The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has rolled out special train service arrangements ahead of the Easter celebrations to cater to the expected rise in passenger movement across the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the corporation said the measures are aimed at easing travel for commuters during the holiday period.

As part of the plan, the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) will operate three trips on Thursday, April 2, 2026, to accommodate the anticipated surge in passengers. From the Lagos end at Mobolaji Johnson Station, Ebute Metta, trains will depart at 7:45 a.m., 1:40 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. Meanwhile, from the Ibadan end at Obafemi Awolowo Station, Moniya, departures are scheduled for 8:00 a.m., 10:50 a.m., and 4:30 p.m.

The NRC also disclosed that a special train service will run on the narrow gauge corridor in partnership with the Osun State Government, which has fully funded the service to allow passengers travel at no cost.

According to the clrporation, the train will depart Iddo Station, Lagos, for Osogbo at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 3, 2026, while the return journey from Osogbo to Iddo is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2026, also at 10:00 a.m.

On other routes, the corporation said operations will continue as usual. The Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) will maintain its regular timetable, with two trips on Thursdays and three trips on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, covering morning, mid-day, and afternoon schedules between Idu and Rigasa.

Similarly, the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) will continue to operate daily, except on Thursdays, which are set aside for maintenance to ensure safe and efficient service. Trains from Warri to Itakpe will run on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at 8:00 a.m., while services from Itakpe to Warri will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, departing at 12:00 noon.

On the Eastern corridor, the Port Harcourt–Aba Train Service will also maintain its existing schedule, with trains leaving Port Harcourt for Aba at 8:00 a.m., and returning from Aba to Port Harcourt at 3:00 p.m.

The corporation assured passengers of its commitment to providing safe, reliable, and efficient rail transport services across all routes.

Passengers were advised to plan ahead, arrive early, and comply with ticketing and security requirements.

“Passengers are advised to plan their trips, arrive early at stations, and adhere to all ticketing and security procedures,” the statement said.

The NRC also wished passengers a peaceful and enjoyable Easter celebration and encouraged continued patronage of rail transport as a safe and dependable means of travel.

With the return of calm and relative peace following the Palm Sunday night attack in the Gari Yawaye community, Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, the government has announced the relaxation of the 48-hour curfew it had imposed on the council.

The state government had imposed a two-day curfew which had restricted movement and commercial activities across the LGA following the attack by gunmen which claimed the lives of over 30 residents, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

In a statement announcing the relaxation of the curfew, issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the government said the decision was taken after security assessments indicated an improvement in the situation.

Ramnap stated that the curfew relaxation will take effect from Wednesday, April 1, 2026, with movement permitted between 7am and 3pm daily, and urged residents to use the approved window to carry out their lawful activities while strictly adhering to security guidelines.

The Commissioner reiterated the need for citizens and residents of the state to be vigilant, remain calm, and law-abiding as security agencies maintain surveillance and patrols to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

“The Plateau State government under His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has assured citizens that efforts are ongoing to consolidate peace and prevent further unrest in the area.

“Government also commends residents for their resilience and cooperation during the period of restrictions,” Ramnap said, reiterating the administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the State.

Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, says the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, is a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, not because of hierarchy but a moving force of his faction.

Amadi stated this on Monday during a live appearance in an interview on ‘Prime Time’, a programme on Arise Television.

He was speaking on the recently concluded national convention of the PDP in Abuja shortly after that of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He stressed that Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President, would concede because Wike has more political gravitas and more institutional capacity than he does.

According to him, the faction has been thriving on Wike getting things done.

“Wike tried to be smart. He tried to say, we are all leaders. But clearly he didn’t fight back not because of hierarchy.

“But again the moving force behind this brand of PDP is Wike. Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki pretend to be on the sideline and then get himself up and say, well, let’s come together. So he’s not the guy who’s driving this. Wike is the leader.

“Is it odd? Not necessarily, Saraki himself will concede that at this point, perhaps Wike has more political gravitas, more social capacity than he does, even though he’s former Senate President,” Amadi said.

A Professor of Communications at Baze University, Abuja, Abiodun Adeniyi, says the plan of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to use the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to destroy the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is already working.

Prof Adeniyi made the statement on Monday while fielding questions in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.

