Category: PM News

The Federal Ministry of Works has alerted that some sections of the first Niger Bridge between will be closed to traffic between Sept. 7 and Sept. 21.

The closure of the key bridge, the Ministry said was to enable it to carry out maintenance works.

The Acting Federal Controller of Works in Anambra, Mr Timothy Emenike, disclosed this in Awka on Friday.

Emenike said the general public, especially motorists who use the bridge, should take note of the closure.

He also advised motorists and commuters to use the second Niger Bridge during the Mr Timothy Emenike, of the maintenance.

He said the maintenance work would include fixing the vandalised sections of the bridge.

Emenike regretted the inconvenience the closure of the bridge would cause to motorists and commuters.

According to him, the work will be carried out day and night to ensure its speedy completion.

He urged motorists to cooperate with authorities and obey diversion signs to ensure minimal discomfort during the period.

The Nigeria Energy Consumers Watch Initiative has accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of failing to halt the continued importation of adulterated and substandard petroleum products into Nigeria.

The group said the alleged influx of blended fuel from Dubai and other countries had become a serious threat to consumers and the economy, accusing the regulator of failing to take decisive action against major marketers involved in the importation of such products.

In a statement issued on Friday, Alhaji Abdulrahman Sani Ibrahim, President of the group, said the continued presence of questionable petroleum products in the Nigerian market was unacceptable, particularly after the regulator had previously acknowledged concerns over the quality of imported fuel.

The group said the NMDPRA had previously warned that it could stop supplying petrol to marketers found to be involved in importing or dealing in substandard products.

The consumer group, however, questioned why the regulator had not taken stronger action despite what it described as the continued mass influx of blended products into the country.

‘This is no longer a matter that can be treated with regulatory caution or empty threats. The NMDPRA knows the concerns that have been raised about the continuous importation of blended products from Dubai and other countries, and it has even warned that marketers involved in such practices could be denied petroleum supplies. If the regulator is aware of these activities and still allows them to continue, then it is failing in its fundamental responsibility to protect Nigerian consumers,’ the group said.

The organisation described the alleged continued importation of adulterated fuel as an economic crime, saying its consequences extend beyond individual consumers to businesses and the wider economy.

It said poor-quality petroleum products could damage vehicles and machinery, increase operating costs and impose additional financial burdens on Nigerians already struggling with high energy and transportation costs.

The group called on the NMDPRA to immediately intensify surveillance and testing of imported petroleum products at ports, depots and retail outlets.

It also demanded that marketers found to have imported or distributed products that failed regulatory standards should face sanctions.

‘The regulator cannot continue to issue warnings while the same practices it is warning against persist in the market. If a marketer deliberately imports or distributes adulterated fuel, the appropriate response should be immediate investigation, prosecution where necessary and sanctions that will deter others. Anything less gives the impression that the rules exist only on paper,’ the group said.

The group further urged the federal government to investigate the activities of major petroleum marketers involved in the importation of blended products and determine whether regulatory officials had failed to perform their duties.

It said the issue should be treated as a matter of national economic security because of the potential impact on consumers, businesses and Nigeria’s reputation in the petroleum market.

According to the group, Nigerians should not be forced to pay for the consequences of regulatory failures through damaged engines, higher transportation costs or reduced business productivity.

‘Nigerians are already paying heavily for fuel, and they should not also be made to bear the cost of poor regulation. Every litre of fuel that enters this country must meet the required quality standard, regardless of who imported it or how influential the marketer is. NMDPRA must stop protecting the interests of operators at the expense of consumers and begin enforcing the law without fear or favour,’ it said.

The organisation also called for greater transparency in petroleum-product testing, urging NMDPRA to regularly publish test results and disclose the identity of marketers whose products fail quality requirements.

It warned that failure to act decisively could further undermine public confidence in the downstream petroleum sector and frustrate efforts to establish a transparent and competitive market.

The group said the regulator’s responsibility was not only to facilitate petroleum supply but also to ensure that products reaching consumers were safe and compliant with national standards.

It urged the federal government to compel NMDPRA to provide a clear account of measures being taken to prevent the entry and distribution of adulterated fuel.

The group also warned petroleum marketers against exploiting regulatory loopholes, saying commercial interests should not be allowed to override consumer safety and national economic interests.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that suspects arrested over the alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu will be released if investigations establish that they have no case to answer.

Musa made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, explaining that authorities were taking time to ensure that innocent individuals were not wrongly implicated in the matter.

According to the minister, only suspects identified as having played major roles in the alleged plot would proceed to face prosecution.

‘So, if you don’t have any case, after the investigation, they’ll be released. Those that have serious issues are the ones that are going,’ Musa said.

The Defence Minister said the ongoing investigation by security agencies was aimed at separating those allegedly involved in the plot from individuals who may have been wrongly linked to the case.

