Category: Nigerian Tribune

In February 2025, Senator Natasha Uduaghan-Akpoti, one of the four female senators in the Nigerian Senate, faced an intense social media backlash not just from her Senatorial District but also from citizens alike, with the sole reason being her accusation of the sitting Senate President of Nigeria, Senator Godwin Akpabio of sexual harassment. Instead of support, she was insulted and cyberbullied for months nonstop.

A year later, in March 2026, strands of videos popped up on the social media platform X(Twitter) of a certain ‘raping festival’ in Ozoro town of Delta state. Women caught walking on the streets that day were randomly grappled by some men, who did not only strip them half naked but also sexually assaulted them in public while others made videos of these extremely vile acts and posted them across social media platforms.

What do these two events have in common? From the elites to the masses, gender-based violence against women has transcended beyond the streets into our screens. Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) has become an increasing bane in the existence of Nigerian women.

Despite manifesting in diverse forms within the Nigerian populace, there is an absence of a sole policy that addresses TFGBV in the country. This absence, despite various triggering events, manifests how policy absence has failed women in digital spaces, and its failure to protect them from all forms of TFGBV targeted at them at all levels.

Evidently, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, enacted in 2015, with the goal to prohibit all forms of violence against persons and ensure utmost protection of survivors and punishment of perpetrators was an impressive step in the right direction. However, the gray area is still in its widespread implementation and enforcement.

Slightly similar to a TFGBV policy is the Cybercrimes Act, with only three sections of the law addressing cases of child pornography, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying, but it does not address specific gender related online violence like the spread of non-consensual intimate images (NCIIs), doxxing (revealing identifying personal information of an individual online), and deepfakes (altering of a person’s image or video saying or doing what they did not).

Records from Digital Reportal, a portal that provides reports on global digital trends, show an internet usage of 45.5% in Nigeria, with 109 million internet users at the end of 2025 and 47.8 million social media user identities as of October 2025, representing 20% of the population. This impressive development also signals a steady increase in TFGBV cases in Nigeria.

Despite limited data on other forms of TFGBV on Nigeria women due to limited reporting owing to stigmatization and inaction, recent insights from the Nigerian Ministry of Women Affairs mentioning how 45% of Nigerian women have experienced cyberstalking shows how concerning and saddening TFGBV has become.

Due to the stigma related to GBV at large and TFGBV, victims usually opt to keep these cases to themselves. Beyond stigma, the near absence of structured legal channels to address it also puts them at risk, even if they report it. Similarly, the absence of ascribing these offenses to the perpetrators and employing ‘name-shaming’ leads the perpetrators to believe they won’t be held accountable despite committing these offenses on several occasions.

Moreover, TFGBV has been viewed largely through the lens of ‘social media drama’ because it primarily occurs on social media platforms. It has been seen as ‘Twitter or Instagram drama’ which people can log out of since it will be covered by another trending topic the next day. The frivolity in handling this pressing issue will cause more harm to the victims than the support they need.

The first step towards a sole policy focused on TFGBV is to recognize it as a problem that needs the government’s attention. This is where problem brokers, who provide structure and form to the problem, come into play. Coordinators of NGOs and civil society should continually campaign for the recognition of TFGBV as an inherent problem requiring policymakers’ attention.

After recognition, policy entrepreneurs should leverage windows of opportunity, which would draw massive attention to the issue from the public glare. Also, if a new administration emerges after the 2027 election inclined to issues pertaining to women and vulnerable populations, then it is a perfect time to introduce it to their agenda and push for it to be signed into a policy, although this requires ministers that would champion it.

Beyond the policy enforcing the identification of perpetrators of these offenses and imposing appropriate punishments aligned with the weight of their offenses, it should also mandate the establishment of functioning legal reporting channels for victims from the ground up; channels that are discrete and efficient enough to make them feel safe to report without being dismissed.

