Category: Local

Suspected bandits launched a deadly late-night attack on Jargaba community in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State on Thursday, killing six men and abducting two women. According to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen stormed the village and headed straight to a popular meeting spot where local men usually gather. Without warning, they opened fire, killing six men on the spot, including an aide to the local Community Watch Corps (CWC) commandant. Two children were also reportedly injured by stray bullets during the chaos. Following the massacre, the attackers invaded a nearby residence and abducted two women, whose whereabouts remain unknown as of the time of reporting. The Katsina State Police Command confirmed the attack. Spokesperson DSP Abubakar Sadiq said, “Yes, bandits attacked the community and shot people. Two died on the spot, while four others who were injured yesterday were confirmed dead today, making a total of six people killed.” However, he added that he could not confirm the abduction case yet, stating, “I will contact the DPO to verify that.” Reacting to the attack, Hon. Abdulrahman Ahmed, who represents Bakori in the Katsina State House of Assembly, condemned the violence, describing it as another grim reminder of the state’s worsening security challenges. “In Jargaba community, bandits attacked a group of six men who were seated and interacting. All six were killed. Two children were also injured, and two women were abducted from a residence,” Ahmed said, expressing sorrow over the tragedy. He extended condolences to the grieving families and called for divine intervention, while assuring that he had contacted security agencies to respond to the crisis and support the affected community. Katsina, like several other states in Nigeria’s northwest, has experienced a surge in deadly attacks and kidnappings by armed groups in recent years.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has dismissed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project as a scam, citing a lack of transparency and visible impact on Nigerians. Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Lawal said he does not believe the project addresses the developmental needs of the country. He criticized the current administration for what he described as nonexistent or minimal infrastructure delivery across regions, particularly in the North. “If you ask me, ‘What projects has this government implemented so far that are visible to Nigerians and have impacted their lives?’ I cannot see any,” Lawal said, adding, “In the South-West, I don’t think there is any either. They are still talking about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway — a project every government mentions, funds, but never completes.” He was especially scathing about the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, calling it a premeditated fraud: “Even before they started, we knew it would be a scam, and it has become a scam.” The highway’s first 30-kilometre phase — from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village in Lagos — was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025. The entire project spans 700 kilometres and is estimated to cost about ₦15 trillion, with the Federal Government securing a $747 million loan in June to support its execution. Lawal questioned the value of such loans, suggesting that borrowed funds are often exhausted overseas before any real development occurs locally. “You borrow money from Europe, and before it comes, it is spent over there. What can Nigerians see? What are they doing with our money?” he queried. The project has faced widespread criticism, including from opposition figures like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as well as from property owners affected by demolitions along the construction corridor. Despite the backlash, Minister of Works David Umahi has insisted the coastal highway is a “catalyst for economic growth”, promising it will benefit all regions of the country. “When people stop the suspicion and digest the coastal road project very well, they will know it’s a catalyst for the growth of every state in this country,” Umahi told the Senate Committee on Works in December 2024. As debate over the project continues, public skepticism remains strong, especially amid Nigeria’s mounting debt profile and the lack of visible progress on major infrastructure.

Many Nigerians are raising eyebrows over the whereabouts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, days after the conclusion of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which ended three days ago. President Tinubu had embarked on a two-nation trip to Saint Lucia and Brazil starting Saturday, June 28, 2025, according to an official statement issued by the Presidency prior to his departure. The itinerary listed no further engagements beyond the BRICS summit and commemorative events in Saint Lucia, leaving many wondering why the President has yet to return — or even be seen publicly — since the summit ended. Despite mounting curiosity, no statement has been released by the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or any senior government official to clarify the President’s current location or activities. “Is it possible that the Nigerian President’s aircraft is passing through a zone where time is standing still?” a concerned X user sarcastically asked, tagging @grok and other monitoring platforms. The silence has further fuelled speculation on social media, with some questioning whether the President may have extended his trip for undisclosed reasons, or if something more serious is being kept under wraps. This is not the first time President Tinubu’s international travels have sparked opacity concerns. Previous trips have drawn criticism for lack of timely updates, unclear objectives, and absence of media briefings — trends that continue to worry citizens eager for transparency in governance. As of now, the Presidency has remained tight-lipped, and Nigerians continue to wait for answers on where their President is — and why he hasn’t returned home or addressed the nation.

