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The Federal Government has launched an online discount shop designed to ease financial pressures on personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, veterans and their families by providing access to essential goods at discounted prices.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, who launched the platform in Abuja, on Thursday, September 24, said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s broader welfare framework for serving and retired military personnel.

‘The welfare of those who serve the nation is a responsibility that extends beyond the provision of operational capabilities,’ Akume said.

‘A motivated and resilient Armed Forces is sustained by the assurance of the wellbeing of its personnel and their families.’

The SGF said the Federal Government recognised that initiatives aimed at improving access to essential goods and services and easing financial pressures were important components of a comprehensive welfare programme.

According to him, the Armed Forces of Nigeria Personnel Online Discount Shop, powered through the Zino platform, would leverage digital technology to give eligible serving and retired personnel convenient access to a range of goods at discounted prices.

Akume described the initiative as an example of how technology and strategic partnerships could be used to deliver practical benefits to citizens who had dedicated themselves to the service and security of the country.

‘The inclusion of veterans in this initiative, therefore, reflects an important principle of continuity in our responsibility to the Armed Forces family,’ he said.

The SGF commended Defence Headquarters and Zino Group for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), describing it as an ‘important framework for cooperation between the Armed Forces and the private sector in delivering a sustainable welfare intervention.’

‘As we launch this platform, I encourage Defence Headquarters and all stakeholders to ensure that its implementation remains transparent, reliable and responsive to the needs of the beneficiaries,’ Akume said.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, said the initiative was an important component of the military’s welfare efforts.

He added that it was only the beginning of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel, veterans and their families.

‘We are partnering with Zino, but we intend to bring other vendors on board. We are trying to interface with companies such as Dangote Cement so that personnel can have access to building materials and other essential goods that can make their lives better,’ the CDS said.

‘We also, at some point, intend to have physical shops where soldiers can walk in and access goods and services at highly discounted prices.’

The CDS urged personnel and veterans to make judicious use of the platform and called on those managing the scheme to continually improve its services.

He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support for efforts to improve the welfare of the Armed Forces.

The Chairman of Zinox Group, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, described its partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria as its ‘contribution towards appreciating their sacrifices and dedication to national service.’

Represented by Zinox Group General Manager, Corporate Governance, Konga, Reginald Obiako, Ekeh said the online discount shop would enable personnel and their families to access a range of products at discounted prices.

‘We believe that those who serve and protect our nation deserve our support and appreciation. We are therefore pleased to partner in this initiative and look forward to its continued success,’ he said.

Ekeh congratulated the Armed Forces on the launch and expressed the company’s commitment to the success of the initiative.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has unveiled his nine-pillar development agenda, tagged: ‘ITESIWAJU for Ogun State,’ with a commitment to sustaining viable projects and development policies, if elected governor of the state.

Adeola presented the agenda during an engagement with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Abeokuta, where he also advocated an issue-based approach to next year’s governorship campaign.

The ITESIWAJU acronym represents: Infrastructure, Tourism and Culture, Economic Empowerment, Security and Welfare, Inclusive Growth and Well-being, Women, Youth and Poverty Eradication, Agriculture and Food Security, Job Creation and Industrialisation, and Urbanisation and Transparency.

Unveiling his proposed development framework, Adeola explained: ‘ITESIWAJU Ipinle Ogun’, which means the progress of Ogun State, was developed following extensive consultations across the state and is intended to provide a comprehensive framework for addressing the needs and aspirations of residents.”

Senator Adeola said the agenda was conceived as a comprehensive development framework rather than simply an electoral document, noting that it was developed over a period of three years and informed by consultations with thousands of people across Ogun State.

He maintained that Ogun possesses the human and economic resources required to achieve significant development, adding that his aspiration to govern the state is driven by his desire to contribute to its continued progress.

The APC candidate, who represents Ogun West Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriation, said continuity in governance is critical to achieving sustained economic and infrastructural development. He referenced the development experience of Lagos State, where successive administrations have continued with policies and projects initiated by previous governments.

According to him, Ogun State could similarly benefit when successive administrations evaluate existing projects based on their value to residents and complete viable initiatives rather than abandoning them because they were started by a previous government.

He also called on political parties and governorship candidates preparing for the 2027 election to present clear programmes to the electorate, particularly on youth development, women’s empowerment, industrialisation, agriculture, infrastructure, security, job creation and economic growth.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has donated ?20 million to the families of 37 artisanal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.

Atiku made the donation on Tuesday during a visit to Minna, where he also paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Bahago, according to a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

The 37 miners died on September 17, days after they were arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining in the Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the State.

The circumstances surrounding their deaths are under investigation.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full investigation into the incident, while the Ministry of Interior said a federal investigative committee would establish whether there was responsibility, negligence or misconduct and recommend appropriate action.

Speaking to the affected families and survivors, Atiku described the deaths as a tragedy requiring truth, justice and accountability.

He said the account given by one of the survivors about the conditions at the detention facility was disturbing.