Importantly, it should also make provisions for adequate funding to NGOs and civil societies in the GBV space to create more avenues for women to feel safe; from providing pro bono legal support to psychological support through therapy sessions to aid their healing journey from TFGBV.

It should also address more regulations on digital privacy on social media platforms. From content moderation laws focused on ensuring they have efficient reporting mechanisms to fully address instances of TFGBV, like NCIIs, child pornography, deepfakes, among others, while mandating that these posts are taken down within 24 hours of reporting.

Since online violence spills into the street and vice versa, the policy should address proper reorientation of security agencies and government ministries already handling GBV cases on ways to handle TFGBV cases.

On a final note, TFGBV should not be shoved aside because it is a glaring issue with massive consequences like psychological trauma, resignation from jobs, physical hurt, and even death. From the masses to the elites, it’s a cankerworm rapidly eating deep into our society, and it should not be taken with levity, because at the end, online violence is still violence, and digital abuse is still abuse!

Victoria Akinro sent this opinion piece from the University of Oklahoma, USA.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA) was established not as a project of his administration, but as an enduring institution designed to prepare the next generation of leaders for the state.

Sanwo-Olu stated this on Friday at the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the academy and the induction of the 2026/2027 fellows at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

The Governor, who described the occasion as the last graduation ceremony of the academy he would attend as governor, said the institution had been deliberately backed by law to ensure its survival beyond his tenure.

‘This is the last graduation of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy that I will attend as Governor of Lagos State. By this time next year, someone else will hold this office, and someone else will stand at this lectern,’ he said.

According to him, the continuity of the academy beyond his administration was one of the achievements he considered most important.

‘We did not build this Academy for a Governor. We built it for a State. We wrote it into law so that it would not depend on my goodwill, or my successor’s, or on anyone’s mood in a budget season.

‘An initiative belongs to an administration. An institution belongs to the people. The Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy is now the second kind of thing, and of everything we have done in these years, that is among the achievements I hold closest.’

Sanwo-Olu said the academy was conceived around a fundamental question: ‘Who will run Lagos after us?’

He explained that the question went beyond electoral succession to encompass the people who would manage the state’s public institutions, negotiate concessions, run hospitals, administer budgets and engage communities in the years ahead.

‘A city can survive a bad year. A city cannot survive a generation of leaders it did not prepare,’ the Governor said.

Reflecting on his administration’s infrastructure projects, Sanwo-Olu said physical infrastructure alone could not guarantee sustainable development without capable people to manage it.

‘I have spent seven years building things you can see. Roads. Rail. Hospitals. Schools. Bridges. I am proud of every one of them. But I learned early in this office that concrete does not lead itself,’ he said.

‘Every asset we commission is handed, on the day of commissioning, to a human being. Whether it serves this city for fifty years or falls apart in five depends far more on the quality of that person than on the quality of the cement.’

The Governor said this was why his administration had embraced the philosophy that ‘leadership is infrastructure’, stressing that the academy represented a deliberate investment in human capital and institutional continuity.

He also invoked the legacy of former Lagos State Governor, the late Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, after whom the academy was named.

Sanwo-Olu noted that although Jakande governed Lagos for only four years, his policies and projects continued to impact residents more than four decades after his tenure.

‘Baba Kekere proved that what a leader leaves behind is measured not by the length of his stay, but by how long the work outlasts him,’ he said.

Addressing the graduating fellows, whom he described as the ‘Class of Catalysts’, Sanwo-Olu urged them to become agents of positive change while retaining their integrity and resilience.

He challenged them to apply the lessons acquired during their fellowship to real-life public service situations, particularly when confronted with pressure to compromise their principles.

‘Lagos has enough certificates. What Lagos is short of is people who will do the right thing at the moment it costs them something,’ he said.

He asked the graduates what they would do when faced with opportunities to take shortcuts, wield power over others or inherit weak institutions.

‘That is the only examination that matters now. It has no invigilator. It lasts the rest of your life. And I expect every one of you to pass it,’ he said.

