Category: Daily Trust

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have foiled an ambush by suspected bandits in Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing one suspect and arresting another.

The troops also recovered an AK-47 rifle, a magazine and two rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.

The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a post on its official social media handle on Tuesday, saying the operation followed intelligence obtained from a suspected bandit earlier arrested by the troops.

According to the Army, the suspect confessed to involvement in criminal activities and led troops to Nwur village, where he had allegedly concealed a weapon.

The troops came under attack from members of the suspected criminal group when they arrived at the location.

The Army said the troops responded, killing one of the attackers and arresting another during the ensuing gun battle.

A subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, one magazine and two rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.

The Army said troops had continued search operations in the area to locate other members of the suspected bandit group.

It reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operations against criminal elements and restoring peace in Plateau State.

Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, has expressed confidence in his ability to defeat Governor Ademola Adeleke in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, dismissed claims that his campaign was relying on the backing of the Federal Government to win the election, saying his support was coming from the people of Osun State.

He spoke on Tuesday during the Arise Townhall, while responding to allegations by the opposition that the APC campaign was depending on ‘federal might’ to secure victory at the poll.

The APC candidate said his extensive consultations across the state had convinced him that residents were prepared for a change in leadership.

According to him, he had visited more than 30 local government areas in the state on three separate occasions as part of efforts to engage party members, community leaders and other stakeholders.

‘I have visited 30-plus local government areas in Osun State three times. Nobody has ever done that,’ he said.

Oyebamiji explained that his first round of visits was aimed at consulting APC members and determining whether they were ready to work towards taking over the state government.

He said the response from party members was overwhelming.

‘I have to go and consult the party members if we are ready to take this government or not, and the response was overwhelming. Everybody responded and said that yes, we need to take this government,’ he said.

The former commissioner said he subsequently visited the local government areas to inaugurate campaign canvassers, adding that the exercise further strengthened his belief that the people were prepared for a change.

‘I have to go around the local government to inaugurate those canvassers, and they were charged, they were motivated, and they were encouraged. It’s quite illuminating,’ he said.

Oyebamiji said his consultations later extended to community leaders, artisans, market groups, civil servants and other stakeholders.

‘After that, I had to go again to consult with the canvassers, the community leaders, the artisans, the Yalujas, the Babalujas, and even the civil servants. And after that, I was convinced beyond doubt that our people in Osun are ready for a change,’ he said.

He said the support he claimed to have received across different segments of the state had reinforced his confidence ahead of the election.

Oyebamiji also rejected the suggestion that his chances of winning depended on any form of political influence outside the state, saying the election would ultimately be decided by voters.

‘By special grace of God, I’m coming in as the governor of Osun come 15th of August 2026. This is something that is not far-fetched. It is not by any power, whether it is a national power or it is mighty power, it is by the people,’ he said.

The APC candidate further claimed that his campaign had received endorsements from about 42 sectors and groups in the state within the last two months.

He listed traders, women, youths and other groups among those he said had expressed support for his candidacy.

Oyebamiji also dismissed suggestions that his camp was worried about Adeleke’s perceived popularity, arguing that voters should consider the candidates’ qualifications, experience and capacity to govern.

He urged the electorate to compare his professional and administrative background with that of the incumbent governor before deciding who should lead the state.

The Osun State Governor and Accord Party governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has said he is not intimidated by the alleged support of the Federal Government and some state governors for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate ahead of the August 15 governorship election

Speaking on Tuesday during the Arise Townhall Meeting, monitored by our correspondent, Adeleke described himself as a ‘bulldozer’, saying he is prepared to confront what he described as ‘Federal might’ and the influence of governors campaigning for his opponent.

He dismissed suggestions that the presence and support of serving governors could influence the outcome of the election.

‘I am a bulldozer. I am not afraid of Federal might and governors backing the APC candidate. If they like, they should bring all the governors,’ Adeleke said.

