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A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has said he petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate corruption allegations against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Agbonayinma said he filed the petition as a concerned Nigerian and in the interest of public accountability.

He also faulted Senator Dino Melaye’s criticism of the petition against Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, Agbonayinma challenged Melaye to produce any official EFCC decision or court record that cleared Atiku of the allegations.

‘Rather than attacking my person, character and integrity, why not address the substance of the petition?’ he asked, challenging Melaye to allow the EFCC to perform its statutory responsibilities.

‘You cannot defend Atiku Abubakar from an EFCC petition by attacking me,’ he said, adding that if the former Vice President had nothing to fear, he should be allowed to respond to any questions the commission considered necessary.

‘If you have evidence against me, bring it forward. If you have facts concerning the petition, present them,’ he stated.

‘Defend the facts, not personalities,’ he said, reiterating that nobody should use political friendship or loyalty as a shield against lawful investigation.’

Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s (BSA) Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm about a plot by some individuals in the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), working in connivance with some leaders of the Park Management System (PMS), to destroy and deface Alli’s billboards and posters across the Ibadan metropolis.

The campaign organisation said credible intelligence revealed that the sinister plot was hatched at a meeting held earlier on Friday in the Gbagi area of Ibadan.

It added that participants at the meeting agreed to mobilise PMS miscreants to embark on massive destruction of BSA campaign assets.

The statement, signed by the Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, partly read, ‘Our intelligence revealed that Egbeda, Ibadan North East, Lagelu and Akinyele local government areas of Ibadan, where the APC gubernatorial candidate enjoys high domination of billboards and posters due to massive acceptance and love by the people, have been marked as primary targets.

‘As at the time of issuing this statement, there is ongoing mobilisation of PMS thugs to execute this sinister plan in the wee hours of tomorrow, Saturday.

‘We wish to state categorically that this resort to thuggery, vandalism and destruction of opponents’ campaign materials is a sign of panic, failure and imminent rejection by the good people of Oyo State.

‘It shows that APM candidates and their sponsors have nothing to offer, a clear reason they are resorting to violence to intimidate the opposition.

‘The BSA Campaign Organisation hereby advises Governor Seyi Makinde to call his party members and supporters to order. He must resist the temptation to unleash violence on the good people of Oyo State who have endured his excesses in the last seven years.

‘For emphasis, no amount of billboard destruction can erase the people’s love and acceptance of Senator Sharafadeen Alli or rewrite the woeful record of the outgoing administration in local government administration, agriculture and health, to mention a few.

‘As the chief security officer of the state, we are reminding Governor Makinde that he is directly responsible for peace in Oyo State, and should, therefore, warn his supporters to desist from acts that can promote breakdown of law and order.

‘We call on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Oyo State and other security agencies to act fast, investigate this plot and ensure protection of lives and property, including campaign materials which are legally deployed.

‘We advise all APC members and supporters across the state to remain calm, law-abiding and resist provocation by miscreants who are in a desperate mood.

‘Oyo State voters deserve issue-based campaigns, and the APC shall resist moves to drag it into deliberate distraction from germane issues before Oyo State voters this time. No group of thugs acting under any political colouration should be allowed to disrupt that peace.

‘The people of Oyo state have already decided to vote for competence and character in their determination to move Oyo State AHEAD through the ballot in 2027.’

Vice President Kashim Shettima has attributed the success of Nigeria’s 2026 Hajj operations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decisive interventions, saying the Federal Government’s support helped the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) deliver a seamless exercise.

Shettima spoke yesterday in Abuja when he received the comprehensive report of the 2026 Hajj operations from the NAHCON board, led by its Chairman, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf.

The Vice President said the commission demonstrated renewed capacity and professionalism during the exercise, noting that NAHCON would remain critical to Nigeria’s Hajj administration despite the ongoing transition in Saudi Arabia from the traditional government-to-government arrangement to a business-to-business model.

He particularly commended President Tinubu for intervening at a critical stage of preparations and operations to address challenges confronting the commission and Nigerian pilgrims.

