Nigeria

By Anwar Usman

The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, has instructed the operatives of the DSS not to arrest anyone over civil matters.

The DG stated this in a media interview on Thursday, explaining that the directive was part of measures to strengthen compliance to the rule of law and improve the agency’s human rights record.

The DSS boss said that since assuming office, he had introduced reforms across five broad areas: law enforcement, inter-agency synergy, accountability, respect for human rights and infrastructural and administrative reforms aimed at improving operational efficiency.

Ajayi further revealed that, the reforms had also brought about a clearer distinction between civil and criminal matters within the agency.

He said his career experience had shown that the DSS previously conflated the two areas, stressing that the use of force was inappropriate in civil disputes.

“You cannot apply the use of force in civil matters. Even some criminal matters don’t require force,” he said.

The SUN reported that, Ajayi cited the case involving political economist, Prof Pat Utomi, over allegations relating to an attempt to establish a “shadow government”, saying the DSS opted to seek judicial interpretation rather than arrest him.

“Rather than arrest him, we sought judicial interpretation. And the Court ruled that his adventure was unconstitutional, illegal, and a threat to national security,” he added.

He also referred to a case involving the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, saying the organisation approached the court over allegations that two DSS operatives invaded its premises.

Ajayi said the matter was pursued in court without any arrest, adding that the court eventually awarded more than N100m in favour of SERAP.

Asked whether the DSS now resorts to the courts in civil matters, Ajayi replied, “Yes. I have told my people that there should be no arrest in any civil case. And I’m sure you have found out that, even in cases involving journalists, we would rather approach the court because we do the same job.

“I call you guys our professional colleagues. The only difference is that, while you inform the public, we inform the Government. And because we inform the Government, our information is classified until we declassify it.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Christian Association of Nigeria has cautioned politicians and their supporters against invoking the name of Jesus Christ in partisan political arguments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The association said it had taken note of recent comments by Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee, in which she referred to Jesus Christ while making a political argument concerning Peter Obi and the 2027 elections.

CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the organisation understood that political discussions could generate strong emotions. However, he urged Nigerians, particularly Christians, to exercise caution when referring to Jesus Christ during political debates.

“Jesus Christ is not a political candidate, a campaign slogan or a weapon to advance one politician against another,” the apex Christian association said.

“His name is sacred and should not be dragged into partisan contests in ways that elevate human beings, however popular or admired, to a place that belongs to God alone.

The association stressed that Christians have the right to support or oppose any political candidate. It, however, warned against allowing political loyalty to undermine the reverence accorded to Christ.

“We are free to support Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu or any other candidate. We are equally free to criticise them. But our political loyalty must never become so intense that we begin to speak of politicians in terms that diminish the reverence due to Christ.

CAN urged Nigerians to focus political arguments on issues such as the competence and character of candidates, their policies, performance and plans for the country.

“Let us argue about competence, character, policies, performance and the future of Nigeria. Let us disagree passionately if necessary, but let us leave Jesus Christ out of our partisan quarrels.

The association also warned against presenting politicians as saviours or equating political victories with spiritual salvation.

“No politician is the Messiah. No political party represents the salvation of the human spirit that Christ epitomises. And no electoral victory is worth compromising the honour due to His name.

With the 2027 elections approaching, Archbishop Okoh called on political actors, their supporters and Nigerians at large to maintain responsibility and restraint in political discussions.

“As we approach another crucial electoral season, I urge politicians, their supporters and all Nigerians to conduct our political conversations with responsibility, restraint and respect for what we hold sacred.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Residents of Kebbe town in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State have been thrown into fear after suspected bandits reportedly demanded N40 million from the community and threatened to attack if the money was not paid.

The gunmen allegedly issued a deadline for the payment and warned that residents could be killed and the town set ablaze if their demand was not met.

According to information shared on X by Crisis Reporter Bakastine, the bandits communicated their demand through a farmer who delivered a telephone handset to the District Head of Kebbe, Mallam Lawal Labbo.

The attackers reportedly initially gave the community five days to raise the money. The deadline was later extended to seven days after residents appealed to them.

The telephone handset was subsequently handed over to the Divisional Police Officer in the area for security authorities to monitor the situation.

The bandits also allegedly instructed that the telephone should remain charged and accessible. They reportedly threatened to attack the community if their calls were not answered.

The development was confirmed by the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, who said the police had received information about the threat and had begun taking steps to address it.

“We are aware of the information and we, together with our Anti-Kidnapping Unit, AKU, are already working on the information,” Rufai said.

The police spokesperson further confirmed that the suspected bandits had given the community an ultimatum to raise N40 million.

The reported deadline has heightened anxiety among residents, with fears of a possible attack if the demand is not fulfilled.

