Category Nigeria News

President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦16.7 billion for the immediate reconstruction of the Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, which was destroyed by flooding in May, 2025.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this in Abakaliki on Saturday after a meeting with the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.

Idris, who is leading a Federal Government delegation on a three-day tour of projects and citizen engagements in the South-East, said the approval underscores the administration’s responsiveness to urgent infrastructure needs.

READ ALSO: Mokwa Flood Victims Decry Food Shortage, Poor Camp Conditions

“We want to thank Mr. President, and we want to thank the Minister of Works. We jointly discussed this and approached Mr. President, who graciously approved it. It means a lot to the people. It’s ₦16.7 billion to reconstruct the bridge — a 10-span bridge,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Rabiu Ibrahim, on Saturday.

Idris also commended Umahi for his swift response in the wake of the disaster, including dispatching experts to assess the damage shortly after the bridge was washed away.

According to him, the approval for the bridge reconstruction will be “music to the ears of the government and people of Niger State”.

Umahi described President Tinubu as a compassionate and listening leader who was committed to solving the challenges confronting the citizens.

“The President approved the immediate reconstruction of the bridge as requested by the minister. He graciously approved because of him,” he said.

The former Ebonyi governor stated that the latest round of approvals for infrastructure provision spanned all the geo-political zones of the country.

He listed some of the approvals to include the reconstruction of the washed-away five-span bridge in Wukari, Taraba State; the Lokoja Bridge; the permanent repair of the washed-away section of the Afikpo bridge in Ebonyi to Abia and Imo State; the Keffi Flyover Bridge; the Jebba Bridge in Kwara State; seven bridges in Edo State; and a bridge in Kebbi State.

Deadly Flood

Over 150 people in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger died following the devastating flood that destroyed homes and displaced thousands of residents in May.

The Niger State government has said a total of 1,354 people were directly affected by the flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Murtala Bagana, who disclosed this during the visit of Vice President Kashim Shettima to the area in June, said 4,534 individuals were displaced from their homes, with 458 households impacted.

Bagana explained that total of 265 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, two major roads were affected, and five key bridges collapsed, including the vital Goodwill Bridge along Mokwa-Jaba Road.

The Kebbi State Police Command has recorded another major success in its ongoing fight against banditry, as operatives in Ribah have rescued two kidnap victims unhurt following a fierce gun battle with bandits.

In a statement on Saturday, the Kebbi Police Command Public Relations Officer, Nafiu Abubakar, said the rescue operation occurred on August 15, 2025, at approximately 3:05 p.m. during an aggressive patrol around Dankade village in the Ribah district of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of the North-West state.

“The joint team, comprising police officers, vigilantes, and local hunters, was led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ribah,” the statement read.

“The operatives engaged the bandits in a prolonged gun duel before successfully rescuing 26-year-old Tukur Bello of Kembawa village, Augie LGA, Kebbi State, and 25-year-old Isyaka Abubakar of Budun village, Gummi LGA, Zamfara State.”

READ ALSO: Police Nab Two Suspected Kidnappers, Recover Firearm In Taraba

The victims were reportedly abducted on August 9, 2025, while grazing their cattle in Gairi forest, Zamfara State. Both men were found unharmed and were promptly taken to a medical facility for examination before being reunited with their families.

Abubakar quoted the Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, Bello Sani, as commending the bravery, resilience, and professionalism of the Ribah DPO and his team.

Sani urged them to maintain the momentum in the ongoing campaign against banditry and other violent crimes threatening peace and socio-economic development in the region.

He also called on other Divisional Police Officers across the state to emulate the efforts of the Ribah Division by intensifying patrols and enhancing police visibility along highways and in vulnerable communities.

The Ogun State Governor,  Dapo Abiodun, cast his vote in his Osanyin ward three unit 002 in IPERU in the ongoing by-election for Remo Federal Constituency. 

Speaking shortly after exercising his franchise, the governor expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the process and commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its level of preparedness.

Abiodun explained, “I have just exercised my franchise. I am quite impressed with the feedback I got this morning that the electoral materials arrived early. There is also an impressive turnout.

“Everybody is going about voting peacefully. In some places, maybe because of the weather, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine took some time to capture. So far, everything is so good.

“I want to thank INEC for being on top of their game as usual. Obviously, year in, year out, they are improving the quality of their services. Basically, everything is going well. No ranchor, no fighting”.

READ ALSO: Peaceful By-Election In Remo As Residents Vote For Preferred Candidate

Meanwhile, there was a heavy presence of security personnel across major streets in Sagamu, Ikenne and Remo North local governments.

It was an emotionally laden moment for the rescued 12 Nigerian trapped workers in the Central African Republic as they narrated how their Chinese employers sexually abused all of them while working for the miners there, just as succour came with their rescue by the Federal government.

