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THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday made an order of accelerated hearing as suspended DCP Abba Kyrai and his co-defendants resumed their defence.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order when the matter came up for hearing after it was adjourned indefinitely on May 20, following the shortlisting of his name for elevation to the the Court of Appeal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had, at its 111th meeting, forwarded 12 High Court judges, including Nwite, to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as justices of the Appeal Court.

It would be recalled that Kyari, the former head of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), alongside four other suspended IRT officers, including the two now convicted drug traffickers, were initially being prosecuted by the NDLEA on eight-count charge.

The agency had accused Kyari and the officers of conspiracy and obstruction in the illegal dealing in cocaine and importation of cocaine preferred against the two convicts.

The four officers are: ACP Sunday J. Ubua; ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, named as second to fifth defendants.

The two convicted drug traffickers: Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, were listed as sixth and seventh defendants.

When the case was called on Tuesday, the judge asked what the position of the case was.

Responding, Sunday Joseph, who appeared for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), informed the court that following the judge’s recommendation for elevation, the case was adjourned sine die (indefinitely).

Joseph, however, said based on subsequent development and consent of all counsel in the matter, parties agreed that the matter should proceed, pending the president’s approval of the judge’s appointment.

He recalled that on March 16, the 2nd defence witness (DW-2), Insp. El-John Nwonke, concluded his evidence.

He, however, said the senior lawyer, who appeared for the first defendant (Kyari), indicated that he would want to review the testimony of the DW-2 before the witness would be cross-examined.

‘The matter was then adjourned to May 20 and 21, 2026 for hearing,’ he said.

According to him, the position of the case is for us to hear from counsel to the first defendant on their position regarding DW-two based on which we can proceed probably to cross-examination.

A.Akkas, who appeared for first and third defendants (Kyari and James), said Joseph was not entirely correct that parties agreed on continuation of trial date.

He said it did not lie in the mouth of the prosecution to have informed the court that DW-two had concluded his testimony.

Akkas, who held brief for Onyechi Ikpeazu, noted that the record of the court would show that what Ikpeazu said was that the first and third defendants counsel requires time to align transcript of new evidence that was demonstration before the court in order to establish its accuracy.

The lawyer, who said he was only served with a hearing notice of the case on Monday, sought an adjournment.

He added that said the DW-two (Nwonke) was outside the country on special duty.

Other defence lawyers, who said they were not oppose to expeditious determination of the case, did not raise an objection to the application for an adjournment.

The judge consequently adjourned the case until October 5 for continuation of defence.

The court had, on February 27, admitted video evidence tendered by the DW-two (Nwonke) as exhibit in the trial of Kyari and others.

The video contains the confessional statements of the two drug traffickers, Umeibe and Ezenwanne, who were convicted on June 14, 2022, after they pleaded guilty to the counts preferred against them by the NDLEA.

Nwonke, led in evidence by Ikpeazu, narrated how NDLEA operatives allegedly shielded the two convicted drug traffickers, Umeibe and Ezenwanne at the Enugu Airport on January 19, 2022, before the police arrested them.

He said the convicts confessed that they were arrested by the IRT with a 21.55 kilogramme consignment of cocaine at the airport.

The DW-two said the convicts told him that they had been in the business for a long time but were surprised at how the police arrested them.

THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) and MTN Nigeria have confirmed their participation in the Africa Sustainability Forum 2026, further strengthening the breadth of stakeholders expected at the gathering scheduled for October 20, at Oriental Hotels, Lagos.

The Forum, with the theme: ‘Sustainable Futures: Driving Just Transitions, Green Growth and Shared Prosperity,’ will convene leaders and practitioners across government, business, regulation, development, finance, sustainability and civil society to examine practical pathways for advancing sustainable development across Africa.

The NCC’s role in regulating and supporting the communications sector intersects with conversations around sustainable digital infrastructure, connectivity and the digital economy. The NDPC brings a data governance and privacy perspective, with the Commission describing data privacy as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s sustainable digital economy.

FBRA, an industry collaboration platform focused on post-consumer packaging waste collection, recovery and recycling, adds a strong circular economy and responsible waste management dimension to the Forum. Its work includes promoting sustainable packaging waste management and supporting the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility in Nigeria.

MTN Nigeria’s participation further brings a corporate sustainability perspective to the conversation.

The telecommunications company has identified sustainability pillars spanning environmental responsibility, social impact, governance and inclusive economic growth, including a commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.

Elvis Eromosele, Lead Coordinator, Africa Sustainability Forum, said the diversity of organisations joining the Forum reflects the need for sustainability conversations to move beyond individual sectors.

