The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has welcomed the judgment of the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland, which on Monday sentenced Simon Ekpa to six years’ imprisonment for terrorism-related offences.
General Musa described the ruling as a landmark victory in the global fight against terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that it demonstrates that those who incite violence or fund terrorism will be held accountable, irrespective of their location.
In a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the CDS said:
“This judgment sends a strong message that there is no safe haven for individuals or groups who sponsor or encourage acts of terror against Nigeria or any other sovereign state. The Armed Forces of Nigeria commend the Finnish authorities for their diligence in ensuring justice is served.”
The CDS also expressed appreciation to Nigerian security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, as well as the country’s diplomats, for their collaboration in providing actionable evidence that contributed to Ekpa’s conviction.
He noted that the outcome underscores the importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational threats.
General Musa reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ resolve to continue working with global partners to dismantle terrorist networks, while assuring Nigerians of sustained efforts to secure peace across the country.
He further urged citizens to remain vigilant and support security agencies in the ongoing fight against insurgency and violent separatist movements. (Vanguard)
President Bola Tinubu has condoled with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over the death of the 18th indigenous Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Solomon Ehigiator Arase, CFR, who died on Sunday at 69.
President Tinubu commiserated with the family, friends and associates of the highly resourceful officer. Arase’s reforms as IGP and later as Chairman of the Police Service Commission brought lasting changes to the force.
The President acknowledged the dedication of the former IGP to enhancing security in the country, through initiatives such as the Intelligence Response Team, the Complaint Response Unit, and Safer Highway Patrols.
Reflecting on Arase’s laudable service to the country, President Tinubu remarked, “Arase served the police force meritoriously from 1981 to 2016. During his career, he led tactical, operational, and intelligence units, including United Nations Peacekeeping in Namibia, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, and the Principal Staff Officer to three IGPs.
“He was Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department.
“After retirement, he continued to serve the nation in various public roles, including as Chairman of the Police Service Commission and as head of the Task Force on implementing the Edo State Anti-Community Development Association Law.
“His expertise extended to consultancy roles with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the European Centre for Electoral Support, the Human Rights Centre at the University of Oslo, and as a member of the Committee on Prevention of Torture in Geneva, Switzerland.”
“I pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of this dedicated security expert, whose experience and contributions will be deeply missed by our nation”. (Vanguard)
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the visit of his Colombian counterpart, Francia Márquez, marks the beginning of a new era in relations between Nigeria and Colombia.
Márquez, who arrived in Abuja on Saturday for a three-day official visit, was accompanied by her spouse, Mr. Rafael Yerney Pinillo Ocoró, cabinet ministers, senior government officials, and business leaders.
The delegation is expected to engage Nigerian counterparts in discussions across key sectors to strengthen diplomatic and economic cooperation.
Speaking at a gala dinner held on Sunday night at the Presidential Villa in honour of the Colombian Vice President, Shettima said the visit was proof that both nations were set to enter a union that would foster deeper political cooperation and bolder economic ventures.
The vice president said Márquez’s visit to Nigeria is expected to deepen diplomatic and strategic relations between Nigeria and Colombia and enhance collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including governance, trade, agriculture, energy, education, and security, among others.
He said, “The visit is proof that Nigeria and Colombia are about to enter an era of fraternal union that would create deeper political cooperation, bolder economic ventures, and richer people-to-people exchanges.” (Punch)
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has increased the minimum wage for the state’s civil servants from N70,000 to N104,000.
The governor announced the new minimum wage on Tuesday night at a meeting with organised labour at the Government House in Owerri, the state capital. This shows an additional N34,000.
Uzodimma also raised the wages for the state’s health workers, pegging the entry-level salary for medical doctors at N508,000, while senior positions in the same cadre will earn up to N1.2 million.
Other health workers, the governor said, would start at N108,000, with top earners receiving as much as N803,000, an upward review from the previous N77,600 to N502,000 range.
For lecturers, the new entry point will be N222,000.
Other civil service positions also received significant increases according to their salary structures.
Uzodimma directed the immediate release of N16 billion to clear outstanding pension and gratuity arrears for senior citizens. The next phase of the payment will start tomorrow.