Security authorities are expected to intensify efforts to prevent any attack on the community and protect residents from the threat.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has released a preliminary report that links 12 organisations and 58 bank accounts to Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the director-general of the council.

The committee, chaired by Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, presented its findings on Wednesday. The investigation followed public concerns over the appearance of the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Bill despite questions about the legal status of the organisation.

According to the report, evidence obtained from witness testimonies, official documents, financial records and submissions from government institutions formed the basis of the panel’s preliminary conclusions.

The lawmakers said their investigation found no law enacted by the National Assembly or presidential directive that established the PFIPC.

The committee also stated that information obtained from the State House showed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration never appointed Adeyemi as director-general of the council.

In addition, the panel said it found no proof that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, endorsed Adeyemi’s appointment letter.

“The Committee therefore preliminarily finds that the purported appointment letter was fabricated and falsely attributed to the Presidency,” the report reads.

“Such conduct, if established through the applicable criminal process, would constitute a grave assault on the integrity of the Office of the President and the official identity of the Federal Government.

“The unlawful creation or deployment of a document calculated to represent that the President or the Chief of Staff had authorised the appointment of a person to head a non-existent federal institution cannot be treated as a mere administrative irregularity.

“It is a matter deserving the most serious investigative and prosecutorial attention.”

The report identified several organisations allegedly connected to Adeyemi. They include the Confederation of United Nations Youths, FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership, FCT Investment Promotion Council and Public-Private Partnership, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, United Nations Youth Global Agency and United Nations Youth Global Foundation.

Others listed by the committee are the World United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World Entrepreneurship University Limited, World Enterprise University Limited, FCT Investment Promotion Act, FCT Promotion Agency and the Olubadan of Ibadan Foundation.

Lawmakers also reported that about 58 bank accounts were traced to the organisations.

The committee further disclosed that investigators discovered a letter dated November 7, 2024, which was allegedly forged and presented as an official communication from the State House to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

According to the report, the document sought the creation or issuance of an administrative code for the PFIPC. The letter was reportedly signed by one Akambi Adewale, a person the committee said does not appear in State House records.

The panel criticised both the OAGF and the Budget Office of the Federation over what it described as procedural failures in their handling of matters relating to the PFIPC.

The report stated that the OAGF acknowledged that its response to the forged correspondence should have been transmitted through an officially verified channel rather than released directly to Adeyemi.

“The office (OAGF) further acknowledged that the response ought not to have been released to Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi or any other unauthorised person but should have been transmitted through a properly authenticated official channel,” the report reads.

“The committee considers it a serious administrative and security lapse that official correspondence addressed to the State House could allegedly have been collected by a person connected with the forged originating request.

“The committee is therefore investigating whether the circumstances arose from negligence, failure to observe elementary verification requirements, breach of established correspondence procedures, wilful disregard of due process or deliberate facilitation.

“No officer will be condemned without fair hearing. Equally, no proven breach of public duty will be overlooked.

“The Budget Office made extensive submissions regarding its interaction with the purported organisation.

“While preliminary evidence indicates that the Office was presented with documentation purporting to establish the organisation as a federal institution, the Committee considers that verification of the legal existence of an institution is a fundamental prerequisite to its recognition within the Federal Budget Framework.”

The committee said further investigations are ongoing as it continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the PFIPC and the roles played by various individuals and government agencies in the matter.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Global ride-hailing company Uber has announced the termination of its services in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026.

The company disclosed the decision in a statement issued by its spokesperson on Wednesday, citing changes in its business priorities and investment strategy across Africa.

Uber said the decision was not connected to the recent restrictions placed on ride-hailing companies at Nigerian airports by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

FAAN had in August limited the activities of ride-hailing operators at Nigerian airports before later allowing Bolt, one of Uber’s major competitors, to resume operations.

Uber said its decision to leave the two countries was specific to those markets and would not affect its activities in other parts of Africa.

“After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026. This decision is limited strictly to these two markets and does not impact our operations across the rest of the continent,” the statement reads.

“Our immediate priority is supporting drivers, riders, and local team members throughout this transition. Uber remains deeply committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see robust growth and long-term opportunity.”

The company also reiterated its long-term interest in the sub-Saharan African market, despite its withdrawal from Nigeria and Uganda.

“We remain committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see strong growth and opportunity,” Uber said.

“We are focusing our investments on markets where we believe we can add the most value for drivers by providing earning opportunities at scale and enabling riders to go anywhere seamlessly.”

Uber said it had begun communication with employees, drivers and riders affected by the decision.

“We are committed to supporting affected employees through the transition and will communicate directly with them regarding the arrangements that apply to them,” the firm said.

The company also said active drivers had received communication as part of the transition process.

