Author: Vincent Osuwo

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed over 28,000 operatives across the country to ensure a peaceful and secure holiday period. According to a directive issued by the NSCDC’s Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi, operatives from several specialised units, including the Intelligence Directorate, Special Female Squad, Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, Mining Marshals, Quick Response Tactical Team, Counter Terrorism Unit, Operations Department, and Special Weapons and Tactics, have been mobilised. Audi, in a statement signed by corps spokesperson Afolabi Babawale on Wednesday, noted that the large-scale deployment was part of the corps’ continued efforts to defend important…

At least three persons have been killed by gunmen in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, a youth leader in the Irigwe community, who confirmed the killings in Jos on Wednesday, said the victims were attacked by the gunmen near GSS Kwall, opposite the Military Drone Base, while on their way home from Kwall District. Yonkpa, who doubles as the National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Youth Movement, added that the deceased were identified as Sunday Ishaya, aged 37; Joshua Mishi, aged 51; and Range Kpeh, aged 32. Yonkpa said, “Yes, it’s true. Yesterday, Tuesday, June…

Members of Itaapa, an Osun State community, organised a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday outside the State Headquarters of the Osun Amotekun Corps in Osogbo, condemning the indiscriminate arrest and detention of some of the town’s indigenes. During the protest, which caused traffic gridlock on the ever-busy Osogbo/Kwara boundary motorway that runs in front of Amotekun headquarters in Osogbo, palpable anxiety hung in the air, with armed Amotekun agents stationed at the premises’ gate, keeping an eye on the demonstrators. The demonstrators, led by Itaapa’s Odofin, Olusegun Owoeye, said that members of the community’s security volunteer team, as well as several…

The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal has upheld Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s election victory while dismissing petitions from the Peoples Democratic Party and four other political parties. The panel issued its ruling on Wednesday evening. It was confirmed that Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress won the governorship election on November 16, 2024, with 366,781 votes. The PDP, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, Allied Peoples’ Movement, and African Democratic Congress all challenged the outcome. They stated that the election was marred by anomalies such as overvoting, multiple thumbprinting, and the breakdown of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System. The three-man panel, led…

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has assured Nigerians that the Peoples Democratic Party will recover and pose a formidable challenge to the country’s democratic rule by 2027. Saraki, the Chairman of the PDP reconciliation Committee, told reporters in Ilorin on Wednesday that while some people are defecting from the party, others are joining the PDP from opposition political parties. Responding to questions from reporters during a visit to Ajikobi ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state, Saraki said, “Some members of the party (PDP) might still defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). I’m also confident…

A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Pakistan and confessed to the murder of 17-year-old social media personality Sana Yousaf, according to authorities. Authorities suspect Umar Hayat murdered Ms Yousaf at her home in Islamabad on Monday after she rejected his “offers of friendship”. He apparently tried and failed to meet her several times. They claim he broke into her home, fired two rounds, snatched her phone, and left. Ms Yousaf’s father, Syed Yousaf Hassan, told the BBC that she was his only daughter and that she was “very brave”. Her family has assembled in Chitral, where Ms Yousaf is…

Kenyan free-speech campaigners and attorneys have decried the arrest of the author of an unauthorised biography of Kenyan President William Ruto’s daughter. Charlene Ruto accused Webster Ochora Elijah of “misusing” her name by writing the book without first obtaining her permission. On Tuesday, the author was detained and charged with impersonation for the book Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bond. Ms Ruto told journalists she had reported the incident to the police and was following legal procedures. She is named as the complainant on the charging sheet. The…

Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has responded to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, stating he will not participate in a verbal war with “children”. Amaechi made the remark on Tuesday during an appearance on ARISE TV, in reaction to Wike’s criticism of his recent comments about Nigeria’s starvation situation. “God, Peter Odili, the judiciary and the Rivers State people made me governor. Ask him how he made me governor. I’m saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children,” Amaechi said. The exchange originated from Amaechi’s earlier comments at his 60th birthday celebration,…

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday filed a new motion against Prof. Pat Utomi at the Federal High Court in Abuja about his claimed preparations to hold demonstrations in relation to an ongoing litigation against him. The DSS, through its counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, filed an application before Justice James Omotosho requesting that the court stop Utomi and his accomplices from making additional public comments or participating in rallies over the intended “shadow government” creation. Recall that the DSS had previously brought Utomi, the 2007 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), before Justice Omotosho for his…

Umar Bago, the Governor of Niger State, has suspended all traditional Sallah festivities, including the Hawan Bariki, Durbar, and other public meetings. The instruction, given on Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, came after a terrible flood that ravaged Mokwa, displacing several families and leaving them in mourning. “This decision was taken as a mark of respect for the victims of the tragic flood in Mokwa,” the statement read. “It is also intended to allow a period of mourning, prayer, and sober reflection across the state,” the statement read. Bago expressed heartfelt sympathies to the affected…