Category: PM News

At least five miners have been killed and two others injured after gunmen attacked a mining site in Marit village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred around 1pm on Saturday while the victims were carrying out mining activities in the area.

Residents said the attack has thrown the community into mourning, with concerns raised over the safety of people engaging in legitimate economic activities across parts of the state.

Confirming the incident, National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, said five people were killed while two others sustained injuries.

‘It is a very sad and painful development. Our people are once again mourning the loss of lives to violence,’ Tengwong said.

He called on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect communities and prevent further attacks.

A community member, Simon Mundat, described the incident as devastating, urging authorities to strengthen security in the area.

‘We are deeply saddened by this attack. We appeal to authorities to strengthen security in the area so that our people can go about their legitimate activities without fear,’ he said.

As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the attack.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, security operatives working with local hunters reportedly repelled an attack by suspected terrorists on Latok community in Qua’an-Pan Local Government Area of the state.

A resident, Danat Noel, said the attackers invaded the community on Friday but withdrew following a response from security personnel and local hunters.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful as the Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, did not respond to calls and messages regarding the incident.

A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, after allegedly ingesting 72 wraps of cocaine in an attempt to traffic the illicit drug to Portugal.

NDLEA spokesman, Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying Chukwulobelu was intercepted at the airport’s departure hall on Thursday, September 25, while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa.

Babafemi said the suspect was placed under excretion observation after officers detected that he had ingested cocaine. He subsequently expelled all 72 wraps of the Class A illicit drug.

The suspect reportedly told NDLEA operatives that he previously operated a car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.

According to Babafemi, Chukwulobelu returned to Nigeria recently and got married on September 13. He allegedly said he became involved in drug trafficking in an attempt to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.

Meanwhile, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted one of the agency’s largest opioid consignments of the year during a joint examination of three monitored consignments.

The operation, conducted on Tuesday, September 22, resulted in the seizure of 2,550,000 pills of Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, weighing a combined 1,640.55 kilogrammes.

Babafemi said the consignments were imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.

In Bauchi State, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Umar Hamidu, 35, and Abdulkarim Salihu, 45, along the Maiduguri bypass with 300 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 262.5kg.

Babafemi said the cannabis was concealed in a false compartment of a truck marked MUB757 YH.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, destroyed two cannabis farms at Eko Camp, Ilushi, on Wednesday, September 23. The farms had a combined estimated yield of 1,360.23kg of cannabis.

Babafemi also disclosed that two women, Odumabo Kehinde, 36, and Obiekwe Chioma, 40, were arrested during a raid on Anifowoshe Street, Mushin, Lagos, on Saturday, September 26, with 3.4kg of skunk.

In a separate operation at Ebute-Ero motor park the same day, NDLEA officers arrested 58-year-old Ugwu Johnson with 5.920kg of skunk, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam and 40,000 pills of tramadol.

Babafemi said two Togolese nationals, Yinusa Abdulsamad, 35, and Fatai Baba, 33, were also arrested along the Iganna-Ilero road in Iganna, Oyo State, with 305.6kg of skunk.

The suspects allegedly concealed the cannabis in two pickup vans used to move Ghanaian-sourced cannabis into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.

At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested five suspects and seized 420 cartons of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, weighing 1,688.4kg.

The suspects were identified as Kingsley John, 40; John Chibuike Okeke, 44; Lamidi Ismaila, 40; Babatunde Samuel, 42; and Afeesu Idowu, 47. Two vehicles allegedly used to transport the consignment from the border into Lagos were also recovered.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), as commending officers and men of the MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Seme and Bauchi Commands for their operations.

Marwa urged NDLEA personnel nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with prevention, public education and community engagement.

The Anambra State Government has renewed its challenge to former Governor Peter Obi to account for the whereabouts of the ?2.13 billion ecological fund he said was left in a First Bank account when he handed over power in March 2014.

The latest challenge was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, September 26, 2026, by the state Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, following Obi’s recent television interview on Arise TV.

Mefor said the government was particularly concerned that Obi did not address the ecological fund during the interview, despite the former governor previously providing the account number, bank and branch where he claimed the money was kept.

Obi had said his administration left more than ?2.13 billion untouched in First Bank account number 2018779464 as funds earmarked for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.

