The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Friday, 19 June, 2026 denied reports claiming it withdrew from the governorship election in Ekiti State scheduled for Saturday, 20 June, 2026, describing the information as fabricated and misleading, reports thegazellenews.com. The SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, who announced the denial through a statement through a statement issued on Friday, 19 June, 2026, said the party’s candidate, Isaac Alade, remained firmly in the race and was duly recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC). Aiyenigba assured voters that the party’s name remains on the ballot and urged the public to disregard what it described…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
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Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a Nigerian-American named Adegoke Oluwatobi Adams, over alleged cross-border vehicle import fraud involving more than $320,000 (about ₦434.88 million), reports thegazellenews.com. The commission, which confirmed the arrest of the suspect through its official X handle on Friday, 19 June, said Adams, who holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United States, is being investigated for alleged criminal breach of trust and obtaining money by false pretence. “Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Directorate, have arrested a Nigerian-American, Adegoke Oluwatobi Adams, for an alleged cross-border vehicle import…
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has restated its commitment to the global fight against conflict-related sexual violence, pledging stronger institutional response mechanisms to protect women, girls, and other vulnerable groups in crisis situations across the country. In a statement marking the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Prof. Ahmed Audi, said the Corps remains firmly aligned with international standards on prevention, accountability, and survivor-centred response to sexual violence in conflict settings. He stressed that the NSCDC continues to strengthen its operational…
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nazila Ghanea, has delivered one of the starkest international assessments yet of Nigeria’s security situation, warning that entrenched impunity and collapsing accountability systems are fuelling a self-perpetuating cycle of violence across the country. Speaking at the end of an 11-day official visit, Ghanea said Nigeria’s insecurity has moved beyond episodic attacks to a structural crisis characterised by mass killings, repeated displacement of communities, destruction of livelihoods and widespread erosion of public trust in state institutions. She said what emerged consistently from her engagements with over 200 stakeholders — including…
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has approved the National Identity Management Commission’s (NIMC) first-ever Scheme of Service, marking a major institutional milestone aimed at strengthening the Commission’s operational efficiency and enhancing career development opportunities for its workforce. The approval, described by the Commission as a landmark achievement, is expected to provide a comprehensive framework for NIMC’s operations, clearly defining staff cadres, promotion pathways, organisational structure, job responsibilities, qualification requirements and professional standards. The Commission said the new Scheme of Service aligns with Public Service Rules and international best practices in career progression…
Interagency rivalry and the inability of security institutions to work seamlessly together are undermining Nigeria’s response to insecurity, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Olusola Odumosu, has warned. Odumosu raised the alarm on Friday, 19 June, 2026 in Abuja at the launch of his book, Nigeria’s Security Dilemma: Rivalries and Implications, Vol. 1, where security experts and government officials unanimously called for greater synergy among security agencies to tackle the country’s mounting security challenges. The NSCDC commandant argued that no single security organisation possesses the capacity or expertise to effectively…
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned that Nigeria has reached a critical juncture in its fight against illicit drugs and must simultaneously confront long-standing drug-related challenges while adapting to emerging threats posed by synthetic substances, sophisticated trafficking networks and digital illicit markets. The warning came on Friday, 19 June, 2026 in Abuja during a joint press briefing by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the UNODC to unveil activities marking the 2026 World Drug Day. Speaking at the event, UNODC Country Representative, Mr. Cheikh Toure, represented by the Deputy Country Representative, Mr. Danielo…
The Federal Government has defended its recent agreement with Ethiopia on the transfer of sentenced persons, saying the deal is aimed at allowing Nigerian inmates serving jail terms in the East African country to complete their sentences at home under more humane conditions. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the agreement aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s citizen diplomacy policy, which places the welfare of Nigerians abroad at the centre of the administration’s foreign policy. The Minister also dismissed as false a list circulating on social media claiming that 136 Nigerians were imprisoned in Ethiopia, describing both the figures and…
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, says that the shift from traditional fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, particularly natural gas, creates economic opportunities for the Niger Delta region. Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr Ed Ubong, at the NDDC’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Ogbuku, said that the Commission was harnessing the Niger Delta region’s abundant natural resources to drive economic growth and sustainable development. The Managing Director stated that the Commission has consistently aligned its programmes with the Renewed Hope Agenda of…
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors who is also the Governor of Imo State, Chief Hope Uzodimma, have called for unity among the APC members in diaspora to promote as well as support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda. They spoke during a Strategic Global Diaspora Conference organised by the Directorate of Diaspora and Global Affairs of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors. Prof. Yilwatda, National Chairman of APC, said there is need for unity among Diaspora communities, effective communication of government reforms and…