Category: Nigerian Tribune

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has promised to equip homes across Nigeria with between 11 and 15 kilowatts of solar power within 11 months of assuming office if elected president in 2027.

Adebayo made the pledge on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he outlined his plans for tackling Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges.

He said his administration would establish solar-panel manufacturing plants across the country while training Nigerians in the installation, operation and maintenance of solar energy systems.

‘I promise that between 11 to 15 kilowatts of solar power will be put on every roof within 11 months,’ he said.

The SDP candidate said his interest in solar technology was not limited to policy proposals, claiming that he had previously experimented with the technology in his hometown and trained about 2,000 people in the sector.

‘I did an experiment in my hometown. I have about 2,000 people I trained on solar, because I manufacture the solar panels myself. I do lithium battery.

‘The only thing I haven’t got the technological power to do is the inverter. So I buy the inverter. I do the solar battery,’ he said.

Adebayo said Nigeria could partner with countries including China, Turkey and India to establish solar-panel manufacturing facilities, with local workers trained to manage the plants.

According to him, the proposed solar clusters would provide electricity for households while creating employment opportunities and reducing pressure on the national grid.

‘You put all of that in, and you generate employment, and you now generate up to 32,000 megawatts from these clusters that you do. Then you forget about it. I told them that this is the way we are going to manage the national grid.

‘National grid is a backup. In case a cluster fails, you will power from there,’ Adebayo said.

He also proposed greater government participation in strategic sectors of the economy, arguing that the state could invest in critical industries through operating and maintenance arrangements rather than leaving them entirely in the hands of private operators.

On the energy sector, Adebayo said his administration would prioritise domestic crude oil refining and intensify efforts to tackle oil theft, which he identified as major obstacles to energy security and economic growth.

He claimed that up to 900,000 barrels of crude oil were still being stolen, arguing that recovering the lost production would increase supply without imposing additional financial burdens on the government.

Adebayo further argued that public investment in sectors such as electricity and education could serve a dual purpose by improving essential services while creating employment for Nigerians.

He said workers employed in such sectors would earn incomes, thereby contributing to economic activity and improving household purchasing power.

Ghanaian streamer Emmanuel Addo Boatey, popularly known as Kwekuaddo, has responded to criticism that his growing profile has been driven largely by collaborations with established public figures.

Kwekuaddo said his livestreaming career had developed through a combination of independent programming and collaborations with other personalities.

The streamer, who began streaming consistently in 2025, has worked with personalities including Geh Geh, Medikal, Agradaa and Ebo Noah.

The collaborations have attracted attention to his broadcasts. Kwekuaddo said his livestream with Geh Geh peaked at about 11,000 live viewers and later generated more than 300,000 views.

The figures were provided by the streamer and were not independently verified.

However, Kwekuaddo said the attention had also attracted criticism, particularly claims that he relied on collaborations rather than developing original content.

‘They say all I do is collaborate but [I am] not doing my own thing,’ he said.

The criticism comes amid growing competition in the livestreaming space, where collaborations can help creators reach new audiences but can also raise questions about whether viewers will remain when high-profile guests are no longer featured.

Kwekuaddo said one of the most important aspects of his work was a programme he described as his ‘Court stream’, where he discusses relationship issues and attempts to resolve disputes brought before the broadcast.

He identified the programme as the biggest moment of his streaming career so far.

According to him, the format was part of his effort to develop content beyond celebrity appearances and personality-driven broadcasts.

Despite this, collaborations have remained an important part of his public visibility.

A livestream with Geh Geh, for instance, attracted attention partly because viewers wanted to hear the personality address questions about marriage after he had reportedly advised others against rushing into it.

Kwekuaddo said some of his guests also attracted public interest because they rarely appeared in conventional interviews.

‘They were talked about because most of them barely appear in interviews,’ he said.

For livestreamers, collaborations and original programming often overlap, with high-profile guests capable of drawing immediate audiences while recurring programmes can help creators retain viewers.

Kwekuaddo said his experience had taught him that public attention often came with assumptions about how a creator achieved success.

He also said he had changed how he responded to criticism, adding that he had learned not to ‘over explain’ himself online.

For now, the streamer faces the challenge of converting the attention generated by major collaborations into a sustained audience for his own programmes.

The global job market is shifting rapidly, and standard classroom chalk-and-talk learning is no longer enough to help teenagers compete internationally. Across the world, industries run on automation, data security, and intelligent systems.

Nigerian parents and educators have realized that waiting until university before exposing children to technical skills leaves them at a disadvantage.

