Category: Nigerian Tribune

As the preparations for the 2027 general elections hot up, the Nigeria Police Force High Command on Tuesday disclosed that discrete investigations have commenced into the alleged inciting comments made by some high-profile politicians, including Senator Francis Fadahunsi representing Osun East; the Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, SainnaBuba, and the chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Danjuma Shekwolo.

This came just as the police confirmed that 150 individuals arrested during the last Osun State governorship election were currently undergoing intensive investigation.

Addressing journalists at the joint security spokespersons briefing on in Abuja, the Force spokesman, CSP AniIniedu, described inciting comments, particularly in relation to the electoral process, as a criminal offence

The Force made this known while addressing issues surrounding the conduct of the August 15 Osun governorship election and recent controversial statements by political actors.

The police spokesperson said the authorities had questioned Senator Fadahunsi over his alleged threat against members of the Accord Party during the governorship election.

He said, ‘On the issue of the senator in Osun State, the council chairman in FCT and the Bornocommissioner’s inciting comments, I was part of the team that questioned the distinguished Senator in Osun State. The law is very clear when it comes to incitement. It is criminal to incite members of the public, especially as you comment on the electoral process.

‘The Nigeria Police Force is responsible for maintaining law and order and we will not shy away from this responsibility, no matter whose ox is gored.’

The police further disclosed that all the alleged inciting statements by the political actors were being investigated and that the outcome would be made public.

‘Every insightful statement listed here is under investigation presently and the outcome will be released. We want to also use this opportunity to advise and caution all political stakeholders to desist from such comments,’ he added.

The development followed controversial remarks attributed to Buba, who reportedly threatened to flog residents who refused to support the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general election.

Also, Shekwolo reportedly warned residents of Kuje Area Council that they should either vote for the APC in 2027 or leave the council.

Senator Fadahunsi, on his part, was captured in a video allegedly threatening members of the Accord Party.

On the Osun election, the police spokesperson said that the 154 suspects arrested in the morning of the poll were still being investigated.

‘However, I want to confirm that as of the morning of the elections, we had arrested about 154 persons and they are presently being investigated,’ he said.

The Force spokesperson also appealed to members of the public to cooperate with investigators by providing statements and evidence needed to prosecute suspected offenders.

He identified the reluctance of witnesses to come forward as one of the major challenges confronting criminal prosecution in the country.

‘One of the challenges I must tell you now that we have, the law states that a case is made when there are two or three witnesses. He who alleges must prove his allegations.

‘The challenge we have in Nigeria right now is that most of our witnesses are those who have evidence to incident, but do not come forward when it is time to go to court,’ he said.

The spokesperson urged members of the public to provide information and evidence without fear, saying their cooperation would assist the police and prosecutors in securing convictions.

He said, ‘I would (enjoin) you, enlightened members of the public, to come forward without fear and to give your representation so we could help our lawyers in prosecution of these cases.’

Meanwhile, the force spokesperson has defended the use of force against protesting pensioners in Lagos, saying while it respects the rights of retired personnel to demand their entitlements, such representations must be made within the bounds of the law.

The Force said every serving uniformed personnel looks forward to retirement and described being a senior citizen after meritorious service to the country as a peaceful and dignified stage of life.

According to him, ‘The unfortunate incident in Lagos where pensioners were being tear-gassed. Every uniformed personnel looks forward to the day when he retires.

‘It’s a peaceful thing to be called a senior citizen after serving your country meritoriously. There is no aspect, whether serving or retiring. Officers in uniform have challenges as well as officers who have retired.’

However, he said the rights of the pensioners to make demands did not permit them to engage in disorderly conduct or breach public order.

‘However, the Nigerian Constitution does not give the right to be disorderly in making your representation,’ he said.

According to him, the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, had twice invited the pensioners to his office and advised them on lawful channels through which they could present their grievances.

‘I’m very aware that the Inspector-General of Police on two occasions called the pensioners to his office and guided them on relevant ways to take up their representation. We have had several breaches from them.’

He recalled that some of the protesters had previously breached the premises of the Presidential Villa in Abuja and blocked major highways in the Federal Capital Territory.

‘If you will remember, the protesters breached the premises of the Villa in Abuja. Another blocked several highways in the Federal Capital Territory,’ he said.

The police spokesperson said the law permitted officers to apply proportionate force where necessary to disperse riotous gatherings.

‘The law permits the Nigeria Police Force to use proportionate force in the quelling of any riotous gathering,’ he stated.

He, however, appealed to the pensioners to continue their agitation peacefully, assuring them of the police leadership’s support for their grievances.

