Zainab Sadiq, the arrested journalist working for the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, has been released from the Department of State Services, DSS, custody.

Sowore broke the news of Zainab’s release in a post on his verified X handle late Friday.

According to him, the release came after the conscientious intervention and determined pressure of Nigerians at home and abroad.

DAILY POST recalls that the DSS confirmed the detention of Zainab, who was reportedly working with Omoyele Sowore.

“Ms. Zainab Sadiq is finally free from the grip of repression!

“To everyone who raised their voice, made calls, demanded justice, and stood firmly against repression: THANK YOU!

“When people of conscience unite and stand against injustice, repression can be defeated. Welcome back, Zainab,” Sowore wrote.

The Nigerian Army has revealed that the 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State regained their freedom through a month-long intelligence-led joint security operation that dismantled the kidnappers’ network.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Acting Deputy Director, 2 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma.

According to the statement, troops of the Nigerian Army, led by the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 2 Division, Major General C.R. Nnebeife, carried out the operation in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser through the National Counter Terrorism Centre, NCTC, Defence Headquarters, Special Forces from the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, DSS, the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, as well as local vigilantes, hunters and Amotekun personnel.

The Army said the operation, which lasted for more than a month, focused on identifying the kingpins behind the May 15, 2026 abduction, dismantling their logistics networks and tracking their informants and hideouts within the Old Oyo National Park and other locations.

It stated that multiple arrests were made in Oyo State and other parts of the country, a development that disrupted the terrorist group’s operations and mounted sustained pressure on the abductors, ultimately leading to the unconditional release of the victims.

According to the statement, the operation was carefully planned and executed to ensure the safe rescue of the pupils and teachers while avoiding collateral damage, although some security personnel recorded casualties during the operation.

The Army added that the rescued victims are receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital and will be handed over to the Oyo State Government for reunification with their families.

It noted that follow-up operations were ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network involved in the abduction.

The recent proposed reforms for the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has attracted divergent views from prospective corps members.

DAILY POST reports that the Federal Government is proposing the extension of the orientation course for corps members from the original three weeks to six weeks.

According to the Federal Government, the reform is aimed at boosting skills acquisition, improving career development and repositioning the scheme to better meet national development needs.

The NYSC, which was established by the former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, rtd, in 1973, has the primary aim of promoting national unity and integration after the Nigerian Civil War.

The core objective of the scheme was to address Nigeria’s greatest challenge at the time; national disunity and the secessionist tendencies that had emerged in certain parts of the country.

Speaking to DAILY POST, a prospective corps member, Charles Owoicho, said reforming the NYSC is a timely step towards relevance in a changing Nigeria.

Owoicho said the current Nigeria grapples with harsh economic realities, rising unemployment, an educational system that no longer adequately meets the demands of the modern world, and widespread digital and technological illiteracy that continues to limit the relevance, competitiveness, and productivity of many young graduates in this era of digital transformation.

According to him, judging from the evolving realities, the reform of the NYSC is not only necessary but also long overdue.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves commendation for recognizing the need to reposition the scheme to meet contemporary national demands.

“As a prospective corps member, I believe the idea behind reforming the scheme is both timely and commendable.

“Some aspects of the proposed reforms, such as digital skills acquisition for corps members, the extension of the orientation and training period, and the deployment of corps members to institutions and organizations based on their professional qualifications, are particularly laudable.

“At present, a significant number of corps members are posted to schools regardless of whether they studied Education or possess teaching qualifications.

“This has deprived many graduates of the opportunity to gain practical work experience in their respective fields or professions.

“Consequently, many complete the NYSC programme without acquiring relevant industry experience, making them less competitive and, in many cases, unemployable within their chosen professions. If properly implemented, the proposed reforms will go a long way in addressing this long-standing anomaly,” he said.

On her part, another prospective corps member, Blessing Nduka, said there are aspects of the proposed reforms that she is not entirely pleased with.

Nduka said the plan to replace the existing NYSC uniform with a domestic attire is unnecessary, stating that the current NYSC uniform has become a symbol of the scheme’s identity and is not the problem confronting the programme.

According to her, the challenge lies not in the uniform but in the ideas, policies, and implementation strategies that drive the scheme.

“I respectfully urge President Tinubu to suspend the proposed change of the uniform and instead channel resources towards reforms that will have a more meaningful impact on corps members and the nation.

“I believe the reform should go beyond training and deployment by incorporating a comprehensive post-service empowerment programme.

“There should be deliberate plans to support graduates at the end of their service year through business grants, entrepreneurship support, access to soft loans, or direct employment opportunities.

“This would spare many graduates from the prolonged struggle of searching endlessly for sustainable employment after completing the scheme.

“The alarming rate of unemployment and economic hardship among Nigerian graduates has become a major national concern,” she said.

Also speaking, another prospective corps member, Prince Ameh, said every year, thousands of graduates are added to an already saturated labour market with limited employment opportunities.

Ameh noted that a truly impactful NYSC reform should therefore include practical measures that prepare and empower corps members for economic independence after service.

He added that the proposed reform of the NYSC is a noble and forward-looking initiative that has the potential to transform the scheme and redefine its relevance in today’s Nigeria.

“If properly implemented, adequately funded, and effectively monitored, it will not only preserve the founding ideals of national unity but also equip Nigerian youths with the skills, experience, and opportunities needed to thrive in the twenty-first century,” he said.

DAILY POST further reports that some serving corps members welcomed the proposed reform, but requested that the uniform should remain unchanged.

A serving corps member, Joseph Felix said the NYSC uniform is a vital tool in life of the NYSC members, which according to him is deepened with the paramilitary training in the orientation camp.

