Category: PM News

A 23-year-old Microbiology student of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Delta State, Prince Daniel Afamefune Chukwujindu, has been crowned the 11th Ajeh of Ekwuoma Kingdom in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.

Prince Daniel succeeds his late father, King Chinedu Samuel Chukwujindu, Ezeagu-Ukpo I, who died on June 2, 2026.

The young monarch was officially installed as Ezeagu-Ukpo II on Friday after the completion of the burial rites of his late father.

His emergence followed the traditional succession system in Ekwuoma, where the first son of a reigning monarch is expected to succeed his father.

Speaking after his installation, the new monarch thanked the people of Ekwuoma for their support and confidence in him.

He promised to respect and protect the customs and traditions of the kingdom while working to promote peace, unity and development.

‘I appreciate the people of Ekwuoma for their confidence and support. I pledge to uphold the customs and traditions of our kingdom and promote peace, unity and development,’ he said.

The 23-year-old king also appealed to the people of the kingdom to come together and support the traditional institution.

He said the development of Ekwuoma would require the collective efforts of all sons and daughters of the kingdom.

‘I call on all sons and daughters of Ekwuoma to unite behind the traditional institution. We must work collectively towards building a stronger and more prosperous community,’ he said.

The monarch also called for greater cooperation between the traditional institution, government and residents of the kingdom.

According to him, such cooperation is necessary to address the challenges facing the community and promote its development.

‘The traditional institution, government and our people must cooperate to address the challenges facing Ekwuoma and advance the development of our kingdom,’ he said.

The Federal Government has begun moves to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime industry by unlocking the long-delayed Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), allowing qualified Nigerian shipowners to access up to $25 million in financing to acquire vessels.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, announced the development on Monday, describing it as a major step towards building a stronger indigenous shipping sector and reducing foreign control of activities on Nigerian waters.

The CVFF, which has remained largely inaccessible for more than two decades, was created to provide financial support for Nigerian operators seeking to acquire vessels and compete in the maritime sector.

According to Oyetola, improved access to the fund will enable Nigerian companies to expand their fleets, participate in coastal and offshore operations, and retain more of the economic value generated within the country’s maritime space.

He said access to affordable long-term financing had been one of the biggest obstacles preventing Nigerian-owned shipping companies from competing effectively with foreign operators.

‘Each successful applicant will be able to access up to $25 million in financing to acquire vessels, subject to the applicable assessment and approval process,’ the minister stated.

Oyetola disclosed that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had received 92 applications from interested operators, with 20 already forwarded to approved lending institutions for consideration.

He added that the government expanded the number of participating banks from five to 12 to accelerate the process and improve access for qualified applicants.

The minister said the fund could stimulate growth beyond ship ownership by creating opportunities in shipbuilding, marine engineering, vessel maintenance, maritime logistics and other supporting industries.

According to him, the initiative has the potential to generate more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs while strengthening Nigeria’s capacity in the blue economy.

Oyetola also highlighted ongoing efforts to develop the manpower needed to support the sector, revealing that hundreds of Nigerian cadets and seafarers had received professional training and certification under government-backed programmes.

He said the Federal Government’s goal was to ensure that Nigerians not only work in the maritime sector but also own and benefit from the economic opportunities created by the country’s waters.

The minister added that unlocking the CVFF was part of broader efforts by the Tinubu administration to build indigenous capacity and position Nigeria as a major player in global maritime trade.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has said Seyi Makinde is qualified to become President of Nigeria.

Obi made the statement on Monday at the inauguration of Makinde’s presidential campaign office in Abuja.

Makinde is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM.

Obi said he was willing to work with any candidate who wins the 2027 presidential election through a free, fair and credible process.

‘We want a Nigeria of unity and inclusion. We have a candidate who is contesting for President today, my dear brother Makinde. Is he qualified to be President? Yes, he is qualified,’ Obi said.

He said the 2027 election should not be about desperation or personal interests but about allowing Nigerians to freely choose their next leader.

Obi called on politicians to work together to build a better Nigeria, saying the country could no longer continue on its current path.

‘All of us should come together to build a new Nigeria. We can’t continue the way we are going. Our people are hungry and poor,’ he said.

The former Anambra State governor added that whoever wins the 2027 election fairly should be supported by others to help move the country forward.

‘Whoever wins genuinely from a free, fair and credible election, we will all work together to save this country from collapse,’ Obi said.

He also called for greater unity among politicians and urged them to move away from political disagreements and focus on improving the lives of Nigerians.

‘That’s why I’m here to show solidarity and assure you that we are changing the system. We don’t want politics of quarrel or politics of disagreement.

