General News

Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria have said citizens have the right to record police officers while they are performing their duties in public spaces. The lawyers, Olu Daramola, Olalekan Ojo and Isiaka Olagunju were reacting to comments by Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, who criticized a court decision supporting the recording of police activities. Daramola said the right is backed by a Federal High Court judgment and Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which protects freedom of expression and the right to receive and share information. He added that citizens can record officers as long as they do not obstruct lawful police operations, while police officers should not seize phones or delete recorded footage. Ojo said recording police activities can promote transparency and preserve evidence of misconduct, but warned citizens to consider their safety because some officers may react aggressively when filmed. Another Senior Advocate, Isiaka Olagunju, said recording public officers should be encouraged when it helps expose misconduct, while concerns about privacy and safety should also be considered.

A Qatar-based Nigerian scholar, Dr Akinseye Aluko, says foreign countries could one day ask Nigerians living abroad to return home. Aluko, an Assistant Professor at Liverpool John Moores University in Qatar, says Nigerians must prepare for such a possibility by creating a better environment at home. He argues that many Nigerians abroad have valuable skills and expertise that could help develop the country if the right conditions are provided. The scholar says better welfare, pay and working conditions are also needed to tackle brain drain and retain Nigeria’s best professionals. Aluko, who says he plans to return to Nigeria someday, also urged Nigerians to promote their culture and values globally while remaining connected to their roots. He added that stronger investment in research, collaboration and funding would help Nigeria turn academic research into practical solutions for national development.

The United States has delivered military equipment to Nigeria as part of ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between both countries. The equipment was delivered over the weekend by a United States Air Force C-17 aircraft, according to the US Africa Command, AFRICOM. Details of the specific equipment and its cost were not disclosed. AFRICOM said the delivery is part of a Foreign Military Sales agreement aimed at strengthening the US-Nigeria partnership and supporting Nigeria’s efforts to combat terrorism in the region. The latest delivery comes amid expanded security cooperation between both countries, including intelligence sharing, military training and joint counterterrorism operations. The United States has also deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria to provide training, intelligence and operational support.

A controversy has emerged over alleged links between a northern senator and notorious bandit leader, Dogo Gide, after a man identified as Hassan made fresh allegations against the lawmaker. Hassan, who has accused the senator of having connections to individuals linked to banditry, claimed that his childhood friendship with Gide later gave him access to people within the bandit leader’s circle. He alleged that while working at the senator’s residence, he noticed activities he considered suspicious and secretly recorded some of them. Hassan further claimed that his actions were eventually discovered and that he was allegedly targeted for assassination, forcing him to flee the country with materials he said contained evidence. The senator, however, strongly denied the allegations, saying Hassan was someone he had previously supported through his foundation, including assisting with his education. The lawmaker also accused Hassan of secretly photographing and recording visitors to his residence before their relationship deteriorated. He challenged Hassan to submit any evidence to the appropriate security agencies, saying previous complaints had led to arrests and that the matter was now before the court. Hassan’s claims linking the senator to individuals around Dogo Gide have not been independently verified, and the allegations against the lawmaker have not been established by any court. The controversy has renewed concerns about possible interactions between criminal networks and influential individuals, particularly where longstanding community and social relationships exist.

The International Criminal Court has dismissed an anonymous petition seeking an investigation into alleged systemic kidnappings in Nigeria as crimes against humanity. The petition, filed under Document Number ICC-RoC46(3)-01/26, was dismissed by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II on September 1, 2026. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the application was rejected because it was not properly before the court and lacked a legal basis. Fagbemi, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Communication and Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, said the Federal Government was concerned that the petition had initially been processed despite being submitted anonymously. He said Nigeria had made representations to the ICC over the matter, stressing that the investigation of crimes such as kidnapping and banditry remained primarily the responsibility of Nigerian law enforcement and judicial institutions. The Attorney-General also assured Nigerians and the international community that no investigation had been opened by the ICC against Nigeria, and that the court had made no adverse finding against the Federal Government or its institutions.