Early exposure to machine learning, basic cybersecurity hygiene, and hardware engineering sharpens a child’s problem-solving skills and critical thinking before they even write their school-leaving examinations.

According to research from the World Economic Forum, technological literacy, analytical thinking, and cybersecurity awareness rank among the most crucial skills needed for the future of work.

In this article, Tribune Online examines the leading secondary schools in Nigeria that have invested heavily in modern innovation labs, practical coding bootcamps, and robotics training.

Greensprings School, Lagos

Greensprings School has positioned itself at the forefront of modern STEM education by embedding Artificial Intelligence and robotics directly into its weekly school timetable. The school partnered with leading technology firms through initiatives like the Next Robotics Legend program.

Students in both lower and senior secondary classes do not merely study computer theories on a chalkboard. They learn Python programming, build physical circuits with microcontrollers, and write code to control robotic assemblies in purpose-built innovation labs.

Corona Secondary School, Agbara

Corona Secondary School provides an expansive digital campus backed by a dedicated technology and robotics hub. The institution emphasizes that modern students must understand both software logic and the hardware infrastructure that supports it.

At Corona, learners engage in hands-on STEM electives where they test autonomous rovers and learn network safety essentials. Their comprehensive IT curriculum enables students to understand safe digital habits and basic cybersecurity principles from their junior secondary years.

Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa, Abuja

Proving that world-class technical education is not exclusive to high-fee private academies, Government Secondary School (GSS) Gwarinpa has gained international acclaim. The school’s dedicated robotics club, known as Team Bright Stars, represents a new wave of public education innovation.

Students from GSS Gwarinpa finished fourth globally and first in Africa at the prestigious Robotics for Good Youth Challenge in Geneva. Their students build functional AI prototypes, including agricultural robots and disaster response machines.

Grange School, Ikeja

Grange School has a longstanding tradition of academic excellence combined with a progressive extracurricular STEM and computing framework. The school introduces learners to computational thinking right from early key stages up through the British IGCSE programme.

Students at Grange work with robotics development kits, exploring sensor-based automation and competitive robotics. In parallel, students explore safe coding practices and ethical internet behavior, giving them a grounded start in digital security.

Atlantic Hall, Poka-Epe

Atlantic Hall combines pastoral boarding life with a deliberate commitment to modern educational technology. The school’s science and ICT suites feature facilities that support programming, data handling, and automated design.

Through dedicated tech clubs and summer engineering programs, students experiment with software creation, robotics kits, and data privacy principles. The focus is on encouraging students to transition from passive consumers of electronic media into active builders of digital solutions.

Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, Lagos

Vivian Fowler Memorial College has consistently broken stereotypes regarding gender in technical education. The all-girls institution has made robotics, coding, and engineering design fundamental pillars of its extracurricular activities.

Students here have repeatedly represented Nigeria in international competitions, building functional prototypes that tackle challenges ranging from flood monitoring to waste management. Their learners also receive structured workshops on internet safety and basic defensive cybersecurity.

Children’s International School (CIS), Lekki

Children’s International School offers a modern, tech-forward learning environment equipped with maker labs and interactive computing rooms. The school adopts an integrated STEAM curriculum that encourages students to merge design with functionality.

CIS students learn programming languages such as Scratch and Python, and they regularly assemble modular robotics kits. The school’s digital literacy curriculum also addresses digital forensics and responsible data sharing.

Day Waterman College, Abeokuta

Set on an expansive, purpose-built campus in Ogun State, Day Waterman College provides top-tier facilities that support modern computer science. The school’s design and technology workshops are equipped to give learners genuine hands-on engineering experience.

Students are guided step by step through circuit assembly, mechanical modeling, and software writing. Tech-focused clubs on campus give teenagers early exposure to how algorithmic thinking and cybersecurity protect real-world systems.

Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja

Premiere Academy has invested in specialised ICT and electronics laboratories designed to nurture budding engineers and computer scientists. The boarding school offers structured weekend and after-school clubs dedicated to automation and robotics.

Learners at Premiere build simple autonomous devices and learn the basics of website creation, system administration, and internet hygiene. This balanced training gives them practical skills that carry over directly into tertiary computer engineering programs.

Louisville Girls High School, Ijebu-Itele

Louisville Girls High School has earned a national reputation for academic discipline and technological innovation. The school’s students regularly feature in national science and engineering fairs, showcasing inventive electronic projects.

