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Gunmen again struck in Kwara State to abduct a middle-aged man, Bamidele Matthew and his secondary school son, IbukunOluwa Bamidele.

According to one of the family members, Bamidele AKA Photo was on the farm with two of his children.

The source said: ‘Three of them were working on their farm at Idofin when the kidnappers kidnapped them; one of them escaped.’

He added that the son, who had just finished his secondary education, was on the farm, helping his father on the ill-fated day.

‘They were kidnapped on their farm where they were working; the kidnappers were not on a bike but stormed their farm where they were working,’ he informed.

He added that: ‘The kidnappers have telephoned the family, demanding a N20 million ransom.’

The daring kidnappers, according to the investigation, pounced on their victims at their farm between Odo-owa and Idofin, Kwara South senatorial area of Kwara State.

However, the family and the entire community have launched pleas to the state government and security agents for assistance that would ensure the release of the father and son.

‘We appeal to the Kwara State Government, the Nigerian Government, security agencies and the world at large to come to our rescue,’ they pleaded.

They have also, printed fliers bearing the pictures of the Bamideles, urging members of the public for help on who to contact on sighting them.

‘Please share this flyer. Every share could help bring them home,’ they urged.

Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said President Bola Tinubu has earned Nigerians’ confidence and deserves a second term to consolidate his reforms and deliver greater prosperity.

Yilwatda spoke on Saturday at the flag-off of the APC’s 2027 presidential campaign in Kaduna, expressing confidence that the ruling party would secure victory in the January 16 presidential election.

‘Mr President, the people have spoken, and their voice is loud and clear. Nigerians are happy. Our women are happy, our youths are happy, and the people are encouraged by your leadership,’ Yilwatda said.

He described Tinubu as a courageous leader willing to take difficult but necessary decisions in the country’s interest, insisting that the APC was united, prepared and confident of winning the election.

‘We are proud to present to Nigerians the most competent and credible candidate for the presidency,’ the APC chairman said.

Yilwatda urged Nigerians to assess the administration not only by the economic challenges confronting the country but also by its efforts to address longstanding structural problems.

‘The task before us is to consolidate the gains, deepen the reforms and ensure that the promise of Renewed Hope translates into greater opportunities, improved livelihoods and shared prosperity for our people,’ he said.

‘We believe that the President deserves the opportunity to complete this work and take Nigeria to the next level,’ he added.

The APC chairman said the party’s campaign would focus on the administration’s record, ongoing reforms and plans for national development, expressing confidence that the benefits of its policies would become more evident over time.

At the rally, Yilwatda also presented APC flags to governors of the North-West, describing the region as strategically important to the party’s electoral prospects.

He urged party leaders and supporters across the seven states to strengthen grassroots mobilisation, maintain unity and rally behind Tinubu and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

‘The journey to 2027 has begun, and the APC is ready. We have a President with the courage to lead, a party with the capacity to mobilise and a vision centred on the prosperity of our people,’ he said.

The Kaduna rally marks the commencement of the APC’s nationwide presidential campaign as Tinubu seeks re-election amid mounting economic and security challenges.

Since its debut in the Nigerian visual art scene in 2022, Windsor Gallery, a dynamic contemporary art institution dedicated to amplifying West African and pan-African voices on the global stage, has continued to make bold statements with its projects.

One of such projects is its Artists in Residence programme, which creates a space for artists from across the continent to live, work, exchange ideas and engage with new cultural environments.

It is in furtherance of that commitment to building meaningful cross-border conversations around African art that the gallery is featuring Hako Hankson, a Cameroonian-born contemporary artist, at the latest Windsor Gallery Artists in Residence programme.

Hako, who has arrived in Lagos, is joining Douala, his base in Cameroon, for the six-week artist residency.

Speaking on the rationale for the programme, the gallery explained that Hako’s residency in Lagos forms part of ongoing effort to strengthen the connections between African artists, audiences and institutions – creating opportunities for exchange that move beyond borders and encourage new ways of seeing and understanding the continent through art.