‘I want to use this platform to call on the pensioners to run their representations in an orderly manner,’ he said.

‘I want to assure them that the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force is behind them in the carrying out of these complaints and representations.’

The Federal Government has raised the alarm over the devastating psychological impact of conflict on children, revealing that 79.7 per cent of displaced Nigerian children suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while 84.8 per cent experience depression and 90.7 per cent have functional impairments affecting their ability to learn, relate with others and sleep.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, disclosed this yesterday in Maiduguri, Borno State, at the National Dialogue on the Psychosocial Impact of Conflict on Children in Nigeria.

The three-day dialogue was convened by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Health in collaboration with the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the Borno State Government.

Doro said the figures represented a documented and measurable pattern of psychological distress among children exposed to conflict and should compel government and other stakeholders to treat mental health as a core component of humanitarian intervention.

He also cited a field study conducted among children in Chibok, Borno State, which found that 41.5 per cent of children exposed to Boko Haram insurgency met the clinical threshold for PTSD.

A continent-wide analysis, he added, placed conflict-related PTSD among African children at about 36 per cent.

‘Globally, there is a bias towards physical health compared to mental health. Because mental health manifests with subtle symptoms, healthcare professionals and policymakers do most times ignore mental health. This narrative needs to change, especially as it affects our young people, because the impact of mental health can be catastrophic,’ Doro said.

He said the scale of the crisis was further demonstrated by the displacement of more than one million children in the region from the only homes they knew, while more than 7,000 women and girls had been held by Boko Haram.

‘These are the children of Bama, Konduga, Gwoza, Chibok. Children we have all met, I’m sure, in our interactions. And they go quiet in mid-sentences, manifesting the very symptoms of mental illness,’ he said.

According to the minister, humanitarian assistance that addresses only children’s physical needs without attending to their psychological wellbeing cannot constitute complete rescue.

‘A child who has been fed, but not healed in mind, has not truly been rescued,’ Doro said.

He said the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction would work with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Health and other stakeholders to strengthen community referral pathways, so that children identified as being in psychological distress in camps and schools could access appropriate care.

Doro also pledged to integrate trauma exposure into the National Social Registry alongside economic vulnerability, saying this would enable government to identify communities and households where psychological needs were greatest.

He further promised support for the training of frontline humanitarian workers and teachers to enable them to identify children experiencing psychological distress.

‘A child spends more hours with a teacher than a therapist,’ he said.

The minister also agreed to lead a coordinated national response to the issue and ensure the implementation of policy recommendations that would emerge from the dialogue.

He warned that untreated childhood trauma could become a long-term burden on Nigeria’s education, healthcare and security systems.

‘None of this is a charity; it is an investment. Untreated trauma in a generation of children is a cost that returns to our schools, our clinics, and our security architecture for decades,’ Doro said.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas, said the decision to hold the dialogue in Borno was deliberate because of the state’s prolonged exposure to insurgency and conflict.

Anas said although no part of Nigeria was completely insulated from conflict, Borno had experienced the magnitude of the insurgency more severely and was therefore an appropriate location for stakeholders to examine its consequences on children.

She said the objective was to use evidence generated from research to develop a policy framework that would guide coordinated action at federal and sub-national levels.

Anas recalled the experience of a woman who fled Bama with seven children but arrived at the Dalori Internally Displaced Persons camp with only one child, with no knowledge of the whereabouts of the others.

She said such experiences demonstrated the often-overlooked psychological consequences of conflict, particularly on children who had been separated from their families.

‘Some have been born only in this crisis,’ Anas said, stressing that children who had spent their formative years amid violence could carry the psychological consequences into adulthood and potentially transmit the effects to the next generation.

She said the initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly its emphasis on national security, education, health, social investment and human capital development.

Representing the Managing Director of the NEDC, Mohammed Goni Alkali, the commission’s Borno State Coordinator, Engineer Muhammadu Umaru Maska, said sustainable peace in the North-East required more than military intervention.

He said reconstruction, infrastructure development, youth empowerment, livelihood restoration, support for internally displaced persons and social cohesion were critical to addressing the underlying conditions that fuel conflict.

Maska said rebuilding destroyed schools, hospitals, roads, markets, water facilities and houses was not merely an infrastructure exercise but a means of restoring hope, dignity and confidence in government.

‘Development should be regarded not as a mere economic activity, but as a powerful instrument of conflict prevention and peacebuilding,’ he said.

Representing the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Ballama Mustapha said the psychological scars of conflict were often invisible but could shape the wellbeing and development of an entire generation.

