PRESIDENT TINUBU URGES SENATORS TO AMEND CONSTITUTION FOR STATE POLICE

President Bola Tinubu has urged the leadership of the 10th Senate to amend the Constitution to provide for State Police.

The president made the appeal during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, noting that President Tinubu said the establishment of State Police had become urgent to address evolving security challenges nationwide.

He stated that decentralised policing would strengthen grassroots security and enhance rapid response to threats within states.

According to the statement, the reform would help secure forests from criminal elements and free citizens from fear, just as he also commended the cordial relationship between the executive and the National Assembly.

Tinubu thanked the senate for supporting key economic reforms of his administration.

He said the removal of fuel subsidy ended monumental corruption and foreign exchange arbitrage.

The President of the senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended Tinubu for hosting the interfaith breakfast.

Akpabio said the administration’s reforms had increased revenue to sub-national governments for infrastructure development.

He prayed for the president, peace and prosperity in the country.

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EFCC ARRAIGNS THREE SENIOR NRC OFFICIALS OVER ALLEGE 2.04 BILLION NAIRA FRAUD

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned three senior officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged fraud, corruption and money laundering amounting to over N2.04bn.

According to EFCC, the defendants are a former Director of Finance of the NRC; Felix Njoku, the current Director in the corporation’s Procurement Department; Benjamin Iloanusi, and Director of Mechanical, Oche Ogbole-Inalegwu.

They were docked before different judges of the Special Offences Court on separate charges bordering on abuse of office, unlawful enrichment and corruption.

Njoku was arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe on a 17-count charge involving an alleged N736,320,807.08fraud.

EFCC alleged that Njoku, trading under the name FC Njoku and Company, after leaving office as Director of Finance, between January 2 and December 3, 2024, received N240,940,000 from NRC contractors through a Zenith Bank Plc account linked to contracts awarded during his tenure.

According to the charge, the funds were allegedly received “on account of the contracts awarded to the contractors during the discharge of your official duties.

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NIGERIAN LABOUR WORKERS ISSUES FRIDAY ULTIMATUM TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The Organised labour in the federal public service of Nigeria has issued a Friday, February, 27, 2026, deadline to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate release of funds to settle three months’ outstanding wage awards and other pending allowances owed to workers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The leadership of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Union Side, conveyed the ultimatum in a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, warning that failure to meet the February 27, 2026, deadline would compel the eight unions in the civil service to take decisive action.

The unions accused the government of withholding funds meant for workers, alleging that relevant agencies were prepared to process payments once the Ministry of Finance released the required funds.

The wage award dispute, which has persisted for over two years, followed the Federal Government’s approval of a N70,000 minimum wage after the removal of fuel subsidy.

Labour leaders stated that although partial payments were made after sustained pressure, three months remain unpaid since July 2024, heightening tension within the federal workforce.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the union stated that the wage award has dragged on for over two years now since the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage payment was approved.

The unions recalled that the wage award was approved as a cushioning measure following fuel subsidy removal and was to run until the commencement of the new minimum wage implementation in July 2024.

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION RELEASES GUIDELINES ON HONORARY DOCTORATES

The National Universities Commission has issued fresh guidelines regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

It cited what it described as the increasing incidence of indiscriminate conferment and misuse of such honours within the Nigerian University System.

In a public notice released on its official X page on Thursday, the Commission said the guidelines were approved pursuant to its powers under the Education National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions Act 2004.

It directed all Nigerian universities and other degree-awarding institutions to strictly adhere to the provisions.

It also warned that appropriate regulatory sanctions would be imposed on institutions and individuals found to have violated the approved guidelines.

The Commission also reminded the public that honorary doctorate degrees, whether awarded within Nigeria or abroad, are honorary distinctions and should not be regarded as equivalent to earned academic doctorate qualifications.

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NAHCON SIGNS 2026 HAJJ TRANSPORTATION AGREEMENT

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has signed the 2026 Hajj transportation agreement as part of its preparations for the forthcoming pilgrimage.

Chairman of NAHCON, Ismail Abba, made this known in a statement by the Information Officer of the Commission, Shafii Mohammed, in Abuja

While speaking at the signing ceremony, Abba charged the participating airlines to strictly adhere to operational standards and timelines, while he described the agreement as a defining milestone in the commission’s readiness for the 2026 Hajj.

According to him, transportation operation is a critical component of arrangements for the pilgrimage and must be handled with utmost professionalism, precision, and commitment.

The NAHCON chairman commended the airlines for their previous performances, emphasising that strict compliance with the provisions of the agreement remained non-negotiable.

