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Operatives of the Kogi State Vigilante Service (KSVS), attached to Sector D Command, have arrested two suspects over the alleged vandalism of an armoured cable belonging to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The suspects, identified as Jonah Bako, 30, and Abdullahi Yunusa, 45, were arrested on October 30 at about 9 p.m. following sustained credible intelligence.

According to a statement by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Idris S. Idris, Bako was allegedly caught vandalising the electricity cable before his arrest.

During interrogation, the first suspect reportedly confessed to the crime and identified Yunusa, a scrap dealer, as his regular buyer. The alleged receiver was subsequently arrested.

The Comptroller-General of KSVS, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Anataku, commended the operatives for their dedication and professionalism, urging them to sustain the momentum in the fight against criminal activities across the state.

Anataku also expressed appreciation to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his continued support and encouragement to the service.

He called on residents to support security agencies with credible and actionable intelligence, stressing that security is a collective responsibility.

The Comptroller-General assured members of the public that all information supplied, as well as the identities of informants, would be treated with strict confidentiality.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Sokoto State University (SSU) Chapter, has begun a five-day warning strike over unpaid staff entitlements, warning that it may embark on an indefinite strike if the Sokoto State Government fails to address its demands.

The industrial action, which commenced on Monday, November 2, followed the expiration of a 14-working-day ultimatum issued to the state government on October 14.

In a statement jointly signed by its chairman, Ismail Bala Muhammed, and secretary, Mansur Ahmad, the union said it was compelled to withdraw its services after several attempts to resolve the dispute through dialogue proved unsuccessful.

‘We regret to inform the university community and the general public that the union has commenced a five-working-day warning strike following the failure of the government to address our outstanding demands,’ the statement said.

The union’s demands include the payment of arrears arising from the 25 per cent salary increment, approval and implementation of the 35 per cent Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA), annual salary increments for eligible members and payment of outstanding check-off dues.

SSANU said it had held several meetings with the Commissioner for Higher Education, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and the Deputy Governor in an effort to secure the government’s intervention.

It added that the government subsequently constituted a committee to engage university-based unions from Sokoto State University and Shehu Shagari University of Education.

However, the union said the outcome of a meeting with the government on October 9 was unsatisfactory.

According to the statement, the government maintained that arrears from the 25 per cent salary increment would not be paid, while the implementation of CONTTA would commence in January 2027, subject to budgetary provision.

SSANU rejected the position, insisting that the allowance was a legitimate entitlement of its members.

It also noted that similar allowances had been approved for academic staff under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other categories of workers in state-owned tertiary institutions.

The union further disclosed that it resubmitted its demands following a request by the Permanent Secretary but received no concrete response before the ultimatum expired.

SSANU appealed to Governor Ahmed Aliyu to intervene personally and ensure the immediate resolution of the dispute.

It also called on traditional rulers, parents, students and other stakeholders to prevail on the government to address the issues before the warning strike escalates.

‘Failure to address these demands at the end of the five-working-day warning strike may compel the union to embark on a total and indefinite shutdown of services at the university,’ it warned.

Umahi made the appeal on Monday in Abakaliki during a town hall meeting with South-East CAN, Hausa and Yoruba communities, as well as other non-indigenes in Ebonyi State.

The meeting, organised by the Directorate of Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation of the APC PCC, saw the South-East CAN, Hausa and Yoruba communities endorse President Tinubu for the 2027 general election.

The minister said the Tinubu administration needed the prayers of the church to succeed, stressing that criticism would not build the nation.

He urged the church to set aside sentiments and support the President’s re-election bid in 2027, noting that the South-East stood to benefit more by supporting Tinubu to complete eight years in office.

‘What we the people of South East want is eight years presidency and not four years. The person that is saying that he will rule for four years as a President ruled for eight years as Governor. If four years was enough, why did he govern for eight years as Governor?

‘Four years is introduction. So, our position as leaders of South East is that Igbo needs complete eight years presidency when it is our turn. We must support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu so that we can rule for eight years when our time comes,’ Umahi said.

Earlier, the President of the Christian Fellowship of Nigeria (CFN), South-East zone, Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali, said the zone would show appreciation to the President and Umahi for infrastructure development in the region by supporting Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

‘We are owing our leader the President and Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. David Umahi, appreciation, and the only way we can show appreciation is to support the President in the 2027 general election,’ Nwali said.

The former President of the association’s Women Wing, Mrs. Uche Charity Ujunwa, and the Youth Wing leader, Peter Onyeabor, assured that women and youths in the zone would mobilise support for Tinubu.

