SENATE DEMANDS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF DEFENCE BUDGET, WARNS AGAINST DELAYS

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmed Lawan, has called for the full and timely implementation of Nigeria’s defence budget, warning that delays could undermine the country’s security efforts.

Speaking during a budget defence session where the Minister of Defence presented the ministry’s 2025 performance and 2026 budget proposal on Wednesday, Lawan therefore assured that the Nigerian Senate is committed to ensuring the armed forces receive the necessary resources to carry out their duties effectively.

The chairman emphasized that defence spending cannot be postponed, noting that any delay in funding could give an advantage to criminal elements and insurgents. #

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FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY CORPS SECURE 2-MONTH JAIL TERM FOR ONE-WAY DRIVER 

The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has secured a two-month jail term without an option of fine for a traffic offender arrested for driving against traffic along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed said this in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide, on Wednesday in Abuja.

 Mohammed said the conviction was handed down by the Ojodu-Abiodun Magisterial District Court following a special joint intervention patrol launched on Monday.

 He said that the operation was inaugurated to curb the persistent and dangerous practice of one-way driving along the Kara–Opic axis of the expressway.

He added that the illegal act had escalated due to ongoing bridge expansion joint construction works on both the inward and outward sections of the corridor. #

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NAFDAC DENIES DIRECTIVE BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SUSPEND SACHET ALCOHOL BAN

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Wednesday, refuted a media report alleging that the Federal Government directed it to suspend enforcement actions on the regulation of sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.

NAFDAC, in a statement issued on Wednesday, described the publication as false and misleading, stressing that it had not received any official communication from the Federal Government ordering a halt to its regulatory activities.

Recall that a news report on Wednesday, in a statement issued in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Terrence Kuanum, claimed that the Federal Government had directed NAFDAC to suspend all enforcement actions relating to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.

However, Director-General, of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency operated strictly within its statutory mandate and in line with duly communicated Federal Government policies. #

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Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, has claimed that 90 per cent of federal lawmakers and other elected officials would not be elected if elections in Nigeria were conducted transparently.

Sowore made the remark while reacting to the controversy trailing the amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly provisions relating to the electronic transmission of election results.

Speaking during a live TV interview on Wednesday, Sowore argued that lawmakers are reluctant to enact reforms that would strengthen electoral transparency because they believe such changes would cost them their seats.

According to him, the argument that poor network coverage justifies manual collation is merely an excuse.

He therefore argued that the provision was deliberately inserted to create an avenue to revert to what he called the hardcoded way of reporting elections, which, according to him, has eroded public trust in the electoral process. #

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Fresh tensions erupted within the Labour Party on Tuesday night after the Julius Abure-led faction announced that it had reclaimed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, barely 24 hours after the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee took over the facility.

The Abure faction, through its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, made an announcement in a statement issued in Abuja late Tuesday night.

Ifoh confirmed that the party’s national headquarters, which was forcefully invaded has been reclaimed.

The spokesman also sent photographs showing the banners and billboards carrying the image of the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Nenadi Usman, being taken down. #

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BOMB EXPLOSION ROCKS BAYELSA SECRETARIAT

Confirmed local reports on Wednesday revealed that a suspected Improvised Explosive Device was detonated at the Bayelsa State Secretariat Complex in Yenagoa, just as the explosion, however, prompted an emergency response from security agencies and a temporary disruption of official activities.

Indications from preliminary findings also revealed that the explosion occurred at about 6:00 am, on Wednesday, triggering swift intervention by the Bayelsa State Police Command.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Iyamah, in a statement on Wednesday, assured residents that no casualties were recorded and no property was damaged.

Meanwhile, following the incident, the Bayelsa State Government ordered a temporary closure of work for four hours, affecting over 6,000 state employees as a precautionary measure. #

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SOLDIERS RAID TERRORIST CAMP, RECOVER AMMUNITION IN KOGI STATE 

Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have recorded a major operational success under Operation IGBO IDANU I, clearing a key terrorist camp in Kogi State and recovering arms and ammunition.

In a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, the Army said the operation dealt a decisive strategic blow to a notorious terrorist network linked to Kachalla Ibrahim and Shu’aibu.

The Army said the troops advanced through dense forest, difficult terrain, and multiple riverine obstacles, displaying exceptional resilience, professionalism and tactical discipline despite severe movement constraints caused by fallen trees and marshy ground.

According to the statement, troops dismounted and advanced on foot to achieve tactical surprise and operational dominance, a manoeuvre that enabled them to penetrate deep into the terrorist enclave, resulting in the complete clearance of the camp.

Although the terrorists fled on sighting the advancing troops, the Army said a thorough exploitation of the objective led to the recovery of significant quantities of arms and ammunition. #

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FARMERS, HERDERS SIGN 25 PEACE PACTS TO END KILLINGS IN PLATEAU STATE 

Farmers and herders in six rural communities across Bokkos and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State have signed 25 peace agreements aimed at restoring peace and rebuilding trust after years of deadly conflict.

The agreements were reached by men and women drawn from the communities of Sha, Bum and Sopp, where recurrent clashes have claimed many lives and led to the destruction of property.

The peace accords followed a series of dialogue and reconciliation engagements facilitated by the Institute for Integrated Transitions, as part of efforts to strengthen social cohesion and find lasting solutions to violence in fragile, conflict-affected rural communities.

A participant and senior district head from Bokkos Local Government Area, Lazaros David, described the peace process as timely and critical, given the scale of challenges faced by the communities. 

According to him, the organisers succeeded in bringing the communities together at the grassroots level through sustained engagement. #