He maintained that the money was separate from the more than ?75 billion in savings he said his administration left behind.

However, Mefor said records obtained from First Bank contradicted the former governor’s description of the account.

According to the commissioner, First Bank, in a letter dated September 16, 2026, identified account number 2018779464 as the Anambra State Government Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Account, rather than an ecological fund account.

Mefor further claimed that the bank records showed that the account did not have a balance close to ?2 billion as of March 17, 2014, and that ?2.13 billion did not appear as either an inflow or balance during the account’s active period from 2011 to 2018.

The government’s position is consistent with earlier statements by Mefor that certified bank records did not support Obi’s claim about the ecological fund.

Mefor therefore asked Obi to explain where the funds were if they were not held in the First Bank account he identified.

‘Since the money is not in the First Bank account as claimed, where is it? Or is the money actually missing?’ the commissioner asked in the statement.

The latest development is part of a broader dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the financial position of the state when he left office in 2014.

The state government has alleged that Obi’s administration left various financial liabilities, including external obligations, while Obi has rejected the claims and maintained that his administration cleared outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities and did not leave unpaid liabilities for duly executed and certified projects.

On the broader debt controversy, Obi has also challenged the government’s description of $123.77 million in external financing associated with projects implemented during his tenure, saying he neither borrowed from financial institutions nor issued bonds on behalf of Anambra.

Obi had earlier challenged anyone disputing his account of the state’s finances to provide evidence to the contrary, saying he would stop campaigning if his claims were established to be wrong.

Mefor, however, said the state government remained ready to provide information on the financial records at issue, framing the dispute as a matter of public accountability.

The commissioner called on the former governor to address the government’s latest claims and urged him to apologise if the documentary evidence ultimately contradicted his account.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Borno State Chapter, has urged the Federal Government, the state government and security agencies to step up efforts to rescue 78 schoolchildren and other victims who have remained in captivity for more than 100 days.

The appeal was made on Sunday by the state CAN Chairman, Most Reverend John Bakeni, during a prayer session held in Maiduguri as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the association.

Bakeni said the security situation in Borno had made it difficult for the Christian community to celebrate the milestone with the usual festivities, noting that many residents were still grappling with insecurity and economic hardship.

He said, ‘As you know, CAN is 50. Nationwide, there are lots of events and activities that have been lined up, at the end of which all the state chapters have been invited and asked to key into and even the local government, so that we can thank God for bringing us together under one umbrella as a body of Christ.

‘Sadly, even at the national level, but particularly at the state level, our celebration is a sober one. As I said in my address. How do you celebrate when your children are in captivity, when your brothers and sisters are in captivity, when so many communities are being attacked and challenged by insecurity, and when economic hardship is biting hard?’

According to the CAN chairman, the prevailing challenges would not weaken the resolve of the association and its members to pray for the return of peace and security.

‘If you look at it, there is a cloud of uncertainty of hardship and insecurity that hovers over us. But as people of faith, we always give God thanks even in the midst of challenges. We believe that God will answer our prayers,’ he stated.

Bakeni said the prayer session was specifically organised to seek divine intervention on behalf of the country, Borno State and those being held captive.

‘This is why today is a day set aside for basically prayers. We prayed for our nation, our state, and our brothers and sisters who are in captivity. We also prayed for the forthcoming election,’ he noted.

He explained that CAN had also been engaging political and security authorities through advocacy, particularly on the need to secure the release of the abducted victims.

‘In terms of the steps we will be taking, CAN is more of an advocacy group and we have reached out to our leaders both at the national level and state level to do whatever they can to see that our brothers and sisters who are in captivity are set free.’

Bakeni said the prolonged captivity of the children had placed an enormous emotional burden on their families, urging authorities to consider the ordeal from the perspective of the affected parents.

‘These kids have spent over 100 days in captivity. You can imagine what their parents are going through. And the pain, agony, trauma that these people (victims) are going through. For the leaders, we have pleaded with them. We have asked them to do whatever it takes. And you know, the best way to feel this thing is to put yourself in the shoes of any of these parents. If your children is in captivity, what will you do? Therefore, while we pray for them, we also encourage them,’ he said.

The CAN chairman specifically appealed to the government and security agencies to intensify operations aimed at securing the immediate release of those still in captivity.