The school equips young women with solid computational reasoning, microcontroller programming skills, and algorithmic logic. Students also learn the importance of network security and safe digital citizenship, setting a strong foundation for future careers in tech.

The Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA) has reaffirmed the outright ban on the display and pasting of posters across Enugu State, warning political parties, candidates, aspirants, campaign organisations, supporters, printers, advertisers, marketers and members of the public against violating the directive.

The agency issued the reminder on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, ahead of the Enugu State Local Government Elections scheduled for September 26 and the 2027 general elections, with political activities and campaigns expected to intensify across the state.

In a public notice signed by its General Manager, Hon. Francis Aninwike, ENSSAA said the ban was pursuant to the provisions of the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency Law No. 12 of 2016, particularly Sections 4(1)(g), 33 and 34(4)(9), which provide the statutory basis for the agency’s regulation and control of outdoor advertising and the display of posters and other advertising materials.

‘The ban on the display and pasting of posters remains in force across Enugu State,’ the agency said, making clear that the restriction is not limited to political or election-related posters but applies to all types of posters.

It said the specific emphasis on election campaign posters at this time was necessitated by the approaching elections, during which public and private surfaces and spaces are particularly prone to widespread defacement through the indiscriminate pasting of political posters.

‘Accordingly, political parties, candidates, aspirants, campaign organisations and their supporters are reminded that posters bearing their names, photographs, logos, messages, slogans or other campaign materials are equally covered by the ban,’ ENSSAA said.

The agency stressed that the ban means no person or organisation is permitted to paste, affix or display posters anywhere on public or private property in the state.

‘No person, political party, candidate, aspirant, campaign organisation or supporter is permitted to paste, affix or display posters on buildings, walls, fences, bridges, electricity poles, road infrastructure, public facilities or any other public or private surface or space within Enugu State,’ it said.

ENSSAA said the indiscriminate pasting and display of posters deface public and private property, degrade the environment and undermine the aesthetic appearance of the state’s cities, towns and communities.

The agency also issued a specific warning to printers and printing establishments, cautioning them against producing or facilitating posters intended for unauthorised display or pasting.

‘Where any such poster is traced to a printer, the printer may be subject to investigation and appropriate sanctions where its involvement in the violation is established in accordance with the law,’ the notice stated.

ENSSAA further reminded the public that anyone who violates the ban on the pasting or display of posters in Enugu State is liable to a fine of up to Fifty Million Naira (N50,000,000) in accordance with the applicable law and regulations.

It warned that anyone caught pasting or displaying posters in violation of the ban would face the full force of the law, including applicable financial penalties and other sanctions prescribed by law.

The agency advised political parties, candidates, aspirants and campaign organisations to use radio, television, print and digital/social media, as well as approved billboards, to reach their audiences and voters.

ENSSAA urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the agency in preserving the cleanliness, environmental quality and aesthetic integrity of Enugu State.

It also reiterated that the ban applies equally and without fear or favour to all persons, political parties, candidates, aspirants, organisations and individuals, irrespective of political affiliation or status.

‘The ban remains in force. All are hereby advised to comply accordingly,’ the agency said.

Social media have become search engines, without anyone knowing. When it comes to recommendations for clothes, software or cooking, millions of Internet users worldwide don’t go straight to the tried-and-tested browsers anymore. On the contrary, they type their everyday questions into platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Your caption is the algorithm’s directions, when you create content. Without being able to clearly comprehend what your post has to offer, the algorithm will never reach the audience looking for that topic. The best caption will extend the life of your content, and people around the world will easily find your videos and graphics months

In this article, Tribune Online examines the exact steps required to transform ordinary captions into searchable, high-ranking results.

Focus on particular search terms initially

Before you write down one word, you need to know what your audience will type into a search bar. Platforms display real-time search terms in the search dropdown bar, giving them an insight into what users are searching in the world. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to achieving long-term social engagement, rather than simply going viral for the moment.

Position core keywords in the opening line

Your caption’s first sentence holds the most weight with the algorithm. Use your focus word in the first 5 to 8 words of your post; the system will pick it up as the main topic of your post. This placement also catches the reader’s attention immediately, as the platform cuts the text behind a ‘more’ button.

Provide descriptive context in natural sentences

Algorithms analyse full sentences to understand user intent rather than counting isolated words. Explain your topic thoroughly using supporting phrases, synonyms, and practical details that directly address the user’s problem. Avoid stuffing repetitive keywords, as platforms penalize spam-like writing in favor of clear, readable explanations.

