The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Olufemi Oluyede, has said the Nigerian Army is strengthening its investment in technology, intelligence and modern combat equipment to address the country’s evolving security challenges.

Oluyede made the remarks on Monday at the grand finale of the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration, NADCEL, and the African Land Forces Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said the changing nature of security threats requires a military that is professionally trained and equipped with modern technologies capable of responding to contemporary warfare.

According to the Army Chief, the Nigerian Army has continued to adapt its operational strategies by modernising its capabilities and strengthening collaboration with other security agencies.

He noted that sustained military operations, improved intelligence gathering and the deployment of modern military assets had enhanced the Army’s efforts against insurgency, terrorism, banditry and other security threats.

Oluyede said intelligence and technology have become central to the Army’s operations, enabling troops to identify threats more accurately, respond swiftly and conduct operations with greater precision.

He added that the Army would continue to acquire and deploy modern combat equipment and other force enablers to improve operational effectiveness and enhance the safety of personnel.

The COAS said the Army’s modernisation programme also focuses on training officers and soldiers to operate advanced military platforms and adapt to emerging security challenges.

He stressed that recently acquired equipment would be fully integrated into counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and other internal security operations across the country.

Oluyede underscored the importance of intelligence-driven operations, saying the growing complexity of terrorism and organised crime requires timely intelligence, inter-agency collaboration and the application of emerging technologies.

He said the Nigerian Army would continue to work closely with the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies to improve intelligence sharing and coordinate joint operations.

The Army Chief noted that innovation, intelligence and rapid decision-making have become critical elements of modern warfare, adding that technology must be complemented by professionalism, discipline and adherence to ethical standards.

He also called for continued public support, urging Nigerians to provide credible and timely information to security agencies to strengthen efforts to combat insecurity.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed that his administration has expanded the state’s emergency response infrastructure with the establishment of 11 new fire stations, the deployment of 62 state-of-the-art firefighting vehicles, the reconstruction of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service headquarters, and the recruitment of 150 additional firefighters currently undergoing training at the upgraded Fire Academy.

The governor also disclosed that emergency response agencies in the state rescued more than 1,900 people and prevented property losses estimated at N118 billion in 2025.

Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure on Monday at the opening of the third edition of the Lagos International Fire Safety Conference in Ikeja, themed “Preventing the Preventable: Strengthening Fire Safety in Buildings and Business Hubs.” He was represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.

According to the governor, the state government remains committed to strengthening emergency response capabilities while placing greater emphasis on preventive measures, regulatory enforcement, public awareness campaigns and strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

He noted that the state had intensified the enforcement of fire safety regulations through stricter inspections and the implementation of the Fire Safety Levy.

“The compliance must go beyond obtaining certificates to ensuring that safety equipment and systems remain fully functional,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor explained that the latest interventions have increased the number of fire stations across Lagos to 29, with additional facilities currently under construction in Yaba, Ikotun and Oworonshoki.

He added that the expansion demonstrates the effectiveness of the state’s integrated emergency management framework.

Sanwo-Olu also announced the introduction of the Fire Marshal Programme, an initiative designed to train volunteers in homes, schools, markets, offices, worship centres and industrial facilities to detect fire hazards early, coordinate emergency evacuations and work closely with professional responders before incidents escalate.

Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, the governor pledged sustained investment in personnel, equipment and emergency response systems.

He also urged property developers, business owners and residents to embrace a culture of fire prevention, stressing that proactive safety measures remain more effective than dealing with the consequences of disasters.

Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has declared that it has constituted a reconciliation committee ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The committee is expected to pacify all the aggrieved members of the party who are not happy with recent developments in the party across the state.

The party made the assertion via a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Sadare.

The statement was made available to DAILY POST on Sunday in Ibadan, the state capital.

DAILY POST reports that primary elections of the party have been held in the state.

It was learnt that some stakeholders within the party are not happy with the outcomes of the elections.

The party, in the statement issued on Sunday, explained that it has set up the committee to resolve the issues.

Sadare, in the statement, noted that the committee consists of elders, chieftains, and leaders of the party.

Members of the committee, according to Sadare, are Senators Olufemi Lanlehin, Brimo Yusuf and Hosea Agboola; Chief Akin Oke; former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Professor Afolabi Oladapo; Engineer Idris Adeoye; Pa Timothy Jolaoso; Chief Olukemi Alao-Akala; Dr. Adebayo Adewusi; Hon. Gunju Ojo; and Dr. Adekemi Opatunde.