He disclosed that 7.8 million people remained in need of humanitarian assistance across the three North-East states under the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, including approximately 1.8 million children.

Under the 2026 plan, he said 5.9 million people had been identified for humanitarian assistance, although available funding remained inadequate relative to the scale of need.

He called for greater coordination among government, humanitarian agencies, development partners, communities and children themselves.

‘The wounds we cannot see must not become the reason we fail to act,’ he said.

The UNICEF representative, Francis Otuochi, said mental health and psychosocial support must be incorporated into government-led child protection, healthcare, education and social welfare systems rather than treated as temporary interventions.

Otuochi disclosed that an estimated 270,864 children in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states require mental health and psychosocial support under the 2026 humanitarian needs and response plan.

He said more than 161,000 women and men and over 23,000 persons living with disabilities were also identified as requiring such support.

‘Conflict continues to cause profound harm to children, including fear, anxiety, family separation, disrupted learning, and exposure to violence and trauma,’ he said.

Otuochi urged government to integrate psychosocial support into its plans and budgets, strengthen the social service workforce and establish an effective monitoring framework for mental health and psychosocial services.

He said UNICEF remained committed to supporting the Federal Government, state governments, civil society organisations and development partners to translate the outcome of the dialogue into sustainable services for children affected by conflict.

The representative of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, Zanna Lawan Maina, District Head of Damboa, also expressed support for the initiative, stressing the importance of traditional institutions in community mobilisation, peacebuilding and reconciliation.

He said the traditional institutions in Borno had continued to support efforts to restore peace and rebuild confidence among communities affected by insurgency.

President Bola Tinubu has said Northern Nigeria will emerge as the biggest beneficiary of his administration’s economic reforms, citing increased trade opportunities, infrastructure development and the region’s strategic position as a gateway to neighbouring countries.

Tinubu stated this on Tuesday in a speech delivered by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, who represented him at the second edition of the Policy Roundtable organised by the APC Professionals Forum.

The event, tagged the Asiwaju Scorecard Series, had the theme, ‘Dissecting the Renewed Hope Deliverables and Achievements.’

The President said his administration inherited a difficult economic situation when it assumed office on May 29, 2023, including ‘fuel subsidy distortions, multiple exchange-rate windows, weak revenue mobilisation, foreign-exchange shortages, rising debt-service pressures and years of inadequate investment in critical infrastructure.’

He, however, said the reforms implemented by his administration had begun to produce measurable results, noting that the country’s gross external reserves had risen to about $52.7 billion as of August 2026.

Tinubu added that consolidated non-oil revenue increased from approximately ?13.63 trillion in 2023 to ?16.4 trillion in the first two quarters of 2026.

According to him, Nigeria’s merchandise trade position also improved from a surplus of about ?44.8 billion recorded throughout 2023 to approximately ?7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

He further said real Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, while inflation eased to about 15.4 per cent.

Tinubu linked the economic gains to his administration’s ambition of growing the Nigerian economy to $1 trillion by 2030.

He said major infrastructure projects would support the target, including an integrated five-port maritime and logistics corridor linking Lagos, Ondo, Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar, alongside major road and rail projects.

He listed the Lagos-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and proposed Calabar-Maiduguri Trans-Sahara Super Highway among the projects expected to expand economic activity and improve connectivity across the country.

Tinubu said Northern Nigeria, in particular, would benefit significantly from the improved infrastructure and trade networks because of its proximity to several countries in the Sahel and Central Africa.

He said: ‘The biggest beneficiaries of this economy will be the Northern part of Nigeria, because they will now be trading with countries, trading with Niger, trading with Chad, trading with Burkina Faso, trading with Southern Sudan, trading with Northern Cameroon, trading with Central African Republic… The North is the next business destination of Nigeria.’

The President also highlighted the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), technical and vocational training programmes and the CREDICORP credit initiative as measures designed to translate the gains of economic reforms into improved living standards.

‘These are investments meant to translate macroeconomic stability into microeconomic prosperity,’ he said.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to consider the choice before the country ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the electorate would have to decide between consolidating the reforms or reversing them.

‘For the All Progressives Congress, the answer is clear. We choose progress, productivity, investment, infrastructure, innovation, Nigerian enterprise, exports, human capital, and we choose President Bola Tinubu,’ he said.

IKE a drama or movie in which the audience thinks the curtain has finally fallen, only for the actors to return to the stage for another unexpected act, the crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly has refused to end. What appeared to be the final chapter in the saga, with the resignation of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, on August 17, has suddenly become another dramatic episode, with the Assembly declaring that he did not resign after all, but was impeached.

