NGF raises panel to tackle killings, proposes massive security personnel recruitment

The National Economic Council on Thursday deferred talks on state police until its next meeting, amidst the violent attacks and bloodshed in parts of the country.

Bayelsa Governor, Duoye Diri, told State House Correspondents after the council’s 149th meeting at the Aso Rock Villa that the issue was on the agenda, but it could not be discussed in detail as it was still far down on the list.

“State police was part of our agenda today, but unfortunately, because of time demands, and after a very long meeting, we have been there for a very long time now, the presentations could not get to that point. So, I assure you that in our next meeting, that issue will be exhaustively discussed,” the governor explained after the nearly four-hour meeting. 

Although the governor did not specify when the next council meeting will be, NEC meetings are held on the last Thursday of the month.

However, the gathering has been infrequent in the last couple of months. Since its meeting in December, the council has not discussed the much-anticipated reform.

Although all 36 states had submitted reports supporting a decentralised police force,  the NEC deferred discussions until January 2025. The council only sat in February where it said the matter was not discussed.

During the meeting, the governors observed a minute of silence to honour those killed in the recent wave of attacks in Plateau, Benue, Borno and Enugu States.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum has emphasised the need for increased recruitment into security agencies and the adoption of technology-driven solutions to tackle killings at the state level.

The forum, led by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, made this known in a communiqué read by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma following their meeting early Thursday morning in Abuja.

He stated that, as an immediate step to address the surge in killings in parts of the country, the Governors have set up a committee to collaborate with security agency heads on a joint strategy.

Since the reported killing of at least 15 people on March 9 in a series of renewed attacks by suspected herdsmen in the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, more lives have been lost in a wave of attacks on various communities.

On April 14, an attack on Zike hamlet, Kimakpa community, within the Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State, resulted in the deaths of at least 52 individuals, including a family of eight, with many properties torched.

In response, the 36 state governors called for swift action and urged security agencies to confront the security challenges directly.

The Imo governor said, “The forum received a presentation from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on an innovative security initiative aimed at strengthening national and subnational capacity for early threat detection and coordinated response.

“The project envisions the phased deployment of advanced technology and infrastructure to improve surveillance, crisis management, and public safety. Governors expressed support for the initiative’s objectives and underscored the importance of technology-driven solutions in addressing evolving security challenges at the state level.

“The forum set up a sub-committee of the Nigeria Governors Forum to work with heads of security agencies on a collaborative approach for immediate solutions.’’

He further stated, “The forum received a presentation from the Hon. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, on unlocking the economic potential of land through a federal-state partnership for land reform.

“The minister outlined ongoing housing initiatives under the Renewed Hope Programme and proposed a comprehensive land registration reform to formalise land ownership, enhance tenure security, and boost internally generated revenue across states.

“Governors welcomed the ownership, enhanced tenure security, which would boost internally generated revenue across states. Governors welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to catalyse investment, improve urban planning, and enhance land-based revenue generation.”

Uzodimma also said the forum received a presentation on a proposed strategic partnership with Powercom Smart Grid Nigeria Limited. 

The initiative, he said, is intended to revamp the electricity distribution sector by leveraging private sector investment.

“Under the proposed agreement, PSGN will assume operational control of select distribution companies, introduce advanced smart grid technologies, and establish a meter production facility to enhance service delivery and energy access across states.

“The forum noted that the partnership seeks to improve electricity distribution efficiency, support job creation through local manufacturing, and relieve states of legacy sector liabilities. Governors received the proposal and would examine the opportunities and benefits therein,” he explained.

The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, emphasised the importance of state policing in Nigeria.

In an interview with journalists, Sani stated that the killings should not be seen as an indictment of the governors, noting that they have a limited role to play in addressing the issue.

He stated, “In my opinion, it’s not an indictment. I do agree that we have a limited role to play concerning the Constitution of Nigeria. Don’t forget that even tomorrow, by the grace of God, it’s one of the areas we are going to look at – the possibility of the creation of state policing in Nigeria, which for me would go a long way in addressing insecurity, particularly at the sub-national level.

“But of course, as governors, we must take responsibility. Take, for example, what is happening in Kaduna. When I came in, I inherited a system where we had a series of communal and religious clashes. But I can tell you, in almost 20 months since I took over, we have not had a single religious or communal clash.

“So, for me, I believe as a leader, you have to lead by example by making sure that you carry everyone along. You make sure that you handle the problem of insecurity and ethnic merchants. They’re everywhere. Some people can only benefit if there’s political, religious, or ethnic conflict.’’