‘And I must thank Mr President for decisively coming to the rescue of NAHCON. We want to thank him for the support that culminated in such a highly successful and seamless operation,’ Shettima said.

He also praised the NAHCON leadership, particularly Yusuf, for what he described as the confidence and capacity demonstrated during the exercise.

According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said the commission’s management displayed professionalism and an ability to work collectively with its board and other stakeholders.

‘I am very proud of the NAHCON chairman. He has shown capacity and exhibited a very high sense of professionalism and the willingness to carry on board members,’ the Vice President said.

He urged the commission to sustain the momentum as preparations for future Hajj exercises begin, particularly against the backdrop of fundamental changes being introduced into the organisation of the pilgrimage.

Shettima said although Hajj operations were increasingly moving from a government-to-government framework to a business-to-business model, government institutions would continue to have an important role in protecting the interests of Nigerian pilgrims and ensuring hitch-free exercises.

He said NAHCON would consequently remain central to coordinating stakeholders and championing Nigeria’s interests within the evolving Hajj management system.

Earlier, Yusuf said the successful conduct of the 2026 pilgrimage was made possible by the executive support provided by President Tinubu and the Vice President, particularly measures aimed at cushioning pilgrims from financial and logistical pressures.

He said the administration’s ‘critical, compassionate policy interventions, particularly in stabilizing foreign exchange access, securing the basic travelling allowance, and mitigating sudden spikes in aviation fuel significantly relieved the financial burden on a multitude of pilgrims.’

According to the NAHCON chairman, the interventions helped keep the pilgrimage accessible to Nigerians despite difficult international economic conditions and geopolitical uncertainties that posed challenges to Hajj planning and operations.

Yusuf also credited Shettima’s direct leadership and guidance with strengthening coordination among agencies and other stakeholders involved in the exercise.

He said the commission was able to ‘harmonize collaboration across stakeholders to deliver what has been widely adjudged as a highly successful, seamless operation.’

‘From early arrangements and timely airlift to logistical management within MACA, Nigerian pilgrims were treated with utmost dignity,’ he added.

The presentation of the comprehensive report formally reviewed NAHCON’s management of the 2026 exercise and came as the commission turns attention to future pilgrimages under the changing operational framework.

Also at the meeting were NAHCON Commissioner of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance, Alhaji AbdulRazak Aliu; Commissioner of Operations, Alhaji Anofi Elegushi; members representing the six geopolitical zones on the commission’s board and other officials.

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Hon. Warman Weri Ogoriba, has rejected the relevance of the emerging ‘Rainbow Coalition’ in the state, insisting that the state chapter of the party has the numbers, structures, organisation and grassroots support to secure victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all officially nominated APC candidates in the 2027 general election.

Ogoriba, in a statement, said the APC in Bayelsa State remains focused, united and firmly positioned at the grassroots, with structures spread across the eight local government areas and political wards of the state.

He said the party would not be distracted by political alliances outside its established structure, stressing that the APC would continue to consolidate its membership base, strengthen internal unity and deepen grassroots mobilisation ahead of next year’s polls.

‘The task before the party is to remain organised, disciplined and committed to the collective objective of advancing the APC and supporting its candidates at all levels.

‘We are confident that the combination of the party’s existing structures, committed members, stakeholders and grassroots networks would provide the foundation for a strong electoral campaign in 2027,’ he said.

He urged APC members and supporters across the state to remain united and focused, assuring them that the party’s leadership would continue to engage stakeholders and mobilise support in every community.

The Bayelsa APC leadership, he stressed, remains committed to strengthening the party’s structures and working collectively towards the success of President Tinubu and all its candidates in the elections.

Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a civil society organisation, has appealed to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to reconsider its decision to reject Nigeria’s request for additional slots for the 2027 Hajj.

The organisation, in a statement on Saturday signed by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, urged the Saudi authorities to grant the request by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for an upward review of the country’s allocation, citing growing demand from intending pilgrims across the country.

NAHCON had on Thursday announced that Saudi Arabia had declined Nigeria’s request for additional 2027 Hajj slots, leaving the country’s quota unchanged despite increasing demand.