Felix said whenever the NYSC uniform is worn, the people always refer to the corps members as ‘Government Pikin’ (government’s child), stating that the gesture gives them opportunity to access any institution to either seek for assistance or demand for basic needs.

“It is not gainsaying that the uniform closed the gap of ethnicity, tribalism and religion bigotry.

“However, changing the uniform from military motivated to civil attire will not only change the modality but would open doors for unending questioning.

“These questions will include which civil attire will best represent the interest of the entire Nigerians, promote unity and maintain the spirit of orderliness in the NYSC members,” he said.

Former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has hinted that the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his party are giving President Bola Tinubu sleepless nights.

Tambuwal claimed that Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress have been scheming against the ADC but God has been frustrating their plans.

He spoke while welcoming the former Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, Isa Salihu Bashir Kalanjeni, into the ADC after he resigned from the APC, where he described Tinubu as an outgoing president.

Tambuwal said: “President Bola Tinubu, who is leaving office, has been staying up late because of the ADC. Everywhere he turns, he sees Atiku Abubakar.

“They have kept trying to stop the ADC from being made public, but God has prevented those plans from working.”

He said the federal government hasn’t done enough to deal with the unsafe situation and other problems the country is facing.

Tambuwal said that many politicians didn’t want to join the ADC because they were worried about the pressure of leaving the ruling party.

“Most politicians who leave the ruling APC join other political parties instead of joining the ADC.

“Only people who care about the country’s interests, not their own, will join the ADC,” he said.

The Yobe State Police Command has raised concerns over the increasing use of unregistered vehicles, obscured number plates, and unauthorized tinted glass, which criminal elements often exploit to commit crimes, including drug trafficking.

The Command, in response, intensified enforcement and has so far impounded 67 vehicles found to be in violation of traffic and security regulations across the state.

A statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, indicated that the operation targets vehicles operating without valid registration, those with covered, faded, or obscured number plates, and vehicles with tinted glass operating without permits.

“Such violations pose serious security threats, as unregistered vehicles and concealed identities are frequently used to aid criminal activities,” the Command said.

It also warned all vehicle owners and motorists to ensure proper registration, display clearly visible and authentic number plates, and obtain the necessary permits before using tinted glass.

“Any vehicle found in violation will be impounded, while offenders will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” it warned.

The Commissioner of Police, Usman Kamfani Jibrin, also directed all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Commanders to sustain the enforcement exercise, stressing that officers must maintain professionalism, respect citizens’ rights, and ensure zero tolerance for extortion during the operation.

The CP urged residents to comply with all vehicle registration and traffic regulations, stating that the exercise is aimed at enhancing public safety and preventing crime.

Nine National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members in Anambra State will repeat their service year for absconding from the mandatory exercise.

Coordinator of the NYSC in Anambra, Mrs Pauline Ojisua, disclosed this while issuing Certificates of National Service, CNS, to the successful corps members at Ihiala Local Government Council Secretariat on Thursday.

Ojisua said two corps members got extension on disciplinary grounds.

The coordinator, however, said that five of them were retained by their various employers.

She disclosed that 933 corps members of the 2025 Batch ‘B’ Stream I, were formally discharged from the corps after successfully completing the one-year mandatory national service.

The certificate issuance ceremony was held simultaneously across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

Ojisua congratulated the outgone corps members on the successful completion of their service year and charged them to remain worthy ambassadors of the NYSC Scheme and Nigeria.

She urged them to embrace self-reliance by putting the entrepreneurial and vocational skills acquired during the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme into practice, rather than waiting endlessly for white-collar jobs.

The Coordinator encouraged the corps members to remain productive by engaging in meaningful ventures capable of creating sustainable livelihoods and contributing to national development.

“I advise you to join the NYSC Foundation to sustain their relationship with the scheme and continue supporting its objectives.

“I wish you a journey of mercies and God’s protection as you return to your various destinations to begin a new phase of your lives,” he said.

Plateau State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has called on the state government and other relevant agencies to take bold and decisive steps to restore peace to the state and foster positive development and prosperity for the people.

The Christian organization, which made the call during its maiden leadership retreat held from July 7 to 9, 2026, at the Miango Rest Home in Jos, noted that only an end to insecurity and the protection of lives and property across the state can guarantee prosperity.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the retreat by the State Chairman, Rev. Dr. Dunka Gomwalk, CAN said it was a shame that a state famous for its peace and tranquility could experience decades of unrest, violence, and killings without the government taking steps to put a stop to them.

The retreat, which had the theme “Strategically Positioning CAN on the Plateau for the Future in the Face of Contemporary Challenges,” brought together church leaders, women and youth leaders, coordinators from the 17 local government areas, and other stakeholders.

Expressing concerns that despite efforts by government and security agencies, insecurity had continued to take different dimensions, leaving many communities under constant threat, CAN said it has resolved that the rising spate of attacks in our rural and urban communities must stop, and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to safeguard lives and property.

It also encouraged communities to embrace community policing and the setting up of vigilante groups, while calling on the government to provide vulnerable communities with the security support needed to defend themselves.

It further demanded the prompt arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of attacks while emphasizing that the enforcement of existing laws regulating the activities of hawkers, scrap metal scavengers, motorcycle and tricycle operators.

Also speaking on internally displaced persons, CAN condemned attempts to forcefully seize community lands and tasked the government to recover such lands and ensure the rebuilding and resettlement of affected communities.

“The church has always been one and will continue to speak with one voice on issues that concern the state and the church,” the body stated and pledged to continue working with the government and people of other faiths to promote peaceful coexistence and good governance.