Category Nigeria News

Britain’s interior minister on Sunday defended plans to drastically reduce protections for refugees and end automatic benefits for asylum seekers, insisting that irregular migration was “tearing our country apart”.

The measures, modelled on Denmark’s strict asylum system, aim to stop thousands of migrants from arriving in England from northern France on small boats — crossings that are fuelling support for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party.

But the proposals were criticised as “harsh and unnecessary” by the Refugee Council charity and are likely to be opposed by left-wing lawmakers within Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s embattled Labour government, which is trying to counter the hard right.

“I really reject this idea that dealing with this problem is somehow engaging in far-right talking points,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told BBC television.

“This is a moral mission for me, because I can see illegal migration is tearing our country apart; it is dividing communities.”

Presently, those given refugee status have it for five years, after which they can apply for indefinite leave to remain and eventually citizenship.

But Mahmood’s ministry, the Home Office, said it would cut the length of refugee status to 30 months.

That protection will be “regularly reviewed”, and refugees will be forced to return to their home countries once they are deemed safe, it added.

The ministry said it also intended to make people granted asylum wait 20 years before applying to be allowed to live in the United Kingdom indefinitely.

It also announced that it would create “new safe and legal routes for genuine refugees” through “capped work and study routes”.

Asylum claims in Britain are at a record high, with around 111,000 applications made in the year to June 2025, according to official figures.

The Home Office called the new proposals, which Mahmood will lay out in parliament on Monday, the “largest overhaul of asylum policy in modern times”.

It said the reforms would make it less attractive for irregular migrants to come to Britain and make it easier to remove those already in the country.

Benefits Crackdown

A statutory legal duty to provide support to asylum seekers, introduced in a 2005 law, would also be revoked, the Home Office said.

That means housing and weekly financial allowances would no longer be guaranteed for asylum seekers.

It would be “discretionary”, meaning the government could deny assistance to any asylum seeker who could work or support themselves but did not, or those who committed crimes.

Starmer, elected in July 2024, is under pressure to stop migrants crossing the Channel, something that also troubled his Conservative predecessors.

More than 39,000 people, many fleeing conflict, have arrived this year following such journeys — more than for the whole of 2024 but lower than the record set in 2022.

Reform, led by firebrand Nigel Farage, has been ahead of Labour by double-digit margins in opinion polls for most of this year.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed the proposals, saying asylum seekers risk their lives crossing the Channel because the conditions they get in Britain “are more permissive”.

“We told the UK it was necessary to align certain conditions they give arriving immigrants with European standards,” he said.

However, Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, urged the government to reconsider, saying the plans “will not deter” crossings.

“They should ensure that refugees who work hard and contribute to Britain can build secure, settled lives and give back to their communities,” he said.

Labour is taking inspiration from Denmark’s coalition government — led by the centre-left Social Democrats — which has implemented some of the strictest migration policies in Europe.

Senior British officials recently visited the Scandinavian country, where successful asylum claims are at a 40-year low.

Refugees in Denmark are entitled to a one-year renewable residency permit and are encouraged to return as soon as authorities deem their countries safe.

Family reunions are also subject to strict requirements, including a minimum age for both parents, language tests and guarantees of funds.

The plans will likely face opposition from Labour’s more left-wing lawmakers, fearing that the party is losing voters to progressive alternatives such as the Greens.

A 12-year-old girl identified as Nabilat has died after falling into a well at Ikoyi Community, Irewolede area of Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State.

‎‎It was gathered that the tragic incident occurred around 10:35 am on Saturday when the victim reportedly went to fetch water but slipped and fell into the well.

‎‎The Kwara State Fire Service, in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, on Sunday said the service was alerted through a telephone call by a resident, one Mayowa, who witnessed the incident.

‎‎Firefighters were immediately deployed to the scene and successfully recovered the girl’s body, which was subsequently handed over to a family member.

READ ALSO: NDLEA Destroys 25,381.495kg Of Cocaine, Cannabis, Tramadol In Kebbi

‎‎“According to the report, the victim went to fetch water and in the process, one of her legs slipped off the ground, which made her tumble into the well,” the statement read.

‎‎The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, expressed sadness over the incident and cautioned parents and guardians against sending underage children to fetch water from domestic wells.

‎‎He warned that such negligence continues to expose minors to avoidable dangers.

‎‎“The general public must be more careful in their day-to-day activities, and parents should desist from sending underage children to fetch water in domestic wells,” he said.

‎‎The incident has once again raised concerns about safety precautions around domestic wells, which remain common in several Ilorin communities due to irregular water supply in the dry season.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kebbi State Command, has destroyed 25,381.495 kilogrammes of seized drug exhibits worth billions of naira in street value.

The exercise, carried out on Saturday in the Kola area of Birnin Kebbi, involved 0.027kg of cocaine, 16,951.105kg of cannabis sativa, 0.0036kg of methamphetamine, 336.978kg of Akuskura (THC) and 8,093.381kg of tramadol, all totalling 25,381.495kg.

Deputy Director in charge of General Operations at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Muhammed Usman, who represented the agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), said the Federal High Court in Birnin Kebbi granted the order for the public destruction in line with Section 3, Subsection 1 of the NDLEA Act.

He said, “This occasion signifies a major achievement in our ongoing efforts to curb substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.”

READ ALSO: NDLEA Arrests Wanted Suspect, Recovers Large Drug Shipment, Forex In Lagos

Marwa added that the destruction of the confiscated drugs stands as clear evidence of the agency’s commitment to building a drug-free society, noting that it sends a strong warning to those involved in illicit drug activities.

He warned that the menace of illegal drugs continues to devastate lives, tear families apart, and weaken the fabric of Nigerian society.

“The impact of drug abuse and trafficking goes far beyond the substances themselves. It has contributed to serious crimes, including armed robbery, kidnapping and banditry across the nation,” he said.

Earlier, the Kebbi State NDLEA Commander, Rabiu Abdullahi Sokoto, said the strategic location of the state has unfortunately made it a transit route for drug traffickers.

One suspect has been arrested in connection with a loud explosion in Owo area of Ondo State.

Residents and passersby were thrown into panic on Saturday after a loud explosion occurred near a commercial bank in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The sound reportedly sent people scampering for safety as thick smoke briefly rose from the scene, forcing traders to flee and nearby shop owners to hastily shut their doors.

However, the Ondo State Police Command in a statement on Sunday said the police authorities have commenced investigation into the incident.

The Command’s spokesperson, Olusola Ayanlade, attributed the explosion to a banger, identifying the arrested suspect as Ayoola Daniel Ojumu from Owo.

READ ALSO: No Christian Genocide In Nigeria, AGF Insists

“One Ayoola Daniel Ojumu of Owo has been arrested in connection with the incident and has confessed to his role. His accomplice, who reportedly set off the banger, remains at large, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend them,” he stated.

He said the Command would not tolerate any breach of security in any part of the state, as the yuletide season approaches.

“Members of the public in Ondo State, particularly parents and guardians, are advised to prevail over their wards before, during, and after the festive period. The Police Command will take decisive action against any attempts to disrupt peace and public safety,” the police spokesman said.

He appealed to all law abiding residents of the state to calm and be vigilant and not hesitate to report any security breach to the police.

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohamed Buba Marwa, has reiterated his agency’s commitment to tackle the menace of drug trafficking, warning of an intensified crackdown on drug barons and trafficking networks across the country.

Marwa, reappointed by President Bola Tinubu for another five-year term, told staff at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja that traffickers should expect no respite.

“This second tenure is going to be hell and bleak for them,” he warned. “Drugs shall not pass — in or out or within Nigeria.”

He urged those involved in drug trafficking and illegal cultivation to abandon the trade immediately.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Reappoints Buba Marwa As NDLEA Chairman

Marwa thanked the President, the agency’s personnel, and local and international partners for their support, saying his renewed mandate is a call for deeper commitment.

“This is the right time for them to drop that criminal business and face something legitimate,” he said. “If you refuse, you will be arrested, the drugs will be seized, and your assets will be confiscated. You will come out of jail to find nothing left.

“We thank the President for recognising our collective efforts and giving us the opportunity to continue this war against drug abuse and trafficking,” he said.

Speaking on rehabilitation efforts, Marwa announced plans to expand NDLEA facilities nationwide.

He also highlighted recent approval for drug testing for students entering tertiary institutions, saying it would help “catch them young before addiction sets in.”

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has formally distanced himself from the expulsion of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

READ ALSO: PDP Expels Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

He also dissociated himself from the expulsion of a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, the national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and other leaders of the PDP.

In a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, the governor explained that the issue was neither discussed by the PDP Governors’ Forum nor the National Executive Committee (NEC) before the motion was presented.

He stated that the proposal did not reflect his position on the matter.

Governor Mutfwang further noted that expelling the party leaders at this crucial time was not a strategic step toward resolving the internal challenges currently confronting the PDP.

He said there was a need for unity, dialogue, and collective effort in rebuilding and repositioning the party.

Mutfwang is the second governor to distance himself from the expulsion of the PDP leaders at the national convention in Oyo.