Similarly, leaders of the Yoruba and Hausa communities in Ebonyi, Kazeem Bankole and Alhaji Danjuma Gambo, respectively, pledged to mobilise their members to support Tinubu, Governor Francis Nwifuru and other APC candidates in the 2027 general election.

The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s claim that Nigeria’s economy has emerged from the ‘dark tunnel’, citing increasing poverty, with more than 140 million Nigerians, representing 63 per cent of the population, reportedly living in abject poverty.

The organisation said the poverty figure, alongside rising unemployment, food insecurity and the daily closure of businesses, exposed the disconnect between the President’s assessment of the economy and the harsh realities confronting millions of Nigerians.

MDPCO is the campaign organisation of the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

MDPCO, in a reaction on Monday through its Director of Strategic Communications, Mr Richard Ihediwa, described Tinubu’s claim, made in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as misleading and unsupported by prevailing economic indicators.

It argued that it was disturbing that the President could make such a claim in the Holy Land despite what it alleged to be widening poverty across the country.

The organisation stated that hundreds of businesses were closing daily because of the effects of the administration’s economic policies and rising taxes, while unemployment and food insecurity continued to deepen.

It added that more than 60 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity and going to bed hungry, with little hope of relief under the present administration.

MDPCO also accused the government of failing to address the security situation, saying insecurity had restricted citizens’ freedom of movement and undermined farming, trade and other commercial activities.

It went on, ‘Despite being an oil-producing country, fuel price in Nigeria remains unaffordable at between N1,500 and N2,000 per litre in various parts of the country, driving high costs of living, a harsh business environment and eroding the purchasing power of citizens.’

On infrastructure, the organisation said Nigeria’s deficit had reached an estimated $2.3tn, adding that experts projected that approximately $100bn would be required annually over the next 30 years to bridge the gap.

The organisation described Tinubu’s assertion that the economy had emerged from the dark tunnel while the country continued to accumulate debts, putting Nigeria’s total debt at N166.7tn under his administration, as ‘ironic.’

The campaign organisation further accused the President of borrowing recklessly from foreign creditors without verifiable investments in projects and programmes or a clear plan for repayment.

It said Nigerians had expected Tinubu to use his visit to the Holy Ka’abah to seek forgiveness, reflect on his administration’s record and acknowledge the hardship and widespread misery allegedly caused by its policies.

Commenting on Tinubu’s declaration in the Holy Land that Allah gives power and takes it from whom He wills, the organisation said the statement was an answered prayer for Nigerians seeking a change of leadership, urging him to heed what it called divine guidance by withdrawing from the 2027 presidential race and supporting Makinde.

The organisation further stated that Makinde’s proposed Reset Nigeria Agenda offered the country an opportunity to chart a new course through economic opportunities, affordable living, improved security, quality education, accountable governance and national unity.

GUNMEN, at the weekend, ambushed security personnel at a checkpoint in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing a soldier and carting away weapons from the scene.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the gunmen attacked the soldiers at the Sopp checkpoint in Ungwan Boka at about 8p.m. on Saturday.

It was reported that the troops were on guard when the attackers opened fire on them.

A security source said the gunmen, numbering about 50, suddenly opened fire on troops from different directions, resulting in an exchange of gunfire, before fleeing into the surrounding bushes.

A source said: ‘The attack occurred while the troops were at the checkpoint. The gunmen opened fire from different directions, forcing the troops to engage them in a gun battle.’

Confirming the incident, spokesman for Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, described the attack as deliberate and unprovoked, but declared that the troops had restored normalcy in the area.

Oteh said: ‘It was a deliberate and unprovoked attack on troops at Sopp checkpoint in Ungwan Boka, in Riyom Local Government Area.

‘Troops have restored normalcy in the area and are maintaining aggressive pursuit of the perpetrators in order to apprehend them and recover the carted-away weapons.

‘The situation remains under control, while troops continue to sustain heightened vigilance to prevent any further security breach and reassure residents of their safety.

‘The public is urged to remain calm, go about their lawful activities and volunteer credible information that could assist security agencies in their ongoing efforts.’

In another development, a 100-level female student of the Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos was kidnapped by gunmen, while another person was shot during an attack on an off-campus student hostel in Bokkos council area.

The incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening, at about 8:40p.m., have raised concerns about the safety of students living outside the university campus.

A student of the university, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to newsmen in Jos on Sunday, said the victim was out with another female student when she was seized by the attackers.

The student said: ‘Yes, the attackers abducted the student last night; she lives off-campus.’

Also confirming the incident, a university employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the development, said the institution was aware of the situation.

‘The university is aware of a reported shooting incident in one of the off-campus student residential areas. This would be the second such incident in four weeks,’ he said.