The commission said it had formally approached the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to secure more slots for Nigerian pilgrims and respond to requests from several state pilgrims’ welfare boards.

IHR said Nigeria until recently had the fifth-largest Hajj contingent, with an average allocation of about 95,000 pilgrims, adding that thousands of intending pilgrims were currently on the waiting list in anticipation of additional slots.

The organisation also appealed to Vice President Kashim Shettima to use diplomatic channels to engage the appropriate Saudi authorities on the matter and support NAHCON’s request for an increased allocation for Nigeria.

It said many of those currently on the waiting list might not have another opportunity to perform Hajj if they were unable to undertake the pilgrimage in 2027. IHR acknowledged that Nigeria’s allocation had previously been affected by the inability of intending pilgrims to register and make payments within stipulated timelines.

According to the group, the situation has, however, improved significantly following reforms by NAHCON and stricter adherence by Hajj stakeholders to the commission’s approved calendar of activities. It added that early registration and payment by intending pilgrims had improved, making it possible for Nigeria to utilise its allocated slots within the required timeframe.

IHR further said increased enlightenment among Nigerian pilgrims had improved their understanding of Hajj requirements, expectations and acceptable conduct in Saudi Arabia. It therefore urged the Saudi authorities to reconsider Nigeria’s request, arguing that the country was now better positioned to utilise additional slots effectively and conduct the pilgrimage in line with Saudi Arabia’s operational requirements.

The gruesome murder of Olalekan Oyeyemi, a political ally of Governor Ademola Adeleke popularly known as Emir, has renewed questions over the violent struggle for control of motor parks within the Accord Party in Osun State. TOBA ADEDEJI retraces the rise and fall of the self-styled mystic and political actor and the conflicts that preceded his death.

It was a scene of confusion and terror at a canteen via Mayfair Motor Park in Ile-Ife owned by one ‘Iya Ibeji’, where Emir and some members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were eating before an attack by some gunmen took the self-styled Aníkúlápó (one who carries death in his pouch) away.

It was gathered that some of the attackers were in the uniform of a local security outlet, suggesting that his murder was a product of conspiracy.

A source at the scene, who pleaded not to be named, recalled that Emir was called out of where he was eating with some of his loyalists within the NURTW by the attackers who eventually killed him after overpowering him at the scene of the attack.

The source said Emir was shot repeatedly, causing his Personal Assistant, identified simply as Samuel Gbogo, to flee the scene. However, after Samuel had fled, Emir was said to have put up a fierce struggle, attempting to snatch a rifle from one of the gunmen when he had been shot repeatedly but the bullets did not penetrate. He was eventually overpowered as he was said to have been struck repeatedly with a hammer on his forehead, leaving him to bleed heavily, after which the attackers shot at him several times before they fled the scene.

Until his death, Emir, widely known for his flamboyant lifestyle and self-styled identity as an ‘Anikulapo’, rose from relative obscurity to become a prominent figure on Osun’s streets, among the youths and the state’s political landscape.

Revolving around his influence was his alleged involvement in activities like cultism, thuggery, land grabbing and student unionism. His death has since triggered questions about the events that preceded the killing, the internal political tension surrounding the motor park structure and the circumstances that turned a once powerful political associate into the victim of a brutal assassination.

Emir’s early life and how he earned himself the Aníkúlápó sobriquet

Emir was raised by a mother who is an Osun adherent in Osogbo, Osun State capital, although he is from a community around Ejigbo town. He marks his birthday on September 21 of every year and was to clock 32 before he was killed on September 13.

It was reliably gathered that Emir spent his early days following Sunday Adeyemi, popularly known as Sunday Igboho before he later proceeded to school.

However, he started gaining popularity through land grabbing activities and street right advocacy by resisting cheating of common residents of the state capital. He later earned himself the nick name of Ajagungbade (one who fought to earn a crown).

Emir earned more street credibility after building his own gang and started moving with the members for rights advocacy and land grabbing activities in the Osogbo metropolis. He later secured his base around Isale Aro after which he moved to Balogun Agoro of Osogbo.

