News In Brief

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday night returned to Abuja after a State visit to Türkiye where he held high-level engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding economic, security and strategic cooperation between both countries. The President’s aircraft landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by 8:55 p.m.

 The Oyo Police Command has arrested seven members of the dreaded ten-man armed banditry gang, including the alleged mastermind and ring leader of the attack that led to the death of some forest rangers and operatives of the Old Oyo National Park. The attack, which happened on January 6, tragically resulted in the death of five persons.

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Following Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s recent political alignment with the centre, renewed speculation has trailed the long-running Kano emirate crisis, with questions resurfacing over whether the development could alter the fate of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II. However, the governor has dismissed any suggestion that the political shift could lead to the removal of Sanusi, insisting that the emir’s position remains secure and unchanged.

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 The New Nigeria Peoples Party has dismissed reports suggesting that the National Leader of the party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, overreached himself in a purported negotiation for his defection to the All Progressives Congress. According to the NNPP, Kwankwaso never held any discussion with President Bola Tinubu on joining the APC, contrary to claims in some quarters.

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Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has ordered the removal of traditional rulers in the Amasiri clan, Afikpo Local Government Area and directed that their staff of office be withdrawn. The governor also sacked the Commissioner for Tertiary Education from the area, Prof Amari Omaka.

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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Oyo State Command, has arrested a 28-year-old, housewife over alleged human trafficking. In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Ibadan, the Command’s spokesman, Mr Samuel Opebiyi, said that efforts were on to apprehend her accomplice and husband, who is on the run.

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 The African Democratic Congress, has called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the Electoral Bill 2025, warning that continued delays could undermine critical electoral reforms and threaten the credibility of the 2027 elections. ADC Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement on Saturday, said the party accused the APC-led Senate of delaying the bill and warned against weakening or stalling key reforms like electronic voter accreditation and results transmission.

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 Following the closure of Onitsha Main Market by Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, the market leadership has agreed to stop observing sit-at-home order on Mondays as earlier directed by the state government. It specifically expressed willingness to comply with the governor’s directive that they begin operation every Monday but highlighted logistics and security challenges.

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 The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, on Saturday expressed the service’s determination to further degrade the fighting capacity of terrorists, as it was in 2025. Aneke made this known during Parley for NAF Veterans alongside the 2025 Base Annual Social- Cultural Activities (BASA), in Maiduguri.

From dailypost