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The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 29-year-old man suspected of involvement in armed robbery during a routine patrol in the Igando area, recovering a locally made firearm and charms believed to be linked to criminal activity.

The command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday.

According to her, officers on patrol became suspicious after spotting three men riding on a motorcycle in a manner that raised concern.

On noticing the approaching patrol team, the trio reportedly attempted to escape. While two of the suspects managed to flee, one was captured by the officers, leaving behind the motorcycle used in the failed getaway.

A search conducted after the arrest led to the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol as well as assorted charms.

Adebisi said the arrested suspect remains in police custody, while efforts are being intensified to track down and arrest the two fleeing accomplices.

She added that detectives have commenced investigations to determine the full circumstances surrounding the case and the suspect’s alleged criminal activities.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Tijani, praised the officers involved in the operation for what he described as their alertness and professionalism.

He reiterated the command’s resolve to combat violent crime across the state and appealed to members of the public to continue supporting the police with useful intelligence.

Tijani urged residents to ‘continue provide timely and credible information to assist the police in preventing crime and apprehending criminal elements.’

He also encouraged the public to promptly report suspicious movements or activities through the command’s emergency lines to ensure swift police intervention.

The emergency numbers are: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, 08080193432 (Marine), and 09168630929.

The Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State on Thursday inducted 63 graduate nurses at a grand 5th Induction Ceremony of Registered Nurses on the institution’s campus.

An elated Vice Chancellor of the Redeemer’s University, Prof. Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, announced this during his presentation at the occasion, adding that 36 of the students graduated with First Class Division.

Prof. Akindele praised the graduates for their ‘commitment, discipline, and resilience’ which he noted has culminated in the enviable academic excellence in their chosen professional.

He congratulated the inductees for what he described as incredible accomplishment, urging them to be transformative agents leading change in contemporary healthcare.

According to him, the healthcare environment is changing rapidly and nurses need to be skilled, innovative, caring and visionary.

‘You are skilled professionals trained to bring positive change at the highest level of expertise to the delivery of healthcare. Be graduates who are professionally competent, honest and upright in all your actions with complete trust. I believe that you will continue to manifest these qualities in your practice of the profession in Nigeria and beyond,’ the VC admonished the new registered nurses.

He urged them to continue to prove competent ability, remain committed to excellence and be worthy ambassadors of the Redeemer’s University wherever they go.

The Chairperson of the Faculty Induction Committee and Head of Department, Nursing Science of the Redeemer’s University, Dr (Mrs.) D.F Onisile, in her remarks, said the university’s hallmark was excellence. She disclosed that two alumni of the institution were already employed as lecturers at the school. This, she said, was a proof that Redeemer’s University trains competent, teachable and professional hands.

She also congratulated the inductees and admonished them to carry the grace of excellence with dignity and commitment to service, adding that graduation was not the end but the beginning of greater responsibility.

‘Healthcare is changing rapidly, technology is advancing, systems are becoming more complex. This environment you are emerging from must lead change. Lead with competence, lead with courage, lead with compassion, and lead with integrity. Leadership begins with excellence in everything you do,’ Onisile told the inductees.

She added that if medicine, diagnosis and technology changed, the inducted nurses should remain teachable, humble and compassionate, asking them to ‘remember that caring is a moral imperative. As a graduate of Redeemer’s University, carry excellence, character and service with you wherever you go.’

The Induction Keynote Speaker and Professor of Nursing Science, Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof. Emmanuel Ejembi Anyebe, who explained the dynamics of the modern healthcare environment, congratulated the inductees and advised them to be prepared for the challenges of contemporary nursing practices.

Dignitaries at the event included the Medical Director, Osun State Teaching Hospital; Chairman, NANNM- National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Registrar and Secretary General of the Nursing and Midwives Council of Nigeria, and Director of Nursing Services at the Ministry of Health.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday arraigned one Aminu Datti Ahmed before Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, Abuja on a one-count charge, bordering on misappropriation of funds to the tune of N15 million.

