Category: Daily Trust

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued four victims abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

The victims were rescued by the police in collaboration with members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), local hunters and other sister security agents.

The command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, in a statement, said the police received information that armed men, numbering about three and dressed in vigilante uniforms, had blocked the Ugbokun axis along the Lagos/Benin Expressway with logs of wood and leaves, attacked motorists and abducted some occupants into the forest.

She said upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Okada Division, immediately mobilised a combined team of police operatives including vigilante, local hunters and other security partners to the scene.

According to her, the operatives swiftly embarked on an aggressive bush-combing operation enhanced by drone technology to search and aid the rescue mission.

She said following the sustained pressure mounted on the criminals, they abandoned the captives and fled, leading to the rescue of the victims.

The spokesperson, who gave the names of the victims as, Muritala Babatunde, Bello Aminat, Otor Prince, and Yeiyah Gift, said they had been reunited with reunited with their families.

She disclosed that operations were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.

A former Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) Dr. Adamu Mohammed Fika, is dead.

He was 84.

Fika, who held the traditional title of Zarma Kura of Fika, died at a hospital in Abuja, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Emir of Fika, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar (Chokalin Fika).

The statement said funeral prayers for the deceased would be held on Friday, August 7, at the National Mosque, Abuja.

The late Fika was the pioneer Director-General and Clerk Designate to the National Assembly, where he played a key role in laying the administrative foundation of Nigeria’s legislature at the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

He later served as Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), where he contributed to strengthening the administration and management of the National Assembly.

Until his death, he was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Council of Retired Clerks and Secretaries of the National Assembly.

Born in Fika, present-day Yobe State, in 1942, Dr Fika attended Primary School in Fika before proceeding to Provincial Senior Primary School.

He later studied at Barewa College, Zaria, and Government College, Keffi, where he obtained his Higher School Certificate.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from Makerere University Uganda in 1966 before pursuing postgraduate studies in History at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where he obtained his doctorate.

He began his career as a lecturer in History at the Abdullahi Bayero College, then a campus of the Ahmadu Bello University, before joining the Civil Service in the former North-Eastern State in 1974.

During his public service career, he served in several strategic positions, including Permanent Secretary in different ministries in the former Borno State, where he was involved in public administration and policy implementation.

Dr Fika also served at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, where he contributed to leadership development and public policy research.

Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost legislative administrators, he was respected for his contributions to institution-building, public sector reforms and legislative administration.

Beyond public service, he was a prominent traditional title holder in the Fika Emirate, serving as the Zarma Kura of Fika, and remained an influential voice on governance and national development.

His death has been described by associates as a huge loss to the Fika Emirate, Yobe State and the country.

Mourning his death, the Emir of Fika and Chairman of the Yobe State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Dr Muhammad Ibn Abali Muhammadu Idrisa, described Fika’s passing as a great loss to Yobe State and Nigeria.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Mohammed Abubakar (Chokalin Fika), the emir described the late Fika as a complete gentleman, humble and approachable, who related freely with people from all walks of life.

He said the deceased’s passing had created a huge vacuum in the Fika Emirate and Yobe State, noting that his contributions to public service and national development would be greatly missed.

The emir prayed for Allah to forgive the late elder statesman, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and reward him abundantly for his good deeds.

An agricultural firm, Al-Qaryah Agro Allied Ltd has tabled a landmark $1.295 billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) proposal to the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) to convert the Challawa Gorge Dam into Nigeria’s flagship agro-industrial hub.

The company’s management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Abubakar M. Nagwamatse, presented the plan at HJRBDA headquarters in Kano to Managing Director Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi and his technical team.

Nagwamatse explained that the initiative seeks to deploy modern aquaculture and floating agriculture methods already in use across Asia to maximise the dam’s underutilised water body.

‘We plan to introduce crop production on water surfaces, alongside aquaculture and irrigation farming. This project will create at least 10,000 jobs and significantly boost food supply, which in turn will lower prices and open export opportunities,’ he said.

He lamented that the arrangement will help maximise the dam, which he said is presently not being put to its maximum capacity, leaving it only to subsistence small-scale farming.

He said the project is multi-dimensional and will integrate deep-water cage aquaculture, aquaponics, hydroponics, rice-fish farming, duck farming, aquatic plant cultivation, floodplain irrigation, and land-based infrastructure, including a 150,000 metric tonne per year feed mill and a 50-million-fry hatchery.

Al-Qaryah stressed that the investment aligns with national food security goals, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, and the Komadugu-Yobe Basin SAP.

Responding, Engr. Bichi welcomed the proposal, noting that the Authority had long awaited private sector participation in PPP ventures.

He described the plan as a major step toward unlocking the socioeconomic potential of Northern Nigeria’s water infrastructure.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery delivered over 400,000 tonnes of jet fuel to Europe in July.

Disclosing this in its latest data, a global commodities intelligence firm Kpler, said shipment accounted for about 20% of the continent’s total jet fuel imports for the month.

