Governor Babagana Zulum, on Wednesday, accused Nigerian soldiers and politicians working for Boko Haram.

In an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, Mr Zulum said, “We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities.

“What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly.”

The Borno governor added, “Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicise insecurity.”

Mr Zulum’s statement comes amid the resurgence of Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has been terrorising the North-East for over a decade.

Over the weekend, Mr Zulum lamented that Marte LGA was under the control of Boko Haram.

“Marte local government comprises over 300 towns and villages. Now we have only one standing.

“If we cannot maintain this one, then we will lose the whole local government to the insurgents, which will be very obnoxious, and I think we will not allow this to happen,” Mr Zulum said.

Mr Zulum declared a one-day prayer and fasting to combat insecurity in Borno over the weekend.

The United Nations Development Programme estimated that about 350,000 persons have been killed by Boko Haram insurgents.

According to Human Rights Watch, as of July 2022, the Boko Haram conflict had displaced about 2.2 million people in the Northeast, the vast majority, over 1.8 million, in Borno.

Nigeria’s first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged Nigerians to embrace their cultural diversity and promote unity and respect.

The first lady made the call in her message on Wednesday commemorating the 2025 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

“The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development highlights the profound strength that lies in our differences and the shared humanity that connects us all.

”There is indeed strength and unity in diversity. Nigeria, for example, is blessed with over 250 ethnic groups, each speaking a different language, but it is through our dialogue, our interactions, and our mutual respect that we find true identity and unity.

“On this day, I encourage every Nigerian to celebrate our cultural richness, to listen with empathy, and to lead with understanding. Let us embrace this journey together and shape a brighter future for Nigeria and the world,” Mrs Tinubu said.

The day is celebrated every year on May 21 to raise awareness of the role of culture in sustainable socio-economic growth and development.

The police command in Bauchi says it has apprehended five suspects for circulating adulterated fertilisers and herbicides.

The command’s spokesman, Ahmed Wakil, who confirmed the arrest on Wednesday in Bauchi, said the police also sealed three illegal production facilities.

He said personnel of the command monitoring unit, acting on credible intelligence, arrested a suspect at the Bauchi Central Market on May 10.

The spokesman said the operatives recovered six bags of suspected adulterated fertilisers and 46 bottles of fake herbicide from the suspect.

“A subsequent search at his residence in Magaji Quarters yielded incriminating evidence, including sacks of raw materials, charcoal, stoves, a bundle of nylon, and empty herbicide cartons,” he said.

He said operatives of the command also detained one suspect and recovered 44 bags of fake fertilisers during a raid at a shop along Gombe Road.

Mr Wakil said the shop owner claimed to have sourced the raw materials from his accomplice in the Bakaro area of Bauchi metropolis.

“Further investigations led to the arrest of three suspects, who exposed two more illegal factories,” he said.

Mr Wakil added that the operatives recovered 150 bags of adulterated fertilisers, raw materials, tools and machinery used in the illicit operations

Residents of Jalingo, the Taraba capital, have lauded the 24-hour uninterrupted power supply in the metropolis ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s one-day official visit.

On Wednesday, Vice-President Kasshim Shettima was delegated by Mr Tinubu to represent him in the state and to declare open the Taraba International Investment Summit 2025.

Donald Musa, a resident of Nukkai, a suburb of Jalingo town, described the electricity supply as unprecedented.

Mr Musa observed that the city had experienced an epileptic power supply in recent times and prayed that the stable supply continued even after the presidential visit.

Similarly, Maimuna Abubakar, another resident of Jalingo, observed that the previous supply was four hours daily, noting that the sudden uninterrupted power supply may not be unconnected with the president’s visit to the state.

She called on the Yola Electricity Distribution Company to improve its supply even after the presidential visit, while also commending them.

Grace Ishaku, another resident, observed that the sharp improvement in the power supply was because of the presidential visit and urged that the development be sustained to boost the state’s economy.

The state is billed to host the Taraba First International Investment Summit, with high-profile guests expected during the event.

No fewer than 20 people have been killed, including several children, since early Wednesday morning in the Gaza Strip in renewed Israeli attacks, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

WAFA, citing Gaza medical sources, also reported that there were airstrikes and fatalities in Jabalia and Deir al-Balah, as well as near Khan Younis in the south of the territory.

The information, however, could not be independently verified as the Israeli army had not yet provided any information on the matter.

Dozens of deaths have been reported daily from the coastal area after Israel’s military launched a major new offensive late last week.