‘Let our quarrel be to feed our people. We want a Nigeria where the child of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody,’ he added.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has dismissed allegations that its student loan scheme is designed to favour supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, described the allegation as ‘completely ridiculous’, insisting that the loan application system has no mechanism for identifying applicants’ political affiliations.

Sawyerr spoke on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

According to him, students seeking the loans are required to submit basic details, including their names and matriculation numbers, through an electronic application system.

‘I have not heard this allegation, but I can tell you that it’s a completely ridiculous idea that the administration of Bola Tinubu is focused on trying to fund people who support the party. We are talking about students; many of them are yet to vote, some of them are going to be voting for the first time, [and] many of them are not party members.

‘How, in any event, do we determine who is a party member and who isn’t? Even if you are running a manual process, how do you do that? You can’t. It’s unlikely to yield you any result.

‘It is a process you have to apply for this loan electronically. If you don’t have a name, you can’t apply for this loan. You provide your matriculation number; you have to be in a public institution,’ he said.

The NELFUND chief also said demand for the loans had been ‘overwhelming’, while maintaining that the scheme operates on clearly defined eligibility criteria rather than political, religious or ethnic considerations.

‘We have a system that is focused on people who are Nigerians and meet the standard. The system doesn’t recognise your gender. There is no bias in the system at the front end or the back end.

‘This is a system that doesn’t care whether you are of one tribe or the other. This system does not have a view or an opinion on whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, or an African traditional religionist; it doesn’t want to know.’

The Lagos State Government has recorded about 80 per cent budget performance in the 2026 fiscal year, while its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) performance stood at a similar level at the latest half-year assessment.

Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ope George, disclosed this on Monday at the 2027 Budget Consultative Forum held at the Multipurpose Hall, Radio Lagos, Agidingbi, Ikeja.

George said the state had sustained a minimum budget performance of about 80 per cent over the past few years, adding that the latest assessment placed the 2026 performance at between 79 and 80 per cent.

‘Every year, we perform minimum 80 per cent on our budget over the last couple of years. So, as of last check, we are close to 80 per cent or 79 per cent,’ he said.

On IGR, the commissioner said Lagos had historically recorded between 85 and 90 per cent performance within the year, while the latest half-year assessment put the figure at about 80 per cent.

‘Now, in terms of our IGR, we always perform close to 85-90 per cent of our IGR within Lagos State. So, as of our last half year, we’re also at 80 per cent now for our IGR,’ he said.

George also disclosed that Lagos’ real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was currently estimated at about N16.2 trillion, noting that the state tracks both nominal and real GDP.

The commissioner spoke during the state’s 2027 Budget Consultative Forum, which is part of ongoing consultations with residents across the five divisions of Lagos ahead of the preparation of next year’s budget.

The consultations are designed to enable residents and other stakeholders to identify their priorities, make recommendations and provide feedback on previous government interventions.

Speaking from the community perspective, Hon. Adesegun Olatunde, Chairman, Community Development Committee, Isolo LCDA, and an Executive Committee member of the Lagos State Community Development Council, commended the consultation process.

Olatunde, who said he had participated in the exercise for almost eight years, said the response to requests made by communities had encouraged continued participation.

‘Most times it’s positive. You know, budget depends. There are other things that might come out unexpected, which has to be attended to during this section,’ he said.

He added that, although not every request could be implemented, communities had received substantial attention through the budget implementation process.

‘At worst, 70 per cent of what we request is attended to, which shows a pass mark,’ he said.

Olatunde also praised the broad participation at the forum, noting that artisans, youths, community representatives and other groups were present to make contributions.

‘It is good. If you see everybody here, we have the artisans, the community, the youth, wherever, they are all here to give an input. Because everybody is important in this state,’ he said.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Olayinka Ojo, urged stakeholders to go beyond identifying challenges and offer practical, impactful and sustainable solutions that could improve livelihoods and stimulate economic activity.

She said the recommendations should also support human capital development, social inclusion and the overall wellbeing of Lagos residents.

Ojo assured participants that their views and recommendations would be documented, analysed and forwarded to the relevant government institutions for consideration in the preparation and implementation of the 2027 Budget.

The website of Nigerian online newspaper, Politico.ng, has reportedly been hacked, with its publisher, Lai Omotola, blaming the attack on what he described as ‘enemies of Nigeria.’

Omotola disclosed this in Lagos on Sunday, expressing concern that the hacking might be linked to the newspaper’s recent projection of the likely outcome of the 2027 presidential election.