‘We are using this medium to call on the government, both at the national and state level, all security agencies, and all those who matters in this effort of liberating our children to do whatever they can. It is a responsibility that rest on their shoulders, so let them do something to rescue them because it is long overdue,’ he appealed.

The victims include 42 students and pupils who were abducted on May 16 after suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

Another 36 students and a teacher were reportedly abducted on June 29 when suspected Boko Haram terrorists invaded Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, also in Askira/Uba Local Government Area.

The two incidents brought the number of abducted students and pupils to 78.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all 17 chairmanship seats in the Yobe State local government election conducted on September 26, 2026.

The Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission (YSIEC) declared the results on Sunday in Damaturu, the state capital.

The Executive Chairman of the commission, Dr Ibrahim Yabani, announced that APC candidates emerged winners across the 17 local government areas after the votes were counted and collated.

Yabani said the election was conducted across the 178 electoral wards in the state, with 10 political parties participating.

‘Our duty here is just to announce what was declared at the collation centres so that we can now declare who are the winners,’ he said.

Among the APC candidates declared winners were Musa Dagona in Bade Local Government Area, who polled 54,312 votes; Lawan Bukar in Bursari with 24,331 votes; Bukar Adamu in Damaturu with 18,465 votes; and Abdulmumin Usani in Fika with 61,326 votes.

Baba-Goni Bade won Fune Local Government Area with 74,411 votes, while Mohammed Musa emerged winner in Geidam with 35,832 votes.

Other declared winners include Dala Mala in Gujba, Dayyabu Ilu in Gulani, Umaru Aguya in Jakusko and Umara Mohammed in Karasuwa.

The commission also declared Idriss Mai Bukar winner in Machina, Samaila Musa in Nangere, Mohammed Malami in Nguru, Salisu Muktari in Potiskum, Mohammed Musa in Tarmuwa, Zanna Zakaria in Yunusari and Adam Jibrin in Yusufari.

YSIEC said councillorship results were declared at ward level, while chairmanship results were announced at the respective local government collation centres in line with electoral guidelines.

At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others injured in two separate mass shootings in South Africa, triggering an urgent manhunt for the suspected attackers.

The first attack occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at a tavern in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg, where at least 17 people were killed and 15 others wounded.

According to police, the attackers, reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, opened fire on customers drinking outside the tavern before entering the building and continuing to shoot.

The UK Sun reports that emergency responders pronounced 13 men and four women dead at the scene, while the injured victims were taken to hospital for treatment.

Police said the suspects allegedly searched some victims and took their mobile phones before escaping in two vehicles.

Authorities said eight suspected gunmen were being sought, while no arrests had been reported at the time of the report. Police also said the motive for the Johannesburg-area attack remained unclear.

Just hours later, another shooting was reported at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, Cape Town, South Africa’s second-largest city.

The second attack, which occurred at about 11:45 p.m., left 10 people dead and 11 others injured. Police said five victims died at the scene, while another five later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

The two attacks brought the reported death toll to 27 within a matter of hours, highlighting the continuing threat posed by violent shootings in parts of South Africa.

Images from the scenes showed forensic personnel, police officers and distressed residents gathered around the affected locations as investigators began collecting evidence.

The motive behind the attacks and whether the two incidents were connected remained unclear. Police investigations and the search for the suspects were continuing.

South Africa has faced persistent concerns over violent crime, with deadly shootings occurring periodically in and around major urban centres.

Residents and businesses in Suleja, Zuba and neighbouring communities will experience a brief power outage on Saturday as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) carries out preventive maintenance on its transmission equipment.

TCN announced on Friday that electricity supply would be interrupted for about 20 minutes during maintenance work on the Gwarinpa-Suleja 132/33kV Line 2 bay switchgears and associated equipment.

The maintenance is scheduled to take place between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Communities expected to be affected include Suleja Township, FCT College of Education, Field Base, Zuba, Sabon Wuse and surrounding areas supplied through the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

TCN explained that the temporary outage would allow engineers to transfer electrical load from the Gwarinpa-Suleja Line 2 to the Kubwa-Suleja Line 1 while maintenance is carried out.

The company said the arrangement was designed to prevent a prolonged power disruption during the exercise.