While he was raising to stardom on the street, his gang members were always clashing with another led by one Asiri who was a member of the NURTW, leading to a brutal clash between them in 2015, nearly taking his life.

A source, who identified himself simply as Sola, disclosed that Emir was shot and was hacked during the attack where he was initially confirmed dead, not clinically. ‘He was confirmed dead and his obituary poster was pasted in places where he was popular in Osogbo, while some of his lovers held a candle night procession for him days after he was pronounced dead.’

The source, however, said he came back to life after he was taken to a bush at the back of Onward area of Agunbelewo where he was nursed back of life through traditional and medical methods.

Sola said: ‘Her mother and her traditional religion worshippers stood by him and were fortifying him on the death bed. It was a most terrifying moment for every one of us because one minute he was alive and another minute we perceived he was dead.

‘Emir was bedridden for months after which he was later referred to hospital for final healing and restoration of his health.’

The news that Emir was still alive months after he had been declared dead threw Osogbo into a whirlpool of disbelief, relief and resentment. For residents who had mourned him, the revelation was almost surreal.

Obituary posters had been displayed across the town, while some sympathisers had participated in candlelight processions believing they were honouring a man who had died. The discovery that he was alive therefore came as a startling reversal of grief.

For some of those who had crossed paths with Emir or benefited from his interventions, particularly people who believed he had helped them secure justice, the news brought relief and even happiness. What had been accepted as mourning suddenly gave way to conversations about a man they thought they had lost but who had survived.

But the reaction was not universally celebratory. Some of his rivals and people who had developed deep animosity towards him reportedly received the news with disappointment. For them, the death they thought had brought an end to a bitter chapter was suddenly no longer the case.

The revelation consequently left Osogbo with mixed emotions: people who had lit candles in mourning were now confronting the unexpected reality of his survival, while those who had considered him an ally celebrated and those who regarded him as an adversary struggled with the news.

For a town that had already moved from announcing his death to mourning him publicly, the discovery that Emir was alive transformed the story from one of loss into one of the most extraordinary episodes people could remember.

It was learnt that a prominent traditional priest later mediated between Emir and Asiri to broker peace after the former was healed from the wounds inflicted on him. Emir’s fame spread abroad and he was said to have later joined the Aye Confratality, christening himself as ‘Anikulapo’ because he cheated death.

After the 2018 Osun State governorship election, he had joined the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but later left the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). A source close to late Emir revealed that he left after realising that his rival whom he had deep seated animosity for because of the life threatening attack unleashed on him and confraternity related issues.

Emir strives for better life after near death experience, confraternity rivalry

Meanwhile, as the self-styled Anikulapo was becoming more popular for his dreadfulness in the state and political space, he strived to earn himself a new identity despite that he had been fingered in lots of cult rivalry killings and political violence in the state.

Emir had earned himself Ordinary National Diploma (OND) certificate before his fame in thuggery and cultism. Then in 2023, he renewed his pursuit to get more academic certificate as he secured admission into Osun State Polytechnic Iree, to study Mass Communication.

Upon resumption, he began to shy away from his old ways, especially thuggery and cultism. He embraced the academic journey with utmost seriousness as he wanted to use education to put a robe of gentleness and responsibility on. He mulled the ambition to become the president of the Student Union Government of the institution and commenced the plans to actualise his goal.

One of his ex-classmates and friends identified simply as Ade told The Nation that Emir was a very jovial and kind hearted person who eschewed violence and embrace peace when he was in school.

He said: ‘Despite that he was known for thuggery and cultism, he became an ambassador of peace and harmony. He was cheated many times and we would urge him to fight back but he resisted our advice. He became a peace advocate in school but pursued his unionism agenda.

‘He was distancing himself from other cult members in school and was constantly refining himself. Even in Osogbo, he hardly moved with his old gang members so that they could see a new him in the society.’