He said the governors supporting the APC candidate were his friends, stressing that their presence in the state would not translate into votes for his opponent.

The Governor said governors are free to campaign and mobilise support for the APC candidate, but they would not be able to vote in the election.

‘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,’ he said.

Adeleke also rejected allegations that his administration had militarized the state, saying he lacks the constitutional powers to deploy the armed forces.

‘I did not militarise Osun. I have no such capacity. I am not the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,’ he said.

The governor’s remarks came amid heightened political activities in Osun State, with political parties intensifying campaigns, mobilisation and voter engagement ahead of Saturday’s election.

The contest has generated increased attention as major political parties and their candidates step up efforts to secure the support of voters across the state.

Adeleke, who is seeking another term in office, is facing the APC candidate in the closely watched contest, with both camps seeking to consolidate their support base ahead of the poll.

The Federal Government is set to introduce automated baggage tracking across Nigerian airports as part of efforts to tackle the growing cases of delayed, short-landed and missing luggage suffered by air travellers.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is preparing to mandate the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology by airlines operating in the country.

The technology, being developed in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other stakeholders, is expected to replace the traditional barcode-based baggage tracking system and provide airlines and passengers with real-time visibility of checked luggage from the point of check-in to the baggage reclaim area.

Daily Trust reports that cases of missing baggage are on the rise in the domestic market.

In 2024 alone, 47,923 cases of missing baggage belonging to air passengers were either missing or delayed on arrival among local and international airlines across the country’s airports.

The proposed system will also include a mobile application that will enable passengers to monitor the movement of their luggage in real time.

Through the application, travellers will be able to track their bags from check-in through the sorting process and loading onto the aircraft, as well as confirm their arrival at the baggage carousel.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement forum on Tuesday, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said baggage-related complaints had remained one of the major challenges confronting air travelers.

Achimugu said the regulator had decided to improve the baggage handling system through automation, with RFID identified as the technology to replace the existing system.

‘For many years now, one of the biggest complaints in the industry has been that of baggage. It’s either passengers’ bags have been short-landed, missing, lost, or destroyed.

‘After delayed flights, baggage issues are the biggest problem. So what we’ve decided to do is improve the system by automating it. The technology we are looking to use now is RFID to replace the current technology being used.’

Under the existing barcode system, baggage tags have to be aligned with scanners for the information on them to be read. This can become difficult where tags are twisted, damaged, dirty or obscured.

The RFID system, however, uses tags containing a microchip and antenna that transmit information through radio waves, allowing scanners to read multiple baggage tags without requiring direct line-of-sight.

The technology is expected to improve the ability of airlines and ground handlers to identify and track luggage at different stages of the journey.

RFID readers installed at strategic points, including conveyor belts and ramp-loading areas, can also help identify misrouted luggage before it is loaded onto an aircraft.

Achimugu said the system would significantly improve the process of locating short-landed or missing baggage.

He explained that existing regulations allow airlines up to seven days to locate and reconcile short-landed baggage for domestic passengers, but the introduction of RFID would make it possible to determine the location of a bag more quickly.

‘Standard regulations allow airlines up to seven days to locate and reconcile short-landed baggage with domestic travelers. With RFID tracking, missing or misrouted luggage can be identified and located instantly,’ he said.

According to Achimugu, passengers will also be able to confirm whether their luggage has been loaded onto their flight even after they have boarded the aircraft.

‘Even while you have boarded, you can check to be sure that your bag is on that flight. And if for any unforeseen circumstance your bag has not landed with you, you can tell even without complaining to the airline where your bag is. So when you call to complain, you can tell them specifically, ‘I’ve landed in Lagos, but my bag is in Enugu.’

A Nigerian product studio has launched Afterwordmail, an email platform that allows senders to correct a message after it has already been delivered, with recipients always seeing the current version rather than an outdated one.