The governor’s pronouncement met wide jubilation across the state, including the chairman of Aged Pensioners, Dr. J. B. Ugochukwu.
Announcing the pay rise, Uzodimma stated that the new wage reflected his administration’s commitment to a cordial and productive relationship with the state’s workforce and pensioners.
“We have always recognised that no government can succeed without a friendly and cordial relationship with organised labour, which we rightly describe as the engine room of government,” he said.
The governor said his administration had prioritised the welfare and dignity of Imo workers by carrying bureaucrats along in governance.
He cited improved state finances, with Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rising from below N400 million in 2020 to nearly N4 billion currently, and federal allocation from N7.5 billion to over N13 billion.
He attributed the improved figures to the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he said were yielding tangible benefits.
Uzodimma highlighted a significant drop in Imo State’s debt profile from N280 billion to under N100 billion, alongside massive investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and youth empowerment.
Challenging the workforce to deliver uncommon service with dignity and commitment to justify the new pay, he governor said “Those of us making sacrifices must also have reasons to say we did the will of God.”
Commissioner for Labour, Employment, and Productivity, Prof. Boniface Nwogu, lauded the governor’s gesture, saying it has resolved all pending agitation and struggle by organised labour.
Imo State NLC Chairman Uche Chigaemzu and leaders of sister unions – TUC, NUP, and NMA – thanked the governor for his magnanimity and pledged the continued loyalty and support of workers and pensioners in the state.
The event was attended by the deputy governor, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, House of Assembly Speaker Chike Olemgbe, the deputy speaker, other lawmakers, commissioners, members of the Expanded Executive Council (Exco), and local government council leadership. (Nation)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, believes the conduct of the Rivers local government elections is a step closer to the end of emergency rule in the coastal state.
Wike spoke on Saturday in Rumepirikom, Ward 9, Unit 007, Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of the state after voting in the Rivers council elections.
“So, having done this, then the coast is clear for the state of emergency to be lifted, meaning that the local government has representatives, the state government has its own elected representatives, so we are good to go,” he told the press after exercising his franchise.
“I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire, and that would mean that the state governor and state assembly will come back to their job, and we will have a government at the grassroots level,” the former governor of the state said.
He equally hailed the conduct of the elections and described it as peaceful.
“I am very happy. It means that people identify with the elections,” Wike, who was surrounded by supporters, said, dismissing concerns about voter apathy.
“You have not heard of any violence. You have not heard of [people] carrying ballot boxes. You see that the electoral materials are there. People are there casting their votes. As far as we are concerned, the elections are very peaceful.
“Of course, we are concerned [about low turnout], but people are trooping out. Before the elections close, you will see the number of persons [increase]. So, we are very happy that, at the end of the day, these elections have been conducted very peacefully and successfully.”
The elections came six months after the Supreme Court nullified a previous one conducted out by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
In March, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the South-South state, citing rising tensions over a months-long political impasse between Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, which had defied peace moves.
He suspended Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Oduh, and members of the Rivers State Assembly in March for a period of six months.
In their stead, he named a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), to run the state.
Weeks after the move, Fubara, Wike, some key members of the Rivers Assembly, met with President Tinubu.
At the end of the gathering, the FCT minister told reporters that the parties had settled their issues. (Channels)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to Abuja around 1:20am on Thursday after concluding a three-day state visit to Brazil that yielded a raft of bilateral agreements and high-level engagements aimed at deepening Nigeria’s economic and diplomatic ties with South America’s largest economy.
The President, who arrived aboard the presidential jet, was received at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by a high-powered delegation of political leaders and senior government officials.
Among those present were Governors Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau); Uba Sani (Kaduna); Hope Uzodinma (Imo) and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara).
Also on hand to welcome the President were Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and some Ministers, including Nyesom Wike (FCT); Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Budget and Economic Planning) and Bello Matawalle (Defence, State).
President Tinubu’s visit to Brazil was marked by the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering aviation, trade, science, diplomacy, and finance.
At a joint press conference in Brasília, he welcomed the imminent return of Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil giant, to Nigeria—five years after it halted its joint ventures.
