Nigeria

By Uzair Adam

The Permanent Commissioner of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Barrister Ahmed Mohammed, is still being held by bandits nine months after his abduction, despite reports that his family paid N40 million ransom in an effort to secure his freedom.

Barrister Ahmed was kidnapped on September 29, 2025, along the Mokwa–Ibbi Road in Borgu Local Government Area while travelling to Minna on an official assignment.

His abduction occurred about a month before the state’s local government elections held on November 1, 2025.

A member of his family, who requested anonymity, disclosed that the kidnappers have now demanded an additional N300 million for his release.

The source said the abductors contacted the family again on Monday to inquire whether they were prepared to meet the latest demand.

However, the family informed them that it could not raise such an amount.

“The bandits call almost every day. It was only on Tuesday that they did not call. We are appealing to the Niger State Government to intervene and help secure his release.

“He was abducted while carrying out an official assignment for the state government,” the source said.

Speaking on the development, a close friend of the victim, Ayuba Abubakar, said the family had exhausted all available options in its efforts to regain his freedom.

He expressed concern over reports indicating that Barrister Ahmed’s health condition has worsened during captivity.

“On behalf of his family, colleagues and well-wishers, I appeal to the Niger State Government and relevant security agencies to urgently step in and ensure his safe and unconditional release,” Abubakar said.

The continued captivity of the electoral commissioner has heightened concerns among his family members, friends and associates, who are calling for swift action to secure his freedom.

By Nura Jibo MRICS

The man, President Barack Hussein Obama, will never cease to amaze me. In 2008, when Obama was campaigning for his presidential bid against John McCain, I was in the Sudan Savanna region of Northern Nigeria, managing a N6 billion redevelopment of the Yankari Animal Game Reserve Holiday Resort and Safari Project in Bauchi State.

At that time, the 2i/c in my office, Dr Aminu Bashir, was scheduled to visit the United States. He asked me if there was anything that I needed him to buy in America. I humbly requested two (2) books: The Audacity of Hope and Dreams from My Father, both written by Barack Obama.

Indeed, it was a joyous moment for me the very day I laid my hands on the two of Obama’s international bestseller books. 

For those who are not aware of what qualifies a book to be labelled a bestseller, any book that its publishers sell an average of more than 10,000 copies within a week is automatically considered a bestseller under US standards. Obama’s “Audacity of Hope” immediately qualified for the New York Times bestseller list because of its profundity.

Today marks exactly 18 years since Barack Obama made history in the United States of America. And today, which marks the day of another victory with the launch of the Obama Presidential Centre on Juneteenth 2026, is not only a win for the US Democrats and democracy, but also a day when consistency meets sincerity and the ability to reemerge.

Chicago has been home to Obama, his wife Michelle, and their children, Sasha and Malia.

The lessons I learned from the Obamas are not only about courage and conviction but also about inspiring me to rise and do more with my life.

1. Personally, Obama’s personality (behaviours and appearance), as defined in simple psychology, inspired me to write my first book that debuted in 2010, which I sent to him and his wife, Michelle, one copy each-in 2010, via the US Embassy in Nigeria. At that time, my aim was not really to practice quantity surveying as a meal ticket. My dream was to immerse myself in the study of global literature and novels by renowned authors, such as the Russian Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky and the Chinese Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. I sincerely cared less about studying physics and chemistry books because I believed they offered less to humanity, as they contributed more to inflicting havoc on the scientific world via bombs, drones, and missiles. 

I deeply thought that science was never favourable for me. I was quite surprised when I see myself today practicing a segment of it and excelling in quantity surveying at an appreciable speed and awe, because my thinking was to one day appear in a global debate with world leaders such as Barack Obama to discuss the West and Africa and seek an explanation from my Kanoonline super writer friend, Dave McEwan Hill’s candid observation, who averred that: “If we want to keep our best people at home we have to provide a better country for them to operate in. If Nigerian leaders were honest, progressive, and ambitious, they would have rewarded high achievers rather than multibillion-dollar thieves.” McEwan Hill believes that many of our best brains would have stayed at home to build the nation.

However, most of them have gone overseas to be in more satisfying and more remunerative employment in better-run communities.

