Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has intensified consultations ahead of the 2027 general election with separate meetings held with former presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida.

The closed-door meetings, which took place on Monday, were part of Olawepo-Hashim’s nationwide engagements with elder statesmen and key national figures on Nigeria’s future direction.

According to a statement issued in Kaduna, Olawepo-Hashim told the former leaders that he has the capacity to address Nigeria’s security challenges, rebuild national unity, stabilise the polity and restore economic prosperity.

He was quoted as saying Nigeria urgently requires purposeful, inclusive and unifying leadership to prevent deeper national fractures.

The statement said Olawepo-Hashim arrived at Obasanjo’s residence in Abeokuta at about 11am and left roughly an hour later.

He subsequently travelled to Minna, where he met Babangida.

During the Minna meeting, Olawepo-Hashim reportedly appealed to Babangida’s role in preserving Nigeria’s unity, referencing sacrifices made during the civil war.

“General, you still carry in your body the wounds of the war fought to keep Nigeria one, and if Nigeria is allowed to disintegrate today through incompetent leadership, then the sacrifices of patriots like you would have been wasted,” he was quoted as saying.

He warned that the 2027 election must focus on national rescue, adding that continued leadership failure could further threaten the country’s cohesion and stability.

The statement added that Olawepo-Hashim was accompanied by the chairman of the North Central Renaissance Movement, Professor Nghargbu Ketso, and other aides.

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The United States has intensified its security watch on Nigeria following recent threats by US President Donald Trump.

New intelligence flights have reportedly been conducted over different parts of the country, raising fresh attention around Nigeria’s worsening security situation and Washington’s growing concern.

The surveillance activities reportedly began in late November. The flights are believed to be part of broader intelligence-gathering efforts linked to terrorism, kidnappings, and religious violence in Nigeria.

Although the exact objectives of the missions have not been officially disclosed, the timing has drawn strong interest due to Trump’s earlier warning of possible military action.

Trump had accused the Nigerian government of failing to stop violence against Christian communities. His comments sparked diplomatic reactions and renewed debate around religious attacks and insecurity across the country.

Available flight records indicate that the aircraft involved usually operates from Ghana. The planes reportedly fly over Nigerian airspace before returning to Accra.

The operator has been identified as Tenax Aerospace, a US-based company known for providing special mission aircraft linked to American military operations.

Security analysts say the choice of Ghana as an operating base is strategic. Accra is widely regarded as a major logistics hub for US military activities in Africa.

Experts believe the operations suggest a rebuilding of American intelligence capacity in West Africa after Niger recently pushed US forces out and strengthened ties with Russia.

Observers also link the renewed surveillance to militant threats in the region. Armed groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province remain active in northern Nigeria. Intelligence flights are believed to focus on tracking their movements and monitoring potential cross-border threats.

US officials have quietly confirmed that surveillance flights are taking place but declined to share details. They cited diplomatic sensitivity and security concerns. Some officials said the missions also support efforts to track a kidnapped American pilot taken earlier in the region.

Washington has maintained that it is working closely with Nigerian authorities to address terrorism and religious violence. US officials have stressed that cooperation with Nigeria remains ongoing, even as concerns over insecurity continue to rise.

Nigeria, however, has pushed back against claims of targeted Christian persecution. Government and military officials insist that armed groups attack both Muslims and Christians. They argue that the crisis is complex and driven by terrorism, banditry, and criminal networks rather than religion alone.

A Nigerian security source disclosed that both countries agreed on intelligence cooperation during a high-level security meeting in November. The agreement reportedly included the deployment of air assets to support intelligence gathering.

The surveillance aircraft involved is said to be a modified Gulfstream V jet. Such aircraft are commonly used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions due to their long-range capabilities.

This development comes at a time when Nigeria is facing increasing security challenges. Deadly attacks, mass kidnappings, and school abductions have continued in several northern states.

In response, President Bola Tinubu recently declared a security emergency and ordered large-scale recruitment into the armed forces and police.

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The Federal Government has approved mandatory pre-employment drug testing for applicants seeking entry into the federal public service.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued on Monday by Segun Imohiosen, Director, Information & Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The policy applies to recruitment across all federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including extra-ministerial departments and parastatals.

