Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over the alleged planned use of outdated Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, devices during Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

In a statement issued by his media office, Atiku said the challenges recorded during the August 1, 2026, mock accreditation exercise in Osun, coupled with comments made by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Director of ICT, Dr Lawrence Bayode, had exposed what he described as shortcomings in the election technology.

Kebbi State Government has confirmed the killing of 10 police officers and other victims in a terrorist attack along the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area of the state, describing the incident as most unfortunate.

The Governor of the state, Nasir Idris, confirmed the incident and described the tragic loss of the officers as a painful and heartbreaking sacrifice made in the service of the nation while confronting the terrorists, 17 of whom were also killed.

According to the governor, the 10 police officers died while defending the lives and property of citizens of the state and protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

He spoke at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, when a high-powered delegation from the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, led by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Umar Dada, paid a condolence visit to him.

A statement by Malam Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said his principal assured the bereaved families of sustained government support.

He commiserated with the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, the families of the fallen officers, and the people of Kebbi State over the devastating incident.

The governor said the officers were deployed to the area as part of the coordinated efforts of security agencies to confront terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities threatening the peace and security of Kebbi State.

He stressed that the sacrifice of security personnel who paid the supreme price in the line of duty would never be forgotten, assuring the affected families that the Kebbi State Government would provide the necessary intervention and support.

“I want to condole the IGP and the entire Nigeria Police Force over the sudden death of these officers.

“It is our tradition in Kebbi to support the families of fallen security personnel who lose their lives in the line of duty.

“The Kebbi State Government will come to the aid of the families of the officers who lost their lives,” he stated.

Governor Idris further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in the collective effort to protect communities and restore lasting peace across the state.

Earlier, DIG Umar Dada conveyed the condolences of the Inspector-General of Police to Governor Idris, the people of Kebbi State, and the families of the fallen officers.

The DIG assured the governor that the Nigeria Police Force would intensify efforts to identify, track down, arrest, and prosecute those responsible for the deadly attack.

He assured that the police would not relent in their efforts until all those responsible for the attack were arrested and faced the wrath of the law.

DIG Dada commended the Kebbi State Government for its sustained support and cooperation with the police and other security agencies operating in the state, describing such partnership as critical to the success of ongoing security operations.

He also disclosed that a police squadron would soon be established in Kebbi State as part of measures to strengthen police presence, boost operational capacity, and enhance the protection of lives and property across the state.

The delegation’s visit followed the killing of the 10 police officers and other persons during a gun battle with terrorists along the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area.

Governor Idris reiterated that the Kebbi State Government would continue to work closely with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to strengthen security, protect vulnerable communities, support security personnel, and ensure that perpetrators of terrorism and other criminal acts were brought to justice.

The Senate, through its Public Accounts Committee, on Tuesday gave Seplat Energy, Network E&P Nigeria Limited, All Grace Energy Limited and Aradel Energy Limited 48 hours to appear before it over queries raised against them in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 audit reports by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI.

The companies were directed to respond to issues contained in the audit reports or risk the invocation of legislative powers against them.

The ultimatum was issued by the Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo-led committee following displeasure expressed by some members over the absence of the companies.

First to call for sanction was Senator Abdul Ningi, Bauchi Central, who described a letter written by Network E&P Nigeria Limited to the committee as disturbing and provocative.

In the letter, the company said it reports to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.

“The Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, is the custodian of Nigeria law that has power to invite anybody or agency for explanations on issues raised against them,” Ningi said, citing Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.

In support, Senator Shehu Kaka Lawan, (Borno Central), called for the invocation of constitutional powers against the management of the affected companies.

“Having failed to honour invitation of this committee two consecutive times, the Managing Director of Network E&P Nigeria Limited should appear before us unfailingly on Thursday this week or risk full invocation of legislative powers against him,” Lawan said.

Similar ultimatums were issued against the Managing Directors of All Grace Energy Limited, Aradel Energy Limited and Seplat Energy.

But Dubri Oil Company Limited, which appeared before the committee, defended the $3.025 million royalty and gas flare debts recorded against it in the NEITI report.

NEITI had alleged, based on submissions by NUPRC in 2025, that Dubri Oil owed $2.378 million for gas flare and $646,605.55 for oil production, totalling $3.025 million.

The company’s representative, Soyode Olusoji Clement, faulted the query, saying the report was compiled during a reconciliation issue with NUPRC.

He told the committee that the reconciliation had since been resolved and no debt was outstanding. He presented documents to that effect, which the committee said it would study critically before issuing a clean bill of health.

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to protect the unity of the country, saying no differences or disagreement should be allowed to destroy the nation.

Tinubu, represented by Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, spoke on Tuesday at an event in Abuja.

The President said dialogue was important in keeping Nigeria united, while assuring that his administration remained committed to tackling insecurity and promoting peace.

He said, “Not only that, the government is determined to make sure that we remain united as a country, despite our differences. Whatever the differences may be, we should talk and remain in this country, and allow this country to remain a united nation, a united country.”

