Nigeria

By Uzair Adam

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 150 suspected criminals during a coordinated operation targeting notorious criminal hideouts in the Igando-Idimu area of the state.

The raid, conducted in the early hours of Sunday under the Command’s ongoing Operation KO S’AYE, followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected hoodlums operating within the Area M axis.

Police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said officers drawn from various formations stormed identified criminal hideouts at Boolar, Okofilling Bus Stop, Igando, and other black spots to dislodge criminal elements and improve public safety.

She said the operation led to the recovery of one double-barrel gun, two single-barrel guns, one locally fabricated double-barrel short gun, 100 unregistered motorcycles, 54 mobile phones, two military camouflage uniforms, six generators suspected to have been stolen, assorted charms, and substances believed to be Indian hemp and other illicit drugs.

According to Adebisi, all 150 suspects are currently in police custody while investigations continue to determine their level of involvement in various criminal activities. She added that those found culpable would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of investigations.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Tijani Fatai, commended the operatives for their professionalism and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining Operation KO S’AYE to dismantle criminal networks and deny offenders safe haven across the state.

He also urged residents to continue supporting the police by providing timely and credible information to strengthen efforts aimed at combating crime and improving security in Lagos.

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

What makes other countries continue to develop and achieve sustainable success is their ability to pursue collective and common goals across all socioeconomic sectors. When the people and their leaders share a clear national vision and work towards common objectives, the country naturally excels in development, whether in education, human capital, infrastructure, technology, innovation, or national pride.

Many countries are made up of people from different cultures, races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds. Yet, when it comes to national goals and objectives, they stand united as one nation, driven by a shared sense of purpose and commitment to progress. Their diversity becomes a source of strength rather than division because the national interest comes first.

One of Nigeria’s greatest challenges is the absence of strong national goals and objectives that are genuinely shared by all citizens. As a nation, we often struggle to build consensus around long-term priorities that transcend politics, ethnicity, religion, and regional interests.

Ironically, one of the few areas where Nigerians consistently demonstrate unity is sports, especially football. If Nigeria could cultivate the same level of collective commitment, patriotism, and shared purpose in education, human capital development, innovation, infrastructure, and economic growth as it does in football, the country would make remarkable progress and achieve far greater national development.

Another irony of Nigeria’s politics is that many leaders champion national unity while they occupy positions at the centre of government. They speak the language of inclusion, national cohesion, and collective progress because they represent the entire federation. However, the moment many of them leave office or slip out of public view, they often retreat into ethnic or regional politics, becoming champions of sectional interests rather than national ones. This inconsistency weakens nation-building, deepens divisions, and makes it difficult to sustain a truly national agenda.

Nigeria’s progress depends not only on good leadership but also on a shared national consciousness. The country needs leaders and followers who will remain committed to national unity and development regardless of whether they hold public office. Likewise, citizens must place the Nigerian project above ethnic, religious, and regional considerations. Only when our collective interest consistently outweighs our individual or sectional interests can Nigeria unlock its immense potential and achieve the level of sustainable development seen in many successful nations.

 Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Abuja via zaymohd@yahoo.com.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has warned that rising religious intolerance, hate speech and fake news pose serious threats to Nigeria’s unity and peaceful coexistence.

The Sultan made the remarks on Monday in Abuja through the NSCIA Deputy Secretary-General, Salisu Shehu, after receiving Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations.

He said the meeting centred on strengthening cooperation between Muslim and Catholic leaders, promoting mutual understanding and using dialogue to address insecurity and other national challenges.

“The essence of the visit was to promote mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation across religious communities in advancing peace, peaceful coexistence and improved security, not only in Nigeria but globally,” he said.

The Sultan expressed concern that hate speech has continued to deepen divisions among religious groups. He said the trend has weakened trust and damaged relationships between faith communities. He also condemned the growing practice of insulting respected religious leaders, irrespective of their faith.

“Hate speech has been most injurious to peaceful coexistence in the country. It has created perceptual and relational crises among faith communities,” he said.

