Category: Business Day

Scholars at Modibbo Adama University (MAU), Yola, have called for a more strategic Nigeria-China partnership focused on technology and knowledge transfer to accelerate local manufacturing, skills development and economic growth in Nigeria.

The call was made during a seminar organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in collaboration with Contemporary World Nigeria Magazine.

The event, themed ‘Bridging Africa-China Dialogue Through Scholarly Exchange,’ formed part of IPCR’s Advancing Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series across Africa.

Speaking at the seminar, Iliya Audu, a Professor, and deputy vice-chancellor (Academics), commended the organisers for creating a platform for intellectual engagement on issues affecting Nigeria, Africa and the global community.

He said that scholarly exchanges should go beyond academic discussions and contribute practical solutions to challenges such as climate change, food insecurity and international conflicts.

Delivering the keynote address, Ubale Jibrin, an assistant professor of International Relations, described knowledge diplomacy as a powerful instrument for deepening Africa-China relations.

He stressed the need for stronger collaboration in higher education, research, innovation and academic mobility to address common development challenges.

Jibrin noted that future partnerships should be based on mutual benefit and equity, enabling African institutions to move beyond being consumers of knowledge to becoming active contributors to global research and sustainable development.

He said joint research efforts could provide solutions in critical sectors such as public health, agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Abraham Okolo, former deputy vice-chancellor of MAU, challenged Nigeria to focus on building its own technological capacity through research, industrialisation and practical skills acquisition.

He argued that technological advancement would not come solely through dependence on foreign nations, urging the government to establish training centres across the country’s geopolitical zones to equip young graduates with productive skills.

Okolo also proposed short-term technical training programmes in China for Nigerian graduates, saying such initiatives would expose young professionals to modern technologies and enable them to contribute meaningfully to local industries upon their return.

Also speaking, the Head of the Department of Political Science, Madi Abba, acknowledged China’s contribution to infrastructure and development across Africa but stressed that Nigeria must negotiate partnerships that prioritise technology acquisition, local production and skills transfer.

He further advocated the establishment of skills-training centres to tackle youth unemployment and strengthen the country’s industrial base.

On her part, the Head of the Adamawa State Peace Commission, Jamila Suleiman, urged African scholars and policymakers not to be discouraged by the existing power imbalance between Africa and China. Instead, she called for the creation of strategic partnerships capable of fostering mutual growth, innovation and sustainable development.

Representing the Director-General of IPCR, Joseph Ochogwu, Olalekan Babatunde said that Nigeria must adopt more strategic approaches in its bilateral and multilateral relations to maximise the benefits of international cooperation.

He explained that Contemporary World Nigeria Magazine was established to promote scholarly dialogue among African, Chinese and global researchers while encouraging policy-oriented research that addresses pressing challenges such as insecurity, climate change, public health and youth unemployment.

The seminar attracted academics, journalists and civil society representatives from different institutions. A major highlight of the event was the presentation of copies of Contemporary World Nigeria Magazine to the management of Modibbo Adama University, Yola.

The African Action Congress (AAC), Kogi State Chapter, has condemned the campaign signage fees recently approved by the Kogi State Government ahead of the 2027 general election and the forthcoming local government poll, describing the policy as anti-democratic move.

In a statement issued by Abel Emmanuel, the party’s state chairman, made available to journalists in Lokoja, pointed out that the newly approved charges could shut out grassroots candidates and opposition parties with limited financial resources from effectively participating in the electoral process.

The fees were announced earlier by Kingsley Femi Fanwo, commissioner for Information and Communications, who said the state government approved N150 million for presidential candidates, N50 million for senatorial candidates, N30 million for House of Representatives candidates, N5 million for State Assembly candidates, N2 million for chairmanship candidates, and N300,000 for councillorship candidates. The charges cover campaign signage and related materials to be displayed across the state.

According to Fanwo, the figures were arrived at after a peer review process and are intended to regulate political advertising, ensure compliance, and generate revenue for the state. He warned that any campaign material placed without payment would be removed and offenders prosecuted.

Richard Osaseyi, general manager of the Kogi State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KOSSAA), has also announced that full enforcement of the policy would begin in the new week.

