NIGERIAN NOTCH

The Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie, has officially launched this year’s yuletide celebrations on campus with a colourful and symbolic ceremony that drew the admiration of staff and management alike. In a vibrant display of festivity, Dr. Awuzie led principal officers and members of the institution’s Governing Council to unveil the Polytechnic’s Christmas decorations, accompanied by a ceremonial appearance of Santa Claus. The event, described by many as both spectacular and unprecedented, marked the formal commencement of the institution’s end-of-year activities. The celebrations will climax with the institution’s annual Nine Lessons and Carols scheduled for 19 December, a cherished tradition that brings together staff, students, and4 friends of the Polytechnic. Speaking during the unveiling, Dr. Awuzie announced the installation of a special sealed donation box placed at the Christmas manger. The box, she explained, is dedicated to collecting fin...

About two hundred and fifty persons living with disabilities in Anambra State have been given the sum of two hundred thousand naira each to support their existing small businesses. The program which was supported by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of the Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, under the RHI Economic Empowerment Programme, provides financial assistance to persons with disabilities across the country to recapitalize their businesses.  The annual event was launched simultaneously across the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT, including for members of the Police Officers’ Wives Association, which will see a total of 9,500 PWDs across Nigeria benefit from the program's total of one billion, nine hundred million naira. Delivering the president's wife address, the wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Dr. (Mrs) Nonye Soludo, who was represented by the Deputy Governor's wife, Lady Oluchi Ibezim, said the programme aligns with the ...

TAF Africa has called for renewed national commitment to disability inclusion as Nigeria joins the global community in marking the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). Speaking on the significance of this year’s theme, “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress,” in a statement signed by the CEO and Founder of TAF Africa, Ambassador Jake Epelle, FNIPR, said the observance provides the nation with an important moment to reflect on existing gaps and accelerate action toward full inclusion of persons with disabilities. Epelle noted that the theme aligns with the outcomes of last month’s Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, where world leaders reiterated their pledge to build just, inclusive, and equitable societies. He stressed that Nigeria must translate these global commitments into concrete policies and measurable progress at home. While acknowledging some improvement in disability-responsive initiatives, Ep...

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has called on motorists and all applicants for the National Driver’s Licence to proceed to the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) or any FRSC Driver’s Licence Centre in the state to collect their processed licences. According to the Sector Commander, recent assessments revealed that a significant number of licences have already been produced and are awaiting collection at various Motor Licensing Authorities (MLAs). The Command stressed that prompt collection of licences is essential for proper identification of motorists, improved road safety, and the avoidance of unnecessary inconveniences during routine checks. FRSC reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a seamless licensing process and ensuring the safety of all road users across Anambra State. Applicants are advised to visit any FRSC Driver’s Licence Centre or the nearest FRSC Command within the state to get information on how to collect their processed ...

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has raised strong concerns over the withdrawal of police operatives from the security detail of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing the move as dangerous and politically motivated. The withdrawal followed President Bola Tinubu’s November 23 directive ordering police personnel assigned to VIPs nationwide to return to regular policing duties. The directive affected several high-profile individuals, including former First Lady Aisha Buhari, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, and 17 others. Frank, in a statement on Tuesday, criticised the decision as abrupt and ill-timed, alleging that it exposes the former vice president to heightened security risks. He claimed the action could be part of a wider political plot ahead of the 2027 general elections—an allegation the Presidency has not responded to. “No administration since 2007 has ever tampered with At...

A classified U.S. military reconnaissance operation has reportedly entered Nigerian airspace multiple times within the past 48 hours, gathering intelligence on ISWAP and Boko Haram positions across Borno State, according to authoritative security sources in Washington and West Africa. The high-altitude RQ-4B Global Hawk, operated by the United States Air Force, was said to have taken off from a covert AFRICOM facility in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday, November 29, conducting three undetected entries into Nigeria within 24 hours. During the mission, the aircraft allegedly captured high-resolution imagery, video recordings, thermal signatures, and audio intercepts from terrorist hideouts around Lake Chad and the Sambisa axis. Security insiders claim the round-the-clock surveillance is part of a larger joint counter-terrorism arrangement between Abuja and Washington, though neither government has publicly confirmed the operation. The reported missions come amid a major restructuri...

The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has thanked President Bola Tinubu over the inclusion of former Enugu State governor, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi among the ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate. It could be recalled that the presidency confirmed on Saturday that President Tinubu has sent a list of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate.  Reacting, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike described the inclusion of Ugwuanyi as well deserved.  The youth group said Ugwuanyi made a mark as a three-time member of the House of Representatives, adding that he delivered excellency in all the committees he chaired without any form of controversy or compromise.  “He also continued to demonstrate excellence in public service as the governor of Enugu State,” Okwu noted, adding that as “as bridge builder, His Excellency, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi left a legacy of peace and security in Enugu State. He is no doubt a man of ...

The Presidency has issued a dramatic call to Nigerians nationwide: name and shame VIPs and private individuals still parading police escorts in defiance of President Bola Tinubu’s sweeping security directive. The warning came from the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Daniel Bwala, during a televised interview on TVC on Sunday. Bwala said the era of “untouchables” enjoying illegal police protection is over and urged citizens to become active watchdogs of the enforcement process. According to him, the President’s order withdrawing police escorts from private individuals is a decisive move to reclaim thousands of officers needed for real policing—not escorting celebrities, businessmen, and political big shots. “If you see any celebrity, business mogul or private individual flouting the President’s order, capture it—photo, video, anything. Send it to the authorities,” Bwala declared. He stressed that public vigilance is now critical as the administ...

President of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced that the ongoing pause on asylum decisions will remain in effect “for a long time,” following the fatal shooting of two National Guard members near the White House last week. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said he had set “no time limit” for lifting the suspension, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says is tied to existing travel restrictions placed on 19 countries. “We don’t want those people,” Trump said when asked to clarify the scope of the measure. “Many have been no good, and they shouldn’t be in our country.” The policy was introduced after the November 26 shooting in Washington, D.C., which resulted in the death of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and left another officer critically injured. Authorities have arrested 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and charged him with first-degree murder. According to investigators, Lakanwal previously served as par...

Northern Nigeria is confronting an escalating security emergency as a loose but deadly convergence of local bandits, armed herders, and foreign jihadist fighters tighten their grip across nine states in the North-West and North-Central regions. Investigations reveal that communities in Sokoto, Kwara, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kogi, and Niger have become targets of interlinked criminal factions whose activities now mirror insurgency-level operations—kidnappings, mass raids, extortion, territorial occupation, and ideological policing. Security sources confirm that local bandit groups are increasingly integrating foreign fighters fleeing instability in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic, resulting in more coordinated, sophisticated, and mobile attacks. Unlike structured terror organisations such as Boko Haram or ISWAP, these groups operate fluidly,shifting alliances, leadership, and camps with little traceable pattern. This investigative report presents a stat...