Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has deployed 1700 personnel in anticipation of influx of visitors into the state during the Yuletide season.

The deployment is also to ensure the safety of lives and adequate protection of critical national assets and infrastructure across the state.

The State Commandant of NSCDC, Igbalawole Sotiyo, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Command Spokesperson, Adeleke Kehinde on Monday in Osogbo.

Sotiyo noted that a comprehensive security arrangement aimed at guaranteeing a peaceful and hitch-free celebration has been put in place.

“The festive period usually records a significant rise in human and vehicular movement as residents and visitors stream into the state, thereby requiring strengthened security arrangements.

“Area Commanders and Divisional Officers have been directed to strategically deploy personnel to places of worship, markets, motor parks, recreational centres, Critical Infrastructure and other identified flashpoints across the state,” he said

While issuing a marching order to all Divisional Officers to remain proactive and vigilant, Sotiyo stressed that the Command is working in close synergy with sister security agencies to ensure round-the-clock security before, during and after the festivities.

Commandant Sotiyo made it known that, “the deployment is reinforced with intensified visibility patrols, intelligence-led operations and rapid response teams to promptly address any security threat.”

While warning miscreants and criminal elements to steer clear of Osun State during and after the celebration, the Osun NSCDC boss emphasised that the Command would not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone attempting to disrupt public peace and order.

He called on residents to complement security efforts by promptly reporting suspicious movements in persons or activities to the nearest security agency.

Assuring members of the public of the Corps’ unwavering commitment to a safe and secure Osun State, he wished residents of the state a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Despite the initial opposition by the Plateau State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the state APC has now welcomed him and has pledged to support him to succeed in his new political journey.

The APC had earlier vehemently kicked against the idea of Mutfwang joining the party.

At a stakeholders’ meeting held in Jos, the party elders categorically stated that they would do everything to prevent the governor from joining the party.

The women’s wing led by Mrs. Elizabeth Yerse also held a rally where they said they did not want Mutfwang to join them, while different youth groups held press conferences and also kicked against the idea.

However, following the announcement of his defection on Thursday, the state party chapter has now welcomed the governor, stating that his joining the party will be a great asset to the state in the long run.

The APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Shittu Bamaiyi, who had been one of the staunchest voices against the move, in an interview with journalists on Friday, said the governor’s defection was one of the best things to happen to the party at the state level.

Bamaiyi said after all that had happened, the party was not surprised that Mutfwang took the bold step in joining the APC, which he described as a non-discriminatory party open to all eligible Nigerians.”

“We’re not surprised by the governor’s decision to join the APC, and we’re ready to give him all the support he needs to succeed,” Bamaiyi said in the interview.

“People must understand that joining a political party is the right of every citizen of Nigeria,” he said.

He stressed that joining a political party is a fundamental right of every Nigerian and no one has the right to stop others from jumping ship.

“While some people have the right to be annoyed, others also have the right to be happy. And we are happy that Gov. Mutfwang has decided to join the APC and he will be a great asset not only to the state chapter but at the national level. Whether you like it or not, our number in the APC has increased.

“The governor is not new to party politics. He has been in a political party, and as such, he knows what to do. We expect that he is going to carry everyone along.

“So, he is welcome to the APC. We are going to give him the needed support,” Shittu added.

Ajuji Ahmed, the National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has criticized former party members who left to join other political parties.

Ahmed said those who left the NNPP would experience rough road and challenges in their new parties.

He made these comments during the party’s 10th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

He described the ex-members as “renegades” while noting that although the NNPP may not be large, it is stronger and more united than many other parties.

Ahmed urged party members to ignore those who defected, saying their decision would only bring them hardship.

He added that leaving a peaceful party for troubled ones was a poor choice.

He also took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the NNPP has remained stable despite efforts by outsiders to create problems.

According to Ahmed, the NNPP has no internal divisions and is not controlled by any individual.

He stressed that the party is not split into factions or weakened by external influence, but remains united and committed to its goals and guiding principles.

Ahmed said: “I call upon you to please forget entirely the antics of renegades who call themselves defectors.

“May their road continue to be rough.

“If a man or some men decided to jump from calm waters only to land in not just a frying pan but directly into a burning fire, we wish them a safe journey.

“We are not fragmented into three parts with two party chairmen. We have not been captured and broken and made ineffective by a single omnipotent external force, we are NNPP. We are united.”

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has stated why he visited the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, who is serving a hail term in Sokoto.

Speaking when the leadership of the Abia Diaspora Commission and the medical team of the state Global Medical Mission 2025 visited him at the Government House, Umuahia, on Friday, Otti said his visit was not driven by political ambition.

The governor’s clarification is coming against the backdrop of a video circulating on social media, where a certain man was criticising his visit to Kanu.

However, Otti defended his visit to the IPOB leader, saying that the trip was driven by the need for dialogue and peace.

According to him, the video represented differing opinions, which formed part of the democratic system, arguing that disagreement did not automatically make one position right.

Otti also said that he had no intention of contesting any election after completing his tenure as governor.

“One of the issues he raised in the video was my ambition after serving as governor.