But the AAC in Kogi State faulted the policy, pointing out that democracy is meant to provide a level playing field on which parties and candidates compete on the strength of their ideas, policies, competence and character, not on their financial muscle. The party said excessively high administrative charges could make it difficult for emerging political movements and grassroots candidates to take part meaningfully in elections.

‘A regulation that is financially prohibitive can restrict political competition and reduce the ability of citizens to hear alternative voices before making their electoral choices,’ the party said, warning that KOSSAA risked becoming a mechanism that makes political participation accessible only to the financially powerful.

The Nyesom Wike led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State over his resounding victory in Saturday’s gubernatorial election contested by 15 candidates representing various political parties

The party, in a statement, signed by Jungudo Mohammed the National Publicity Secretary NPS, said it acknowledges the significance of this victory and the ‘confidence reposed in him by the good people of Osun State.’

Recall that Governor Adeleke who was in 2022 elected on the platform of the PDP, had left the party and defected to Accord Party to pursue his ambitions, following its unresolved internal crisis.

The party noted that ‘ While Governor Adeleke has chosen to pursue his political journey under the platform of the Accord Party, the PDP remains proud of its contributions to the democratic development of Osun State’

The PDP prayed that’this victory mark the beginning of an even greater chapter of progress, unity, and prosperity for the people of Osun State’

The PDP, while wishing Governor Adeleke success as he continues to serve the people of Osun State, urged all political actors to place the interests, peace, and progress of the state and the nation above partisan considerations.

Although Wike group did not field any candidate in the election, the group loyal to Tanimu Turaki however secured a last minute Court of Appeal in Abuja, just three days to the election on Wednesday that cleared its candidate, Adebayo Adedamola, to contest governorship election as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, for Osun State.

But the Turaki group, while reacting to the judgement, said it would prefer to back Adeleke, as time was too short to embark on electioneering campaigns

The Abuja Court of Appeal ruling, had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately include the party’s logo on the ballot for the Saturday August 15, 2026, election.

The panel of the Court held that the party having duly conducted primaries which were monitored by INEC, and the name of the winner forwarded to the commission, there was no legal impediment to the participation of the candidate in the elections.

Ini Ememobong, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki’s Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, said the judgement ‘ specifically, held that the access code for nomination on the portal was a mere administrative formality which cannot override the statutory provision of forwarding names to the commission, which PDP had done’

‘This judgment confirms the persistent bias and unceasing opposition by INEC against the legitimate leadership of our party, in favour of pretenders who are working for the ruling party.

‘The primaries that produced our candidate was peaceful, transparent, and the result uncontested. It was duly monitored by INEC, but the Commission blatantly refused to recognise our candidate thereafter and withheld the codes for the upload of candidates from us.’ he stated

He stated that the ‘party approached the court and today the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal by the Turaki-led PDP and directed INEC to include the party’s logo on the ballot papers for the elections.

‘Though justice has finally been done, in this case the grant of justice is akin to a denial as there is no opportunity for our candidate to undertake campaigns in preparation for the elections.

According to him, ‘This ugly situation would have been avoided had INEC chosen to act responsibly and not in the very partisan way that it did and continues to do. We reiterate our position that INEC is not a neutral umpire, but more of an interested party with the goal of achieving an uncontested or weakly contested elections by the opposition parties, in favour of the ruling party.

‘To this end, faced with the unimaginable difficulty that this situation puts on us, the Interim National Working Committee has chosen not to throw its hands up in defeat, which would only align with APC’s wicked playbook’

‘ As a true opposition party and in defence of multi-party democracy, and after exhaustive consultations with key stakeholders, the Committee has decided to support the candidature of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord Party for Saturday’s governorship elections.

He noted that Governor Adeleke ‘left because of the state-engineered and funded leadership conflict in our party.’

Every Inspector General of Police inherits a familiar challenge.

An incident of police misconduct occurs. Public outrage follows. Investigations are announced. Officers are suspended. Reforms are promised. For a while, confidence appears to improve. Then another incident occurs, and the cycle begins again.

For years, we have assumed that police brutality is the central problem confronting the Nigeria Police Force.

It is not.

Police brutality is a symptom. The deeper challenge is that the Nigeria Police has lost narrative authority.