What the FG is saying 

According to the Federal Government, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of extra-ministerial departments and parastatals have been directed to make drug testing a compulsory requirement in all federal recruitment exercises.

The directive was issued through a service-wide circular addressed to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

“The Federal Government has approved the introduction of mandatory pre-employment drug testing as a requirement for prospective applicants into the Public Service, being part of ongoing efforts to curb the rising menace of illicit drug use and its attendant consequences on national development and security,” the statement read in part.

The statement noted that MDAs are to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in conducting the tests, in line with established standards and procedures. This is intended to ensure consistency, credibility, and compliance across the public service.

Rationale behind the directive 

The statement noted that the directive was prompted by concerns over the rising rate of drug and substance abuse in the country, especially among young people.

It warned that the trend threatens public health, workplace productivity, socio-economic development, and national security.

The government added that compulsory pre-employment drug testing aims to shield the federal workforce from unwholesome practices.

It also seeks to strengthen discipline, accountability, and professionalism within public institutions.

What you should know  

About 14.3 million Nigerians are affected by drug abuse, according to Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Before this directive was extended to federal public service recruitment, the government had already implemented initiatives to test and monitor drug use among youths and other key groups.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently introduced drug integrity tests for corps members, prospective couples, and other youth groups to curb substance abuse and enable early intervention.

Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), NDLEA Chairman, emphasized that the tests are not punitive but form part of a broader strategy to reduce drug demand and protect families and communities from its harmful effects.

Some months ago, the Federal Government announced plans to introduce compulsory drug testing for university students and revise the secondary school curriculum to include drug education.

This initiative involves collaboration between the NDLEA and the Federal Ministry of Education to integrate drug education into secondary schools and enforce mandatory drug testing in tertiary institutions.

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The Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has announced a new policy requiring mandatory pre-employment drug testing for all candidates seeking positions in the public service.

The initiative is designed to address rising concerns over drug abuse and its impact on national security, workplace productivity, and public health.

Drug Screening to Be Integrated in Recruitment

A circular issued on Monday by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) mandates that Permanent Secretaries and heads of Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), extra-ministerial departments, and parastatals incorporate drug screening into their recruitment procedures.

The directive instructs MDAs to collaborate closely with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to ensure all tests comply with established standards and scientific protocols.

The government emphasized that only candidates who pass the screening would be eligible for employment.

Addressing Youth Substance Abuse and National Security Concerns

The FG highlighted the “alarming rate” of substance abuse, particularly among Nigerian youth, as a major threat to public health, socio-economic development, and workplace efficiency.

Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations at the OSGF, stressed the importance of the new policy:

“This policy reflects the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the workforce from drug-related issues.”

Officials noted that the policy is part of a wider effort to curb drug abuse nationwide, signaling a proactive approach to preventing substance abuse from infiltrating key sectors of governance.

Complementing Ongoing Anti-Drug Efforts

The introduction of mandatory drug testing in the civil service complements existing initiatives, including policies requiring drug screening in universities and other critical sectors.

Authorities believe that this integrated approach will enhance national security, improve productivity, and promote a healthier workforce across Nigeria.

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Russia on Monday expressed “full support” for Venezuela as the South American country confronts a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers by US forces deployed in the Caribbean.

The pledge from Moscow, itself embroiled in the war in Ukraine, came on the eve of a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting Tuesday to discuss the mounting crisis between Caracas and Washington.

In a phone call, the foreign ministers of the allied nations blasted the US actions, which have included strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats and more recently the seizure of two oil tankers.

A third ship was being pursued, a US official told AFP on Sunday.

“The ministers expressed their deep concern over the escalation of Washington’s actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping,” the Russian foreign ministry said of the call between Sergei Lavrov and Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil.

“The Russian side reaffirmed its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context,” it added in a statement.

US forces have since September launched strikes on boats that Washington claims, without providing evidence, were trafficking drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.

More than 100 people have been killed — some of them fishermen, according to their families and governments.

US President Donald Trump on December 16 also announced a blockade of “sanctioned oil vessels” sailing to and from Venezuela.