It is a situation akin to a football match in which the referee had blown the final whistle, and the players were headed to the tunnel, only for the official to suddenly reverse himself and order a restart. The unfolding scenario is what stakeholders say has implications for Governor Okpebholo’s second-term aspiration in 2028 and other political calculations. To understand the latest development, however, the crisis must be viewed against the background of the political realignment that has taken place in Edo since the September 2024 governorship election. Agbebaku became Speaker in June 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at a time when the PDP enjoyed considerable influence in the 24-member Assembly.

The political equation changed dramatically after the APC won the governorship election. In March 2025, four lawmakers defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), giving the party 13 members against the PDP’s 11. Agbebaku himself later defected from the PDP to the APC in May 2025.

His defection enabled him to remain within the ruling political structure, but it did not eliminate the political opposition to his continued occupation of the Speaker’s seat. Indeed, calls for his removal had surfaced earlier, particularly among some APC stakeholders who wanted an APC lawmaker from Edo North to occupy the position.

There were already indications that Agbebaku’s political position was becoming vulnerable, as leaders of Owan West were said to have insisted in May that he would not receive an automatic third term ticket. If sustained, it would mean that Agbebaku’s political troubles did not begin with his removal from the speakership.

Agbebaku’s resignation

Agbebaku announced his resignation on August 17, 2026, and the lawmakers subsequently elected Yekini Idaiye as Speaker, giving the impression that the turbulent leadership crisis had finally been resolved. While the resignation appeared to have settled the leadership crisis, paving the way for the emergence of Rt. Hon. Yekini Idaiye as the new Speaker. Eight days later, further rumblings were said to have led to the rewriting of the political scoreboard as the assembly drama took a fresh turn when the lawmakers formally impeached Agbebaku as Speaker.

The lawmakers said that Agbebaku was impeached because he had been served an impeachment notice weeks earlier and that 17 of the 24 lawmakers had endorsed his removal. In effect, the House replaced the narrative of a voluntary exit with that of a forced political departure.

The new leadership of the House insisted that Agbebaku’s exit should not be recorded as a resignation, arguing that he had been served an impeachment notice weeks earlier.

Idaiye bluntly told the house that the former Speaker ‘was impeached and did not resign.’

As the drama played out, the impeachment motion was moved by the Majority Leader, Sunny Ojiezele, and seconded by the member representing Etsako Central Constituency, Ahmed Waziri. Idaiye also directed the former Speaker to return all government property in his possession, warning that security agencies could be invited to enforce the directive should he fail to comply. The immediate political question is therefore no longer simply why Agbebaku resigned, but why the new assembly leadership went ahead to impeach him.

Why The House insists on impeachment

The distinction between impeachment and resignation is well known in political circles. For politicians, one amounts to a peaceful exit, while the other refers to a chaotic removal, which could even carry legal implications.

Why Yekini Idaiye?

Sources said that the emergence of Hon. Idaiye is a deft political calculation that goes deeply into the matter of political balance in the assembly and the politics of the state. With Idaiye, a third-term lawmaker from Akoko-Edo Local Government Area in Edo North, a balance was said to have been struck. Governor Okpebholo is from Edo Central, while Idaiye is from Edo North.

In a state where political calculations often take into account the interests of Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North, that balance is significant.

Idaiye’s emergence therefore goes beyond the replacement of one Speaker with another. It creates a political arrangement in which the governor and the Speaker come from two different senatorial districts, while giving Edo North control of one of the most influential political offices in the state. Sources said that such calculation could become increasingly important in the march towards the 2028 governorship contest.

What does it mean for Governor Okpebholo?

Though there is no evidence out there to indicate that Governor Monday Okpebholo orchestrated Agbebaku’s removal, indications among a class of political analysts are that a man popularly referred to in the public space as the ‘de facto Governor of the state’ played some roles in the development in the assembly. Incidentally, the governor appears to be the immediate political beneficiary of the new arrangement.

Following Idaiye’s emergence, Okpebholo called for peace, dialogue, transparency and inclusiveness, urging lawmakers to resolve their disagreements internally. Idaiye, meanwhile, pledged the Assembly’s cooperation with the governor.

Such a relationship could make it easier for the administration to pursue legislation, budgets, appointments and other programmes requiring legislative approval.

Who gains, who loses?

Agbebaku is the obvious immediate loser. He has lost the Speakership and now faces an investigation into allegations surrounding his administration of the House. But his political career is not necessarily over.

