Category: Nigerian Tribune

Three persons have been killed, and two others injured in separate attacks allegedly carried out by suspected armed herders in Elulu and Agadagba communities of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue.

The attacks, which occurred between Friday and Saturday night, have heightened concerns over renewed violence in the area.

A resident of Agadagba, who identified himself simply as Ameh, told journalists in a telephone interview on Sunday that suspected armed herders first attacked Elulu community on Friday before invading Agadagba the following night.

According to him, the attackers attempted to rustle cattle in Agadagba but met resistance from local youths.

‘The Fulani herdsmen attacked our community yesterday night and attempted to rustle cows. Some youths repelled them, but the attackers, who were heavily armed, opened fire on them and two of the youths died. We later learnt that the same group had attacked Elulu village the previous day and killed one person,’ Ameh said.

The Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, confirmed the incidents in a telephone interview on Sunday.

He said the attackers first struck Elulu community, where they killed one resident, injured another and carted away the victim’s Bajaj motorcycle.

‘They first attacked Elulu village and killed somebody, attacked another person and collected his Bajaj motorcycle,’ Adole said.

‘They also went to Agadagba village that same day to rustle cows, but the people repelled them. They shot one person in the leg after failing to take the cows. On Saturday, they returned and killed two persons in Agadagba.’

Adole said three people lost their lives in the attacks, while the two injured victims-one shot during the attempted cattle rustling and another attacked in Elulu-were receiving treatment in hospital.

The council chairman disclosed that security personnel, including local security operatives and police officers, had been deployed to the affected communities to prevent further attacks.

He added that normalcy was gradually returning following the increased security presence.

Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached. Calls to her telephone line were not answered.

Ohimini Local Government Area has witnessed repeated attacks in recent weeks, with some residents linking the renewed violence to the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Risku Mohammed, on June 24, 2026.

THE Yoruba establish a direct causal relationship between tragic news and emotional grief. They observe that if the ears are not fed with rotten news, the mind will not be consumed by grief. Whatever his motive for publishing his book, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, retired Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) Dennis Amachree has reawakened an unpleasant yet momentous chapter in our national history. In doing so, he proves right the ancient adage that a twenty-year-old pounded yam can still burn one’s fingers as though it were fresh off the mortar. Through his book, Amachree resurrects the narrative surrounding the sudden, gladsome news of the demise of Nigeria’s former Commander-in-Chief and military dictator, General Sani Abacha.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the libido of men in power is a critical factor we must reckon with when analysing the mechanics and texture of political authority. Even previously, I undertook a broader analysis of what I called the s3xual history of the Nigerian presidency. It was a salacious narrative of the perceived s3xual exploits of occupants of Dodan Barracks and Aso Rock, the two residences of Nigeria’s power. Amachree’s DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield underscores why this dimension of power cannot be brushed aside or taken for granted. In it, the author posits that on June 8, 1998, General Abacha did not die from a poisoned handshake from former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, but from cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter with a paramour at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa Guest House in Abuja.

On a social media platform, a commentator questioned whether Amachree was acting as an interloper, whether he had breached official secrecy rules, and why he chose to release this account at this particular time. My response focused on the formal process of declassifying official information and documents – the administrative procedure for removing security markings from secret government records to make them accessible to the public. Typically, declassification occurs through three main mechanisms: automatic declassification over time, systematic review by government agencies, and mandatory requests by interested members of the public.

Declassified records do not always tell the absolute truth, as governments often hold back unverified or raw intelligence from public disclosure to prevent panic. This appears to be what occurred in the Abacha episode. Generally, when official records reach a certain age – frequently 25 years – they are unsealed, provided they do not fall under specific exceptions whose release could compromise national security or trigger widespread public unrest. Sensitive national security files often remain classified indefinitely to protect state interests.

Because Abacha died 28 years ago, the public has spent decades navigating competing theories. One popular claim alleged that he ate apples laced with a lethal potion prepared by foreign intelligence agencies. His ADC, from whom authentic fact could have come, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, propounded another theory, claiming Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was used to assassinate him. He further noted that Abacha began exhibiting unusual physical traits immediately after a handshake.