The Governor also welcomed the 2026/2027 cohort, revealing that more than 16,000 Nigerians had applied for places in the programme.

He urged the new fellows to justify the opportunity given to them, warning that the expansion of the programme must not result in a dilution of its standards.

‘We will grow this Fellowship, but we will not dilute it. Bigger is not the goal. Better is,’ he said.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the academy would also expand its leadership initiatives beyond the fellowship programme to reach young people in schools, communities and other platforms.

He said the state could not build the future of Lagos by investing in only a few hundred people annually, stressing the need to create ‘many doors’ through which young people could access leadership development opportunities.

The Governor also announced the institutionalisation of the LJLA Excellence Pathway, which he described as one of the most important developments in the academy’s future.

Under the initiative, he said, fellows who choose to serve in the Lagos State Civil Service and meet applicable requirements would have a clear and recognised route for their talents to be brought into the public service and retained.

‘For too long, the best of our young people have looked at public service and seen a closed door, a place where merit waits in line behind everything else. If we train leaders and then give them no way in, we have trained them for somebody else,’ he said.

Sanwo-Olu said the pathway would transform the fellowship from a one-year leadership experience into a talent pipeline for government.

‘It is how a Fellowship stops being a year of experiences and becomes a pipeline into the machinery of government itself. It is how an idea becomes a system. And a system is the only thing that survives its founder,’ he said.

The Governor commended the Executive Secretary and staff of the academy, as well as its mentors, facilitators, partners and the various ministries, departments and agencies that provided opportunities for the fellows to gain practical experience.

He also acknowledged the support of parents, spouses, families and friends of the graduating fellows.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Abbas Tajudeen, on Saturday sacked the Chairman and members of the Ad hoc Committee investigating controversies surrounding the inclusion of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Hon Yusuf Gagdi, and other ad hoc committees constituted by the 10th Assembly.

The memo, titled ‘Dissolution of all Ad hoc Committees of the House of Representatives’ and addressed to all Chairmen and Members of Ad Hoc Committees of the House of Representatives, was signed by the Clerk of the House, Sidi Ibrahim.

According to the memo, all ad hoc committees of the House stand dissolved, and activities being carried out in the name of such committees shall cease forthwith, effective from Friday, 28 August 2026.

He said: ‘I am directed by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, to inform all Honourable Members that all Ad Hoc Committees of the House stand dissolved with immediate effect.

‘This directive is sequel to earlier announcements urging Ad Hoc Committees to conclude their assignments and submit their reports in line with the Rules and established practice of the House. Following those announcements, only two Ad Hoc Committees sought and were granted extension of time in compliance with Order Eighteen Rule 5 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives. The two-week extension granted has since elapsed.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, Honourable Members are reminded that Ad Hoc Committees are temporary Committees of the House established for specific and time-bound mandates. They are not intended to subsist indefinitely beyond the purpose and period for which they were constituted.

‘In accordance with Order Eighteen, Rule 11, Paragraph 5, of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives which provides for ‘Limitations as to time of Reports’, Committees are required to submit their reports within the time allotted. Having exceeded the time allotted, the continued existence of the Ad Hoc Committees is no longer tenable.

‘Consequently, with effect from Friday 28th August 2026, all Ad Hoc Committees of the House stand dissolved; and activities being carried out in the name of such Committees shall cease forthwith.

‘Chairmen of the affected Committees are directed to forward all outstanding reports, working documents, records, and other materials relating to their assignments to the Office of the Clerk, House of Representatives for safekeeping,

‘Honourable Members are kindly requested to take note and ensure strict compliance, please.’

Arise Television anchor Oseni Rufai has said he will not be deterred from holding those in authority to account despite criticism and opposition.

Rufai stated this while reacting to the controversy that followed a heated exchange between him and Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, during a live edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Friday.

In a post on his verified X handle, the journalist thanked Nigerians who reached out with messages of support and calls following the incident.

The controversy started when Rufai asked Olayinka to comment on the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, in a presidential campaign council despite corruption allegations against her.

