The National Inland Waterways Authority has debunked reports alleging that about 150 bandits drowned in a boat mishap in the Sabon Gida area of Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The NIWA Area Manager in charge of the Sokoto Zonal Office, Mr Bello Bala, dismissed the report as fake in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Sokoto.

Bala said there was no such incident, adding that the river mentioned was not navigable.

He appealed to the media to be wary of spreading misinformation and to always verify news from credible sources, assuring that the authority was readily available to provide clarification.

The area manager reiterated that NIWA had been engaging riverine communities on safety measures, guidelines, the use of life jackets, and other considerations regarding water transportation.

He stressed that “if such an incident had occurred, community members would have reported it to water users’ association leaders.”

Meanwhile, a source from the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto also confirmed that the report was false, stating that no such incident occurred in the area.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said troops were present across the area and that there had been no report of any boat capsizing involving bandits.

(NAN)

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The people of Ohatekwe Ukawu in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have banished a 20-year-old man, Damian Oforbuike, for allegedly killing his mother.

It was gathered that Oforbuike attacked his mother, Onyemaechi, with a machete, an incident that has thrown the community into mourning.

Sources said the incident occurred over the weekend, after which the suspect fled into a nearby forest.

However, youths of the community mobilised, tracked him into the forest where he was hiding, and apprehended him.

He was subsequently paraded around the community by the youths and later banished, with a stern warning not to return.

In a viral video recorded during the parade, the suspect reportedly confessed to the act, claiming he committed the crime because his mother refused to bathe him and declined to provide funds to set up a barbing salon for his brother who had completed apprenticeship.

“I killed my mother because she refused to bathe me and also refused to rent a shop for my brother who learned barbing and needed money to start,” he said.

The councillor representing the area, Maduabuchi Nweke, who confirmed the incident, said he mobilised over 200 youths who combed the forest and arrested the suspect.

He added that the suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the remains of the deceased have been deposited in a morgue.

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The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has submitted its framework proposal for the establishment of state police to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who is expected to transmit the document to the National Assembly for legislative consideration.

NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq announced the development, stating that the submission forms part of ongoing discussions among security agencies led by the NSA.

“On the issue of state police, discussions are ongoing amongst various security organisations, led by the National Security Advisor, and the NGF has made its contribution.

“That document will be taken to the National Assembly to see how we can have a legislative framework for state police,” AbdulRazaq said.

The governors reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with security forces to combat terrorism, expand infrastructure, and enhance citizens’ welfare.

AbdulRazaq added: “As governors, we commit to renew our collaboration with security forces to defeat terrorism steadily, expand infrastructure opportunities and improve the lives of our people.

“Together, we must see that breaches of security all over the country come to an end.”

The move comes amid renewed momentum for decentralised policing in Nigeria, driven by escalating insecurity and the limitations of the current centralised police structure.

Proponents argue that state police would bring law enforcement closer to communities for more effective response, while critics remain concerned about potential misuse of power by state executives.

The proposal aligns with broader efforts, including President Bola Tinubu’s call for constitutional amendments to enable state police, with safeguards against abuse.

The Senate has indicated plans to fast-track the constitutional review process, aiming for completion before the end of 2026.

Additionally, the newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, established a committee in February 2026 to develop modalities for state police implementation, further underscoring the seriousness of the initiative.

The NGF’s submission is seen as a key input into the legislative process, with the National Assembly expected to review and refine the framework in collaboration with other stakeholders to address security challenges while maintaining national unity and accountability.

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The number of victims affected by the gas explosion that occurred in Calabar, Cross River State, on Saturday has risen to 60.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, made the disclosure during a visit to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where the victims are receiving treatment on Sunday.

It will be recalled that the State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, on Saturday, had reported the number of victims as 30 when he visited the scene of the incident.

The governor said the government would take care of the hospital bills of the victims.

Ayuk said his visit to the hospital was to assess the situation of the victims receiving medical attention.

“We arrived at the Accident and Emergency Department of UCTH, where about 60 victims of the gas explosion that occurred along Edibe Edibe, Calabar South, are receiving treatment,” he said.

He added that victims with minor burn injuries would be transferred to the General Hospital, Calabar, to ease pressure on the teaching hospital and ensure efficient care for all victims.

The commissioner was accompanied on the visit by the Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, Mr. Ekpeyong Akiba.

They were received by the Chief Medical Director of UCTH, Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, who provided updates on the condition and management of the victims.

The visit formed part of the state government’s coordinated response to the explosion, with health authorities working to ensure prompt and adequate treatment for all affected persons.

It will be recalled that a gas leakage at a gas plant led to an explosion that affected several other houses in the Edibe Edibe area of Calabar South, injuring many.

(NAN)

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Bandits on Sunday morning abducted eight worshippers an ECWA church in Omugo, Oro-Ago community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

DAILY POST however gathered that three of the abductees have been rescued by joint security forces.

The attack occurred hours after the Coordinator, Joint Security Watch, Kwara South Senatorial District, Zubair Olaitan, issued an alert warning of imminent attack on some communities in Ifelodun, Irepodun and Isin LGAs.

Reacting to the development, the Kwara State Government has tasked the security forces and local vigilantes to ensure that the bandits who attacked the ECWA Church Omugo, are apprehended.

The government equally commended the security forces, forest guards and local vigilantes for the rescue of three of the abductees.

The government also condemned the “cowardly” targeting of religious places under any guise.

In a statement by Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, on Sunday, the Kwara State Government urged the security forces, forest guards, local vigilantes, and community members to continue to work together to end the menace.