However, Al-Mustapha cannot be held to be a witness of truth if, indeed, Abacha died this way which, in African context, was a taboo. Again, he is the abore (Yoruba traditional male priest who assists in performing rituals, making offerings, and serving as a spiritual intermediary) of the Abacha shrine from whose mouth evil narratives are never expected to ooze out. By waiting for the required passage of time, Amachree fulfilled the standard criteria for declassifying information, granting him the administrative leeway to disclose what he knew about Abacha’s final hours.

However, whistle-blowers and former intelligence officers are sometimes deployed to divert public focus from pressing national issues or distract from an unfolding, unpleasant political reality. That could also possibly be Amachree’s assignment.

Expectedly, pushback and denials followed Amachree’s revelations. They are however a healthy development for public discourse. In an engaging opinion piece in the Vanguard newspaper, Tony Eluemunor challenged Amachree’s narrative using medical and situational evidence. Eluemunor argued that while Abacha suffered from diabetes and cirrhosis, he was severely ill on the night of June 8, despite the presence of two foreign paramours with him.

Of a truth, the whole country knew, prior to his expiration, that Abacha was ill. A few days before his passing, he appeared on national television looking gaunt, his lips unusually coloured and his goggles seemingly hiding critical information about his visage. The fact that he had two Filipinos with him on the night of his death, according to Eluemunor, presents a stark, troubling paradox: a ruler fiercely resisting Western influence and railing against America whom he called ‘global policemen of democracy’, while simultaneously permitting foreign liaisons unhindered access into the innermost sexual and territorial borders of Nigeria›s power base.

Since Abacha’s era, numerous Nigerian public officials – governors, ministers, legislative leaders, and political aides – have compromised the dignity of public office through personal indulgences. Former Governor Adams Oshiomhole recently courted controversy regarding a widely circulated video involving a South African lifestyle influencer (euphemism for prostitutes) Ms. Leshaan Dagama, aboard a chartered aircraft. Such conduct appears to be a recurring pastime among powerful men.

Upon reading my previous piece, someone reminded me that all men, regardless of their situation in places of power, remain complicit in the borderless irritancy of the male member. Malawian feminist scholar and former government minister, Dr. Jessie Kabwila, noted this during a public address in June 2025. There, she stated candidly: «All men are weak before women.» Centuries prior, in his seminal History of Sexuality, philosopher Michel Foucault similarly challenged Western society’s understanding of sex, power, and discipline, demonstrating how carnal desires intersect with structures of institutional control.

What has largely kept the full truth of Abacha’s final moments shrouded from public scrutiny is religious sensitivity. Till date, no one knows what ailed and probably killed Umaru Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari. I strongly advocate that Nigerian leaders ought to be exempt from religious boundaries from the moment of their ascension to office up until their death. Upon assumption of office, they should totally become the collective property of the Nigerian state. Consequently, the full, unvarnished facts surrounding their final days should belong strictly to the public record, free from religious taboos, hypocritical cover-ups, or selective official secrecy.

Big Brother Naija (BBN) Season 11 officially kicks off in a few hours, and fans across Nigeria are eager to follow all the house drama as it unfolds.

In this article, Tribune Online highlights things to know before BBNaija season eleven goes live.

Premiere time and broadcast channels

The grand opening performance kicks off by 7:00 PM Nigerian time. You can watch the live opening event on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv channel 151) and Africa Magic Family (DStv channel 154 and GOtv channel 7).

For streaming, you can make use of mobile phones and laptops, as the show will also air live on the DStv Stream and GOtv Stream applications. Once the launch show ends, the 24-hour non-stop feed will move to DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 49.

Return of host and show duration

Media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu returns as the main host for this season.

The show will run for ten weeks of daily drama, Head of House games, arena tasks, and Saturday night parties.

Record-breaking grand prize

According to official reports from MultiChoice Nigeria, this new edition comes with the highest reward package in the history of the reality series.

The ultimate winner will walk away with a total grand prize valued at ?160 million.

This reward includes ?100 million in cash, a brand-new luxury SUV, and other exciting items. With this massive prize at stake, viewers should expect intense rivalry and top-notch strategy right from the first day inside Biggie’s house.

