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The Federal Government has distributed free inputs, including motorised and solar powered water pumps, sprayers, pesticides, fungicides, power tillers, multipurpose trashers, dehydrators, motorized weeders and others to 49 agricultural cooperative groups in Sokoto State.

The free inputs, distributed through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Sokoto state were part of the Federal Government’s initiative to increase food production.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, told beneficiaries that the initiative was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s food security especially among small holder farmers adding that the farmers’ groups were selected to benefit with free items across the country.

Represented by a Director from the ministry, Mr Abdulmajid Sule, the minister said all the beneficiaries would received the farming inputs completely free of charge.

He emphasised that President Bola Tinubu considered food security as emergency and aligned the agriculture sector among the Renewed Hope Initiatives to ameliorate food crises in the country.

According to him, the present administration was implementing numerous economic reforms to stimulate productive capacity, create jobs, and reduce cost of living among the citizens.

He reiterated that the Fed Government was prioritising the agricultural programmes and overhauled it through promoting profitable synergies with non governmental organisations, federal institutions and state governments in order the achieve the objective.

He explained that the beneficiaries included commodity groups, cooperatives, persons with disabilities, women and youths associations, and other agricultural stakeholders across the state.

Kyari warned the beneficiaries not to sell the inputs but to use them responsibly highlighting that agro-inputs and basic machinery were meant for small-scale farmers who were constrained by the hight market cost of the products.

‘The present administration developed agricultural sector toward improved agriculture and rural productivity as well as attaining objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and zero hunger,’ Kyari said.

The Coordinator of Federal Ministry of Agriculture Office in Sokoto, Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi, said all the cooperative groups were registered and drawn from the 23 local government areas of the state.

Abdullahi said the gesture would boost food production and improve the state’s role in national and regional agricultural output.

‘It is part of a national push to support smallholder farmers with critical tools and resources,’ dhe said.

Speaking also, the Programme Manager of Sokoto State Agricultural Development Project (SADP), Alhaji Abubakar Danmaliki, said the state government had opened more irrigation sites and procured 250 tractors to support agriculture production in the state.

Danmaliki said the inputs’ support had augmented the state government’s efforts adding that mor extension workers were recruited to support farmers in all parts of the state.

Speaking on behalf of benefiting groups, Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu and Kabiru Dange, Chairmen of Onion Producers and Cotton farmers unions respectively, commended the Federal Government and assured that members would use the items to improve their yields.

The Borno State Police Command has warned that criminals are increasingly using tinted vehicles to commit robberies, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and even terrorism across Nigeria.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, made this known in a statement released on Saturday, saying data from the Command’s Crime Frequency Report revealed that many serious crimes were carried out using vehicles with darkened glass.

‘Our findings show that tinted vehicles have frequently been used to conceal or facilitate serious crimes. Armed robbers, kidnappers, drug traffickers, and terrorists have all taken advantage of dark glass to hide their identities or illicit objects,’ Daso stated.

He cited a shocking example involving a University of Maiduguri lecturer murdered on April 2, 2024, where CCTV footage captured the vehicle but not the suspects’ faces due to heavy tinting – delaying justice.

Another tragic case, he said, occurred on September 26, 2025, when three children died after being trapped inside a dark-tinted vehicle. Passersby could not see them in time to intervene.

Daso said these incidents show why regulation is critical:

‘Criminals exploit the anonymity that dark glass provides. Failing to regulate it leaves law enforcement handicapped and the public vulnerable.’

He, however, clarified that the regulation is not a total ban on tinted vehicles. Exemptions apply to factory-fitted tint, VIPs, and individuals with medical conditions such as photophobia.

Vehicle owners must now register for digital tinted glass permits, which will capture biometric data, NIN, and vehicle details to aid investigations.

‘This process creates a verifiable database that strengthens security. When a tinted car is linked to a crime, we can trace its owner swiftly,’ he said, assuring that the process will be transparent and corruption-free.

The police also warned officers against using the regulation as a means to extort motorists, urging the public to report unprofessional conduct through the Complaint Response Unit (CRU).

Meanwhile, the Force Headquarters said it had not yet received the Federal High Court order reportedly stopping the enforcement of tinted-glass permits.

Force PRO, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that enforcement continues nationwide, adding that vehicles without valid tinted permits risk fines and possible impoundment as of October 2, 2025.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says a total of 16 officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria are to face military justice over alleged acts of indiscipline and breach of service regulations.