He challenged the security agencies to step up the fight against criminality, arguing that more boots are needed on the ground to rout the attackers.

“But of course, in my last interview, I already declared that we do not have enough boots on the ground. So, no matter how we try to address the issue, we have to look at other aspects, particularly looking at a non-kinetic approach. Because when you look at the security agencies in Nigeria, look at the military—like I said, we have less than 300,000 soldiers, the entire police personnel in Nigeria is less than 400,000 in a country of about 230 million.

“So, there are a lot of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria—whether in the North, in the South, everywhere. So we have to look at other areas of addressing the issue of insecurity. That is the reason why I believe we all have to work together. We don’t need to blame each other,” he submitted.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Thursday, said the ruling party was expecting the defection of more governors from the opposition into its fold in the build-up to the 2027 general election.

Ganduje spoke when he formally received some defectors from the Kano State chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), led by the Senator representing Kano South, Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila.

He expressed confidence that the ruling party would win all the forthcoming elections even before the next general election in 2027, declaring that the project was a “done deal”.

Other NNPP defectors included Hon. Kabiru Alhasan Rurmum, member representing Rano/Kibiya federal constituency in the House of Representatives; Hon. Abdullahi Sani Rogo; Hon. Zubairu Hamza Massu, a member of Kano State House of Assembly; Dr Baffa Bichi, former Secretary to the Kano State Government; Hon. Mohd Digol, a former Commissioner; Hon. Abbas S. Abbas, a former Commissioner; Hon. Sha’aban Ibrahim Lawal, a former governorship candidate; Hon. Badamasi Ayuba Danbatta, a former member of House of Reps, and Hon. Idris Dankuwa, a former member of House of Representatives.

Speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with the new defectors, Ganduje said APC believed in President Bola Tunbu, his economic reforms and Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that part of the political renewed hope agenda was canvassing for more followership for the party.

“We started by democratically electing governors, especially in Edo State, which was in PDP, we elected, we succeeded in winning the election, it is now in APC.

“Now, there is another channel that has been opened through advocacy, through dialogue, through convincing some highly and even elected governors to come into the party and you can see what has happened now.

“The governor of Delta State is now in APC, including his cabinet, including all the members of the State Assembly and House of Representatives, and the timber and caliber of PDP, now in APC, even including the former vice presidential candidate coming into our party. So you can see that we are expanding.

“I don’t want to reveal our secret, but what I’m telling you is that APC 2027 is a done deal. More governors are coming into APC, I assure you, and places where we have election, APC Insha Allah will win those elections,” he said.

Also speaking on behalf of other new entrants into APC, Senator Sumaila said the development was the coming together of like-minds in NNPP in Kano state.

On whether his defection will make impact for APC, the Kano South Senator said: “I will refer you to 2023 general election. Go and check the results. I mean the presidential, senatorial, and House of Representatives elections, where we contested the same day, the same polling unit with Kwankwaso.

“That will give you the answer to your question. You will see my result, his (Kwankwaso) result, and various members of the House of Representatives on that very day. Then, the subsequent elections, the senatorial and state assembly members, you will see the difference and you will understand what we are telling you.”

Armed men suspected to be bandits have abducted 19 passengers in two commercial vehicles along the Makurdi/Naka/Adoka Road in Benue State on Thursday.

The incidents, according to locals, happened at about three kilometres from Naka, the headquarters of Gwer West local government area of the State, which is a hotshot for attacks and kidnapping.

A commercial driver, who did not want his name in print, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that the vehicles involved were Picnic and Sharon model buses – each of the vehicles carrying nine and 10 passengers including their drivers, respectively.

Confirming the incident to our correspondent through telephone chat, the secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), High-Level Unit, Yakubu Onu, said the two commercial vehicles belong to their members.

He said one of the vehicles had left Makurdi, the State capital, to Lokoja in Kogi State earlier on Thursday morning when it was ambushed by gunmen near Naka town.

Onu added that the second vehicle, which was ambushed at the same spot, was coming from Ankpa in Kogi State to Makurdi.

“The first vehicle was going to Lokoja with nine passengers on board and six of them were abducted and taken to the bush,” he stated.

Also confirming the incident, the Ter Tyoshin and chairman of the Gwer West Traditional Council, HRH Daniel Abomtse, informed that an elderly woman, a lactating mother and her two children, including a driver, were not abducted.

According to him, “the spared passengers reported the incident to the Police Station, and they were later released to continue their journey.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Catherine Anene, said she was yet to receive any information regarding the incidents.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), has ordered the immediate closure of Myra Event Centre in Abuja, over noise pollution.