He remains the lawmaker representing Owan West and an APC politician. His ability to remain politically relevant will depend largely on the outcome of the investigation, his relationship with the APC leadership, and his grassroots support.

For Governor Monday Okpebholo, the development presents an opportunity to work with a new Assembly leadership For the APC, it represents another stage in its consolidation of the political structures of the state.

For Edo North, Idaiye’s emergence provides a stronger institutional foothold in the state’s political architecture.

The 2027 connection

The next Edo governorship election is not due in 2027. Governor Okpebholo was elected in September 2024, meaning the next governorship election is expected in 2028

But 2027 is still politically critical. The presidential, National Assembly, and State House of Assembly elections will determine the political strength of the major parties and the individuals who control key political structures ahead of 2028.

Governor Okpebholo has already placed considerable emphasis on the 2027 elections, including his ambition for Edo to deliver substantial votes – 3.5 million – to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He has also urged members of the new Assembly leadership to take their constituencies seriously as the next elections approach.

The hidden battlefield: 2027 assembly elections

The current lawmakers also have significant political interests at stake. Some will seek re-election to the Assembly. Some may seek executive appointments, while others will seek to consolidate their influence within their constituencies.

The governor and the APC, in turn, need lawmakers capable of mobilising support in their constituencies during elections.

This creates a political dependency between the executive, legislature and party structure. The Speaker sits at the centre of that relationship.

A politically cooperative Speaker can facilitate coordination between the governor, lawmakers and party leaders. An independent Speaker, however, can emerge as a separate political centre capable of challenging the executive.

The bigger 2028 question

The real political battle may ultimately come after 2027. The outcome of the 2027 elections will help determine who controls the party structures, legislative caucuses and grassroots networks that will shape the 2028 governorship contest.

Three questions will eventually dominate the political conversation: Who controls the APC structure? Who controls the legislative caucus? Who controls the succession conversation?

The answers to those questions will determine who enters the 2028 governorship race with the strongest political machinery.

The Edo North factor

Idaiye’s emergence gives Edo North a stronger institutional foothold in the state’s political architecture.

With Okpebholo occupying the governorship from Edo Central and Idaiye now presiding over the Assembly from Edo North, the arrangement creates a form of geographical balance that could prove politically useful.

For Edo North stakeholders, the Speakership could become an important bargaining instrument ahead of future elections.

It also gives the region a greater voice in legislative and political negotiations involving the governor and the ruling party.

Four battles, one assembly

The unfolding crisis can ultimately be understood as four overlapping political battles.

First is the battle for control of the Assembly. Agbebaku has been removed and replaced by a Speaker acceptable to the majority.

Second is APC consolidation. The ruling party now has an opportunity to align the legislature more closely with the political reality created by Okpebholo’s governorship.

Third is the 2027 electoral battle. The APC needs a political structure capable of mobilising support across Edo for its candidates.

Fourth is the longer-term 2028 succession battle. The structures being built today could determine who has the strongest bargaining position when the next governorship contest begins.

While the fourth battle may still be in the early stages, it would be premature to conclude that Agbebaku’s removal was engineered specifically to influence the 2028 governorship One thing is increasingly clear: the crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly is no longer merely about one Speaker.

It is about who controls the legislature, who controls the ruling party’s machinery, who commands the lovalty of lawmakers, and who will ultimately have the strongest hand when Edo’s next great political battle begins. For Edo, the real test will be whether this latest realignment produces a more stable and productive legislature or merely opens another chapter in the state’s seemingly endless political drama.

The Chief Commercial Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Adedayo Olawuyi, has urged the Federal Government to reduce aviation charges and taxes as an intervention to make air travel more affordable.

Speaking as a panelist at the AeroWest conference held in Lagos on Wednesday, with the topic, ‘The Real Cost of Running Aviation Business: Fixing Connectivity, Affordability, FX, Fuel and Border Friction,’ Olawuyi said domestic airlines require lower aviation charges because high charges increase the cost of tickets. He added that tax reduction is a critical intervention needed to improve air travel affordability.

Olawuyi explained that ticket prices reflect deep structural problems in the aviation industry, as airlines sell tickets in naira while their biggest expenses are in foreign currency. He said this mismatch forces airlines to absorb significant losses.

‘How many of you would take a loan of 30% to invest in a business that gives you less than 5% profit? That is a pressing issue for airlines in Africa, specifically in Nigeria, the cost of financing.

‘Consider the cost of training a pilot. Pilots today are in high demand and are not cheap to come by. We have airlines in this country with grounded aircraft because there are no pilots available,’ Olawuyi said.