Narrative Authority is the ability to own the story of a problem. It is the first pillar of the Strategic Elevation Framework. The institution that defines the problem usually shapes the public conversation, influences policy, and determines the direction of reform.

Unfortunately, the Nigeria Police no longer owns the story of policing in Nigeria.

That story is increasingly told by victims, civil society organisations, traditional media, and social media. Every new incident of misconduct is immediately interpreted through an existing narrative-that the Police is corrupt, abusive, and unaccountable. Consequently, every Inspector General begins from a position of defence rather than leadership.

This is why operational reforms alone have produced only limited results.

No institution can permanently solve a problem whose narrative it does not control.

The first responsibility of the Inspector General, therefore, is not merely to discipline officers or improve operations. It is to reclaim ownership of the national conversation on policing.

That begins by redefining the problem.

The issue should no longer be framed simply as police brutality. It should be framed as a national crisis of trust in policing.

This distinction matters.

Police brutality focuses attention on individual acts of misconduct. A trust crisis focuses attention on rebuilding legitimacy between the Police and the people they are sworn to protect.

Once the problem is properly defined, the institution can begin leading the conversation instead of reacting to it.

The second pillar of Strategic Elevation is Category Positioning.

The Nigeria Police should stop thinking of itself merely as a law enforcement agency.

Its ambition should be far greater.

It should seek to become Nigeria’s most trusted public safety institution.

Law enforcement and public trust are not identical concepts.

An organisation can make arrests without earning confidence. It can enforce laws without commanding legitimacy. Sustainable policing depends on voluntary public cooperation, credible intelligence, community partnership, and confidence that justice will be applied fairly.

That is the category the Nigeria Police should aspire to own.

Achieving this requires more than a communication campaign. It demands a transformation of leadership culture, recruitment, training, performance measurement, officer welfare, accountability systems, and community engagement. Every reform should reinforce the institution’s desired position in the minds of Nigerians.

The third pillar is Strategic Relevance.

Institutions remain relevant when they consistently solve society’s most important problems.

Today, Nigerians are deeply concerned about kidnapping, terrorism, cybercrime, violent crime, banditry, organised criminal networks, and community insecurity.

The Police will not regain public confidence through statements alone.

It will regain confidence by becoming indispensable in solving these problems.

Relevance creates credibility.

Credibility strengthens trust.

Trust restores legitimacy.

This sequence cannot be reversed.

Too often, institutions begin with image management. They launch campaigns, redesign logos, publish impressive reports, and hope perception changes.

It rarely does.

Reputation is not manufactured.

It is earned through relevance.

The future of the Nigeria Police will not be determined solely by more equipment, increased funding, or tougher disciplinary measures, important as these are. It will depend on whether the institution can reclaim Narrative Authority, establish a new Category Positioning, and maintain Strategic Relevance.

Every Inspector General has the opportunity to manage the Police.

Only a few have the opportunity to reposition it.

History remembers those who transform institutions, not merely those who administer them.

Perhaps the greatest legacy the current Inspector General could leave is not simply a reduction in police misconduct, but the restoration of public trust through a fundamentally new understanding of what the Nigeria Police exists to be.

That would not simply be reform.

It would be Strategic Elevation.

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that the 2026/27 season could be the final campaign of his remarkable football career, with the Portugal captain already planning for life beyond the sport.

The 41-year-old made the admission in an interview with Vogue shortly after marrying his long-time partner, Georgina Rodríguez, as he considers a future increasingly centred on family, travel and other interests.

‘This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,’ Ronaldo said.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in football history, winning league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia, as well as five Champions League trophies.

He is also the leading goalscorer in men’s international football and remains Portugal’s captain.

Ronaldo plans life after football

Ronaldo, who has spent almost four years with Saudi Pro League champions Al-Nassr, has one year remaining on his current contract.

While he has not given a definitive retirement date, his latest comments represent his clearest indication yet that his playing career could soon come to an end.

‘I have my future all mapped out. I have so many things to keep me busy that to tell you just one thing is hard,’ he said.

‘Because football could leave a big hole, you have to fill your time in various ways, not just one.’

Ronaldo said he hopes to travel more, spend time with his family and continue playing padel, one of his favourite activities.

‘Have more fun, travel more, watch and play padel, which I really like, and continue to enjoy what I’ve earned – what we’ve earned,’ he added.