Olayinka, however, declined to respond to the question, instead taking issue with Rufai over his previous use of the Yoruba expression, ‘Gbewudani’.

He subsequently told the anchor that he would not respond to any question directed at him by Rufai.

‘I don’t want to answer any question from you, Oseni Rufai. I want this conversation to be among reasonable human beings,’ Olayinka said.

His refusal led to an intervention by another anchor on the programme, Ayo Mairo-Ese, who pointed out that ‘The Morning Show’ has three anchors and that guests should be prepared to take questions from any of them.

Despite the intervention, Olayinka remained unwilling to engage Rufai, forcing the programme to be cut short and the interview brought to an end.

Reflecting on the incident, Rufai said his commitment to speaking against perceived injustice was not dependent on whether his position was popular.

He drew a comparison with the experience of the late labour leader, Pa Michael Imoudu, during the 1945 general strike, noting that Imoudu faced resistance from both the colonial authorities and some Nigerians who benefited from the system at the time.

According to Rufai, the example showed how individuals who benefit from an oppressive system may defend it rather than challenge it.

‘It takes a trained mind to see oppression. I will continue to speak truth to power despite opposition from people benefiting from the ruination of Nigeria.

‘For those benefiting from the ruination of Nigeria, we will never agree, and we ought not to,’ Rufai said.

After using a pair of glasses for several years, I just discovered that my eye sight is getting better. Can I throw away my glasses?

Ashiri (by SMS)

Glasses and contact lenses are considered corrective in the sense that they help correct a person’s vision while being worn. However, when these corrective lenses are removed, the patient’s ‘normal’ – meaning usual – vision is restored.

This is because glasses and contacts do not address the structural causes of diminished eyesight, like the shape of the eye and the way the eye bends light.

In some cases, wearing glasses and contacts regularly may help to slow down certain vision changes, but it is essential that patients wear an appropriate and current prescription for the maximum benefit.

I have been having heartburns for some time especially, after eating any peppery food. Kindly advise me on how to solve the problem.

Steve (by SMS)

It has been confirmed that high fiber consumption may minimize issues with chronic acid reflux. Therefore, you can try fiber-rich foods such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, brown rice and quinoa. Bananas, an alkaline fruit, can help neutralize stomach acid.

As long as you aren’t also lactose intolerant, dairy foods such as milk and yogurt are also good choices. Foods to avoid include fried and fatty dishes, citrus fruits (especially lemons and limes), tomatoes, peppermint, carbonated beverages, coffee and alcohol.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Saturday dissolved all ad hoc committees of the House, including the committee investigating controversies surrounding the inclusion of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 Appropriation Act, chaired by Hon. Yusuf Gadgi.

Others affected include the Ad Hoc Committee investigating the performance and benefits accruing to the Federal Government from concessionaire-operated ports (2006-2025), chaired by Hon. Kolawole Davidson Akinlayo; the Ad Hoc Committee investigating all security intervention funds disbursed by former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu from 2020 to date, chaired by Hon. Zakaria Nyampa; the Ad Hoc Committee investigating Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditure from 2007 to 2024, chaired by Hon. Ibrahim Al-Mustapha Aliyu; and the Ad Hoc Committee on the ‘Investigation of Pre-Shipment Inspection of Exports and the Non-Remittance of Crude Oil Proceeds’, chaired by Hon. Seyi Sowunmi.

Also affected are the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Government Abandoned Landed Properties and Buildings in Nigeria, chaired by Hon. Daniel Amos; the Ad Hoc Committee investigating the rising insecurity and loss of lives in Abuja despite the CCTV project secured with a $460 million Chinese loan, chaired by Hon. Donald Ojogo; the Ad Hoc Committee investigating power sector reforms and expenditures from 2006 to 2024, chaired by Hon. Ibrahim Al-Mustafa Aliu; the Ad Hoc Committee set up by the House to investigate the increase in cases of drug trafficking, alcohol abuse and related offences in the country, chaired by Hon. Timeyin Adelegbe; as well as the Ad Hoc Committee investigating alleged mismanagement of oil spill clean-up funds in the Niger Delta, chaired by Hon. Okpolupm Etteh.