However, on September 15, 2023, he was arrested by the Osun State Police Command after they declared him wanted for alleged murder, cultism and armed robbery. He was whisked away to the Force Headquarters for discreet investigation into allegations of extrajudicial killing, political killings including the murder of the younger brother of NURTW boss, Kazeem Oyeyemi ‘Asiri Eniba’ in 2022 when Adeleke was sworn in as governor and he sacked the leadership that was loyal to the All Progressives Congress(APC) at the time.

Emir was later moved to Osun State and dragged to the Federal High Court on an 11-count charge covering conspiracy, arson, unlawful killing and terrorism. He was accused of involvement in violent attacks and the murder of four individuals (Muraina Olayiwole, Tope, Tajudeen Rabiu, and Oyewale Sharif) in Osogbo in 2022 before and after the governorship election.

The police prosecutor noted that those allegedly killed by Emir were members of APC. He was later granted bail in the sum of N50 million on April 16, 2024 with two sureties as the presiding judge said that one of the sureties had to be a traditional ruler in the state (submitting his instrument of appointment), and the second surety had to be either a member of the National Assembly or a level-17 civil servant who should also submit his certificate of return or letter of appointment.

In addition, he was required to deposit N5 million, surrender his national passport, and sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour. He was released after seven months of incarceration as he missed exams in school and his ambition to become the SUG president in Osun Poly was dashed due to his arrest.

He later sat for the examinations he missed and he bagged Higher National Diploma (HND) in 2026. A source in the school confirmed that he collected his result last week after he went through clearance exercise in the school as he was trying to get a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) form in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

A close ally of Emir told our correspondent that the self-styled Anikulapo who had cheated death had embarked on the path to make himself better in all ways before he was eventually killed.

Emir’s struggle for control of motor park in Osun

It was reliably gathered that Adeleke had promised to make Emir the chairman of the park upon his assumption in November 2022 after which he took over garages from the substantive leadership of NURTW led by Kazeem Oyewale known as Asiri Eniba, but he declined the offer, after which he was appointed as part of the Park Managers by the governor in January 2023.

A source disclosed that he declined to be the head of the Park because of his pursuit of another degree in Iree Polytechnic, hence he pushed his friend who knew more of the businesses of the park, Nurudeen Wakili, also known as Alowonle, as the head of the park.

Emir was appointed by Adeleke as part of Supervisory Disciplinary Committee member to supervise all the activities of the two sectors in the transport system namely Vehicles and Cycles. One of the leaders at the Old Garage Park who pleaded anonymity told The Nation that after Adeleke won his second term bid, Emir visited the park on August 17, 2026 to familiarise and create awareness for the people in the park about his interest to emerge as the new leader.

Facing resistance from the existing NURTW leadership, he routed his plan to take over as the new leader of the park through the the Adeleke government and he reportedly received the nod from the government to take over; a development said not to be acceptable to other power brokers within the system.

It was gathered that some people even in government were against the idea of him replacing Alowonle while others backed Emir because of his selflessness and the role he played during the last Osun State governorship election.

The conspiracy theory and failure of apaji (resurrection charm)

On Sunday, Emir ate yam and egg as breakfast, had a WhatsApp chat with some of his close allies that he would embark on a journey to Modakeke, the residence of the Commissioner for Transportation, Sesan Oyedele, for a peace meeting ahead of Monday when he would be announced as the head of Park System by the governor.

Emir arrived at the residence of the Transport Commissioner around 8:49 am where the peace meeting was held. Some assistants of Alowonle alleged that the commissioner summoned them to his residence and told the union leaders that the state government had endorsed Emir as the next state chairman.

Shortly after the meeting, which was attended by NURTW leaders and excos, they took photographs and departed the residence of the Commissioner. Gbedegesin said that while they were returning from the meeting, they branched to Mayfair Motor Park to eat but Emir was attacked and killed.

An eyewitness said: ‘They overpowered him and they confirmed him dead before they left around 3:15 pm. It was easy for them because Ile-Ife was not the terrain of Emir. He was chased to the point that he was killed. I saw uniformed men joining the assailants.