“We have the largest gas repository. So I don’t see why Petrobras doesn’t join as a partner in Nigeria as soon as possible. I appreciate President Lula’s promise that this will be done,” he said.
The agreements also included a Bilateral Air Services Agreement, paving the way for direct flights between Lagos and São Paulo, to be operated by Air Peace.
Other MoUs targeted political consultations, scientific collaboration, and agricultural financing through Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture and Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development.
Beyond the MoUs, President Tinubu underscored his administration’s economic reforms, assuring Brazilian investors of a stable, transparent financial climate.
He cited Nigeria’s capital market growth as evidence of renewed investor confidence and pledged continued reforms to “unlock capital, protect investors, and drive innovation.”
In a meeting with Nigerians in Brazil, Tinubu called on the diaspora to contribute actively to nation-building, pledging technology-driven development and food security as the pillars of a prosperous future.
“We must bring Nigeria to the forefront of Africa’s progress, driven by technology, food sovereignty, and the courage to change our destiny,” he told the gathering.
The visit, which featured red-carpet honours, bilateral meetings with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and cultural engagements, signalled what both leaders described as a new era in Nigeria–Brazil relations.
Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil was preceded by his participation at the recently concluded ninth edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). (Nation)
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has promoted 49 Deputy Directors to the position of Director in various departments, moving from Grade Level 16 to 17.
This was consequent upon the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike’s approval of the release of the result of the first-ever Computer-Based Promotion examination held at the National Open University Duste-Alhaji Study centre in Bwari Area Council, on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
The promotion examination was done to clear the backlog of promotion arrears of 2023 to 2025, for workers on grade level 16.
A statement on Tuesday, by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social to the FCT Minister, quoted the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Eze, as saying that the promoted deputy directors will fill 49 of the 63 vacancies declared in various departments.
Out of the 49 promoted, the Education Officer Cadre had the highest of 20, followed by the Accountant Cadre, which had nine.
While Civil Engineer, Social Welfare, Tourism, Fisheries, and Medical Officers Cadres had one vacancy and one eligible officer each, the Education Officer cadre had 820 eligible officers for 20 vacancies, while Admin had 12 eligible officers for 10 vacancies.
Recall that to ensure transparency and a promotion exercise devoid of any form of pressure and influence, the FCT Minister directed the Civil Service Commission to adopt the most technology-driven methodology in the conduct of the promotion examination.
The Minister consequently approved the Civil Service Commission’s request to adopt Computer Based Test (CBT) model for the conduct of promotion exercise, and in order to make the examination completely CBT model complaint and reduce delays associated with the release of examination results, the commission’s Board of examiner set minimum of 60 percent as pass mark. (Vanguard)
The immediate past Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ude Chukwu, on Saturday formally joined the Labour Party (LP) at his country home in Nkoro, Ohafia Local Government Area.
Chukwu, who recently resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he served under former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, described his move as the beginning of a new political era for him and his constituents.
“All Nkporo people are here today. The implication is that Nkporo is now in the Labour Party,” Chukwu declared.
Explaining his defection, the former deputy governor lauded Governor Alex Otti’s leadership style. “I decided to join you because you treat governance as a personal mission.
“You have done well. Today, we can proudly say we are Abians. PDP in Abia State has closed shop as from today,” he said.
Governor Otti, while receiving Chukwu into the Labour Party, praised his decision and described him as a principled leader. According to him, Chukwu is “a man who will give you your due respect.”
The governor further assured that ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Nkporo road, would be of the same standard as those in Aba and Umuahia.
Also speaking, the Abia LP Chairman, Sir Emmanuel Otti, said Chukwu’s entry would “awaken the people of the area to new opportunities.”
In the same vein, the Ohafia LGA LP chairman, Godwin Kalu, pledged unity and development for the zone, while the PDP LGA chairman, Egesi Eze Azu, also announced his defection alongside Chukwu. (Vanguard)
A chieftain of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abba Moro, says the party regrets fielding Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
Moro, a senator representing Benue South in the National Assembly, stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“As a result of how the election turned out and because the Nigerian people spoke, definitely, it [fielding Atiku] was an error,” the Senate Minority Leader said on Tuesday.