While I can’t agree with Dave as little as he does, his double-decker challenge was just like the way the Obamas challenged the late McCain and Trump, with his trumpeting of our cosmopolitan world in a George Galloway manner. Indeed, Dave McEwan Hill acknowledged what he described as my impressive contributions that nonetheless read like special pleading to ignite curiosity that the “blacks” are any less intelligent than the “whites. ” To which the question is more complex than that, as he asserted elsewhere that all members of all races function just as well as each other when placed equally in advanced environments. The key question is why some environments get so far ahead of others. 

So far, I have repeatedly featured and succeeded in debating the world at the United Nations Conference of the Parties level for umpteenth times.

2. Hence, anytime I listen to Obama, I come away with something new and extraordinary, not in my professional field, but outside my constituency. For example, before the birth of Obama’s Presidential Centre, I established a 3-hectare tree shelterbelt and two high-powered solar boreholes as a community organiser and climate change advocate in Nigeria. In my shelterbelt, biodiversity has already been restored for the people of Asayaya village across a comprehensive 3-hectare area, with a grant of no less than £70,000 from the BCDA.

3. After succeeding in biodiversity restoration, I looked up to the United States of America to leverage the establishment and registration of a segment of my NGO: the African Climate Change Research Centre (ACCREC), which I affiliated with the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany, as its climate observer organisation for well over sixteen years now. Prof. Bello Makama–an African American Chemist of all time, painstakingly registered ACCREC in New York and became its first US Country Director at SUNY-ERIE, courtesy of following the Obama legacy.

4. Now that Obama has launched his Presidential Centre in Chicago, with Presidents George Bush Jr., Biden, and Clinton in attendance, only God knows what is going on in my mind regarding what I will come up with in a couple of months. I will not digress, but I take a huge lesson from the veracity of Obama’s amazing construction, which cost well over $850 million, with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates as its landscape architects; the centre is designed to receive an average of 1,666 visitors every week. They will enjoy learning, sports, entertainment and music to the zenith.

5. Indeed, anytime I read and watch the Obamas, rest assured I will come up with something new, especially when I reflect on their times as a husband and wife in perfect harmony.

6. The time they spent in Chicago, with Michelle as an Associate Dean and Obama as a professor of law, often reminds me of the days I traversed and visited nearly fifty countries for my international career. I lived in Europe, North Africa, South America, West Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, sharing ideas and presenting my case studies to the international community, my immediate community and African neighbourhoods.

7. Anyone who wants to know more about what I am up to in a couple of days can watch this space for my open letter to President Obama. This letter is certainly going to be different and very unique from the one I wrote and sent to President Donald John Trump at his house in Mar-a-Lago!

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has declared that his detention will not weaken his determination to continue advocating for justice in Nigeria.

Sowore made the statement on Tuesday shortly after regaining freedom from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.

In a post shared on his X account, the activist insisted that imprisonment would not force him to abandon his cause.

“Prison has never broken the resolve of those who fight for justice. If anything, it only strengthens our determination,” he said.

“The struggle continues. We will never surrender. #RevolutionNow #Sowore2027.”

Earlier on Tuesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted Sowore bail in the sum of N200 million.

The court directed him to provide two sureties as part of the bail requirements. One of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from his community, while the second must possess landed property within the Federal Capital Territory.

The judge also instructed the activist to surrender his international passport to the court registrar pending the conclusion of the case.

Following the ruling, the court ordered that Sowore be released to his legal team while the bail conditions are being fulfilled.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting the activist over a two-count charge linked to a social media post in which he allegedly referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “a criminal” on his X and Facebook accounts.

Sowore had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court had earlier granted him bail on self-recognition before the arrangement was later revoked.

On June 16, the presiding judge issued a warrant for Sowore’s arrest after he failed to appear in court for proceedings. The court held that the letter submitted to explain his absence did not provide sufficient reasons.

On June 22, the judge ordered that the activist be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his application challenging the withdrawal of his bail.

The court also dismissed an application in which Sowore requested that the judge withdraw from the case over alleged bias.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A member of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration deserves recognition for the steps it has taken to address insecurity across the country, even though the problem has not been completely resolved.

Gagdi, who represents the Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State, spoke on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The lawmaker argued that it would be inaccurate to claim that the federal government has failed to make efforts to tackle security challenges.