Offering more details, the gallery said that over the course of six weeks, Hako will immerse himself in Lagos, developing new work while engaging with the city’s creative community, its people, histories and constantly evolving cultural landscape.

However, the residency will culminate in a solo exhibition at Windsor Gallery from October, where Hako will present the body of work developed during his time in Lagos and offer audiences an opportunity to encounter his practice through the lens of the new environment.

The highly anticipated solo exhibition by Hako, which is entitled ‘Hako’s Allegory’, will open on October 31, 2026, from, 1pm – 6pm at Windsor Gallery at #4C Goriola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

On display would be the works created by Hako during the six-week Artist-In-Residence in Lagos.

Offering insights on the exhibition in its curatorial note, Windsor Gallery asked, ‘What if what we see is only a shadow of what is real’?

It further used Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to explain Hako’s Allegory’. In Plato’s case, the gallery said that ‘a group of prisoners are confined to a cave, able to see only shadows projected onto a wall before them. Having known nothing else, they mistake these shadows for reality.

‘When one prisoner is finally released and encounters the world beyond the cave, the experience is disorienting. What he believed to be true is revealed to have been only a limited perception of truth’.

With the above in mind, Hako’s Allegory takes the philosophical proposition as its point of departure.

‘Through a new technique developed on plexiglass, Hako Hanson creates works that exist between image and reflection, visibility and obscurity, surface and depth. The material becomes more than a medium; it becomes a metaphor for perception itself,’ Windsor Gallery stated in its curatorial note.

Plexiglass, according to the gallery, allows the image to be seen while simultaneously revealing the space beyond it and as light passes through, reflections interfere, and the viewer’s own position alters the work. What appears fixed becomes unstable.

The intrigue is that what seems immediately visible begins to question itself and like the shadows in Plato’s cave, Hako’s images ask viewers to consider whether seeing is the same as knowing.

‘The works operate within this tension between appearance and reality. They invite the viewer to look beyond the immediate image, to question the assumptions that shape what we perceive and to consider how much of our understanding is constructed by the limitations of our own perspective.

‘The journey out of Plato’s cave is not simply a movement from darkness into light. It is a confrontation with the possibility that everything we previously understood may have been incomplete’.

Hako’s works occupy this threshold and do not offer a definitive reality beyond the surface. Instead, they create a space in which reality remains fluid, fragmented and open to interpretation. The viewer is therefore not merely looking at the work, but participating in it – moving around it, seeing through it, seeing themselves reflected within it, and continually negotiating between what is presented and what is perceived.

But the allegory may not be about leaving the cave, but recognising that we are still inside one.

There are also reasons to see Hako’s Allegory at Windsor Gallery from October 31, 2026.

The self-taught Cameroonian contemporary artist is gifted. He works across painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media, amid a practice that is deeply influenced by the traditions, rituals, mythology and spiritual heritage of West Cameroon, as well as the realities of contemporary African life.

The son of a sculptor and musician associated with the Royal Palace, Hankson grew up surrounded by masks, statuettes, totems and ceremonial objects. These early experiences became central to his artistic vocabulary. Although he trained as a car mechanic, he pursued art independently, developing his practice through observation, experimentation and engagement with the artistic community in Douala.

His works combine figures, masks, animals, symbols and expressive gestures, exploring memory, identity, spirituality, migration and everyday life. He has cited artists including: Jean-Michel Basquiat, AntoniTàpies and Jean Dubuffet as influences, while emphasizing the importance of energy and gesture in his own work.

Hankson has exhibited internationally, including with OH Gallery in Dakar, Primo Marella Gallery in Italy and Switzerland, and L’Atelier 21 in Casablanca. He participated in the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024 and his works are held in collections including the Fondation Cartier, MACAAL, Fondation H, Fondation Donwahi and the Benetton Collection.

In 2013, he founded the In and Off Art Center in Douala, supporting artistic exchange and emerging artists. His practice continues to connect Cameroonian cultural heritage with contemporary global experiences, creating a distinctive visual language rooted in memory, spirituality and human experience.

With all these going for him, ‘Hako’s Allegory’ will definitely live up the viewers expectations.