‘Sustainability is not a conversation that belongs to one industry, one institution or one group of stakeholders. The challenges we face are interconnected, and so must be the solutions. Bringing regulators, businesses and industry-led sustainability platforms into the same room creates an opportunity to examine what is working, identify the gaps and, importantly, explore how we can move from commitments to practical action. The participation of NCC, NDPC, FBRA, MTN Nigeria, and others adds important perspectives to this conversation, and we look forward to the ideas, partnerships and solutions that will emerge from the Forum.’

The Africa Sustainability Forum 2026 is designed to foster meaningful dialogue around the realities and opportunities associated with Africa’s transition towards more sustainable and inclusive economies. Discussions will explore the intersection of just transitions, green growth, responsible business, innovation, climate action, circular economy, digital transformation and shared prosperity.

The Forum also seeks to create space for stakeholders to share experiences, examine emerging opportunities, challenge existing approaches and identify areas for collaboration that can contribute to sustainable outcomes across the continent.

The Africa Sustainability Forum 2026 calls on organisations, sponsors, business leaders, sustainability professionals, policymakers, development partners, individuals and sustainability enthusiasts to be part of this important conversation.

Whether through participation, partnership, sponsorship or knowledge-sharing, there is an opportunity to contribute to shaping practical solutions for a more sustainable and prosperous Africa.

Ahead of the next year election, women leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have pledged to mobilise voters across the state for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

The women, under the platform of the Tinubu Torch Bearers (TTB), said they would take the campaign beyond political rallies by engaging communities, educating voters and using their grassroots networks to canvass support for the President.

The commitment was made on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Ondo State chapter of the TTB in Akure, where the APC National Women Leader and Convener of the group, Dr Mary Alile Idele, charged women to take a more active role in the electoral process.

Idele said the political strength of APC women must translate into grassroots participation, urging them to understand the electoral process and educate voters in their various communities.

She said: ‘Our responsibility towards 2027 is simple. APC women must understand that our political strength must be translated into active political participation.

‘Women must not only attend rallies. We must participate in voters’ education. We must understand the electoral process.’

She urged members of the group to take the message to their homes and communities, stressing the need for sustained grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.

Speaking, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who declared the state’s support for Tinubu’s re-election, said the administration’s policies and federal interventions had benefited Ondo State.

Represented by his Deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, said Aiyedatiwa had already issued an executive order declaring Ondo State ‘for Tinubu, 2027’, describing the declaration as the position of his administration.

He urged the Torch Bearers to base their mobilisation on facts, dialogue and constructive engagement rather than propaganda.

The governor said the group should help communicate the Renewed Hope Agenda to citizens, particularly women and youths, through community-level engagement.

‘For us in Ondo State, our answer is an affirmative yes. And in line with this, I have already issued an executive order, declaring Ondo State for Tinubu, 2027. This declaration is sacrosanct,’ he said.

The governor also urged women to play a greater role in the political, social and economic development of the state and country.

The First Lady of Ondo State, Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, charged the women to regard their involvement in the mobilisation as a call to service, with emphasis on grassroots participation, women’s empowerment and responsible political engagement.

She also urged youths and community leaders to contribute to national development.

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has renovated more than 4,000 classrooms and commenced the implementation of a whole-school approach in over 287 schools nationwide as part of efforts to improve the quality of public basic education.

Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during an inspection tour of renovated schools and newly commissioned digital learning centres in the Federal Capital Territory.

Garba said the commission had moved away from isolated interventions, such as renovating individual classrooms or providing limited furniture, insisting that government interventions must address the overall needs of schools.

She said the new minimum standards developed by UBEC required federal, state and local governments to assess the needs of an entire school before embarking on construction or rehabilitation projects.

According to her, the whole-school approach covers classrooms, furniture, toilets, water supply, electricity, fencing, security and digital learning infrastructure.

‘We are no longer going to renovate a window, or put in one chair and leave hundreds of students sitting on the floor.

‘Today, our renovation based on the minimum standards is called the Whole School Approach. This means any school that government is going to renovate, whether it is federal, state or local government, must follow that minimum standard,’ she said.

Garba explained that, under the approach, officials would identify all infrastructural and learning gaps in a school and ensure that they were addressed as part of a single intervention.

She said schools without fencing would be fenced, those without water would be provided with boreholes, while schools without electricity would receive solar power systems.

‘Not only to put in solar, but they should also put in burglar-proofing, as we have seen today here, under the digital learning centres,’ she added.