Afterwordmail was built by Aurum Digital Consulting Limited, a Lagos-based digital product studio. Senders can revise the subject line and the full body text of a message after it has gone out, and can also replace, add or remove an attached document, so a corrected invoice or a revised contract replaces the outdated file at the same link, rather than arriving as a second attachment the recipient has to reconcile against the first.

It addresses a problem familiar to any business that has sent an invoice with the wrong account number, a quote with an outdated price, or event details that changed at the last minute: the correction email that follows is often missed, filed separately, or never forwarded alongside the original.

A different mechanism from ‘recall’

Both Microsoft Outlook and Zoho Mail offer recall features, but both work only between accounts inside the same organisation and on the same mail platform. Neither can reach a client on Gmail, a contractor on a personal address, or a partner at another company: the recipients who matter most in day-to-day business correspondence.

Afterwordmail takes a different approach. Instead of attempting to delete a message that has already arrived, it sends recipients a link to content the sender still controls. When the sender fixes an error, the same link shows the corrected version, whether the recipient opens it minutes later or the following week, and whether or not they have already read or forwarded it.

The platform requires nothing to be installed on either side. Recipients receive an ordinary email and open the link in any browser, regardless of which email provider they use.

Built with a record, not just an edit button

Recognising that editable messages raise obvious questions about trust, the platform was designed around the record rather than the edit.

Every message can be corrected for 48 hours after sending, after which the content is permanently locked with no override. Every version is preserved with the date and time it was superseded, including the name of any attachment it carried, creating a timestamped sequence of what was communicated and when. Recipients are automatically notified by email each time a message changes, and the version history cannot be altered or deleted by the sender, even if the live message is later removed.

According to Aurum Digital Consulting, ordinary email is already alterable and most people do not realise it. ‘In most mail clients, someone forwarding an email can edit the text they are quoting, and the person receiving that forward has no way of telling from the message itself,’ the company said. ‘The difference is not that we allow edits. It is that ours are recorded. One record, every version kept, every change timestamped, and the recipient told each time something changes.’

Built in Lagos, designed for anywhere

The platform was developed in Nigeria and is aimed at businesses across Africa and internationally, with pricing set for the local market at ?3,500 per month following a 30-day free trial.

‘There is an assumption that software built in Lagos is built only for Lagos,’ the company said. ‘This solves a problem that a freelancer in Abuja, an accounting firm in Nairobi and an exporter in London all have in exactly the same form. It was built here, and it works anywhere email works, which is the entire point.’

Aurum Digital Consulting says Afterwordmail is being used for invoices, quotations, payment instructions and event communications, where an uncorrected error carries a direct financial or operational cost. Afterwordmail is available directly from the company, with a free trial period for new users.

A vertical SaaS studio building from Lagos

Afterwordmail is one of several products built by Aurum Digital Consulting Limited, which operates as a vertical SaaS studio, building software aimed at specific industries rather than general-purpose tools.

Its other products include ClaimLensIQ, a claims fraud intelligence platform for Nigerian insurers; WingWatch Nigeria, an aviation consumer rights platform; Football FanIQ, a sports fan intelligence platform; and InsightEx, a capital markets intelligence dashboard covering the Nigerian Exchange. Each targets a sector where the company says off-the-shelf international software tends to fit local market conditions poorly.

‘The pattern we keep finding is that these industries are underserved, not because the problems are unusual, but because nobody has built for them specifically from here,’ the company said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched the second cohort of its Regulatory Sandbox Programme, inviting innovators, financial institutions, Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), fintechs and technology companies to apply.

The programme, designed to support responsible innovation in Nigeria’s financial sector, introduces two dedicated testing tracks covering virtual assets and data-enabled financial services.

The first is the Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Track, which will support innovative solutions involving virtual assets, stablecoins, payments, settlements, custody, wallets and related financial infrastructure that require supervised live testing.

The second is the Data-Enabled Financial Services (Non-VASP) Track, designed for innovations that use secure digital infrastructure and permission-based data sharing to improve financial inclusion, payments, credit, risk management, operational efficiency and consumer outcomes.