‘Because after all it’s been 25 years with a lot of sacrifice.’

1,000-goal milestone in sight

Despite approaching the final stage of his career, Ronaldo remains within touching distance of another historic milestone.

The Al-Nassr forward is just 24 goals away from reaching 1,000 senior career goals, a landmark that would further cement his status as one of football’s greatest-ever goalscorers.

He recently featured at his sixth World Cup with Portugal, having already confirmed before the tournament that the 2026 edition would be his last.

However, Ronaldo previously insisted that he would decide the timing of his retirement himself.

‘I will retire when I want to, not when you want,’ he said.

He became the first player to score at six different World Cups and finished the tournament with 11 goals from 27 appearances.

Ronaldo and Messi nearing the end

Ronaldo’s retirement comments come shortly after his long-time rival, Lionel Messi, also expressed uncertainty about how much longer he would continue playing.

The pair have dominated world football for more than a decade, combining for 13 Ballon d’Or awards.

While Messi led Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, Ronaldo’s Portugal were eliminated in the round of 16.

Ronaldo had previously said he would discuss his future with his family before making a final decision.

With his wedding to Rodríguez now behind him and his playing career entering its final stretch, the Portugal legend appears increasingly prepared for the next chapter of his life.

Galatasaray have dealt a blow to Arsenal’s transfer ambitions by warning the Premier League champions that star striker Victor Osimhen will not be sold during the summer transfer window under any circumstances.

Arsenal are understood to have identified the Nigerian international as a potential alternative as they continue their search for another top striker to provide competition for Viktor Gyökeres.

The Gunners are also preparing for a demanding season that will include Champions League football, while Gabriel Jesus could leave the club, increasing the need for another central striker.

However, Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek has reportedly made it clear that the Turkish champions have no intention of parting with Osimhen, regardless of the size of any offer.

According to Turkish reports, Özbek told members of his inner circle: ‘No matter how much the price is, I am not selling Osimhen.’

Galatasaray reject huge Al-Hilal offer

Galatasaray have already demonstrated their determination to retain Osimhen after reportedly rejecting a pound 130 million offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

The Nigerian striker only completed a permanent move to Istanbul last summer after Galatasaray agreed a club-record pound 75 million deal with Napoli following his successful loan spell.

His performances have since made him one of the most influential players in the club’s recent history.

Osimhen has scored 59 goals in 74 appearances for Galatasaray, helping the club win consecutive Turkish Super Lig titles, and previously won the Serie A title with Napoli in 2023.

Arsenal turn to Osimhen

Despite Galatasaray’s stance, reports suggest Arsenal remain interested in the 27-year-old as they assess alternatives to their preferred target, Atlético Madrid forward Julian Alvarez.

The Gunners have reportedly found progress on a deal for Alvarez difficult, prompting them to consider Osimhen as a more attainable option.

Osimhen’s name has also come up in discussions about Galatasaray’s reported interest in Arsenal forwards Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri.

The Nigerian has been linked with a move to the Premier League throughout his career and previously came close to joining Chelsea.

He has also attracted interest from Tottenham and Al-Hilal, but Galatasaray’s latest position suggests any club hoping to sign him this summer will face a significant battle.

For Arsenal, the challenge is now not only negotiating Osimhen’s transfer fee, but convincing Galatasaray to part with a striker they regard as central to their ambitions.

There are companies that participate in history, and there are companies that alter its trajectory. At 23, Globacom belongs unmistakably to the latter category. Founded in August 2003 through the vision of Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, Globacom was never merely the entry of another telecommunications operator. It represented something more consequential: the emergence of an indigenous proposition that a Nigerian enterprise could think at global scale, build to international standards, and remain deeply aligned with the aspirations, sensibilities, and realities of its people.

Over time, that proposition has acquired an almost philosophical resonance. Globacom’s journey has been one of enterprise, infrastructure, technology, and cultural imagination. Beneath these visible dimensions lies a more enduring idea: that Nigeria need not remain a passive observer of technological progress. It could be a participant, a builder, and, in certain instances, an architect of the future it seeks to inhabit. In an industry shaped by successive waves of innovation, investment, and competition, Globacom has established a durable institutional presence whose significance extends beyond the mechanics of telecommunications.