Once again, the solo exhibition will open on October 31, 2026, at Windsor Gallery at #4C Goriola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Akin Osuntokun’s latest intervention, titled ‘Atiku Abubakar Cannot Heckle His Way to the Presidency,’ published in THISDAY on October 16, 2026, is a curious mixture of selective history, political prejudice and recycled allegations masquerading as informed commentary. It is remarkable that at a time when Nigerians are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, insecurity and growing uncertainty about their future, Osuntokun considers it more important to excavate alleged private conversations from over two decades ago in an attempt to disqualify former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from seeking the presidency.

Of particular interest is his resurrection of a story attributed to former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, who claimed that former military President Ibrahim Babangida once told President Olusegun Obasanjo that Atiku could not rule Nigeria. This is precisely the sort of tale by moonlight that should have no place in serious political analysis.

According to the account, Babangida allegedly pretended to have forgotten his keys, returned to Obasanjo’s private study and whispered a warning about Atiku. We are then invited to treat this extraordinary recollection of a supposed private exchange as a definitive assessment of Atiku’s presidential suitability.

But where is the independent corroboration? Has Babangida publicly authenticated those precise words? Even assuming, without conceding, that the conversation occurred exactly as narrated, since when did an alleged private judgment made over twenty years ago become a permanent disqualification from democratic leadership?

The irony is that Osuntokun chooses to dwell on what Babangida allegedly said in private while conveniently sidestepping what Obasanjo subsequently declared in public. On October 11, 2018, Obasanjo openly endorsed Atiku for the presidency. He acknowledged their past disagreements, reconciled with his former deputy and offered an unambiguous assessment of his leadership credentials. His words deserve to be recalled: ‘You surely understand the economy better.’ Obasanjo went further, praising Atiku’s business experience, national and international reach, accessibility and capacity to provide leadership superior to that of the incumbent administration.

These were not anonymous whispers behind closed doors. They were public declarations made before political leaders, religious figures and the Nigerian media. Indeed, Obasanjo acknowledged that there had once been an understanding for Atiku to succeed him. That documented admission is considerably more relevant than Osuntokun’s speculative reconstruction of conversations from another political era. One would have expected a commentator concerned with historical accuracy to reconcile these facts rather than cherry-pick episodes that reinforce his preferred conclusion.

As for Babangida, any serious examination of his assessment of Atiku must account for the full history of their political relationship, including subsequent engagements, rather than elevate an uncorroborated remark into an eternal verdict. Neither Obasanjo nor Babangida holds a hereditary franchise to determine who may govern Nigeria. Whatever they may have thought about Atiku at different points in their political lives, the final authority belongs to the Nigerian electorate.

Osuntokun also suggests that Atiku’s age and repeated presidential contests should persuade him to surrender his ambition and become a mentor to younger politicians. This argument is as selective as it is unpersuasive. If age, experience and repeated electoral contests are legitimate subjects of political scrutiny, they must apply equally to all candidates, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They cannot suddenly become disqualifying considerations simply because the candidate under examination is Atiku Abubakar.

Age does not confer competence, but neither does it automatically extinguish it. The appropriate questions concern judgment, capacity, policy, integrity and the ability to assemble a credible governing team.

Atiku has offered Nigerians his experience in public administration, economic management, enterprise development and national leadership. These credentials are open to legitimate scrutiny, just as Tinubu’s performance after more than three years in office must be subjected to rigorous examination.

On zoning, Osuntokun advances the argument that another northern presidency would violate an expectation that power should remain in the South for eight years. Regional balance is important to national cohesion. But zoning is a political arrangement, not a constitutional prohibition against qualified Nigerians seeking elective office. More importantly, it cannot become an instrument for shielding an incumbent from accountability.

Nigerians are entitled to consider regional equity alongside competence, performance, national security and economic survival. It is for voters, not columnists, to decide how these considerations should influence their ballots.