“If the truth be told, I will say the truth irrespective of your understanding about the truth that I am saying,” he said.

“I will not refuse to tell you here that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not make any effort towards solving the security problem.

“Promising to fix the security problem and putting effort towards fixing the security problem should both be recognised.”

Gagdi stated that although insecurity remains a major concern in the country, the government has continued to demonstrate commitment towards confronting the challenge.

He also disclosed that he had openly criticised certain security policies of the current administration during proceedings at the House of Representatives.

The APC lawmaker, however, accused some opposition politicians of taking advantage of the country’s security difficulties for political gain instead of presenting practical solutions.

According to him, some political actors appear more interested in drawing attention to the suffering of Nigerians than suggesting ways to improve the situation.

Gagdi added that national discussions should centre on finding solutions to insecurity rather than using the issue for partisan interests.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Federal Government has announced plans to scrap the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), following alarming data revealing that over 20 million pupils dropped out before reaching senior secondary level.

Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa made the announcement on Tuesday during the inauguration of the UBEC Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee in Abuja. He declared that the “disarticulation policy,” which mandated separate operations, principals, and facilities for JSS and SSS, had failed to achieve its intended objectives.

“We have 20 million dropouts from primary school to JSS. Where are those students? We also found we have 80,000 public primary schools and only about 15,000 junior secondary schools. That’s a one-to-eight ratio,” Alausa stated.

The minister explained that this imbalance has created severe overcrowding in JSS facilities while leaving many senior secondary schools underutilised. He cited Kaduna and other northern states as prime examples of where the policy has proven counterproductive.

“This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out. We can’t be creating positions because we want to create a director level for people while we harm our education system. It’s about doing what is best for every Nigerian child,” he added.

The proposal to abolish the policy will be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education for formal approval.

Alausa acknowledged previous failures in addressing student transition rates but assured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to fixing the educational system. “This government will not fail. We are fixing it,” he declared.

At the same event, the minister inaugurated a committee chaired by Professor Rashid Aderinoye to oversee UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools across the country. The committee has been tasked with ensuring these projects are completed, handed over to states, and opened for learning.

The minister expressed concern that many of these institutions remain unfinished or have not admitted learners, describing the situation as a waste of public resources.

Nigeria continues to grapple with one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, with millions of school-age children particularly in rural and conflict-affected communities still lacking access to formal education.

Education experts have consistently argued that addressing the crisis requires not only constructing new schools but ensuring that completed facilities are fully operational, adequately staffed and accessible to learners.

By Muhsin Ibrahim

The interview with Professor Tijjani Naniya on Arise News that I shared on Facebook yesterday continues to generate more (wild) reactions. At the time of posting this, more than 1100 comments had been made. This is far more than my previous posts or, generally, above-average social media posts.

Of those comments, many are expletives. I deleted a few, but I chose to leave almost all the subsequent ones, including those containing abuse and insults. Why?

I want people, especially the thoughtful among us, to see who the faces behind the Hausa Zallah agitation are and what many of them represent.

Those comments contradict several core Hausa socio-cultural ideologies codified by scholars such as Kirk-Green (1974), Alhassan et al. (1982), and Adamu (2001). I wonder where those so-called Hausa Zalla folks got them. If they were genuinely “Hausa Zallah”, they should demonstrate the cherished Hausa values.

Equally, go see how erstwhile Hausa “enemies” are defending the Hausa Zallah ideology. Naniya did not blame southeasterners for our growing insecurity or disunity. Rather, he traced the etymology of the term “Hausa-Fulani” to them. This is debatable, but it should be based on knowledge rather than insults.

When the Hausa Zallah staged a protest in Berlin, they displayed pictures of Nnamdi Kanu and called for his release. Why? So, even if Naniya associated the agitation with the Southeast, he might not be wrong. We should dig deeper to find the connection because it exists.

Folks asked for my opinion on all this. I have no problem with people identifying as Hausa, Fulani, or both. Actually, it’s bag governance that is fuelling all this hogwash. Identity politics is not a case in places where people live in peace and property.

In my neighbourhood in Cologne, there is a mosque, a church, and a mandir (a Hindu temple) within shouting distance. I have lived here for five years. I have never witnessed ANY problems between followers of these religions.

