Day: July 19, 2026

Police Crack Terrorist Cell in Imo, Arrest Murder, Cultism, Infanticide Suspects Nationwide

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Police Force has recorded major operational successes across the country in the last 24 hours, dismantling a suspected terrorist network in Imo State and arresting suspects linked to murder, cultism, infanticide, armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, railway vandalism and other crimes. The Force said its operatives attached to the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) raided a suspected terrorist hideout at Eziudo in Ezinihite Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, where four armed suspects were arrested. According to the police, exhibits recovered during the operation included three…

Badejo-Okusanya Breaks Barrier, Becomes NBA’s Second Female President

Emporium Reporters

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), making history as only the second woman to lead the country’s foremost association of legal practitioners. Badejo-Okusanya emerged victorious in the 2026 NBA presidential election after polling 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid ballots cast in the electronic election conducted over a 24-hour period from Saturday to Sunday. She defeated two other candidates to secure the association’s highest office, with the results announced shortly after the close of voting…

Akpabio, Oshiomhole, Umahi: How sex threatens the Nigerian State By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

Did you listen to last week’s broadside from Senate President Godswill Akpabio against former Edo State governor,Senator Adams Oshiomhole? If you did, you must have caught a glimpse of how sex threatens the Nigerian state. Historically, libido has always been a threat to governance. Psychoanalyst Robert Michels summarized this Freudian reality cleanly: “Everything in the world is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power.” To him, life is driven by sex, and sex itself is an expression of power and aggression. Often misattributed to Oscar Wilde — likely due…

Nigerian Navy Hands Over 756kg of Suspected Cannabis to NDLEA in Lagos

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has handed over 18 bags of suspected cannabis sativa weighing about 756 kilograms to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution. The handover, which took place on Friday, July 17, 2026, was conducted by the Commander of NNS BEECROFT, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, as part of ongoing efforts to curb illicit drug trafficking through enhanced inter-agency collaboration. According to the Navy, the seizure underscores its commitment to supporting national efforts aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks and preventing Nigeria’s maritime…

Information Minister Congratulates Ibietan on Re-election as APRA Secretary General

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has congratulated Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan on his re-election as Secretary General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), describing the achievement as a testament to his professionalism, dedication and outstanding contributions to the public relations profession across Africa. In a statement issued on Sunday by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Rabiu Ibrahim, the minister said Dr. Ibietan’s re-election at the APRA General Assembly in Swakopmund, Namibia, reflected the confidence reposed in him by public relations professionals across the continent. At…

Of banditry and a shared sovereignty (3), by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

This is the concluding part of this series. The first two editions were published two weeks ago. Although the article was originally written in 2022, its message remains as timely and relevant today as it was then. With insecurity continuing to ravage every region of the country, leaving citizens in constant fear and uncertainty, the issues it raises remain urgent and worthy of renewed attention. Last week, they attacked an estate within Abuja. Gunmen, bandits, Boko Haram, those who “drag” sovereignty with Nigeria, attacked Genuine Estate, within the vicinity of…

Nigerian Navy Intensifies Anti-Oil Theft Operations, Recovers 4.7 Million Litres of Stolen Crude in Three Months

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian Navy has recorded major operational successes in the second quarter of Operation DELTA SENTINEL, recovering more than 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products while arresting over 91 suspects involved in crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, militancy and other economic crimes across the Niger Delta. The achievements were disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, who said the sustained operations coincided with Nigeria’s crude oil production rising above its OPEC production quota. According to the…

The Imperatives of Public Relations for Information Officers in Public Institutions By Yunusa Abugi,anipr

Emporium Reporters

The evolving Information Officer occupies a position far more strategic than that of a government spokesperson or media liaison. In today’s information-driven society, where citizens demand transparency, accountability and timely communication, Information Officers as custodians of public trust and institutional reputation relates with the people on daily basis demanding more strategic communication skills than ever. Since public relations has gone beyond mere publicity or managing media coverage, it has evolved into a strategic management function that fosters mutual understanding between government institutions and the people they serve. Consequently, Information Officers…

Tinubu’s LG Autonomy, PPPs Will Transform Grassroots Governance – Sunday Dare

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Hon. Sunday Dare, has said the financial autonomy granted to Nigeria’s 774 local government councils, coupled with effective Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), will transform grassroots governance and accelerate sustainable development across the country. Dare stated this while delivering the keynote address at the Gazelle News Annual Lecture and Awards held on July 15, 2026. His lecture, titled “Driving Grassroots Governance with Public-Private Partnership: The Gains, the Pains, the Prospects,” focused on strengthening local governance through collaboration between government,…

NNPC’s NGPIS Bags ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The NNPC Gas & Power Investment Services (NGPIS) has achieved a major milestone with the award of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) Certification by the British Standards Institution (BSI), reinforcing its commitment to operational excellence, quality service delivery and sustainable business performance. The certification was formally presented to the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, by the Head of Planning and Commercial at NGPIS, Ayuba Rabo, who led the company’s delegation to the presentation at the NNPC Towers in Abuja…