Some enterprises are built around market opportunity; others evolve into expressions of deeper conviction. Globacom’s story belongs to the latter tradition. Its defining question has never been merely how to provide connectivity, but what connectivity could enable for Nigeria. That distinction has shaped its technological decisions, consumer philosophy, and its nuanced understanding of the cultural environment in which a telecommunications brand must operate.

That conviction was evident from the outset. Globacom’s introduction of per-second billing reshaped both the economics and psychology of mobile communication in Nigeria, challenging long-standing assumptions about consumer pricing. In a market where the cost of communication had previously constrained access, the innovation made mobile telephony more transparent, accessible, and consumer-centric. The company subsequently advanced through successive technological generations-from 2.5G at launch to 3G Plus and 4G LTE-reflecting an institutional disposition unwilling to treat technological limitation as destiny. The underlying message was clear: Nigeria need not wait for the future to be imported.

Then came Glo-1. In 2010, Globacom deployed a 9,800-kilometre fibre-optic submarine cable beneath the Atlantic, linking Nigeria and West Africa to Europe. Its significance extended beyond engineering achievement. It was symbolism expressed in fibre and steel-a tangible articulation of a national possibility. Nigeria would not only consume global digital infrastructure; a Nigerian enterprise could actively participate in building it. Executed without foreign equity or consortium partners, the project remains one of the most compelling demonstrations of indigenous technological ambition in the country’s corporate history. Beneath the ocean, fibre transmitted data; above it, the project transmitted belief in national capability.

Yet Globacom’s indigenous imagination has never been confined to technology alone. From an early stage, it recognised that telecommunications brands do not exist solely in balance sheets, network architecture, or infrastructure assets. They also exist in culture. Musicians, actors, sports figures, and other national icons became more than brand ambassadors; they became channels through which the brand entered the emotional and cultural consciousness of Nigerians. In doing so, Globacom demonstrated a critical understanding of its market: technology is not merely consumed; it is interpreted through culture, memory, aspiration, and identity.

Its engagement with African football, the Super Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation, domestic leagues, and the Glo Soccer Academy extended this philosophy into sport. Its support for cultural institutions and festivals-including Ojude Oba, Ofala, and Lisabi-further reflected a broader understanding of connectivity. To connect a people is not only to enable communication between devices; it is to connect generations to memory, communities to identity, creativity to opportunity, and tradition to the future.

The widely celebrated $1 million reward to the victorious Super Eagles following their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations triumph belonged to the same continuum. It was corporate patronage, but also an expression of emotional citizenship: an acknowledgment that there are moments when national spirit converges around shared achievement, and that responsible enterprise can participate meaningfully in such moments.

This helps explain why describing Globacom simply as ‘the Nigerian network’ is both accurate and incomplete. It is accurate because the company emerged from an indigenous conception of the telecommunications opportunity and has consistently interpreted the Nigerian market from within. It is incomplete because its ambition has never been limited to national identity alone. Rather, it has sought to demonstrate that Nigerian origin can coexist with technological sophistication, international scale, continental relevance, and cultural confidence.

Twenty-three years on, that proposition remains instructive. Globacom’s significance cannot be fully captured through subscriber figures, financial performance, infrastructure inventories, or corporate milestones. These are valid indicators of enterprise, but they do not exhaust its historical meaning. Its deeper contribution lies in expanding the psychological boundaries of Nigerian enterprise: challenging the assumption that innovation must arrive with a foreign accent, and demonstrating that indigenous capability can operate within domains once reserved for multinational capital and imported expertise.

The story is also inseparable from the stature of its founder, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, whose role in Nigeria’s contemporary economic history has been recognised with distinction. In Nigeria, he holds the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), one of the nation’s highest honours. Internationally, he has been conferred the Commander of the Legion of Honour by France, and the Companion of the Star of Ghana by Ghana. These recognitions stand in contrast to his notably private and understated public persona: while the honours are public, the individual remains reserved, yet the institutional footprint of his enterprise philosophy is widely evident.

Ultimately, Globacom’s most enduring innovation may not be per-second billing, fibre infrastructure, bandwidth capacity, spectrum allocation, or mobile technology itself. It may be the idea embodied in its trajectory: that excellence does not require external validation; that indigenous enterprise need not be constrained by limited ambition; that technological sophistication can coexist with cultural authenticity; and that technology can carry culture as effectively as it carries data.