‘While the incident did not occur within the university campus, which remains our direct responsibility to secure, we are deeply concerned that some of our students living off-campus are facing threats to their safety.

‘The administration of Professor Shadrack Best has made concerted efforts to provide safe and secure on-campus accommodation for all students, however, due to severe financial constraints, the university is currently only able to accommodate about 1,000 students in its dormitories,’ he stated.

Efforts to reach the police spokesperson in the state, SP Alfred Alabo, for confirmation were unsuccessful by presstime.

Troops have repelled an Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) assault in Borno State.

The troops also struck a terrorist enclave with drone, apprehended seven suspected collaborators and dismantled illegal crude oil operations nationwide.

The operations also led to the killing of six terrorists in a precision drone strike in Borno, while troops intervened in a farmers-herders clash in Plateau.

An operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday said troops of 151 Task Force Battalion at Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bama Local Government Area of Borno repelled an ISWAP attack on October 29.

The report said the terrorists reportedly attacked the troops at about 9:05 p.m. but were forced to withdraw in disarray following an exchange of fire.

It said the troops also recovered one rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) bomb, one machine gun solenoid, one AK-47 magazine and 16 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

According to the report, troops of the Nigerian Army Landing Craft (NBLC), in collaboration with 403 Amphibious Brigade, also neutralised six terrorists during a precision drone strike on a terrorist enclave in Dumba, Kukawa Local Government Area.

The report said the operation was conducted on October 30 following intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions that identified the terrorists’ location.

It said preliminary battle damage assessment indicated that six terrorists were neutralised, while several others sustained injuries.

The Tax Ombud/Chief Executive, Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John Nwabueze, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to staff capacity building towards promoting fairness, transparency and trust in Nigeria’s tax and revenue administration system, stressing that public confidence remains central to building an efficient and sustainable revenue system.

Dr Nwabueze stated this at the opening of a three-day Management Retreat of the Office of the Tax Ombud, in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

He said the establishment of the Office was in line with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen tax administration through effective mediation and the prompt, amicable resolution of disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities.

According to him, the Office is committed to ensuring that taxpayers have access to an independent and impartial platform where their complaints can be addressed without unnecessary delays or financial burden.

Dr Nwabueze disclosed that the Office was intensifying efforts to create public awareness about its existence, mandate and services. He also revealed that discussions were underway to establish a collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to extend the reach of the Tax Ombud’s services to every local government area in the country.

He said the retreat, themed ‘Leading with Purpose: Strengthening Leadership and Delivering Sustainable Excellence,’ was designed to provide an opportunity for management to re-examine the organisation’s mandate, clarify its strategic vision and ensure that its leadership team remained aligned in pursuing its institutional objectives.

The Tax Ombud charged staff to make discipline, diligence and courtesy the cornerstones of their professional conduct, emphasising that the organisation’s success should not be measured merely by the number of complaints handled but by the level of confidence and trust it inspires in Nigeria’s tax system.

‘The ultimate measure of our success is not simply the number of cases we resolve, but the confidence we build, the trust we restore and the positive difference we make in the relationship between taxpayers and revenue authorities,’ he said.

In his remarks, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Emem Almond Bob, commended the Federal Government’s tax reforms, noting that they were aimed not only at improving revenue generation but also at addressing longstanding systemic challenges in tax administration.

The Governor thanked the Office of the Tax Ombud for choosing Akwa Ibom State as the venue for the retreat, noting that his administration was implementing measures to promote enterprise, improve the business environment and ease the burden of doing business in the state.

He identified the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and a consolidated tax collection system as some of the initiatives being pursued by his administration to strengthen public financial management and revenue administration.

Governor Eno also urged the Tax Ombud to consider establishing a presence in Akwa Ibom State, pledging his administration’s support and commitment to ensuring that residents of the state could access the organisation’s services.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service, Mr Okon Okon, commended the Federal Government’s tax reforms and described the Office of the Tax Ombud as an important institution for promoting fairness, trust and harmony in Nigeria’s tax administration system.

He particularly highlighted the fact that the services of the Tax Ombud are provided entirely free of charge, describing this as a significant relief to taxpayers and revenue authorities seeking an impartial platform for resolving tax-related grievances.

Mr Okon noted that the Office’s intervention would help strengthen constructive engagement between taxpayers and tax authorities, thereby contributing to a more transparent, accountable and effective revenue administration system.

The three-day retreat is expected to strengthen institutional leadership, deepen management alignment and enhance the capacity of the Office to deliver on its statutory mandate of protecting taxpayer rights and promoting fairness and accountability in tax and revenue administration.