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, also warned politicians against using religion and ethnicity to gain political advantage.

Yilwatda said Nigeria’s diversity should unite its people rather than create further divisions.

Speaking from his experience as a displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, he said violence affects everyone, regardless of their religion.

“When violence comes, it does not ask whether you are a Christian or a Muslim before it destroys either your home or your humanity, or your dignity,” he said.

He said Nigerians might worship differently but still have common hopes, fears and aspirations.

“We may worship differently. Or we may suffer together. We dream together. We can build together. And ultimately, we can rise and fall together,” Yilwatda said.

The APC chairman urged political leaders to avoid turning religion and ethnicity into political weapons, warning that short-term political benefits could cause lasting harm to the country.

“No political victory is worth the permanent damage inflicted on our nation, and we’ve been seeing it every day,” he said.

National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Yusuf Dantalle, has expressed concern over the rising cases of electoral violence in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

several local government areas in the state have been identified as hotspots for potential election-related violence ahead of Saturday’s poll.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dele Momodu, has said that Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, deserves a second term in the August 15 governorship election in the state.

In a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Momodu said the All Progressives Congress, APC, had turned Osun State into a theater of war.

According to him, the only sensible strategy was for all opposition parties to align immediately and back the Accord Party candidate and incumbent governor, Adeleke.

The publisher of Ovation Magazine also said that Governor Adeleke had been a global phenomenon who would easily defeat President Tinubu himself in a popularity contest.

“I make this declaration without equivocation, or any fear of contradiction. This is not based on friendship or family ties.

“Adeleke is the best amongst Nigerian Governors, in order of extraordinary performance in infrastructure, health, education, staff welfare, labour unions, agriculture, commerce, culture, women empowerment, youth integration, and so on.

“We should never supply the APC an easy alibi to rig the Osun gubernatorial election on August 15, 2026. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he tweeted.

Residents of Mika Sabon-Gida community in Pupule ‘B’ Ward, Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State, have raised the alarm over a prolonged power outage that has left the community without electricity for more than four months.

The residents, who spoke with DAILY POST, appealed to the Taraba State Government, Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), elected representatives, philanthropists and other relevant stakeholders to urgently intervene and restore power to the area.

The prolonged blackout, reportedly caused by a faulty transformer, has severely disrupted economic activities and negatively affected the livelihoods and general well-being of residents.

A community leader, Jauro Baki, while appealing to the authorities and well-meaning individuals for support, called for urgent action to address the electricity crisis.

“We are calling on the state government, YEDC and other well-to-do individuals and our elected politicians to come to our aid by ensuring that power is restored to our community.”

For many residents, the impact of the blackout extends beyond the inconvenience of living without electricity, as businesses that depend on regular power supply have been forced to shut down or operate at significantly reduced capacity.

Andrew Helikiah, another resident, said the prolonged outage had contributed to the relocation of some young people from the community after their businesses became increasingly difficult to sustain.

“Because of this, most of our young men and women have relocated from this community to somewhere else because their small businesses are no longer functioning due to the prolonged power outage,” he said.

Also speaking on behalf of the residents, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu Mika Mika, a community representative and former Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of Yorro Local Government Area, described the situation as increasingly unbearable.

Mika said the faulty transformer was particularly important because it serves not only Mika Sabon-Gida but also provides a critical electricity link to communities around Yorro and Zing Local Government Areas.

He therefore urged the authorities to consider the electricity crisis a matter of wider public interest and urgently provide a replacement transformer.

“Our businesses are dying, and the economic growth of our people has been completely undermined. We have endured over four months without a functional power supply.

“We are calling on the relevant authorities to facilitate the immediate provision of a new transformer to bring life back into our community’s economy,” he said.

Residents said families and business owners had been placed under considerable economic pressure as a result of the blackout, with many forced to depend on alternative sources of electricity, which they described as expensive and unsustainable.

For small-scale businesses, artisans and other economic operators, the absence of reliable electricity has made it increasingly difficult to maintain productivity, operate efficiently and sustain livelihoods.

The community is consequently calling on the Taraba State Government, electricity authorities, elected representatives and other stakeholders to treat the situation as an urgent public-interest matter.

They urged the authorities to facilitate the immediate replacement of the faulty transformer and restore electricity to Mika Sabon-Gida and surrounding communities.

According to the residents, restoring power would not only ease the hardship currently being experienced in Pupule ‘B’ Ward but would also help revive economic activities in neighbouring communities along the Yorro-Zing axis.

Alhaji Babangida Mika also expressed appreciation to government representatives and other stakeholders for their previous interventions in providing essential services aimed at improving the welfare of communities across Yorro LGA.

He, however, appealed for renewed and urgent action to address the electricity crisis, stressing that residents could no longer afford to remain in darkness after more than four months without a functional power supply.

Meanwhile, a senior YEDC officer in Taraba State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the company had concluded plans to provide the community with a new transformer.