Use niche hashtags as secondary index markers

Hashtags no longer dominate visibility on their own, but they serve as essential secondary category tags. Select three to five highly specific hashtags that reinforce your primary keyword instead of broad tags like #viral. This targeted approach helps the search engine categorise your content accurately for global searchers.

Writing search-optimised captions turns everyday posts into durable, evergreen assets. Once you treat social captions like mini web articles, your content reliably surfaces whenever anyone searches for solutions in your niche.

A Professor of Mechanical and Structural Materials Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Kenneth Kanayo Alaneme, says that Nigeria must begin to see agricultural and industrial waste as valuable resources, and harness them to develop indigenous technologies, create wealth and drive industrial growth.

Delivering FUTA’s 206th Inaugural Lecture on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Professor Alaneme noted that Nigeria’s agricultural and industrial activities generate substantial quantities of wastes and secondary materials that, rather than being discarded, could serve as feed stocks for the production of useful engineering materials.

According to him, agro-industrial wastes, industrial scraps and other secondary resources could be transformed into value-added products, reducing environmental pollution and pressure on virgin resources while creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment and industrial development.

He called for a deliberate shift from dependence on imported materials and technologies to the development of sustainable, locally sourced engineering solutions capable of addressing Nigeria’s peculiar challenges.

Speaking on the title , ‘Sustainable Materials Design: Prescription for Optimising Resource Efficiency, Functionality, and Structural Integrity’, Professor Alaneme drew from 26 years of research and scholarship to demonstrate how Nigeria could harness its abundant agricultural, industrial, mineral and human resources to develop sustainable materials and technologies.

He stressed that the challenge was not simply to dispose of waste, but to develop the scientific and technological capacity to convert waste into reliable resources and commercially valuable products. Such an approach, he said, could help Nigeria reduce its dependence on imported raw materials, strengthen local manufacturing and retain more value within the economy.

The lecturer observed that technological advancement throughout history had been closely linked to developments in materials technology. He, however, noted that Nigeria and other developing economies remained largely at the lower end of the global materials value chain, exporting primary resources while importing refined materials, finished products and technologies.

He identified dependence on imported materials, inadequate local manufacturing capacity, high production costs and weak standardisation as major constraints to the development of a competitive and reliable Nigerian engineering sector.

Against this background, Professor Alaneme stressed the need to explore locally available resources, including materials that are currently regarded as waste, as the basis for technological innovation. He noted that Nigeria’s agricultural residues, industrial by-products and other secondary resources could provide important feed stocks for developing engineering materials when subjected to appropriate scientific processing and quality control.

Professor Alaneme, however, cautioned that the use of waste as a raw material does not automatically make a product sustainable.

‘Waste-derived materials could have variable composition, impurities, inconsistent supply and uncertain long-term performance. Such materials therefore require controlled processing, rigorous characterisation and quality assurance before large-scale industrial adoption,’ he noted.

He said the country’s development must be driven by its ability to identify its own challenges, harness its available resources and develop technologies suited to its environment and economic realities.

‘Wastes should no longer be viewed merely as materials to be discarded, but as potential resources for creating new materials, products, businesses and jobs,’ Alaneme said.

He challenged researchers, policymakers, universities and industry to move beyond viewing Nigeria’s wastes and raw materials as liabilities or commodities for export and instead build the knowledge, infrastructure and partnerships required to transform them into resources capable of powering innovation, industrialisation and economic transformation.

Professor Alaneme proposed the establishment of university-industry innovation clusters in areas with significant agricultural and industrial waste resources. Such clusters, he said, could bring universities, foundries, manufacturers and technology developers together to facilitate the movement of research discoveries from laboratories into commercial production.

He also urged universities to broaden their assessment of academic contributions by giving greater recognition to patents, prototypes, technology transfer and commercially deployed products alongside scholarly publications and research grants.

Summing up, Professor Alaneme stressed that Nigeria cannot import technology and expect imported solutions to develop the country, underscoring the need for sustained investment in research, innovation, local manufacturing and the development of Nigerian expertise.

Representing the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, commended Professor Alaneme for the excellent delivery of the lecture and his highly cerebral scholarship.

Professor Oluyamo said the lecture ‘reinforced the imperative for Nigeria to move from a resource-exporting and technology-importing economy to one that creates value from its own resources through indigenous knowledge, research and innovation.’

He described Professor Alaneme as an astute researcher who had made an indelible mark on intellectual discourse and contributed immensely to research and development in Nigeria and the global scientific community.