A man in China caught driving while intoxicated convinced his family to help him fake his own burial in order to escape the legal consequences of his actions, the country’s media reported.

Police in Hunan, China, recently published the details of a bizarre case dating back to January this year.

A man known simply as Si was pulled over by a police car and subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

A background check revealed that he had been caught driving without a licence while intoxicated twice before, so Si risked spending time behind bars for his third offence.

While out on bail, Si decided that the risk of being issued a prison sentence was too great, so he came up with an extreme plan to avoid any legal consequences for his drunk driving.

He convinced his family to assist him in faking his death and funeral so that he could run away without the fear of police looking for him.

In June, Si and his family set their plan in motion. First, they bought a coffin and then Si set the scene of his death.

He scattered empty medicine bottles throughout his home, practised holding his breath for long periods of time, and even used cooling equipment to keep his body cold, all in an effort to make it look like he had succumbed to a drug overdose.

Even though some neighbours later told police that they had seen Si’s body, his mother and grandmother covered his face with a cloth, claiming that the drugs had deformed his face.

The funeral was carried out that same day, but while the coffin was being lowered into the ground, Si was already on his way to Yunnan Province.

The story however did not end with his fake death. There were some loose ends that police quickly picked up, like the fact that Si’s coffin had been purchased before his death and the fact that his family never called an ambulance or alerted the police about his untimely death.

Police later learnt that there had been no death certificate issued for Si nor a record of his body in any mortuary. The fact that none of the neighbours had seen his face before his burial only added to their suspicions.

Surveillance footage and bank records later confirmed that SI was still alive, and police launched a manhunt to find him.

Si was apprehended in early this month and later sentenced to five months of criminal detention and a 20,000 yuan ($3,000) fine.

A separate criminal investigation is now gathering evidence against his mother and grandmother for assisting and harbouring an offender.

All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted its National Campaign Council and sub-committees ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun, with Imo Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, appointed as chairman of the council.

The party said the campaign council would be formally inaugurated on Tuesday at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, at 12 noon.

This was contained in a statement issued by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka.

According to the statement, the council will have three co-chairmen: Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political and Other Matters, Hon. Ibrahim Kabir Masari, was named Deputy Chairman of the council, while the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, will serve as Secretary.

The APC said the council comprises party leaders, governors, members of the National Working Committee, principal officers of the National Assembly, ministers, federal and state lawmakers, and other key stakeholders drawn from across the country.

According to the party, the council is expected to coordinate and drive its campaign activities towards securing victory in the off-cycle governorship election.

The statement added that the APC had also constituted specialised sub-committees to ensure effective planning and implementation of its campaign strategy.

The committees cover Election Planning and Management, Finance and Resource Mobilisation, Contact, Grassroots Engagement and Mobilisation, Logistics and Campaign Management, Monitoring and Compliance, Protocol, Media and Publicity, Security, Youth Mobilisation, Special Interest (Persons with Disabilities) Mobilisation, Women’s Mobilisation, and Secretariat functions.

The APC said the structures were designed to ensure seamless coordination of campaign activities ahead of the August 15 poll in Osun.

IN the build-up to the recently concluded nomination exercise of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), it wasn’t a secret that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, was headed for the Senate to represent Kaduna North. Many of his colleagues in the lower chamber knew about the ‘upgrade’ and were already nostalgic about the imminent ‘loss’ of their largely personable leader. The number four citizen even printed invites (though Gibbers can confirm the distribution of the same was shelved at the last minute) to his planned public declaration for the Senate in his Zaria base.

Then something changed!

There was a U-turn and Abbas ‘decided’ to cling to his Zaria Federal Constituency seat that catapulted him to the speakership over the last three years and, with the backpedalling, the centre would appear to have collapsed between his camp and that of Governor Uba Sani. The crisis of confidence between the two major groups dominating the Kaduna chapter of the ruling party blew into the open recently, forcing the usually reticent Speaker to publicly speak to it, albeit denying that his relationship with the governor had soured.

Addressing supporters, he said, ‘The governor and I enjoy a close relationship founded on trust, mutual respect and a common determination to improve the welfare of our people through purposeful leadership and effective collaboration.

