Ibadan – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced additional names to the list of nominees for the country’s ambassadorial role.
Among the list of additional nominees is Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, immediate past sole administrator of Rivers state and former naval chief, as a non-career ambassador.
Tinubu also named Ita Enang, the former senator; Chioma Ohakim, former Imo state first lady; and Abdulrahman Dambazau, former minister of interior and former chief of army staff, as non-career ambassadors.
Their names were absent from the earlier batch of ambassadorial nominees released by the presidency.
President Tinubu’s latest nominations were conveyed in a letter read on the floor of the senate by Godswill Akpabio during Thursday’s plenary.
In the correspondence, the president urged lawmakers to give the nominees swift consideration to enable the government fill critical diplomatic postings.
Akpabio subsequently referred the list to the senate committee on foreign affairs, with a directive that the panel conclude its screening exercise and report back to the chamber within one week.
Newly sworn-in defence minister declares war on kidnappers
Newly sworn-in Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), on Thursday, vowed rapid gains against insecurity, saying Nigerians would see results in the shortest possible time as he rebuilds synergy across the security architecture.
Musa particularly stated that he has a mandate to go after kidnappers, bandits, criminals and ensure that Nigerians can be in schools, farms and their homes with fear of being attacked.
He also pledged to do “whatever it takes” to secure the lives of Nigerians.
Troops rescue 318 kidnapped victims, arrest 74 suspects — DHQ
The Defence Headquarters on Thursday said troops deployed across the country rescued 318 kidnapped victims and arrested 74 suspects involved in terrorism, oil theft and other criminal activities in November.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, who released the figures in Abuja during a briefing on military operations, said 69 terrorists and their family members also surrendered to troops in the North-East within the same period.
He added that troops prevented oil theft valued at over N217m and dismantled multiple illegal refining sites across operational areas.
1,680 schoolchildren kidnapped, 180 facilities attacked since 2014 — Senate
At least 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped in Nigeria since 2014 when the Chibok girls incident happened, the Senate said on Wednesday.
Similarly, terrorists attacked about 180 school facilities within the same period, according to its AdHoc Committee investigating the implementation of the Safe School Initiative (SSI).
The committee, which is headed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, said the trend of attacks highlighted the concerns about the programme’s failure to address the purpose for which it was introduced.
Consequently, the committee summoned the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, over the failure of the programme to meet the objective of keeping the schools safe in spite of government investing over $30million in it.
‘I feel perfectly safe here’ – Boris Johnson rejects negative security reports on Nigeria
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that he feels safe in Nigeria, contrary to the negative reports he had read before his visit.
Johnson made this remark during the Imo State Economic Summit 2025, held in Owerri on Thursday, the state capital.
Appeal Court upholds judgment stopping VIOs from impounding vehicles, imposing fines
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Thursday, affirmed a judgment barring the Directorate of Road Traffic Services and Vehicle Inspection Officers from stopping motorists, confiscating vehicles, or imposing fines on road users.
In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel held that there was no basis to overturn the Federal High Court’s ruling of October 16, 2024, which prohibited VIO officials from harassing motorists.
The appeal filed by the VIO was dismissed for lacking merit in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi.
Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court had earlier ruled that no law empowered VIO officials to stop, impound, confiscate, seize, or impose fines on motorists.
Court defers Kanu’s transfer appeal, rejects brother’s representation
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday fixed December 8 for the hearing of a motion ex parte filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking to be transferred from the Sokoto Correctional Facility.
Kanu, on November 20, 2025, was found guilty of all seven counts of terrorism charges preferred against him by the Federal Government and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Following his sentence, Kanu was taken to the Sokoto Correctional Facility, after the court expressed concern for his safety, noting that the Kuje Correctional Facility might not be suitable for him due to previous prison breaks recorded there.