The airline executive also said the absence of maintenance and repair facilities has led to additional foreign currency expenditures.

‘Consider maintenance: we have to send aircraft abroad because we do not have MROs in this region. We are also spending on simulator training for pilots, meaning we earn Naira but spend USD,’ Olawuyi explained.

On the issue of fuel prices, he said it represents another significant burden that airlines pass on to consumers. He said airlines went from buying fuel at N900 in December 2025 to N3,000 in 2026.

He added that this illustrates the cost of operations that airlines have absorbed.

He emphasised that these expenses cannot be cut without compromising safety.

‘All of that must be covered. Why? Because safety must be paramount. While we are discussing connectivity as a solution to the problems we see today, it is not just the airlines alone that can solve the problem. Government needs to create an enabling environment for us.

‘We all focus on making money from airlines. As my boss says, the airline is the goose that lays the golden egg, and everybody wants a piece of it. But at the end of the day, if the goose dies, everything is lost,’ he said.

Olawuyi stressed that no single entity can solve the challenges facing the aviation sector, saying: ‘There is not a single part of this puzzle that can be fixed by just one person. The government cannot fix it alone, the regulators cannot fix it alone, and the airlines themselves cannot fix it alone.

‘In the room today, we have tourism operators. You need connectivity to travel for business. So, all we are saying is that there has to be cooperation among all these stakeholders to improve connectivity within West and Central Africa.’

Addressing the financial realities facing carriers, he said: ‘Every airline is set up to make money. I would not operate a route today where I cannot sustain operations.

‘West Africa has many thin routes. Airlines must consider different aircraft sizes and types that will help them remain profitable on every sector they fly. It becomes challenging to operate on thin markets with an aircraft like a 737 when the maximum number of passengers available on that route is only four.’

A team of Nigerian researchers has developed an advanced computational framework that could improve renewable energy production from oil palm waste by combining anaerobic digestion experiments with artificial intelligence and optimisation technologies.

The study, published in Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, focused on converting oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB), one of the most abundant agricultural residues from the palm oil industry, into methane-rich biogas.

The research highlights how agricultural waste, often discarded or burned, can become a valuable resource for clean energy production, while supporting a circular bioeconomy.

Oil palm empty fruit bunches represent a major residue generated by palm oil processing. According to the study, large quantities of this lignocellulosic material are often burned or disposed of, creating environmental concerns and wasting potential bioenergy resources.

The researchers, led by a lecturer at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, Dr Idowu Olugbenga Adewumi, explored anaerobic digestion as a sustainable method for converting OPEFB into methane, a valuable renewable energy source.

However, the complex structure of lignocellulosic biomass makes efficient conversion challenging because lignin can restrict microbial access to cellulose and hemicellulose.

To overcome the challenges, the researchers developed an integrated framework combining experimental measurements, machine learning, explainable artificial intelligence and evolutionary optimisation.

The research analysed operational factors including temperature, pH, organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. The experiments produced 5,452 measured observations from laboratory-scale anaerobic digestion trials conducted between January and November 2025.

Methane yields recorded during the experiments ranged from 181.44 to 282.42 mL CH4 g?¹ VS, with an average yield of 231.89 ± 15.22 mL CH4 g?¹ VS.

The study found that temperature was the strongest predictor of methane production. Explainable artificial intelligence analysis showed temperature had the highest influence among the evaluated variables, followed by cellulose content.

The researchers explained that higher temperatures can enhance microbial activity, improve substrate breakdown and support methane-producing microorganisms.

Five predictive models were assessed in the study: Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR).

The results showed that Multiple Linear Regression achieved the strongest predictive performance with R² = 0.5513, RMSE of 10.14 mL CH4 g?¹ VS, MAE of 8.17 mL CH4 g?¹ VS and MAPE of 3.54%.

Using evolutionary optimisation algorithms, including Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimisation, the researchers identified conditions capable of maximising methane production.

The optimum conditions were predicted at a temperature of 54.87°C, pH 7.18, organic loading rate of 3.62 g VS L?¹ day?¹, hydraulic retention time of 28.41 days and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 27.83.

Under these conditions, the model predicted maximum methane production of 281.84 mL CH4 g?¹ VS.

The researchers stated that the integrated framework provides a transparent decision-support system for improving anaerobic digestion efficiency and advancing sustainable waste-to-energy technologies.

The findings are particularly relevant for Nigeria, where agricultural residues from industries such as palm oil production represent a significant opportunity for renewable energy generation and environmental protection.

