Ibadan – 38 abducted Kwara church worshippers regain freedom
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has announced the release of 38 persons who were recently abducted during an attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, on Sunday. The governor credited President Bola Tinubu for his hands-on involvement in ensuring the victims regained their freedom.
50 Students Escape Niger School Abduction, But 253 Remain Captive
Amid a massive rescue push, 50 of the 303 kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Agwara have fled their captors overnight. Security ops continue for the rest, as Yobe State closes all schools in response to the wave of northern kidnappings. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Niger State chapter of Christian Association of Nigera, CAN said the pupils regained their freedom between Friday and Saturday and “quietly reunited with their families.”
President Tinubu orders withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the country. A statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, his spokesman, said that henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core policing duties.
The presidential directive was issued at the security meeting President Tinubu held on Sunday with the police, Air Force, Army chiefs, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services in Abuja.
‘It will end up as statement’ — Shehu Sani on Tinubu withdrawing police from VIPs
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers assigned to Very Important Persons, VIPs, describing the move as commendable but likely to be ineffective. In a post on X on Sunday, Sani said the policy was appropriate given the country’s pressing security challenges but expressed scepticism about its implementation, warning that it may “begin and end up as a statement.”
He said: “Withdrawal of Police from VIPs is a good idea and good policy statement in view of the nation’s urgent security needs, but it will only begin and end up as a statement.”
Insecurity: Ask for help or resign – PDP tells Tinubu
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked President Bola Tinubu to seek local and international help to end insecurity in Nigeria or resign honourably. Fractional National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ini Ememobong, made this call in a statement on Sunday.
The party urged the government to develop a comprehensive plan to combat the issue, instead of resorting to a simplistic approach of closing schools in a bid to prevent further kidnappings and to score cheap political points.
Kaduna gives El‑Rufai one‑week ultimatum to prove ₦1bn bandits claim
The Kaduna State Government has dismissed as false and politically motivated the claim by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai that the administration of Governor Uba Sani paid ₦1bn to bandits. In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, the government gave the former governor a one-week ultimatum to either provide evidence or publicly retract the allegation, warning that failure to do so would trigger legal action.
Five police officers killed, two injured in Bauchi bandit ambush
Five police officers lost their lives and two others sustained injuries on Sunday after suspected bandits ambushed a tactical team in Sabon Sara village, Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The attack occurred around 12:40 pm when personnel from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Mobile Police 10 PMF Bauchi, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU), and the State Intelligence Department (SID) came under fire while on a visibility patrol aimed at preventing and managing farmer–herder conflicts.
Shettima departs S’Africa to represent Tinubu at AU-EU summit in Angola
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has departed Johannesburg for Luanda to represent President Bola Tinubu at the AU-EU Summit scheduled to hold in Angola. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja.
‘Nigeria will not disintegrate’ – Oluremi Tinubu
The wife of the president, Oluremi Tinubu has said that, despite challenges, Nigeria would remain united, insisting that the country will not disintegrate. She expressed this hope on Sunday during the Thanksgiving service for the investiture of Most Rev. Sunday Onuoha as Archbishop on Special Duties at the Methodist Unity Cathedral, Abuja.
FG debunks fake claim of 86% HIV prevalence in Port Harcourt
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has warned Nigerians against a fabricated graphic circulating online claiming that HIV prevalence in Port Harcourt has “risen to 86%.”. In a statement released via X on Sunday, the ministry described the information as false and emphasised that it does not reflect any official health statistics.
Revenue collection: FIRS denies granting monopoly to Xpress Payments
The Federal Inland Revenue Service has dismissed allegations by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar claiming that the appointment of Xpress Payments as a payment channel for federal revenue collection was politically motivated. It insisted that the remark was “misleading” and risks distorting public understanding of Nigeria’s tax administration system.
Atiku had, in a statement, accused the Federal Government of handing a “monopoly” to Xpress Payments for tax collections. But responding on Sunday, the Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the FIRS Chairman, Aderonke Atoyebi, said the former Vice President’s assertions were incorrect and capable of politicising what she described as a purely administrative and technical issue.
Police arrest three suspects over attack on Obesere in Okitipupa
The Ondo State Police Command on Sunday said it had arrested two persons in connection with the attack on a popular Fuji musician, Mr Abass Akande, also known as Obesere. The musician had earlier called on the state government to fish out and prosecute those who allegedly attacked him and destroyed his equipment in the state. It was reported that Obesere and his crew members were attacked on Friday after performing at a burial ceremony in Okitipupa town, Ondo State.