The UBEC boss said the commission had also made its intervention funds accessible to states to enable them to replicate and scale up the whole-school model across states and local government areas.

On digital learning, Garba said UBEC had commissioned 74 digital learning centres during the inspection exercise, bringing the number established under the current administration to more than 2,000.

She said the centres were designed as comprehensive digital learning facilities, rather than merely computer laboratories.

According to her, the centres are equipped with computers, smart boards, printers, scanners, internet connectivity, solar power, burglar-proofing and online and offline learning content for both teachers and pupils.

She added that teachers would also be trained to effectively use the digital learning facilities and content.

Garba said the whole-school approach and digital learning initiatives were part of efforts to ensure that children remained in school and had access to a safe and conducive learning environment equipped with 21st-century technology.

‘Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of our President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our directive was very clear: ensure that no child is left behind regardless of where he is.

‘If he is out of school, we must bring him back to school. If he is in school, we must ensure that he learns in a conducive, safe environment and also has the necessary 21st-century technology,’ she said.

She said the model was being scaled up nationally through UBEC and state governments, noting that enforcing minimum standards remained one of the commission’s key mandates.

Garba said the approach would end the practice of constructing isolated classroom blocks without considering other critical requirements, such as security, water, sanitation and learning facilities.

During the inspection, the UBEC team visited the Primary and Government Junior Secondary School, Nyanya Hausawa, in Abuja Municipal Area Council, as well as Model Girls’ Junior Secondary School, Aco Estate, Lugbe.

Speaking on the condition of the Nyanya Hausawa school before the intervention, UBEC Director of Physical Planning, Arch. Nura Ibrahim, said the school was located in a remote, forested area and had suffered serious infrastructural deficiencies.

He said a condition assessment was conducted before the intervention to determine the extent of rehabilitation required.

‘The first thing we observed was that some of the buildings were completely defective and had lost their structural integrity. Some of the classrooms were unsafe. The beams were cracked, and some parts had already fallen apart,’ Ibrahim said.

The Principal of the school, Gideon Isah, described the commissioning of the renovated facilities as a historic occasion, saying the intervention had transformed the learning environment.

Isah recalled that some pupils previously sat on bare floors because of inadequate furniture.

He said the renovation had improved the mood of teachers and pupils, while the school community, in collaboration with the Parent-Teacher Association, had employed three security personnel to protect the newly renovated facilities from vandalism.

While appreciating UBEC for the intervention, the principal appealed for the construction of an administrative block, noting that the premises housed three schools – primary, junior secondary and senior secondary – which lacked an administrative building.

The Military High Command on Wednesday said the gallant troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) killed 554 terrorists and criminals, arrested 1,333 suspects and rescued 1,736 kidnapped civilians during military operations across the country in the third quarter of 2026.

The Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, who disclosed this in Abuja during the combined monthly and third-quarter media briefing, said the military recorded 367 attacks across various theatres of operation in September 2026.

Gen. Onoja added that the operations, conducted between July and September, also led to the surrender of 333 insurgents, the recovery of 244 arms and 8,160 rounds of ammunition, the destruction of 104 illegal refining sites and the recovery of 1,610,402 litres of stolen petroleum products.

The director pointed out that the figures reflected sustained kinetic and non-kinetic operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, illegal refining and secessionist activities across the country by the troops.

According to him, troops recorded significant gains in September, neutralising 52 terrorists and criminals, arresting 350 suspects, rescuing 655 kidnapped civilians and receiving the surrender of 75 insurgents.

He further explained that during the month, troops also recovered 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition, dismantled eight illegal refining sites and recovered more than 304,822 litres of stolen petroleum products.

He pointed out that the military recorded 367 attacks across various theatres of operation during the period under review.

According to him, a breakdown showed that Operation Enduring Peace recorded the highest number of attacks, with 147 incidents, followed by Operation Fansan Yamma with 115 and Operation Whirl Stroke with 55.

‘Operation Hadin Kai recorded 33 attacks, while Operation Savannah Shield recorded 13 and Operation Udo Ka recorded four, while Operation Delta Safe recorded no attacks during the period.’

Gen. Onoja said the troops responded decisively to these incidents, swiftly engaging the assailants with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres and successfully countering the attacks.

He added that Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East recorded the neutralisation of 27 terrorist fighters, the arrest of 49 terrorists, the rescue of 103 kidnapped victims and the surrender of 73 insurgents and their family members in September.

He further added that 44 terrorist family members, comprising 13 women and 31 children, were rescued at Konduga in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State on 24 September.