For me, we should unite against bandits, terrorists and corrupt politicians. They do not fight for or represent any particular ethnicity, religion or region. They are our real enemies, not your friend, colleague or neighbour who did not choose to be born Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba, you name it.

When bandits or terrorists strike, they often do not distinguish between victims. They kidnap or kill them all. When a politician steals our money, it affects our roads, schools, hospitals, and more.

Wake up. Think and do the right thing.

Muhsin Ibrahim can be reached via muhsin2008@gmail.com.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of a National Snakebite Treatment and Research Centre as part of measures to strengthen healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

The council also approved N73.9 billion for the procurement of essential medical supplies and other health interventions across the country.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, disclosed this on Monday after the FEC meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Pate said Nigeria records about 43,000 snakebite cases every year. He noted that many victims either die or suffer long-term disabilities, especially in the north-east, north-west and north-central regions.

“The new centre will provide specialised treatment, undertake research on snakebite prevention and management, ensure sustainable access to quality antivenom, and collaborate with international partners,” he said.

The minister also announced that the council approved N6.9 billion for the National Blood Service Agency to purchase 10 compressed natural gas-powered mobile blood donation clinics.

According to him, the vehicles will improve blood collection and distribution across the country.

Pate further revealed that FEC approved N62 billion for the procurement of tuberculosis commodities to strengthen the country’s response to the disease.

“FEC also authorised N62 billion for tuberculosis (TB) commodities to boost response to one of the world’s highest TB burdens,” he added.

“The procurement seeks to reduce reliance on foreign donors and support eventual local production of TB medicines.

“The sum of N5 billion was also approved for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to purchase reproductive health and family-planning commodities to improve maternal health services and expand voluntary family-planning access across the country.

“These approvals underscore the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening health infrastructure, widening access to essential medicines and promoting local pharmaceutical manufacturing.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, after allegedly finding cocaine hidden in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The suspect was apprehended on June 21, 2026, at the airport’s departure hall while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China.

According to the agency, intelligence reports led to her arrest. The suspect reportedly told investigators that she regularly travels to China to purchase goods for sale in Nigeria.

NDLEA operatives said a search of her luggage uncovered four parcels of cocaine weighing 7.5 kilogrammes. The illicit substance was allegedly concealed in a specially designed compartment inside the bag.

In a separate operation, a joint team made up of NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies intercepted a 40-foot container at the Apapa Port Complex in Lagos.

The agency said the container carried 195 sacks of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 4,959 kilogrammes with an estimated street value of N12.397 billion.

NDLEA disclosed that the container, which also contained Ford and Nissan vehicles, had been monitored since April 25 after departing Toronto, Canada.

The anti-narcotics agency also uncovered a syndicate accused of hiding illegal drugs inside passengers’ luggage at motor parks.

The operation followed the interception of a Sienna bus travelling from Nnewi, Anambra State, to Abuja on June 20.

According to NDLEA, officers recovered a package suspected to contain methamphetamine weighing 467.7 grams. The substance was reportedly concealed inside a black nylon bag hidden among clothes bearing the receiver’s phone number.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, Gloria Peter, at Utako Motor Park in Abuja. However, she denied knowledge of the package.

Investigators later arrested some bus loaders in Nnewi. One of them allegedly confessed that the package was placed inside the woman’s luggage on the instruction of the driver, identified as Abdurrazak Isah.

The driver reportedly linked one of his passengers, Onyebuchi Victor Okoye, to the drugs. NDLEA later arrested the suspect in Utako.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 57-year-old Ikechukwu Uwakwe at a motor park in Iddo, Lagos, with 209.5 kilogrammes of Scottish Loud allegedly meant for transportation to Enugu State.

The agency also arrested two Beninese nationals, Hossou Tito Julien and Mancellim Dossou, alongside a Nigerian identified as Jackson ThankGod, after intercepting a truck at Mile 2 Bridge in Lagos.

According to NDLEA, the truck was transporting 558,900 pills of Tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment. The consignment reportedly originated from Togo through the Republic of Benin.