Osuntokun’s attempt to portray Atiku as the principal architect of opposition fragmentation is equally simplistic. The crisis within the opposition cannot credibly be attributed to one individual while ignoring the ambitions, choices and conduct of other political actors. Political parties are collective institutions, and responsibility for their successes and failures must be assessed accordingly. Atiku has participated in efforts to build a broader opposition coalition and now leads the ADC presidential ticket alongside Rotimi Amaechi. Whether that coalition persuades Nigerians is a matter to be settled democratically, not through predetermined assertions about his supposed unelectability.

Then there is Osuntokun’s fascination with Atiku addressing the President as ‘Bola.’ When did addressing a public official by his given name become a constitutional offence or a measure of political desperation? Bola is the President’s name, not an insult. Those who regard its use as an affront should explain why the substance of public accountability matters less to them than presidential titles.

The real political pollution is not calling a president by his name. It is the growing tendency to treat legitimate criticism of public officeholders as an act of disrespect. What Nigerians require from political commentators is a searching examination of governance. How have the administration’s economic policies affected household incomes? What has happened to the purchasing power of wages? How secure are communities? What measurable relief has reached ordinary Nigerians?

These questions deserve more attention than an alleged conversation about misplaced keys in Aso Rock more than twenty years ago. Osuntokun is entitled to his preferences, prejudices and political conclusions. He is even entitled to believe that Atiku should not be President. What he is not entitled to is the pretence that his personal judgment constitutes the verdict of the Nigerian people. In a democracy, presidential ambition is neither granted nor extinguished by the approval of political columnists.

On January 16, 2027, Nigerians will have the opportunity to examine the competing candidates, evaluate their records, consider their proposals and exercise their constitutional right to determine who governs them. They will not be required to consult Osuntokun’s preferred political history before casting their ballots. Atiku Abubakar does not require Akin Osuntokun’s permission to seek the presidency, any more than Bola Tinubu requires his endorsement to pursue re-election.

Both must submit themselves to the sovereign judgment of Nigerians. Ultimately, Atiku’s presidential fate will be determined by the votes of Nigerians, not by Akin Osuntokun’s biases, recycled anecdotes or tales by moonlight. That is democracy. And that is the verdict that matters.

Alexander Isak scored for the third consecutive Premier League game as Liverpool defeated Brighton 2-0 on Sunday, giving manager Andoni Iraola his first league victory at Anfield.

Liverpool struck twice in quick succession in the first half, with Pascal Gross scoring an own goal before Isak added the second.

Isak has now scored six goals in seven league appearances this season, including three in his last four matches.

The victory also gave Iraola his first taste of Premier League success at Anfield. The Spaniard had failed to win his first three league games at the venue since arriving from Bournemouth in the close season.

Iraola, who had already secured Champions League and League Cup victories at Anfield, has now guided Liverpool to four consecutive wins in all competitions following their chastening 3-0 home defeat against Manchester City.

Liverpool climbed to fourth place, one point behind third-placed Brighton, after handing the Seagulls their second league defeat of the season.

The Reds remain six points behind leaders Manchester City as they look to build momentum in the title race.

Liverpool had gone five home league games without a win dating back to last season, drawing four and losing one. However, they overcame Brighton with a composed performance, ending the visitors’ recent scoring run after the Seagulls arrived at Anfield as the league’s top scorers.

Brighton had an early opportunity to take the lead when Diego Gomez’s pass caught Virgil van Dijk out of position. Gross crossed for Yasin Ayari, but the midfielder fired wastefully over with the goal at his mercy.

In furtherance of its water regeneration initiative, Nestlé Nigeria has commissioned eight smart boreholes and water treatment facilities to serve communities in the Agbara axis.

These facilities form part of a wider programme spanning the Agbara catchment in Ogun State and the Abaji catchment in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Water Regeneration Project is structured around four connected pillars: Water access, delivered through 24 climate-smart boreholes-eight in Agbara and 16 in Abaji; Water quality, supported by treatment plants, routine monitoring, the National Water Quality Advocacy Campaign and practical water safety guidance; Water conservation, advanced through rainwater harvesting systems; and Water governance, strengthened through community water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) committees and governance training.