This is contained in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, on Saturday in Abuja.

Gusau said the officers were apprehended during a routine military exercise following investigations into various acts considered inconsistent with military discipline and service ethics.

According to him, findings revealed that some of the officers’ grievances were linked to perceived career stagnation arising from repeated failure in promotion examinations and other service-related issues.

‘Some of the apprehended officers had earlier been under jurisdiction for various offences, either awaiting or undergoing trial.

‘Their conduct was found incompatible with the standards of the military service,’ he said.

Gusau explained that upon conclusion of investigations, all indicted personnel would face appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and established military justice procedures.

He said that the ongoing action was purely disciplinary and part of routine efforts to preserve order, discipline and professionalism in the armed forces.

He assured the public that the military remained committed to upholding its core values of loyalty, integrity, and constitutional obedience under democratic authority.

‘The Armed Forces of Nigeria will not tolerate any behaviour that undermines its cohesion or threatens its constitutional role.

The military remains fully committed to professionalism and the defence of Nigeria’s sovereignty,’ he added.

Nigeria’s military has listed killing of many terrorists, arrest of 450 suspects, and rescue of 180 kidnapped victims among the achievements of its troops involved in ongoing counter-insurgency and anti-banditry operations nationwide in September.

Also, 39 terrorists voluntarily surrendered, while troops recovered 63 assorted arms, and 4,475 rounds of ammunition within the month, Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, stated this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Kangye listed some of the items recovered to include grenades, IED-making materials, communication gadgets, vehicles, motorcycles, and logistics supplies used in perpetrating crimes.

Giving breakdown of the operations, Kangye said in the North East, troops of Joint Task Force (JTF) North East, Operation HADIN KAI, had sustained momentum against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States.

He said the troops operations led to the elimination of several terrorists and the arrest of 21 collaborators, informants, and sympathisers, with a large cache of arms and ammunition in Konduga, Gwoza, Mafa, Monguno, Damboa, Biu, and Kukawa.

Kangye said the troops also dismantled terrorist camps, intercepted logistics networks, and supported the safe return of displaced persons to their ancestral homes.

In the North West, Kangye said the troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA carried out clearance and rescue operations in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, and Kaduna States.

He added that troops killed many bandits and apprehended 46 suspects, including a wanted terrorist kingpin, Ali Saidu.

According to him, a total of 13 kidnapped victims were rescued during these operations, which also disrupted key bandit supply routes in Maradun, Isa, and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas.

‘Under Operation ENDURING PEACE, troops responded to distress calls and conducted clearance operations in Plateau and Kaduna States, where several extremists were neutralised, 12 suspects arrested, and 4 kidnapped victims rescued.

‘Similarly, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE neutralised criminals and arrested six suspects in Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa States, and parts of the FCT, rescuing two kidnapped victims,’ he said.

In the South East, Kangye said the troops of Operation UDO KA neutralised terrorists and apprehended four others, with weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and improvised explosive devices recovered in Anambra and Imo States.

Kangye reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to restoring peace and stability across all parts of the country, working closely with other security agencies and Hybrid Forces.

‘Our gallant troops will continue to sustain offensive operations and intelligence-driven missions until lasting peace is achieved in all troubled parts of Nigeria,’ he said.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) FCT Command says it apprehended more than 250 commercial vehicles in just two days for overloading, as it begins full enforcement of safety regulations in the territory.

The FCT Sector Commander, Corps Commander Felix Theman, disclosed this in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Education Officer, Mrs Helen Ntaji, on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the enforcement, which started on Oct. 2, specifically targeted the practice of carrying two passengers in the front seat of taxis.

Theman said that the two-day figure demonstrated the scale of violations in the FCT, in spite months of sustained engagement and education to transport unions.

He explained that his top priority since assumption of office had been restoring passenger dignity and safety, noting that enforcement was the most civil way to ensure compliance.

According to him, overloading makes the use of seatbelts impossible, weakens vehicle suspension and tyres and limits driver control in emergencies.

Theman added that the command’s operation was being carried out in collaboration with mobile magistrate courts to ensure immediate prosecution of offenders.

He said that full activation of mobile courts across the FCT would begin on Oct. 6 to intensify the enforcement.

The commander also warned drivers operating vehicles below minimum safety standards to upgrade them or risk outright impoundment.