The Coordinator of AMMC, Mr Felix Obuah, announced the directive in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

Obuah explained that the centre, located at plot 135, Mustapha Bello Street, Guzape District, was polluting the environment with noise, particularly at night, along with other contraventions.

He said that the centre would remain closed until further notice.

The coordinator further said that the action was part of ongoing efforts to address noise pollution and other environmental violations across the nation’s capital city.

He reiterated the administration’s zero-tolerance policy for violations that threaten public health and community harmony.

Obuah advised event centers against noise pollution, stressing the need to operate within the provisions of environmental laws guiding their operations.

He said that any event center that indulges in noise pollution will be closed down with immediate effect.

Obuah urged FCT residents to report environmental violations through AMMC official channels, emphasising the need for collective action to protect the environment for the interest of the public.

The Lagos State Government has revealed that an alarming 31,596 public school students failed to pass the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), raising concerns throughout the state’s educational landscape.

Naija News reports that the statistics, presented by the Lagos Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, during a press conference on Thursday in Alausa, Ikeja, indicated that 54.3% of the 58,188 public school students who participated in the exams failed.

The commissioner noted that the pass rate stood at 45.7%. This high failure rate persists despite the substantial financial support from the state government, which allocated ₦1.577 billion to cover the WAEC fees for the students.

“Suffice to say that the sum of ₦1,577,794,000 (One Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand Naira) only was paid by the State Government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.

In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.

“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos State Government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.

The Lagos State Government has initiated a significant educational intervention known as the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO Candidates, which seeks to address the issue of academic underachievement in the public schools of the state.

This program was launched on January 14, 2025, as part of a larger effort by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to provide Lagos students with the necessary resources for academic success.

This innovative initiative is intended to support and empower young learners, reflecting the Ministry’s dedication to enhancing the educational system in Lagos State, as stated by Alli-Balogun.

He mentioned that the program aims to deliver 320 lessons across 10 essential subjects, including English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Government, History, Literature-in-English, and Yoruba, thereby providing high-quality tutoring directly to students’ homes.

Each 30-minute lesson will be broadcast on Lagos Television (LTV) and will also be available on major platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), thus establishing a digital learning library that is accessible to all students.

“It is a supportive eco-system that fosters academic achievement, creativity, critical thinking… every student deserves the opportunity to attain their full potential, regardless of their background or socio-economic status,” the Commissioner declared passionately.

Alli-Balogun urged students, especially those in boarding schools, to seize this opportunity.

“It is on this note that I urge and encourage students, more importantly, students in our boarding schools, to take full advantage of this initiative, as education is a lifelong journey,” he said.

The suspended Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, has dismissed purported plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News reports that there have been unconfirmed online reports suggesting that Fubara, alongside his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, are planning to defect to the APC.

The report also suggested that the move was part of a broader strategic political alignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Amid the report, Governor Oborevwori defected on Wednesday alongside his deputy, his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, his commissioners, and major Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in his state to the APC.

However, speaking on behalf of his principal, the Special Assistant on Electronic Media to Fubara, Jerry Omatsogunwa, in an interview with DAILY POST, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, reaffirmed that the Governor remains a member of the PDP.

Omatsogunwa expressed doubt that the governor was aware of the rumoured defection, adding he had not spoken about dumping the PDP.

He said, “I doubt if the governor is even aware of the rumoured defection right now that he wants to defect. I doubt if the governor is aware.

“As it stands now, we are still members of the PDP, and nothing has changed as far as we are concerned right now. That is the stance of things right now.

“For now, as we are talking, the governor has not talked about defection. He is still a bona fide member of the PDP.

“And I can tell you for free that the governor, our Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is the Deputy Chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum. And that’s how things stand right now. Today is 24 April, 2025, and this is 9:46 am; as it stands right now, the governor is still a bona fide member of the PDP. I don’t know anything about defection.”

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest and remand of six promoters of the now-collapsed and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme known as “CBEX,” over an alleged $1 billion scam targeting Nigerian victims.

Naija News reports that Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Thursday following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Emmanuel Oku, and four other defendants.

The EFCC alleges that the defendants used a company called ST Technologies to promote CBEX, luring Nigerians to invest in the scheme.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had pledged to recover Nigerians’ lost investments in the alleged 1.3 trillion naira CryptoBank Exchange scam, committing to take action in collaboration with Interpol and other international agencies.