‘It was a gory tale listening to one of the survivors. He told us that more than 68 of them were crammed into one small detention facility and that conditions became so desperate that they had to drink one another’s urine just to stay hydrated,’ Atiku said.

He said the deaths raised questions about the treatment of people held in state custody, regardless of the allegations against them.

‘No Nigerian should ever be subjected to such indignity in the custody of his own government. These were human beings in the care of the state. Whatever accusations may have been made against them, they were entitled to their lives, their dignity and the protection of the law,’ he said.

Atiku also linked the incident to wider economic pressures, including poverty, unemployment and the rising cost of living, arguing that government policies should be assessed by their effect on ordinary Nigerians.

‘Thirty-seven young Nigerians entered the custody of the state alive and did not return alive to their families. That tragedy demands truth, justice and accountability.

‘Economic reform must ultimately be measured by what it does to the lives of ordinary people. If life becomes progressively more difficult for families, workers and young people, then government has a responsibility to reconsider the choices producing those outcomes,’ he said.

The ADC candidate also restated his proposal for a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria, saying it would support domestic refining and reduce petrol prices for consumers.

The proposal has been criticised by the All Progressives Congress over its legal, fiscal and operational framework, including its compatibility with the Petroleum Industry Act and safeguards against abuse.

Atiku said his proposal differed from the previous imported-fuel subsidy regime.

‘My promise to make life affordable again is not a political slogan. It is a solemn covenant with the Nigerian people.

‘We will support what Nigeria produces. We will support fuel refined in Nigeria, create Nigerian jobs and insist that every naira of government support delivers a measurable benefit to the consumer,’ he said.

He added that government should create conditions that enable young Nigerians to pursue legitimate livelihoods rather than turn to hazardous activities because of economic hardship.

‘The purpose of government is not merely to announce reforms. The purpose of government is to make life better for the people,’ he said.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, warned on Thursday that synthetic disinformation poses an existential threat to public trust and democratic stability ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

Speaking at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) 2026, held in Enugu, the INEC Chairman urged newsroom leaders across the country to build an unyielding firewall of rigorous fact-checking and digital verification against artificial intelligence-driven deepfakes.

He also warned against media organisations rushing to publish unverified election results to be first to break the news, insisting that such publications or broadcasts can undermine public trust in the electoral process.

Represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, the INEC Chairman also warned against media organisations publishing election results generated by political actors and posted on social media, saying such results can affect election outcomes.

Prof. Amupitan cautioned that generative AI, voice cloning, and deepfake video synthesis had democratised mass deception, enabling political saboteurs to produce photorealistic videos of election officials, cloned audio files, and doctored result sheets designed to incite public outrage and delegitimise democratic outcomes.

He stressed the need to institutionalise specialised fact-checking desks, deploy forensic image analysis software, and strictly adhere to statutory protocols requiring that official election results be verified exclusively through INEC before publication.

He said, ‘We have moved far beyond simple political bias, hyperbole, or unverified rumours into an era of synthetically manufactured reality. Generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning, deepfake video synthesis, and automated bot networks have democratised mass deception.

‘Malicious operatives no longer need a printing press or broadcast licence to deceive millions. With modest computing power, they can produce a photorealistic video of an electoral official purportedly declaring false results in a dark room; a cloned audio file of an INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner instructing staff to manipulate voting devices on election eve;

‘Manipulated result sheets engineered to mimic official security features, flooded onto social media minutes after polling closes to create an illusion of fraud before collation even begins.

‘The primary danger of synthetic disinformation is not merely that it tricks citizens into believing a specific falsehood, but that it causes the systemic destruction of public trust. When everything can be faked, citizens begin to doubt genuine, verified facts provided by constitutional authorities.

‘When deepfakes render lies believable, real truth is greeted with scepticism. Cynicism replaces civic engagement, leading voters to ask: Why stand in line for hours if the outcome is already manipulated on a screen? That mental retreat is where democracy begins to decay.

‘Disinformation attacks the electorate’s cognitive sovereignty, turning elections from a peaceful contest of ideas into a volatile battleground of manipulated emotions, ethnic tension, and pre-packaged outrage.’

‘For an election management body, administrative success on the ground can be instantly erased on a smartphone screen by a well-timed, algorithmically boosted deepfake.’

Responding to the threat environment, Amupitan said INEC has shifted from defensive anxiety to a proactive technological offensive, establishing a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and beginning to deploy automated AI auditing tools in the Results Management process to detect discrepancies before final verification.

While emphasising that all automated checks remained strictly governed by a five-pillar AI Governance Framework and subject to mandatory human auditing, Amupitan cautioned media organisations against publishing or amplifying collated election results privately ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

He warned that such reports could create conflicting narratives and undermine confidence in officially declared results, asking Editors to ensure that their platforms did not become channels for unverified election figures.