He said the North-East operation recorded a total of 273 terrorists neutralised, 348 arrested, 297 kidnapped victims rescued and 331 insurgents and their families surrendering during the third quarter.

According to him, in the North-West, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma neutralised seven terrorists, arrested 26 and rescued 171 kidnapped victims during the month.

‘The operation recorded the rescue of more than 60 kidnapped victims after a Nigerian Air Force jet disrupted the movement of terrorists in the Bazama area of Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.’

He further explained that during the quarter, the operation accounted for 230 terrorists neutralised, 147 arrested and 508 kidnapped victims rescued.

In the North-Central,

According to him, ‘Operation Savannah Shield neutralised five terrorists, arrested two and rescued 27 kidnapped victims in September, while Operation Enduring Peace neutralised nine terrorists, arrested 155 and rescued 28 kidnapped victims.

‘Operation Whirl Stroke, covering Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states, also neutralised one terrorist, arrested 57 suspects and rescued 320 kidnapped victims during the month.’

In the South-South, Operation Delta Safe arrested 33 criminals, destroyed eight illegal refining sites and recovered more than 304,822 litres of petroleum products during the month.

He further pointed out that the troops discovered about 87,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil at Aworkiri in September and another 182,000 litres at Bethel Creek in Rivers State.

He said the Nigerian Navy, under Operation Delta Sentinel, also discovered and deactivated two illegal refining sites at Ogbogolo in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering about 33,800 litres of petroleum products.

He added that in the South-East, Operation Udo Ka neutralised three criminals, arrested 28 suspects and rescued six kidnapped victims during September, while the troops also dismantled an illegal bunkering site in Imo State and arrested a suspected secessionist Improvised Explosive Device fabrication expert.

He explained that the month-to-month figures reflected fluctuations in the operational environment, adding that troops nevertheless maintained sustained pressure on criminal and terrorist networks.

Gen. Onoja explained that the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, commended the troops for their professionalism, dedication and sacrifices, while also appreciating the support of other security agencies, local security groups and communities.

He stated that Gen. Oluyede further urged members of the public, traditional rulers and community leaders to provide timely and credible information to security agencies through the nearest military formation or the toll-free line 193.

He stressed that national security remained a shared responsibility and encouraged Nigerians to uphold the principle, ‘See Something, Say Something.’

According to him, the CDS also commended Zinox Group for partnering with the AFN to establish an online discount store for serving and retired military personnel and their families, describing the initiative as a contribution towards improving personnel welfare and morale.

Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, one of the aspirants seeking the governorship ticket of the Nyesom Wike-backed main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, has declared himself winner of the party’s legitimate primary election, rejecting the official result that declared Prof Isa Ali Pantami the winner and gubernatorial candidate in the 2027 general elections.

The fresh primary election, conducted by the PDP on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, under the leadership of the Hon Johnbull Tiemlong Shekarau Committee, ended with the declaration of Isa Ali Pantami as the party’s governorship candidate.

However, speaking to journalists shortly after the announcement of the results, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki claimed that Isa Ali Pantami was legally ineligible to contest, citing a previous court decision as the basis for his position.

According to him, ‘Based on the court judgment which indicated that Isa Pantami was not eligible to contest, I believe that I am the actual winner of this primary election.’

He claimed that, ‘Since I came second in the election and secured the legitimate members’ votes, it is my right to be declared the winner.’

Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki further maintained that Isa Ali Pantami was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when the PDP screening committee initially screened the aspirants for the original primary election held on 26 May.

He insisted that the fresh primary should have been contested only between him and the third-place candidate, Usman Aliyu Garry.

Vowing to challenge the outcome, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki said he was prepared to pursue all available legal avenues to reclaim what he considers his rightful victory.

‘I am ready to go to court, even up to the Supreme Court, to reclaim my victory,’ he said.

The dispute follows a previous lawsuit filed by Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, which resulted in the cancellation of Isa Ali Pantami’s initial victory and an order for a fresh primary election.

As Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki prepares to return to court, the legal status of the PDP’s governorship candidate in Gombe State remains subject to further legal determination.

In the same vein, Usman Aliyu Gary, another of the aspirants, has dismissed the conduct of the fresh primary elections as a mere exercise in futility, saying it was against the principles of fairness and justice.

Speaking during a press conference in Gombe, he claimed that there was no valid conduct of the primary elections because of the participation of Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami in the exercise.

According to him, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami was not qualified to participate in the fresh primary elections because, as of the time the aspirants were screened for the May 2026 primary elections, he was not a member of the PDP.

He expressed his determination to pursue legal means to challenge the process, stressing that he is the legitimate person to be declared the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP.