The Federal Government on Wednesday rejected claims that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse, insisting that the country is making steady progress in tackling its security and economic challenges

The position comes in response to recent warnings by a coalition of civil society organisations, which described the nation as facing worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and governance concerns.

Speaking in Abuja at the 81st General Assembly and 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, dismissed what he described as pessimistic narratives about the nation’s future.

“I want to unequivocally refute the insinuation that Nigeria is on the brink,” Idris said in a statement signed by his media aide Rabiu Ibrahim.

He maintained that the country is demonstrating resilience in the face of its difficulties.

“On the contrary, we are daily exhibiting resilience and tackling our security and economic challenges more decisively,” he added.

The minister cited ongoing security operations as evidence of progress, noting that coordinated military offensives and improved intelligence-sharing have led to the neutralisation of bandits and disruption of attacks, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria.

According to him, these efforts are gradually weakening criminal networks and restoring stability in affected areas.

“Incidents of large-scale insurgent control have significantly decreased,” he said, adding that enhanced rapid-response mechanisms are being deployed nationwide to safeguard lives and property.

On the economy, Idris pointed to signs of recovery, including improvements in foreign reserves and expanding revenue sources across oil and non-oil sectors. He attributed these gains to reforms aimed at strengthening transparency and fiscal discipline.

“These decisions, though difficult, are stabilising public finances and creating a more transparent economic environment,” the minister stated.

He also referenced Nigeria’s recent reclassification as a Frontier Market by FTSE Russell, describing it as a positive signal to global investors. The development, he said, reflects improvements in foreign exchange liquidity, market transparency, and ease of capital repatriation.

“This development confirms that Nigeria is once again a viable destination for global investment,” he said.

Addressing the media, Idris urged broadcasters to uphold professionalism and avoid promoting narratives that could deepen divisions, particularly as the country approaches another election cycle.

“The airwaves are a public trust. Broadcasting must inform, educate, and unite our people while upholding the highest standards of professionalism, fairness, and accuracy,” he said.

While reaffirming the government’s commitment to press freedom, the minister called for stronger collaboration between the media and public institutions to combat misinformation and promote unity.

“Difficult moments like this require stronger faith in our country and a deep sense of patriotism,” he added.

Idris commended BON for its role in promoting ethical standards in broadcasting and expressed confidence that the gathering would produce practical ideas to advance the sector. He also assured Nigerians of continued transparency as the government pursues reforms aimed at improving security and economic growth.

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Israel carried out fresh strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, even as a fragile two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took hold in the broader Middle East conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the truce does not extend to Lebanon, stating that “the battle in Lebanon is ongoing.” This came despite claims by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a mediator in the conflict, that the ceasefire applied “everywhere, including Lebanon.”

The strikes followed an Israeli evacuation order for areas more than 40 kilometres inside Lebanon. Israel also issued a warning for residents to evacuate a building in the southern Tyre region before striking it, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA). Several other strikes were reported across southern Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities said they had not been informed of any inclusion of Lebanon in the ceasefire agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron, while welcoming the Iran-US truce, expressed hope that it would fully encompass Lebanon.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that entered the wider conflict by attacking Israel, has not claimed any operations since 1:00 a.m. Tuesday’s

Lebanon’s military has warned displaced citizens against returning to the south, citing the risk of ongoing Israeli attacks. An AFP correspondent observed only small numbers of people heading south, some on motorcycles with children. Meanwhile, Beirut’s southern suburbs heavily hit in recent weeks remained largely deserted.

“We are waiting for Hezbollah to issue an official statement before returning home,” said Ali Youssef, a 50-year-old delivery worker sheltering in a tent. He expressed confidence that Iran would continue to support Lebanon if attacks persisted.

Israeli operations in recent weeks have killed more than 1,500 people and displaced over one million in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities, with the heaviest impact in Hezbollah strongholds in the south, east, and southern Beirut suburbs.

Just before the ceasefire announcement, an Israeli strike on the southern city of Sidon killed eight people.

The situation highlights the fragility of the regional truce and raises concerns about continued escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border.

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The former governor of Kano State, Kabiru Gaya, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Gaya, who also served as a former Senator representing Kano South, dumped the party in a letter addressed to the ward chairman, Gaya Arewa, in Gaya Local Government Area, Kano State.

The former governor said the decision was taken in the best interests of his constituents and in line with his personal convictions to step aside from the party.

According to him, “I hereby formally tender my resignation from the All Progressive Congress (APC) effective today, 5th April 2026.

“It has been an honour to serve under the platform of the party, particularly during my tenure as a Senator (2015–2023). I remain grateful for the support, trust, and opportunities given to me during this period.

“However, after careful reflection and wide consultation, I have come to the considered conclusion that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my personal convictions to step aside from the party at this time. I extend my sincere gratitude to the party for the platform it provided me and for the cooperation and camaraderie extended over the years,” Gaya however, stated.

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Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage for a period of two weeks, conditional on the halting of attacks by the United States and Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the move on Tuesday night, stating that Tehran would also suspend its defensive operations if attacks against the country cease.

“If attacks against Iran are halted, our powerful armed forces will cease their defensive operations,” Araghchi said.

He added: “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”

The agreement comes amid heightened tensions in the region and follows diplomatic efforts, including appeals from Pakistan, to de-escalate the conflict.

The two-week window is seen as a temporary ceasefire to allow for further negotiations.

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Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has appealed to citizens not to disclose information about the movement of troops, describing such acts as sabotage that aids bandits.

The governor made the appeal during a visit to three soldiers receiving treatment at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital after they were injured in a recent bandit ambush that claimed the lives of three of their colleagues.

Governor AbdulRazaq, who was received by the Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Nigerian Army, Sobi, Brigadier General Nicholas Nemetne Rume, and the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Abdullah Dasilva Yussuf, sympathised with the families of the fallen soldiers.

He announced a donation of N20 million to each of the families of the three deceased soldiers and N5 million to each of the three injured soldiers.

“We are here to visit the soldiers who were ambushed by bandits. Unfortunately, we lost three of them and we have three of them receiving treatment in the hospital here,” the governor said.

“What we can do is to pray for them and support the families of those who died. May their souls rest in peace.

“We appreciate their selfless service to the state, to the federation, and to the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For those who died, we would give their families N60 million, just as a stop-gap support until the Ministry of Defence takes care of them appropriately.

“Those in the hospital, we will give them N5 million each so that their families can take care of them.”

Governor AbdulRazaq commended the security agencies for their sacrifices and urged all Nigerians to support them in the fight against banditry and terrorism.

He warned that militants often mount ambushes on troops based on intelligence provided by some members of the public acting as informants.

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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said that sharing bags of rice and spaghetti will not save the incumbent president, Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, in the 2027 election.

Atiku said currently, Nigeria’s democracy is being systematically weakened by a dangerous consolidation of power under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement released Tuesday, in Abuja, Atiku’s senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, said, “What is unfolding is not subtle, it is deliberate.”

According to the statement, at a time when over 30 state governors have been drawn into the ruling party’s orbit, one would expect confidence, openness, and a willingness to face genuine electoral competition. Instead, what Nigerians are witnessing is the opposite: a growing pattern of actions that suggest not strength, but fear—fear of credible opposition, fear of free competition, and fear of the Nigerian voter.

“Why would a government with such overwhelming political control still feel compelled to shrink the democratic space?

“The answer is becoming increasingly clear. “Beyond coercing governors and political heavyweights into
its fold, the Tinubu administration already commands the instruments of state power—the security architecture, the advantage of incumbency, access to the national treasury, the perceived sympathy of segments of the judiciary, and apliable electoral environment. Yet, despite this overwhelming dominance, there remains a visible anxiety about the opposition and, more importantly, about the Nigerian people.

“Because deep down, they know this truth: stomach infrastructure cannot substitute for public trust. Bags of rice, spaghetti, and indomie may offer temporary relief, but they cannot secure legitimacy at the ballot box. This attempt to reconfigure Nigeria to ‘Rice-geria’ will not help these urban bandits; it will end in shame.

“Opposition parties have been destabilized by persistent internal crises, many of which have been sustained through conflicting and questionable judicial interventions. Court processes have, in critical moments, produced outcomes that blur legal hierarchy and create confusion rather than clarity.