He was reacting to the national convention of the PDP held at the MKO Abiola national stadium in Abuja on Sunday.

He stated that Wike’s support for the APC and President Bola Tinubu has been there since 2023, noting that it had become more stabilised.

According to him, it appears as though the PDP will not be a factor in the 2027 general elections.

“APC’s plan to use Wike to destroy the PDP is already working. And it’s even becoming stabilized and much more sustained going into next year’s election.

“Wike has not hidden the fact that he doesn’t want PDP to present flag bearer that is potent enough to challenge President Tinubu. He is not mistaking about it that he wants to support the President,” Adeniyi said.

Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, has approved a one-week vacation for the state judiciary in observance of the Easter celebrations.

The break will run from April 3 to April 10, 2026, with full court sittings expected to resume across the state on Monday, April 13, 2026.

The directive was conveyed in a public notice issued by the Chief Registrar, Tajudeen Elias, on behalf of the Chief Judge.

According to the notice, the vacation was granted in line with the provisions of Order 49 Rule 4(b) of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

Despite the break, the judiciary has put measures in place to ensure that pressing cases are not delayed.

Under the arrangement, judges assigned to vacation duty will attend to urgent applications arising from cases already before them.

Matters yet to be assigned to any court will be handled by designated vacation judges.

The Chief Registrar further explained that, notwithstanding the provisions guiding the court vacation, any matter considered urgent may still be heard during the period, subject to the conditions outlined in Order 49 Rule 5 of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has terminated the appointments of all political aides in his administration with immediate effect.

The sack, disclosed on Tuesday, affects all Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs) across the state.

In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the development was hinged as part of effort to improve efficiency and enhance service delivery within the state’s administrative framework.

According to Adeniyan, the dismissal comes before ahead of expansion of the governor’s political team, with plans to appoint around 1,000 new aides.

The statement read in parts, “In the ongoing drive to enhance efficiency and deepen service delivery, Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has relieved all political aides of their duties with immediate effect.

“Those affected are Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants to the Governor. The Governor thanked them for their contributions to the development of the State thus far and wished them well in their future endeavours.

“Meanwhile, in a step to strengthen coordination and inject fresh capacity into the administration, about 1000 new aides, from across the 203 wards in the 18 local government areas of the State, will be appointed by the Governor in due course.”

Prior to the mass disengagement, the administration faced a series of voluntary resignations from some aides ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, IOM, has received 145 Nigerian returnees evacuated from Benghazi, Libya.

The evacuees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 8:27 p.m. aboard an Al Buraq Airlines flight under the Assisted Voluntary Return programme.

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos by the Head of NEMA’s Lagos Operations Office, Mohammed Olatunde.

According to him, the returnees comprised 122 adults; 46 males and 76 females; as well as 29 children, including 13 boys and 16 girls. The group also included 27 infants, made up of 17 males and 10 females.

Olatunde explained that officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service carried out biometric registration and documentation upon arrival to ensure proper identification and facilitate seamless reintegration.

He added that the returnees were provided with essential support services, including food, potable water, medical attention, and ambulance services for those in need.

Additional assistance such as luggage handling, logistics coordination, and counselling was also made available.

The agency noted that the measures were put in place to guarantee a safe, orderly, and dignified reception process for the returnees.

A former federal lawmaker from Jigawa State, Hon. Safiyanu Ubale, has resigned his membership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), citing the need for political realignment in the current national landscape.

Ubale announced his resignation in a letter signed on Sunday, stating that recent developments in the country’s political environment necessitated a strategic shift to a platform better positioned to drive meaningful change.

According to him “Considering the current trajectory of the nation and the evolving political landscape which calls for strategic realignment, I find it necessary to identify with another political party that offers the best opportunity to effectively change the nation,” the letter read.

The former lawmaker, who represented his constituency at the National Assembly between 1999 and 2015 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), later joined the NNPP where he served in various capacities at the local government, state, and national levels, particularly in Taura Local Government Area.

Although Ubale did not officially disclose his next political destination, indications suggest he may be aligning with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

His resignation comes shortly after reports that the NNPP’s National Leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is also expected to defect to the ADC, a move political analysts say could signal a significant shift within the opposition bloc ahead of future elections.