According to the CBN in a statement by Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali, Ag. Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Department, the Regulatory Sandbox provides a controlled environment where eligible participants can test innovative financial products, services, business models and technologies under the supervision of the apex bank.

The initiative allows the CBN and participating innovators to engage throughout the testing process, enabling regulatory learning while promoting innovations that can benefit consumers and strengthen the wider financial system.

The launch of Cohort 2, the CBN said, reinforces its commitment to creating a transparent, proportionate and risk-based regulatory environment that supports innovation without compromising monetary and financial stability.

Insights generated through supervised testing will also help the regulator improve its understanding of emerging technologies and guide the development of appropriate regulatory and supervisory frameworks for Nigeria’s evolving digital financial ecosystem.

Eligible organisations will be assessed based on factors including the level of innovation, readiness for controlled live testing, potential benefits to consumers and the market, governance structures, risk management capabilities and the suitability of their proposed testing plans.

Successful applicants will conduct supervised testing within parameters agreed with the CBN. These will include safeguards covering consumer protection, operational resilience, cybersecurity and regulatory reporting.

The apex bank stressed that participation in the Regulatory Sandbox does not constitute a licence, authorisation or approval to operate outside the approved testing parameters.

Applications for Cohort 2 open on August 12, 2026, and close on August 31, 2026.

It urged interested organisations to submit their applications through the CBN Regulatory Sandbox Portal at sandbox.cbn.gov.ng before the deadline.

The CBN said the programme is part of its broader efforts to foster an innovative, resilient and inclusive financial ecosystem while maintaining the safety, soundness and integrity of Nigeria’s financial system.

The ongoing protest by the Berom community, since July, against the appointment of Professor Abdullahi Ahmed as Provost of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH and PT), Vom in Plateau State is a reprehensible act that fundamentally misunderstands the nature of federal institutions in Nigeria. This is not a community appointment; it is a national one and to frame it as a religious or ethnic entitlement is dangerous and an affront to the ideals of a united Nigeria.

The history of the Vom institution complex underscores its national and continental importance. The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) was established in 1924 as a Veterinary Laboratory to combat the devastating Rinderpest outbreaks that decimated cattle populations across West Africa. The Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology itself began in 1941 as the Veterinary School Vom and evolved into a leading institution for training manpower in animal health and production technology.

Its historical significance is unparalleled. It was the first higher institution in West Africa to produce graduate veterinary surgeons before Nigeria’s first university. Between 1947 and 1962, it trained veterinary manpower for countries including Cameroon, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ethiopia and Sudan. Sir Dauda Jawara, former President of The Gambia, was among those trained as a veterinary officer at Vom. For over a century, Vom has not been a local enterprise; it has been a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural and veterinary development.

What makes the current protest disturbing is the selective outrage over the appointment of Professor Ahmed. The NVRI itself is headed by Dr Yakubu Gunya Dashe, a Christian from Plateau State, serving as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. The Federal College of Medical and Veterinary Laboratory Technology, also within the Vom complex is led by Dr Chukwu Otuh Okoh Chukwu, a Christian from Ebonyi State.

Yet the Berom Intelligentsia Forum and their supporters have chosen to target only Professor Ahmed, a Muslim from Gombe State, demanding his replacement with Associate Professor Luka Pam, a Christian from the Berom tribe. They have threatened to shut the institution’s gates and cause chaos if their demand is not met.

The question is: where were these protesters when Dr Dashe and Dr Chukwu where appointed? Their silence then and agitation now suggest that this is not about fairness or competence. It is about marginalisation and bigotry.

If Plateau State, or any other state, is allowed to determine who heads federal institutions located within its territory, the foundation of the Nigerian federation will be threatened. Federal institutions are national assets, not properties of host communities.