He hinted that transport unions had pledged full support for the initiative and urged passengers to cooperate to protect their rights to safe and dignified transportation.

Mr Olayemi Cardoso, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria has said the reforms being carried out by the bank are aimed at stabilising the economy, restoring confidence and bringing inflation down to single digits in the medium term.

Cardoso said this while taking questions during a fireside chat at his inaugural lecture series at the Lagos Business School (LBS).

The lecture had the theme ‘Next Generation Leadership in Monetary Policy and Nation Building’ and marked the launch of the CBN Governor’s Lecture Series.

The lecture had in attendance students from various tertiary institutions, members of academia, bankers and industry experts.

Cardoso explained the challenges of stabilising the nation’s economy and how hard work and credibility had helped CBN to redirect the nation’s economy on a positive growth path.

He explained ongoing reforms and achievements in the last two years geared toward stabilising the economy and restoring investor confidence.

‘The idea is to ensure that in the medium term we achieve single-digit inflation,’ he said.

He said interest rates and the foreign exchange market were areas of concern for everyone, adding that, at one point in time, the foreign exchange market had multiple challenges.

He explained the crisis of access to foreign exchange when he assumed office two years ago and efforts through necessary and stringent reforms that restored sanity, transparency and credibility.

He said credibility is at the heart of any central bank to win people’s trust and investor confidence, while listing some benefits of the reforms, including the ability of citizens to use Naira debit cards abroad.

Cardoso said when he promised to clear verifiable FX backlog estimated at over seven billion dollars, the feat was a daunting task which credibility, transparency and resilience helped him to achieve.

He said promises must be kept for people to keep trusting the nation’s economy, adding that people invest where there is integrity, credibility and trust, and that transparency and credibility restored sanity and attracted foreign investors.

Cardoso said during his tenure the apex bank began publishing financial statements, a practice that had been suspended for several years.

‘For years, the financial statements of the Central Bank had not been published. We have gone ahead to publish it. It’s on our website,’ he said.

He also explained how CBN used technology to eliminate sharp practices, citing adoption of a new electronic matching system, which made market activities open and transparent.

According to him, beyond macroeconomic stability, vision building involves creating opportunities for young people, in particular areas like financial inclusion and support for small and medium-scale businesses.

Cardoso said he was not seeking to praise himself but urged Nigerians to read positive comments of various local and international rating agencies about the efforts of the bank under his leadership.

Earlier, while delivering his keynote, he insisted that the CBN is building an institution that can be trusted, while urging the youths to embrace credibility.

Cardoso said the inaugural lecture initiative was aimed at deepening public understanding and strengthening the transmission of monetary policy.

The governor said the country’s most important asset is its next generation, which forms the largest demographic comprising more youths who must be groomed to drive the nation’s future development and growth.

He said when he assumed office as governor in 2023, Nigeria’s economy faced formidable headwinds with high inflation rates, depleted external reserves, low investor confidence, and nearly every macroeconomic indicator under pressure.

Cardoso said he tackled inflation with tightening policy aggressively, raising rates by more than 800 basis points and strengthening liquidity management.

He explained other reforms including strengthening reserves, now standing above 42 billion dollars, and new channels for diaspora remittances and investments.

‘On financial inclusion, we expanded mobile and agency banking to underserved communities, raising access from 56 per cent in 2020 to over 64 per cent in 2025, and commenced the recapitalisation of banks to ensure a stronger, more resilient financial system,’ he said.

He said the nation’s inflation, which peaked at almost 35 per cent, moderated to about 20 per cent, adding that real GDP expanded by 4.2 per cent in the second quarter, signaling a re-emergence of growth momentum.

The apex bank boss also explained the future of digital payments, credit, savings, investment and others being redefined by fintech and digital platforms.

Prof. Olayinka David-West, Dean, Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University, delivering a welcome address, explained the role of the institution since inception in 1991.

She praised the partnership with the CBN governor to foster thought leadership, policy engagement, and in-depth discourse between town and gown.

Police said they have initiated investigations investigations into viral videos showing officers of Lagos Command tear-gassing students in Alakuko and an accident in Ikorodu injuring two people.

The command confirmed the probe in a statement posted on its X handle @LagosPoliceNG on Friday.

According to the post, Lagos Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), to conduct a thorough investigation into both incidents.