The rest are Aare Abisoye Fagade, Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe, Abu Gbadamosi, Isiaka Alimi, Prince Niran Adeyoju, Alhaji Yinka Folarin, Chief Emmanuel Olaoye, Alhaji Mufutau Adisa, Alhaji Sule Ajibade, Prof. Abideen Olaiya, Engr. Dayo Lawal, Hon. Ibrahim Bolomope, Mrs. Mabel Williams, Hon. Jelili Agboola, Hon. Kehinde Oloya, Chief Goke Oyetunji, Hon. Ramota Okemakinde, Hon. Raji Rasaki, Dr. Segun Ajanaku, Hon. Shakiru Fagunwa, Barrister Abduwaheed Lawal, Hon. Esther Adedokun, and Hon. Obatunde Oladapo.

Sadare, in the statement, added that the committee members are to find ways to ensure peace and harmony within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said that the major mandate of the committee is to address grievances and complaints being raised by some of the aspirants and other key stakeholders of the party.

Sadare also disclosed that the committee, which is expected to be inaugurated next week by the state chairman of the party, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, will be mandated to reach out to all those who obtained expression of interest and nomination forms of the party but were unable to secure the party’s tickets.

Sadare said, “The Reconciliation Committee, upon its inauguration later this week, would be given the task to meet with all relevant stakeholders, including aspirants who feel dissatisfied by the outcome of the recent primaries which produced APC candidates for the next general elections, and it is hoped that this effort would bring about the desired peace and unity for our great party to win big at the polls next year.”

A major showdown may occur today, Monday, in Ilorin, Kwara State as G15, a group of All Progressives Congress members, aggrived with the outcome of the recent party primaries in the state have dared Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to stop their planned mega rally in the state capital.

DAILY POST gathered authoritatively that the G15 in the state APC, comprising stakeholders, leaders, aggrieved aspirants in the governorship, national and state assemblies primaries had earlier scheduled their rally for Sunday but were outsmarted by the loyalists in the governor’s camp who hurriedly organized their rally on the same day.

The G15 group was forced to postpone its rally for security reasons to avoid possible breakdown of law and order.

However, barely hours after the governor’s camp’s rally, the G15 issued a statement titled “Nothing can stop Monday, tomorrow’s rally”, accusing the governor of alleged plans to frustrate their solidarity walk in the state capital.

The statement read in part, “the G15 Coalition, a formidable bloc within the Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) comprising the stakeholders, aspirants and leaders of thought in the party, has issued an unyielding response to fresh allegations that the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is orchestrating a desperate plot to sabotage the coalition’s rescheduled solidarity rally fixed for Monday.

“We have been informed that the Governor, in a last-minute move fuelled by palpable fear, is planning a parallel show of strength—a hastily arranged “thank-you visit” to the Emir’s Palace, deliberately timed to clash with our peaceful procession.

“This is nothing but a transparent act of political desperation from a man who has suddenly found himself in the minority within his own party.

“It is laughable and frankly pitiful, that a sitting Governor would resort to panic-driven tactics to counter a gathering of party faithful who are exercising their fundamental rights to assemble and express solidarity.

“The G15 is not a threat to Kwara’s peace; we are the conscience of the APC in this state. The Governor’s alleged move to pay Kwarans to boycott our rally just as earlier done on Sunday exposes his deep-seated fear of the massive outpouring of support that awaits us.

“We have reliably gathered that agents of the Governor have been dispatched to corners of the state, offering financial inducements to civil servants, market women, and youth groups to stay away from the G15 rally, while simultaneously mobilising paid crowds to create a fabricated spectacle of popularity at the Emir’s Palace.

“This is an insult to the intelligence of Kwarans and a sad commentary on the state of leadership in our beloved state.”

The G15 declared unequivocally that nothing would stop the rally, stressing “Not threats. Not intimidation. Not financial inducements from the government treasury.

“The G15 is driven by the will of the people, and the people of Kwara State are fed up with a leadership that has lost touch with its base.

“Governor AbdulRazaq cannot buy his way out of the reckoning that is coming. He cannot counter genuine grassroots support with rented crowds and state-sponsored mobilisation.”