The development comes on the heels of a record 466,000 tonnes exported to Europe in June – the month Nigeria first overtook the United States as Europe’s leading supplier of imported aviation fuel.

According to the firm, the back-to-back performance signals a major milestone for the refinery, proving it can consistently meet the stringent quality standards of one of the world’s most demanding fuel markets.

Europe imported approximately 2.06 million tonnes of jet fuel in July, with Dangote accounting for the single largest share of those imports, ahead of traditional suppliers from the United States and the Middle East.

Industry observers say the refinery is rapidly reshaping established Atlantic Basin fuel trade flows by offering a competitive alternative to long standing suppliers. While European buyers have traditionally relied on refiners in the United States, the Middle East and Asia, Dangote’s strategic location on Nigeria’s Atlantic coast, combined with its scale, modern technology and export capability, has enabled it to become an increasingly important source of aviation fuel for European markets.

The refinery’s export momentum has been supported by steadily rising production. Jet fuel loadings at Dangote’s Lekki export terminal reached a record 550,000 tonnes in June, while crude deliveries to the refinery climbed to an all time high of 660,000 barrels per day, providing the throughput required to sustain growing exports of refined petroleum products to international markets.

The company said the latest figures come at a time of shifting global energy flows.

Although Europe received limited volumes of jet fuel from Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman in July, market disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and evolving geopolitical dynamics have encouraged buyers to diversify supply sources. Against this backdrop,

Dangote Refinery has emerged as a reliable and competitive supplier, reinforcing Nigeria’s growing importance in global refined products trade against this backdrop.

David Bird, MD/CEO, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, noted that: ‘Beyond aviation fuel, the refinery has continued to expand exports of diesel, gasoline and other refined petroleum products to destinations across Europe, Africa and other international markets, further strengthening Nigeria’s position as a net exporter of high value petroleum products.’

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has charged the newly inaugurated Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to lead a practical skills revolution that will strengthen Nigeria’s industrialisation, youth employment and global competitiveness.

Alausa gave the charge in Abuja while inaugurating the board, describing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a strategic national priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the government was repositioning the education system away from an overdependence on paper qualifications towards producing competent, innovative and highly skilled graduates capable of driving industrialisation, entrepreneurship and national productivity while stressing that TVET should no longer be regarded as an alternative to university education, noting that industrialisation required a strong pool of technicians, technologists, artisans, fabricators, automation specialists, machine operators and other skilled professionals.

The minister tasked the board with providing strategic leadership, sound policy direction and effective oversight, while allowing the NBTE Executive Secretary and management to handle the agency’s daily administration.

He also directed the board to accelerate the implementation of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund and other stakeholders.

According to him, the initiative would enable skilled artisans to have their competencies formally recognised and certified under the National Skills Qualification Framework, improving employability, access to finance and government contracts, as well as labour mobility across the ECOWAS region.

Alausa called for comprehensive curriculum reforms through Outcome Based Education, with programmes aligned with Industry 4.0 and incorporating artificial intelligence, automation, digital technologies, green technologies and advanced manufacturing systems.

He further urged NBTE-regulated institutions to strengthen applied sciences, engineering, technology and innovation, while encouraging polytechnics to phase out non-technical programmes outside their statutory mandate.

Responding, the board’s Chairman, Prof Babatunde L. Salako, pledged support for the government’s TVET reforms and said changing the perception of technical education as a second-choice option would remain a priority.

NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof Idris M. Bugaje, described the inauguration as a landmark, noting that the board was constituted after more than five years without one.

The fixtures draw for the 2026/2027 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season will be held today, August 7, on the sidelines of the league body’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The AGM serves as the official business assembly of the NPFL, where the board and club leadership review the concluded season and ratify the policy direction for the incoming campaign.

The gathering will be held at the Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Events Hall, opposite the University College Hospital in Ibadan.

Over the past four seasons, NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye has steadied the affairs of the top-flight league, establishing a reliable calendar that sees the season kick off in August and conclude in May.

Reflecting on this progress, Elegbeleye noted, ‘Our modest achievement includes putting the NPFL on a stable calendar since the 2023/2024 season. It is a major shift from the era of never knowing when the season will be concluded.’

He also highlighted his initial promise to ensure live broadcast coverage of the league, stating, ‘We have succeeded to a large extent in this direction, but still have much more work to do.’

Meanwhile, during the AGM, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Davidson Owumi will present the technical and operations report, while GTI Asset Management will present the financial report.

Following the conclusion of these presentations and the earlier announcement of the official kick-off dates, the highly anticipated fixtures draw for the 2026/2027 season will take place.

The United Kingdom High Commission and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki held extensive discussions regarding the state of Nigeria’s democracy in Abuja on Thursday.

The High Commission’s delegation was led by Dr. Fortune Aldred, Senior Political Adviser, and Stephen Asek, Political Adviser (Cameroon).

Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, stated that the meeting deliberated on the health of Nigeria’s democracy and the role and relevance of the opposition within the democratic process.

According to Ememobong, the interactive session centered on the ‘current asphyxiation of the opposition, the prolonged state-sponsored leadership crisis in the PDP, the potential candidature of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 elections, and the general outlook for the 2026 elections.’

In his presentation, Turaki reiterated the party’s position on the ‘need to ensure the survival of multi-party democracy and the opposition, which remain critical pillars of a thriving democratic system.’

He further argued that the current ‘state capture’ disposition of the APC-led Federal Government has directly contributed to heightened political tension, a trend he described as unhealthy for Nigeria’s democracy.

‘The political temperature of the country has risen to fever-pitch levels, traceable majorly to the actions and inactions of the APC-led Federal Government, who are relentlessly provocative in their desire to forcefully capture every part of our country,’ Turaki stated.

Responding on behalf of the delegation, the team leader, Dr. Fortune Aldred, thanked the party leadership for the engagement and assured them that the issues raised would be conveyed through the Commission’s established reporting channels.

Dr. Aldred further noted that while Nigeria is a sovereign nation and its internal politics remain a domestic affair, the Commission has a responsibility to monitor political developments and communicate its observations through established diplomatic avenues.

Several people were feared killed on Thursday when armed men reportedly attacked three communities in Kupa Kingdom – Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi – in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State in an alleged reprisal attack.

Residents said the incident began around 8am when a herder, suspected of being a cattle rustler, was shot and killed during a heated altercation with local vigilantes at a checkpoint in the community.

‘Few hours after the checkpoint incident between a herder and vigilantes, armed hoodlums invaded the town, shooting sporadically from different directions.

‘In the process, several residents were killed, with many others sustaining injuries, as the armed hoodlums attacked streets, markets and even the palace of our paramount traditional ruler in the town.

‘As of yesterday night, seven people were confirmed dead. The death toll may rise in the days ahead as the search for and confirmation of victims is still in progress.

‘Moreover, the situation will become clearer when families who sought refuge in safer communities start returning from their various hiding places,’ Ahmed, a resident of Abugi, said.

A son of the Mayaki of Kupa, Prince Aliyu Isah Kabir, who is the APC Youth Leader of Kupa South Ward, was confirmed to be among the victims of the attack.

The Lokoja Local Government Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, saying the attack on the Kupa communities had led to loss of lives and destruction of property.

Adamu said: ‘We have charged the relevant security agencies to swing into action and arrest anyone who has a hand, directly or remotely, in the attack and bring them to face the law.

‘The government is saddened by this devilish act and will leave no stone unturned in getting justice for the deceased. I want to appeal for calm while the relevant security agencies take action.’

The Kogi State Government also condemned the attack, describing it as tragic, senseless and unacceptable.

In a statement issued on Friday, the state government described the incident as a reprisal attack and vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding it, identify those responsible and prosecute them as a deterrent to others.

In the statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the government said: ‘The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest terms both the killing of the unarmed herder and the subsequent reprisal attack.

‘These are criminal acts that have no place in our society. Anyone found to have participated in either incident, regardless of status or ethnic affiliation, will face the full weight of the law.

‘We appeal to all residents to remain calm and resist the temptation of reprisals. We also urge members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that will aid ongoing investigations and the arrest of all those responsible.’

According to the statement, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo sympathised with the families of the deceased and directed ‘security agencies to immediately restore calm, take control of the situation and apprehend those responsible for the killings.’

The government also appealed for calm, urging residents to avoid further retaliation and provide security agencies with credible information as investigations into the incident continue.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command was contacted over the development, but its spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, did not respond to calls and a text message as of the time of filing this report.

For many young Nigerians, turning 30 has become more than a milestone, it feels like a deadline to achieve financial success, build a career, own a home, and meet society’s expectations.

But who defined this timeline, and does it still reflect today’s economic realities?

Join us in this episode of Nigeria Daily as we explore why so many young Nigerians feel the pressure to ‘make it’ before 30.

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued four victims abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

The victims were rescued by the police in collaboration with members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), local hunters and other sister security agents.

The command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, in a statement, said the police received information that armed men, numbering about three and dressed in vigilante uniforms, had blocked the Ugbokun axis along the Lagos/Benin Expressway with logs of wood and leaves, attacked motorists and abducted some occupants into the forest.

She said upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Okada Division, immediately mobilised a combined team of police operatives including vigilante, local hunters and other security partners to the scene.

According to her, the operatives swiftly embarked on an aggressive bush-combing operation enhanced by drone technology to search and aid the rescue mission.

She said following the sustained pressure mounted on the criminals, they abandoned the captives and fled, leading to the rescue of the victims.

The spokesperson, who gave the names of the victims as, Muritala Babatunde, Bello Aminat, Otor Prince, and Yeiyah Gift, said they had been reunited with reunited with their families.

She disclosed that operations were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.