“I have said this before, sometime in October, when we received representatives of the President, and I will say it again today. By the time I complete my tenure as governor, I will retire from public office,” he said.

Bauchi State Government has appealed to residents to remain calm and law-abiding during President Bola Tinubu’s condolence visit following the death of renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.

The appeal was contained in a statement on Friday by Governor Bala Mohammed’s media aide, Mukhtar Gidado, who said the President is scheduled to arrive in Bauchi on Saturday.

The statement urged residents to cooperate with security agencies deployed across the state to ensure a smooth and safe visit.

It also announced that some major roads leading to the Sheikh’s mosque and other key locations would be temporarily closed or diverted between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for security and traffic management purposes.

Residents were advised to plan their movements accordingly and avoid restricted areas.

While acknowledging possible inconveniences, the government thanked residents for their cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining peace and order while honoring the legacy of the late Islamic scholar, whose teachings had a lasting impact on Bauchi State, Nigeria, and the wider Muslim community.

The National Youth Service Corps has extended the service years of 16 corps members in Sokoto State over misconduct.

According to the State Coordinator of the scheme, Alhaji Usman Yaro, the corps members committed various infractions, including absenteeism and abscondment.

Speaking during the passing-out ceremony of the 2024 Batch C, Stream 2 corps members in Sokoto on Friday, Yaro said the scheme was operating a zero-tolerance policy for truancy and indiscipline.

“Discipline remains a core value of the NYSC, while sanctions are necessary to maintain the integrity of the scheme and ensure corps members comply with laid-down regulations.

“In this regard, no fewer than 16 corps members will be punished with an extension of their service year due to various offences committed while undergoing their service year,” he stated.

The NYSC boss also announced that two corps members received the prestigious Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar Award in recognition of their “exceptional contributions” to improving the living standards of their host communities.

He commended the State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, for his sustained support for the scheme, particularly his commitment to the continuous payment of state allowances to corps members.

Yaro explained that corps members were deliberately posted to rural communities in line with the scheme’s mandate to promote grassroots development and in alignment with the development agenda of the present administration.

He noted that most corps medical personnel were deployed to rural areas to help bridge manpower gaps in the health sector, adding that their various medical outreaches have benefited thousands of residents across the state.

He further disclosed that a large number of corps members were posted to schools as part of NYSC’s commitment to strengthening the education sector in Sokoto State.

President Bola Tinubu has assured of his commitment to implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy in Nigeria.

This was as he urged State governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to ensure that they don’t interfere with funds of the local governments.

Speaking during the APC Caucus meeting held at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, Tinubu said the implementation must be practical and effective.

According to Tinubu: “Let us equally look at the recent Supreme Court judgement. What can we do with it, and how well we can position our country and our party?

“To me, the local government autonomy is and must be effective. Let us give them. There is no autonomy without a funded mandate.

“We give them their money directly. That’s the truth. That’s compliance with the supreme court.”

The president also charged the governors to be flexible and be involved in the happenings in their respective states.

“You have to navigate this country; whether we like it or not, you are in the leadership position that must yield and continue to promote, tolerate and be flexible and get involved in whatever is happening in your various states, up to the local government level,” Tinubu said.

Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has revealed that President Bola Tinubu personally invited him to decamp from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to him, after months of consultations and personal introspection, he had to make the move in the interest of the state.

Mutfwang, who made the revelation on Thursday shortly after defecting to the APC, said he did not make the move for personal gain but as a form of respect to Tinubu, who has shown a special interest in Plateau State and its challenges.

Mutfwang has made it clear that though the President had extended the invitation to him to join the APC on several occasions, he had politely declined.

“I pay my respects to President Tinubu for honouring our earlier decisions not to move to the APC and still maintaining a cordial relationship with us despite that,” he said during a meeting with political appointees and stakeholders at the Government House in Jos.

He noted that there had also been the beckoning of highly placed personalities, including fellow governors from the APC, too, but the whole time, he stood by his decision.

He however, stated that what finally changed his mind was the challenges and chaos within the PDP at the national level.

“Until recently, when it became clear that the PDP at the national level has undeniable problems with its structure, the need to decamp to another party was already quieted. We have zero challenges at the state level but all our efforts are vain without a solid structure at the national level,” he said.

“The risks involved in staying back in the PDP are too high for us to carelessly gamble with the mandate Plateau people gave us. No one can tell reassuringly when and how the crisis will end, or what wins or losses could be incurred.

“Bearing in mind the emotional torture our dear people went through, we can’t, by our actions or inactions, subject ourselves to another experience like that.”

Gov. Mutfwang confessed that he could have easily moved to another party but that history had taught him that it is one thing to be voted massively, and another to make sure the votes count.

“Although we’ve had our issues with Plateau APC, we can’t deny the favour and cordiality with which the Tinubu-led administration has related with us. And since the President didn’t try to force us to join the APC before things went completely south in the PDP, it’s fair enough that we considered joining the APC.

“We have a chance to attract and be entitled to so many good things, from appointments, to favours that will richly impact Plateau. Is it really wisdom to forfeit all that? No! Already there’s good news to be announced soon. Stay tuned,” he added.