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Every year, on August 30th, the world marks the International Day of the Disappeared, a day set aside to honour the countless people who have gone missing in the context of armed conflict, violence, migration or disaster.

Globally, the scale of the crisis is staggering. As of 2025, more than 284,000 people were officially registered as missing with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Yet, humanitarian organisations stress that the true number of disappeared persons is far higher, running into millions.

Nigeria is no exception to this tragedy. A recent Daily Trust report captured figures from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which revealed that more than 17,000 people are registered as missing in the country. Over 90 per cent of these cases are linked to armed conflict and insurgency in the North-East, as well as banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central regions.

The numbers are particularly higher in the North-East, with Borno State alone accounting for about 9,000 missing persons, while Adamawa has 3,000 and Yobe 2,500. Together, these three states recorded nearly 14,500 cases. The report also revealed that insurgency remains the major cause of disappearances in the region, leaving thousands of families trapped between hope and grief.

This data is deeply troubling for a country that prides itself on democratic principles. Missing persons represent a hidden humanitarian crisis that rarely receives adequate attention. Too often, the issue only surfaces during international commemorations, but in reality, thousands of Nigerians continue to be affected due to the relentless activities of insurgents, bandits, and other non-state actors. Natural disasters such as flooding also contribute to the crisis, while enforced disappearance- a situation where individuals are secretly abducted, detained, or imprisoned by state authorities, with government agencies refusing to acknowledge their fate or whereabouts adds another disturbing dimension.

For instance, Amnesty International has categorised the circumstances surrounding the 2019 disappearance of government critic Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyatta, as enforced disappearance. He was abducted by armed men shortly after arriving at his Kaduna residence, and six years later, his fate remains unknown. Similarly, the case of Kaduna-based mechanic Saidu Yusuf Gamana, allegedly taken by security agents since 2021, remains unresolved. His family, like many others, continues to wait in anguish, hoping for a reunion.

Beyond enforced disappearances, Nigeria has a troubling history of arbitrary arrests. There are several reports of individuals languishing in prisons or secret detention facilities, either because they cannot afford bail or because they are detained at the behest of powerful individuals. These practices not only violate constitutional rights but also deepen the anguish of families who are left in the dark.

Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), which has long faced accusations of enforced disappearance and unlawful detention, has since 2025 begun reassessing what it described as ‘prolonged inherited cases’ to ensure that individuals illegally detained are released with compensation. While this is a step in the right direction, it must be institutionalised and expanded to cover all cases of unlawful detention. The DSS must also entrench a system of transparency so that detained individuals are allowed access to their families and legal representation.

No doubt, the humanitarian consequences of missing persons are disturbing, as behind every missing individual lies a network of family members suffering from uncertainty and anguish. Even when victims are eventually found and reunited with their families, the ordeal is far from over. The healing process can take years, as victims and families grapple with physical and psychological scars from long-term separation or dehumanising conditions in detention.

The ICRC, which continues to document, trace and support families of missing persons, deserves commendation for its tireless work. However, Nigeria’s security agencies, particularly the police, must strengthen their investigative departments to bring closure to families. Even when investigations go cold, the police have a responsibility to review cases periodically and reopen them when necessary. Crucially, they must also keep families updated with periodic progress reports.

Judicial authorities also have a role to play. Chief Judges of states must accelerate prison visitation mechanisms to ensure accountability and justice for victims who have been left to languish for minor offences or due to their inability to meet bail conditions. Such oversight would help prevent arbitrary detentions and restore public confidence in the justice system.

Ultimately, Nigeria must confront this crisis with urgency. It requires stronger investigative capacity, judicial oversight, and accountability from security agencies. It also demands sustained public attention, not just symbolic recognition once a year. The media and civil society organisations must continue to bring adequate publicity to this crisis and hold appropriate authorities accountable.

After reading my intervention on last week’s incident on Arise Morning Show, a friend, who is one of the leaders of public relations practice in Nigeria sent me a message.

‘What’s your professional view about Rufai Oseni?’ They had asked. I replied as follows: ‘I think he’s bright, patriotic and objective. But he gets too emotional and descends into the arena, sometimes doing more than a journalist should do.’