Some aggrieved loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, Lagos State, reportedly assaulted the Labour Party (LP) polling agent, Spencer Dominic, on Saturday at polling unit 027 along Yaya Abatan, Ogba. The incident occurred during the local government elections, moments before the APC candidate, Usman Akanbi Hamzat, arrived to cast his vote. According to eyewitnesses, APC supporters confronted the LP agent and ordered him to move away from behind the electoral officers. When he refused, insisting on staying to monitor the process for transparency, the situation escalated. The loyalists allegedly dragged, slapped, and shouted at him in full view of security personnel who reportedly failed to intervene. Narrating the incident, Dominic said: “I was standing behind the electoral officers to ensure transparency and verify voter cards as people arrived to vote. Suddenly, the APC supporters told me to leave the spot. I refused, and they began beating me.” In response, an APC leader, Gbenga Adebowale, defended the action, stating that the LP agent had no right to stand behind electoral officials and question the credentials of voters, especially the sitting council chairman. “You don’t question the chairman of the council as a polling agent. There are rules. Polling agents are expected to maintain a certain distance. When you stand behind the electoral officers, it’s seen as an attempt to disrupt the process,” Adebowale said. The election in Lagos was generally marked by low voter turnout, with reports of voter apathy across several polling units in the state. The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is yet to officially comment on the incident.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that key officials in his administration were targeted and hunted by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after he left office in 2015. Jonathan made this known in Abuja on Thursday during the public presentation of a memoir titled “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3bn Nigerian Oil Block,” authored by Bello Adoke, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Represented by ex-Senate President Pius Anyim, Jonathan said the OPL 245 saga was one of the many instruments used to persecute his former aides, with Adoke becoming a global target despite only implementing a presidential directive in the controversial oil deal. “Shortly after my tenure ended in 2015, the succeeding government launched what many saw as a manhunt against key officers of my administration,” Jonathan stated. “Adoke was hunted across the globe. But today, he is alive, he is healthy, and he is here to tell his story.” The OPL 245 case, widely known as the Malabu Oil scandal, involved the sale of a lucrative oil block to Shell and Eni in 2011 for $1.3bn. Allegations later surfaced that $1.1bn of the payment was diverted through intermediaries as bribes to officials and politicians. Adoke, who faced international and local prosecution under the Buhari administration, was eventually discharged and acquitted by courts in Nigeria and abroad. Speaking at the event, Adoke said the book was written not to attack individuals but to set the record straight and provide clarity about his role in the matter. He said he had forgiven all those involved in his ordeal, including former EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu, who later apologised. “This book is not written to denigrate anyone. It is meant to set the record straight and offer my account of what transpired,” Adoke said. He alleged that President Buhari’s pursuit of the case was largely influenced by a sense of revenge on behalf of the Abacha family, who had originally been awarded the oil block in 1998. Adoke lamented the massive public resources expended on his prosecution and expressed concern that Nigerian prosecutors who allegedly lied under oath were never held accountable. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who also spoke at the launch, praised Adoke’s forgiveness and described him as a man of conviction. “I admire Adoke for standing by his convictions. He was not praised — he was mocked — and still came out stronger,” Shettima said. Revealing how Adoke once stood up for the rule of law, Shettima shared a personal story of how Jonathan once considered removing him as Borno State Governor, but Adoke advised against it, saying the President lacked such constitutional powers. “That was the beginning of my lifelong bond with Adoke and Tambuwal,” Shettima added. Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde commended Adoke for uniting political rivals at the book launch and stressed the importance of preserving national history through honest storytelling. Makinde noted that OPL 245 contains over nine billion barrels of crude oil, making the block a highly strategic national asset. Former Senate President Bukola Saraki and ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai also lauded Adoke’s courage. El-Rufai particularly stressed that memoir writing must become a norm among public officials. “We should actually thank Adoke for helping to stabilise democracy in 2015. Instead, he was persecuted,” El-Rufai said. He urged leaders in power today to remember that “everyone’s turn will come.” The event brought together politicians from across Nigeria’s political spectrum, reflecting the broad influence and legacy of Adoke’s career — and his turbulent journey through one of Nigeria’s most contentious oil scandals.

The Federal Government is set to eliminate subsidies in the electricity sector by transitioning to a fully cost-reflective tariff regime, according to Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu. This is part of broader reforms aimed at addressing the sector’s mounting debt and ensuring sustainability. Speaking during the Mission 300 Stakeholders’ Engagement in Abuja, Adelabu revealed that Nigeria owes power generation companies over ₦4 trillion in unpaid subsidies as of December 2024. Recent data also shows that an additional ₦1.1 trillion was incurred in the first half of 2025, pushing the total debt to about ₦5 trillion. He emphasized that continuing with the subsidy model is unsustainable and threatens economic development. “To stop the accumulation of further debt, the government is working to transition the sector to a fully cost-reflective regime, while implementing targeted subsidies for the economically vulnerable,” he said. Under the current structure, the allowed tariffs are far lower than the actual cost-reflective tariffs. For example, Band A customers are charged ₦209.50 despite the cost being over ₦220. Band B and C customers pay as little as ₦67 and ₦56, even though the real cost exceeds ₦200 per unit. Adelabu said the reforms would include: The minister noted that the breakdown of local government administration has forced lawmakers to take on executive roles, including power-related infrastructure, thus complicating sector responsibilities. Finance Minister Wale Edun, speaking virtually from Brazil, backed the reforms, saying they were essential for boosting job creation and unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential. He claimed power distribution improved by over 40% in Q1 2025. Consumer Pushback Despite government assurances, consumer rights advocates and energy analysts warn that raising tariffs without service improvements will worsen public dissatisfaction. Kunle Olubiyo, President of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, said the public would be unfairly burdened without corresponding improvements in electricity supply. “Between 2015 and now, we’ve only added about 400 megawatts to the grid. Increasing tariffs won’t solve the performance gap,” he said. Bode Fadipe, CEO of Sage Consulting, noted that while liquidity is critical, focusing only on tariff hikes without addressing structural and policy deficiencies will not fix the sector. Consumers like Abubakar Aliyu in Band C areas say they often receive less than six hours of electricity daily. “If service doesn’t improve, any tariff hike will be unjustifiable,” he said. As the nation faces rising inflation and economic strain, stakeholders are urging the government to approach the power sector reforms with a balanced mix of pricing, investment, and accountability.