Author: Lawrence Idoko

The immediate past President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Mazi Afam Osigwe, has charged judges, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and lawyers to take collective responsibility for the persistent delays in the prosecution of financial crime cases in the country. Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria said that persistent delays in major economic-crime cases reflect a shared failure of responsibility across the criminal-justice system. He spoke at a capacity-building workshop organized by the EFCC and the National Judicial Institute ( NJI), where judges and prosecutors examined how Nigeria can pursue financial crimes in an increasingly digital…

The Federal Government has announced plans to harmonise the 2027 secondary school certificate examinations, involving WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS, with a target to release all results by August to fast-track admissions into tertiary institutions. This was disclosed Wednesday by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education Boriowo Folasade. She said the decision followed a meeting convened by the Minister of State for Education Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, with heads and representatives of the various examination bodies in Abuja. She added that the meeting focused on aligning examination schedules, minimising timetable clashes and ensuring the…

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu has said the Nigeria Police Force will build on its past successes in election security to ensure a peaceful, credible and violence-free general election in 2027. Disu made the pledge after attending the launch of “The Origin of Women in Nigeria Police Force,” a book by 96-year-old retired Deputy Commissioner Stella Okuyiga, one of the first 20 women to join the force in 1955. He said the police had recently held a conference with commissioners and senior officers nationwide to review lessons from recent elections. “We brought all these experiences together—where we did…

The Nigerian Air Force says recovery operations are ongoing at the Igbokoda crash site of NAF ATR 42-500 aircraft NAF 931, as residents complain of offensive odour and fears of contamination more than a week after the October 5 crash that killed 25 persons. In a statement Thursday, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Air Force’s Director of Public Relations and Information, said the service was aware of residents’ concerns and recognized the “discomfort, anxiety and uncertainty” caused by the incident. Search-and-recovery operations remain underway, with the Air Force coordinating with partner agencies to ensure the safe and orderly recovery of…

The Tinubu Must Stay Movement (TMSM) has appointed Marcel Ngogbehei, as Director-General of its alliance with the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration, a move that signals an effort to consolidate political support ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the movement’s board chairman and convener, announced the appointment, citing Ngogbehei’s experience in Nigerian and British public institutions, technology, grassroots organizing and community development. He said the new director-general would oversee the alliance’s organizational coordination, grassroots engagement and civic-accountability work. Ngogbehei’s appointment underscores a notable shift in Nigeria’s opposition-aligned civic politics. He was a pioneer organizer of the Obidient…

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has ordered stronger flight safety oversight across the Nigerian Air Force to prevent air crashes, following the NAF ATR 42-500 accident of October 5. Air Marshal Aneke directed commanders to strengthen checks on aircraft airworthiness, maintenance, operating procedures and crew competence. He also called for faster reporting of hazards and more active safety monitoring, describing flight safety as a shared command responsibility. The directive followed the October 5 crash of NAF aircraft 931 near Igbokoda in Ondo State where the aircraft was carrying 20 passengers and five crew members,…

Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Senator Abdulaziz Yari has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s notable achievements across key sectors will form the cornerstone of his re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing infrastructure and benefits delivered to ordinary Nigerians. Yari, a former Governor of Zamfara State, made the remarks Wednesday in Abuja after President Tinubu inaugurated the APC Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the January 16, 2027, election. “Our campaign is going to be centred on what you have done and what you are going to do in the future,” Yari said, describing the message he…

The Benue State Government has sealed two private schools over alleged violation of the state’s textbook policy and victimisation of pupils, warning proprietors against exploitative practices in the education sector. The Executive Secretary Benue State Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAEB), Dr Terna Francis disclosed Tuesday in Makurdi following a court order on the Proprietor and locking the premises. He said the schools violated a government policy intended to let parents reuse textbooks and buy approved titles from outside bookstores rather than purchase them exclusively through school management. The enforcement action follows complaints that pupils whose fees had been…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained its decision to exclude the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Gombe, Isa Pantami, and in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, from its final list of candidates for the February 6 2027 governorship elections. In a statement by its spokesperson, Mohammed Haruna, INEC said the decision stemmed from their political parties’ failure to comply with the membership register requirements under Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections. He said INEC applied the sections of the law after it won the case challenging the application…

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have uncovered underground tunnels at a suspected drug hideout in Asaba Delta State, believed to be used for concealing illicit substances. The NSCDC said its Commandant’s Patrol Team raided the property at Fallingwater Colehouse, Yahweh Close, off Akara Junction, along the 74 Junction, Asaba Specialist Hospital axis. Operatives spent three days attempting to enter the building before using a blowtorch to cut through its roof. Speaking, Public Relations Officer of the command, DSC Anthony Akachukwu said inside the tunnel, operatives found multiple panels and layers of reinforced iron doors, as well…