Trump claims Caracas under President Nicolas Maduro is using oil money to finance “drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.”

He has also accused Venezuela of taking “all of our oil” — in an apparent reference to the country’s nationalization of the petroleum sector, and said: “we want it back.”

Caracas, in turn, fears Washington is seeking regime change, and has accused Washington of “international piracy.”

Moscow’s statement said Lavrov and Gil agreed in their call to “coordinate their actions on the international stage, particularly at the UN, in order to ensure respect for state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs.”

Russia and China, another Venezuela ally, backed Caracas’s request for a UNSC meeting to discuss what it called “the ongoing US aggression.”

– Russia’s ‘hands full’ –

On Telegram, Venezuela’s Gil said he and Lavrov had discussed “the aggressions and flagrant violations of international law being perpetrated in the Caribbean: attacks on vessels, extrajudicial executions, and illicit acts of piracy carried out by the United States government.”

Gil said Lavrov had affirmed Moscow’s “full support in the face of hostilities against our country.”

Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio brushed aside Moscow’s stated support for Caracas.

Washington, he said, was “not concerned about an escalation with Russia with regards to Venezuela” as “they have their hands full in Ukraine.”

US-Russia relations have soured in recent weeks as Trump has voiced frustration with Moscow over the lack of a resolution to the Ukraine war.

Gil on Monday also read a letter on state TV, signed by Maduro and addressed to UN member nations, warning the US blockade “will affect the supply of oil and energy” globally.

The post Russia pledges ‘full support’ for Venezuela against US ‘hostilities’ appeared first on Vanguard News.

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At least 28 travellers were abducted by gunmen on Sunday night in Zak community, Bashar District, in Wase local government area of Plateau State.

A youth leader in Wase, Sapi’i Sambo, confirmed the abduction to newsmen in a telephone interview, saying that the victims included men, women, and children.

Another resident of Bashar town, Ibrahim Musa, also confirmed the incident, explaining that the whereabouts of the victims were still unknown.

According to the youth leader, the victims were abducted while on their way from Zak village to Sabon Layi community to attend a Maulud event scheduled to hold on Sunday.

Sambo explained that two princes and a religious leader leading the journey were among the victims.

He said, “The incident happened around 8pm when they were heading to Sabon Layi for the event. When the gunmen ambushed the victims’ vehicle at the outskirt of the community, they took away all the travellers, including the children, and abandoned the vehicle.

“It was on Monday morning that people travelling on the road saw the vehicle, which belongs to the Zak community leader, abandoned on the road. So, in the course of investigation, the community discovered it was the vehicle that was carrying the travellers that was abandoned,” Sambo explained.

The youth leader said all efforts to locate the the victims were unsuccessful, adding that security forces had been informed about the situation.

Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alabo Alfred, when contacted, said they were investigating the report of the incident.

LEADERSHIP reports that kidnapping, banditry, and cattle rustling have been rampant in Wase LGA generally, and residents have called on security agencies to flush out criminal elements terrorising the area.

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Kidnapped Nigerian Catholic school pupils

Some 130 Nigerian Catholic school pupils were handed over to state authorities Monday, a day after the government said it had secured their release a month after one of the country’s worst mass abductions.

Kidnappings for ransom are a common way for armed groups to make quick cash in the conflict-hit west African nation of some 230 million, but a spate of attacks in November put an uncomfortable international spotlight on Nigeria’s grim security situation.

Six vans of children were escorted by security forces in armoured vehicles to the Niger State Government House, an AFP reporter in the state capital Minna saw Monday.

Authorities said the children, along with seven teachers and support staff, were the last batch of those taken by gunmen in the late November mass abduction at the St. Mary’s co-educational boarding school in north-central Nigeria.

“Thank God for the mercy he has shown us, because if you look at these children and imagine the torment they went through, it is unbearable,” Niger state Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said at the reception ceremony.

The children were between four and 10 years old, one of the teachers told AFP at the scene.

Scores of children, including young boys sporting brightly-coloured football jerseys and others wearing traditional Nigerian clothes, posed for photos at the state government office where they were handed over by security forces.