The group called on the state Police Command and other security agencies to remain neutral and professional in the discharge of their duties.

“Our rally is a peaceful expression of solidarity and a celebration of the democratic ideals that bind us as members of the APC. We will not be provoked, we will not be cowed, and we will not be silenced,” it stated.

The G15 urged Kwarans to come out today, Monday, in their numbers and show the governor that no amount of blackmail or bribery can diminish the people’s resolve as it stands for inclusion, fairness, and true internal democracy.

“We are the future of this party, and we will not be intimidated by a desperate empire fighting to retain its fading grip on power,” it further declared.

Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, says the current Federal Government does not have a transparent public expenditure system.

Amadi made this statement on Sunday when he appeared as a guest in an interview on Arise Television.

He was speaking on a revelation by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, that Nigeria omitted public expenditure equivalent to two per cent of its Gross Domestic Product, GDP, from recent budgets.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government dismissed claims that money was spent outside the 2025 budget, insisting that all public expenditures were made within Nigeria’s constitutional and legal framework.

Airing his own opinion, Amadi said, “To be magnanimous or fair, this government has an uncontrolled, unmanaged, not transparent and unaccountable public expenditure system.

“At the beginning of this government, the FCT minister went to the president and asked to be exempted from the normal due process procurement policies. That’s the first memo.

“Again, there are too many issues around fundamental breaches of process and fiscal accountability is first primarily process that expenditure are first budgeted for, tracked and reported.

“There is no guarantee to the prudence and integrity of Nigeria’s public expenditure.”

The Executive Vice Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to continued collaboration and partnership with stakeholders to make Nigeria’s telecom industry remain resilient and sustainable.

Dr Maida, who stated this while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) led by its President, Dr Ike Neliaku at the Commission’s Head Office, Monday in Maitama, Abuja, noted that the Commission will continue to partner with relevant professional bodies, including NIPR, in promoting public awareness, responsible communication, and stakeholder engagement on issues relating to the telecommunications sector.

The EVC commended the NIPR for winning the bid to host the 2026 World Public Relations Forum in Nigeria while noting that the circumstances under which it won the bid offer valuable lessons. “It tells a compelling story of perseverance, strategic communication, and the importance of owning the narrative. It also reflects our ability to convincingly demonstrate to the Global Alliance and other stakeholders why Nigeria deserves the chance to host the forum.”

While emphasizing the importance of projecting a positive image for Nigeria on the international stage, the EVC explained that the African Telecoms Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL) has been scheduled to hold in Nigeria in July 2026 urging the NIPR to leverage the event to project Nigeria’s image internationally.

On the national level, Dr Maida said the Commission is undertaking education, sensitization and awareness creation on its regulatory initiative to improve accountability and stabilize the sector such as campaigns on Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) protection; efficient data usage, directive to mobile network operators on simplified tariff, public coverage map and creating the necessary environment to ensure competitiveness in the industry.

The EVC said the tough decisions taken in the telecom sector have begun to yield visible results by the level of investment recorded. “Through the efforts that we have been making to stabilize the sector; we have been able to restore investor confidence. The level of investment we are seeing now is not about keeping the lights on, it is about growing the industry and this is something we have not seen for years before my time; and it is a sign of investors saying we have confidence in the sector, in the reforms of the government, in the regulator and we believe there is opportunity in this market,” he noted.

The NIPR President, Dr Neliaku, commended the NCC’s commitment to collaboration and stakeholder engagement while acknowledging the Commission’s role in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy. He expressed the institute’s readiness to collaborate on initiatives that promote responsible communication, reputation management, and the creation of public awareness on the Commission’s regulatory initiatives.

Concerns are mounting over the welfare of schoolchildren, including minors, who were abducted during coordinated attacks in Oyo and Borno States on May 15, 2026.

DAILY POST reports that the victims, kidnapped in simultaneous attacks across the two states, have now spent at least 54 days in captivity, enduring harsh conditions in the forest amid persistent heavy rainfall.

Due to the harsh weather condition, health experts have warned that if the abducted children are not rescued within the next few days, they could develop serious health complications, including pneumonia, malaria, asthma, and other life-threatening illnesses.

Oyo abduction:

DAILY POST recalls that terrorists invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, L.A. Primary School, and Community Grammar School, Esiele, all located in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting at least 39 pupils and seven teachers, including a school principal.