According to him, the cyberattack occurred shortly after Politico.ng published a projection by its Political Intelligence Group (PIG), which forecast victory for President Bola Tinubu in 20 states in the 2027 election.

The projection gave former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, victory in nine states, while Labour Party candidate Peter Obi was projected to win eight states.

Omotola said the projection had attracted significant attention on social media and among political stakeholders since its publication.

While the forecast received commendation from some social media users and political followers, it also triggered criticism from supporters of opposition parties.

Some opposition supporters reportedly dismissed the projection as a sponsored exercise by the ruling party aimed at influencing public perception ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Paul Ibe, a spokesman for one of the leading opposition contenders, also rejected the projection, describing it as lacking credibility and urging Nigerians not to rely on its outcome.

Omotola, however, said Politico.ng would not abandon the exercise despite the controversy surrounding its projection.

He vowed that the Political Intelligence Group would continue to publish monthly updates on the forecast until the end of the year.

The publisher stressed that the projection was a continuing exercise and not a final prediction, adding that its outcome could change as political developments unfold.

He also assured readers that efforts were underway to restore the hacked website and return it to normal operation as soon as possible.

The Nigeria Police Force, through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Nigeria, has arrested more than 10 fugitives and secured the permanent forfeiture of criminal assets worth over ?2 billion in a year-long international crackdown on transnational crime.

The Police Force disclosed this on Monday in a statement marking Police Cooperation Day, highlighting the results of Nigeria’s sustained intelligence-sharing and international law-enforcement partnerships between September 7, 2025 and August 2026.

According to the police, the INTERPOL-led cooperation also resulted in more than five international extraditions and handovers, while over 60 victims of trafficking and kidnapping were rescued during the period.

The NCB further facilitated investigations into more than 43 financial crime cases and received at least 15 cybercrime referrals from INTERPOL partner National Central Bureaus across the world.

The Police Force said the results reflected the growing importance of international cooperation in tackling criminals whose activities cross national borders.

‘Fugitives located and brought closer to justice across borders, trafficking and kidnapping networks disrupted, victims rescued and reunited with safety, criminal assets recovered, and complex financial and cybercrime investigations advanced through coordinated action with INTERPOL partner countries across five continents,’ the police said.

The Force said the operations demonstrated that criminals could no longer rely on international borders to evade justice.

It explained that the cooperation enabled Nigerian law enforcement authorities to connect intelligence with police agencies in other countries, track suspects, disrupt criminal networks and pursue the recovery of illicit assets.

The police also highlighted the rescue of more than 60 trafficking and kidnapping victims as a major achievement, stressing that the operations went beyond arrests and investigations to protecting people caught up in criminal networks.

The Police Force said its collaboration with INTERPOL partner countries across five continents had strengthened Nigeria’s capacity to pursue criminals beyond its borders.

It described the results as the impact of ‘police cooperation without borders’, saying the partnerships were helping to ensure that criminals had fewer places to hide.

The Force said the achievements also demonstrated the value of intelligence-sharing and coordinated action among law enforcement agencies in confronting transnational crime.

The Nigeria Police Force has neutralised at least five bandits and several armed terrorists in separate operations in Sokoto, Niger and Kebbi states, while rescuing a kidnapped victim and arresting suspects linked to child trafficking, illicit drugs and banditry.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this on Monday in the Force’s state-by-state executive summary of operational successes recorded across the country.

Iniedu said police tactical teams in Sokoto State foiled an impending attack on Yadiya Village following credible intelligence about an attack planned by armed bandits.

He said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the VCRU engaged the attackers in a gun battle, while subsequent bush-combing operations led to the neutralisation of four bandits.

According to him, the operatives recovered an AK-47 rifle, one magazine and 28 rounds of live ammunition.

Iniedu added that no security personnel or villagers were killed or injured during the operation.

In Niger State, the FPRO said police operatives engaged armed bandits who attacked Pelegi Community in Mashegu Local Government Area.

He disclosed that one bandit was neutralised during the gun battle, while five victims were abducted in the attack.

Iniedu said efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims unharmed and arrest the fleeing bandits.

In Kebbi State, he said Police Mobile Force personnel on routine patrol came under heavy attack from armed terrorists.

According to him, the ensuing gun battle lasted more than two hours, during which several attackers were neutralised.

He said other attackers fled with gunshot wounds and casualties following the engagement.

Iniedu disclosed that reinforcements were deployed to the area and successfully restored normalcy.

In Rivers State, the FPRO said police operatives rescued 41-year-old Kingsley Aleaga, who had allegedly been held captive for four days.

He said the victim was rescued unharmed during an operation at Ogale in Eleme Local Government Area, while three suspects were arrested.