The implication of accepting this argument is frightening. If the Berom community can dictate who leads FCAH and PT, Vom, what stops the people of Zaria from insisting they select the Director General of the College of Aviation Zaria? What stops the people of Enugu from claiming ownership of the National Root Crops Research Institute? What stops the people of Kaduna from demanding they appoint the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy?

Such a practice would transform federal institutions into ethnic and religious fiefdoms, destroying their national character and undermining merit.

The claim that the Berom community’s donation of land over a century ago gives it an ‘inalienable right’ to choose the head of a federal institution is outdated and unacceptable. Land ownership cannot translate into ownership of a national institution.

The federal government must resist this dangerous trend decisively. What begins in Vom will not end there. If unchecked, it will spread across the country and deepen the very parochialism the federal system was created to overcome.

Similar reactions have occurred concerning institutions such as the University of Jos, Industrial Training Fund, NVRI and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.

Associate Professor Luka Pam may be a competent professional with impressive credentials and experience at NVRI, but the appointment process for federal institutions is designed to select the best candidate for the nation, not a candidate based on ethnicity or religion.

Professor Abdullahi Ahmed is also a distinguished veterinary scientist and academic. A professor of Animal Production and Health, he served for over two decades at NVRI before joining Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, where he rose to the rank of Professor through his contributions to teaching, research and academic leadership.

Community leaders who look away while federal institutions are shut down through ethnic pressure are complicit. Their silence encourages a dangerous precedent that threatens national unity.

The federal government must stand firm. The battle for Vom is not about one appointment; it is about whether Nigeria’s federal institutions will remain national assets or become communal possessions. If this challenge is not confronted now, there may be no federation left to defend.

The history of insecurity and alleged impunity on the Plateau further raises concerns. The killing of Major General Idris Alkali in 2018 remains a painful example. The retired army general was killed while passing through Plateau State, his body buried in a shallow grave and his vehicle sunk in a pond.

Similarly, the killing of Muslim travellers returning from Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s pilgrimage in August 2021, when 22 people were killed on the Plateau, and the June 2025 attack on wedding guests travelling to Qua’an Pan, where eight people, including a child, were killed, remain disturbing cases. The repeated granting of bail to suspects accused of serious crimes has fuelled perceptions of impunity and weakened confidence in justice. We need peace on the Plateau.

A mob on Monday set ablaze a vehicle allegedly belonging to suspected ‘one chance’ operators and arrested two of the suspects at Abaji town in the FCT.

A witness, Salihu Ibrahim, said the incident occurred at about 3:12pm after the suspected gang, including a female member, narrowly escaped being lynched by an angry mob.

He said the incident occurred when the gang allegedly invaded a cattle market in the area and attempted to defraud some cattle dealers, reportedly using charms.

According to him, some of the cattle dealers became suspicious of the manner in which the suspected ‘one chance’ operators were allegedly trying to scam them and quickly raised the alarm.

‘And upon discovering that some of them were trying to call the police and vigilantes, they quickly entered their vehicle and zoomed off,’ he said.

Ibrahim said the suspects were attempting to cross the highway to escape when a truck approaching on the highway hit their vehicle from behind.

He said immediately after the truck hit the car, the suspects alighted and attempted to flee, resulting in the arrest of two of the three gang members, while the vehicle was set ablaze.

He said the female member of the gang narrowly escaped through the crowd that had gathered at the scene, adding that the two arrested suspects were handed over to the police.

Abuja Metro observed traders in the cattle market and passersby gathering at the scene as the mob set the Opel car allegedly belonging to the suspects ablaze.

A police source at the Abaji Division, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the incident, saying two members of the gang were arrested while efforts were ongoing to track the fleeing female member of the syndicate.

The spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, did not respond to calls put across to her over the incident as of the time of filing this report.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has distanced itself from the proposed N200 annual levy by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), saying payment is not required for students seeking mobilisation for national service.

The NYSC spokesperson, Caroline Embu, gave the clarification in a statement on Tuesday, following reports that NANS was considering linking payment of its dues to the NYSC mobilisation process.

