Category Nigeria News

President Bola Tinubu has called on urged Muslim and Christian leaders in the country to show greater compassion for the poor and underprivileged by pursuing policies that cater to the needs of the majority in the grassroots.

The President made the call on Monday while hosting governors for the breaking of an interfaith fast at the Presidential Villa, said the simultaneous periods of abstinence and penitence for both religions underscore a common humanity.

Disclosing this in a statement, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu noted that Ramadan and Lent provide opportunities for leaders in both religions to reflect further on the plight of others and to design programmes that will directly impact the livelihoods of many.

“It is a joy and great honour to be with you again this year. To give thanks to the Almighty God for sparing our lives and keeping us together to see another Ramadan,” the President was quoted as saying.

“A great Ramadan that coincides with that of the Christian faith, Lent. You know what it means: discipline, sacrifice, faith, resilience, and strong determination to continue to bridge together, pray together, and love one another.

“For the humility, self-restraint, love for our neighbours, and their service for humanity, I want to thank all of you for what you have been able to get and achieve so far. I thank God for what we have been able to achieve together.”

READ ALSO: Tinubu Congratulates Winners Of FCT Polls, Rivers, Kano By-Elections

The President said more could be achieved, especially in reducing poverty and empowering the youth.

“I didn’t expect this number because some governors are still buried in various congresses and other local government or state-level activities.

“Tolerate everybody and build structure in this period of faith, unity, harmony and sacrifice that you are experiencing. Let the young ones breathe too,” the President added.

President Tinubu welcomed the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the State House.

“I am glad I can see Abba from Kano. Even though the cap is red, it is not different from that of the Ebonyi State governor. Ebonyi Governor, I saw the crisis on the news, please temper justice with mercy,’’ he stated.

The President commended Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State for his magnanimity to both Muslims and Christians during the period of fasting.

“I must refer to the generosity of Prof. Zulum. I saw the layout of the Ramadan outreach for both Christians and Muslims. That is a very good spirit. I watched the story.

“To all of you, I am very grateful because we have seen progress and commitment to duty. But please, I appeal again, let’s go further to embrace the downtrodden, the young ones and all the supporters.

“Let it be all encompassing so that we can spread the development opportunity across to the grassroots and local governments. I have seen a lot of progress being made in the States. The reward of hard work is more work, including for my son, the farmer from Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago.

“There are lots of gains and commendations coming from all angles. As long as we stay together, work together, and are determined to rescue this country, the best is yet to come for Nigeria.

“We are out of the woods. Out of the dark tunnel of uncertainty. The economy is showing up. Let’s help the unemployed. What I promise you will not be postponed. We will establish a state police to combat insecurity. Start looking around you,” the President noted.

The President added, “To reach the young man who feels forgotten. To lift the woman who carries her family on tired shoulders. To touch the communities at the grassroots, where hope sometimes flickers. Development must not recognise religion. Compassion must not recognise tribe. Opportunity must not recognise status.

“I am determined to rescue this country. And as long as we work together in delivering hope to our citizens, the best is yet to come for Nigeria.

“What I promised Nigerians will not be postponed.

“Security is the foundation of prosperity. Without it, farms cannot flourish, businesses cannot, and families cannot sleep in peace.

“We will establish state police to curb insecurity. This is not about politics. It is about practicality. It is about empowering states with the tools to protect their people while strengthening our national framework.

Following a fire outbreak at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, earlier today, which disrupted some part of operations, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says flight operations have resumed fully.

READ ALSO: FAAN Reports Fire Outbreak At Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal One

Channels Television’s crew captured smoke bellowing from the Terminal One area of the facility on Monday evening.



According to the Managing Director and Chief Executive of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, preliminary investigations reveal that the fire may have started from the ground floor of the airport’s Terminal One, where there are offices and a restaurant, from where it escalated to the roof.

She disclosed that some people were injured.

Kuku, however, reiterated that no fatality was recorded.

FAAN had on Monday said that it recorded a fire outbreak at the terminal.

In an updated post on X (former Twitter), it revealed that a crane was successfully deployed to support rescue operations at the Control Tower, and all 14 persons initially trapped were safely rescued and fully evacuated from the facility.

“A total of six casualties — comprising three males and three females — were recorded, all of whom are in stable condition. One affected individual has been transferred to the FAAN Headquarters Hospital for further medical evaluation and remains stable,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said that the fire started from the IT server room before it was contained.

Troops of the Nigerian Army attached to 8 Division have foiled a deadly ambush by suspected Lakurawa terrorist elements near Mayama Hill in Kebbi State, eliminating five attackers and recovering a cache of weapons and other items.