These measures provide local oversight, clarify responsibilities for safe operation, preventive maintenance, fault reporting and water quality checks, and strengthen community ownership to protect the long-term value of the infrastructure.

For Nestlé Waters and Premium Beverages, the water regeneration project links measurable community impact with watershed resilience, responsible water management and business continuity.

It provides an integrated model in which infrastructure expands access, treatment safeguards quality, rainwater harvesting supports conservation, advocacy strengthens stewardship and local governance sustains performance.

Speaking at the commissioning, Business Executive Officer, Nestlé Waters and Premium Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria Plc., Olutayo Olatunji said: ‘The Agbara commissioning is an important milestone within our wider Water Regeneration Project and reflects Nestlé’s commitment to helping regenerate local water cycles.

By combining treated water infrastructure with local governance and performance monitoring, we are creating a model that improves access, strengthens watershed resilience and delivers enduring value. As we finalise the remaining scope, our focus remains on rigorous delivery and measurable outcomes that benefit communities and support business continuity.’

Also speaking on the project, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said: ‘Commissioning a facility is only the beginning; ensuring that it continues to provide safe, reliable and sustainable service is the true measure of success. It is encouraging that this initiative places strong emphasis on governance and water stewardship through the development of a governance training manual for water regeneration and stewardship.’

In his address, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, added: ‘This project demonstrates what strategic public-private collaboration can achieve. By working with regulators, local authorities and host communities, Nestlé has supported an ecosystem for sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water. The initiative advances Sustainable Development Goal 6 and aligns with Nigeria’s environmental priorities.’

Welcoming the project on behalf of the host community, His Royal Majesty, Oba Lukman Jayeola Agunbiade, Olute III, the Alagbara of Agbara Kingdom, said: ‘Today is a day of gratitude for the people of Agbara. Safe water touches every part of our lives: the health of our children, the dignity of our homes and the hopes of our families.

‘Today, it has come closer to all of us. But Agbara has received more than boreholes; we have received a responsibility.

‘As custodians of this land, I charge our chiefs, Baales, WASH committees and every resident to treat these facilities as our own, guard them against misuse and report faults promptly. What has been started here today, Agbara will sustain for our children and for generations yet unborn.’

Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Victoria Uwadoka, said: ‘Through the National Water Quality Advocacy Campaign and the National Water Quality Handbook developed with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and OPS-WASH, we are helping to take water safety knowledge beyond project sites into homes, schools, communities and institutions. Access alone is not enough. Water must be safe, it must be protected, and communities must have the knowledge to manage it responsibly.’

The commissioning of the projects in Agbara reflects the strength of collaboration among public authorities, regulators, traditional institutions, community leaders, WASH Committees, OPS-WASH and other technical partners.

As the Abaji sites are completed and handed over, Nestlé Nigeria will maintain its focus on disciplined delivery, transparent validation and strong local ownership to create lasting value for communities, strengthen watershed resilience and support the long-term sustainability of the business.

No fewer than 40 persons have been reportedly killed in an attack on Binnari Village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon, shortly after the Muslim Juma’at prayers. Unconfirmed reports put the number of casualties at at least 40 people.

BusinessDay gathered that while Amnesty International also put the casualty figure at 40, local police in Taraba State put the figure at 10 before more bodies were recovered.

BusinessDay also gathered that many of the residents were reportedly missing, while some were injured, from the attacks.

Reports indicated that the armed men arrived in the community in large numbers on about 50 motorcycles, with each bike carrying two attackers. It was gathered that they opened fire indiscriminately, while also setting homes, shops, and food supply stores ablaze.

They also resorted to looting cash, provisions, and abandoned motorcycles, as they fled the town. Amnesty International have however, criticised the Nigerian government for a slow response, noting that the rural communities and vulnerable areas were abandoned to armed criminal gangs (‘bandits’) who operate with high levels of impunity.

The attackers invaded the village with heavy gunfire and looted food items from shops, police said.

Recall that many Northern communities have consistently experienced a surge in attacks by heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, abduct residents for ransom and steal livestock.

