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The Senate has urged the Federal Government and security agencies to deploy more troops and establish security outposts along the borders of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states following a bandit attack that reportedly killed about 80 people in Taraba State.

The attack targeted Binari community in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, killing dozens of residents, displacing hundreds and destroying property.

The resolution followed a motion by the senator representing Taraba North, Isa Shuaibu Lau, who raised the alarm over the rising violence and humanitarian crisis in his constituency.

Lau said the vulnerability of communities along the borders of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states had created routes that armed groups used to carry out attacks.

He said the government had a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, warning that failure to take decisive action could lead to more killings, economic losses and displacement in the affected areas.

The Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North), said protecting lives and property was the primary responsibility of government.

He commended Lau for drawing the attention of the National Assembly to the security challenges in the area.

After deliberations, the Senate unanimously urged security agencies to deploy additional personnel and establish permanent security outposts along the vulnerable borders of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states.

The lawmakers also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to provide relief materials and medical assistance to survivors displaced from Binari and neighbouring communities.

The Senate observed a one-minute silence in honour of those killed in the attack.

MTN Nigeria has attributed fast data depletion of customers to high-resolution video streaming, automatic downloads, background applications, cloud backups and increased internet activity

The telecommunications company noted that many subscribers unknowingly consume substantial amount of data through smartphone settings and applications that continue operating even when users are not actively browsing.

Speaking at a forum tagged: ‘Data on Trial,’ held in Abuja on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, said data consumption was largely determined by subscribers’ activities and device configurations.

‘We’re not stealing your data. However, we completely understand how it feels, especially right now, where every amount counts. But the honest answer is that data is not taken without an action, either your action or your phone,’ he said.

Ndukwe explained that applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp consume varying amounts of data depending on video resolution, automatic playback and the frequency of downloads.

According to him, a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its quality, while high-definition streaming requires substantially more data than standard-definition viewing.

He said WhatsApp messages generally consume minimal data, but status updates, videos, group messages and automatic media downloads could exhaust subscriptions faster than users anticipated.

‘If your WhatsApp is set on auto-download, straight away it hits your data bundle. And that is where you can optimise some of your settings,’ Ndukwe noted.

He disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok ranked among the platforms generating substantial data traffic.

Ndukwe also cited figures indicating that data consumption increased by approximately 43 per cent year-on-year.

He advised subscribers to disable automatic downloads, reduce streaming resolution, activate data-saving features and monitor consumption through the MyMTN application.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, defended the cost of providing internet services, citing electricity expenses and the responsibility of powering and maintaining telecommunications sites.

‘Please understand that this country, as well as a few other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all of our sites,’ he said.

Toriola maintained that Nigerian operators deployed equipment comparable to that used in Europe and the United States but faced higher operating costs, particularly for electricity.

He said the company was intensifying consumer education to help subscribers understand smartphone settings and control their internet usage.

Earlier, Chairman, House of Reps committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason noted that the forum was crucial for Nigerians to understand data structure and also provide an avenue for investment.

The 2027 Nasarawa North Senatorial election which is featuring Governor Abdullahi Sule, former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku and 10 other candidates is attracting more attention than the two other senatorial districts of South and West in the state, due to the involvement of the state governor in the race.

Governor Sule, having secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket is set to slug it out with eleven other candidates in the 583 polling units of the three local government areas that constitute the Nasarawa North Senatorial District: Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon and Wamba.

The contest has become a political barometer for the APC in Nasarawa State, given that the governor is personally on the ballot, and for the opposition, which sees the zone as its traditional stronghold to prove its resurgence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In the array of candidates as finally listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, apart from Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress, are former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku of the Labour Party, Madaki Banbella Anthony of the Peoples Democratic Party, Innocent Daniel Lagi of the Allied Peoples Movement, Duba Ishaya Dodo of the Social Democratic Party, Mohammed Steve Alaku of the African Democratic Congress and Yusuf Awuya of the Action Democratic Party.

Others are Victor Affiku Tsaku of the Action Alliance, Amos Jugbo Yusuf of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Johnson Bulus of the National Rescue Movement, Danladi Njehntegazoka James of the National Democratic Congress and Paul Isaac Audu of the Young Progressives Party.