He added that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) were still handling investigations, while some suspects had already been charged before the courts.

‘We want to take time to make sure that anybody that is freed doesn’t deserve to be punished. All those ones that will go for prosecution should be the ones that are actually the main actors,’ he said.

Musa maintained that the alleged coup plot was real, describing those involved as ‘a bunch of misguided individuals’ who attempted to undermine Nigeria’s democratic system.

He dismissed suggestions that the alleged plot was politically motivated, saying the individuals involved were likely driven by nostalgia for past military regimes.

The minister said authorities were still searching for some suspects linked to the investigation, stressing that security agencies were being careful not to wrongly accuse innocent people.

The alleged coup plot came to public attention in October 2025 after the Defence Headquarters announced the arrest of 16 senior military officers over alleged acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.

The military later linked the arrests to an alleged plan to overthrow the Tinubu administration.

An interim investigation report claimed that a network of military officers had been involved in preliminary preparations, including alleged surveillance of strategic locations such as the Presidential Villa, Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja and major airports.

The Federal Government subsequently filed charges against six individuals, including retired military officers and other suspects, over allegations bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security information and terrorism financing.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty, while proceedings continue before the court.

Meanwhile, serving military officers accused of involvement in the alleged plot are also facing proceedings before a General Court Martial.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, has claimed that not all presidential candidates contesting the 2027 election are doing so with the expectation of winning.

Olayinka made the statement during an interview on Arise News while discussing the growing number of contenders ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to him, having 19 presidential candidates on the ballot does not mean all of them are serious contenders for victory.

‘So it is not everybody that contests elections that wants to win. There are people that contest elections just to register their presence,’ he said.

The Wike aide specifically questioned the chances of the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the party linked with former Anambra State governor Peter Obi.

He said Sowore’s performance in the 2023 presidential election showed that victory was unlikely.

‘For instance, the candidate of AAC, Omoyele Sowore, had 14,600 votes in 2023. How would that person win the election next year? They know that they cannot win. They are just contesting,’ Olayinka said.

Speaking on NDC, he argued that the party lacked the nationwide structure required to win a presidential election, citing its limited number of governorship candidates and grassroots presence.

‘Even NDC, the party of Peter Obi, they know they cannot win the election. They are just contesting to try to register their presence,’ he added.

Olayinka said presidential elections require strong political structures across the country, including sufficient party agents and mobilisers at polling units.

He argued that parties without adequate grassroots networks would struggle to compete effectively during election day operations.

A truck loaded with sand has crushed a tricycle driver and his five passengers to death along the Yola – Girei Federal Highway in Adamawa State

Following the accident, colleagues of the tricycle driver blocked the highway in protest, causing disruption to vehicular movement along the busy highway.

SP Sulaiman Nguroje, the spokesperson for Adamawa Police Command confirmed the tragic accident on Friday in Yola.

The Police spokesperson said the accident involved the truck and a tricycle, popularly known as Keke NAPEP.

According to him, the victims, comprising the tricycle driver and five passengers, were rushed to the Yola Specialist Hospital, where they were confirmed dead.

‘The driver of the tricycle and five other passengers were killed instantly in the incident.

‘The State Command is appealing to members of the public to remain calm. Anyone found to have violated the law will face the full wrath of the law,’ Nguroje said.

The Adamawa Police spokesperson also appealed to motorists and other road users to remain calm and allow traffic to flow while efforts are made to address the situation.

The incident was the third in less than two weeks involving loss of lives.

Some officers of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been detained pending their prosecution over alleged diversion and illegal sale of service rifles.

Babawale Afolabi, the spokesperson for the NSCD revealed this while briefing journalists on Friday in Abuja.

He said one of the indicted NSCDC officers who was attached to the headquarters was investigated and arrested by the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS), headed by Commander Dandaura Appollos.

Afolabi said that the unnamed officer, after his shift, took away his AK-47 rifle from his post instead of returning it to the armoury.

He said that investigations revealed that the the officer concealed the rifle in two polythene bags, abandoned his duty post without authorisation and transported the weapon to Otukpo in Benue.

‘The investigation revealed that the officer subsequently delivered the rifle to someone in Otukpo under a prior arrangement for N700,000 Naira,’ he said.

He said that the buyer then allegedly resold the AK-47 to an illicit arms buyer known as IBB for the sum of N800,000 Naira.

The Public Relations Officer further said that the main suspect attempted to conceal the offence when questioned about the missing weapon and allegedly tried to sign out another rifle.

‘Through covert tracking, surveillance and tactical interrogation, the intelligence team apprehended the principal suspects and recovered the AK-47 rifle,’ he said.

