More than 14, 000 Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia were being airlifted, according to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria on Saturday.  ,
A total of 14, 014 pilgrims from Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory were airlifted from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to a report from the NAHCON Command and Control Center in Makkah, which was posted on the Commission’s official X handle.
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According to the report, “Flynas flight, XY9082, left Jeddah for Sokoto today at 07:51 hrs (local time). 422 Sokoto pilgrims were accompanied by four officials on the plane, totaling 13 589 total passengers on 32 flights.
Another Flynas flight, XY9022, left Jeddah and headed to Abuja at 10:33 hrs (local time). Four officials and 425 FCT pilgrims were brought aboard this flight. The total airlift for the 2025 Hajj has now reached 14, 014 pilgrims on 33 completed flights as a result of this most recent departure.
Our unwavering commitment to a smooth Hajj airlift is unwavering. The NAHCON Command and Control Centre stated in an update on Saturday, June 15, 2025, highlighting the Commission’s ongoing efforts, that we are “strategically progressing” in sending all Nigerian pilgrims to the Holy Land for their spiritual journey.
Ajao S. Adewale, the commissioner of police for FCT Command, has issued a strong warning to all officers about meddling in civil affairs, particularly land disputes, and extortion.
This comes in response to reports of police interfering with civil cases, extortion of complainants and suspects, and unlawful detention for bailable offenses. These actions, according to the CP, violate both the Inspector-General’s orders and the Constitution.
The CP has directed all Area Commanders, DPOs, and HODs to immediately review and release suspects held for minor, bailable offences as soon as they can, according to a statement released over the weekend by SP Josephine Adeh, the police public relations officer of the FCT Police Command, in Abuja.
Any officer found collecting money for bail or documentation will face strict disciplinary action, according to CP Adewale, who stressed that bail is free.
He reiterated that the police are not permitted to enter civil disputes, especially those involving land-related disputes.
“Any officer in violation of this directive and any supervisor who disobey it will be held accountable.” The CP also criticized the practice of demanding payment before conducting inquiries, citing extortion and office abuse. The statement stated that violators would face charges.
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Additionally, there was a cautionary note for people who offered bribes because Section 118 of the Penal Code Act criminalizes this practice. Citizens were also advised against utilizing the police to recover money or launch personal vendettas.
The FCT’s residents were asked to support the Command’s efforts to promote professionalism, accountability, and human rights.
The Complaint Response Unit (CU) can be reached at 08107314192 with complaints of misconduct.
Five people were killed and at least ten others were seriously hurt on Friday when a devastating explosion ripped through the Gidan Karfe neighborhood along Kano City’s Eastern Bypass.
Explosives are thought to have been the cause of the afternoon explosion, which was reported to have been hidden among the scrap of Yobe State.
Emergency responders and security personnel rushed to the scene after the incident, which caused a great deal of panic in the area.
Shortly after the explosion, Kano’s commissioner of police, Ibrahim Bakori, confirmed the casualties and provided early information about the suspected cause.
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According to CP Bakori, preliminary investigations indicate that explosives were concealed in a truck carrying scrap from Yobe State. The device probably detonated while the truck was being loaded off the site.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and destruction with eerie skyscrapers and terrified residents escaping.
The area was quickly cordoned off by emergency services, including the police bomb squad and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Patients were flown to nearby hospitals where doctors worked to stabilize the injured.
Security authorities have begun an exhaustive investigation into the explosion. Uncertainty surrounds the purpose of a truck carrying explosives loaded with scrap.
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According to CP Bakori, “We are taking this incident seriously the most.” Our teams are looking closely at whether these materials were undiscovered and whether there were concerns for broader security.
He urged people to report any suspicious activity to the authorities and to remain calm but watchful.
Abubakar Malami, a former justice minister and attorney general, expressed his deep concern about the state of security in Kebbi State’s Argungu and Zuru Emirates.
Malami criticized the government’s inability to safeguard lives and property in a short video that was released in Birnin Kebbi.
He questioned the state and local governments’ ability to protect the lives and property of citizens.
He emphasized the urgent need for all levels of government. “It’s high time we expressed our concern,” he said, “to ensure the security of the people” among the federal, state, and local governments.