Ground troops are now also deployed in the area, with Israel’s actions in the region facing increasing international criticism, including from close allies.

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom suspended trade talks with Israel, sanctioned some West Bank settlers and summoned Israel’s ambassador to the UK.

Also on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said that the European Union intends to review its cooperation agreement with Israel in view of the situation in Gaza.

The current conflict began on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian Islamist Hamas militia and others invaded Israel, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostage.

Israel responded with a massive attack, which has since killed more than 53,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.

The figures do not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties.

Taku Eto, Japan’s agriculture minister, has resigned after boasting that he gets free rice from his supporters and has plenty of it at home amid a shortage of the staple food.

Mr Eto tendered his resignation on Wednesday, amid public uproar over his statement on Sunday.

“I have never bought rice myself,” Mr Eto said on Sunday in a speech on the country’s agricultural policy. “Frankly, my supporters give me quite a lot of rice. I have so much rice at home that I could sell it.”

Though Mr Eto has apologised for his statement, it sparked reactions from Japanese who berated him for being insensitive about prevailing economic realities.

Some berated the Japanese government for its inability to resolve lingering rice scarcity and soaring staple food prices.

Addressing an upper house session, Prime Minister Shigeru said he “approved” Mr Eto’s resignation, taking responsibility for his minister’s statement.

Mr Ishiba described Mr Eto’s statement as “extremely unfortunate” and said, “I apologise to the Japanese people. It is my responsibility that I appointed him

A Ukrainian national has become the third man to be charged over the arson attack on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The Metropolitan Police said Petro Pochynok, 34, had been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life and would appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning.

Mr Pochynok is accused of conspiring with fellow Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych and Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, who have both also been charged over the incident.

He was arrested on Monday in the Chelsea area of west London.

Two of the fires reportedly happened in Kentish Town, north London; one was in the early hours of May 12 and took place at the home where Mr Starmer lived before he became prime minister and moved into Downing Street.

A car was set alight in the same street four days earlier on May 8.

The other fire took place on May 11 at the front door of a house converted into flats in Islington.

Mr Lavrynovych, 21, of Sydenham, south-east London, has already been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life in connection with the fires.

He denied the charges in a police interview.

He appeared in court on Friday and was remanded in custody until a further hearing at the Old Bailey scheduled for June 6.

Mr Carpiuc appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody to appear alongside Mr Lavrynovych on the same date.

Nigeria has lauded Cameroon’s commitment and collaboration in fostering stability in West Africa amidst complex security threats by Boko Haram and other armed groups on the occasion of its 53rd independence anniversary.

In a statement, foreign affairs minister Yusuf Tuggar said, “As Cameroon celebrates this significant milestone, Nigeria reaffirms its dedication to deepening the existing bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two nations.

“We also look forward to continued collaboration within the frameworks of the African Union and other global multilateral platforms to advance the interests of our peoples and the broader continent.

“Nigeria remains steadfast in supporting Cameroon’s efforts to promote unity, peace and sustainable development.”

The minister wished the government and people of Cameroon a peaceful and prosperous independence anniversary and many more years of progress and harmony.

The Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina, says plans to ensure that students of the institution go to China and Russia for their practicals are in the pipeline.

The university’s vice-chancellor, Umar Adam-Katsayal, disclosed this in Daura on Wednesday, while briefing journalists on his two-year scorecard.

According to him, the university is working with a Chinese company that is handling the institution’s construction.

”In 2018 and 2019, the federal government, in collaboration with the company, selected and interviewed some students from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, specifically from civil and mechanical engineering, who were taken to China for a two-year practical.

”The students did what is called three plus two, they spent two years here for the theory, and also spent three years there for the practical components.

”These are some of our pioneer academic staff today, and they are preparing our students towards realising this plan and others,” he said.

He disclosed that other achievements of the institution include strategic collaborations with prominent home and foreign institutions, especially key transport regulatory bodies.

”Additionally, the university has now been listed among institutions eligible for TETFund support, a development that will significantly enhance academic infrastructure and staff training,” he said.

The vice-chancellor further revealed that the university planned to expand the campus infrastructure, including lecture halls, laboratories, workshops, and accommodations for staff and students.

”We are integrating modern technology in teaching, with plans to introduce smart classrooms and expand virtual learning platforms. Sustainability initiatives such as solar-powered facilities and green campus are also being prioritised.

”The university is set to expand its academic offerings to include programmes in transportation security, aviation technology, smart transport systems, and sustainable urban mobility.