The Scheme said it had neither discussed nor agreed to the arrangement with NANS, and had not entered into any Memorandum of Understanding with the student body on the collection of any levy.

‘The NYSC wishes to state unequivocally that it has not, at any time, discussed, agreed to, or entered into any Memorandum of Understanding with the National Association of Nigerian Students regarding the collection of any levy from students in connection with mobilisation for national service,’ it said.

It explained that mobilisation was conducted through official channels involving the NYSC management and Heads of Corps Producing Institutions, which provide information on their graduates.

‘The mobilisation process is neither linked to nor contingent upon the activities of any student association or organisation,’ the Scheme added.

The NYSC advised students and prospective corps members to disregard any information suggesting that payment to NANS or any student association was required for mobilisation.

The clarification followed comments by NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, that the association was considering an annual N200 due for students.

Babatunde had also said NANS would work with the NYSC and that students might be required to show proof of payment before mobilisation.

Opposition leader and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has demanded the immediate suspension and arrest of Senator Francis Fadahunsi over alleged inflammatory remarks concerning the forthcoming Osun State governorship election.

Frank also called on security agencies to investigate Fadahunsi, insisting that statements capable of inciting electoral violence must not be tolerated.

In a video circulating online, the senator, speaking in Yoruba, was heard accusing Accord Party members of attacking APC members and urging the gathering to attack Accord Party supporters in Ilesa.

In a statement on Wednesday, Frank described the alleged remarks as ‘unguarded’ and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy, urging the Federal Government and security agencies to act without delay.

‘I condemn the comment of Senator Francis Fadahunsi strongly and call on the security agencies to immediately act, despite his position, to arrest the senator with all urgency,’ he said.

Frank said the Senate should not fold its arms when one of its members makes statements capable of threatening peace and security during an election.

‘The Senate must immediately suspend such a senator who can make such unguarded statements. We want to see action taken as an example to every person involved in election violence,’ he said.

He said the alleged comments went beyond the Osun election, describing them as a possible indication of what he called a broader APC strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Frank also compared the matter with the detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged comments, questioning what he described as a disparity in the government’s response to statements by opposition figures and members of the ruling party.

He argued that a serving senator should not be treated differently if accused of remarks capable of threatening electoral peace.

He said: ‘That is why the APC and the Presidency have remained quiet. If such a statement had been made by an opposition senator or anybody in the opposition, the person would have been in prison by now.’

According to him, the alleged treatment of El-Rufai demonstrated the need for consistency and fairness in responding to political statements capable of causing public concern.

Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, appealed to the United States Government and the international community to closely monitor developments surrounding the Osun election.

‘I call on the US government, President Donald Trump, the UK, EU and the entire international community not to remain quiet over such an incendiary statement coming from a serving senator in Nigeria,’ he said.

He urged the international community to take appropriate measures against politicians whose actions or statements could undermine Nigeria’s democratic process, including possible visa restrictions where warranted.

Frank warned that the Osun election must be free, fair and credible, stressing that the will of the electorate must prevail.

‘Osun election must not be rigged. The will of the people must count in Osun. Nigerians should not take this Osun election lightly if they decide to rig it.

‘I urge the voters and citizens of Osun State not to be intimidated by these kinds of statements. I ask the voters and the people of Osun to rise up, vote and defend their votes,’ he said.

He further warned that Fadahunsi and the ruling party should be held accountable for any violence arising from the election. ‘If anything happens in Osun State, this senator and the ruling party must be held responsible,’ Frank said.

The opposition leader called on security agencies to remain neutral and professional before, during and after the election.

‘Security agencies must be professional and not go there to harass citizens and opposition members. The plot to arrest opposition members across political parties must not be allowed,’ he said.

He maintained that the credibility of the Osun election would have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s democracy and could serve as a pointer to what Nigerians should expect in the 2027 general elections.