By combining biotechnology with artificial intelligence, the study demonstrates how digital technologies can support more efficient conversion of agricultural waste into valuable energy resources.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has lifted the freezing orders (Post-No-Debit) made against the bank accounts of four defendants linked to a 2023 N21 billion system glitch fraud case instituted by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling on Monday, agreed with the legal team of the four defendants, led by Abbas Onoja Ochogwu of Lexlaw Solicitors and Attorneys, that the police suppressed material facts when it applied to freeze the affected accounts through an ex parte application.

The latest legal development is connected to a broader investigation and litigation involving banks and financial institutions, which aimed to reverse billions of naira allegedly withdrawn fraudulently from a Flutterwave account at Wema Bank.

The withdrawals reportedly occurred due to a system glitch between October 12 and 13, 2023, according to court documents sighted by newsmen in Abuja.

However, the four affected defendants, through their lawyers, filed a motion on notice, urging the court to vacate the ex parte order on the grounds of non-disclosure by the police as required by law, stressing that a similar court of coordinate jurisdiction had discharged the restrictions imposed on them.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Nwite held that orders made by a court are not permitted to stand where it is demonstrated that judicial discretion was exercised on a materially incomplete factual foundation.

The judge said, the circumstances disclosed in the present case, as highlighted by the defendants, justified the exercise of the court’s jurisdiction in reversing its previous orders.

‘The Court therefore finds that the failure to disclose the order of 2nd April 2026, which had discharged and lifted the restrictions affecting the Applicants’ accounts, constituted a material non-disclosure in the circumstances of the ex parte application.

‘The subsequent procurement of an order imposing substantially similar restrictions without first disclosing and addressing the earlier order cannot be permitted to stand,’ Justice Nwite ruled and accordingly resolved the issue for determination in favour of the 1st to 4th Defendants/Applicants.

The judge ruled that, ‘the ex-parte order made by the Court on 2nd June 2026 in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1004/2026, together with all consequential directives issued pursuant thereto, is hereby set aside and vacated.’

Consequently, the judge ordered that all freezing orders, restrictions, Post-No-Debit instructions or other encumbrances imposed upon the accounts or properties of the 1st to 4th Defendants/Applicants pursuant to the said Order of 2nd June 2026 be discharged and set aside.

According to data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), 9,633 erroneous transactions were conducted on the Flutterwave POS platform on October 12 and 13, 2023, by 814 Flutterwave POS agents during the system glitch.

According to NIBSS, Flutterwave’s total exposure at the time was estimated at N21.2 billion. However, Flutterwave worked with banks to restrict the affected accounts, successfully preserving N7.2 billion.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) had noted that his team eventually arrested some suspected POS agents involved in the fraudulent activities and commenced investigations and litigation against the suspects.

Before Justice Nwite, the police, through a counter-affidavit, had maintained that the four respondents ‘are among those whose account receive volumes of money from the incident that happened on the Flutterwave platform.’

However, the respondents’ lawyers argued in their processes that an earlier order unfreezing their accounts, as issued by Justice Liman, remained ‘valid’ and had not been appealed against and accused the police team of engaging in a grave abuse of judicial process and forum shopping.

ABOUT 800 students from Kabba/Bunu and Ijumu local government areas of Kogi State have benefited from the Sunday Steve Karimi Education Foundation/Tinubu Support Group bursary scheme between 2024 and 2025.

The senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Sunday Karimi, disclosed this at a town hall meeting with constituents in Kabba, the headquarters of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.

The meeting formed part of his ongoing consultations across the three federal constituencies in Kogi West, during which he has been presenting his scorecard.

Karimi said 1,000 students benefited from his scholarship scheme in Kogi West in 2024, while 3,000 students benefited in the state in 2025.

He explained that 800 students from Kabba/Bunu and Ijumu received N100,000 each under the bursary programme, with 150 beneficiaries from each local government in 2024 and 250 from each in 2025.

He said preparations were underway for the 2026 edition, stressing that the annual bursary scheme was funded by him, and not part of his constituency projects.

He highlighted other education interventions, including the construction of schools, a N10 million donation to the Anglican Church Nursing School, Iyara, and the construction of three blocks of classrooms at Odo-Ape St. Barnabas and Iluke.

On infrastructure, Karimi said he had provided solar-powered boreholes in several communities in Kabba/Bunu-Ijumu federal constituency to improve access to potable water.

He also said he facilitated about N2 billion for the rehabilitation of the Kabba-Egbe road and secured an additional N6 billion from the minister of works to facilitate the contractor’s return to the site after 11 years of abandonment.

