Category Nigeria News

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has restated his firm support for the establishment of state police as part of efforts to tackle insecurity across Plateau State and Nigeria at large.

Speaking at the special court session marking the commencement of the 2025/2026 legal year in Jos, the governor emphasized that the time for state police has come.

“I believe that the time for the creation of state police is now. When we do have state police, I am sure we will be able to respond better and address many situations faster.”

The governor, who commended President Bola Tinubu for joining the call for state police, also urged the National Assembly not to relent in pushing the matter forward.

On strengthening local security, Governor Mutfwang disclosed that the state government will, within the next two weeks, recruit an additional 1,450 personnel into Operation Rainbow.

“Yes, the security challenge has looked us squarely in the face, but we are doing all we can. By God’s grace, we will be bringing in 1,450 fresh personnel to augment security in the state,” he said. “We are not shy of our responsibility to provide security for our citizens. We have not shirked this duty and we will not.”

The governor also called for greater collaboration between citizens and security agencies, particularly in the area of intelligence gathering.

READ ALSO: Troops Kill Three Boko Haram Commanders, Eight Others In Borno

“As a government, we cannot do much without credible intelligence. Members of the various communities are in a far better position to tell us what is happening. That is why we have created helplines across the state to respond quickly to distress calls,” he explained.

Beyond security, Governor Mutfwang used the occasion to commend the Plateau State judiciary for upholding integrity in the discharge of its duties, while pledging continued support for their welfare.

“I commend you for not allowing yourselves to become the subject of public opprobrium,” he said. “We will continue to improve the conditions of service for judicial officers and ensure that those who retire do not retire into misery and penury.”

He announced that directives had already been given for the payment of outstanding entitlements to retired judges and promised to address long-standing arrears of robe allowances.

The governor concluded with a charge to both the bar and the bench to remain guided by ethics, good conscience, and the fear of God in the new legal year.

The Kaduna State Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the African Industries Group, based in Bucharest, Romania, to revolutionise irrigation farming in Gurara and establish a cutting-edge greenhouse project.

Governor Uba Sani, who disclosed this during a working visit to Bucharest, described the agreement as significant in the quest to unlock Kaduna’s vast agricultural potential.

In a statement, Governor Sani said the strategic alliance represented more than an investment but a bold leap toward making Kaduna a beacon of agro-industrial excellence.

According to him, “By harnessing the promise of our Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAP-Z) and the Africa Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC), we are equipping our farmers to become not just producers, but key players in a globally competitive agricultural economy.”

He added that the project would enhance food security, deepen rural prosperity, and lay the groundwork for Kaduna to emerge as an export-oriented agro hub, attracting world-class investments and generating jobs for the youth.

While describing Romania as a country renowned for agricultural expertise, fertile lands, and advanced technology, Governor Sani expressed optimism that the partnership would enable Kaduna to harness Romania’s European market connections and global agricultural heritage to strengthen its role in international trade.

“Kaduna’s evolution into one of Nigeria’s premier investment and agricultural destinations is no accident. It is the product of fertile land, industrious people, and a government that prioritises infrastructure, innovation, and investor confidence.

“We are building more than farms and factories; we are building a resilient economy that bridges local effort with global opportunity.

“This is the Kaduna we envision: a self-sustaining, globally connected state where prosperity is not a promise but a lived reality for every citizen.”

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday returned to Abuja after concluding his annual working vacation in Europe.

Tinubu arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and was received by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Abdullahi Sule.

Also at the airport were his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the President’s return in a statement issued on Monday.

He said Tinubu concluded his work vacation ahead of schedule and would resume official duties on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: No Sign Tinubu Is Capable Of Addressing Hunger, Atiku Laments

The President departed Nigeria on September 4 for France, intending to split his annual holiday between France and the United Kingdom.

During his stay in Paris, Tinubu held a private luncheon with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.

Both leaders discussed bilateral cooperation and pledged to strengthen partnerships for mutual prosperity and global stability.