‘The office of the Speaker is not only a blessing to Zaria or Kaduna North Senatorial District; it is a blessing to Kaduna State as a whole. We are committed to serving every part of the state with fairness, justice and inclusiveness, while ensuring that government programmes and development projects reach communities without discrimination or political consideration.’

For those who have always known him, especially through relationships forged in his younger, schooling years, the speech is the typical Abbas; the one to douse tension and seek peace as necessary.

But today’s politics would seem to require a different temperament. When Abbas ‘flipped’ and walked away from the Senate ticket, he reportedly threw a spanner in the carefully choreographed moves that would see the governor’s younger brother take up the Reps seat Abbas was to leave behind. The bigger stake was allegedly using the ‘upgrade’ to cast off the governor’s neck the political ‘yoke’ that comes with the state and its APC chapter producing the country’s number four citizen, for another four years.

It should be noted that the governor’s alleged discomfort with having a party man, with federal might, as a co-political lord, isn’t unexampled. It’s almost as historical as it is commonplace, maybe with different decibels of hysteria, from state to state and space to space. In his adopted home state, Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have had an on-and-off political relationship, with the current tension between them being over the Republican nominee to succeed the term-limited governor. While the president, the undisputed GOP national leader, wants black Congressman Rep. Byron Donalds, the outgoing governor has refused to endorse his leader’s candidate, who used to be his close ally before siding with Trump against the governor in the 2024 Republican nomination for president.

Back to Kaduna, with the detour by Abbas, Sani’s alleged projections simply collapsed.

A failed coup?

Both Kaduna APC lords are fierce loyalists of President Tinubu. While Sani is playing a dominant role in the president’s re-election campaign as deputy to Hope Uzodinma, the Renewed Hope Ambassador DG, it’s an open secret that Abbas, from the very beginning of his unlikely ascension to the number four citizen’s seat, has been a reliable enforcer for the Nigerian leader in the power game of the lower chamber.

With Nasir el-Rufai, Tinubu’s former main man in Kaduna, now out of favour, out of the party and neatly tucked in the dungeon, likely pending the conclusion of the general election next year, a leadership vacancy and vacuum definitely beckoned in the state’s ruling party, and the Yoruba will say there can’t be two kings in a palace. Well, the lingering Kano emir dispute would seem to have blunted the edge of the age-old truism, but the two emirs tussling in the emirate aren’t locking horns from the same palace. One is in the palace, the other, in the palace’s guest house. But both claimants still answer to the same title, possibly until the Supreme Court decides who was lawfully chosen and lawfully sacked between the duo. Someone may also want to say that would depend on the apex court coming out with enough clarity this time that won’t give room for opposing parties to be claiming victory from the same judgement that should clearly spell out a winner and a loser. So much for justice.

When Governor Sani and his benefactor, el-Rufai, parted ways, it made political sense for the governor to build new bridges and alliances and, until the recent burst, both Sani and Speaker Abbas were seen as buddy-buddy, though insiders claimed that the bromance had always been under strain. But it would seem the Speaker’s politics is as simple as his usually expressionless visage. Even after the president reportedly assured him of ‘continuity’, which implies he would keep the gavel for another four years, he reportedly acquiesced to the governor’s prodding to go to the Senate, again, allegedly with the approval of the president.

The presidency connection

With the totalitarian nature of President Bola Tinubu’s politics, it will always be easy-peasy for those with privileged access to him to use him as a meal ticket. In Lagos, even the councillorship candidates’ list is still reportedly run by and through him, even when he would not readily know those on it, making it easy for the dubious among his close political associates to shamelessly manipulate nomination contests with ‘Asiwaju so pe’ (Tinubu has decreed it). The syndrome also permeated the just-done APC National Assembly nominations in the state, leading to quality first-termers, including a beloved uncle, losing to the greed of some Bourdillon charlatans. But I digress.

Governor Sani allegedly invoked the president’s name in persuading Abbas to drop the gavel and move ‘up’ and sources in the know claimed the governor wasn’t fabricating the presidential approval claim. How can one person be approbating and reprobating?

