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The Senate has called for an urgent security offensive in border communities across Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states, following the reported killing of about 80 people by armed bandits in Binnari, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), lawmakers urged security agencies to establish additional security camps and intensify surveillance in the affected areas to prevent further attacks and protect vulnerable communities.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Isa Shuaibu Lau during plenary on Wednesday.

Lau expressed concern over the killings of innocent and defenceless civilians, warning that the persistent attacks had heightened fear, displaced residents and disrupted peaceful community life.

He noted that the continued activities of bandits in rural communities undermined the government’s constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.

The Senate warned that failure to address the recurring attacks could lead to further loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of residents and worsening humanitarian challenges.

The lawmakers stressed that no community should be left at the mercy of criminal groups, calling for decisive action to restore security and protect residents.

The Senate also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) to provide relief materials to communities affected by the attacks.

The lawmakers observed a minute’s silence in honour of those killed in the incident.

The death toll from the attack on Binnari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba has risen from the initial figures reported by the police, with community accounts putting the number of fatalities at 50 in subsequent reports.

The Senate has now cited about 80 deaths as it calls for an urgent security offensive in the border communities of Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states.

The attack on Binnari occurred on Friday, October 23, shortly after Jumu’ah prayers, with gunmen reportedly invading the community at about 3 p.m., firing sporadically and looting food items from shops and residential houses.

The attackers also reportedly set shops and motorcycles ablaze, causing panic among residents. They were suspected to have crossed into Taraba from neighbouring Plateau State.

The Association of Dental Technologists of Nigeria (ADTN) has called on the Federal Government to review the nomenclature of Dental Surgery Technology and improve the welfare and career progression of Dental Technologists across the country.

The association also renewed its demand for an enhanced entry point for Dental Technology Officers in recognition of their five-year university training, urging relevant authorities to expedite action on the proposal, which it said had been pursued for more than five years.

The demands were contained in a communique issued at the end of ADTN’s 38th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting (SCAGM), held in Dutse, Jigawa State, from October 8 to 9, 2026.

The conference, themed ‘Mentoring: A Tool for Shaping the Future of Dental Technology Profession in Nigeria,’ brought together healthcare professionals, government representatives, academics, labour leaders and other stakeholders to deliberate on the development of the profession.

The communique was jointly signed by Comrade Haruna Jethro Joe, General Secretary, and Dr. Eyarefe O. Stephen, National President of ADTN.

ADTN expressed concern over the circular on Dental Surgery Technology nomenclature, arguing that it had created confusion with the established and internationally recognised nomenclature of Dental Technology.

It urged the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities to reconsider the circular through consultations with professional associations, regulatory bodies and educational institutions.

The association also called on the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Council on Establishment to expedite consideration of its proposal for an enhanced entry point for Dental Technology Officers.

According to the communique, ADTN, in collaboration with the Dental Technologists Registration Board of Nigeria, had pursued the proposal through the appropriate channels for more than five years.

It further urged the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and other relevant agencies to ensure that Dental Technology Officers and Dental Technologists were explicitly recognised in applicable government circulars and official documents.

On welfare, the association called for improved working conditions, fair remuneration and consistent implementation of approved entitlements for eligible members, including the ward coat allowance.

The conference also advocated stronger mentorship programmes, continuing professional development and greater investment in digital dentistry, computer-aided design and manufacturing, three-dimensional printing and advanced dental materials.

The association reaffirmed its commitment to professional excellence, improved welfare, scientific advancement and constructive engagement with government and other stakeholders to advance Dental Technology and oral healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

The UN Biodiversity Conference has entered its final week with initial decisions adopted and hundreds of millions of dollars pledged, as governments tackle tough negotiations on biodiversity finance and economic incentives driving nature loss.

The conference, comprising COP 17, 12th Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing, is due to close Friday. This week, it is convening approximately 1,500 people at the High-Level Segment on 27-28 October, including 140 ministers and deputy ministers of finance and environment, to address barriers to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022.

Negotiators made progress on several fronts during the opening week, adopting four COP 17 decisions on invasive alien species, gender, education and knowledge management; eight substantive decisions advancing the Cartagena Protocol, including on monitoring and reporting, compliance and strengthening national processes for its effective implementation; and two decisions advancing the Nagoya Protocol on monitoring and reporting and compliance.