Jimoh condemned the unprofessional conduct seen in the Alakuko video, stressing that misuse of power and overzealousness by officers would not be tolerated.

He urged representatives of the victims in the Ikorodu accident to come forward with information to establish the facts and ensure justice.

The command assured the public that due process would be followed and any officer found culpable would face disciplinary action.

The Lagos police Command also reaffirmed their commitment to accountability and professionalism, urging residents to remain calm as investigations progress. (NAN)

Tragedy struck on Friday evening at the Alapoka axis of the Papalanto-Ilaro Road in Ogun State when a Dangote Cement truck lost its brakes and rammed into a tricycle, killing all five occupants instantly.

The fatal accident, which occurred around 8:25 p.m., involved an unregistered tricycle and a Dangote truck bearing the number plate GRZ 767 XA. According to Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), the truck driver failed to notice he had collided with the tricycle until it was too late.

‘The impact was so severe that the tricycle was crushed under the truck’s tyre, killing the five passengers on the spot,’ Akinbiyi said.

A rescue team led by the Acting TRACE Head, Adedayo Omonayajo, and the Ilaro Divisional Commander, Salako Idowu, was deployed to the scene. However, tensions escalated as angry residents attempted to attack the team. The situation was brought under control with the intervention of the Amotekun Corps and other security operatives.

The remains of the victims were evacuated and taken to the morgue by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, has revealed how President Bola Tinubu rehabilitated him after Sierra Leone rebels amputated his hands in 1999.

He said he wrote to various governments, including Southeast governors, seeking support after his ordeal was televised, but his requests were rejected.

Anyaele spoke on Friday evening during the Nkata Umuibe, a monthly speakers’ series organised by the Centre for Memories (CFM), Enugu, with the theme ‘Onye Aghana Nwanne Ya’.

He explained that the assailants were fighters of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which waged war in Sierra Leone between 1991 and 2002.

The disability rights activist said after his request to Southeast governors and others were rejected, he later sent the same appeal to then Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, who directed doctors to examine him.

Medical reports recommended overseas treatment, leading to his rehabilitation in Germany, where artificial hands were fitted.

‘I must thank the Tinubu administration and the good people of Lagos State for their hospitality,’ Anyaele said.

He lamented that living with disability in Igboland often meant enduring discrimination and neglect.

Recounting his ordeal, Anyaele said he was on a business trip to Freetown when he was attacked solely because he was Nigerian.

He recalled that his pleas not to be mutilated were ignored, stressing that many Nigerians faced similar inhuman treatment during Sierra Leone’s civil war.

He said Nigerian-led ECOMOG troops rescued him while he lay in pain and rushed him to hospital, saving his life.

‘That experience changed my world as I suddenly found myself in the disability community, without knowing what the future held,’ he said.

He added that he was subjected to stigma, discrimination, isolation, and exclusion because of his disability.

Appealing to Igbos, Anyaele urged them not to discriminate against persons with disabilities but to embrace inclusion, noting disability could happen to anyone anytime.

He commended Gov. Alex Otti for establishing the Abia State Disability Commission and urged Gov. Peter Mbah to replicate it in Enugu State.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has celebrated 15-year-old Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, a Nigerian teenager living with autism, for making history by creating the world’s largest canvas painting by an individual.

The monumental artwork, titled ‘Impossibility is a Myth’, spans an astonishing 12,303.87 square metres, earning Kanyeyachukwu a place in the Guinness Book of World Records and international acclaim. The piece was unveiled at Marina, Eko Atlantic City, Lagos.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Idris Aregbe, the governor described the achievement as a powerful statement on youth potential, disability inclusion, and the indomitable Nigerian spirit.

‘At just 15, Kanyeyachukwu has done what many thought impossible. His painting is not just a personal triumph – it is a symbol of possibility, inclusion, and hope,’ Sanwo-Olu said.

He highlighted the infinity symbol at the centre of the painting as a message of boundless potential, particularly for people on the autism spectrum. The governor also reiterated his administration’s commitment to investing in platforms that promote youth creativity and global competitiveness.

The painting, first unveiled on World Autism Awareness Day 2025, combines turquoise and coral hues with imagery of multiple human faces to reflect emotions, diversity, and shared humanity.

Kanyeyachukwu, who is non-verbal, has used visual art as his primary form of communication since early childhood. His work has inspired global attention and advocacy for neurodiverse creatives.