”Short and executive courses will soon be introduced to satisfy the needs of working class and executive officers. The university also plans to intensify research efforts in autonomous vehicles and green logistics, as well as further develop its academic staff capacity and industry partnerships,” Mr Adam-Katsayal added.

He, however, disclosed that the institution was having funding challenges and urgently needed additional resources due to the rising costs of running and maintaining existing infrastructure, among others

The Police Command in Osun is yet to receive any official communication on the escape of seven inmates from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun.

Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi in Osun said the command had not been officially briefed or informed of the incident by the Nigerian Correctional Service.

“We heard also about the escape, but there is no official report made to the police by the NCoS. Our intel revealed to us that actually, there was an escape. The cause of the escape is what we don’t know because our men have gone there.

“From the intelligence report we got, there is nothing we can lay our hands on that made the inmates escape. The NCoS should inform us about what actually happened,” he said.

Mr Ojelabi added, “The police are out to protect lives and property and any criminal we see, we will apprehend.”

The NCoS declared seven inmates missing due to rain that damaged the security perimeter of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa in the early hours of Tuesday.

The heavy rainfall around 2:00 a.m. caused a breach in the facility’s structure, allowing the inmates to escape.

Confirming the development, NCoS controller-general Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, in a statement on Tuesday, ordered an immediate investigation into the incident and assured the public that efforts were underway to return the escapees to custody.

“The service is working closely with sister security agencies as well as community leaders to recapture the escapees and bring them back to custody,” the NCoS said. “However, the service solicits the cooperation and support of the public in providing information that may lead to the recapture of the fleeing inmates.”

Authorities have since launched a manhunt to recapture the fugitives.

Nigeria has won the bid to host the World Public Relations Forum, says the president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Ike Neliaku.

Mr Neliaku said this during his address at the NIPR Week in Uyo.

He expressed his concern about how Nigeria is perceived at home and abroad, adding that we are a nation in transition.

“I went to Venice to defend Nigeria’s bid for hosting the 2026 World Public Relations Forum, which has been given to Nigeria. The first time it came to Africa was in 2007 and went to South Africa.

“The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, helped in the fight to ensure that Nigeria won the 2026 edition, and we did.

“So, I am happy to announce that the 126 member countries under the Global Alliance for Public Relation and Communication Management will be coming to Nigeria to celebrate with us,” Mr Neliaku said.

According to him, every country in Africa is a gateway, but Nigeria is the destination, adding that it has all it takes to be the best destination.

Mr Neliaku explained that good leaders should be good communicators.

“They assumed that they know what the people want and in some cases they failed to lead, because they have not done their homework,” Mr Neliaku said.

On Tuesday, the Sokoto government inaugurated a digital skills training centre to empower Almajiri children and out-of-school adolescent girls in the state.

The initiative is in collaboration with UNICEF and supported by the ELEVA Foundation.

Governor Ahmad Aliyu, in his remarks during the inauguration, said the effort was significant in tackling educational disparity and promoting digital inclusion among residents.

Mr Aliyua also mentioned that the initiative was designed to equip underserved youth with essential digital skills and prepare them for opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven world.

He thanked UNICEF and ELEVA Foundation for their ongoing support, particularly in education and nutrition in Sokoto. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to uplifting vulnerable groups and ensuring inclusive development across the state.

Speaking at the event, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, lauded the governor’s administration for the visionary approach and development-focused leadership.

Mr Abubakar reaffirmed the traditional institution’s unwavering support for the governor’s ‘Smart Agenda’, a comprehensive nine-point development plan.

UNICEF’s representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, described the Digital Village as a structured learning hub, offering training sessions three times a week.

”By equipping these underserved children with digital skills, we are building their capacity to thrive in a tech-driven world,” she said.

Ms Munduate said the digital village was designed to improve access to quality learning opportunities by leveraging technological literacy and youth innovation through structured training sessions.

Containerised shops were destroyed on Tuesday following an explosion involving a diesel-laden tanker behind the Alake Sports Complex in Ijeja, Abeokuta.

The explosion occurred just behind the fence separating the Sports Complex from the Ijeja community, triggering panic among nearby residents.

Fire service representative Abiodun Owolabi said the blast was caused by a sudden ignition during discharge.

“The tanker, registration number LND 898 YJ, caught fire while discharging diesel into a storage facility within the Sports Complex,” Mr Owolabi stated.

He added, “The diesel was being pumped using a petrol-powered machine, which likely caused the ignition.”

