Day: July 5, 2026

10TH Senate Takes on Nigeria’s Toughest Security Question: State Police By Ken Harries, Esq.

Emporium Reporters

It often begins as an ordinary day. A commercial bus pulls out before dawn, its passengers expecting nothing more than traffic delays and bad roads. Traders carry the week’s earnings. Students return to school. A nursing mother cradles her child. A retired civil servant travels to visit his family. Elsewhere, anxious parents wave goodbye as a school bus disappears through the gates, expecting to see their children again that afternoon. Then, somewhere along a lonely highway or beside a quiet rural school, armed men emerge from the bush. Within minutes,…

NADCEL 2026: COAS Rallies African Army Chiefs in Port Harcourt for United Front Against Security Threats

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for stronger collaboration among African armies to tackle terrorism, insurgency and other transnational security threats confronting the continent. Shaibu made the call on Sunday at the opening of the Third African Land Forces Forum, held alongside the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2026 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Addressing military chiefs and defence stakeholders from across Africa, the COAS said the gathering reflects a shared commitment to strengthening continental security through cooperation, interoperability and strategic partnerships. He welcomed…

NADCEL 2026: COAS Unveils Community Projects, Reinforces People-Centred Security

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to people-centred security with the commissioning of renovated schools, a community town hall and solar-powered boreholes across Rivers State as part of activities marking the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2026. The projects, inaugurated on Sunday, span the state’s three senatorial districts and include the renovation of Community Secondary School, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers East Senatorial District; Community Secondary School, Lueku (Lussue), Khana Local Government Area in Rivers South-East Senatorial District; a…

Court Records Show Mutu’s Earlier Acquittal Remains Valid as Fresh Questions Trail Subsequent Forfeiture Judgment

Emporium Reporters

By Teddy Onyejuwe     Fresh facts have emerged indicating that the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the forfeiture of funds linked to a company associated with Hon. Nicholas Mutu has not invalidated or superseded an earlier judgment of a court of coordinate jurisdiction which discharged and acquitted the serving member of the House of Representatives and two companies on all criminal charges filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). JUDGEMENT (FRN V. MUTU)_033318 Investigations by our correspondent, including a review…

FG Denies Spending ₦8tn Outside Budget, Says Claims Misrepresent IMF Report

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government has dismissed claims that it spent more than ₦8 trillion, representing about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), outside the approved budget, describing the allegations as false and a misrepresentation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s 2026 Article IV Consultation Report. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the Federal Government does not operate a “shadow budget” or expend public funds outside the constitutional and statutory framework governing public finance. Oyedele…

IGP Disu Reaffirms Commitment to Science-Driven Policing, Professionalism During Enugu Visit

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to intelligence-led, technology-driven and evidence-based policing as part of efforts to strengthen criminal investigations and enhance public safety. Disu made the commitment during a working visit to Enugu State, where he commissioned the Centre for DNA Forensics, Criminal Investigation and Biotechnology (DeFOCI). He described the facility as a strategic national asset that would improve criminal investigations, support the administration of justice and advance the adoption of scientific methods in modern policing. The IGP commended Enugu…

Troops Rescue Six More Kidnap Victims in Borno, Intensify Hunt for Terrorists

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have rescued six more abducted persons, including two infants, in the ongoing search and rescue operation targeting victims of terrorist attacks in Borno State. The military disclosed on Saturday that the latest rescue followed sustained air and ground operations backed by credible intelligence, leading troops to Talakawa in Chibok Local Government Area, where the victims were found. The rescued victims, comprising four adults and two infants, were among those abducted in May from Mussa community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area. They have since been evacuated…

Nigeria’s Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu Honoured in Paris for Anti-Death Penalty Advocacy

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Nigeria’s Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, has received the Robert Badinter Grand Prix Finalist Award at the end of the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris, France. The Robert Badinter Grand Prix is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious honours for individuals championing the abolition of capital punishment. Uzoma-Iwuchukwu was presented with the Finalist Award Certificate in recognition of her contributions to the global campaign against the death penalty. According to the organisers, she was recognised for her leadership in…

APC House of Reps Primary: Court Adjourns Suit Challenging Prof Auna’s Nomination to July 9

Emporium Reporters

By Uthman Baba-Naseer, Minna       The Federal High Court in Minna, Niger State, has adjourned to July 9, 2026, for the commencement of hearing in a suit challenging the emergence of Prof. Yakubu Mohammed Auna as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general election. The suit was filed by Alhaji Shehu Samaila Auna, who is asking the court to nullify the APC primary election, alleging that no valid primary was conducted in the constituency despite the declaration of Prof.…

NDLEA Arrests UK-Based Nigerian Grandma with 13kg Cocaine Hidden in Plantain Peels, Nabs Malaysia Drug Syndicate Leader

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after operatives discovered 13 kilograms of cocaine ingeniously concealed in fake plantain peels packed among food items in her luggage. The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the suspect, a caregiver based in the United Kingdom, was intercepted at the departure hall of Terminal 2 while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London…