Among other decisions this week, the Global Review will consider evidence provided in the State of Biodiversity Action report, launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres ahead of COP 17, which found widespread national commitment but substantial gaps in ambition and delivery.

‘COP 17 is enabling a total mobilisation of more than $1.8 billion from all sources – governments, philanthropic organisations and investors – in support of strong biodiversity action,’ said COP 17 President Hambardzum Matevosyan. ‘The first week has shown that cooperation can deliver progress. The second week must demonstrate that political commitment can deliver action.’

Delivering those results will require governments to place biodiversity at the heart of economic and financial decision-making, a challenge brought into sharper focus by the participation of finance ministers at COP 17.

‘Nature is not a luxury we protect when economies can afford it. Nature is what makes economies possible. The arrival of finance ministers at COP 17 sends an important signal,’ said Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. ‘Biodiversity loss is not simply an environmental problem. It is an economic problem, and the solutions must reach into the heart of economic decision-making.’

The scale of the challenge is reflected in the financial incentives that continue to drive biodiversity loss, often undermining investments in its protection and restoration.

‘Financing the destruction of nature with 30 dollars against every dollar spent restoring it is like paying 30 people to tear down your house for every one hired to rebuild it,’ said Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Ms Schomaker outlined three priorities for turning commitments into results: accountability, alignment and acceleration. Accountability means using national reports, scientific evidence and the first global review to identify shortcomings and guide stronger action. Alignment means ensuring that public budgets, private investment, economic policies and financial incentives support rather than undermine global biodiversity objectives. Acceleration means moving faster to implement the Framework’s 23 targets by 2030.

‘The global review showed us where progress is being made and where we are falling behind,’ she said. ‘Yerevan focuses all Parties on closing those gaps.’

Closing those gaps, however, will require governments to overcome significant differences in the negotiations. Major questions remain over who should contribute to international biodiversity finance, how much funding should be mobilised and through which mechanisms. Parties also remain divided over language on reducing or phasing out harmful incentives, including agricultural subsidies.

Other unresolved issues include which commercial users of digital sequence information should contribute to the Cali Fund; arrangements for the new permanent body on Indigenous Peoples and local communities under Article 8(j); and how biodiversity action should be aligned with climate commitments and other international obligations.

Lagos State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cornelius Oyefolu Ojelabi, has described the outcome of the 2023 general elections in the state as a wake-up call, vowing that the party will stage a stronger comeback in 2027.

Ojelabi expressed confidence that the ruling party would defeat opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, through intensified grassroots mobilisation and sustained engagement with voters.

He spoke at the launch of the Iyaloja General Movement for Renewed Hope, where he said the APC was determined to consolidate its achievements and secure the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, the party is leaving nothing to chance despite being the ruling party, as it continues to mobilise support across states and local government areas.

‘You can see the seriousness the All Progressives Congress attaches to the forthcoming general election. Most of the political activities taking place now are centred on the APC,’ he said.

Ojelabi noted that the emergence of several support groups and their activities across the country reflected the party’s determination to retain power in 2027.

He said the APC was reaching out to voters to explain the achievements of the Tinubu administration and the Lagos State government, expressing confidence that the electorate would reward the party at the polls.

The Lagos APC chairman said the party had learnt important lessons from the 2023 elections, when its dominance in the state faced a significant challenge.

Lagos, traditionally a stronghold of the APC and its predecessors, witnessed a competitive presidential election in 2023, with the Labour Party’s Peter Obi winning the state.

Describing the experience as a wake-up call, Ojelabi said the party was prepared to demonstrate its strength in the forthcoming elections.

‘What happened during the 2023 election, to me, is a wake-up call. And you will see the wonders that we are going to perform come 16th of January and 6th of February, by the grace of God,’ he said.

He urged Lagos residents to assess the performance of the APC-led government and reciprocate its efforts through their votes.

Ojelabi also dismissed concerns about the proposed Rainbow Coalition and whether the APC would require its support to win the 2027 presidential election.

He maintained that the priority of the party and other political actors should be to ensure Tinubu’s re-election, irrespective of the coalition arrangements being considered.

‘Whether coalition or no coalition, everybody is speaking one language. The language of making sure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to Aso Rock,’ he said.

The APC chairman added that the party would continue to strengthen its support base and mobilise voters ahead of the general elections.