The attack on St. Mary’s — reminiscent of the infamous 2014 kidnapping of schoolgirls by Boko Haram in Chibok — was part of a series of mass abductions that rocked the west African country last month.

Nigeria suffers from multiple interlinked security concerns, from jihadists in the northeast to armed “bandit” gangs in the northwest.

It has not been publicly disclosed who abducted the children and teachers from St. Mary’s, or how the government secured their release.

Analysts have said that based on past rescues, it is likely the government paid a ransom, which is technically prohibited by law.

– Questions over security –

The exact number taken from St Mary’s has been unclear throughout the ordeal.

Initially, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said 315 students and staff were unaccounted for after the attack in the rural hamlet of Papiri.

Around 50 of them escaped immediately afterwards, and on December 7 the government secured the release of around 100.

That would leave about 165 thought to be still in captivity before Sunday’s announcement that 130 were rescued.

But a UN source told AFP over the weekend that all those taken appeared to have been released — as dozens thought to have been kidnapped had in fact managed to run off during the attack, and make their way home.

“We’ll have to still do final verification,” Daniel Atori, a spokesman for CAN in Niger state, told AFP on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters in the capital Abuja on Monday, Nigeria’s information minister, Mohammed Idris, was pressed on why so many Nigerian schools remain easy targets for gunmen despite millions of dollars allocated for school security in the past decade.

“We should be optimistic,” he said, adding that “there is so much that government is doing to see that that has abated,” he said.

One of the first mass kidnappings that drew international attention was in 2014, when nearly 300 girls were snatched from their boarding school in the northeastern town of Chibok by Boko Haram jihadists.

A decade later, Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom crisis has “consolidated into a structured, profit-seeking industry” that raised some $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025, according to a recent report by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based consultancy.

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Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, and the family of his late deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, on Monday received more condolence visitors in Government House, Yenagoa.

The visitors included management of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, and management of the Dubai-based Jampur Group.

The NDBDA Managing Director, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, said the demise of Ewhrudjakpo was shocking, unexpected and painful.

Amgbare extolled the qualities of the late deputy governor, stating that he served the state meritoriously.

He said: “We received with shock news of the death of our dependable deputy governor, who worked until his last moments.

“Your Excellency, we are here to mourn with you. May God give you, the Ewhrudjakpo family and the entire state the fortitude to bear the painful loss.”

Also, President of the INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, who led the national executive of the foremost Ijaw socio-cultural body, described the late Ewhrudjakpo as a dependable, proactive, indefatigable ally of the governor.

According to the INC president, “Ewhrudjakpo was a humble, straightforward, devoted partner and a beacon of peace in his service to humanity. Your Excellency, the Ijaw nation came to say, take heart.

“A very deep void has been created by his passing, and it is only God that can give us the fortitude to fill that vacuum. May God grant the governor, the Ewhrudjakpo family and people of the state the grace to overcome the painful loss.”

Chairman of the Bayelsa Council of Traditional Rulers, King Bubaraye Dakolo, in his remarks, said the royal fathers were deeply saddened by the death of the deputy governor and urged Governor Diri to be strong as they understood its effect on him.

King Dakolo, who is the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, said Ewhrudjakpo’s passing has created a big vacuum in the state.

In a similar vein, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Jampur Group, Mohammed Shafiq, described Ewhrudjakpo’s death as painful, saying as development partners, his organisation was in solidarity with the governor and people of the state at this difficult moment.

Responding, Governor Douye Diri said his departed deputy was a key member of the administration as well as a
friend and brother who contributed immensely to the development of the state.

His words: “My deputy and I were brothers and friends. Each passing day, I am reminded of his death. I know you came to tell the government to stop crying, but I also urge you to stop crying because the pain is felt by all of us.”

Governor Diri expressed appreciation to all the visitors for finding time to identify with the state government in its moment of grief.

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Cross River State has taken a bold step toward harmonising agricultural expansion with environmental stewardship as Governor Bassey Edet Otu officially launched the state’s Deforestation-Free Policy, a landmark initiative designed to position the state at the forefront of sustainable, climate-smart commodity production in Nigeria and beyond.