He also identified fake news as a major factor behind many of the country’s tensions and conflicts.

“Fake news is another evil that is being used in the country to precipitate a lot of troubles, and therefore this is something that we need to fight.”

According to the Sultan, discussions during the meeting also covered concerns about declining moral values and what he described as the growing rejection of religion among young Muslims and Christians.

He said both delegations agreed that continuous dialogue, mutual respect and stronger collaboration through interfaith platforms remain essential for preserving national unity and addressing divisive narratives.

Gallagher described the meeting as productive and expressed confidence that religious leaders could play an important role in promoting national cohesion.

“We had a very frank and illuminating conversation, and it was good to hear that many of our positions regarding the role of religious leaders, both on the Catholic side and the Muslim side, coincide,” he said.

“For me, this is a reason for optimism regarding the religious cohesion of the country and our shared commitment to working for the good of all Nigerians.”

Gallagher added that Muslim and Christian leaders have a shared responsibility to work together in advancing peace and promoting the welfare of all Nigerians.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The father of Adeyemi Adeniyi, the man who claims to be the director-general of the purported Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council (PFIPC), has been arrested by police officers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, according to human rights lawyer Femi Falana.

Falana disclosed the development during a telephone interview with journalists on Monday. He alleged that security operatives raided the family residence and arrested Adeniyi’s father as well as a family friend who was visiting the home.

“Police have now stormed the house of the parents of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College, Road Safety Area, Ogbomoso,” Falana said.

“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to show up in court, so why arrest his father?”

Residents of the area also confirmed the incident. One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the officers arrived in four vehicles before taking the elderly man away.

“They came with four vehicles, and they started harassing them and eventually took the father away,” the resident said.

“They didn’t allow the neighbours to intervene before they took him away. At the moment, there is a man in blue clothes patrolling the area.”

Another resident said the officers also arrested a visitor who was at the family home. The source added that Adeniyi’s mother was left traumatised after the operation.

“Baba was taken away with someone who came to visit them this morning. They left the mother, who is currently in shock, but we have moved her away,” the resident said.

The arrest comes amid the controversy surrounding the PFIPC, which the Presidency has described as a fictitious agency.

Adeyemi is currently facing charges of alleged forgery, impersonation and other related offences over his claimed appointment as director-general of the council. The matter is before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Falana has consistently maintained that the allegations against Adeyemi should be determined through the judicial process. He has also argued that only the courts have the constitutional authority to establish criminal liability.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has opened an investigation into 34 tertiary institutions over allegations that they failed to refund students whose tuition fees were paid twice under the Federal Government’s student loan programme.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television on Sunday. He said the agency had deployed a five-member investigative team, which includes officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and NELFUND’s internal auditors, to examine the complaints.

According to Sawyerr, the investigation followed numerous petitions from students who claimed they had not received refunds after duplicate tuition payments.

“As of right now, there are 34 institutions that we are looking at closely with respect to this issue,” Sawyerr said.

He explained that the problem arose because President Bola Tinubu directed that the student loan scheme should begin in the middle of an academic session instead of waiting for a new session. As a result, many students paid their tuition fees while waiting for their loan applications to be processed.

“What happened is that a lot of schools got double payment. Some from the students, some from us,” Sawyerr said.

“The refund process is entirely out of our hands. It is the recipient of the double payments that is obliged to make refunds to the students.”

Sawyerr noted that many students borrowed money to pay their school fees before registration deadlines. They expected to recover the money after NELFUND settled the same tuition charges. He said several institutions had returned the excess payments, but others had not.

“Some have been very good at this. Others haven’t been so good at it,” Sawyerr said.

“I reserve judgement on the intentionality around it because, for some of them, they just didn’t have the process to make refunds.”

He also revealed that NELFUND is considering a tokenised payment system that would allow students to authorise tuition payments directly to their institutions. He said the measure would help prevent duplicate payments.

“We chose in our setting up of this not to pay students directly for the loans because that would take us into an entirely new area,” he said.