The Nigerian military is, however, yet to officially provide information on the attack.

Taraba State, located along the Nigeria-Cameroon border in the North Eastern part of the country, also has one of the largest forest reserves known as the Gashaka Gumti Forest Reserve.

Several leaders in the region have called on the federal government to protect the region against terrorists who constantly raid the region and retreat to the unmanned spaces within the state.

Nigeria’s Lekan Otufodunrin has been elected as the president of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) Africa Region, to lead its next phase of growth across the continent.

Otufodunrin, president of Journalists for Christ International Outreach, was elected along other new executive members at its recent General Assembly for four year tenure.

Also elected with him are Amie Joof-Cole of Inter Africa Network for Women, Media, Gender and Development (FAMEDEV), Senegal emerged as the vice president; while Blessing Oladunjoye, emerged as secretary.

Otufodunrin and Amie would also serve as board members of WACC UK board.

Otufodunrin in his acceptance pledged that the new executive will implement programmes that will promote the focus of WACC on digital, gender and climate justice among other issues in the continent.

Kehinde Adegboyega, convener, West Africa Digital Rights Defenders Coalition, called for universal access, rights safeguards and data sovereignty in a keynote address on Ensuring Digital Justice in Africa.

‘No digital future is just until it is inclusive, free and grounded in dignity for all Africans,’ Adegoyega stated, reiterating that the road map for regional action should include capacity building, policy advocacy, coalition building and community action.

Sarah Macharia, staff liaison, Africa Region, commended the last executive headed by Matomklawè Kpalla for its accomplishments and urged the new executive to do more to enhance the status of the WACC in the region.

Other executive members include Secretary, Blessing Oladunjoye, BO Foundation For Inclusive Media, Nigeria; Treasurer, Mwendwa Kivuva, Member, Board of Trustees, The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), Kenya, Alternate executive members – George Stewart, Media Development Specialist, Liberia and Opeyemi Lawal, Journalist, Nigeria.

Nigeria has called for reforms to the international credit rating system and increased mobilisation of long-term capital to finance Africa’s infrastructure and development priorities, as the country pushes for a new model of global economic partnerships based on sovereignty and mutual benefits.

Sola Enikanolaiye, minister of state for foreign affairs, made the call at the Berlin Global Dialogue 2026, where he advocated greater strategic autonomy for African countries in shaping economic partnerships and advancing their national interests, a statement obtained by BusinessDay, on Sunday, indicated.

Speaking at a high-level panel on ‘Foreign Policy by Other Means: Trade, Technology, and Geopolitical Power’ and a policy lab on infrastructure and investment, Enikanolaiye said Africa needed partnerships that reflected its priorities, respected its sovereignty and promoted shared prosperity.

He said Nigeria’s doctrine of strategic autonomy would enable the country to engage with different geopolitical blocs without being constrained by their ideological differences, while protecting its national interests and those of Nigerian businesses.

‘It allows us a space of action regardless of ideology or political complexion of the various blocs to advance our own national interest, including those of Nigerian companies,’ he said.

The minister also called for a shift away from the traditional extractive economic model, urging African countries to prioritise local processing and value addition rather than continue exporting raw minerals.

He said the continent needed to develop stronger domestic industrial capacity to retain more economic value from its natural resources, create jobs and strengthen its position in global trade.

On infrastructure, Enikanolaiye stressed the importance of developing bankable projects capable of attracting sustainable investment, alongside building the technical skills needed to implement and maintain them.

He noted that Africa’s average gross domestic product growth rate stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with an ambition of seven per cent, arguing that achieving the higher target would require stronger investment flows and more effective financing arrangements.

He called for reforms to the international credit rating system, which influences how countries are assessed by investors and the cost at which they borrow, while welcoming the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency as part of efforts to strengthen the continent’s financial assessment capacity.

The minister said mobilising long-term capital remained essential to financing Africa’s development agenda, particularly in infrastructure and productive sectors that require substantial investment over extended periods.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency, democracy and the rule of law, describing these principles as important foundations for credible international partnerships and sustainable economic development.