In a similar operation and investigation, Afolabi said that the CG’s SIS uncovered an alleged systematic diversion of two G3 rifles from an NSCDC armoury between 2018 and 2024.

He said that the investigation involved an officer who was involved in the alleged illicit act while serving as the head of armoury in NSCDC Adamawa command.

He said that the senior officer allegedly removed the rifles from the store without authorisation and sold them to junior personnel in seperate transactions for N210,000 and N220,000 respectively.

‘The investigation further revealed that he allegedly resold the rifles to a civilian.

‘To conceal the alleged disappearance of the firearms during routine stocktaking, the senior officer reportedly falsified weekly armoury records.

‘After physical counting of available weapons by his assistant, he allegedly altered the register by handwriting the serial numbers of the missing rifles into the stock records.

‘The manipulation allegedly created the impression that the firearms remained physically present in the armoury,’ he said.

He, however, said that the CG’s SIS investigation exposed the pattern which led to the recovery of confessional and other evidentiary statements from key actors.

He said that the intelligence breakthrough by the CG’s SIS underscored the corps’ renewed efforts to strengthen armoury accountability, thereby preventing the diversion of service weapons into the hands of criminals.

‘Internal disciplinary procedures against errant officers have been concluded.

‘The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, has directed the Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) to immediately institute legal proceedings against all suspects across these four segments in courts of competent jurisdiction,’ he said.

Afolabi said that in another development, the squad intercepted a telecommunication vandalism syndicate.

He said that one of the suspects was caught attempting to cart away 12 telecommunication panels vandalised from an equipment cabinet.

He said that upon arrest. It was discovered that the vandalism and theft for financial gains had been ongoing for a long time.

‘The NSCDC DLS is currently securing a 60-day remand order alongside search and arrest warrants to enable the CG’s SIS apprehend the fleeing syndicate members across Delta and Kano states,’ he said.

Plateau State has recorded 148 suspected cases of diphtheria and 23 deaths, prompting the state government to intensify efforts to contain the disease and distribute medications to designated treatment centres.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Jos.

Baamlong said the state began recording children with symptoms suggestive of diphtheria in early August, with cases particularly concentrated in densely populated communities in Jos North Local Government Area.

He said the government had since stepped up sensitisation and vaccination campaigns in affected communities as part of measures to contain further transmission.

According to the commissioner, eight patients are currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), while five others are being treated at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, where isolation centres have been established for suspected cases.

He said the state government had alerted the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and requested materials required for the collection and transportation of samples for laboratory confirmation.

Baamlong said the materials had since been received, enabling health officials to collect samples from suspected cases and send them for testing.

He identified mild fever, sore throat, cough, difficulty in swallowing, weakness and the presence of a plaque at the back of the throat among symptoms associated with diphtheria.

The commissioner, however, expressed concern over the reported unavailability of diphtheria antitoxin in the country, saying the NCDC and the Federal Government were working to procure the treatment.

He urged parents and caregivers to ensure that children received and completed their routine immunisation, noting that some of the affected children had either not been vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination schedules.

Baamlong also attributed some of the deaths to late presentation at health facilities, urging parents and caregivers to seek immediate medical attention when children develop symptoms suggestive of the disease.

To strengthen community-level response, he said the government was engaging traditional, religious and community leaders to promote vaccination and encourage residents to take preventive measures.

The commissioner also disclosed that consultations were ongoing with school authorities over concerns that the reopening of schools could increase contact among children and potentially facilitate further transmission.

He advised residents to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and avoid overcrowded environments as part of measures to reduce the risk of further spread.

NAN reports that medications have been distributed to the Plateau Specialist Hospital and JUTH, the two facilities serving as isolation centres for suspected diphtheria cases.

About 20 million children aged between 12 and 17 in 21 countries have experienced sexual exploitation or abuse facilitated by technology, according to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The report, released on Thursday, found that the figure represented about one in every five children within the age group surveyed.

Social media platforms were identified as a major channel for the abuse, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of recorded cases. The platforms included Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp.

UNICEF said more than 15 million children had been exposed to unwanted sexual content, while about nine million were pressured into sexual conversations or persuaded to share sexual images.

A further four million children had intimate images of themselves distributed without their consent, the report found.

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, said the findings highlighted the scale and seriousness of the problem.

‘The report reveals a painful reality.

‘More than 20 million children across the countries studied were subjected to unwanted explicit sexual content or exploitation online.’

Russell said the abuse was taking place in digital environments where children routinely study, socialise, play games and communicate with friends.

Online gaming platforms accounted for 14 per cent of reported exploitation cases, with UNICEF noting that some perpetrators exploited gaming features to establish relationships and gain children’s trust.

The report also found that 38 per cent of children first encountered their perpetrators online, with anonymity features on digital platforms sometimes helping offenders to conceal their identities.