The senator added that he funded the reconstruction of Pakuta bridge, which links Aiyegunle Gbede, Kiri Kingdom, Kupa North and South, and parts of Niger State.

The collapsed bridge had caused years of economic hardship and disconnected communities from neighbouring areas.

He said the ongoing construction of the Kabba-Ilorin road will improve transportation, boost economic activities and help reduce insecurity across the senatorial district.

On empowerment, Karimi said his office had facilitated the provision of transformers to communities and empowered 50 cooperative societies in the federal constituency.

The Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Oba Moses Akinwande Ogundana, has commended the Heart of Gold Support and Care Initiative (HOGSCI) and the Patrick Ejedawe Empowerment Foundation (PEEF) for their commitment to humanitarian service, empowerment and community development.

The monarch spoke at an empowerment programme organised as part of the annual Ogun Onikoyi cultural festival in Ikoyi-Ekiti.

Oba Ogundana, who served as the Royal Father of the Day, at the HOGSCI/PEEF luncheon and fundraiser, advocated sustained efforts to empower youths, women and vulnerable members of the community.

He said such initiatives are essential to grassroots development, adding that he attended the event not only in his traditional capacity but also because he identified with programmes that improve lives and give hope to humanity.

‘As a traditional ruler, I consider it part of my responsibility to identify with genuine initiatives that seek to improve lives, strengthen families and contribute positively to society,’ he said.

The monarch said empowerment should go beyond the distribution of money or materials, adding that sustainable empowerment must provide people with knowledge, skills, opportunities, resources and confidence to become productive and self-reliant.

He called for stronger collaboration among government, traditional institutions, foundations, philanthropists, corporate organisations and other development partners.

Describing youths as one of Ikoyi-Ekiti’s greatest assets, Oba Ogundana urged them to take advantage of education, vocational training, technology and entrepreneurship.

He advised young people to prepare for available opportunities and aspire to become entrepreneurs, professionals, artisans, innovators and community leaders rather than rely solely on paid employment.

The monarch also commended HOGSCI and PEEF for supporting women, youths and vulnerable people, urging stakeholders to sustain initiatives that promote economic independence, skills development and sustainable livelihoods.

On the cultural festival, Oba Ogundana urged residents to preserve values inherited from their ancestors, including hard work, courage, honesty, communal living, respect and responsibility.

He said culture could also serve as a tool for economic development, identifying traditional arts and crafts, food, fashion, music, history and festivals as areas capable of creating jobs and attracting visitors to Ikoyi-Ekiti.

Ogundana called for stronger partnerships among the traditional institution, government, foundations, philanthropists, corporate organisations, individuals and members of the Ikoyi-Ekiti diaspora.

According to him, no single institution can achieve meaningful development alone, adding that the collaboration among HOGSCI, PEEF and the traditional institution demonstrated the impact of shared commitment.

Youths and women from Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Sunday, protested what they described as distortion of the traditional process for selecting the next Oloba of Oba-Ile.

The protesters, who carried placards and marched through the community, demanded that the traditional method of selecting the monarch, which involves consultation of the Ifa oracle, be upheld.

They said the six kingmakers traditionally supervise the process and are expected to abide by the outcome of the spiritual consultation rather, than conduct an election, which they described as alien to the community’s tradition.

The protesters alleged that the kingmakers had earlier agreed to uphold whoever emerged through the established traditional process among the aspirants to the vacant stool.

They claimed that after the Ifa oracle selected a successor in the presence of the kingmakers, some individuals allegedly took them to the council secretariat at Iju-Ita Ogbolu and compelled them to conduct an election.

They described the alleged election as contrary to the tradition of Oba-Ile and called for its outcome to be discarded.

The leader of the protesters, Pastor Omoboyede Fagoroye, said the demonstration was organised to appeal to the kingmakers not to present a wrong candidate as the next Oloba.

Fagoroye said the two ruling houses: Elegbejeogbo and Omodara, had conducted spiritual consultations and produced one candidate each, adding that the kingmakers should subject the candidates to further traditional consultation.

He also expressed displeasure over the alleged inclusion of a candidate who was not part of the initial selection process, insisting that the oracle should determine the next monarch.

The protesters urged the relevant authorities and stakeholders to intervene, warning that imposing a monarch through a process contrary to the customs of the community could create tension and threaten peace.

The regent of the community, Princess Foluke Agunbiade, appealed for calm and assured the protesters that the kingmakers will do justice in selecting a new monarch.

The protesters appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and security agencies to wade into the matter.

They urged the authorities to ensure that the controversy over the selection of the next Oloba does not disrupt the peace and stability enjoyed in Oba-Ile.