A political analyst, Lazarus Salaki of the Nasarawa State Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance Group, said the 2027 Nasarawa North Senatorial election will be very competitive and won by a slim margin.

Describing the zone as dicey and complicated, Salaki said elections there are highly localized, with a history of sharing positions between Akwanga and Nasarawa Eggon.

He said the power of incumbency will play out for Governor Sule, followed by Maku and Barrister Lagi, with votes shared among the 12 contenders.

Salaki noted that resources will be decisive, adding that Maku will leverage his regional acceptability. He attributed APC’s victory in the 2026 bye-election, a departure from history where ruling parties lost in the zone, to massive deployment of resources to replace late Senator Akwashiki.

He said Maku came distant second due to lack of resources to match government influence, but stressed that politics is dynamic.

On religion and ethnicity, Salaki said they will not play major roles, as families in the zone have both Christians and Muslims and vote across faith lines. He added that Nasarawa Eggon results usually come first, while rural votes from Farin Ruwa and Mada Station often determine the winner.

A zone known for upsets

Our correspondent recalls thar since 1999, both the ruling and opposition parties have won the seat at different times depending on the political alignment of the people of the senatorial district, where they have a gentleman agreement to rotate the Senate seat among the three local government areas.

Late Patrick Aga won on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, platform in 1999 and John Danboyi won in 2003 on the same platform. Patricia Akwashiki won in 2007 under the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, banner as opposition. Yusuf Musa Nagogo won under the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, banner in 2011 as opposition but his victory was upturned by the Court and the late Solomon Ewuga was declared the winner of that election.

Philip Aruwa Gyunka won with the PDP ticket in 2015 as opposition. The Godiya Akwashiki won with the APC ticket in 2019 as ruling party and in 2023 as opposition under the SDP but passed on before he could complete the term. Few months ago, Halilu Danladi Envulu-Anza won the bye-election of 2026 for the ruling APC and replaced the late Akwashiki who died in December last year.

A look at the political history of the zone shows that it does not vote on party leanings alone, but on personality, ethnic balancing, religious sensitivity and the political mood of the time.

The 2027 calculations

Some of the 2027 senatorial candidates like Maku of Labour Party, Alaku of ADC and Dodo of SDP participated in the 2026 senatorial bye-election and were defeated by Envulu-Anza who is now not in the race with them, but they are contesting against the incumbent Governor Sule who is from the same APC with Envulu-Anza. Even though they have rejected the outcome of that bye-election alleging irregularities in the process, the bye-election has given them grassroots exposure that they intend to leverage upon.

Analysts say as the zone is constituted of different ethnic and religious groups with candidates from both faiths banking on different influences in the area to give them an edge, it is not easy to conclude who will carry the day.

Nasarawa North is predominantly Eggon, Mada, Rindre and other smaller groups.

If the influence of the candidates is to be reckoned with, Sule is expected to showcase his project distribution across the senatorial district, political appointments in his government and those he influenced at the federal level, civil servants recruited from the area, as well as his relationship with traditional institutions and stakeholders in the area.

Also, the nomination of the APC governorship running mate Emmanuel Ombugadu from the largest ethnic group of the zone, the Eggon, may also influence the chances of Governor Sule, as it is expected to deliver large votes from Eggon land if properly managed.

Governor Sule’s biggest asset is incumbency. As sitting governor, he controls the state machinery and also facilitated federal appointments for sons and daughters of the zone. His supporters argue that electing him as Senator will give the zone a ranking voice in the National Assembly, given his experience as governor.

However, his biggest liability is also incumbency. In a zone known for anti-establishment voting, there is a sentiment that the governor should have allowed power to rotate freely, especially after the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki. Some stakeholders in Wamba and Akwanga feel the senatorial ticket should remain in their axis for equity.

Labaran Maku of the Labour Party remains Governor Sule’s most formidable opponent. Maku was a Commissioner, Deputy Governor of the state and later Minister of Information. Holding these positions attracted people to him which also gives him popularity in the state particularly from the senatorial district where he hails from.

