Author: Aminu Imam

INEC faces probe over missing ₦55.9bn meant for smart card readers, ballot papers

Aminu Imam
INEC Chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has come under renewed scrutiny, following fresh revelations about billions of naira allegedly unaccounted for during the procurement of materials for the 2019 general elections. Rights group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has asked the new INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to immediately explain what happened to ₦55.9 billion reportedly released for smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election items. SERAP, which made the demand in a letter dated December 6, 2025,   said the findings published in the…

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Ribaɗu hosts U.S. Congressional delegation

Aminu Imam
Ribadu hosts U.S.

…Strengthens security partnership National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribaɗu, yesterday hosted a high-level United States Congressional delegation in Abuja as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism and regional security. The visit follows earlier engagements between Ribaɗu and U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., where both sides discussed shared security priorities. The Congressional team on the fact-finding mission comprised Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, Rep. Norma Torres, Rep. Scott Franklin, Rep. Juan Ciscomani, and Rep. Riley M. Moore. Also present was the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, underscoring the strategic…

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Kaduna: Uba Sani clinches NTA’s ‘Governor of the Year’ award

Aminu Imam
Screenshot 20251207 212327

…As $200m China poultry deal promises 350,000 jobs Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, is ending 2025 on a strong note as he secures a landmark $200 million agricultural partnership with China – hours after being named the ‘Best Performing Governor of 2025’ by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Kaduna Network Centre. This is just as the governor has concluded arrangements with the Chinese Government to sign a final agreement on a pioneering Model Integrated Poultry Development Project expected to create 350,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate over $450…

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“Northern politicians not ready for State Police beyond public statement” – Mahdi Shehu

Aminu Imam
Mahdi Shehu

Public Affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has said that while many Nigerians agree that creating State Police is necessary, he doubts whether Northern politicians are truly prepared to support it beyond public statements. He made the comments in a post shared on X on Friday, where he accused political leaders in the North of failing to invest in key sectors that could have prevented the security crîsis currently affêcting the region. According to him, “State police are more than desirable given the commitment of stakeholders. But I have my doubts if…

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Benin Republic foils coup bid from renegade soldiers

Aminu Imam
Screenshot 20251207 130353

..As loyalist forces regain control  Republic of Benin’s government says it has thwarted an attempted coup after a group of soldiers briefly seized the national television station on Sunday and proclaimed the ouster of President Patrice Talon. Foreign Minister, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, confirmed that the mutineers managed to overrun state TV for a short period before loyalist troops and national guards reasserted control. “There is an attempt, but the situation is under control”, Bakari told Reuters. “It’s a small group of military. A large part of the army is still…

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Thousands march in Abuja, demand official Middle-Belt recognition

Aminu Imam
M'Belt protest

Tens of thousands of Middle-Belt indigenes took to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday in a massive but peaceful protest, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to formally recognize the Middle-Belt as a distinct geo-political and administrative region separate from the North. Carrying bold banners and placards, protesters gathered from early morning along Ahmadu Bello Way, Eagle Square, and the Three Arms Zone, chanting in unison: ‘Middle-Belt is not North!  ‘Middle-Belt deserves recognition; ‘We are Middle-Beltans, not northerners’; ‘No more forced assimilation into the North’. The protesters,…

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NAF Chief visits pilots who ejected before Niger jet crash

Aminu Imam
Screenshot 20251207 133139

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has visited the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet pilots who ejected from their aircraft after experiencing an in-flight emergency near NAF Base, Kainji. Aneke met with the aircrew to check on their wellbeing and to commend their professionalism and quick decision-making, which ensured they landed safely despite the aircraft’s failure. Recall that the jet crashed a few kilometres from the Karabonde town in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday. In a post on Facebook yesterday, the Air…

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Arewa Youths back demands for forensic probe of FIRS, RHIDF

Aminu Imam
Arewa Youths on FIRS

…Wants Adedeji to step aside   The Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, (AYM), has added its voice to a growing wave of national agitation demanding a sweeping forensic investigation into the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF), and the conduct of FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji. In a statement issued on Saturday, the group said the mounting allegations surrounding the opaque handling of taxpayers’ funds have plunged public confidence to troubling lows. The AYM insisted that the situation has become too weighty for the government to ignore.…

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APC Govs. back Tinubu’s overhaul of national security framework

Aminu Imam
APC Govs. back Tinubu

All governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown their weight behind the recent re-engineering of national security architecture by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that safety of citizens’ lives and their property remains a non-negotiable obligation of the government. The Governors, under the aegis of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), met for two days in Lagos in a strategic meeting, where they discussed sundry matters affecting the state of the nation. The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, hosted the meeting held at Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island.…

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Military jet crashes in Niger community

Aminu Imam
Military jet crashes

A Nigerian Air Force jet has reportedly crashed near Karabonde, Borgu local government area of Niger State. A Niger State-based online digital television network stated yesterday evening that: “Two Nigerian Air Force Pilots Reportedly Survive Alpha Jet Crash Close to Karabonde, Borgu local government area of Niger State”, in a short post on its official handle, accompanied by a 57-second-long video. Corroborating the incident, an eyewitness had earlier told newsmen that the two pilots successfully ejected before the aircraft went down. He said, “I think the aircraft took off from…

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