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 35-year-old man, Adamu Musa, for allegedly impersonating a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.

Musa, of Kureken Sani Quarters, Kano, was arrested on 1 September 2026, at about 7:30 p.m. by operatives of the Panshekara Police Division following credible intelligence received from the 52 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Challawa.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, preliminary investigations showed that the suspect allegedly specialised in defrauding people by posing as a senior police officer with influence over recruitment, postings and transfers.

The statement said the suspect allegedly used edited photographs and AI-generated images showing him alongside senior strategic commanders of the Nigeria Police Force to convince his victims that he had connections within the force.

He allegedly used the images and names of senior officers to promise victims police recruitment slots, transfers and postings in exchange for money.

A search of the suspect’s premises led to the recovery of one pair of black jacket uniform, two pairs of black shoes, one camouflage uniform, one blue uniform top and N300,000 cash.

The Police Command said the suspect remains in custody and would be charged to court after the completion of investigations.

The Command warned members of the public against fraudsters and impersonators who exploit photo-editing and artificial intelligence technology to create fake images with senior police officers.

It stressed that recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force is completely free, warning that no police officer is authorised to demand money for recruitment or posting.

The Command urged residents to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a police officer, particularly individuals wearing police uniforms while soliciting money, and to report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.

The Command said it remained committed to protecting lives and property and ensuring that individuals who abuse the image and uniform of the Nigeria Police Force are brought to justice.

As families prepare for the 2026/2027 academic session, the Treasured Points of Light Foundation has provided school materials and other essentials to more than 250 children in Akinjole Town, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The initiative, held on Tuesday at the Palace of the Baale of Akinjole Town, formed part of the foundation’s annual Back-to-School Outreach, which is designed to ease the financial burden on families and encourage children to return to school with confidence.

The beneficiaries, drawn from various communities in Akinjole, included children from kindergarten to senior secondary school levels. They received school bags, exercise books, stationery, textbooks, school shoes, sandals, water bottles, food flasks and lunch boxes, alongside refreshments.

The event also featured interactive and educational activities aimed at making learning enjoyable for the children.

One of the foundation’s members, Mrs Odunbosi Taiwo, coordinated a musical alphabet game in which the children were divided into two groups and challenged to sing songs beginning with letters announced by the coordinator from A to Z. The group with the highest score received gifts.

Speaking during the programme, another member of the foundation, Mrs Oluwaseun Modupeola, urged the children to take their education seriously, stressing that education was not limited to classroom attendance but also instilled knowledge, discipline and the structure required to achieve their aspirations.

She encouraged the beneficiaries to develop a lifelong commitment to learning and make good use of the opportunities provided through education.

Speaking with journalists, the foundation’s Director of Logistics and Planning, Dr Damilola Ibigbami, said the Back-to-School Outreach had been organised annually for about eight years as part of the foundation’s commitment to supporting children and families.

Ibigbami noted that the rising cost of educational materials had made it increasingly difficult for many parents to adequately prepare their children for a new academic session.

‘Things have really become more expensive by the day-school bags, school shoes, stationery, books, and all that. We came here with a little token of all these items for these children, just to help reduce the financial burden on their parents and encourage them to return to school,’ she said.

According to her, the foundation initially registered about 250 beneficiaries, but the number of children who turned up exceeded expectations.

She said volunteers, however, made efforts to ensure that the additional children were also accommodated.

Addressing the children, Ibigbami urged them to remain focused on their studies, describing education as a critical foundation for achieving their aspirations.

‘Education is not a scam. Education will always give you a structure; it will always help you to achieve your destiny. If you embrace education and focus on your studies, the sky will be your starting point,’ she said.

Ibigbami attributed the success of the outreach to the contributions of volunteers, partner organisations and donors, while appealing to individuals and corporate organisations to support the foundation so that it could extend the initiative to more communities.

The Baale of Akinjole Town, High Chief Saheed Akinjole, described the intervention as unprecedented in the community.

The traditional ruler said although he had previously supported children in the community with school uniforms, bags and sandals, the scale of the foundation’s intervention was significantly larger.

He said the excitement among the children and their parents showed the importance of the initiative, particularly at a time when many families were struggling with the rising cost of education.

High Chief Akinjole expressed appreciation to the foundation and its sponsors for bringing the programme to the community, praying for greater success and capacity for the organisation to expand its humanitarian activities.

Also speaking, the Baamowe (General Secretary) of Akinjole Town, Engr. Debi Kolawole Emmanuel, commended the foundation for what he described as a major intervention in the lives of children and families in the community.