Quantities of suspected hard drugs were also recovered during the operation, he added.

In Abia State, Iniedu said four suspects were arrested over an alleged attempt to negotiate the sale of a one-year-four-month-old child.

He disclosed that the child was rescued and placed in protective custody.

In Anambra State, the FPRO said Rapid Response Squad operatives, acting on credible intelligence, raided a suspected criminal hideout at Umuota Village, Obosi.

He said five suspected major illicit drug dealers were arrested during the operation.

According to him, operatives recovered large quantities of suspected cannabis sativa, methamphetamine, cocaine and Colorado, as well as other exhibits and N19,000 cash.

In Katsina State, Iniedu said joint police and local tactical teams engaged heavily armed bandits who attacked communities in Bakori Local Government Area.

He said the tactical operation forced the bandits to retreat and restored normalcy to the affected communities.

In Kwara State, the FPRO disclosed that police operatives working with local vigilantes arrested two suspects allegedly involved in kidnapping and banditry.

He said the operation resulted in the recovery of N770,000 cash, two Infinix smartphones, a locally made bulletproof vest and a power bank.

Iniedu said the operations demonstrated the Force’s continued reliance on intelligence-led policing and tactical operations, as well as collaboration with local security actors to combat banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, trafficking, illicit drug activities and other forms of crime.

He added that the respective State Criminal Investigation Departments were investigating the cases.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is on track to achieving its N11 trillion annual target, according to Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele,

Oyedele attributes the feat to the aggressive automation, intelligence-led reforms, and improved cargo processing strategies under Comptroller-General(C-G) Bashir Adeniyi.

He shared his view during his inaugural board meeting and facility tour at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.

This is contained in a statement issued by the NCS’s Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada on Sunday in Abuja.

Oyedele commended the NCS for its ongoing trade reforms and revenue generation of N4.03 trillion in the first half of 2026.

The minister said the service generated an additional N1.38 trillion in July and August alone, acknowledging their strong revenue performance, technology-driven reforms and sustained efforts to ease trade.

The minister praised the service’s leadership and officers for their remarkable progress in modernising operations and boosting national revenue.

?Satisfied with the service’s modern intelligence tools and technological infrastructure, Oyedele described customs’ track record as the ideal springboard to propel Nigeria into a leading position in regional and global trade.

?’Results are precisely what should propel us to do more,’ the minister said.

He noted that customs’ strong foundation equipped the service to pioneer world-class standards in port efficiency, end-to-end transparency, faster cargo clearance and revenue integrity, saying, ‘Nigeria must lead through performance, not rhetoric.’

Reaffirming President Bola Tinubu’s support, Oyedele assured the NCS of Federal Government’s commitment to providing cutting-edge technology, modern operational tools and policy support to strengthen its role as Africa’s leading trade facilitator.

Former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has sparked debate after claiming that Nigerians were better off under military rule compared with the country’s years of democratic governance.

Duke made the statement while assessing Nigeria’s 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, arguing that democracy has failed to deliver meaningful improvements in the lives of citizens despite the huge cost of running government.

‘The people were better off under the military. At least governance was not that expensive,’ Duke said.

The former governor said the true measure of democracy should be based on the welfare of citizens and the benefits they have gained since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999.

He questioned whether Nigerians were genuinely better off today compared with the period before democracy returned, citing challenges in education, healthcare, infrastructure and unemployment.

‘If we focus on the well-being of the people, what we term democracy dividends, how much has been delivered?’ he asked.

Duke argued that many of the problems Nigeria faced before 1999 remain unresolved, saying issues such as poor electricity supply, joblessness and weak public services have continued to worsen.

According to him, Nigeria has the resources and human capacity to solve its challenges but has failed to adopt effective strategies used by other countries.

The PRP presidential candidate also criticised the country’s political system, claiming that a weakened opposition and disputed election outcomes have reduced accountability among elected officials.

He alleged that many Nigerians have become discouraged from participating in elections because they believe their votes do not influence outcomes.

Duke further described Nigeria’s democratic system as a ‘pretence’, arguing that institutions meant to provide checks and balances, including the legislature and judiciary, have failed to effectively hold the executive accountable.

He cited the quick approval of the return to Nigeria’s old national anthem by the National Assembly as an example of what he described as lawmakers failing to properly scrutinise government decisions.

The former governor blamed Nigeria’s political challenges on the failure of the elite to take responsibility for leadership, saying politics had become more of an occupation than a public service.

Duke also warned that the growing gap between the rich and poor could create instability if urgent steps were not taken to improve living conditions.