Author: Gbenga Olaleye

The Agbekoya Farmers Society of Nigeria has announced the deployment of hundreds of its trained members to various villages and communities across Oyo State in a bid to curb the rising menace of banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. The development was disclosed on Sunday following an emergency security meeting held in Ibadan, where the group reviewed the growing security challenges confronting the state and the country at large. Tension has escalated in parts of Oyo State, especially in Saki, within the Oke Ogun geopolitical zone, after residents raised the alarm over the reported movement of a notorious wanted criminal…

The Ogun State Commissioner of Police (CP), Lanre Ogunlowo, has confirmed the abduction of six real estate marketers in Oyebola village, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area. The victims, who work with a Lagos-based property firm, were reportedly seized on Friday while on an inspection tour of land owned by the company. Ogunlowo disclosed the incident on Sunday during a telephone interview with our correspondent, shortly after an anonymous resident from a neighbouring community raised an alarm about the attack. According to the Commissioner, the marketers were invited from Lagos to assess the property and gather information to promote and sell the…

Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, has defended the President’s latest round of ambassadorial nominations, insisting that the choices reflect Tinubu’s informed judgment on what is best for his administration and for Nigeria. Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Oshodi argued that political appointments to diplomatic positions are neither unusual nor improper, but part of a long-established global norm. According to him, world leaders—including presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs—routinely nominate trusted allies or individuals with whom they share longstanding political and personal relationships. “Whether it’s Donald Trump sending his friends…

Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), has called on the newly emerged factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Turaki, to lead a thorough rebuilding of the party as it prepares for the 2027 general elections. Babangida delivered the charge when Turaki, accompanied by selected members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), visited his Hilltop residence in Minna, the Niger State capital. Their discussions reportedly centred on party renewal, national stability, and the strengthening of political structures nationwide. The former military president commended the delegation for identifying with the government and people…

The Kano State Government has firmly dismissed widespread rumours suggesting an impending security crisis, assuring the public that the state remains safe, stable, and entirely under control. The clarification followed a State Security Council meeting on Sunday, attended by all senior security chiefs, during which Governor Abba Yusuf received detailed briefings on ongoing operations across the state. In a statement released on Monday by the Director-General of Media and Publicity, Sunusi Dawakin-Tofa, the government emphasised that no credible intelligence points to any imminent threat to public peace. He stated that the circulating claims were “false, sensational, and deliberately crafted to…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised the Federal Government following reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) spent N17.5 trillion in a single year on securing fuel pipelines. Atiku described the reported expenditure as unprecedented, alarming, and one of the most brazen financial scandals in Nigeria’s history. In a statement issued by his media office on Sunday, the former Vice President compared the alleged figure to the nation’s total fuel subsidy expenditure over more than a decade. He noted that approximately N18 trillion was spent on subsidies over 12 years—an intervention that, according to him, provided…

Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has sharply criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other prominent government critics for what he described as “ignoble” attempts to undermine the administration’s efforts to combat terrorism. In a statement titled “Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship” and shared via his X account on Sunday, Dare condemned recent remarks by Obasanjo and “habitual presidential aspirants”, including Atiku Abubakar, suggesting that the current government has failed to protect its citizens amid rising insecurity. Obasanjo, speaking at an event in Jos, Plateau State on Friday, expressed…

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that restoring peace, strengthening national security, and expanding economic opportunities remain the foremost priorities of his administration. His message was delivered in Lokoja on Sunday during a memorial event honouring the late former Kogi State Governor, Prince Abubakar Audu. The President was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris. In a statement issued by the Minister’s media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, Idris told attendees that the Federal Government is unwavering in its determination to confront threats to the nation’s stability. He acknowledged recent security setbacks but emphasised that the administration is fully…

Two United States National Guard soldiers were shot on Wednesday, just a few blocks from the White House, triggering a primary security response and reigniting political tensions over President Donald Trump’s controversial anti-crime deployment of military personnel to American cities. The shooting, which unfolded near the busy Farragut West metro station, sent shockwaves through central Washington, D.C., as emergency services raced to the scene and heavily armed officers cordoned off surrounding streets. Initial reports suggested that the two soldiers — deployed from West Virginia as part of Trump’s expanded National Guard presence — had been critically wounded. West Virginia Governor…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised the Federal Government’s approach to recent kidnappings across the country, warning that negotiating with bandits poses a grave threat to national security and undermines the rule of law. In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said that although it rejoices with families whose loved ones have been freed—including worshippers abducted from Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun in Kwara State and students kidnapped in Kebbi—the government must answer tough questions. The party argued that these abductions would not have occurred if the…