Emmanuel said the programme was the largest outreach of its kind in the area, adding that it had provided hope and relief to families preparing their children for the new academic year.

‘A lot of people who did not even have hope had hope today. They went home with school materials and textbooks, relieving stress for their parents. This is the kind of programme where people should invest their resources to touch lives and invest in the future,’ he said.

For parents, the intervention came at a critical period.

One of the beneficiaries’ parents, Mrs Adeshina Adejoke, said she had been concerned about replacing some of her children’s school items, including books, bags, sandals and water bottles, which had become damaged.

She expressed gratitude to the foundation, saying the materials had eased some of the financial pressure on her family and would enable her children to resume school better prepared.

For one of the child beneficiaries, the outreach carried an even deeper significance.

The girl, who told journalists that she had lost her father and that her mother could not afford all the educational materials required for the new session, said receiving new exercise books and school shoes brought her immense joy.

She said the items would enable her to return to school better prepared and with renewed confidence.

The Treasured Points of Light Foundation’s eight-year Back-to-School initiative has thus gone beyond the distribution of educational materials, offering practical relief to families while giving children a renewed sense of dignity, hope and excitement as they prepare to return to the classroom.

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a purported anti-North statement allegedly attributed to him and circulated on social media.

The latest development was contained in a statement issued by his Special Assistant, Mr Jackson Udom.

In a letter signed by Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, the Senate President urged the DSS to urgently investigate the ‘creation and coordinated dissemination’ on Facebook and other digital platforms of what he described as a false, inflammatory and divisive statement attributed to him.

The alleged statement, circulated alongside Akpabio’s photograph and designation, read: ‘Northerners, you will be the ones to suffer the most if you allow Tinubu to lose the election.

Akpabio denied making the statement, saying: ‘The President of the Senate did not make this statement. No date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report has been produced to authenticate it.’

He further said the graphic carried no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source, alleging that it appeared to have been deliberately manufactured and presented as an authentic quotation.

According to the letter, the material was intended to deceive the public, provoke regional resentment against Akpabio and portray him as threatening the people of Northern Nigeria.

The document identified Abdullai Musa, who allegedly posted the graphic in a Facebook group named ‘Sheik Muhammad bin Uthman Group 24,’ as one of the earliest traceable amplifiers of the material.

It also named Uzoma Chilaka, whose Facebook post allegedly reproduced the graphic alongside commentary credited to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka, and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar, whose verified Facebook account subsequently reproduced the graphic and substantially similar commentary.

It stressed, however, that the individuals named should not be presumed guilty before investigation, describing them as ‘material persons of interest’ because of their alleged early and substantial roles in circulating the material.

It said their publication records, devices, communications, and the provenance of the image could help investigators identify the graphic’s designer, original uploader, sponsors, intermediaries, and distribution network.

Akubueze therefore urged the DSS to investigate the matter in accordance with the law and establish those responsible for creating and circulating the alleged fabricated statement.

Women, why do they push men so?

Men, why do they let women push them so?

Is it low self esteem or pure evil?

She is flat-chested.

He is not muscular.

Her waist has disappeared.

He has no six-pack.

Indeed, he has only one party-pack.

She’s too frontally endowed.

Her backside cannot be used to play badminton.

He is too big down there.

He’s just a bit bigger than a thumb.

Ah, what am I going to do with you guys?

Must we taunt each other to death?

When vanity books an appointment with the surgeon, Death sometimes gets invited too. Another death has occurred because someone or many someones goaded and pushed a man to increase the length and breadth of his thing, via surgery, from thumb size to plantain size. Oh lordy!

Seriously, there are some things in life that should come with a warning:

‘Please, think again.’

Buying a red dress? Think again if you cannot afford it.

Marrying a man because he has a Range Rover? Think again, what if the Range Rover belongs to his friend.

Taking a second wife because the first wife is now smarter than when you married her. Think. Think. THINK!

But apparently, when it comes to the human body and certain sizes of some body parts, some people simply don’t wanna think at all.

They see a stomach and say, ‘Tuck it.’

They see a backside and say, ‘Lift it.’

They see a breast and say, ‘Increase it.’

They see a penis and say, ‘Enlarge it.’

And somewhere in the background, the poor body is screaming:

‘Madam! Sir! What exactly was wrong with me?’

This week, we have been reminded in the most brutal way possible that cosmetic enhancement is not always a harmless appointment at the beauty salon.

British-Nigerian businessman and influencer Igho ‘Tiny’ Ubiribo, 43, died in Bangkok after undergoing a penile enlargement procedure. According to evidence reported from a London coroner’s inquest, about 40ml of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine had been injected into his penis. Afterwards, he developed chest pain and collapsed. He was taken to hospital, but could not be revived after prolonged CPR. The coroner concluded that he died from a pulmonary embolism caused by the filler procedure, and post-mortem examination reportedly found material consistent with the filler in his lungs.

Just pause there.

A man went looking for a bigger penis and ended up in a celebrity coffin.

That sentence is painful to write. A mother carried him in her body for nine months. So, how did ‘ordinary filler’ kill him? Maybe the human body is not designed to accommodate filler like the body of a car about to be painted.

History shows that from ancient times, men in parts of Africa and Asia used weights, stretching and other painful methods to enlarge the penis. Later centuries brought herbs, manual exercises and mechanical devices, as the pursuit of greater size persisted across cultures. Modern medicine has merely changed the instruments: vacuum pumps, surgery, implants and injectable fillers have replaced-or supplemented-the old weights and stretches.

Medical liiterature already tells us that injectable genital fillers can, in rare cases, cause catastrophic complications. A published forensic case told of a 56-year-old man who died after penile enlargement with a hyaluronic-acid product; investigators found the injected material in vessels in his lungs. Another study of genital aesthetic filler complications documented pulmonary embolism and reported seven deaths among the cases reviewed.

However, this is not an argument against every cosmetic procedure.

It is an argument against taking surgery as casually as changing your hairstyle.

Because surgery is surgery, whether it is BBL or open-heart, even when the surgeon calls it ‘a little enhancement.’

Look at how the BBL took over our backyards.

If the penis enlargement story is the new shocker, the Brazilian Butt Lift, popularly called BBL, has been giving medical professionals sleepless nights for years.

The idea sounded innocent in the beginning.

‘Take fat from where I don’t want it and put it where I want it.’

Ah!

If only the human body were a piece of furniture.

Unfortunately, fat can enter blood vessels and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal fat embolism.

A major CDC investigation into cosmetic-surgery deaths among U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic found 93 reported deaths between 2009 and 2022. In 24 fatal cases from 2019-2020 for which detailed medical records were available, liposuction had been performed in every case, gluteal fat transfer in 22, tummy tuck in 14 and breast augmentation in 11. Autopsies attributed 11 of 20 deaths to fat embolism and seven to pulmonary venous thromboembolism.

Now, before all the women carrying beautiful bottoms start cancelling their lives, let us be medically fair.

BBL is not a death sentence.

Modern safety measures, including techniques designed to keep fat in the safer superficial layer and the use of ultrasound guidance, have improved safety considerably. Recent research has found very encouraging safety results with ultrasound-guided techniques.

The point is simply this:

A BBL is surgery, not divine intervention.

You cannot enter a clinic at 10 a.m. with the body God gave you and assume you will automatically leave at 2 p.m. with the body Instagram promised you.

And then there is the tummy tuck

Ah, the famous tummy tuck.

The stomach that has survived pregnancy.

The stomach that has survived age.

The stomach that has survived amala, pounded yam, rice, shawarma, chin-chin, Christmas and three decades of Nigerian parties.

Suddenly one morning, its owner looks in the mirror and declares:

‘This stomach must go.’

Fine.

But abdominoplasty is major surgery.

The CDC data mentioned earlier found tummy tucks in 14 of those 24 fatal cosmetic-surgery cases examined for 2019-2020. Again, that does not mean tummy tucks routinely kill people. It means serious complications can occur, particularly when major procedures are combined. And therein lies another problem.

‘Since I’m already under anaesthesia…’

This sentence has probably caused more trouble than some Nigerian politicians.

‘I’ll do the tummy.’

‘Since I’m already there, do the breasts.’

‘Since the breasts are being done, add the backside.’

‘And while you’re at it, remove the fat from my thighs.’

Madam, are you renovating a human being or renovating a three-bedroom bungalow?

Medical investigations have found that an average of three cosmetic procedures were performed on each of the 24 fatal cases earlier mentioned.

The body does not care how much money you have.

The anaesthetic does not know you have 200,000 Instagram followers.

Your lungs do not care that your surgeon is popular on TikTok.

Your blood vessels have never heard of ‘influencer.’

Your heart does not become stronger because you paid in dollars.

Biology remains stubbornly democratic.