“We have been in touch with active drivers to extend a token of our appreciation as they transition over the next period.”

Uber said its customer support service would remain accessible for 21 days after the end of operations. The period is intended to address outstanding complaints and other issues linked to the transition.

The company’s departure comes after years of operational challenges in Nigeria. Its drivers staged protests in 2017, 2023 and 2025 over issues that included fares, commission rates and alleged poor treatment.

Uber entered the Nigerian market about 12 years ago as part of its expansion into Africa. Since its establishment in 2009, the company has withdrawn from 14 countries across Asia and Africa.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Gunmen have killed two residents and abducted the All Progressives Congress Chairman of Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Fanka, in a late-night attack on the community.

The incident reportedly occurred around 11pm on Monday when the armed men invaded the area and opened fire, forcing residents to flee their homes.

A resident who spoke about the incident on Tuesday, under the condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said two people were killed after they attempted to prevent the abductors from taking away the APC chairman.

“The two people killed couldn’t stop them from whisking away the party chairman because they were in possession of sophisticated weapons,” the resident said.

The latest attack occurred less than 24 hours after gunmen reportedly killed the APC Chairman of Rantan Ward in Bebeji Local Government Area, Alhaji Garba Buba, alongside another resident, Sulaiman Zunduma.

The Rantan incident took place on Sunday night when the attackers invaded the community and killed the two victims. The Kano State Police Command subsequently commenced an investigation and launched efforts to identify and arrest those responsible.

The incidents followed another attack in Chiromawa community, Garun Mallam Local Government Area, where suspected bandits abducted the Sarkin Noman Kano, Alhaji Yusif Nadabo, on Saturday night.

Nadabo was later rescued by the police after security personnel and local residents responded to the attack. Three residents were reportedly injured during the incident.

The attacks in Rogo, Bebeji and Garun Mallam occurred in neighbouring areas of Kano State within roughly 72 hours, raising renewed concerns about the security situation across the state.

The development came shortly after the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, announced on Monday that the Federal Government was working on a five-year defence and security strategy following the recent attacks in Kano.

Attempts to obtain an official reaction from the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Calls to his telephone were not answered, while a WhatsApp message sent to him had not received a response.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent comments on proposals aimed at reducing energy costs, saying Nigerians have endured prolonged economic hardship while the government is now promising relief as the 2027 elections draw closer.

Atiku made his position known through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who issued a statement on Tuesday titled, “Tinubu, the issue is not Atiku — it is why Nigerians can no longer afford to live.”

Shaibu said Atiku was not interested in turning the matter into a personal confrontation with the President. He maintained that the former vice president would continue to advocate policies that could ease the financial burden on Nigerians.

He said, “Atiku has more important people to engage directly: the mother struggling to feed her children; the civil servant whose salary disappears into transportation; the farmer paying more to move produce to market; the student being pushed into debt simply to remain in school; and millions of Nigerians whose daily reality bears no resemblance to the prosperity advertised in your tweets.”

The statement followed Tinubu’s recent criticism of Atiku’s economic proposals, particularly suggestions for reducing energy costs. The President had also rejected the possibility of a return to fuel subsidy arrangements.

Shaibu questioned the timing of the administration’s renewed promises to reduce transportation costs, boost food production and provide assistance to vulnerable Nigerians after years of economic difficulties.

“Why did Nigerians have to suffer for more than three years before your government discovered that economic growth must reach ‘the dining table and the pocket ‘. Why is intervention backwards when Atiku proposes it, but progressive when you announce it?,” he asked.

According to the statement, lowering energy costs could have broader economic benefits because cheaper fuel would reduce transportation and production expenses. This, it said, could eventually bring down the prices of food and other essential commodities.

Shaibu also outlined aspects of the Atiku Economic Recovery Plan, which he said would provide targeted support for Nigerian crude supplied to domestic refineries under a capped and transparently budgeted framework.

He said the proposal would involve tracking crude supplied to refineries, monitoring refined petroleum products and introducing a consumer pass-through mechanism to ensure Nigerians benefit directly from the intervention.

“The economics is straightforward. Reduce fuel costs, and you reduce pressure on transportation. Reduce transportation costs, and you reduce the cost of moving tomatoes, rice, yam, livestock and manufactured goods,” he said.

By Uzair Adam

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, citing the ongoing legal proceedings in the United States over alleged links to narcotics trafficking.

The party said the President’s recent legal action before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was an indication of his concern over the possible release of documents allegedly linking him to drug-related activities.

The APM National Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Abubakar, made the position known in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the party, President Tinubu, through his lawyers, filed a plea on August 28, 2026, seeking to block a summary judgment and prevent the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from releasing documents it described as potentially incriminating.

