NEWS

Former military governor of the old Kano State, Colonel Sani Bello (retd.), has claimed that the Federal Government is aware of the locations of notorious bandit leaders and has the intelligence and military capability to eliminate them if it chooses to do so.Speaking during an interview with Premier Radio Kano over the weekend, Bello argued that Nigeria possesses the personnel, equipment and surveillance technology required to effectively combat banditry and insurgency.According to the retired army officer, security agencies know where armed groups are operating and have the means to track them.He questioned why notorious bandit leaders continue to issue public threats despite what he described as the government's knowledge of their whereabouts.Bello maintained that with m...

The Police Command in Borno state has deployed its operatives to Lassa community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, following the abduction of students writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations by suspected terrorists.The attackers invaded the school at about 9am on Monday, shooting sporadically before abducting students and women selling food items within the school premises.Confirming the deployment to PUNCH Online, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said security operatives confronted the attackers, preventing a larger-scale abduction.“Around 9 a.m. in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted.“Security forces confronted them. For...

The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has trained government officials and key stakeholders on strategies to improve support for vulnerable residents during emergencies and periods of hardship.The training, organised by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, was held at The Patron Hotels, Sangotedo, Lagos, and brought together members of the Social Protection Implementation Technical Working Group, social protection focal persons from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as other relevant stakeholders.The workshop focused on developing stronger approaches for responding to economic challenges, climate-related emergencies, public health crises and other situations that affect vulnerable household...

Nigerian journalist Rufai Oseni has alleged that the legal challenge seeking to invalidate the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was deliberately initiated shortly after former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi joined the party.Speaking during ARISE Television’s “The Morning Show” on Monday, Oseni claimed that the timing of the court action raised concerns, noting that Obi officially joined the NDC on May 3, while the lawsuit challenging the party’s registration was filed two days later, on May 5.The broadcaster suggested that the development was part of a wider attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.According to Oseni, the situation follows a similar pattern to previous legal battles involving opposition groups, including the...

Former Bayelsa State senator Ben Murray-Bruce has attributed the defection of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and five other governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 to what he described as poor decisions and misguided advice given to former President Goodluck Jonathan.Murray-Bruce, in a video circulating online, claimed that key PDP figures left the party because Jonathan’s advisers failed to properly address growing concerns and dissatisfaction among influential members of the party.According to him, repeated warnings about the frustrations of some governors and party leaders were ignored, creating a situation that eventually led to the political fallout ahead of the 2015 general election.The former lawmaker expressed disappointment over the ...

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to focus on rehabilitating and maintaining existing roads instead of starting new road construction projects.Obi argued that Nigeria’s limited resources should be directed toward restoring major highways that are currently in poor condition rather than investing in new projects that may not provide immediate relief to citizens.The former Anambra State governor made the remarks in a statement titled “My Stance on Road Development”, shared on his official X account on Monday.He identified the Asaba-Benin Road as one of the country’s most important highways requiring urgent attention, describing it as a major transport route connecting several parts of the Sout...

A teacher has been confirmed dead and dozens of students abducted from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, a border community with Adamawa State.The Special Adviser to Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Media and Strategy, Mr Solomon Kwamagar, a resident of Lassa, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Online on Monday morning.He disclosed that the attackers arrived on motorcycles and invaded the school.“Today is Lassa market day. I was informed that they came through the market on motorcycles and went to Government Day Secondary School, Lassa. They shot and killed one teacher and took away all the students who were in their classrooms,” he said.Kwamagar added, “Lassa in Borno State is predominantly inhabited by my pe...