The directive was contained in a memo titled ‘Dissolution of All Ad Hoc Committees of the House of Representatives’ and addressed to all chairmen and members of the House’s ad hoc committees. It was signed by the Clerk of the House, Sidi Ibrahim.

According to the memo, all ad hoc committees of the House stand dissolved, and activities being carried out in the name of such committees shall cease forthwith, effective Friday, August 28, 2026.

The memo read in part: ‘I am directed by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, to inform all Honourable Members that all Ad Hoc Committees of the House stand dissolved with immediate effect.

‘This directive is sequel to earlier announcements urging Ad Hoc Committees to conclude their assignments and submit their reports in line with the Rules and established practice of the House. Following those announcements, only two Ad Hoc Committees sought and were granted extension of time in compliance with Order Eighteen Rule 5 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives. The two-week extension granted has since elapsed.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, Honourable Members are reminded that Ad Hoc Committees are temporary Committees of the House established for specific and time-bound mandates. They are not intended to subsist indefinitely beyond the purpose and period for which they were constituted.

‘In accordance with Order Eighteen, Rule 11, Paragraph 5, of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, which provides for ‘Limitations as to time of Reports’, Committees are required to submit their reports within the time allotted. Having exceeded the time allotted, the continued existence of the Ad Hoc Committees is no longer tenable.

‘Consequently, with effect from Friday, August 28, 2026, all Ad Hoc Committees of the House stand dissolved, and activities being carried out in the name of such Committees shall cease forthwith.

‘Chairmen of the affected Committees are directed to forward all outstanding reports, working documents, records, and other materials relating to their assignments to the Office of the Clerk, House of Representatives, for safekeeping.

‘Honourable Members are kindly requested to take note and ensure strict compliance, please.’

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda, has charged troops of 32 Artillery Brigade to sustain their operational tempo and deny criminal elements freedom of action within their Area of Responsibility (AOR).

Mahmuda gave the charge on Friday, September 4, 2026, while addressing troops during his maiden operational visit to Owena Cantonment, Akure, Ondo State.

The GOC said he had been closely monitoring the security situation within the Brigade’s AOR, noting that the challenges confronting the formation were similar to those faced by other formations under the Division.

He commended the troops for their efforts in responding to the security challenges and urged them to maintain an aggressive operational posture to effectively tackle contemporary threats.

‘From the reports I have received thus far, you are doing very well,’ Mahmuda told the troops, urging them to sustain the momentum and deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate freely within the area.

The GOC also assured the troops that their welfare remained a priority of the Nigerian Army under the leadership of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, in line with his ‘Soldiers First Concept.’

He noted that the recent salary increment for military personnel further demonstrated the Army’s commitment to recognising and improving the welfare of troops for their sacrifices and service to the nation.

However, Mahmuda reminded the troops that greater support also came with greater responsibility, urging them to reciprocate the efforts of the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army by remaining disciplined, professional and committed to their duties.

He charged the soldiers to uphold the reputation of the Nigerian Army as a corps of proud professionals and intensify their efforts in the fight against criminal elements.

The GOC concluded his address with a call on the troops to ‘up their game’ and continue to make the Nigerian Army and the nation proud.

Earlier, the Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Brigadier General Jibrin Garba, welcomed the GOC and his entourage to the Brigade and briefed him on the formation’s operational disposition and other matters under his command.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to constitute a team of independent experts in finance, audit, technology and public accounting to review audit findings surrounding the sum of N33.75 billion reportedly paid to 3.29 million vulnerable Nigerian households under the federal government’s cash transfer programme.

Reacting on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the figures raised important questions about the reach and accountability of the intervention.

According to the figures, N33.75 billion divided among 3.29 million households amounts to approximately N10,258 per household.