My friend, who said they had known Mr Oseni personally for years, responded: ‘Really? He lacks every trait of a professional Journalist!’ They went further to suggest that the television anchor required training and so on.

I said nothing further for two reasons. One, I do not disagree that Mr Oseni, and any other professional, for that matter, requires continuous training and retraining. Didn’t someone say that the education of a man is never completed until he dies? In addition, I concluded that I would share my opinion on this issue in an article.

I’ll be upfront by admitting that while many Nigerians say Rufai Oseni is biased, I do not think so. I understand that many people, especially those on the receiving end of his sometimes vigorous and relentless ‘interrogation’ of issues and people, judge the Arise Morning Show anchor as partisan, arrogant, and unprofessional. But I do not see it that way. And I say that as someone who follows the show with passion.

Over the years, I have found that Oseni, alongside his colleagues, Dr Ruben Abati, Mrs Ayo Mairo-Ese and, occasionally, Mrs Vimbai Mutinhiri-Ekpenyong, hold their guests to the same demand of accountability, good governance and responsibility.

To extend my assessment of Oseni, I find him to be one of the most brilliant television journalists on Nigerian television today. He is commendably well-read, has an impressive command of facts and figures, and demonstrates an undeniable level of preparation that should be the minimum prerequisite for anyone with the unique privilege of presenting a morning show on national television.

Oseni would remember what a public official said months back. He would retrieve figures, point out contradictions and press on when guests try to evade questions. He is also obviously passionate about Nigeria. You see that passion in virtually every discussion. I cannot imagine that any country should demand less than these qualities from a journalist.

So why does Oseni come across as biased, even unprofessional, to many viewers?

First, we must acknowledge something about the format of the Arise Morning Show. The three main anchors on this show perform at least two distinct functions. Yes, they are journalists, but they are also analysts.

In the first 30 minutes or so, they do not merely tell us what happened; they interpret developments. They interrogate policies, positions and issues. Here, they can draw inferences from political conduct and tell viewers their personal views without equivocation. This also applies to segments like The Brief with Rotus Odiri, World Brief and Newspapers Review by Akinfemi Adesanya, Sports with Aron Akerejola or Ebi Iyomon and What’s Trending by Ojy Okpe.

This distinction between straight news reporting and other forms of broadcast journalism is standard and well recognised. The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator, Ofcom, for instance, recognises, in Rule 5.9, that presenters outside news programmes, including presenters of personal-view programmes and chairs of discussion programmes, may express their own views on matters of political controversy or current public policy. This freedom, however, demands the adequate representation of alternative viewpoints. Presenters must also not use the advantage of their regular appearances to promote their views in a way that ‘compromises due impartiality.’

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with any anchor telling viewers exactly what they feel in these segments. Analysts who are afraid to reach and convey their conclusions do not deserve the title. If two positions contradict one another, or a policy is incoherent, an analyst should say so. If the conduct of people raises questions about integrity, consistency, competence and such, a journalist, while wearing the cap of an analyst, should be able to make that judgment, as long as it is based on verified or at least verifiable facts. It shouldn’t matter whose ox is gored.

The problem, however, starts when an analyst fails to completely surrender the chair to the journalist when the programme moves into interviews. Therein lies the rub.

The interviewer has a different responsibility from the analyst. He should not arrive at the interview determined to establish the accuracy of his own opinion. He has invited the guest or expert to answer questions and provide information to viewers, and so his role is defined. He should ask questions, interrogate the answers provided, introduce contradictory evidence where necessary, and make it easy for the audience to draw its own conclusion through the information the guest provides or clarifies. However, this doesn’t mean that the journalist should be timid.

Anyone, especially public officials who attend television interviews, should expect difficult questions. And to every question, they should expect a follow-up. When they evade questions, they must know that the interviewer will double down. When they contradict themselves, the interviewer should point it out, and when facts differ from their claims, the interviewer has a responsibility to call them out. That is ideal journalism.