In Montenegro, more than 80 per cent of reported cases of exploitation were linked to social media platforms.

The study further showed that perpetrators were known to the children in 57 per cent of cases across the 21 countries. They included peers, friends and family members.

Children who took part in the research described feelings of fear, shame, confusion and isolation after experiencing technology-facilitated sexual exploitation.

Many said the abuse affected their emotional wellbeing, sense of security and ability to trust other people.

‘I didn’t know how to react. I felt a little in shock,’ a young woman from the Dominican Republic said.

She recalled that private images of her were circulated without her permission when she was 14.

UNICEF said children who experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts, suicidal behaviours or self-harm.

They also recorded significantly higher levels of anxiety. In Pakistan, exploited children faced more than seven times the risk of self-harm compared with others.

Despite the scale of the problem, much of the abuse remained hidden. More than 40 per cent of cases were never disclosed, while less than one per cent were reported to the authorities.

UNICEF said uncertainty over who to approach for help was the most common reason children failed to disclose their experiences.

Russell said the consequences could be devastating.

‘These experiences cause profound emotional and mental distress.

‘Many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help. We cannot look away.’

She urged governments and technology companies to take stronger action to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse in digital spaces.

The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, has detained three suspected cultists operating across Lagos and Ogun.

It also recovered a locally-fabricated double-barrel cut-to-size pistol from one of the suspects. The spokesperson for the command, DSP Gbenga Afolayan, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Friday.

Afolayan said the arrests followed credible information from a member of the public about activities of suspected cultists in Ikorodu, Lagos, and its environs.

He said that detectives attached to the Quick Intervention Squad of the command began surveillance on the suspects and launched a coordinated operation on Sept. 3.

According to him, the operation led to the arrest of a 33-year-old suspect at Ifo, Ogun. He said that the arrest facilitated the arrest of two other suspects at Ikorodu.

He said that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect arrested at Ifo served as the link between the two other suspects.

The spokesperson said that during interrogation, the suspect from who the pistol was recovered claimed that the pistol was given to him by a friend at large.

He added that the suspect confessed to being a member of the Eiye confraternity alongside the other two suspects. According to him, efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the alleged criminal network.

The image maker said the suspects would be prosecuted on conclusion of investigations. He said the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the zone, Mr. Olohundare Jimoh, commended the operatives for diligence and successful recovery of the firearm.

‘Jimoh, who commended the operatives for a job well done, said that removing firearms from the hands of criminal elements remained critical to maintaining public safety. The AIG charged the operatives to intensify efforts to track down other members of the alleged criminal network, ‘ Afolayan said.

The spokesperson reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that criminal elements had no safe haven in Lagos and Ogun.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station or through official complaint channels.

The Osun State Police Command has noted with serious concern a video circulated on social media and aired by Arise News TV, with a caption suggesting that officers of the Nigeria Police Force Osun state command were fleeing from a drone.

The Command stated categorically that, the presentation was false as the footage was culled from a Yoruba film production titled Omije Fun Omije Part 2, at approximately minute 39:08 which was shoot sometimes in the month of May 2026.

‘A Police patrol vehicle was used on the set and in the scene, an actor in Police uniform was momentarily left outside the moving van, ran after it, and boarded. A bystander who was not part of the film crew/movie makers recorded that particular moment, tagged it as police officers running from drone and posted it. The drone visible in the clip was the drone used to filmed/recorded the movie. It was not an operational pursuit of police officers,’ the Police Command added in a press release signed by PPRO Abiodun Ojelabi on Wednesday.

It, therefore, rejected such narrative suggesting that police officers were running away from a drone and described the falsehood as misleading and damaging.

‘The Command rejects any narrative that serving officers ‘ran away’ from a drone. That claim is misleading, damaging to the reputation of the Force, and inconsistent with the facts known to the Command.

‘Investigative journalism requires verification before a clip is given a national or international fame. Publishing out-of-context footage and attaching a false explanation is not a minor error when it is used to ridicule a security institution. The Osun State Police Command does not condone the smearing of the Force,’ police said, asking Arise News and others circulating the false narrative to retract it; publish correction, and desist from the unprofessional act forthwith.

The Command reaffirmed commitment to lawful, professional policing in Osun State and pledged to continue to protect lives and property.

‘We remain open to factual reporting. What we will not accept is the deliberate distortion of images, videos or any media report to drag the Command through the mud,’ the release added.

It will be recollected that the same Arise News TV, in July 2026 during the buildup to the August 15 Osun State Governorship election, aired some fake video clips with dubious narration that motor parks in Osogbo had been violently attacked and razed down. The Police Command immediately organised a team of journalists from various media organisations to tour the parks. The exercise unveiled the shameful lie of a supposedly member of the fourth estate of the realm.