According to TCN, the work forms part of its annual preventive maintenance programme aimed at improving the reliability of transmission equipment.

The company apologised for the inconvenience and advised electricity consumers in the affected communities to take note of the scheduled interruption.

Yeye Moremi Olufunso Amosun and wife of former Ogun Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, has inaugurated an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Training Hub in Ile-Ife to empower unemployed youths with digital skills.

The initiative is aimed at equipping young people with relevant digital skills and knowledge to enable them to participate meaningfully in the global digital economy.

Amosun said the hub was established out of the need to develop a generation of digitally skilled, innovative and responsible young people equipped to take advantage of opportunities in the digital space.

She said the training would provide accessible, practical and high-quality training in digital technology and artificial intelligence for youths.

According to her, the hub would expose learners to relevant digital tools, emerging technologies and practical opportunities that would enable them to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the digital economy.

She added that the opportunity would bridge the digital skills gap among young people and prepare them for the changing demands of the modern workplace.

Amosun urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity by acquiring skills that would enhance their employability and enable them to create opportunities for themselves and others.

Also, a statue of Moremi was also unveiled at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, to marked the silver jubilee of Moremi Hall, established in 2000.

The hub is expected to train Ife youths in coding and programming, graphic design and content creation, digital marketing and social media, among other programmes.

Responding, the wife of the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Mrs Afolashade Ogunwusi, appreciated Mrs Amosun for the opportunity to empower unemployed youths and give them reasons to be proud of themselves.

Ogunwusi said the hub would further create opportunities for thousands of youths to contribute to the digital economy in the state.

She urged the pioneer beneficiaries to take the opportunity seriously and do their best to become employers of labour.

Speaking with the beneficiaries, funmi Aduramigba and Abiodun Ojelusi, appreciated the wife of the former governor, Mrs Amosun , for the initiative which would help reduce self dependants and also create more jobs to the unemployed.

Former Chief of Staff to ex Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, has vowed that he would demonstrate his political prowess by ensuring a total victory for the All Progressives Congress, APC in 11 Local Government Areas in Zazzau Emirate in the 2027 election.

Sa’idu, also a former Commissioner of Finance, recently defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the APC alongside thousands of his supporters.

Speaking when the Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs, Isa Lawal, visited him at his residence, Sa’Idu vowed that he would demonstrate his political influence and counter claims that he joined the APC without significant followers.

Sa’idu said the APC would record a different result in Zaria Local Government during the coming elections, promising to surpass previous electoral records.

He said the party would secure more votes in Zaria than those recorded for former President Muhammadu Buhari in previous elections.

According to him, about 3,091 ADC members in Lere Local Government, who share his political views, are preparing to join the APC.

He added that about 4,000 like-minded supporters were also present in some other local governments, saying their strength would become evident during elections.

‘I will not boast about my capacity in other areas, but in the 11 local governments of Zazzau Emirate, we will show our strength,’ he said.

Sa’idu said he was also politically grounded in Igabi and Kaduna South Local Government Areas, in addition to Zaria Local Government.

He described his supporters as committed political followers, saying about 10,000 of them had already joined the APC with him.

‘We will prove that Allah has endowed us with supporters and that these people believe in us politically,’ he said.

Sa’idu said his supporters had been meeting to develop strategies and modalities aimed at securing victory for the APC in the coming elections.

He, however, said their political activities would not prevent the Kaduna State Government from developing its own plans ahead of the elections.

‘When the time comes, if there is a need to blend with us, fine. If we plan concurrently and meet at the polls, it is also okay,’ he added.

Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has unveiled an ambitious development blueprint for Ogun State, promising reforms in governance, agriculture, industrialisation, security, healthcare, education and youth empowerment if elected governor in 2027.

Adeola, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Ogun State, while outlining his policy agenda at a meeting with journalists in Ogun State at the NUJ Secretariat in Abeokuta on Friday, pledged that his administration would fully comply with the Freedom of Information Act and maintain regular, substantive press briefings as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability.

Adeola also promised to prioritise the welfare and safety of journalists, describing the media as a partner in governance rather than an inconvenience.

According to him, ‘a government that fears scrutiny has already told you what it intends to hide,’ while stressing that his administration would operate an open and accountable government.