The tanker driver sustained injuries and is receiving treatment. No fatalities were recorded, though some shops were affected by the fire.

“We responded immediately and were able to prevent further damage or casualties,” Mr Owolabi said.

The Niger State House of Assembly has approved a N70 billion bond request by Governor Umaru Bago to finance infrastructure projects in the state.

The bond was approved during the plenary session in Minna on Tuesday following its review by the House Committee on Finance, which presented its report to the parliament.

Chairman of the committee, Aliyu Wushishi, said the bond request was part of a planned N100 billion private bond issuance for 10 years.

The parliament unanimously adopted the committee recommendation and approved the request of its report.

The speaker of the parliament, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, directed the clerk of the house to transmit the formal approval to the executive.

On May 15, during its plenary session presided over by Deputy Speaker Afiniki Dauda, the house read the executive correspondence announcing Mr Bago’s desire to seek the bond.

The correspondence revealed that the State Executive Council, at its 55th sitting on April 22, approved the issuance of the N70 billion out of the N100 billion Niger State 2025 bond raise programme.

In the letter to the house, the governor disclosed that the bond issue aimed to finance critical projects in healthcare, education, infrastructure, water supply, and inter- and intra-state connectivity.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, has condemned the proposed bill seeking to make voting mandatory in Nigeria, saying he prefers imprisonment to obeying the law.
“Look at the ridiculous one in the National Assembly about voting being made compulsory,” Mr Agbakoba said in a Channels TV interview on Monday. “If that bill were to pass, I, Olisa Agbakoba, would not obey it. I will plead a consensus objection. I’d rather go to prison for six months than obey it.”

Last week, the House of Representatives passed the second reading of the bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting compulsory for Nigerians of voting age.

The bill, sponsored by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas and Daniel Ago, aimed to encourage participation of citizens in the electoral process by addressing the recurring voter apathy during elections.

Mr Agbakoba said voter apathy persists in the country because Nigerians have completely lost confidence in the electoral process.

He said, “Why does the National Assembly want to impose compulsory voting? Why haven’t they asked Nigerians why they’re not interested? Because they do not get anything. If Nigerians are going to get something, they would come out to vote. But if people see the same old trick from politicians, there would be apathy.

Acknowledging that Nigeria had some few good leaders in the past, the human rights lawyer insisted “the leadership quality generally is poor and has failed to take the country to where it wants to be”.

Mr Agbakoba advocated a new and thoroughly inclusive system of governance, citing China as an example of a country developing without a democracy.

The lawyer said, “The key question to ask as we begin to think through the new system is, is democracy the only model to consider? It might sound controversial, but we must confront this question. Is China not doing well for its people? China has 1.4 billion people, yet they have been managed. What makes them successful? Can’t we learn about what makes China successful?

“If you take the vote of Nigerians, do you think they’ll go for democracy? I cherish democracy as a democrat, but I am not going to say I assume Nigeria must be a democracy. China isn’t a democracy.’’

Meanwhile, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party from Akwa Ibom State, Mark Esset, said making voting compulsory was not enough to address voter apathy in the country.

Speaking during plenary on Thursday, Mr Esset noted Nigerians were disinterested in elections because they believe their votes would not count, urging more work to be done to address the situation.

Thousands of people in north-west Pakistan on Tuesday blocked a highway with the coffins of four children killed by a suspected drone strike.

The protests in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan region began earlier on Monday after a family home was hit, local resident Mohamed Jamal Dawar said.

It is not clear who was behind the incident.

Local activist Zahid Wazir said the drone was operated by the Pakistani military.

He said the home was likely mistaken as a hideout used by Islamist militants.

Pakistani intelligence officials said the explosives were fired by a quadcopter operated by the Taliban militants to target a nearby military post, but that it missed the target.

An independent verification was not possible as the region is inaccessible to outsiders.

Activists of a local rights group, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, which is against the militarisation of the region by both the military and the Pakistani Taliban, vowed to continue the protest.

“We will continue to demand justice for our kids,” Mr Wazir said.

The Pakistani military and Islamist militants have been fighting each other in the region for more than two decades.

More than 80,000 Pakistanis, an overwhelming majority of civilians, have lost their lives in years of violence

Some male capuchin monkeys in Panama have developed a new behaviour where they abduct baby monkeys of a different species and carry them around for days without providing care.

This was according to a report published in the journal Current Biology on Monday.

The Panama capuchin monkeys on Jicarón Island in Panama have been observed with a series of cameras since 2017.