There is, perhaps, a deeper metaphor at work. The telecommunications network was designed to connect voices, but Globacom’s broader historical significance has been to connect possibility with confidence. It entered a Nigeria still defining the contours of its digital future and helped expand those contours-carefully, deliberately, and irreversibly. Through infrastructure as well as imagination, it demonstrated that the future is not always a distant destination. It can be conceived, engineered, connected, and deliberately brought into being.

Twenty-three years after its inception, Globacom stands as more than a participant in Nigeria’s digital transformation. It is one of the institutions through which that transformation acquired an indigenous vocabulary, a cultural depth, and a renewed sense of self-belief. Its enduring legacy may ultimately be this: the reminder that Nigeria is not merely a consumer of the future. With imagination, discipline, and institutional resolve, it can help build it-and give it a distinctly Nigerian voice.

ýThe Oyo State Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, hasý called on the people of Oyo State to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election, citing what he described as the administration’s achievements since assuming office.

ýAlli stated this while speaking with members of the JDS/PBAT Support Group on efforts to unite various support groups in Oyo State in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

ýHe urged members of the JDS/PBAT Support Group and other political support groups to work together towards mobilising support for the President ahead of the 2027 general election.

ýWhile expressing confidence that the roads leading to Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort will receive Federal government attention, the APC governorship candidate said the Federal Government would construct and rehabilitate the roads leading to the world-class Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort.

He expressed the optimism that the intervention could be carried out before the end of the Tinubu administration.

ýý’All roads leading to Ilaji will receive Federal Government attention. Before the end of this administration, we expect the Federal Government to construct and fix the roads leading to Ilaji,’ Alli said.

ýýHe added that once the APC emerges victorious in the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, the construction and rehabilitation of roads leading to Ilaji would be among the projects that would receive priority attention.

ýý’Once we emerge victorious in 2027, this will be one of the first projects we will give attention to because we cannot continue to neglect an investment of this magnitude,’ he added.

ýýAlli also commended Jubril Dotun Sanusi for his contributions to the socio-economic and political development of Oyo State and Nigeria, particularly his investment in Ilaji and his continued support for President Tinubu’s political project.

ýThe governorship hopeful specifically acknowledged what he described as the huge moral and financial support Sanusi has given to President Tinubu’s project since 2023.

ýHe questioned the neglect of the roads leading to an investment of such magnitude, noting that Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort had the potential to contribute significantly to the state’s economy, tourism development and employment generation.

ýAlli said improved road infrastructure around the resort would enhance accessibility, attract more visitors and investors, and create opportunities for businesses operating within its surrounding communities.ý

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested 14 suspected members of different kidnapping syndicates allegedly linked to several abduction cases and a murder in the state.

Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists at the State Police Headquarters, GRA, Enugu.

Giwa said the arrests followed a series of intelligence-led operations conducted by operatives of the Command in collaboration with other security agencies.

According to him, the suspects were members of organised criminal networks operating across state lines, with some of them allegedly converging in Enugu to plan and execute kidnapping operations before returning to their respective locations.

He said the operations also led to the rescue of kidnapped victims and the recovery of firearms, ammunition and other incriminating exhibits.

The Commissioner recalled that security operatives recently rescued kidnapped victims at Ogbozara Community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State and Owukpa Community in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Giwa also said that following the August 2 rescue of one of the victims abducted from a church at Inoyi, Affa Community, Udi Local Government Area, subsequent joint operations resulted in the rescue of the remaining two victims, the arrest of three suspects and the neutralisation of another suspect.

He added that ransom money, firearms and ammunition were also recovered during the operation.

The Commissioner said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects later regrouped with their cohorts in Port Harcourt and abducted another victim, who was subsequently released after a ransom of N5 million was paid.

He disclosed that 12 other suspects had earlier been arrested through human and technical intelligence-led operations carried out in Abuja, Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kwara and Taraba states.

According to Giwa, investigations showed that the suspects belonged to an organised criminal network in which members played different roles.

He said an Enugu-based tricycle operator allegedly provided transportation for gang members, firearms and other criminal implements, while another suspect allegedly supplied intelligence that enabled the gang to evade security surveillance and identify potential targets.