‘After they left, we rushed at him but he was bleeding. At a point, he jerked back to life while we were on our way to Osogbo. We took him to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital for treatment but a member of his family told us that they should not administer any injection on him because he had apaji (resurrection power). The person told us to take him to his herbalist’s house for redemption rites.’

The source continued: ‘When we got there, they lighted a lamp of his redemption and it came up, suggesting that life was still in his body.

‘After the rites, the herbalist directed us to take him to hospital for care and we did. He was placed on oxygen from evening on Sunday and later died around 10:38 pm, after which he was moved to the mortuary.

‘All I can say is that despite Emir’s efforts to clean himself from his past, his past haunted him and killed him.

‘We have the notion that some people in authority whom Emir trusted betrayed him. Why the choice of Modakeke and Ile-Ife, a strange enclave for Emir, as the ground for peace meeting?’

Similarly, a medical doctor in Uniosun Teaching Hospital who pleaded not to be named said ‘Emir was brought to the hospital and was taken away by his gang on Sunday. But I observed that some components of his brain were already out when he was brought in. They used cloth to cover that portion.

‘He was deliberately attacked on his head to make it difficult for him to survive the attack. It seems they are scared of him to survive that attack, which is why they did more damage to his head and riddled him with bullets.

Reactions

When contacted, the Transport Commissioner Oyedele denied the claims that he was the one that summoned the meeting.

He said: ‘I was not at the meeting they had in Osogbo last week. After that meeting, which involved transport union members from various branches, they called me on Thursday and said they wanted to come and see me.

‘I told them to come to my office on Monday, September 14, but they said they could come to my house. They came around 9 a.m. on Sunday. When they got to my house, they told me that they had all agreed that Olalekan Emir should be the next chairman, and they wanted me to support them.’

He continued: ‘I told them that since that was what they wanted, I would present their case before the governor, the Chief of Staff and others when he gets back to the state. That was our agreement before they left. It was two hours after they left my house that I was called that Emir had been killed.’

He appealed to everyone to remain calm, assuring that everything will be settled by the authorities. Efforts made by The Nation to get reaction of the Alowonle faction of the NURTW on the matter were abortive as he did not pick his calls or respond to text messages sent to him via SMS and WhatsApp.

However, in a viral video, he denied any involvement in the murder of Emir, insisting that he was not part of the meeting and was in Osogbo on the day the self-styled Anikulapo was killed in Ile-Ife.

Olayemi Ojo, popularly known as Sibi, denied involvement in the murder of Emir, saying, ‘I don’t know Emir, I don’t know where he went to cause calamity of death upon himself. I was equally attacked at the scene.’

Reacting to the development, Adeleke, through his spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, called for the arrest of the perpetrators on Sunday and the proscription of NURTW activities in the state.

The government had yet to make any official statement since the incident.

Nigeria and Spain have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector.

The commitment was made on Thursday, September 17, 2026, when the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Kingdom of Spain, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, paid a visit to Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas Puchades, at the Palacio de Fomento in Madrid.

Both nations emphasized collaboration in key areas, including technology transfer, improved seedling production, livestock development, irrigation, and food preservation.

Minister Planas welcomed Ambassador Ikpeazu on his appointment as Nigeria’s principal envoy to Spain.

He expressed confidence that the ambassador’s tenure would further consolidate the cordial relations between both countries, particularly in agriculture, where he identified vital opportunities for partnership in agro-food production, animal health, and irrigation.

Planas highlighted Spain’s advancements in agricultural technology-including crop disease prevention and the development of improved, high-yielding seedlings-which have driven the expansion of large-scale agro-food and livestock production.

He noted that Nigeria’s extensive agricultural potential, anchored by arable land covering more than 40 percent of its total territory, offers significant opportunities to boost food production and develop agricultural value chains.

According to the minister, Spain’s ability to produce more food than it imports has been backed by superior seed varieties, strategic food preservation policies, and modern consumption models.

He added that innovative technologies helped Spain achieve a 20 percent reduction in food loss in 2025, with further preventive measures currently being implemented.