Similarly, officers arrested Lucky Abonga and Osas Azamobo along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on June 26 with 118 kilogrammes of skunk concealed among goods inside a truck travelling to Onitsha, Anambra State.

The agency also disclosed that Helen Ese Idiji, 40, and Rashidat Sa’adullah, 53, were arrested at Olumokun Street, Amukoko, Lagos, where officers recovered 28.8 kilogrammes of skunk.

NDLEA said investigations showed that Idiji allegedly stored drug consignments with Sa’adullah before distributing them to buyers.

Meanwhile, the agency said its commands across the country intensified sensitisation campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse initiative in schools, communities, workplaces and religious centres.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the various operations. He urged them to sustain efforts aimed at combating drug trafficking across the country.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have taken a 50-year-old man into custody following the alleged sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl in the Katagum Local Government Area.

The arrest took place in the Bulkachuwa community. According to a statement issued on Sunday by the command’s spokesperson, CSP Nafiu Habib, law enforcement officers at the Bulkachuwa Divisional Police Headquarters moved in on the suspect after the victim’s father filed an official complaint.

The incident reportedly occurred around 5:00 pm on June 14, 2026. The young girl was out hawking soya bean cakes when the suspect allegedly targeted her. Under the pretext of wanting to purchase her wares, he lured her into an uncompleted building where the assault took place.

Detailing the incident, Habib said, “According to a report received at the Bulkachuwa Divisional Police Headquarters on June 15, 2026, at about 5 p.m., the complainant, a resident of Bulkachuwa, reported that on June 14, 2026, at about 5 p.m., one Muhammadu Audu of the same address lured his nine-year-old daughter while she was hawking soya bean cakes.

“Subsequently, the suspect allegedly took the minor to an uncompleted building with the pretext of buying from her, and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her.
“As a result, the victim sustained injuries to her private parts.”

During police interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed that this was not an isolated incident. He also admitted that he used a knife to threaten the young girl’s life to prevent her from telling her parents.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to having committed the crime more than once and also admitted that he threatened to kill the victim with a knife if she disclosed the matter to her parents,” Habib stated.

Following the report, the survivor was rushed to the Primary Health Care Centre in Bulkachuwa for immediate medical attention and examination. Meanwhile, the suspect remains locked up in police custody.

State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed that a comprehensive investigation be launched into the matter.

“The Commissioner of Police condemned the act in strong terms and reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for sexual violence and crimes against children.
“The command further assures the public that the case will be diligently prosecuted and remains committed to protecting women and children across the state,” Habib added.

This development follows a similar incident in May, where the Bauchi State Police Command apprehended a 70-year-old man for the alleged assault of a 10-year-old girl in the Magama Gumau area of Toro Local Government Area.

By Anwar Usman

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a sweeping reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), marking the first major restructuring of the scheme since its establishment 53 years ago.

The reforms, approved during the FEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, are aimed at transforming the NYSC into a skills-driven and productivity-focused institution in line with the Federal Government’s economic development agenda.

A key feature of the overhaul is the restructuring of the scheme’s leadership, with a civilian set to head the NYSC for the first time, while the military will retain its role in providing security for corps members across the country.

The council also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and relevant regulations to provide legal backing for the approved changes and enable their implementation.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, while announcing the approval on X, described the reforms as the first holistic review of the scheme in its 53-year history.

He said, “We are transforming the Scheme into a platform that not only unites Nigeria but also equips our young people with the skills, experience and opportunities they need to thrive in a fast-changing world.”

The Minister further revealed that the approved reforms would reposition the scheme as “a skills-driven, productivity-focused and youth-empowering institution that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.”

According to the minoster, the reforms include “a technology-driven call-up process, risk-sensitive deployment to better protect corps members, a redesigned six-week orientation programme with stronger focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, digital skills and specialised career streams, skills-based primary assignments aligned with academic background and career pathways, modern governance with civilian operational leadership while the military continues to provide security support

Other things includes; “improved camp standards through a national grading and certification system, and a new graduation ceremony to replace the Passing Out Parade, alongside a redesigned NYSC uniform that reflects professionalism and national pride.”

The new reforms represent the first comprehensive review of the scheme since its creation, with the Federal Government saying the changes are designed to make the institution more relevant to Nigeria’s contemporary economic and youth development needs.