Days after the abduction, the terrorists released a disturbing video showing the gruesome beheading of one of the teachers identified as Mr. Michael Oyedokun.

There were later reports claiming that one of the abducted pupils had also died in captivity.

However, the Oyo State Police Command dismissed the claim, insisting that it was false.

Following the ongoing operation by security operatives, it was reported that the abductees are currently being held within the Old Oyo National Park.

The terrorists, who have their escape routes into neighbouring states like Kwara, were said to have been besieged by security operatives while a special operation is being carried out to ensure that the victims are rescued alive.

When contacted by DAILY POST on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Command, Olayinka Olushola assured that the pupils and teachers will be rescued soon.

Asked if there is any hope of seeing the victims released soon, the PPRO simply said, “Yes I can assure you they will be rescued unhurt”.

Borno abduction

Suspected terrorists believed to be members of the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, attacked Central Primary School in Mussa village, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, abducting dozens of pupils.

According to local residents, the heavily armed insurgents stormed the community, firing sporadically before whisking away about 50 schoolchildren.

Although reports suggest that some of the abducted pupils have since been rescued, DAILY POST understands that many others remain in captivity in the forest.

When contacted by DAILY POST on Sunday, the Boro State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru D. Abdulmajid referred our correspondent to the command’s spokesperson.

However, when contacted, the Borno State PPRO, ASP Daso Nahum Kenneth said the military has taken over the operation.

“For now, the operation is being coordinated by the military under the theatre of Operation HADIN KAI, OPHK and I have not gotten any update from them yet.

“I have not been informed if there was any rescue but if I get clear information, I will reach out to you”, he said.

Meanwhile, a statement issued at the weekend by the acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Mohammed Goni, said six of the students were rescued.

Pediatrician warns of life-threatening disease if children are not rescued

A pediatrician, Dr Hope Adejor in a chat with DAILY POST on Sunday warned that the children were being exposed to some life-threatening diseases, citing the harsh weather.

“The weather itself is harsh, even for adults. Yet children as young as 4 and 5 are out there in the bush, with no shelter.

“It breaks my heart to imagine their condition. Days of exposure to cold can weaken their immune system, and children’s lungs are especially vulnerable.

“Pneumonia and other respiratory and cold-related illnesses are not things to gamble with. Some of them may not survive it.

“Even if they are rescued, as we all pray, their lives may never be the same. From malaria to hypothermia, leptospirosis, dengue fever and other diseases — the risks are many.

“Let us keep faith alive and pray that God shields them from every illness they are now exposed to”, she said.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu, weekend, assured that troops were making significant progress towards the rescue of the 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted in Oyo State.

Shaibu disclosed this during an interactive session with media executives on Saturday in Port Harcourt as part of activities marking the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration.

“Operations are currently ongoing to rescue those children abducted in Oyo State, and we are making tremendous progress,” the army chief said.

He expressed confidence that the operation would lead to the safe rescue of the victims and their reunion with their families.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Ebonyi State chapter, has said it was not part of the purported claim of backing the 2027 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Ifeanyi Odii.

The party stated that the purported endorsement was allegedly being master-minded by sacked officials of the NDC in the state.

Speaking to newsmen on Friday, in Abakaliki, the chairman of NDC in Ebonyi State, Hon. Enyinnaya Udensi Alum, said the party had no intention to endorse any politician other than its gubernatorial candidate.

He called on all NDC faithful in the state and supporters to steer clear from the purported endorsement, adding that the move was antithetical to the tenets and principles of the party.

He said, “Information reaching me, Hon. Prince Alum Enyinnaya Udensi, the Ebonyi State Chairman of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is that a few former members of the party, who were sacked over financial impropriety and anti-party activities are purportedly going to endorse one of the factional governorship candidates of the PDP on behalf of the NDC tomorrow or soon after.

“Ebonyians, NDC members and other teaming supporters of the NDC in the state should note that the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Ebonyi State has its governorship candidate, and that the party has not and will at no time endorse any other candidate of any party other than the NDC governorship candidate.

“NDC members are hereby requested not to attend any such gathering as it amounts to anti-party activities, while the general public is asked to desist from dealing with the above named individuals as they are no longer NDC members and do not represent the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”