The APM argued that the attempt to prevent the release of the documents amounted to an effort to suppress evidence that could have implications for the President.

The party said that if Tinubu’s legal team was confident of his innocence, the case should instead be allowed to proceed so that the documents could be examined and the President’s name cleared.

It further argued that the invocation of privacy concerns and the possible impact of releasing the documents on Nigerian politics showed that the matter had serious implications for the President.

The party also drew attention to Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which outlines the conditions that could disqualify an individual from contesting the presidency.

The APM said Nigeria’s obligations under international treaties on drug and narcotic control further underscored the importance of the matter.

The party said it remained confident that the U.S. court would determine the case based on the law and evidence presented before it.

“As a party, we insist that no individual, regardless of their political position, should be beyond the reach of the law, especially regarding drug-related issues of legitimate concern to the entire world,” the statement said.

The APM also cited the conviction of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández by a U.S. federal jury in Manhattan in March 2024 on drug-related charges as an example of how political status, in its view, should not shield anyone from prosecution.

The party consequently urged President Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest, saying Nigeria deserved a president who was free from allegations involving fraud, corruption and dishonesty.

“We, therefore, counsel President Tinubu to spare the nation the pain, cost, and embarrassment of this situation by stepping down from the race,” the party said.

The APM also called on other presidential aspirants to be prepared for public scrutiny of their records as the 2027 election approaches.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Presidency has strongly refuted claims circulating in some media circles that suggest President Bola Tinubu is connected to ongoing U.S. legal proceedings, describing the reports as a desperate political maneuver funded by opposition figures seeking foreign validation ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a detailed statement issued Sunday, Dr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, characterized the coordinated media campaign as a “clinical demonstration of desperation” orchestrated by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp.

According to publicly verifiable filings with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Atiku Abubakar contracted the Washington-based firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. on a $1.2 million, 12-month retainer. The agreement’s explicit scope, Dare noted, is to execute a “targeted, partisan campaign” designed to “counterbalance” Nigerian government narratives and weaponize historical judicial archives for domestic political leverage.

The statement identified Dr. Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten—a U.S.-based consultant of Nigerian origin who added the “Von Batten” surname following his marriage—as the commercial lobbyist behind what the Presidency termed “manufactured controversies.”

“Okeke-Von Batten must have conned a desperate Alhaji Abubakar Atiku into believing that he has access to everyone in the Trump administration, including President Trump himself, by falsely representing that he had reached out to President Trump to release the so-called FBI files,” Dare stated.

The Presidency emphasized that the case in question has been active since 2023, with the FBI’s primary concern being “the protection of the techniques by which it gathers information and the safety of its sources.”

“The report presents no intelligence document, no named Western official, and no evidence of any exchange involving Nigeria’s secrets or resources. It is nothing more than political speculation packaged as classified information,” Dare asserted.

Addressing what it termed “the recycled fixation on decades-old, settled U.S. legal filings,” the statement referenced recent public discourse where Wole Afolabi, SAN, appeared on Channels Television to clarify that actions taken by the legal team to withhold certain sections of FOIA requests align strictly with U.S. legal provisions designed to protect confidential investigative processes.

“If the president had been criminally liable under U.S. law during past investigations, American authorities would have indicted and prosecuted him at the time,” the statement quoted Afolabi as clarifying.

The Presidency also dismissed suggestions linking President Tinubu’s current European trip to U.S. legal proceedings, describing it as a “previously scheduled annual leave” with “absolutely no connection” to ongoing FOIA matters.

Dare concluded by challenging the opposition to present tangible evidence for their allegations, arguing that “true democratic validation is earned through the ballot box and tangible service delivery to the citizens at home, not through manufactured headlines bought and paid for in foreign currency.”

The statement emphasized that Nigerians are “no longer naive spectators easily swayed by rented international mouthpieces or imported falsehoods.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The growing influence of English and the declining practice of passing indigenous languages from parents to children could threaten the future of Hausa, former Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Katsina State chapter, Hajiya Hannatu Mohammed, has warned.

Mohammed raised the concern while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in commemoration of Hausa Day. She called for deliberate efforts to protect Hausa and other indigenous Nigerian languages from gradual cultural erosion.

She said the importance of preserving indigenous languages extends beyond communication, as they carry the history, traditions, values and identities of different communities.

The Punch Newspapers quoted her as saying, “Nigeria needs to preserve Hausa and other indigenous languages because language is more than a means of communication. It is a repository of our history, culture, values and collective identity.”

She noted that the widespread use of Hausa across Northern Nigeria, especially in the media, education, commerce and cultural activities, makes its preservation an important cultural and social responsibility.

“We should be able to speak English for global communication while proudly maintaining Hausa and our other indigenous languages,” she insisted.