Unveiling the policy recently in Calabar, the Governor, represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey described the initiative as “a clear statement of intent by the Cross River State Government on how we will grow, compete and lead in a rapidly changing global agricultural economy where sustainability is no longer optional but essential.”

Governor Otu commended the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, members of the Multi-Stakeholder Committee and development partner, UK Propcom+, for what he termed their “Professionalism, technical rigour and sustained commitment” in shaping a policy framework that balances productivity with conservation. “This policy reflects deep consultation, strong partnerships and a shared vision for the future,” he noted.

The Governor observed that Cross River State, as custodian of over half of Nigeria’s remaining tropical rainforests, carries “both an extraordinary privilege and a profound responsibility.”

According to him, “we must protect these irreplaceable natural assets while ensuring that agriculture continues to deliver jobs, income, food security and inclusive prosperity for our people.”

He explained that tightening global regulations, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), have made sustainability, traceability and transparency prerequisites for access to premium international markets. “Our Deforestation-Free Policy is a direct and strategic response to this new global reality,” Governor Otu said.

“The policy establishes a clear pathway for eliminating deforestation from our priority value chains, while improving productivity, strengthening farmer livelihoods and safeguarding long-term economic growth,” the Governor stressed, adding that environmental protection and economic competitiveness “must now move hand in hand.”

Governor Otu further disclosed that the state has appointed PULA Advisors as lead consultant for EUDR compliance and traceability across the cocoa, coffee and oil palm value chains.

“This engagement will strengthen farm mapping, data systems and supply-chain transparency, ensuring that Cross River commodities meet the highest global standards,” he said.

He emphasised that the policy is people-centred, with smallholder farmers at its core. “Through yield intensification, agroforestry, access to finance and capacity building, we are empowering our farmers to produce more on existing land, earn better incomes and protect our forests,” the Governor said, while calling on MDAs, the private sector and farming communities to align fully with the policy.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, described the launch as “a defining milestone in the transformation of Cross River State’s agricultural sector.”

He said the policy provides “a clear, practical framework for responsible land use, improved productivity and inclusive growth,” adding that its success would depend on “strong institutional collaboration, private sector compliance and genuine community ownership.”

Also speaking at the formal presentation, Propcom’s Country Representative and Political Director, Dr Adiya Ode, represented by the Strategy Director, Dr Olumide Ojo, described the policy as “a powerful model of collaboration that advances both environmental protection and economic opportunity.”

She reaffirmed the UK Government’s commitment, through the Propcom+ programme, to deepening investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector with a focus on resilience and climate adaptation.

“Cross River State has long been recognised as one of the world’s top biodiversity hotspots,” Dr Ojo said. “We are extremely delighted to be supporting the Cross River State Government to align with global policies on sustainable land use and deforestation-free commodities, harnessing this enormous potential in ways that benefit smallholder farmers and the wider ecosystem,” adding that “By linking forest protection to economic incentives, intensive reforestation and land restoration can thrive, while climate-smart agriculture creates new and alternative livelihoods for farmers across the state.”

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The Jigawa State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has vowed to investigate a suspected trafficking case involving six persons handed over by the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, in the state.

The agency’s commander, Mr Abdulkadir Turajo, gave this assurance on Monday in Dutse while receiving the victims.

Turajo said the agency received the six victims from NIS personnel at the Babura Plantation Border Patrol Base in Babura Local Government Area of the state.

He explained that the suspects comprised two males and four females, aged between 32 and 36.

The commander added that the agency would conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether those involved, who are from Ogun, Imo, Lagos and Enugu states, are victims, agents, or accomplices.

He stated that the persons were intercepted on Monday while en route to Europe via Libya and the Niger Republic.

While receiving the intercepted persons, Turajo assured of the agency’s readiness to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure diligent prosecution of all culprits involved.

“We received six human trafficking victims intercepted in the state. We charge you, residents and members of the public, to remain vigilant. Human trafficking syndicates often take advantage of the increased travel and festive excitement to lure unsuspecting victims.Verify offers, especially from unknown persons. The festive season must not become a trafficking season.

“We commend the Nigeria Immigration Service for its sustained partnership and collaboration, which has strengthened the fight against human trafficking in the state,” Turajo said.

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