Somehow Abbas, according to his inner circle, would not even bother to check back with the Nigerian leader on why he was changing his mind about him, and at a point he was said to be seriously considering walking away from politics altogether next year, instead of becoming what the Yoruba will call akùk?´ joyè (titular head), but before he could make the ìlèsànmí (quitting with dignity) decision, a very senior official of the administration (redacting his identity for a purpose), with unfettered access to the president, would not just let go. With some principal officers, he reportedly led an inquiry delegation to the president to know why he didn’t want the Speaker again.

The team also reportedly let the president into what was playing out in Kaduna, especially the permutations. Convinced the Speaker was about losing to the shenanigans of politics, the president allegedly directed that Abbas should hold on to his Reps ticket and, if re-elected, which is almost certain, his number four seat.

President Tinubu’s politics doesn’t cut the picture of justice for the cheated. His antecedents don’t suggest it. He has tons of cut-throat political records for his critics to back the assertion up. But twice now, he has proved that he could disprove the disposition, maybe when occasionally touched by the Spirit of God.

When the NTA top leadership was flushed out in a seeming coup by one of his aides who once ran a failed satellite television company, he recalled the affected top shots within hours, despite signing off on their sacking in the first instance, the moment his Minister of Information, who was kept in the dark on the matter, was able to convince him that his earlier sacking approval was obtained by subterfuge.

The Kaduna reversal looks like a repeat and just as he managed to still keep the scheming aide close despite foiling his coup at NTA, I believe he would find a way to still keep Sani by his side even when he has burst the governor’s move against the Speaker.

Who is Kaduna APC leader?

For the APC under the Tinubu presidency, governors are deemed the leaders of the state chapters where the party rules and maybe the most senior appointed or elected officials in the few states it doesn’t control. But there have been a lot of exceptions. Who is Sanwo-Olu to attempt to decide for the ruling party in Lagos? In fact, in the last council poll in the state of the President, not even a councillorship was reportedly ceded to him even in his base, simply because the real leader in the state, President Tinubu, was angry with him over his alleged role in the crisis that engulfed the state House of Assembly following the removal of the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.

The same scenario has played out in Rivers. Even with Governor Sim Fubara porting to the APC, the blind can smell the authentic APC leader in the state. The bizarre dimension to the Rivers situation is that the person calling the shots in the APC isn’t even a member of the party. Politics is filled with stranger-than-fiction situations.

But by the party’s convention, Governor Sani is the assumed leader of the APC in the crucial vote-rich North-West swing state. But he has the ‘misfortune’ of his state and party producing the number four citizen of the country, who is higher up in the official protocol list. Unfortunately again for the governor, the national figure from his state seems to carry more political aura, value and weight than him and is far more beloved.

Incidentally, Governor Sani is the one I can claim to know somehow between the duo. I got to interact with his ‘team’ sometime in 2024 during the judicial consideration of complaints against his 2023 electoral victory. Abbas, I have no relationship whatsoever with, but the regular rave reviews of his project deliveries can’t but catch attention.

I learnt that the anger from the governor’s camp stemmed from Abbas appearing to do too many projects in the state under the zonal intervention initiative, better known as ‘constituency projects’. Naturally, anyone with a low confidence level will also feel threatened, humiliated and overshadowed, especially a governor who is supposed to be the man on the ground. I gathered from insiders that the project siting issue became so intense that some of the projects facilitated and financed by the Speaker had to be conceded to the state government as its projects and allowed to be commissioned under the Sani administration banner of project delivery to the people of the state.

Abbas is reportedly into such concession to ensure every part of the state benefits from his national stature, also trying not to dwarf the state government at the same time. It is a kind of stooping to conquer, and that would seem the right thing to do in the circumstance, but a man’s ego is a man’s ego. And now that both men are likely to hold on to their current jobs till 2031, the head-butting may not abate anytime soon.

A tale of three Zaria ‘boys’

Interestingly, both Uba Sani and Abbas are from the politically conscious Zaria. El-Rufai, also. Call them the three disparate Zaria musketeers. Or call what is ongoing between Abbas and Sani a tale of two Zaria ‘boys’. Both are very close to the President and openly working to re-elect him. But they could end up handing the state again to the opposition, particularly Atiku Abubakar’s ADC, if they don’t close ranks quickly and pool resources together to safeguard their turf.