Liposuction is not exactly a vacuum cleaner.

There is something psychologically funny about the phrase ‘liposuction.’

It sounds like someone is going to attach a pipe to your stomach and suck out the excess pepper soup.

No.

It is a surgical procedure.

And although liposuction is widely performed, it carries risks including bleeding, infection, blood clots, fat embolism, fluid problems and anaesthetic complications.

In that CDC investigation, liposuction was present in all 24 of the detailed fatal cases examined. That does not mean liposuction is inherently deadly. I am still struggling with a ‘nearest in meaning ‘ word or expression for that innocent-sounding procedure. But while we are searching, let us agree that

‘common’ is not the same thing as ‘risk-free.’

Paracetamol is common.

Driving is common.

Pregnancy is common.

Life itself is common.

Yet we still take precautions.

Cosmetic surgery may sound common in 2026 but it is still deadly. Oh, that word again.

I hear some people have moved further down the road to industrial silicone. That is where desperation can become downright frightening.

There have been cases of people receiving injections of substances that were never intended to be injected into the human body for cosmetic purposes.

Silicone.

Unknown fillers.

Unregulated products.

Mystery mixtures.

Some people hear:

‘It is cheaper.’

All that body hears:

‘Prepare your obituary.’

Unapproved injectable substances can cause infection, tissue damage, inflammation, vascular complications and embolism.

The cheapest cosmetic procedure can become the most expensive funeral you ever plan and death does not give refunds.

The problem is not beauty. Yes, I am old school but there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look good.

People have been decorating, modifying and enhancing their bodies since humanity discovered mirrors. Women wear makeup.

Men grow beards. People lose weight. I’m working on mine. People whiten teeth. Maybe I should too.

People have breast surgery after cancer.

People undergo reconstructive surgery after accidents.

There are legitimate medical and psychological reasons for cosmetic procedures.

The problem embarrassment begins when insecurity meets an irresponsible practitioner and a patient who has thrown caution to the winds.

Before you travel to another country to reduce or augment any body part because somebody on Instagram says, ‘My doctor is the best,’ ask questions.

Who is the doctor?

What are his or her qualifications?

What exactly is being injected?

Is the substance approved for that use?

What are the complications?

What happens if something goes wrong?

Where will you receive emergency care?

Who will look after you afterwards?

And perhaps the most important question:

‘What happens if I decide not to do this?’

Because sometimes the answer is wonderfully simple:

Nothing.

You go home.

You eat dinner.

You sleep.

You wake up the next morning.

And your backside is exactly where it was yesterday.

Your tummy is still there.

Your breasts are still yours, safely sitting or standing.

And, gentlemen, your penis has not suddenly become a national emergency.

Before you enlarge, lift or tuck it

Please remember something vanity never tells us: the body is not a tokunbo car.

You cannot keep changing parts of it simply because you feel like.

Today it is enormous buttocks.

Tomorrow it is tiny waists.

Next week it is six-pack abs.

After that, some social-media genius will announce that the fashionable thing is a completely different shape.

Will you keep cutting up yourself every time Instagram changes its mind?

Guys, please listen carefully.

Stop measuring your masculinity with a ruler.

If your entire confidence is sitting inside a measuring tape, perhaps the problem is not your penis.

Perhaps the problem is the measuring tape.

Because what happened to Tiny Ubiribo is a particularly cruel lesson: a procedure intended to enhance one part of the body ended up causing a life-threatening complication in another part of the body – his lungs.

That is the wicked irony of cosmetic surgery.

You can go to the doctor because you don’t like your body and leave with no body to complain about.

So before you enlarge it…

Before you lift it…

Before you tuck it…

Before you suck it…

Before you fill it…

Before you cut it…

Before you implant it…

Stop. Think.

Ask the doctor the questions your vanity doesn’t want to hear.

Ask about the risks.

Ask about the qualifications.

Ask about the emergency plan.

Get an independent medical opinion.

And if the answer is, ‘Don’t worry, nothing can go wrong,’

please worry.

Because in medicine, the person who tells you that nothing can go wrong is probably the person you should not let touch you.

Beauty is lovely.

Confidence is wonderful.

Looking good is delicious.

But being alive is still the finest cosmetic treatment available.

After all, what is the point of having the perfect backside if nobody can sit behind it at your funeral? Before you go under the knife, ask yourself this critical question:

‘Is this body part really worth dying for?’

If the answer is no-

Go home.

Your mirror will survive the disappointment.

And so, hopefully, will you.