And this is where many of those who criticise Oseni miss the point. Tough or relentless questioning is not necessarily evidence of bias, just as interruption is not necessarily rude. Sometimes, an interviewer has no choice but to interrupt a guest who is apparently avoiding a question, taking too much airtime, or getting unacceptably promotional.

On balance, however, adversarial journalism is not argumentative journalism. The line between interrogating a guest’s argument and arguing with them in an interview is very thin, and interviewers should avoid it.

This is where I think Mr Oseni occasionally gets into trouble with guests and viewers. Sometimes, he appears so emotional and determined to demonstrate his correctness that the question gets too long, and his supplementary question becomes an explanation. The explanation itself develops into an argument, and before long, viewers are left with two people struggling to establish a superior position instead of seeing a journalist extract information from a guest. They become confused instead of educated and better informed. At such times, this spectacle becomes embarrassingly unedifying.

And, unfortunately, things need not get to this point because Oseni is usually armed with enough information. In my opinion, the better prepared an interviewer is, the less he sometimes needs to say. An interviewer should only put the fact to the guest, no matter how inconvenient, ask his question and then find the grace to listen. If the guest prevaricates, repeat your question; if he contradicts himself, ask him to reconcile his position. If he fails, allow him. You have made your point, and the audience, which is never stupid, already sees it. Interviews should not degenerate into shouting matches and altercations simply because an interviewer wants his opinion to win the day. His desire to prove his own opinion should, in fact, be unseen in an interview.

Despite all of these, it will be difficult to sustain the charge of political bias against Oseni. A journalist’s strong views or aggressive questioning should not amount to allegiance to an opposing view and vice versa. To judge an interview’s objectivity, the most useful test should be consistency.

Does the interviewer subject claims to equivalent scrutiny regardless of who makes them? Does he interrogate attempted evasions from politicians he is presumed to favour with the same intensity with which he engages those he is presumed to dislike? Does he treat evidence with the same seriousness without regard to political tendencies? These are fair questions for Oseni, his colleagues on the Arise Morning Show, and every journalist.

On these questions, I do not recall any persuasive evidence of Rufai Oseni using his platform to advance the electoral fortunes of one political tendency over another. On the contrary, he repeatedly demands that government must deliver to the people, and that candidates must not just make promises, but spell out the methodology for attaining campaign promises. I see a man with a very strong passion for seeing Nigeria work, but who sometimes allows his convictions to become too visible and dominate his interviews with people who disagree with his views. That contradicts the journalist’s role, but it is no proof of bias.

But the average viewer may miss this distinction, and that is where professional restraint becomes critical. Journalism is most effective when it is credible, and credibility largely depends on perception. When many viewers assume they already know an interviewer’s position before a guest even starts to answer questions, the journalist has created a problem for himself, even when that perception is misplaced and unfair.

So, the journalist needs restraint. He also needs proper characterisation of roles when he wears more than one cap, as we have on the Arise Morning Show.

God forbid that Nigerian television lacks interviewers with knowledge and courage, but a journalist must resist the temptation to complete the argument for the guest or force personal opinions down the throats of his viewers. When a journalist crosses that thin line, he risks creating the impression of partisanship even though he is not necessarily partisan.

Adedokun is a writer, book coach and public relations consultant

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said state governors, rather than President Bola Tinubu, should be held responsible for explaining how funds accruing from the removal of petrol subsidy are being spent.

Abiodun said the removal of the subsidy had increased allocations to state governments, making governors better positioned to account for how the additional revenue was being utilised.

The governor spoke at a rally organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun.

He was reacting to criticism from opposition politicians over the management of funds saved from the removal of the petrol subsidy. According to Abiodun, it was inappropriate to demand that Tinubu account for the gains from the policy when state governments receive increased allocations from the Federation Account.

He said governors had been using the additional funds to finance infrastructure and other development projects across their states.

‘They said they want to return the subsidy. Are they mad? They were asking our leader to explain what he did with subsidy removal gains,’ Abiodun said in Yoruba.

‘It is we (governors) that should make such explanations because it is we, state governors, that collect the money.