Three commanders of the ISWAP terrorist group have been killed by troops of the Nigerian military during the terrorists’ attempted ambush in Cross-Kauwa, at the lake Chad region.

They were identified as Modu Dogo Munzir of Dogon Chukun, an unidentified Munzir, and one Abu Aisha, Qaid of Tumbun Mota.

Eight other terrorists were also neutralized in the foiled ambush which saw the terrorists detonate a command improvised explosive device on Monday.

According to Operation Hadin Kai Theater Command, troops of Sector 3 were on a scanning and picketing patrol along Baga-Cross Kauwa, a known supply route of the terrorists in Kukawa Local Government Area.

“In the first encounter on 15 September 2025, at about 8:00am, troops of Sector 3 on a scanning and picketing patrol along the Baga–Cross Kauwa Main Supply Route in Kukawa Local Government Area were ambushed by terrorists who detonated a Command Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and opened fire on the patrol team” a statement from the Theater Command reads.

READ ALSO: Police Arrest Suspect For Supplying Arms To Bandits In Zamfara

It added that a gun battle ensued after the bomb blast, forcing the terrorists to flee with varying degrees of injuries leading to the recovery of 14 motorcycles, AK-47 rifles with magazines, rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, anti-aircraft, several blankets and other sundry items including drugs.

The Theater Command also stated that two gun trucks that could not be extricated due to terrain conditions were subsequently destroyed around Alargarno and Doro Naira, with additional terrorists neutralised by the Air Component of OPHK with precision guidance support from the Multi-National Joint TaskForce Intelligence Support Response platform.

The theater says no casualty was recorded in the operation on the part of the government troops.

Troops of Sector 1 along with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and hunters conducted offensive operations at Umbo in Madagali LGA of Adamawa State at about the same time the ambush in Kukawa was taking place.

In the encounter, three other terrorists were neutralised, while several others fled with gunshot wounds.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has maintained that visa application fees remain non-refundable and non-transferable.

In a post shared on its official X handle on Tuesday, the US Mission in Nigeria admitted growing concerns among Nigerian applicants over the visa fees.

However, it wrote that, “Like most countries, U.S. visa fees cover the cost of processing the application, regardless of the outcome.

“While fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, each application is reviewed thoroughly and fairly,” the post read in part.

#VisaWiseTravelSmart: We hear your concerns regarding U.S. visa application fees. Like most countries, U.S. visa fees cover the cost of processing the application, regardless of the outcome. While fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, each application is reviewed… pic.twitter.com/79ZB0Ug7V6

READ ALSO: Comply With US Visa Conditions To Avoid Expanded Restrictions, NIS Tells Nigerians

The U.S. Mission explained that the payment covers the administrative cost of processing applications and not the issuance of visas.

According to the embassy, all applications are given a fair and thorough review before decisions are made.

It urged applicants to prepare their applications carefully and to make use of resources provided on the official website — ng.usembassy.gov/visas — to guide them through the process.

The clarification follows repeated complaints from Nigerians who have expressed concerns about visa fees after denials or delays in processing.

Many applicants have argued that such payments should at least be partially refunded, especially when the process takes long periods or ends in refusal.

Visa processing and access to the United States remain one of the most sought-after by Nigerians, with thousands applying yearly for student, work, tourist, and immigrant categories.

The United States, however, maintains that its system is designed to ensure fairness, transparency, and security, insisting that the fees only cover processing costs.

A Professor of Employment Relations and Human Resource Management, Prof Chris Obisi, has decried the lack of funding for research in the nation’s higher institutions, calling on corporate organisations to assist.

Obisi, who lectures at the University of Lagos, was a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily.

He lamented that some companies were sponsoring Big Brother Naija but were reluctant to sponsor universities’ intellectual research.

“There should be more synergy between research, research outcomes, industry, and the university so that industry can be funding university and research outcomes, which some companies are not doing.

“It’s a shame, I don’t want to sound depressed. How can a company be sponsoring Big Brother but cannot fund research? How can a company be playing to the gallery but cannot fund research?

“This is a sort of misplaced priority, and that is why we are lagging,” he stated.

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