Like Governor Sule, Maku facilitated employment of hundreds of youths from the state many of whom are from the Senatorial district. This made him a household name and many people believe it has also given him popularity which can help to boost his chances in the election. Maku contested in 2015 and 2019 for governorship and in 2026 for senatorial seat bye election, building a resilient political structure. His strength does not only lie in Nasarawa Eggon where he is seen as a son of the soil but across the senatorial district and his national visibility as former Information Minister gives him leverage.

Another candidate is Duba Ishaya Dodo of the SDP, an architect, philanthropist, and politician. He is a prominent grassroots mobilizer and his influence in the upcoming election is relying on scholarship programmes that provided educational funding and support to hundreds of underprivileged students across Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon, and Wamba local government areas. He has also provided financial grants to support orphans in local schools.

Dodo has funded several community infrastructure repairs. Notably, he personally sponsored the restoration of a solar-powered grid in the Ningo Sambe community after a devastating two-year blackout. As a young politician, his challenge is how acceptable he is to the old stakeholders even if he has the support of youths and women that he is assisting. His youth appeal could split the votes that would have gone to Sule and Maku.

Another candidate, Barrister Innocent Daniel Lagi of the APM, is a prominent Nigerian lawyer, human rights activist, and politician. He is best known for serving as the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Nasarawa State under the administration of Governor Umaru Al-Makura. He represented Wamba Constituency as a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly between 2008 and 2011.

As a rights crusader, Barrister Lagi is said to have provided pro-bono legal representation for over 300 unjustly dismissed workers and union members from various federal and state parastatals. He has collaborated extensively with legal and electoral reform civil societies, including Access to Justice and the Network of University Legal Aid Institutions.

But his performance in the upcoming election, analysts believe, can be determined by the level at which he reaches out to the electorate. Lagi is respected among the educated elite and in Wamba, his home base, which is considered a swing local government.

The ADC candidate, Mohammed Steve Alaku, is a seasoned Nigerian technocrat, community leader, and politician. Alaku was in the Public Service and served for over 34 years at the Department of Petroleum Resources where he rose to the position of Deputy Director and Head of Downstream Monitoring and Regulations.

Outside of formal governance, Alaku is widely recognized in his local community as a philanthropist. His notable community interventions include funding local water projects, boosting youth education, upgrading rural healthcare access, and personally facilitating the installation of electricity poles and wiring in parts of Mada Station.

What will decide the contest

Analysts point at different factors. The zone for instance has difficult terrains and riverine settlements that were recently affected by flooding. Ability to mobilize voters on election day will be key.

Many believe that if Eggon votes split between Sule’s APC, Maku’s Labour Party, and Dodo’s SDP, Wamba and Akwanga could decide the winner. In other words, ‘whoever gets the buy-in of traditional rulers in Akwanga and Nasarawa Eggon will have an upper hand,’ said an analyst. With 12 candidates in the race, vote splitting is inevitable.

President Vladimir Putin told African leaders on Wednesday that Russia was their best partner, what he cast as a colonial West of still trying to exploit the continent’s resources and using debt to hold back development.

Putin was speaking at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, a two-day event attended by African leaders and government delegations from 48 countries, and will hold ?one-on-one talks with many of the 22 individual African leaders attending on issues such as trade, security, arms and ?grain.

The event, first held in 2019, is part of a concerted push for Russian political, economic and military influence on a continent where paramilitary fighters from Russia’s Africa Corps remain active.

Russian state media and cultural institutions ?are also trying to expand their footprint in Africa, and Russian state companies are trying to expand their interests in areas from ?mining to power generation.

Wooing African leaders and others from the Global South has also been part of Moscow’s strategy to counterbalance pressure on the world stage from the West over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

‘Africa is increasingly asserting itself as one of the key players in the global economy and ?politics,’ Putin said.

‘However, the emergence of a multipolar world is, of course, no easy task; it faces resistance from countries ?that are not prepared to accept this reality: those who are accustomed to thinking in terms of their colonial past and to enriching themselves .’

Putin, whom Western critics accuse of trying to leverage Africa’s colonial past to Moscow’s benefit, did not name the countries he had in mind.

The Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, on Wednesday visited the Nigeria U17 girls, Flamingos, at their afternoon training session in Rabat, urging the team to put their victory over Korea DPR behind them and focus on the next challenge.