EFCC, in the one count charge alleged that Datti converted 15 million mistakenly paid into his accout at Taj Bank for his personal use

The charge reads: ‘That you, Aminu Datti Ahmed and Blackrock Apartments and Suites Limited, sometime in 2025 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, dishonestly converted to your personal use the sum of N15, 000, 000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira, only), which was mistakenly credited to Taj Bank account, with account No. 0000251807 belonging to Aminu Datti Ahmed, CEO of Blackrock Apartments and Suites Limited which the said sum was meant to be credited to Braverock Investment Limited, as part of scheduled payments for a property being acquired through the said firm and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.’

Datti, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, following which prosecuting counsel N.M. Tertsua asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a Correctional centre, while the defence counsel, Isyaku Musa, applied for his bail, which was not opposed to by the prosecution.

Justice Idris granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N10 million with two sureties, one of whom must be a businessman with business certificate, who must swear to an affidavit on the bail bond.

The matter was adjourned till October 21, 2026, for commencement of trial.

Some residents of Kazaure Local Government Area of Jigawa have revived the traditional practice of harvesting rainwater to supplement their household water supply.

The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that many families now collect and store rainwater during the rainy season for cooking, washing and other domestic purposes.

They said the practice had become important in helping households cope with water shortages when other sources were inadequate.

Mrs Rabi’a Musa, a resident, said many households had returned to rainwater harvesting because it provided an affordable and readily available source of water.

She said families usually kept containers ready to collect rainfall, adding that the stored water helped ease the burden of sourcing water.

‘Rainwater is very useful because it is readily available during the rainy season and reduces the difficulty of getting water from other sources,’ she said.

Similarly, Zainab Abdullahi said rainwater harvesting had become common because of its value in supporting household activities.

She advised residents to ensure proper storage and handling of harvested rainwater to maintain its cleanliness and safety.

Another resident, Maryam Muhammad, said rainwater harvesting was an age-old tradition that many families were reviving due to growing water challenges.

She said many households now kept large containers and other storage facilities to preserve rainwater for future use.

‘Rainwater harvesting was practised by our forefathers, and many people are returning to it because it helps during difficult times,’ she said.

Also, Malka Ibrahim said she collected and preserved the first rainfall of the season because of her belief in its traditional medicinal value.

She said the water was kept for use whenever the need arose.

The residents urged relevant authorities to expand access to sustainable water facilities while promoting safe rainwater harvesting as a supplementary source of water for households.

NAN reports that access to reliable and safe water remains a major challenge in Nigeria, especially in rural communities.

Recent UNICEF data shows that only about 30 per cent of Nigerians have access to safely managed drinking water services; water that is available when needed, accessible on premises and free from contamination.

As a result, many households rely on alternative sources such as boreholes, wells, rivers, streams, water vendors and rainwater, especially in areas where public water systems are unavailable or unreliable.

To address the challenge, the Federal Government has implemented initiatives including the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme and the Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH).

The programmes are aimed at improving access to sustainable water services by supporting water infrastructure development, strengthening service delivery and promoting better management of water systems across the country.

However, the extent to which these interventions have translated into consistent and reliable water supply for communities remains a subject of concern.

A security guard, Mohammed Ahmed, has been arraigned before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State over the alleged theft of workshop equipment and supplies valued at N5 million.

Ahmed, 34, is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing. He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him on Thursday.

The prosecution, led by E.O. Adaraloye, told the court that the alleged offences took place on July 15 at a mechanic workshop in the Iyana Ilogbo area of Ota, where the defendant worked as a security guard.

According to the prosecutor, Ahmed allegedly joined forces with other suspects who are still at large to remove six adaptors, eight containers of hydraulic oil, three pumping cartridges and other workshop items with a combined value estimated at N5 million.

Adaraloye said the alleged offences contravened Sections 390 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State, 2006.

The magistrate O.O. Fadairo granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with one surety in the same amount.

She directed that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, be gainfully employed and present evidence of tax payment to the Ogun State Government.

The matter was adjourned until 10 August for further hearing.

Stakeholders at the public hearing on the proposed Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026, have commended the State House of Assembly for initiating the bill.

They described the bill as a well-conceived legislation aimed at reducing maternal mortality, protecting healthcare professionals and providing a clear legal framework for safe pregnancy management in the State.

The stakeholders included a former Chairman of the State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Azeem Adekunle Ashimi, the representative of the State chapter of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Nurse Bello Adejoke, the Onitafin of Otafin, Oba Morufu Alani Adebayo.