According to a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, who is the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, the incident occurred as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division and Commander Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General Bemgha Koughna, was en route to visit frontline troops deployed in the state.

According to the statement, the GOC’s convoy, while navigating the volatile forested terrain, came under sudden and heavy gunfire from armed terrorists believed to be members of the Lakurawa terrorist group.

It said troops immediately responded with superior firepower in a fierce exchange.

READ ALSO: Troops Kill 25 ISWAP Fighters, Recover 13 AK-47s

“In a bold and decisive response, the GOC and his troops overwhelmed the attackers, neutralising five terrorists and successfully repelling the ambush. The swift counter-action not only secured the convoy but also thwarted what authorities described as a calculated attempt to destabilise security operations in the area.

“Following the engagement, troops conducted a thorough sweep of the vicinity and recovered a significant cache of weapons and materials. Items recovered include one OJC gun, one PKT gun, two AK-47 rifles, four AK-47 magazines, one bandolier of PKT ammunition, several rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, a camel bag containing ₦840,000, two mobile phones, and five motorcycles,” the statement read.

Military authorities said troops remain deployed in the general area, maintaining dominance and heightened vigilance to prevent further attacks.

Human rights activist and lawyer, Chidi Odinkalu, says he doubts the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, to conduct credible elections.

Odinkalu, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, took a swipe at Amupitan, specifically saying he could not be trusted to organise free and fair elections in 2027.

“INEC failed,” the guest said while assessing the recently conducted council polls in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Amupitan’s INEC failed woefully. On this evidence, nobody can trust Joash Amupitan to organise credible elections in 2027.

“There’s nothing else to it; it is not about the law. It is about the failure of will, the failure of electoral administration,” he added.

He charged electoral administrators to conduct their homework or resign their positions for others to do the task.

READ ALSO: INEC Denies Migrating FCT Voters, Explains Split Polling Units

When asked whether it was too early to judge Amupitan since his appointment late last year, Odinkalu said the new INEC boss had previously conducted a governorship election in Anambra State.

He cited the issue of election logistics in the nation’s capital, describing it as poorly coordinated.

The lawyer also faulted INEC for reassigning voters without properly informing them of a change in their polling units on election day.

‘Admit Failure’

Odinkalu challenged the electoral body to admit to the challenges and apologise to Nigerians for some shortcomings.

According to him, Amupitan can tell Nigerians that “I take personal responsibility, this is a chastening experience. I am learning, some of these things I saw cannot happen on my watch”.

“But to simply pretend as if these things did not happen and say this is the standard to which elections are organised will be irresponsible,” he stated.

Odinkalu further noted that Nigerians are not asking for perfections but evidence of commitment to improvements by the electoral body.

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the alleged unlawful invasion of his Abuja residence.

El-Rufai, through his team of lawyers led by Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, is challenging the validity of a search warrant issued on February 4 by the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, listed as the 2nd respondent in the suit.

In the originating motion on notice, the former governor sued ICPC as the 1st respondent, while the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, Abuja Magisterial District; the Inspector-General of Police (I-G); and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) were named as 2nd to 4th respondents respectively.

In the suit dated and filed on February 20 by Iyamu, El-Rufai sought seven reliefs. He prayed the court to declare that the search warrant authorising the search and seizure at his residence was invalid, null and void.

READ ALSO: ICPC Officials Raid El-Rufai’s Abuja Residence

He urged the court to declare that the search warrant was “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause thereby constituting an unlawful and unreasonable search in violation of Section 37 of the Constitution.”

The former governor also asked the court to declare that the invasion and search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on February 19 at about 2 p.m., executed by agents of ICPC and the I-G, “under the aforesaid invalid warrant, amounts to a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”

He further urged the court to declare that “any evidence obtained pursuant to the aforesaid invalid warrant and unlawful search is inadmissible in any proceedings against the applicant, as it was procured in breach of constitutional safeguards.”

El-Rufai, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further relying on, using, or tendering any evidence or items seized during the unlawful search in any investigation, prosecution, or proceedings involving him.

He also sought: “An order directing the Ist and 3rd respondents (ICPC and I-G) to forthwith retum all items seized from the applicant’s premises during the unlawful search, together with a detailed inventory thereof.

“An order awarding the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages against the respondents jointly and severally for the violations of the applicant’s fundamental rights, including trespass, unlawful seizure, and the resultant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, infringement of privacy, and reputational harm.”