Malami expressed grave concern about recent attacks in the Zuru community, which he claimed cost more than 200 lives, and warned against politicising security issues.
He argued that “security issues should not be politicized.” “Strange insecurity systems have developed in Kebbi, which are very alarming and disturbing.”
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Malami expressed his condolences to the Kebbi State residents, but he also emphasized the urgent need for better security.
He cited persistent threats in various regions. “Bandits destabilize the people of Kyebu and Tadurga in the Zuru Emirate, while Lakurawa continue to hold communities in the Argungu Emirate to ransom,” according to the statement.
Seven Chinese nationals were found guilty and given a year in prison each for their involvement in cyberterrorism and internet fraud linked to a massive Ponzi scheme that was discovered in December 2024 by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday.
Justices Ayokunle Faji, Chukwujekwu Aneke, and Yellim Bogoro, each from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had arraigned the convicts separately.
The defendants’ plea bargain agreements, which were filed on June 20, 2025, were disclosed to the justices by the EFCC prosecution team, which included Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, Chineye Okezie, and Banjo Temitope.
All of the defendants entered pleas of guilty at the hearing and said they would accept the plea deal.
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Each of them was found guilty and given a year in prison and a one million naira fine.
The court also recommended that the Nigerian Immigration Service’s (NIS) Comptroller-General ensure their deportation within seven days of release.
Peng Li Huan, Zhang Jin Rong, He Kun, Rachelle Cabalona, Caselyn Pionela, Guo Long Long, and Zhang Hua Zhai were detained in a building on Oyin Jolayemi Street in Lagos during a raid by the EFCC.
The defendants were arraigned by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on separate one-count fraud and cyberterrorism charges.
The convicts “willfully accessed computer systems organized to destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria by recruiting Nigerian youths to identity theft and impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain,” according to the amended one-count charge read in court.
In response to the humanitarian difficulties that region-wide crises are facing, Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged stronger cooperation.
Shettima argued that comprehensive solutions were urgently needed to address the nation’s interconnected issues of migration and climate change because they are in direct proportion to the population’s economic well-being.
He made the remarks at the Presidential Villa on Friday when he was met by a delegation from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), led by Sharon Dimanche, the country’s head of migration.
On Friday, June 20, 2025, Shettima and Sharon Dimanche, the IOM’s Deputy Director of Mission in Nigeria, arrived at the Presidential Villa.  ,  ,
The Vice President urged the President’s Office of the Vice President to find creative and inclusive solutions to the complex interplay between migration, poverty, conflict, and ecological disruption in a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to The President for Media and Communications.
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“From my time as governor of Borno State, I have worked with the IOM for a long time, and I must commend your extraordinary support for our people. However, we require much more holistic and comprehensive solutions.
In order to achieve a win-win, workable solution that fosters unity and advances our people, VP Shettima urged people to support us in the North-Central.
He criticized poverty, illiteracy, and environmental degradation, citing the “incestuous relationship” between ecology and economy in sub-Saharan Africa as evidenced by his critique of displacement and insecurity in various regions.
The challenges of migration cannot be reconciled with climate-induced effects. He continued, “Poverty and violence are directly related to crises in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central,” adding that even these crises had a direct connection to.
He also urged the IOM to increase its support for land reclamation and gender empowerment initiatives, particularly in deforested and displacement-stricken regions.
Sharon Dimanche, the IOM’s director of mission, praised Nigeria’s significant accomplishments in disaster preparedness and migration governance.
Dimanche praised Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to improve migration control and disaster preparedness, noting that the country’s diversity presents both challenges and opportunities for customized interventions.
What I have witnessed since I arrived in Nigeria is remarkable. Every state has its own uniqueness. It’s like a country encircling all of Africa. We are particularly impressed by the launch of Nigeria’s Framework for Anticipatory Action and State Action Plan, she said.
She reiterated the IOM’s commitment to advancing Nigeria’s long-term solutions agenda, including through programs for distributing data, providing shelter, promoting climate resilience, and empowering young people.
She continued, “We seek the government’s guidance on areas to concentrate on as I take office.” Working to offer people who have been affected by the crisis sustainable solutions and opportunities is one of our top priorities.