Others were representatives of Civil Society Advocacy for Human Rights, Social Development, Alhaji Adesina Adefolahan, the League of Imam and Alfa in the State, Dr. Tajudeen Usman, the State chapter of the Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Dr. Shorounmu Tessie, representative of the State Command of the Nigeria Police, ACP Glory Agbor Otonko, that of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Comrade Yinka Folarin and that of the Centre for Economic Empowerment and Gender Activities, Oduntan Bunmi amongst others.

They also advocated the need to address the legal ambiguity surrounding safe termination of pregnancy.

They noted that such ambiguity in the legal provisions often resulted in dangerous delays in patient care while demanding adequate indemnity for qualified medical practitioners to prevent unjust penalties.

They also sought the need to put machineries in place to prevent the victims of rape and incest from patronizing quacks, by ensuring that only the licensed professionals provide such medical services.

In her remarks, Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said the proposed legislation would establish a framework around safeguarding the lives and health of women; while also safeguarding health practitioners offering the services.

She added that the bill would help reduce maternal mortality and provide access to mental health services for women and girls experiencing emotional trauma arising from unwanted pregnancy.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Wahab Haruna, explained that the bill was conceived because ‘too many of our mothers, sisters and daughters lose their lives or suffer serious harm from complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth, many of which are preventable.’

He urged the stakeholders to make meaningful contributions to the bill, assuring that their inputs would be given the necessary legislative consideration in the process leading to the passage of the bill.

Earlier, while declaring the stakeholders’ forum open, the speaker of Ogun Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide said the proposed legislation was designed to provide ‘a legal and institutional framework for the safe termination of pregnancy under the defined circumstances.’

He noted that the Assembly considered the increasing incidence of unregulated abortions and considered the resultant deaths of adolescents and women as unacceptable before coming up with the bill.

The Speaker added that the bill would ensure the provision of a legal framework that would not only safeguard the livelihoods of genuine medical practitioners but also deter criminal elements who exploited the absence of rules and regulations to perpetrate evils in the society.

According to him, the legislation seeks to entrench safe motherhood, reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and establish the conditions for the safe termination of pregnancy.

The Speaker also assured participants that every submission made would be meticulously considered in ensuring that the bill takes care of the stakeholders’ interest.

He expressed confidence that the engagement would produce a comprehensive legislation that would strengthen safe pregnancy management in the State.

When Riccardo Pelizzo enrolled at the University of Bologna in the early 1990s, his academic path began with philosophy. More than three decades later, that journey has taken him through universities and research institutions across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia, culminating in his appointment as Dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan.

Born in Verona, Italy, on 31 December 1971, Pelizzo earned a Laurea in Philosophy from the University of Bologna in 1995. Two years later, he completed a Postgraduate Diploma in International Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Bologna Center, before moving to the United States to pursue graduate studies in political science at Johns Hopkins University. There, he obtained a Master of Arts in 2002 and a Ph.D. in Political Science in 2004.

Reflecting on his academic interests in previous professional profiles, Pelizzo has noted that his work centres on political institutions, governance and public accountability. Those themes have remained consistent throughout his teaching and research career.

While completing his doctoral studies, Pelizzo received a series of academic fellowships, including the Johns Hopkins Fellowship for Graduate Studies and the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship. His research training also included participation in the ICPSR Summer Program at the University of Michigan through the Political Science/ICPSR Clogg Scholarship.

His first university appointment came in 2003 as an instructor at Johns Hopkins University. The following year, he joined Singapore Management University as an Assistant Professor, where he worked until 2007. During that period, he secured competitive research grants examining legislative oversight, parliamentary voting, ethics, and political institutions.

In 2007, Pelizzo moved to Griffith University in Australia, serving first as Research Fellow and later as Senior Research Fellow. His work expanded to include studies on electoral competition, public accounts committees, governance, and emergency powers. He also held a visiting fellowship at the Habibie Center in Jakarta, Indonesia.

A decade after completing his doctorate, Pelizzo returned to a teaching-focused role when he was appointed Professor of Practice at McGill University in 2014. That same year, he joined Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan as an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Public Policy. Over the following years, he assumed a number of administrative positions, including Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Vice Dean for Research, Ph.D. Program Coordinator, Acting Vice Dean for Research and Acting Dean. In 2026, he was appointed Dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy.