El-Rufai broke down the ₦1 billion damages to include “a N300 million as compensatory damages for psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of personal security;

A ₦400 million as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct by law enforcement agencies and vindicate the applicant’s rights.

A ₦300 million as aggravated damages for the malicious, high-handed and oppressive nature of the respondents’ actions, including the use of a patently defective warrant procured through misleading representations.”

He equally sought ₦100 million as the cost of filing the suit, including legal fees and associated expenses.

In his grounds of argument, Iyamu contended that the search warrant was fundamentally defective, lacking specificity in the description of items to be seized, containing material typographical errors, ambiguous execution terms, overbroad directives, and no verifiable probable cause.

He argued that this was in contravention of Sections 143–148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015; Section 36 of the ICPC Act, 2000; and constitutional protections against arbitrary intrusions.

Specifically, Iyamu argued that Section 143 of the ACJA requires that an application for a search warrant be supported by information in writing and on oath, setting forth reasonable grounds for suspicion, which was absent here as evidenced by the incomplete initiating clause.

He said Section 144 mandates particular descriptions of the place to be searched and the items sought, to prevent general warrants.

He, however, argued that the instant warrant vaguely referred to “the thing aforesaid” without any detail.

“Section 146 stipulates that the warrant must be in the prescribed form, free from defects that could mislead, but the document is riddled with errors in the address, date, and district designation;

“Section 147 allows direction to specified persons, but the warrant’s indiscriminate addressing to “all officers is overbroad and unaccountable.

“Section 148 permits execution at reasonable times, but the contradictory language creates ambiguity, undermining procedural clarity,” he submitted.

Iyamu stated that the execution of the invalid warrant on February 19 resulted in an unlawful invasion of his client’s premises, constituting violations of the rights to dignity (Section 34), personal liberty (Section 35), fair hearing (Section 36), and privacy (Section 37) of the Constitution.

He further argued that the search was conducted without legal justification and in a manner that inflicted humiliation and distress.

“Evidence obtained without a valid warrant is unlawful and inadmissible, as established in judicial precedents such as C.O.P. v. Omoh (1969) NCLR 137, where the court ruled that evidence procured through improper means contravenes fundamental rights and must be excluded,” he said.

The lawyer, who also cited the case of Fawehinmi v. IGP (2000) 7 NWLR (Pt. 665) 481, said the court condemned vague warrants as affording unbridled discretion and leading to abuse. He equally gave a plethora of cases to back his argument.

In the affidavit in support of the application, Mohammed Shaba, a Principal Secretary to the former governor, averred that on February 19 at about 2 p.m., officers from the ICPC and the Nigeria Police Force invaded the residence under a purported search warrant issued on or about February 4.

According to him, the said warrant is invalid due to its lack of specificity, errors, and other defects as outlined in the grounds of this application.

He said the “search warrant did not specify the properties or items being searched for.”

Shaba stated that the officers failed to submit themselves for search as provided by law before proceeding with the search.

“That the Magistrate did not specify the magisterial district wherein he sits.

“That during the invasion, the officers searched the applicant’s premises without lawful authority, seized personal items including documents and electronic devices, and caused the applicant undue humiliation, psychological trauma, and distress.

“Now shown to me and marked as ‘EXHIBIT B’ Is the list of the items carted away.

“That no items seized have been returned, and the respondents continue to rely on the unlawful evidence.

The Lagos State Government has approved a 13 per cent increase in fares across all Bus Reform Initiative (BRI) schemes, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and standard routes.

READ ALSO: Motorist On Lagos Road Who Disobeys VIS Officer Will Be Arrested, Prosecuted, Ministry Warns

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), in a statement on Monday, said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu gave the approval following a passionate appeal from regulated public transport operators, who raised concerns over the sustainability of transit operations amid mounting economic pressures.

It said that the new fare structure would take effect from Monday, March 2, 2026.

According to the state government, the adjustment is aimed at cushioning the impact of sustained economic challenges affecting public transport operations.

“The review is also in line with the previously approved annual fare review mechanism. The urgency of the review, officials noted, is underscored by persistent inflationary trends, with Nigeria’s inflation rate closing 2025 at 15.2 per cent, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS),” the statement signed by LAMATA’s Head of Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi, read.

It further noted that Bus Operating Companies (BOCs) had continued to grapple with rising operational costs, including increased expenses for vehicle maintenance, spare parts, and staff salaries, particularly following the implementation of the new national minimum wage structure.

“In a bid to maintain and improve service standards, operators are also investing in the procurement of new, cleaner, and more fuel-efficient buses to enhance passenger comfort and promote environmental sustainability.