The officer, who directed our reporter to the company’s headquarters in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, said YEDC was aware of the situation and was working to restore electricity to the community.

“YEDC is aware that the transformer in Mika Sabon-Gida community in Yorro Local Government Council has been down, and the company has been working round the clock to replace it.

“Though I am not in a position to speak to the press on the issue because our spokesperson is based in Yola, I can assure you that plans are already in the pipeline to restore power to the community,” he said.

 

Lagos State House of Assembly has called for stronger community-based security measures and tougher prosecution of individuals involved in the vandalism of public infrastructure across the state.

The lawmakers made the call during Monday’s plenary, urging the state government to strengthen and adequately equip the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps and other community security structures to improve surveillance and prevent the destruction of roads, bridges and other public facilities.

The Assembly also stressed that the prosecution of infrastructure vandals should extend beyond those who physically remove public property to individuals and businesses that purchase, sell or profit from stolen government assets.

The lawmakers’ position followed a motion moved by the member representing Ikorodu II, Moshood Aro, who raised concerns over the increasing vandalism of public infrastructure, particularly in FESTAC.

Aro said the destruction of infrastructure funded with taxpayers’ money effectively imposed additional financial pressure on residents because government would have to spend more money repairing or replacing damaged facilities.

“It baffles me that some residents of Lagos ought to be experiencing this kind of situation, knowing that we are paying for these facilities with our money,” he said.

He argued that the government should not be forced to repeatedly commit public funds to infrastructure because facilities already provided for residents were being vandalised.

“Public funds are being used to provide these facilities, and when they are damaged or vandalised, public funds are again required to repair them. This places an additional burden on taxpayers,” Aro added.

The lawmaker called for increased scrutiny of individuals and businesses involved in the scrap trade, particularly those who purchase materials suspected to have been removed from public infrastructure.

According to him, disrupting the market for stolen government property was essential to addressing the root of infrastructure vandalism.

Aro urged security agencies and relevant authorities to ensure that suspects arrested over the destruction of public facilities were properly prosecuted.

“Persons arrested for vandalising public infrastructure should not be released without proper prosecution and, where found guilty, should be sentenced accordingly,” he said.

He further called for closer cooperation among government agencies, security organisations and communities to develop a more effective response to the problem.

“We, as citizens and representatives of the people, need to take this matter seriously. All the relevant agencies need to sit down, collaborate and respond appropriately to these challenges,” Aro said.

Supporting the motion, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, called for stronger enforcement against both vandals and those facilitating the illegal trade in stolen public materials.

Obasa also urged ministries, departments and agencies responsible for environmental and infrastructure enforcement to ensure that relevant laws were properly communicated and effectively implemented.

He advocated increased government support for local security structures, including the Neighbourhood Watch and Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, arguing that better funding and resources would enable them to identify suspicious activities and prevent criminal acts within communities.

The lawmakers emphasised that the state’s response should combine prevention, surveillance and prosecution, rather than relying solely on arrests after infrastructure has already been damaged.

They said adequately trained and equipped community security personnel could provide valuable intelligence and early warnings, while the police and other relevant agencies would handle criminal investigations and prosecution.

Contributing to the debate, Lawal Olumegbon urged the Lagos State Government to strengthen cooperation with the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in tackling infrastructure vandalism at the grassroots.

Similarly, Stephen Ogundipe said the problem extended beyond a particular constituency, noting that communities across Lagos were experiencing the damaging effects of the destruction of public infrastructure.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has secured the release of all detained students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, following an EFCC operation in which the students were arrested.

NANS said it intervened to ensure that the affected students could participate in their ongoing examinations.

The intervention, according to a statement issued on behalf of the association on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary, Office of the National Financial Secretary, NANS, Kamaldeen Ilias A, was led by the National Financial Secretary of NANS, Alao John Oluwadamilola, alongside the Student Union President, Fagbemi Nurudeen Ojo, and other members of the student union cabinet.

“NANS delegation engaged relevant authorities after receiving concerns over the detention of students of the institution, with particular emphasis on protecting the students’ academic interests during the ongoing examination period,” the statement read.

According to NANS, the intervention was necessitated by concerns that the detention could disrupt the students’ ability to sit for examinations for which they had prepared.

Following the engagement, the detained students were released, allowing them to return to their academic responsibilities and participate in their examinations.

NANS commended the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), particularly the Zonal Director, ACE I Haauwa Garba Ringim, for what the association described as an understanding of the concerns raised by the student body.

“The development underscored the importance of constructive engagement between student leaders and law enforcement agencies, particularly in situations where investigations could affect students’ academic progression,” the student body said.

NANS maintained that while legitimate investigations and the fight against financial crimes remain important, such processes should, where possible, be handled in ways that minimise unnecessary disruption to students’ education.

The association also appreciated the management of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and other individuals who contributed to facilitating the students’ return to their examinations.