His academic career has also included visiting appointments at institutions such as the University of Melbourne, Palacký University in the Czech Republic, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar in Indonesia.

In Italy, Pelizzo obtained the Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale in 2014, qualifying him for appointments at both the associate professor and full professor levels in political science.

His work has been recognised through several academic awards, including the Vincent Wright Memorial Prize, the Distinguished Reviewer Award from Politics and Policy, and honours from Nazarbayev University and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2026, he was inducted into Sigma Xi, an international scientific research honour society.

Throughout his academic career, Pelizzo has remained engaged in research, university administration and international academic collaboration. According to his curriculum vitae, he has delivered lectures and participated in academic and policy discussions at universities, parliaments and public institutions in more than 20 countries, covering topics related to governance, public policy and political institutions.

The City Boy Movement has dismissed allegations that Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign by attending the inauguration of the group’s Lagos chapter.

The movement spoke after the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, demanded the immediate suspension and resignation of the police commissioner over his presence at the event.

The NDC had accused Fatai of partisanship, arguing that his attendance at a gathering organised by a pro-Tinubu movement had raised questions about his ability to remain neutral during the 2027 elections.

But the City Boy Movement, in a statement signed by its National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response, Bashir Ahmad, said the commissioner’s presence should not be interpreted as political endorsement.

It maintained that police officers regularly attend or deploy personnel to political, religious, civic and community gatherings as part of their responsibility to maintain law and order.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, the mere presence of the Commissioner of Police at a public event should not, without more, be interpreted as political endorsement, partisan participation or institutional alignment with the organisers of that event,’ the movement said.

It argued that the constitutional responsibilities of the Nigeria Police Force include the protection of lives and property, prevention of crime and maintenance of peace during lawful public gatherings.

According to the movement, those responsibilities are owed equally to all individuals and organisations, regardless of their political affiliations.

It said it was unfair to conclude that the police had abandoned its professional neutrality solely because the commissioner attended the inauguration.

‘Accordingly, it is neither fair nor accurate to infer, solely from the Commissioner’s attendance, that the Nigeria Police Force has taken a partisan position or abandoned its obligation of professional neutrality,’ it said.

The movement insisted that public institutions should be judged on the basis of facts and not speculation.

It also denied seeking preferential treatment from the police or any other government agency.

‘We neither seek nor expect preferential treatment from any agency of government. Like every law-abiding organisation, we expect only that our lawful activities will continue to enjoy the protection guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other applicable laws,’ it stated.

The group commended the security arrangements at the inauguration, saying they ensured the event was peaceful and incident-free.

It urged opposition parties, members of the public and political commentators to exercise restraint and stop attributing partisan motives to public officers without credible evidence.

‘Responsible public commentary strengthens democratic institutions, whereas speculation and misinformation unnecessarily undermine public confidence in institutions established to serve all Nigerians,’ it said.

The movement reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful political participation, respect for the rule of law and democratic engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has revealed why security agencies kept Nigerians in the dark and resisted pressure to launch a hasty operation during the 56-day captivity of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State.

Disu said the silence was deliberate, as disclosing operational details or rushing into the kidnappers’ hideout could have endangered the hostages and resulted in collateral damage.

The pupils and teachers were abducted in May 2026 after suspected terrorists attacked two schools in Oriire Local Government Area and dragged dozens of victims into captivity.

They were eventually rescued after spending 56 days with their captors following a coordinated operation involving the police, military, vigilantes and aerial surveillance teams.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Disu said security agencies faced intense criticism during the operation, with Nigerians questioning the delay and comparing the country’s response with rescue operations elsewhere.

He maintained that security chiefs could not respond publicly because doing so might have exposed the victims and compromised the operation.

‘Everybody was attacking us left and right. What is this? What is that? We could not come out and talk. We could not expose those children,’ he said.

‘There is something they call collateral damage. People were forcing us. People were comparing us to other countries in the world. They wanted us to take hasty decisions.’

Disu said the attackers invaded two schools and escaped with the pupils and teachers in a vehicle belonging to one of the head teachers.

The kidnappers later set the vehicle ablaze at the entrance of the forest into which they disappeared.