During the resumed court session on Thursday, EFCC counsel Fadila Yusuf informed the court of a motion ex parte concerning investigations into CBEX and the Commission’s intention to prosecute the suspects in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

“An order of this Honourable Court for the issuance of a warrant of arrest for the defendants. An order of this Honourable Court remanding the defendants in the custody of the Complainant/Applicant pending the conclusion of the investigation into the alleged offences and possible prosecution,” Yusuf said in open court. She emphasized that the case involves foreign collaborators and a scam worth over $1 billion.

Yusuf explained that while the defendants have not yet been apprehended, they used ST Technologies International Limited to promote Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), advertising unrealistic returns and luring unsuspecting members of the public to invest cryptocurrencies on the CBEX platform, with promises of returns of up to 100%.

She further noted that the funds were not stored in any Nigerian accounts, and unraveling the full scope of the syndicate’s activities would take time.

In its application, the EFCC stated that victims were made to convert their digital assets into the stablecoin USDT, which was then deposited into wallets controlled by the suspects. After victims deposited over $1 billion, the CBEX platform became inaccessible, preventing users from withdrawing their investments and exposing the operation as a scam.

The EFCC also stressed that although ST Technologies International Limited was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was not licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate as an investment platform.

The EFCC further argued that a warrant of arrest is necessary to place the defendants on a Red Notice list so they can be tracked and arrested to face charges.

After reviewing the EFCC’s submissions and court documents, Justice Nwite found merit in the application and granted the motion as prayed.

Nigerian activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has claimed that the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso worked for President Bola Tinubu in the last election.
He asserted that Obi is likely to work for Tinubu again and will most probably refuse to join the coalition.

Speaking on Thursday via a post shared on his ? page, Adeyanju disclosed what must be done for the coalition by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to succeed.

He argued that all self-centered politicians like Atiku and Obi must be neutral and not run in 2027.

According to Adeyanju, “I’m 100% convinced that Obi worked for Tinubu’s in 2023 & will do so again. I might be wrong but I’m convinced in my mind about this.

“Once a businessman, always a businessman man. Those still in doubt will see the clear hand writing before 2027. He will refuse to join coalition.

“Kwankwaso also worked for Tinubu. For the coalition to succeed, all the self centered politicians like Atiku & Obi should promise not to run and allow neutral folks to run against Tinubu.

“This is how to put the interest of the nation above personal interest. The biggest industry in Africa is politics.

“And those around popular politicians are all merchants. This is why once politics is around the corner, they are in business. Con men and women who just want to cash out. This is why they never tell politicians the truth.”

Tajudeen Yusuf, a former member of the house of representatives, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing the consequences of neglecting its zoning arrangement during the 2022 presidential primaries.

Yusuf, who represented the Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency, spoke on Thursday when he appeared on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television. 

In the build up to the 2023 presidential election, some PDP chieftains called for the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the south. 

However, Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, who is from the north, won the PDP presidential primary — a development that created division in the party.

There has been a recent wave of defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections, including Sheriff Oborevwori, the Delta state governor.

Speaking on the show, the ex-Kogi lawmaker said the collapse of the zoning arrangement marked a turning point for the PDP.

Yusuf said a similar debate over the party’s zoning agreement emerged in 2014, when former President Goodluck Jonathan took over after Umar Musa Yar’Adua’s passing.

He said that most party members from the north felt short-changed by Jonathan’s emergence as the party’s candidate in 2011.

“A lot has changed in PDP, but the most fundamental shift came in 2023 when we abandoned our core principle of zoning the presidency,” Yusuf said.

“If you recall, in 2014, the agitation was that Yar’Adua didn’t finish his term and Jonathan took over, which many believed ate into the North’s turn.

“That led five governors — led by prominent figures like Atiku Abubakar — to walk out of the convention at Eagle Square, marking the start of PDP’s internal crisis.

“By 2019, most of them, including Atiku and Tambuwal, returned to the party, in line with our principle, the party zoned the presidency to the North to avoid a repeat of past issues.

“By 2023, naturally, it should have rotated back to the South, but because of certain vested interests — people who felt they could influence the process — zoning was deliberately blocked.

“I was at the meeting, and I remember saying, ‘If we don’t zone, we will regret this’; because in Nigeria today, politics is still very much tied to religion and ethnicity — maybe one day that will change, but not now.”

Yusuf said those who derailed zoning in 2023 are now regrouping ahead of the next general election.

He noted that although PDP governors now meet regularly, they are not supporting the party financially.

“This is the first time in about ten years of PDP being in opposition that governors are not actually funding the party,” he said.

The lawmaker added that the PDP is going through “one of the toughest political periods” in its history since losing power in 2015.