The 12 stranded Nigerian men whose video went viral some three weeks ago finally arrived in Nigeria and paid a visit to the NIDCOM office.

An E-signed statement by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols NIDCOM, Abdurrahman Balogun, in Abuja on Friday, said the victims were received by Chairman/ CEO NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, as well as management staff in Abuja on Friday.

While recounting their ordeal, leader of the rescued workers, Igorigo Freeborn, said it was important for the world to know that despite owing them 11 months’ salaries, “we were homosexually abused by our Chinese employers in CAR.

“I am not ashamed to say it. I want other people to learn from it. We were treated badly there, but thank God for sparing our lives to tell the stories today.

“I am one of those people who usually abuse Nigeria, and I don’t think anything good can come out of the country, but we were all so happy to receive help and succour from Nigeria.

“Let me use this opportunity to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the CAR Ambassador in Bangui, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), NEMA, Immigration Service and other government agencies for coming to our rescue almost immediately”, he said.

Freeborn said they suffered “a lot” in the past 20 months they left Nigeria.

He pleaded with the government to help them redress the injustices meted out to them by their employers.

He recalled how they were left stranded in the forest after work without payment, leaving them starving in harsh and unsafe living conditions.

“With support from the Presidency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NIDCOM, and the Nigerian mission, they were relocated to Bangui, provided with medical care, and eventually brought safely back home”, the statement read in part.

Welcoming back the returnees to Nigeria, Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, assured them that justice would be served as the Commission, in conjunction with relevant government agencies, would take up the matter on their behalf.

The NIDCOM boss condemned the acts as inhumane and assured that the matter would be pursued to ensure justice is served in line with the citizen diplomacy of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

She counselled them to be of good behaviour and partner with the Commission in its advocacy on irregular migration and its consequences.

NIDCOM then gave some cash support to all the returnees to enable them to settle down while expecting their unpaid salaries.

READ ALSO: Polytechnic Association Faults FG’s Proposed TISSF, Demands Payment Of Arrears

Dibiri-Erewa also called on well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations to assist the Nigerians to settle down in the country.

A cash donation from Perchstone and Greys, presented by Toyin Adenugba on behalf of Dr. Tolu Aderemi, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the JAALS Foundation, was given to all 12 returnees.

Adenugba explained that the support was a demonstration of belief in the evacuees’ potential, meant to serve as a seed for rebuilding their lives, supporting their families, and creating new opportunities at home.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has distanced itself from the initial handling of the incident involving Comfort Emmanson and the Ibom Airline at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2, Lagos, last Sunday.

Ibom Air staff members and Emmanson engaged in a fight at the foot of the aircraft.

In a statement released on Friday, FAAN clarified that its personnel were not involved in the early stages of the incident, which occurred within the terminal operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited.

FAAN explained that security operations at MM 2 are under the jurisdiction of Ibom Air’s internal security and the Bi-Courtney Aviation Security Unit, as the terminal is a privately operated facility.

The authority said, “The MM2 Terminal is classified as a Private Tenant Restricted Area. FAAN AVSEC officers are responsible solely for passenger and baggage screening at designated checkpoints, while general terminal security operations are handled by Bi-Courtney’s security team.”

The agency explained that its Aviation Security personnel became involved only after Emmanson was transferred to the Crime Investigation and Intelligence Unit, also known as “Tango City”, for official documentation before being handed over to the Nigeria Police for prosecution.

READ ALSO: Polytechnic Association Faults FG’s Proposed TISSF, Demands Payment Of Arrears

FAAN further emphasised its commitment to professionalism, saying it continues to prioritise the training and retraining of its AVSEC officers in line with regulations set by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The statement added, “FAAN remains committed to the ongoing training and retraining of our AVSEC officers.

“Only institutions certified by the NCAA are authorised to conduct certification-related training for aviation personnel.”

A peaceful voting exercise has been reported in Remo federal constituency, Ogun State, on Saturday, as residents troop out to all places monitored in the ongoing by-elections across 13 states of the federation.

While casting her vote, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the by-election for Remo federal constituency, Adesola Elegbeji, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security operatives for providing the much-needed ambience for a peaceful poll.

She commended voters for coming out in large numbers to exercise their franchise to fill the vacancy left by the death of former occupier of the seat, the former deputy chief whip, Adewumi Onanuga.

READ ALSO: By-Elections: Nigerians Vote In 13 States, 16 Constituencies

Registered voters in 13 states across Nigeria are voting in polls to elect new representatives in the Senate, House of Representatives, and state houses of assembly.

According to the INEC, the by-elections are being held in 16 constituencies.