‘I will share with you the incident of the Ogbomoso kidnap. That day, they came. They went to two schools and kidnapped those children and their teachers.

‘They used the vehicle of one of the teachers, the head teacher. When they got to the entrance of the bush they were going into, they set fire to the vehicle. We did not know why they did it,’ he said.

The police chief said the location of the schools created serious difficulties for the rescue teams because the area had no reliable telecommunications network and was far from the nearest police station.

‘In that area, there is no network at all. I think even the police station is very far from them. They had only one road that goes to the two villages where this kidnapping happened,’ Disu said.

According to him, police officers, soldiers and vigilantes immediately began tracking the attackers through the forest.

He disclosed that one officer was shot dead during the search, lamenting that the sacrifice and risks taken by security personnel received little public attention.

‘Policemen came, soldiers came and vigilantes came. They followed them through the path. Somebody was shot as we were following them.

‘Nobody mentioned that. Nobody saw it. Nobody saw the effort we put in,’ he said.

Disu said helicopters belonging to the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Air Force were also deployed as the search continued day and night.

‘From that moment, the Nigerian Air Force helicopter, the police helicopter, everybody was there searching day and night,’ he added.

The IGP said senior security officials held meetings late into the night, weighing available options and trying to determine how to rescue the hostages without placing them in greater danger.

‘We were holding meetings late in the night about it, trying to take decisions,’ he said.

He added that details of the operation were withheld even from several security personnel because authorities wanted to prevent information from reaching the kidnappers.

‘Most of this, we did not come back and tell a lot of our colleagues because we wanted to keep it secret. Parties we could not attend. A lot of things happened, but we could not talk about them,’ Disu said

Beneficiaries of Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in Abia and Imo have commended the scheme for easing the financial burdens of tertiary education while urging greater transparency and timely disbursement of students’ upkeep allowances.

Some of the students who spoke with newsmen on Thursday, in Umuahia, noted that the loan had enabled many students to remain in school despite prevailing economic challenges.

The respondents expressed optimism that addressing operational challenges would enable the student loan scheme to achieve its objective of expanding access to higher education for deserving Nigerian students.

Mr. Destiny James, an undergraduate and beneficiary of the scheme, said his loan was approved on Jan. 10 and that he had received a refund after paying his tuition fees.

James, however, said there was a delay in the payment of the monthly ?20,000 upkeep allowance, noting that several months’ allowances were later paid together.

According to him, the delay made it difficult for some students to purchase textbooks and other academic materials when they needed them.

He urged NELFUND to improve transparency by publishing the status of verified beneficiaries, those who had been paid and the reasons some applicants were yet to receive their funds.

‘Students should also be able to track their verification and payment status in real time,’ he said.

Another beneficiary, Miss Chidinma Okeke, a 300-level student of a state university, described the loan as a lifeline for students from low-income families.

Okeke said that the scheme relieved her parents of the burden of raising tuition fees and enabled her to concentrate more on her studies.

She, however, appealed to NELFUND to ensure that upkeep allowances were paid promptly to help students meet transportation, feeding and other academic expenses.

Meanwhile, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) says it had commenced refunding tuition fees to students who paid before receiving support from Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, said she had directed the university bursar to immediately commence the refund. Akanwa said that the decision was to ensure that students who made early payments were not denied the benefit of the federal loan scheme.

She explained that many students and parents borrowed money to meet the university’s registration timeline and portal deadline.

‘If they had borrowed money from somewhere to pay their fees in order to meet the university’s registration timeline and portal deadline, and parents made arrangements to support their children, those funds have to be repaid. Now that the FG has released the money, it automatically means that money does not belong to the university,’ she said.

The VC described NELFUND as a ‘win-win initiative’ that has eased financial pressure on students and parents.

She noted that more than 12,000 MOUAU students have so far benefited from the scheme.

‘Nowadays, we no longer have a lot of issues of students not paying fees because we have continued to encourage them to take advantage of NELFUND,’ Akanwa added.

Confirming the development, the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, MOUAU, Mr Anyaso Anyaso, said the university had taken steps to ensure prompt refunds.

‘MOUAU has taken the first step and is now an exception. The university remains committed to transparency in implementing the students’ loan scheme while delivering on the progress and objectives of the institution,’ he said.