The group are known to use stone tools to crack hard nuts and shellfish.

While reviewing video footage, Zoë Goldsborough from the Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Biology in Germany noticed a young male carrying a small howler monkey baby.

Mr Goldsborough combed through the year’s footage and found four howler monkey babies had been carried.

Most of them were by a young male nicknamed “Joker”, who was first seen with an infant in 2022.

“We came to the conclusion that it must be a single individual trying something new,” said Brendan Barrett.

Mr Barrett is the group leader at the institute. He said it was not unusual, as the monkeys are curious.

Five months later, new images and videos showed baby howler monkeys carried by other capuchins, which turned out to be four more young males besides Joker.

Researchers initially considered whether the monkeys might be attempting adoption, but the males showed no signs of caregiving and did not even play with the abducted offspring.

The 15 months of footage showed at least 11 abducted howler monkey infants being carried for up to nine days.

Four were later found dead, and none of the others is believed to have survived.

It is unclear how the capuchin monkeys abducted the howler monkeys.

“The capuchins didn’t harm the babies, but they could not provide the milk the infants needed to survive,” Mr Goldsborough said.

The scientists said the capuchins, which live in a predator-free environment, appear highly curious and prone to experimenting with new behaviours.

Although no clear reason for the abductions was found, the researchers suggest the actions may have been driven by boredom.

The National Sports Commission says it has disqualified six athletes from participating in the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged ‘Gateway Games’.
NSC director-general Bukola Olopade disclosed on Tuesday in Abeokuta that the disqualification was related to anti-doping issues.

He maintained that registered athletes with anti-doping issues cannot compete for scoring medals at the ongoing Gateway Games.

The decision came after a strategic joint meeting of the main organising committee and the local organising committee of the games.

The commission announced that this was in line with global best practices and the World Anti-Doping Agency code.

Mr Olopade charged all the participating states to take note of this and reiterated the commission’s commitment to ensuring that every athlete competes clean.

“The issue of anti-doping is one important mandate of the commission to ensure that Nigeria is devoid of drug problems at both domestic and international competitions.

“We are happy now that the national anti-doping law has finally been passed by our sports-loving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ripple effect of such a landmark feat must swiftly be felt in our sports, starting with the current National Sports Festival,” he stated.

The athletes affected are Marcus Okon, representing Akwa Ibom in para athletics; Ayabeke Opeyemi, representing Bayelsa in gymnastics; Shukurat Kareem, representing Lagos in kickboxing; and Omole Dolapo Joshua, representing Bayelsa in kickboxing.

Others are Ogunsemilore Cynthia, representing Bayelsa in kickboxing, and Animashaun Sofia, representing Lagos in para powerlifting.

On Tuesday, member states of the World Health Organisation adopted a new pandemic treaty to avoid the panic and disarray seen during the COVID-19 crisis.
The agreement was accepted without formal voting on the second day of the members’ annual World Health Assembly in Geneva.

As the conference chair asked whether there were any objections, silence followed, prompting him to declare the treaty adopted by consensus.

The treaty outlines measures for coordinated procurement of protective equipment during future pandemics and enhanced monitoring of animal and human diseases.

There should also be medical technology transfer to ensure that medicines and vaccines can be produced in low-income countries.

However, several contentious details remain unresolved and are set to be negotiated separately over the next year as part of an annexe to the treaty.

These include a new mechanism to accelerate vaccine production and ensure equitable distribution to poorer nations.

Turkish authorities said it has detained at least 18 people as part of their corruption probe targeting employees of Istanbul’s municipality, state media reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, prosecutors had issued warrants for 22 suspects, including the municipality’s media director Taner Çetin, on charges ranging from bribery and bid-rigging to membership in a criminal organisation, said broadcaster TRT.

The investigation alleged that there were irregularities in public tenders involving municipal subsidiaries.

While the prosecutors claimed that Mr Çetin, a deputy of the ousted and jailed mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, helped steer contracts to favoured companies in exchange for kickbacks, TRT reported.

Mr İmamoğlu, Turkey’s main opposition CHP, was removed from office in March following a court ruling; an appeal is pending.

He is widely seen as the strongest challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The mayor separately faces jail in other ongoing probes, including accusations of terror links.

Mr İmamoğlu’s ouster drew sharp criticism from opposition parties, rights groups and international observers, who accused Mr Erdoğan’s government of using the judiciary to sideline political rivals ahead of elections scheduled for 2028.