Author: bibncollar

The Imo State House of Assembly on Wednesday approved a proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution that would allow the creation of state police services. The resolution came after Majority Leader Kanayo Onyemaechi, who represents Owerri West, moved a motion during plenary. He told colleagues that the National Assembly had transmitted the bill to the state legislature for consideration, in line with constitutional requirements. Onyemaechi said the House was fulfilling its statutory role by taking a position on the proposal. He argued that insecurity remained a pressing national problem that required urgent attention and that state police services would help…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday called for stronger legislative cooperation between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, including more structured exchange programmes between the two countries’ parliaments. Akpabio made the appeal when British High Commissioner Peter Vowles paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Abuja. He said the longstanding historical, economic and trade ties between the two nations should be sustained and expanded through closer collaboration among lawmakers. “The history of Nigeria will not be complete without the United Kingdom. For us in Nigeria, London is like a second home,” Akpabio said. He added that the relationship “permeates…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday cautioned defence lawyers against conduct that could delay the trial of four suspected Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members charged with kidnapping and killing a Department of State Services operative. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the warning while ruling on a prosecution application to shield the identities of its witnesses and while considering defence requests for an adjournment. The defendants are Michael Okafor, also known as Onyechimeleze; Chinedu Chukwudozie, alias Kante; Chibunna Olisa; and Chigozie Olisa, also known as Ability. They were arraigned on September 28 on a six-count charge involving terrorism, kidnapping…

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday rejected the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority’s records of Premium Motor Spirit imports for 2022 and 2023, citing wide gaps with figures from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and ordered the heads of both agencies plus the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to appear and explain the differences. Committee chairman Senator Ahmed Wadada Dankwambo said the panel found the NMDPRA’s presentation on the matter unacceptable. The decision followed the authority’s response to queries raised in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report covering 2021 to 2023. According to…

Four of the five defendants charged over the fatal shooting of Oghenemi “Mine” Ogidi have been granted bail by a Delta State High Court, while the lead accused, ASP Usman Nuhu (also known as Ogbegbe), remains in custody. Justice Michael Obi granted the applications on Wednesday after all five defendants closed their defence in the trial linked to the April 26 incident in Effurun. The four released on bail are Onoloko Dauroupamo, Okoh Kelechi, Goodluck Kingsley and Omonigho Ahweyevu. All five were former members of the Anti-Crime Squad under Nuhu at the Effurun Area Command before their dismissal by the…

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the persistent poor quality of telecommunications services in Nigeria has ordered the chief executives of MTN, Airtel, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other operators to appear before it within seven days. The committee directed the executives to report at 2 p.m. on October 28, 2026, at Hearing Room 447 of the New Building of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. They must explain the continued decline in network quality and their failure to honour earlier invitations. The ultimatum was issued on Wednesday during a public hearing in Abuja after the adoption of two…

The Cross River State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a constitutional amendment bill endorsing the creation of state police services, with all 22 lawmakers present voting in favour. The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a legal framework for decentralised policing across Nigeria to tackle insecurity. Three of the Assembly’s 25 members were absent for the vote. Speaker Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem said the unanimous support among those present showed the 10th Assembly’s commitment to reforms aimed at protecting lives and property. He stressed that any state police system must operate under the rule of law, with…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register a political association as the Wisdom Party, just 88 days before the 2027 presidential election. Justice James Omotosho held that the claim by Chief Mrs Chinasa Nwekeke lacked merit and that the suit had become academic. Nwekeke, who described herself as pro tem national chairman of the Wisdom Party, filed the originating summons on April 14, 2026. She sued INEC as the sole defendant, arguing that the commission had not objected to the association’s name, symbol and logo after…

A 64-year-old Richmond man has been charged with felony abduction and misdemeanor assault on a family member after police said he taped his wife to a chair and left her in the basement while he watched a football game upstairs. Terry Ward was arrested following a domestic disturbance call late Sunday night at a home in the 2200 block of Maplewood Avenue. Officers arrived about 11:30 p.m. and spoke with an adult woman who said her husband had forcibly restrained her to a chair with tape for 30 to 45 minutes. Police documented visible marks and sticky tape residue on…

The National Board for Technology Incubation has announced a proposed investment and development-finance pipeline exceeding $600 million aimed at supporting Nigerian innovators, with the bulk earmarked for solar energy projects, following the participation of 298 innovators at an international challenge in London. Director-General Dr Kazeem Kolawole Raji disclosed the figures at a world press conference in Abuja on Wednesday. The package includes a $500 million solar-energy programme targeted at universities and polytechnics and a $100 million financing arrangement for the Tinubu Light Initiative. The funds have not been confirmed as received or fully mobilised. The announcements followed the NextGen Innovation…