Adeola said his proposed administration would be driven by six major catalysts: fiscal discipline and revenue mobilisation, legislative reform, civil service and justice reform, asset optimisation and commercialisation, and local government autonomy.

He also promised to translate his manifesto into measurable programmes, with heads of government agencies signing performance agreements and being subjected to public assessment.

‘From manifesto to action. A manifesto that stays on paper is a betrayal of the people who trusted it,’ he said.

On agriculture, Adeola promised to move Ogun from subsistence to mechanised farming, while developing a system that would enable farmers to produce throughout the year.

He said his administration would establish mechanisms for government to purchase farm produce from farmers, allowing them to receive payment and return to production without waiting until the next planting or harvest cycle.

Adeola said he had already distributed more than 40 tractors and other agricultural equipment to farmers, adding that mechanisation would receive greater attention under his proposed administration.

He also pledged to maximise the economic benefits of Ogun’s industrial base by encouraging companies operating in the state to establish regional offices in Abeokuta.

According to him, although Ogun is one of Nigeria’s major industrial hubs, the state does not receive commensurate revenue because many companies maintain their headquarters in Lagos, where senior executives pay their taxes on behalf of over 20 staffs.

He said his administration would seek stronger partnerships with industries to increase employment opportunities for Ogun residents and ensure that more economic value generated in the state remains within the state.

Adeola also promised to pursue greater state participation in the exploitation of Ogun’s mineral resources.

‘I will be the Chief Miner of this state. I will fight for every mining certificate in this state from the federal government, he declared, arguing that the state should have a greater role in determining how its natural resources are exploited.

On security, Adeola promised to strengthen the Ogun State Security Trust Fund, establish a cybersecurity and security operational centre, and create a Resident Identity Management Agency.

He said industries operating in Ogun should be brought into a structured security partnership with the government, similar to the model he referenced in Lagos State.

Adeola also proposed using part of revenue from gaming and lottery activities, alongside budgetary allocations and contributions from industries, to strengthen security infrastructure and equipment.

In healthcare, Adeola pledged to expand access to healthcare facilities, strengthen the state’s health insurance scheme, Ilera Dero, and target two million enrolled residents.

He said his administration would also invest in doctors, nurses and community health workers.

Adeola claimed that he had facilitated the construction of more than 100 primary healthcare centres across Ogun State over the past three years and supported ongoing projects involving general hospitals across the state.

He, however, promised to build on existing healthcare initiatives, including coverage for elderly residents, while improving the state’s health insurance system.

Adeola also promised to expand educational infrastructure, including classrooms, libraries, staff rooms and sanitary facilities.

He said his administration would focus on producing young people who are ‘work-ready, not just certificate-ready,’ with greater emphasis on skills and employability.

On sports, he pledged to revive football development in the state and establish an annual Governor’s Cup as a platform for identifying young talents.

He also promised to revive a state football club capable of representing Ogun at the national level.

Adeola said his administration would establish four major vocational centres across Ogun’s four divisions to provide young people with practical skills and improve their chances of employment.

He linked the initiative to his broader agenda of poverty reduction, youth empowerment and economic development.

On environmental sustainability and physical planning, Adeola promised greater attention to border communities and emerging estates, including areas around Arepo and the proposed Journalists Estate.

He said his administration would seek to address the growth of shanties and other informal settlements while demanding greater corporate social responsibility from companies operating along the state’s borders.

Adeola also welcomed the reported development of a $7 billion deep-sea port, describing it as an opportunity for Ogun to compete more effectively with Lagos in maritime and logistics activities.

He said the port’s proximity to the coastal road could create significant economic opportunities for the state and strengthen its position as an industrial and logistics hub.

Adeola urged journalists to hold him accountable to his proposed policies and programmes if given the opportunity to govern.

‘Gentlemen of the press, I do not come to you asking you to believe me. I come asking you to hold me to this manifesto, line by line, project by project,’ he said.

As part of the partnership he promised media, Adeola pledge to support the Nigeria Union of Journalist the sum of N50million its proposed permanent site.

Speaking on behalf of journalists, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju thanked the APC candidate for his continuous support for the union.

He also urged him to prioritize the media and hold the media as number one tools for information if he gets to government.