“Paying the funds to the students, rather, quite significantly, could really lead to the temptation for them to divert and do other things.”

Despite the ongoing investigation, Sawyerr admitted that NELFUND does not have the legal authority to compel institutions to refund students or prosecute officials involved in any wrongdoing.

He added that many of the complaints had also been forwarded to anti-corruption agencies by the affected students.

“Students who are frustrated and unable to get their refunds write to us, but they also write to the EFCC, to the ICPC,” he said.

Sawyerr also raised concerns over increases in tuition fees after the launch of the student loan programme. He said NELFUND declined to pay institutions that raised their fees beyond what the agency considered acceptable.

“Some schools, because they get paid easily, started to put up their fees. We refused, point blank, to pay institutions who had hiked their fees beyond a certain level,” he said.

He said NELFUND would continue to investigate reports of irregularities as it strengthens the implementation of the student loan scheme.

“We tend to take the view that perhaps it’s not intentional,” he said.

“We institute many investigations, we generate many reports. Any small hint of anything going wrong, we set up a small committee to look at it because we’re trying to learn.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Troops have arrested a man suspected to have taken part in the recent attack on the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The suspect, identified as Paul Kolsen, was arrested on Sunday at about 3:30 p.m. at Farm Centre. Security sources said he was “receiving treatment for a gunshot wound” believed to have been sustained during the attack on the institute on July 2.

According to security sources cited by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication that reports on the Lake Chad region, the arrest followed intelligence reports received by security operatives. The sources added that other suspects connected to the incident had earlier been arrested.

The July 2 incident marked another attack on the institution within a short period. During the assault, troops reportedly exchanged gunfire with suspected Berom militia members. One of the attackers was killed, while others escaped into nearby rocky areas.

Security personnel also recovered a service rifle with registration number “CO-3175” during the operation.

Authorities said the weapon had earlier been stolen from a soldier who lost his life during an attack on troops at the Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Vom, on April 11.

The discovery of the rifle has prompted investigators to examine possible connections between the attacks on NIPSS and previous assaults on security personnel along the Kuru-Vom corridor.

Kolsen is currently in military custody as investigations continue into his alleged role in the attack and the activities of other suspected members of the group behind the repeated assaults.

Security agencies said operations based on intelligence gathering are still ongoing in the area to arrest more suspects and dismantle the network believed to be responsible for the attacks.

NIPSS, regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading policy and leadership institutions, has suffered three separate attacks by gunmen between June 16 and July 2.

The attacks reportedly resulted in the deaths of about three security operatives and one suspected militia member.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A growing number of public primary schools in rural communities across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are battling severe infrastructural decay, a situation that has forced many pupils to learn on bare floors, under leaking roofs and beneath trees.

Findings first reported by TheCable revealed that several schools in communities such as Yangoji East, Kigbe, Ebo, Gbagbalagbe and Makanima lack basic facilities needed for effective learning.

At LEA Nomadic Primary School in Yangoji East, pupils attend classes under makeshift shelters made from dried palm fronds and weak tree branches. The school, which was established in 2020, reportedly has no proper classroom structures, chairs or desks.

Nine-year-old Badiku Saliu, one of the pupils, said the harsh learning conditions discourage him from attending school regularly.

“I don’t feel comfortable during rainy seasons, but there is nothing I can do, so I skip school,” Saidu said in Fulfulde.

The pupil explained that the lack of infrastructure has weakened his interest in formal education despite his ambition to become a teacher.

The report stated that nearly 100 pupils in the school face similar conditions daily. During rainfall, classes are often disrupted because there are no secure structures to shield the children and their teachers.

Adamu Bauchi, a parent whose children attend the school, appealed to authorities to provide learning facilities.

“I ensure that my children go to school every day, even though learning occurs under trees. I want the government to provide boreholes, chairs, desks, tables, buildings, and other important things to aid learning,” Bauchi said.

The head teacher, Ladi Danlami, also described the school environment as unsuitable for teaching and learning.

“We demarcated the school into two classes because of a lack of structure and seats. The students sit on the bare floor, and some who can provide sacks sit on them while the teacher sits on these benches,” she said.