The Commissioner said the suspects had confessed to involvement in several recent and past kidnapping incidents along the Enugu-Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka Road; Obioma-9th Mile-Umulumgbe-Okpatu Road; Eke-Affa-Egede-Ezinze axis; and various locations in Ezeagu Local Government Area.

Among the incidents allegedly linked to the suspects was the May 25, 2026 abduction of a male victim at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa in Ezeagu LGA, during which N5.5 million was reportedly obtained as ransom.

Giwa also said the suspects were linked to the May 9 abduction of two male victims and the shooting and killing of a female victim at Obioma, Udi LGA. He said $28,700 was allegedly obtained as ransom in that incident.

Other cases, according to him, included the April 10 abduction of two male victims along the Eke-Ezinze Road in Udi LGA, for which $70,000 was reportedly paid as ransom, as well as the April 12 kidnapping of seven victims at Obinaofia, Ezeagu LGA, during which N25 million was allegedly obtained.

The Commissioner further disclosed that investigations showed that the suspects allegedly concealed and laundered proceeds of their criminal activities through investments in livestock and properties, lavish spending, conspicuous consumption and overseas trips, including visits to Cameroon.

Items recovered from the suspects include five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one locally fabricated firearm, 310 rounds of live 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, eight live cartridges and seven empty AK-47 magazines.

Giwa said investigations were ongoing to establish the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent-crime cases within and outside Enugu State, identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, and recover additional firearms, ammunition and criminal proceeds.

He said the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The Commissioner attributed the arrests and recoveries to sustained intelligence gathering, ICT-enabled investigations, inter-agency collaboration, inter-state cooperation and coordinated operational policing.

He assured residents that the Command remained committed to combating kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape, cultism and other violent crimes.

Giwa urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements and activities to the police.

The victory of Ademola Adeleke in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election has sent a fresh political signal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as the party had openly described the poll as a test of its electoral strength.

Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Sunday.

The governor polled 511,067 votes across the state to defeat Bola Oyebamiji, candidate of the APC, who scored 444,815 votes.

Professor Joshua Ogunwole, INEC’s State Returning Officer, declared Adeleke winner after he secured victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 17,180 votes.

Analysts say the result is significant not only because Adeleke successfully defended his mandate, but also because he did so outside the PDP, the platform on which he won the 2022 election.

His victory came after a prolonged crisis within the PDP culminated in the party conducting its governorship primary without him, forcing the incumbent to seek the Accord ticket.

The outcome has consequently raised fresh questions about the strength of party structures, the influence of incumbency and the ability of opposition politicians to retain electoral support outside the platforms on which they initially won office.

For the APC, however, the result could prove more consequential.

Nentawe Yilwatda, APC National Chairman, had described the Osun election as a litmus test for the party ahead of 2027, while insisting that the APC would reclaim the state.

Hope Uzodimma, Imo State governor and Chairman of the APC National Campaign Council for the election, also expressed confidence that the party would win. Ajibola Bashiru, APC National Secretary and an indigene of Osun State, similarly maintained that the party would reclaim the state ahead of the 2027 elections.

The party therefore entered the race with expectations that victory would strengthen its position ahead of the next general elections. However, Adeleke’s victory has provided opposition politicians and analysts with fresh ammunition to argue that the APC remains vulnerable despite its control of the federal government.

The 2027 debate

Beyond the immediate political implications in Osun, the election has already become part of the wider 2027 debate.

Jackson Lekan Ojo, a political analyst, told BusinessDay that the outcome was a warning to the APC, particularly if opposition parties succeed in putting aside their differences and presenting a united front in 2027.

‘Are the signs not clear to you? This is a clear picture and a signal that the ruling APC will be shown the exit route in 2027. They will be sent packing,’ Ojo said.

He attributed the outcome largely to economic hardship and the rising cost of living under the APC led federal government, arguing that growing public frustration could translate into electoral consequences for the ruling party.

‘Nigerians are angry because a hungry man is an angry man. Look at the high cost of living, inflation and economic hardship. Some households can’t afford three square meals a day in this country,’ he said.

Ojo said the APC’s own description of Osun as a litmus test had made the defeat more significant. According to him, the lesson for the opposition ahead of 2027 is that electoral victory could become possible if opposition parties overcome their differences and consolidate their support.

