Author: Gbenga Olaleye

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has activated emergency services following the derailment of a passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna on Tuesday morning. In a statement issued by the Commissioner-Designate for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor expressed deep concern over the incident and directed immediate intervention measures. According to the statement, the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Ministry of Local Government Affairs have been instructed to: evacuate all stranded passengers from the scene, provide emergency medical care to the injured, and offer psycho-social support to affected victims. “Governor Sani has mandated that every necessary…

A passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna derailed on Tuesday morning, sparking panic among passengers and their relatives. The incident occurred along the Kaduna corridor shortly after the train departed Abuja at around 11 a.m. Witnesses described scenes of confusion, with passengers scrambling to safety as the coaches came to a halt. It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment, and no official confirmation of injuries or fatalities had been issued at the time of reporting. Security sources said military personnel were swiftly deployed to the site to assist in evacuating stranded passengers and securing the area. The…

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take firm action against his Chief Security Officer (CSO), Kunle Fagbemi, following a series of alleged incidents of harassment directed at journalists covering the governor’s activities. The latest episode occurred on Saturday at the Lagos House in Ikeja, where Mr Fagbemi was accused of verbally assaulting and obstructing members of the governor’s official press crew as they attempted to discharge their duties. In a statement issued on Monday, signed by its Chairman, Adeleye Ajayi, and Secretary, Tunde Olalere, the union expressed grave concern over…

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bashir Ojulari, has warned that crude oil theft in Africa has escalated beyond local crime, with international syndicates now orchestrating the illicit trade. Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the Africa Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference, Ojulari said the crime was being driven by organised cartels exploiting weaknesses in national and continental security systems. “Oil theft is no longer a backyard operation. It is run by organised international syndicates who exploit gaps in state and continental security,” he said. He stressed that security had…

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has vowed to shut down major infrastructure across the country if the Federal Government fails to resolve its lingering dispute with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has again threatened to embark on a nationwide strike. NANS Assistant General Secretary, Emmanuel Adejuwon, speaking in Abuja on Monday, said the union would mobilise students for “massive protests” that would paralyse activities nationwide should ASUU proceed with its threat. “Let it be on record: if this strike is not averted, we will bring the country to a standstill until the future of Nigerian…

Retired military personnel across Nigeria have renewed their calls for an upward review of salaries and pensions for both serving and retired officers, warning that prolonged delays are worsening frustrations within the veterans’ community. The demand was raised last week during a meeting between the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and members of the Ministry of Defence’s five-man Ministerial Standing Committee on Military Veterans’ Welfare, led by retired Air Commodore Femi Oguntuyi. Although the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, confirmed the meeting, he did not disclose further details. Sources at the meeting revealed that the…

Osun State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) more than doubled in 2024, rising to N54.7bn from N25.3bn in 2023, according to the state’s Financial Statements and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024. The report, presented by the State Auditor-General, Kolapo Idris, showed that total revenue inflows for the year stood at N306.8bn. Of this, statutory allocation accounted for N159.7bn, Value Added Tax contributed N66.8bn, while capital receipts and funds from development partners totalled N25.4bn. On the expenditure side, the state recorded a total spend of N273.5bn. Capital expenditure was the largest item at N118.6bn, followed by personnel costs at…

The Federal Government on Monday launched a digital portal aimed at creating a credible database of Nigerian teachers, streamlining licensing processes, and promoting professionalism in the education sector. The platform, unveiled in Abuja by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in partnership with the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme, is expected to enhance transparency and efficiency in teacher management. Speaking at the launch, the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, described the initiative as a transformative step for the sector. “Today, we are not merely unveiling a portal, we are opening a…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled plans to establish a 260,000-strong rapid deployment counter-terrorism brigade, requiring an annual budget of $2.5 billion. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, disclosed this during the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja, themed “Combating Contemporary Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: The Role of Strategic Defence Collaboration.” Represented by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, Touray said the funds would support the activation of the force, logistics provision, and financial assistance to frontline states battling terrorism. He…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has collapsed politically, pointing to the results of the recently concluded bye-elections as evidence of the public’s growing rejection of the opposition party. In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the outcome of the bye-elections reflected the popularity of President Bola Tinubu’s policies among Nigerians. “The PDP has since fallen into ruins, and stands rejected by Nigerians,” Morka said. “When its governors gather in their scanty numbers, one would expect them to have some shame and concentrate on how…