“The children and parents are discouraged, and they complain. We have also complained and written to authorities like the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the Nomadic Commission.”

She added: “The school has nothing – no chairs, tables, or structures – and if rain falls, we cannot come to school, or we have to run home.”

At LEA Primary School, Kigbe, many pupils reportedly sit or lie on dusty classroom floors until they reach primary five before gaining access to chairs and desks.

“There are no chairs until primary 5. When I was in primary one, the pupils in primary 5 and 6 had chairs,” a pupil, Ibrahim Sheyemi, said.

“We are only managing the chairs,” she added.

Another pupil, Abdulrasak Aliyu, recalled that he spent years writing while lying on the floor.

“I started writing on the desk in primary six,” he said.

Teachers at the school also lamented the shortage of facilities. Dauda Dogara, the school’s desk officer, said both teachers and pupils struggle daily because of the poor learning environment.

“I share the chair with my students, and we don’t even have a table,” Dogara noted.

He said many pupils leave school before lessons end because of discomfort and health challenges linked to sitting on the floor.

At LEA Primary School in Ebo, over 50 pupils reportedly share only a few chairs with their teachers inside a mud-walled building.

“There are more than 50 pupils in the school, but many of them don’t come because we don’t have enough seats,” teacher Muhammed Dauda said.

“As you can see, the environment is not conducive. If not because it is government work, no one would leave the comfort of their home to come and sit here,” he added.

The situation at LEA Primary School, Makanima, was also described as unsafe after parts of the roof and ceiling reportedly collapsed due to poor maintenance.

“I am not happy to see our community school like this. The ceiling, the zinc, and the entire roof are damaged. Even if the children arrive by 7 a.m., once it starts raining, they have to return home,” a parent, Michael Monday, said.

The school’s head teacher, Alfred Katunga, warned that both pupils and teachers face danger whenever they enter the classrooms.

“It is not only the roof that is bad. The ceiling is also in a terrible condition and could fall at any time. We continue to teach while praying that none of the materials will fall and injure the children,” Katunga said.

“Whenever there is any sign of rain, the only precaution we take is to close the school. Even if the children resume by 7 a.m. and rain starts 10 minutes later, we have to send them home because we cannot risk their lives,” he added.

According to the report, several schools in rural parts of the FCT also lack toilets, perimeter fencing and adequate classrooms. Teachers and pupils reportedly resort to nearby bushes to relieve themselves.

TheCable reported that efforts to obtain comments from the spokesperson of the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCTUBEB), Patience Agonsi, were unsuccessful.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have thwarted a terrorist ambush after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded along the Damboa-Kumala road in Borno State.

According to security sources quoted by counter-insurgency publication, Zagazola Makama, the incident happened at about 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 4.

The report stated that soldiers, alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), were escorting 63 civilian vehicles to Kumala when the convoy encountered the explosive device on the major supply route connecting Damboa, Bulabulin and Kumala.

Makama reported that suspected terrorists attacked shortly after the explosion. The ambush reportedly occurred about two kilometres away from the blast scene.

However, troops responded with what the publication described as superior firepower. The attackers later retreated, while the convoy continued with the operation.

The report added that the explosion damaged the tyres of two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. No soldier or civilian sustained injuries during the incident.

According to Makama, troops later replaced the damaged tyres at the scene and successfully completed the escort mission. The security team also ensured the safe movement of 71 civilian vehicles from Kumala back to Damboa.

Military sources told the publication that the operation reflected the commitment of Operation Hadin Kai to keeping vital supply routes open despite ongoing terrorist threats in the North-East.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has again asked President Bola Tinubu to resign over allegations of off-budget spending raised by the International Monetary Fund.

Obi made the call in a statement on Sunday while reacting to comments by the IMF’s resident representative in Nigeria, Christian Ebeke.

Ebeke had stated on Wednesday that Nigeria recorded off-budget expenditure worth about two per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. According to him, the development makes the nation’s fiscal deficit appear lower than its actual borrowing needs.

Reacting to the disclosure, Obi described the situation as alarming. He said it raises fresh concerns about corruption under the current administration.

“The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget. This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore not under legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. This is horrible,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor stated that the amount exceeds 35 per cent of the N23.96 trillion capital expenditure budget for 2025. He also noted that it is higher than the actual capital releases made during the year.

“It is more than the entire combined budget for education (N3.52 trillion) and health (N2.38 trillion),” Obi stated.

“If such an amount is properly used and accounted for, it could transform Nigeria’s public health and education sectors. It could create hundreds of cottage industries that can provide jobs for thousands of graduates and build a solid foundation for economic development. But we cannot account for it. This is not an isolated incident. This is a pattern of grand corruption that has become part of this administration.

“We have a lot to worry about regarding the state of corruption under President Tinubu. The sort of corruption that is ingrained in total disregard of elementary rules of public finance management poses a grave danger to national security and the stability of the Nigerian state.

“The capture of the Nigerian state and the plunder of its resources are actions that undermine the basis of state stability and deepen poverty and state failure.”

Obi also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of failing to manage public resources responsibly despite growing economic hardship across the country.

“With the growing poverty and the urgent need for significant upgrades to social and physical infrastructure, a responsible and responsive government would ensure that N8.83 trillion is prudently utilised to address these gaps. But not the Tinubu administration,” he said.

The former governor maintained that recent allegations of corruption and insecurity were enough reasons for the president to step down from office.

“A few days ago, I called on President Tinubu to resign from office for incompetence, lack of capacity, lack of compassion, and failure to improve on his campaign promises. Some people thought perhaps the call was excessive,” he said.

“But with the daily revelations of pervasive corruption in this administration and its total lack of commitment to the welfare and security of Nigerian citizens, the only reasonable action is for President Tinubu to resign from office.

“The collapse of elementary forms of due process under Tinubu and the increased evidence of rampant looting of Nigerian public finances reinforce the need for greater accountability. It is now time for Nigerian citizens to rise within the law and hold this administration to account.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had earlier called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the allegation.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Some victims of the devastating flood that struck Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over the alleged diversion of relief materials and funds meant for affected residents.

The petition, dated June 26, 2026, was submitted through I.U. Wali Law Firm on behalf of Isah Abubakar, Hussaini Umar Kwangila, Bilyaminu Umar and other residents of Mokwa LGA.

The flood disaster occurred on May 29, 2025. The incident displaced more than 3,000 residents and claimed about 200 lives.

Following the tragedy, Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced a donation of N2 billion and 20 trucks of grains from the Federal Government to support affected communities. Several organisations and individuals also donated cash and relief materials.

However, the petitioners alleged that the donations did not reach many of the intended beneficiaries.

In the petition addressed to the anti-graft agencies, the residents claimed that officials responsible for handling and distributing the donations mismanaged the support meant for victims.

They further alleged that more than one year after the flood, the donated items and funds had not been “utilised effectively to the benefit of victims”.

The petition accused the Niger State Emergency Management Agency of including names of its staff members among beneficiaries of the cash support.

“Some of the victims were shortchanged as opposed to what they should receive, and some of the victims did not receive anything at all,” the petition reads.

“In fact, some persons who benefited from the relief items were not victims of the flood incident, while some are not residents or natives of Mokwa town. In summary, the donations have been marred by corrupt practices.

“The Niger State Emergency Management Agency compiled a list of flood victims for the distribution of money into their bank accounts.

“The list, which emanated from NSEMA, which is available in the public domain, contains the names of persons that were not affected or victims of the Mokwa flood.

“So, in essence, some people that aren’t affected by the Mokwa flood were listed among those to be compensated, while some victims were not included.”

The petitioners called on the EFCC and ICPC to investigate officials of NSEMA, Mokwa Local Government Area, members of the local organising committee and other persons involved in managing the donations.

They also urged the anti-corruption agencies to examine the list of beneficiaries, identify irregularities and recover any diverted funds or relief materials.