He said that Hajj operations were time-bound and required careful coordination to ensure that all Nigerian pilgrims were transported to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within stipulated timelines.

Abba therefore disclosed that the agreement includes clear compliance measures, including recovery timelines for any airline that fell behind schedule, as well as alternative arrangements, where necessary, to prevent disruptions.

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NAMA RESTORES LAGOS AIRSPACE COMMUNICATION AFTER MMIA FIRE

Following Monday’s fire at Terminal One of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency said air-to-ground communication was stabilised using emergency backup systems.

Managing Director of NAMA, Ahmed Farouk, said on Wednesday in Lagos that the fire completely destroyed all primary communication systems.

Farouk inspected the affected terminal and ongoing work at the site designated for the mobile control tower, just as the Director commended air traffic controllers for their dexterity in restoring normalcy and expressed gratitude that no lives were lost.

On the mobile tower, he said poor terrain initially delayed its movement because the ground could not support the structure, while he added that beyond stabilising operations, significant work remains to fully restore affected infrastructure. 

Recall that the fire reportedly began about 3.30 p.m. on Monday and was contained by firefighters from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other responders.

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GOVERNOR FUBARA APPOINTS NEW SSG, CHIEF OF STAFF

The Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has named a new Secretary to the State Government and a new Chief of Staff at Government House, in Port Harcourt.

According to a statement issued on Thursday, the governor appointed Dagogo Wokoma as the new Secretary to the State Government and Sunny Ewule as his new Chief of Staff.

The appointments were contained in a Special Government Announcement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, and made available to media houses on Thursday.

According to the statement, the two appointments take immediate effect, just as no reason was given for the removal of the former occupants of the offices.

It added that the new appointees will be sworn in at 2pm at Government House, Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, the new appointments are believed to be a fallout of the recent reconciliation between Fubara and his former political ally, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, after Tinubu intervened to halt the planned impeachment of the governor by the Rivers State House of Assembly and brokered peace between the two leaders.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, during plenary last week, said the House had officially withdrawn its impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following the President’s intervention.

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NUPRC SETS FRIDAY DEADLINE FOR 2025 LICENSING ROUND REGISTRATION, PRE-QUALIFICATION 

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, says the registration and submission of applications for Pre-Qualification under the Nigeria 2025 Licensing Round will close at 4.30 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026.

The NUPRC, in a statement signed by its management, said the notice was in accordance with Section 11.2 of the Licensing Round Guidelines.

Recall that NUPRC had in December 1, 2025 announced the official commencement of the Nigeria 2025 Licensing Round, marking another major step in the Federal Government’s drive to enhance the sector.

The bid round offers 50 oil and gas blocks, comprising 15 onshore, 19 shallow-water, 15 frontier acreages and One deep offshore to boost reserves, production and gas development.

The bid aims to attract 10-15 billion dollars investment and add up to two billion barrels to national oil reserves over the next decade boosting production, jobs and naira stability.

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IRAN INSIST NO PURCHASE OF NUCLEAR WEAPON AHEAD OF UNITED STATES TALKS

The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian said the Islamic republic was not seeking a nuclear weapon as talks with the United States were due to begin in Switzerland on Thursday in a last-ditch bid to avert war.

The talks, mediated by Oman, follow a massive US military build-up in the region not seen in decades, with President Donald Trump threatening to strike Iran if a deal is not reached.

President Pezeshkian said, in a reference to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, stating that the Supreme Leader has stated that Iran would not purchase nuclear weapons at all.

While Iran has insisted the talks focus solely on its nuclear programme, the US wants Tehran’s missile programme and its support for militant groups in the region curtailed.

The developments follow a massive protest movement that rights groups say saw thousands of demonstrators calling for the end of the Islamic republic killed.

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OSIMHEN SLAMS GALATASARAY DISPLAY DESPITE WIN OVER JUVENTUS

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has expressed disappointment with Galatasaray’s performance despite their UEFA Champions League playoff victory over Juventus, which secured qualification for the Round of 16.

Galatasaray advanced after an extra-time win in the second leg on Wednesday in Turin, sealing a 7-5 aggregate victory following a 5-2 first-leg advantage at home.

Osimhen pulled a goal back at 3-0 to make it 3-1 on the night, putting the Turkish side 6-5 ahead on aggregate, before Barış Alper Yılmaz sealed qualification with a late goal.

Speaking live on CBS Sports Golazo after the match, the 27-year-old Nigerian gave a candid assessment of the team’s display.

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