“To lose a very monumental election in that disastrous manner is certainly in for regret.”
The PDP lost the presidential election to the All Progressives Congress (APC), coming second in the exercise won by Bola Tinubu, the then-flagbearer of the ruling APC.
About two years after that defeat, Atiku dumped the PDP and has yet to announce his new party.
Though the 2027 general polls are barely two years away, there are rumours that the main opposition wants to persuade former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, to return to its fold.
Since Jonathan lost to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he has kept a low profile as he has not been seen at public functions within the PDP.
Similarly, Obi, who was running mate to Atiku in the 2019 elections, dumped the PDP for the Labour Party, where he later secured its presidential ticket for the 2023 polls.
He was said to have been frustrated out of the PDP, a claim that was corroborated by Moro.
But Moro said there were ongoing talks to persuade the duo to join the presidential race.
He added, “So, in the run-up to 2027, I am aware certain individuals have been talking to Peter Obi, ‘Hey, come back home, this is what we are likely to do, and if you come, you stand a chance of being the candidate’,” Moro said on the show.
When asked about the possibilities of ex-President Jonathan returning to the PDP, Senator Moro said, “Some persons are talking to the former president to come and run. It is a possibility”. (Channels)
Brazilian state-owned oil giant Petrobras is set to resume operations in Nigeria five years after it exited joint venture activities in the country, following the signing of five strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Nigeria and Brazil to strengthen trade, diplomacy, science, aviation, and finance cooperation.
The announcement was made during President Bola Tinubu’s State Visit to Brazil, where he met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
President Tinubu at a joint press conference in Brasília said Petrobras’ return would reignite economic cooperation in the energy sector between the two countries.
“We have the largest gas repository. So I don’t see why Petrobras doesn’t join as a partner in Nigeria as soon as possible. I appreciate President Lula’s promise that this will be done as soon as possible,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu praised President Lula’s commitment to revitalising the partnership between the two countries, noting that Nigeria’s economic space remains a virgin land, full of opportunities for Brazilian companies.
He also praised Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer for its growing footprint in Nigeria, particularly its plans to establish a regional service hub to support the country’s growing airline industry.
Tinubu recalled his previous engagements in Brazil and emphasised the urgency of moving beyond symbolic ties to concrete economic cooperation.
He said; “Honourable Ministers of both countries, members of the Brazil Business Group, I have listened carefully to my friend, President Lula. We had a lengthy discussion. We talked about history and about African and Brazilian heritage.
“We tried to see why we are not at the level we wanted. We have allowed some problems and activities in the past to deter us from making progress and fulfilling our promises. But today we say that is the end of that.
“This is my third visit to the country. First, the visit to attend the G20. Second, on climate change, BRICS. And today, an official and state visit was very emotional.”
Tinubu also noted Nigeria’s readiness to partner with Brazil on technology transfer, food security, manufacturing, and renewable energy.
He added; “Today, we are fighting and working hard to bring our sovereignty to the level of expectation that we as a nation, the most populous, the most dynamic country, Nigeria, share with Brazil. We need to share—technology transfer, energy, economy—so that Brazil can continue to widen the opportunities for us to embrace Africa. Africa is the new frontier.
“There is no other way to do it than to embrace it with technology, fast development, research, food sovereignty, and manufacturing.”
The president also stressed the need for investment and knowledge exchange on healthcare and pharmaceuticals, stating that “We have elevated this promise to the path of reality, as you have seen in various MOUs. I don’t know why the manufacturing of generic drugs, which Brazil has done deeply and far, cannot be in Nigeria.
‘I don’t see why the technological superiority of Brazil is not shared with Africa. We assured each other that only we can develop our economies to help our sovereignty.”
On domestic reforms, Tinubu assured Brazilian investors that Nigeria’s economic transformation is yielding results, noting that “the reforms I’ve embarked upon since I took over in Nigeria have been very impactful. It was initially painful, but today the result is blossoming.”
“It’s getting clearer to the people. We have more money for the economy, and there will be no more corruption. We have the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria here. You don’t have to know him before getting the foreign exchange you need. The speculators are out. In our currency market, the door is open for businesses,” he added. (Guardian)
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