‘Besides, what have we been using to build roads, schools, provide good housing and incentives for farmers? Isn’t it from subsidy?’

The governor’s comments come amid renewed political arguments over the economic impact of the removal of petrol subsidy and how the resulting increase in government revenue has been distributed and spent.

Abiodun also used the occasion to attack opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, expressing confidence that the APC would defeat its political rivals.

‘Go and tell your people that all of them are not up to one. We will defeat them mercilessly,’ he said.

The controversy over the utilisation of funds associated with subsidy removal has featured prominently in the political debate in recent weeks.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has repeatedly criticised the Tinubu administration over what he described as a failure to account for the savings generated by the removal of the subsidy.

Atiku has also vowed to restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, arguing that the government has not adequately explained how the savings from its removal have been utilised.

Tinubu, however, rejected the proposal, describing it as evidence of what he called ‘serious ignorance of governance and economy.’

The President also argued that some state governments were struggling to pay workers’ salaries and pensions before he assumed office, linking the improvement in states’ finances to the reforms introduced by his administration.

On August 19, Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, said the removal of the petrol subsidy had enabled the federation to mobilise N15.8 trillion between June 2023 and December 2025.

The figure has since featured in the broader debate over the fiscal impact of the subsidy removal and the extent to which the additional revenue has translated into improved public services and infrastructure.

The 1996 Olympic gold medalists are set to reunite for a novelty match tagged ‘Legend Football Match,’ which is one of the lined-up activities celebrating their historic triumph in Atlanta, where they became the first African nation to win Olympic gold in men’s football.

Guided by Dutchman Jo Bonfrère, the squad stunned the world by defeating football giants Brazil in the semi-final and Argentina in the final, rewriting history and elevating Nigeria’s global football reputation.

The match is scheduled for November 8, 2026, at Onikan Stadium, Lagos, during the CANEX WKND 2026. It is organised by Afreximbank in partnership with TopTier Sports Management.

Temwa Gondwe, Director of Creatives and Diaspora at Afreximbank, described the 1996 squad as ‘an epitome of resilience,’ noting that their story continues to inspire new generations.

‘The 1996 Super Eagles did more than win Olympic gold; they re-wrote the global narrative, proving to the world that African talent is an unstoppable force. Today, the intersection of sports, entertainment, and culture is the heartbeat of Africa’s creative economy,’ he said.

Gondwe added that the Legends Game is not only a celebration of past glory but also a strategic platform to discuss the future commercialisation and empowerment of African athletes and creatives worldwide.

Chichi Nwoko, founder and CEO of TopTier Sports Management and What Media Group, praised the dedication of the squad, explaining that the novelty match was organised to honour their efforts.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kwara Area Command, said it has intercepted 3,396 packets of 100mg tramadol valued at N50.946 million in the state.

The consignment was intercepted along the Okuta axis during an operation driven by actionable intelligence and sustained patrols.

The Acting Area Controller of the command, Deputy Comptroller Najeem Akanmu Ogundeyi, disclosed this on Thursday in Il?rin.

Ogundeyi said the seizure underscored the command’s resolve to prevent Kwara from becoming a transit corridor for illicit cross-border trade.

He said the movement of controlled pharmaceutical substances through unapproved routes posed serious risks to public health and national security.

According to him, the latest operation also showed how smugglers were ‘diversifying their activities beyond conventional goods to include controlled drugs, petroleum products, foreign food items and uncustomed vehicles’.

The Tramadol seizure formed part of eight major interceptions recorded across different operational corridors of the command, with a combined Duty Paid Value of N604.33 million.

Other seizures included 6,705 cartons of foreign spaghetti valued at N201.15 million, 270 bags of foreign parboiled rice worth N25.245 million and 6,875 litres of Premium Motor Spirit valued at N2.75 million.

Customs also intercepted a 2025 Toyota Highlander with a DPV of N214 million and a 2018 Dodge Charger SXT valued at N77.59 million, alongside used clothing and 14 bags of Basmati rice.