Naira records second straight depreciation against US dollar
The naira recorded depreciations against the United States dollar at the official foreign exchange market on Thursday.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that the naira further weakened to N1,447.83 against the dollar on Thursday, down from N1,447.65 traded on Wednesday.
This represents a slight dip of N0.18 on a day-to-day basis.
Meanwhile, the naira remained unchanged at N1,475 per dollar on Thursday in the parallel market, the same rate recorded on Wednesday.
Recall the country returned to depreciation against the dollar on Wednesday after gaining on Tuesday.
FG begins payment of N185bn debts owed natural gas producers
The Federal Government has taken a decisive step to revitalise the gas industry and stabilise power generation after President Bola Tinubu authorised the settlement of N185 billion in long-standing debts owed to natural gas producers.
The move, endorsed by the National Economic Council (NEC) headed by Vice President Kashim Shettima, marked one of the most significant interventions in Nigeria’s energy sector in recent years.
The N185 billion legacy debt is longstanding government obligations to gas producers for past supplies. According to a statement by the Ministry of Power, the debts “have strained cash flow and hindered operations, discouraged further exploration and production, and reduced gas supply for power generation, thereby worsening Nigeria’s power shortages and unreliable electricity supply.
Ondo farmers protest over attack in forest reserve
Farmers from the Oluwa Forest Reserve in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State staged a protest on Thursday, decrying persistent assaults, intimidation, and harassment by alleged land grabbers.
Marching to the Governor’s Office in large numbers, the farmers said they could no longer endure attacks that had prevented them from accessing farmlands legally allocated to them by the state government.
Protesters carried placards with messages including: “We have paid our dues, we are being punished,” “Investigate bribery in Agric Ministry, OSAEC, act on our petition,” and “We are lawful tenants, don’t let us suffer injustice.”
MOWAA controversy: Edo Assembly berates Obaseki, threatens arrest warrant
The Edo State House of Assembly Ad hoc Committee investigating the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) and the Radisson Hotel project has criticised former Governor Godwin Obaseki for refusing to honour its invitation.
The committee warned that it has the constitutional authority to compel the appearance of any individual through the Police if necessary.
Lawmakers noted that those declining invitations cannot claim denial of fair hearing, as opportunities had been provided for them to present their side.
Governor Monday Okpebholo had mandated the Assembly to probe the funding structure, ownership, and scale of investment in the projects, including the state’s N3.8 billion stake in MOWAA and N28 billion commitment to the Radisson Hotel project.
Police arraign 5 over alleged fake report of school girls’ abduction in Akwa Ibom
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has announced that five suspects have been charged to court in connection with a false kidnapping report involving students of Oron Secondary School in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, disclosed this at the command headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, during a high-level strategic security meeting with youth presidents and youth leaders drawn from the 31 local government areas of the state.
The commissioner said such false alarms could incite panic and undermine public confidence, assuring the public that the command will continue to take decisive action against anyone who spreads misinformation or attempts to destabilise the peace of the state.
Super Eagles captain, Troost-Ekong retires few weeks before AFCON 2025
The captain of the Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong, has announced his international retirement.
His decision comes a few weeks before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Troost-Ekong, on Thursday, posted a video on social media and tagged it: “Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagles.
Troost-Ekong’s decision to step aside comes as a surprise to many fans, especially as Eric Chelle included him in his 54-man provisional squad for the tournament.
The 32-year-old retires after earning 83 caps and playing in five major tournaments for Nigeria.
Tanzania risks US sanctions over post-election killings, repression
The United States government is comprehensively reviewing its partnership with Tanzania, the Department of State announced on Thursday.
America says recent actions in the East African nation raise grave concerns about the direction of the bilateral relationship and the reliability of the Tanzanian Government as a partner.
State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott cited the Government of Tanzania’s “ongoing repression of religious freedom and free speech, and the presence of persistent obstacles to U.S. investment.”
The official added that the “disturbing violence against civilians in the days leading up to and following Tanzania’s October 29 elections” required the reconsideration of ties.