“Electoral processes have not been spared. Administrative decisions and interpretations have increasingly raised concerns about neutrality, reinforcing a perception that key institutions are being aligned, subtly but steadily, in favor of the ruling establishment.

“More troubling is the growing resort to crass and reckless detention orders targeted at opposition figures—actions that raise serious concerns about the misuse of state power to intimidate, silence, or sideline dissenting voices.

“These are not coincidences. They are signals.”

Atiku, who is a prominent figure in the opposition African Democratic Congress, ADC, said across the political spectrum, leading figures,including himself, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Abubakar Malami, Nasir El-Rufai, David Mark, and Rauf Aregbesola, among others, were navigating a political environment that is becoming visibly constrained, saying, “This is
not how a healthy democracy functions.”

“Let it be said plainly: a democracy where the ruling party amasses overwhelming control and still works to weaken the opposition is a
democracy in distress.

“Atiku Abubakar remains committed to a Nigeria where leadership is determined by the will of the people—not by pressure on institutions, not by engineered party instability, not by the quiet rewriting of the rules of engagement, and certainly not by crass and reckless detention orders on opposition leaders.

“Democracy must not be reduced to a managed process.

“If the current trajectory continues, Nigeria risks sliding into a system where elections exist in name but competition is effectively neutralized—a one-party state in all but name.

“We call on Nigerians to recognize what is at stake. Power must never be so concentrated that it fears accountability. Leadership must never be so secure that it avoids contest.

“As 2027 approaches, the question is no longer abstract: Why is a government with such vast control still afraid of a free and fair election? Nigeria deserves an answer.

“And Nigerians deserve a choice”, he stated.

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The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have arrested a 31-year-old man, Kelechi Wufurum, for allegedly killing a commercial bus driver identified as Ifeanyi Abobo in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The victim, aged 51, was said to have been lured to Ubima community under the pretence of a transport job, unknown to the minibus driver that Wufurum had sinister motives.

Spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen at the headquarters of the command along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Iringe-Koko said the suspect and the victim had an initial fight before the former used a cutlass on the minibus driver near a forest and thereafter sold his minibus for N2.4 million

She stated, “He hit him on the head and when the victim tried to resist, he now used a cutlass and hit him on the head. The victim collapsed, so he now zoomed off with his mini-bus and sold the bus and his mobile phone.

“When the report came to the Command, the Police Special Operations and Intelligence Team swung into action. They did a discreet investigation and arrested the suspect. Those who purchased the victim’s vehicle and phone were also arrested.”

The suspect, Wufurum, who confessed to the crime, explained how he lured the victim into the bush, overpowered him, and carted away his minibus.

“I negotiated with a bus driver that we are going to work. When we got to the place (location), I used a stick to hit him to prevent him from attacking me. When he (suspect) collected another stick to me, I now hit him and took his vehicle.

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Former governors of the Southeast geopolitical zone have formally inaugurated the Southeast Forum of Former Governors and unanimously endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office.

The forum was unveiled on Tuesday in Enugu, with a communique read by former Ebonyi State Governor and Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.

According to Umahi, the new body aims to provide strategic support and advisory services to serving governors in the zone on key zonal and national issues, irrespective of party affiliations.

“The forum shall be for all former governors, irrespective of party affiliation, so long as they have been governors in the Southeast,” he said.

In a major political statement, the former governors declared their full support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.“We boldly say that all the governors of Southeast are supporting Mr. President’s re-election,” Umahi stated, adding that the forum aligns with this position and offers its full backing.

The group also commended President Tinubu for key appointments given to Southeast indigenes and for ongoing infrastructure projects in the region.

They further praised the performance of incumbent Southeast governors in infrastructure, empowerment programmes, and security.

Those present at the inaugural meeting included:

Chief Martin Elechi and Senator Dave Umahi (Ebonyi)

Mr. Sullivan Chime and Amb. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu)

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia)

Dr. Chris Ngige (Anambra)

Several other former governors were absent due to medical trips and prior engagements, including Orji Uzor Kalu, Theodore Orji, Ikedi Ohakim, Rochas Okorocha, Achike Udenwa, and Chimaroke Nnamani.

The forum plans to visit the Enugu State Governor and engage with the Southeast Governors’ Forum to foster collaboration.

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