Nigeria will face Mexico in the Round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco today with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

Ikpeme encouraged the players to remain focused and determined as they prepare for the knockout clash, reminding them of the task ahead as they continue their World Cup campaign.

The clash with Mexico is a reminder of both team’s clash in the group stage at the 2014 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals. Playing at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San José, the Flamingos trounced the Mexicans 3-0 in a group D encounter on 23rd March 2014, with Rasheedat Ajibade, Uchenna Kanu and Aminat Yakubu the scorers.

Head Coach Hakeem Busari had earlier told his charges to forget about the group stage wins over Puerto Rico and Cup-holders Korea DPR, and train their minds on the intensity of knockout-stage football.

Busari will be able to select from his full squad of 21 players, but in-form goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho, and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Ohunene Sunday, Esther Stephen and Kanyinsola Rodiat Yusuf are likely to start.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has warned that fear of career reprisals can prevent civil servants from giving honest advice to political leaders, potentially exposing them to costly mistakes.

Mustapha said officers who feared that speaking frankly could jeopardise their careers might resort to telling leaders what they wanted to hear rather than providing the professional guidance needed for effective governance.

‘Where officers fear that honest advice will cost them their careers, they may offer comfortable advice instead. A service that cannot speak truth to power cannot protect power from its own mistakes,’ he said.

He spoke on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 colloquium of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries and Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation (CORFEPS), themed ‘Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service’.

Mustapha, who served as SGF from 2017 to 2023, said the strength of the civil service lay not in agreeing with political authorities but in its ability to provide candid advice, implement lawful decisions and account transparently for results.

He said professional independence was essential to effective governance, stressing that civil servants should be able to identify risks, present evidence and explain the likely costs and consequences of policy choices without fear.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who opened the colloquium, also highlighted the need for a constructive relationship between political leaders and career civil servants.

He said public servants must uphold impartiality, integrity and responsible management of public resources, while political leaders should respect professional standards, value frank advice and provide the clarity, resources and authority required to implement policies.

Represented by Sadiq Wanka, a Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure, Shettima said the Federal Government was shifting its focus from the number of policies announced and committees inaugurated to whether interventions solve problems and improve citizens’ lives.

CORFEPS National Chairman, Yayale Ahmed, said retired senior public servants had a responsibility to make their accumulated experience available to succeeding generations and contribute to stronger public administration.

The colloquium also featured the unveiling of the CORFEPS Journal on Public Policy and Governance, intended to document administrative experience, preserve institutional memory and promote evidence-based policymaking.

On his part, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Olumuyiwa Enitan Abel, said ongoing reforms were aimed at building an efficient, productive and citizen-centred service, stressing, however, that the ‘effectiveness of governance depends significantly on the ability of the Civil Service to advise objectively, implement policies efficiently and remain accountable to the citizens it serves.’

Miva Open University has secured approval to introduce seven new academic programmes at undergraduate and doctoral levels, bringing its total number of programmes to 37.

The new programmes comprise three doctoral degrees and four bachelor’s degree programmes, according to a statement issued by the university on Wednesday.

The doctoral programmes are Doctor of Information Technology (DIT), Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) and Doctor of Public Health (DPH).

The undergraduate programmes are B.Sc. Political Science, B.Sc. International Relations, B.Sc. Project Management, and B.Sc. Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

The university said the four undergraduate programmes would be offered under its School of Management and Social Sciences, while the doctoral degrees would be administered by the School of Postgraduate Studies.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Tayo Arulogun, said the expansion would provide more opportunities for learners with different academic interests and career aspirations.

He said the university was committed to broadening access to higher education through programmes designed to meet learners’ academic and professional needs.

Miva Open University also announced plans to introduce 10 programmes in January 2027, including the Master of Economic Policy Management, Master of Communication and Media Practice, and Bachelor of Education in Educational Technology.

The university said two other programmes, B.Sc. Insurance and Risk Management and B.Ed. Science Education (Mathematics), had previously received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and were expected to become available by mid-2027.

The expansion comes as the institution seeks to widen its academic offerings through technology-driven and flexible learning options.

The university said its growing portfolio was aimed at responding to changing labour market needs and providing learners with opportunities to acquire relevant knowledge and professional skills.