‘What sort of government is this that doesn’t listen to its citizens? Let me tell you, if the opposition unites, the APC government will be ousted in 2027,’ he said.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, has congratulated Adeleke, saying the result demonstrated the power of citizens to determine who leads them, stressing that it’s a lesson ahead of the 2027 poll.

Obi said the people of Osun had ‘spoken with courage and clarity’, while commending youths in the state for what he described as the peaceful defence of their democratic mandate.

‘The lesson from Osun is clear. Democracy is strongest when citizens are alert, conscious of their civic responsibility, and determined to ensure that their votes count,’ he said.

He urged Nigerians to draw lessons from the election as political parties and their candidates prepare for the 2027 general elections. Obi urged Nigerians to participate actively in the 2027 elections and called on political actors to prioritise the interests of the people and embrace peace and the rule of law.

‘Elections should never be battles of violence, but contests of ideas, competence, character, and service,’ he said.

Intrigues before the poll

The campaign for the Osun governorship election was also marked by an unusual political twist, with Governor Adeleke dismissing the significance of APC governors who campaigned for his opponent, Bola Oyebamiji.

Adeleke had said some of the governors campaigning against him were his friends, insisting their presence would not determine the outcome of the election because they were not registered voters in Osun.

‘Those governors are my friends. I am a civilised administrator. They won’t vote; they can only come and dance, and after the election, we will meet,’ Adeleke had said during the campaign.

His comment highlighted the complex political relationships surrounding the election, as several APC governors, including Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, joined the party’s campaign for Oyebamiji.

The campaign also exposed the limits of personality-based attacks in an election. Governor Okpebholo, had mocked Adeleke’s dancing during the campaign, portraying the incumbent as a governor whose penchant for dancing had overshadowed governance.

‘Before somebody signs paper, he will dance. Are you not tired? For four years, this man has been dancing. Before he takes breakfast, before he drinks tea, he will dance,’ Okpebholo told APC supporters at a campaign rally.

He also likened Adeleke to Godwin Obaseki, former Edo governor, urging Osun voters to reject the incumbent just as, according to him, Edo voters rejected Obaseki.

‘That man is Obaseki’s friend. You know we kicked Obaseki out of Edo. So, we have to kick his friend out of this place too,’ he said.

Adeleke, however, dismissed the criticism, insisting that dancing was merely his hobby and had no bearing on his performance in office. He also expressed confidence that he would secure a second term.

Despite the high-profile backing for the APC candidate, Adeleke went on to defeat Oyebamiji, adding another layer to the political intrigues surrounding the outcome and its implications for the 2027 elections.

More reactions trail APC’s Osun defeat

Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 poll said Adeleke’s victory reflected the clear choice of Osun residents at the poll.

‘I congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election as Governor of Osun State. His victory demonstrates the choice of the people of Osun as expressed at the ballot box,’ Atiku said in a post on his X handle on Sunday.

‘I commend the people for their passion and peaceful participation. I wish Governor Adeleke continued success as he continues to serve them,’ he added.

Similarly, Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, congratulated Adeleke, describing the result as a clear endorsement by Osun voters.

Saraki, in a post on his official X page on Sunday, said, ‘The people of Osun have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. They have had four years to judge the record of his stewardship, to weigh the promises against the performance, and they have asked him to continue.’

Saraki, former Kwara State governor, said the election also reinforced the importance of credible polls to Nigeria’s democracy.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kano State governor and NDC vice presidential candidate for the 2027 election, also congratulated Adeleke, whom he described as his friend.

In a statement posted on his verified X account on Sunday, Kwankwaso commended Osun voters for exercising their democratic rights and reaffirming the power of the electorate.

‘As a leader of the opposition and a committed democrat, I commend the people of Osun State for exercising their democratic rights and reaffirming the power of the people’s mandate,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Adeleke has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had called to congratulate him.

‘I want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr. President. Mr. President has called me and he has congratulated me. And I thank you, Mr. President, for making sure democracy lives on, because you fought for it, Mr. President,’ he said.

Pundits say the coming weeks will show whether the APC treats the defeat as an isolated setback or as an early warning requiring a major political and electoral recalibration ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.