“While commending the immediate response of the security forces and other stakeholders, we task them to ensure that the ongoing manhunt leads to the rescue of the remaining victims and arrest of the perpetrators,” the statement added.

It further commended the security forces, forest guards, and vigilantes for the appreciable progress made in combing of the forests, which has largely curtailed the activities of the criminals in the areas.

The government assured the people of its continuous commitment to work with security forces and community stakeholders to protect lives and property.

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The Ondo State Police Command on Sunday said it had arrested a 21-year-old man, Alabi Anthony, for allegedly r@ping and killing a woman, Olaseni Veronica, at Iboropa community in Akoko North-East Local Government Area.

The suspect reportedly strangled the victim to death after the alleged sexu@l as$ault last week.

The Ondo Police Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, in a statement, said detectives acted on credible intelligence, tracking the deceased’s missing phone, which led to Anthony’s arrest.

“The suspect has confessed to the crime, admitting to having carnal knowledge of the victim and thereafter str@ngling her to death.

“The command condemns this heinous and inhumane act and assures the public that justice will be diligently pursued,” Jimoh stated.

He added that the case had been transferred to the command headquarters in Akure for further investigation and prosecution.

The police urged members of the public to report suspicious incidents promptly and avoid hasty conclusions in cases of sudden or unnatural deaths, noting that timely reporting greatly aids effective investigations.

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Lagos to brief President Bola Tinubu on his on-the-spot assessment of the security situation in Maiduguri, Borno State, following his recent visit to the region.

Shettima’s visit comes after last Monday’s deadly suicide bombings at three Maiduguri locations, which claimed at least 23 lives and injured more than 100 others.

In a post on his verified X account on Sunday, Shettima said his visit to Maiduguri was undertaken at the instance of the President to engage with families and communities affected by recent tragic incidents in the state.

“The Vice President will brief the President on the outcome of his visit to Maiduguri to see families and communities affected by the tragic incidents in Borno State, as well as his on-the-spot assessment of the situation on the ground.

“Thereafter, Vice President @KashimSM is expected to lead serving governors on Sallah homage to the President,” the post read.

The coordinated attacks occurred around 7:02 p.m. on Monday, when suicide bombers detonated explosives almost simultaneously at the popular Maiduguri Monday Market, the Post Office Flyover area, and the security post at the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Police put the death toll at 23, with 108 people sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

During his visit to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, where many of the injured are receiving treatment on Wednesday, Shettima condemned the attacks as “barbaric” and stressed that no cause—religious or otherwise—justifies the killing of innocent civilians.

He assured victims and their families of the federal government’s full support through the National Emergency Management Agency, the North East Development Commission, and the Borno State Government.

“We will not rest on our laurels until full peace and sanity is restored in Borno, the Northeast, and the nation as a whole,” Shettima declared, vowing that those behind the attacks would be “decisively confronted.”

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An Ogun State chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and convener of The Alternative Movement, Segun Showunmi, has decried the control of party leadership by presidents and governors, saying the trend undermines Nigeria’s democratic culture.

Showunmi warned that the practice has continued to weaken political institutions and fuel internal crises across parties in the country.

He said holding elected officials such as governors and the President accountable within party structures had become difficult because the same individuals now dictate party affairs.

The PDP chieftain, who spoke during a radio programme monitored in Abeokuta on Saturday, said the situation became entrenched during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, when the president was positioned as leader of the ruling party, with governors assuming similar dominance at the state level.

He explained that “this arrangement contradicts democratic norms, as political parties are not to be governed by the president or the governors, but by internal party officials and structures.

“In a proper democracy, candidates seek the support of party leaders, stakeholders, and grassroots members to secure tickets.

“After benefiting from that collective effort and arrangement when seeking elective offices, it becomes an anomaly for such candidates, once elected, to claim absolute control of the party.”

He described the development as a “major anathema” that has discouraged internal democracy, weakened party cohesion, and accelerated defections, as party members feel excluded once power is secured.

Showunmi further noted that prolonged conflicts between presidents and vice presidents, as well as governors and their deputies, have deepened mistrust within party hierarchies, making it difficult for deputy leaders to play meaningful roles in party administration.

Calling for reforms, the convener urged political stakeholders to separate executive authority from party management and rebuild parties as independent democratic institutions.

“Until Nigeria strengthens its parties beyond personalities and executive dominance, the cycle of mistrust, instability, and internal crisis will persist,” Showunmi warned.

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Iran’s military threatened on Sunday to completely shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz if US President Donald Trump acts on threats to target the country’s power plants.

Trump has given Iran 48 hours to reopen the strait, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war sparked on February 28 by US-Israeli bombardment of Iran.

The war has since spread across the Middle East, with Iran responding with drone and missile attacks on Israel and US interests in the region.

“If the United States’ threats regarding Iran’s power plants are carried out… the Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed, and it will not be reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt,” the military’s operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by state TV.

The military said it would also strike Israel’s “power plants, energy, and information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure”, along with power plants in regional countries hosting US bases and companies with US shareholders.

It added that the measures will be taken “to defend our country and the interests of our nation.”

Traffic through the vital strait—through which 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes—has been brought to a near standstill since the start of the war.

A relatively small number of vessels have been able to transit it—around five per cent of its pre-war volume, according to analytics firm Kpler.

Iranian forces have attacked multiple vessels, saying they failed to heed “warnings” against transiting the waterway.

In recent days, Iran has allowed some vessels from countries it considers friendly to pass, while warning it would block ships from countries it says have joined the “aggression” against it.

Iran’s parliament is mulling imposing tolls on shipping through the strait, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf saying maritime traffic would “not return to its pre-war status.”

AFP

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