Atiku noted that at a time of rising costs of transportation, electricity and food, Nigerians deserve clarity on how the intervention was disbursed and whether it reached the intended beneficiaries.

‘This is not just a bookkeeping matter. If funds appropriated to support vulnerable Nigerians cannot be properly accounted for, and if access to records needed for accountability is limited, then public confidence in the programme is undermined,’ Atiku said.

The former Vice President commended the Auditor-General of the Federation, Shaakaa Chira, for carrying out his constitutional responsibility.

‘The Auditor-General deserves commendation for raising questions that are in the public interest. Institutions must protect the public purse and ensure transparency,’ he stated.

Atiku also noted discrepancies in government communications on the programme, citing claims that more than N600 billion had been disbursed to over 10 million households, after an earlier figure of 15 million households was mentioned.

‘A ministerial announcement is not proof of payment. A name on a social register is not evidence of a bank transfer. If more than 10 million households received over N600 billion, government should be able to show who received the money, how much each household received, and when the payments were made,’ he said.

He referenced audit queries reportedly raised on N33.75 billion paid to 3.29 million beneficiaries, alongside N36.74 billion in payments said to have been made without pre-payment audit, and N4.62 billion for which payment vouchers were not produced.

‘These are resources appropriated in the name of Nigerians who need support during a difficult cost-of-living period. Nigerians deserve to know how the money was spent,’ Atiku added.

To support transparency, Atiku said he would constitute a team of independent experts in finance, audit, technology and public accounting to review available records relating to the cash-transfer payments.

‘We will examine beneficiary data, payment channels, reconciliation records, and audit queries, within the limits of publicly available and institutional records. When the review is completed, we will share the findings with Nigerians,’ he said.

Atiku further said the government should make payment records available for scrutiny.

‘If Remita or other payment platforms processed these transactions, the records should be accessible. If beneficiaries received the payments, there should be verifiable evidence. If access to records was restricted, Nigerians deserve to know why,’ he said.

He argued that Nigerians need more than announcements, but policies that improve purchasing power through reduced costs of transportation, food and energy.

‘My proposal is a production-linked approach that supports domestic refining, increases local supply, and reduces the cost of energy so that the benefit reaches citizens through lower prices,’ he stated.

Atiku said that if investigations show that funds meant for vulnerable Nigerians were misapplied, those responsible should be held accountable in line with the law.

‘The poor have borne the burden of higher costs. They should not also lose the money appropriated to support them. Nigerians need the records, the recovery of any unaccounted funds, and policies that restore purchasing power,’ he said.

I have a 15-year old relative who sometimes goes into seizures. Kindly let me know if this is epilepsy or something else.

Bidemi (by SMS)

No, not everyone who has a seizure has epilepsy. Up to 10% of people worldwide will experience at least one seizure during their lifetime, but the proportion living with active epilepsy at any given time is only 4 to 10 per 1,000.

The gap between those two numbers is enormous, and it reflects a core distinction in medicine: a seizure is a single event, while epilepsy is a pattern of recurring, unprovoked seizures. Epilepsy is generally diagnosed after a person has had two or more unprovoked seizures separated by at least 24 hours. The word ‘unprovoked’ is doing heavy lifting here. It means the seizure wasn’t triggered by an obvious, identifiable cause like a head injury, a drug reaction, or a dangerous drop in blood sugar.

The seizure happened on its own, without a clear external explanation. A large share of seizures fall into the ‘provoked’ or ‘acute symptomatic’ category. These are seizures triggered by a specific medical problem, and once that problem is resolved, the seizures typically stop.

Across all age groups, the most common causes are head trauma, stroke, drug or alcohol withdrawal, and infections affecting the brain. The treatment for provoked seizures focuses on fixing the underlying problem, not on long-term seizure medication.

Correcting the electrolyte imbalance, treating the infection, or managing the withdrawal is what stops the seizures. These events don’t count toward an epilepsy diagnosis because the brain isn’t generating seizures on its own.