With the Tinubu administration gradually making a martyr of el-Rufai, all eyes would be on the state in the January poll. His men can’t afford to be on each other’s necks. In 2023, Atiku, running on the PDP’s platform, easily won the state with el-Rufai as the sitting governor, vociferously backing Tinubu. Atiku’s PDP also swept nearly all the National Assembly seats, with Abbas coming in as the lone APC lawmaker from the state. Today, he has almost harvested all the PDP Reps from the state into the APC.

The 2023 governorship poll in the state was a hair’s breadth for the APC. But for the jurisprudential brilliance of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, Uba’s electoral victory might not have withstood judicial scrutiny.

The 2027 dynamics are definitely different, but still not completely conducive to the governor despite his open romance with Southern Kaduna, which had always been at loggerheads with the state’s ruling establishment.

Aside from the anger of the Fulani Muslims against Sani for drawing the mainly Christian South of the state into the mainstream of governance, the fact that his ticket, fixed for him by el-Rufai, is still Muslim-Muslim like Tinubu’s is still an issue for some Christians in the state despite his open embrace of the Christian community.

Then his eternal rival and main opponent in 2027, who lost narrowly to him in 2023, has now opted for a Christian running mate.

Hopefully, Bayo Ojo will save the day again.

Nigeria is pushing for expanded job opportunities for its citizens in Qatar and stronger cooperation in the energy sector, following high-level diplomatic engagements in Doha on Sunday.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, Mahmood Yakubu, held separate meetings with Qatari government officials and leadership of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) as part of efforts to deepen bilateral ties.

Ambassador Yakubu was received by Qatari Minister of Labour, Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri.

Discussions focused on opening up more employment prospects for Nigerian nationals in Qatar.

The envoy said the initiative aligns with the ‘4D Doctrine’ of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which prioritises Democracy, Development, Demography, and active Diaspora engagement.

Later on Sunday, Ambassador Yakubu hosted a delegation from the GECF led by its Secretary-General, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, a Nigerian national.

The GECF is headquartered in Doha. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, currently serves as Chairman of its ministerial meetings.

Two Nigerians recently evacuated from South Africa on Saturday recounted the discrimination, financial hardship and bureaucratic obstacles they faced abroad, as the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) used the occasion to encourage young Nigerians to pursue their ambitions at home and abroad with resilience and determination.

The returnees spoke at the 2026 National Diaspora Day Youth Empowerment Summit in Abuja, where NiDCOM Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged Nigerian youths to believe in themselves, embrace leadership and draw inspiration from the experiences of Nigerians who had overcome adversity.

Dabiri-Erewa said the summit was designed to inspire and equip young Nigerians with the knowledge and confidence needed to become responsible leaders and contribute meaningfully to national development.

She urged participants to make the most of the experiences shared by resource persons and panellists, stressing the need to develop leadership skills, overcome challenges and remain proud of their Nigerian identity.

The NiDCOM boss recalled that some participants had attended similar capacity-building programmes in previous years and later returned to share success stories, describing mentorship as a powerful tool for youth empowerment.

One of the returnees, a chemical engineering student, narrated how he successfully combined his university education in South Africa with operating a tutoring business that served more than 30 students every week before circumstances compelled him to return to Nigeria.

He said he hoped to complete his education and build a career in Nigeria’s power and petroleum sectors.

While he admitted missing the friendships he had built in South Africa, he said he did not miss the discrimination and bureaucratic hurdles he encountered during his stay.

Another returnee, Mrs Maria Adeyemi, recounted the challenges she and her family experienced, including documentation problems, financial losses and prolonged separation from her husband.

She expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government for facilitating their evacuation through NiDCOM’s intervention.

Adeyemi also disclosed plans to establish a restaurant in Nigeria, saying she hoped to contribute to the country’s hospitality industry with her culinary skills.

Responding to their testimonies, Dabiri-Erewa assured the returnees that NiDCOM would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to support their reintegration and help them realise their aspirations.

She reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to promoting youth development, supporting Nigerians in the diaspora and assisting returnees to rebuild their lives.

Earlier, she encouraged young Nigerians to dream big and remain determined despite challenges.