Ogundeyi, who assumed duty on December 17, 2025, said the enforcement of cross-border trade laws should not be interpreted as opposition to food availability or legitimate commerce.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima is expected to join other world leaders in New Delhi, India, for the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, which is billed for this weekend.

The spokesman to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, in a statement, said Nigeria is to use the summit to consolidate bilateral relations with key international partners, expand economic cooperation and advance its strategic interests.

‘The engagement will provide Nigeria with another platform to strengthen partnerships in trade and investment, energy, agriculture, solid minerals, technology, and innovation, while promoting greater cooperation among countries of the Global South.’ the statement said.

Shettima will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is currently on vacation in Europe. India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship is anchored on the theme, ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,’ with deliberations expected to cover political and security cooperation, economic and financial partnerships, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

While in New Delhi, Shettima will join leaders of BRICS member and partner nations, alongside other invited dignitaries, at plenary and high-level sessions examining global economic growth, multilateral cooperation, and shared development priorities.

Shettima will also hold bilateral engagements with leaders and senior officials of participating countries, with discussions expected to focus on opportunities for deeper economic and diplomatic cooperation with Nigeria.

Nigeria, a BRICS partner country since January 2025, is opening another channel for the country to deepen South-South cooperation and engage some of the world’s emerging economies on trade, investment, development finance and reform of global governance institutions.

According to the statement, ‘The country’s participation is consistent with President Tinubu’s drive to strengthen the country’s international economic partnerships, attract investment and expand markets for Nigerian products, particularly in agriculture, energy, minerals and other non-oil sectors.’

The summit comes as BRICS marks 20 years since its establishment and as the grouping seeks greater practical cooperation among its expanding network of member and partner countries.

Shettima will return to Nigeria after participating at the event.

As of the time, Tinubu departed the country, Shettima was in Angola for the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

The opposition had criticised the absence of both leaders in the country. However, the Vice-President returned to Nigeria less than 48 hours after the President’s departure.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspects over the alleged theft of photographic equipment worth N21 million from studios in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Uyo, saying one of the suspects, identified as Nicholas Olamide, confessed to his involvement in the theft and led investigators to other suspects and locations where some of the stolen items were recovered.

John said the owner of one of the affected studios, identified as Aniekan, reported that his photo studio was burgled by unknown persons who gained access through the roof.

She said the stolen items included a Canon 6D Mark II camera, Nikon D850 camera, Sony A7 Mark II camera, AD200 studio light, AD600 studio light, Shaker studio light and a box of memory cards, valued at N13.14 million.

‘Acting swiftly on the complaint, Police operatives commenced discreet investigation and intelligence-led follow-up, which culminated in the arrest, on 7th September 2026, of one Nicholas Olamide, ‘M’, a native of Ibogi, Ile-Ife, Osun State, who resides in Eket, Akwa Ibom State,’ she stated.

According to her, Olamide allegedly confessed during interrogation and subsequently led investigators to Abasiakan Ikpembe of Abak Local Government Area and Edward Francis, ‘M’, of Afaha Ube Street, Uyo.

‘His disclosures led the operatives to Abasiakan Ikpembe of Abak Local Government Area and Edward Francis, ‘M’, of Afaha Ube Street, Uyo, where several of the stolen items, alongside other articles reasonably suspected to have been stolen, were recovered,’ John stated.

The police spokesperson said further investigation showed that Olamide was allegedly involved in other burglary and stealing incidents in Uyo and other parts of Akwa Ibom.

She said he allegedly burgled a photo studio at No. 135 Aka Road, Uyo, between July 28 and August 5, 2026, and stole photographic equipment and accessories estimated at N8 million.

The stolen items included an Itel A80 mobile phone, tripods, LED light tripod, bracket, Godox AD200 and AD600 studio lights, Godox speedlight, Godox triggers, Sony A7 camera, Sony 50mm lens, Gimbal R3 Mini, photo lights, make-up bag, AD600 bag, speedlight bag, 700GB drive and AD600 chargers.

John added that the suspect allegedly stole a Canon camera and lens belonging to one Richard from a photo studio at Aka Estate, Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, on August 25.