He said, ‘Let’s resist premature result declarations. Under the Electoral Act, INEC has exclusive statutory authority to declare election results. Amplifying unverified, privately collated figures published by political actors on social media creates conflicting public narratives that undermine official outcomes. We should use our platforms to educate citizens on spotting synthetic content, fake letterheads, and algorithmically generated rage-bait.’

Apparently reacting to a recent statement credited to the NDC Presidential candidate that they will establish their own election viewing portal similar to the IREC, the INEC chairman warned that amplifying unverified, privately collated figures published by political actors on social media could create conflicting public narratives that undermine official election outcomes.

He said the media had a critical responsibility to protect the integrity of the electoral process, particularly as artificial intelligence and social media were making it increasingly difficult to distinguish authentic information from manipulated content.

Prof. Amupitan maintained that the pressure on newsrooms to be the first to publish should not override the obligation to verify information during elections, insisting that ‘the pressure on modern newsrooms to be first is immense. But in national elections, it is vastly more important to be right than to be first.

‘Rushing to publish unverified, sensational claims, whether a fake result sheet on social media, a doctored video, or an unconfirmed statement, grants institutional legitimacy to deliberate deception, causing damage to public peace that is almost impossible to reverse.

‘I appeal to the Nigerian Guild of Editors to view media gatekeeping as a critical component of national security and democratic defence. To effectively combat AI-driven disinformation before, during, and after elections, we must build a collaborative firewall.

The INEC chairman drew attention to the economic conditions of Nigerian journalists, arguing that media welfare was directly connected to the integrity of journalism and, by extension, democratic governance, adding that it would be difficult to expect journalists facing severe financial insecurity, unpaid salaries and inadequate welfare to consistently withstand political inducement and other pressures.

‘A poorly compensated journalist is vulnerable; a financially neglected newsroom is fertile ground for compromise,’ he said.

He stressed that journalists who receive decent remuneration and structured welfare are better positioned to resist financial inducement, interrogate false narratives, and report elections objectively, saying the commission has applied a similar principle to its own workforce by introducing measures to improve the welfare of election officials.

He disclosed that the Commission established the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), separating its workforce from the regular Civil Service salary structure with effect from January 1, 2026.

In preparation for the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said the Commission commenced a six-zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour in Lagos on September 7, aimed at assessing preparations across the country, adding that the media had a critical role to play in the process because elections were no longer contested only at polling units but also in the information space.

Fishermen and other residents of communities affected by the Bonga oil spill in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, and Ondo states have again appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the prolonged delay in the disbursement of the $1 billion indemnity funds paid as compensation for victims of the disaster.

In a joint statement yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, by Omogbemi Jeremiah and Jeje Olamiyeye, on behalf of the affected fishermen and communities, the fishermen said they had suffered severe economic losses as a result of the oil spill.

They pleaded with President Tinubu to order the committee on compensation to facilitate the immediate release of the funds to the affected communities.

The fishermen said the prolonged delay in accessing the compensation had frustrated them and other residents whose livelihoods were disrupted by the environmental disaster.

According to them, the Niger Delta has continued to demand the release of the compensation fund, stressing that the affected communities have waited for years for the financial relief.

‘We, the Niger Delta fishermen, are still demanding the release of the fund,’ they said.

The fishermen also urged President Tinubu to direct the relevant committee to conclude whatever processes were delaying the disbursement and ensure that the money reaches the affected fishermen and other residents.

‘We beg Mr. President to order the committee constituted to please facilitate the disbursement of the fund to the affected communities,’ the statement said.

The fishermen also urged the President to direct the head of the committee and its members to release the compensation reportedly secured in connection with the December 20, 2011 Bonga oil spill.

They said the affected fishermen have been waiting for the compensation for several years, adding that the delay has compounded the difficulties faced by communities whose livelihoods depend largely on fishing and other activities connected to the aquatic environment.

The Bonga oil spill reportedly occurred due to an incident at Shell’s Bonga offshore oil field in December 2011. The incident resulted in the release of crude oil into the Atlantic Ocean and triggered concerns over its impact on marine life, fishing activities, and coastal communities.

The affected fishermen said the consequences of the spills were particularly significant for communities whose residents depend on fishing for their livelihoods.

They argued that the compensation was intended to address the losses the victims incurred and should be made available to the people it was meant for.

The fishermen urged the Federal Government to treat the matter as urgent, particularly because of the time that has elapsed since the incident occurred.

They also called for transparency in the handling and disbursement of the compensation, saying the affected communities should be properly identified and the beneficiaries allowed to get the funds due to them.

‘We, the Niger Delta fishermen, appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and direct the immediate release of the fund to the affected communities,’ they said.

The fishermen also urged the President to direct the relevant authorities to resolve any outstanding administrative or procedural issues surrounding the compensation.

They maintained that their appeal was not only about financial compensation but also about providing relief to communities that have borne the economic consequences of the oil spill.

They urged the committee handling the compensation process to engage directly with representatives of the affected communities and fishermen and ensure transparency in the disbursement to genuine victims.