more responsive to the difficulties faced by ordinary Nigerians.

Sani said Nigerians should not be left to bear the effects of economic reforms while political leaders continued to maintain extravagant lifestyles. He advocated a reduction in the size and cost of government, as well as sacrifices from both the executive and legislative arms of government.

The former senator also pointed to the Dangote Refinery as evidence of the opportunities available through local petroleum refining. He questioned why Nigeria should continue to import refined products despite the establishment of a major refinery through private investment.

“We should not just talk about importing petroleum products,” he said, stressing that Nigeria could not attain meaningful economic independence if it continued to export raw materials and import finished goods.

Sani Calls For Issue-Based 2027 Campaign

Sani also addressed the 2027 general elections, urging political parties and candidates to base their campaigns on policies, programmes and the issues that affect Nigerians.

He cautioned against the use of ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments as political weapons, warning that such tactics could weaken national unity and stability.

“At this time of our country’s life, we should assess, analyse, and elect leaders based on what they stand for and what they can deliver for us as a country,” he said.

The former senator criticised opposition politicians who seek foreign support or intervention in Nigeria’s political affairs. He said political parties should rely on Nigerian voters rather than seek endorsement from foreign governments and institutions.

Sani said Nigeria’s democracy had survived several periods of political crisis and expressed confidence that the 2027 elections could be transparent and credible.

He, however, raised concern over what he described as pessimistic predictions about Nigeria’s future ahead of the election. He urged political actors to place the country’s unity and stability above personal political ambitions.

On the presidential contest, Sani said he supported the emergence of a southern candidate, arguing that political power should rotate among the country’s various regions.

He said such an arrangement would reflect Nigeria’s diversity and promote political balance. However, he acknowledged that regional rotation was not a constitutional requirement but a political understanding that could contribute to national stability.

Sani also expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid while urging opposition parties to consider fielding a southern candidate in the 2027 presidential election.

He warned politicians against viewing elections as a matter of survival and urged them to accept electoral outcomes without actions that could threaten the country’s unity.

“The country doesn’t have to fall because you lose elections. The country doesn’t have to scatter into pieces because you lose elections,” he said.

Sani said Nigeria’s large population and diverse ethnic and religious composition placed a responsibility on political leaders to manage disagreements with caution and avoid actions that could endanger peace and national stability.