According to her, nothing was impossible for young people who were focused, resilient and willing to learn.

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of ARCO Group Plc, Engr Alfred Okoigun, urged Nigerian youths to embrace innovation, integrity and lifelong learning as essential values for driving national development.

Okoigun commended NiDCOM for creating a platform that connects young Nigerians with accomplished professionals and members of the diaspora, describing it as a valuable avenue for mentorship, collaboration and nation-building.

He also applauded the Federal Government for supporting initiatives that empower young Nigerians while leveraging the expertise of Nigerians in the diaspora to promote sustainable national development.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Zamfara State has condemned the recent attacks by bandits in the Talata Mafara and Bungudu Local Government Areas, which targeted both the community and security forces. The party described these attacks as unacceptable.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Gusau, the state NDC publicity secretary, Alkassim Kayatawa, noted that the Zamfara State chairman, Alhaji Surajo Maikatako, extends profound condolences to the families and communities affected by the recent wave of terrorist attacks in the state.

The statement reads in parts: ‘It is with deep shock and sorrow that we received the heartbreaking news of the brutal murder of innocent farmers in the communities of Sauna and Ruwan Gora, Talata Mafara LGA.

‘These hardworking citizens were ruthlessly killed by bandits while several others sustained severe injuries. Our hearts go out to the grieving families, and we share in their immeasurable pain.

‘Equally, in a horrific incident, terrorists invaded Bungudu LGA, abducted the current Local Government Council Chairman; they murdered his security detail, including two gallant policemen and two vigilante members.

‘We commiserate with the families of these fallen heroes who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

‘The Zamfara NDC strongly condemns these heinous and cowardly acts of terrorism.

‘The continued loss of innocent lives and the deliberate targeting of community leaders and security personnel are unacceptable and represent a grave threat to the peace and stability of our state.

NDC concluded by calling on the Federal Government and the Zamfara State Government to take immediate, decisive, and comprehensive action to end this banditry.

A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, AIG Jimoh Olorundare Moshood, to arrest, investigate and prosecute social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over alleged cybercrime and defamatory online attacks.

The call was contained in a petition signed by the National Coordinator and Convener of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Peace, Security, Good Governance, Equity and Justice, Comrade James Okoronkwo.

According to the coalition, VeryDarkMan has, in recent weeks, allegedly used his social media platforms to launch what it described as coordinated and defamatory attacks against the senior police officer and the Nigeria Police Force.

The petition alleged that the content published by the activist was intended to undermine the integrity of the AIG and the authority of his office.

‘We write to officially petition your highly esteemed office regarding the continuous, malicious and coordinated cyber-attacks perpetrated by a social media actor known as Mr Martins Otse (widely known as VDM),’ the petition stated.

It further alleged that the activist had been broadcasting ‘baseless allegations’ capable of inciting public hostility, arguing that the conduct went beyond social media commentary and constituted offences under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, including alleged cyberstalking, criminal defamation and actions likely to cause a breach of public peace.

The coalition said it had already embarked on media campaigns to counter what it described as false narratives against the police officer but maintained that public rebuttals alone were insufficient.

‘As a frontline civil society coalition dedicated to the defence of our national security institutions, we have already deployed extensive media resources to publicly debunk these malicious narratives and shield your office from this unwarranted digital blackmail. However, media rebuttals alone are insufficient to deter chronic cyber-anarchists,’ the petition added.

The group urged the police authorities to immediately arrest the social media influencer, conduct a comprehensive forensic investigation into his online activities and identify any alleged sponsors or collaborators.

It also called for his prompt prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.

‘Our coalition hereby formally demands the immediate arrest of Mr Martins Otse (VDM), a comprehensive investigation into his digital footprints, his enablers and the alleged sponsors of this smear campaign, as well as his prompt arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction.

‘A threat to the integrity of a high-ranking officer of the Nigeria Police Force is a threat to national security. We urge you to deploy the full weight of the law without delay,’ the petition stated.

The coalition also pledged to continue supporting the police through media advocacy and civil society engagement as the matter progresses.

As of the time of filing this report, VeryDarkMan had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the petition, while the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement on the request.