In response, Ambassador Ikpeazu expressed appreciation for the warm reception and the opportunity to discuss mutual priorities to deepen bilateral ties. He stated that expanding agricultural production remains a top priority for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, especially given Nigeria’s large youth population and the economic opportunities within the agricultural value chain.

He emphasized that fully harnessing Nigeria’s agricultural potential would enhance food security, generate employment, and help address the root causes of irregular migration across Africa. Ikpeazu commended Spain’s achievements in seedling innovation, livestock development, and food preservation, affirming Nigeria’s readiness to partner with Spanish institutions and private-sector investors to boost productivity and curb post-harvest losses caused by inadequate storage and transport infrastructure.

Citing GB Foods’ operations in Kebbi and Ogun States as a prime example of successful Spanish investment in Nigeria, the ambassador noted that the company’s introduction of improved seedlings had dramatically increased tomato yields from approximately 10 tonnes to over 60 tonnes per hectare.

Ambassador Ikpeazu concluded by underscoring Nigeria’s goal to develop its animal production sector to meet domestic demand and unlock export potential, reiterating Nigeria’s desire to build strong partnerships with Spain in livestock development and related areas.

In what organisers describe as the largest assembly of the Kwararafa peoples in modern Nigerian history, more than 150 royal fathers, serving governors and over 2,500 delegates will converge in Abuja, on Saturday, for the Kwararafa Peoples Assembly, themed ‘The Splendour of the Kingdom’.

The event, titled ‘The Splendour of the Kingdom: The Ancient Truths, The New Dawn,’ is expected to be graced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the distinguished guest of honour.

The occasion would also mark the formal public launch of the Kwararafa Development Forum (KDF), a non-partisan civic body aimed at driving collective economic transformation, cultural preservation and policy advocacy for descendants of the historic Kwararafa Confederacy.

The one-day assembly will feature the largest single gathering of Kwararafa traditional rulers since the founding of the Nigerian federation, including over 85 paramount rulers and more than 150 first-class chiefs and traditional council heads from across the Kwararafa nationalities.

The Executive Governor of Taraba State is the convener, while the Aku Uka of Wukari, His Royal Majesty, will serve as chief host.

Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Alhaji Ahmadu Oga Aliyu Onawo, the Andoma of Doma, announced the assembly at a press conference in Abuja.

He said the gathering would provide an opportunity for the descendants of the historic Kwararafa Confederacy to reflect on their shared heritage and articulate a common development vision within the Nigerian federation.

According to him, the Kwararafa peoples, including the Jukun, Idoma, Igala, Nupe, Ebira, Tarok, Alago, Eggon and Kuteb, among others, were historically linked to a political formation that flourished around the Niger-Benue confluence between the 14th and 18th centuries.

He said the assembly would not be a cultural festival or political rally, but ‘a statement of civilisational intent’ and a platform for discussing unity, security, economic equity and development.

Among the activities scheduled for the event is the premiere of a documentary on the history of Kwararafa.

The documentary, he said, was filmed across five states and draws on historical research and oral accounts from community elders.

The forum, he said, would also unveil the Kwararafa Handbook, a publication containing the history, constituent peoples, economic assets and development priorities of the Kwararafa region.

Onawo said copies of the handbook would be presented to the President and the Aku Uka of Wukari.

The organisers will further present the Kwararafa Development Agenda to the Federal Government.

The document, he explained, would outline the region’s resources, needs and proposed contributions to national development.

A communiqué, to be known as the Abuja Declaration, is also expected to be issued at the end of the assembly.

The declaration, he said, will state the forum’s position on issues affecting Nigeria, including national unity, security, economic inclusion and the role of the Kwararafa peoples in the federation.

Onawo described the planned attendance of over 150 traditional rulers as a significant development, saying it would mark the first time such a large number of traditional authorities from the Kwararafa family would meet under one roof.

He said the forum’s objective was to bring together diverse peoples spread across five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones around a common heritage and shared future.

‘Diversity without organisation is merely dispersion,’ he said, adding that the assembly would demonstrate what collective organisation among the Kwararafa peoples could achieve.