The Kano State Centre for Disease Control had called for the immediate supply of nine million doses of diphtheria vaccines to help contain the spread of the disease in the state. The agency said more than 16,000 children in communities across Rano Local Government Area had not received any routine vaccination, leaving them vulnerable to infectious diseases. The Director-General of the KNCDC, Professor Muhammad Abbas, said the state had investigated about 39,000 suspected diphtheria cases between December 2022 and August 2026, with about 32,000 confirmed and 1,800 deaths recorded. He said over 55 per cent of confirmed cases involved children who had received no vaccination. Abbas added that diphtheria had been reported in more than 27 local government areas, although the situation was largely under control due to improved surveillance and response efforts. Meanwhile, in neighbouring Niger State, 11 people had reportedly died from diphtheria in Chachanga and Katcha local government areas, with 124 cases confirmed and 84 patients treated and discharged.

The Federal Government had expressed concern over the political and security situation in the Republic of Niger following gunfire and explosions reported in the capital, Niamey, on Saturday. The Diori Hamani International Airport and the presidential palace were reportedly targeted during the incident. The Nigerien military junta said some military personnel had attempted to overthrow the government but were repelled by security forces, with assistance from the African Corps. In a statement, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government wanted peace, security, democracy and development to prevail in Niger. It also warned that using force to resolve political differences could undermine stability in the country and the wider Sahel region. The Federal Government therefore urged the Nigerien government and citizens to work together towards an inclusive return to stability and constitutional order.

President Bola Tinubu has formally raised concerns over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa before the African Union. Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, called for urgent collective action from African leaders, saying the attacks threatened the continent’s unity, solidarity and peaceful coexistence. He urged the AU to place the issue on the agenda of its 40th Ordinary Session scheduled for January 2027, while calling for stronger measures to protect the safety and dignity of African nationals. The President also advocated dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action in tackling xenophobia and other security challenges across the continent. Nigeria further backed the Luanda Action Plan on conflict prevention and called for sustainable funding for AU peace operations, as well as stronger efforts to prevent weapons from reaching terrorist groups. NAIJA Presidency Explains Tinubu’s Three-Week European Vacation The Presidency has explained that President Bola Tinubu’s three-week vacation in Europe was meant to allow him to rest and recharge after months of intensive government engagements. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said Tinubu had spent the past six to seven months handling major decisions on the economy, security and other areas of governance. Dare explained that the timing of the break also coincided with the beginning of political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections. He said Tinubu would face several months of intense campaigning while still carrying out his responsibilities as President, adding that the vacation would give him time to recharge before the demanding political season.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has warned Nigerians against a fabricated artificial intelligence-generated video falsely portraying the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, as making partisan political statements. In a statement issued on Thursday, August 27, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the video did not originate from the CDS and that the statements attributed to him were false. The DHQ described the video as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, distort the position of the nation’s top military officer and create the impression that the Armed Forces of Nigeria had taken a political position. The military urged Nigerians to disregard the video and any statements attributed to General Oluyede in the fabricated material. It stressed that the Armed Forces remained a professional, apolitical and non-partisan institution committed to the Constitution and the defence of the nation. The DHQ also warned individuals responsible for creating the video, as well as those knowingly circulating or amplifying it, to stop doing so. It advised Nigerians to verify sensitive claims concerning military leadership through the Defence Headquarters’ official communication channels, including its verified social media platforms. The warning comes amid growing concerns over the use of AI to create convincing fake videos and audio recordings of public figures. The DHQ said such misinformation could undermine public confidence in the military and damage its reputation, particularly when it falsely suggests that military leadership has taken a partisan political position.

Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has challenged the Nigeria Police Force to charge him to court if it believes he committed an offence over his allegations that security personnel aid kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria. Otse, reacting to the police invitation on Thursday, said he was willing to honour the invitation but would not submit his evidence to the police, insisting that he would present it in court instead. The police had invited the activist to provide evidence supporting his allegation that officers at checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and pass information about them to kidnappers. The Force described the allegation as serious, unsubstantiated and damaging, while assuring that any evidence provided would be investigated. However, Otse maintained his position and said his lawyers were ready to defend him if the police decided to prosecute him. He also alleged that the police, military, immigration and customs were aware of the insecurity affecting the country. He questioned why kidnapping, terrorism and banditry remained widespread despite government spending on security. Otse also criticised the welfare of police officers, saying improved working conditions were necessary to strengthen the country’s security system. His latest comments followed an earlier dispute with the police over allegations against the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Moshood Jimoh. The police had invited Otse to substantiate those claims and said the related criminal matter was already before a court. Despite the police invitation, Otse said he remained ready to face the authorities in court and insisted that he stood by his allegations. “Let’s meet in court. The evidence will be tendered there,” he said.