The Federal Government has officially classified kidnappers and violent armed groups operating across the country as terrorists.

The development signaled a major escalation in Nigeria’s response to abductions, attacks on farmers and persistent community violence.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the development during the Federal Government’s end-of-year press briefing in Abuja on Monday.

Idris said the new designation marks a clear departure from treating mass kidnappings and rural attacks as conventional criminal acts, noting that such groups will now be confronted using full counterterrorism measures.

“Henceforth, any armed group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist,” the minister said.

According to him, the policy ends years of what he described as unclear labels for violent groups terrorising communities across the country.

“Now, the era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise our people, whether you are a group or you are an individual, you are a terrorist and will be classified as such. There is no name hiding under this again,” Idris added.

He explained that the new approach would enhance intelligence sharing and improve operational coordination among security agencies, enabling quicker and more decisive action against perpetrators of violence.

The minister also spoke on Nigeria’s recent diplomatic tensions with the United States following comments by US President Donald Trump, who had threatened military intervention over allegations of killings of Christians in Nigeria.

Idris said the disagreement had been largely resolved through diplomatic engagement.

“The recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been largely resolved through a firm, respectful engagement culminating in a strengthened partnership between America and Nigeria,” he said.

Trump had, in October and November, claimed that Nigerian Christians faced an “existential threat” and described the situation as “genocide” amid the country’s multiple security crises.

While the remarks drew mixed reactions, with some welcoming international attention and others warning against inflaming religious tensions, Nigeria remains on Washington’s list of countries of “particular concern” over alleged religious freedom violations.

Last week, Nigeria was also among several countries affected by new visa and immigration restrictions announced by the Trump administration.

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The Presidency has clarified reports of discrepancies in the new tax reform laws scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026, insisting that claims circulating in the media were based on misinformation.

This followed growing criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, lawmakers, and several civil society groups, who called for a suspension of the implementation of the laws.

The controversy was triggered by claims from Hon. Abdulsamad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives, who alleged that the versions of the tax laws gazetted by the government differed from those debated and approved by the National Assembly. Dasuki argued that such discrepancies amounted to a breach of lawmakers’ legislative rights.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show, ‘The Morning Brief’ on Monday, the chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, said the allegations were unfounded.

“Before you can say there is a difference between what was gazetted and what was passed, we have what has not been gazetted. We don’t have what was passed,” Oyedele explained.

“The official harmonised bills certified by the clerk, which the National Assembly sent to the President, we don’t have a copy to compare. Only the lawmakers can say authoritatively what we sent.”

He added that even his committee did not possess the certified version of the harmonised bills, noting that only the National Assembly can clarify the final contents.

Oyedele further revealed that he had contacted the House Committee on Finance concerning a contentious provision under Section 41(8), which reportedly requires taxpayers to make a 20 per cent deposit before pursuing certain appeals.

“I know that particular provision is not in the final gazette, but it was in the draft gazette. Some people decided to write the report of the committee before the committee had met, and it circulated everywhere,” he said.

“What is out there in the media did not come from the committee set up by the House of Representatives. I think we should allow them to do the investigation.”

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had recently signed four major tax reform bills into law — the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act which will operate under a unified body known as the Nigeria Revenue Service.

According to the Federal Government, the reforms represent the most significant overhaul of the country’s tax system in decades and are designed to simplify compliance, expand the tax base, eliminate overlapping taxes, and modernise revenue collection at all tiers of government.

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No fewer than 45 illegal immigrants from Benin Republic, Chad, Sudan and other African countries have been arrested by the police to curb social vices in Ogun Community.

Secretary of the Conflict Resolution Committee and Other Related Matters, Hadi Sani, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview on Monday in Abeokuta, said the committee facilitated the arrest in Sabo Community to curb anti-social behaviour in the area.

He said that the 45 illegal immigrants were nabbed in Sabo Community following the alarm raised by Hausa residents over strange faces and behaviours of the immigrants, which were alien to the people of the community.

Sani, who doubles as Senior Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor on Inter-Ethnic Affairs, said that, upon receiving the information, the committee contacted the police; the immigrants were arrested and handed over to the state immigration office for further investigation.

Sani said, “Of recent, we made some arrests of some foreign nationals from Chad, Cameroon, and Sudan because some of these countries, like Sudan, are in war. We have arrested over 45 illegal immigrants who reside in Sabo area.”

“We can do that because the people of the area raised the alarm because when they saw strange people, they handed them to security officers who handed them to the immigration. Some are illegal immigrants, some are legal, some are war challenge displaced fellows. You cannot vouch for anyone,” he added.

He also dismissed the notion that the Dapo Abiodun-led administration set up the committee to address only farmers-herders clashes, insisting that the committee’s other objectives are to combat social vices in communities across the state.

Sani noted that the committee, since its establishment, had been able to resolve farmers-herders clashes and prevent them from escalating through the effective support and cooperation from its stakeholders, including the Head of Villages and Fulani leaders in the state.

He opined that improved dialogue and peaceful communication were needed to mitigate the effects of the farmer-herder conflict, while calling for a cordial relationship between the two groups, given their contributions to agriculture and livestock production, to boost food security in the state.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Friday approved the appointment of Mrs. Omolara Adebukola Adebayo as the new Statistician-General of the state.

This was a move aimed at further strengthening the operations of the Ogun State Bureau of Statistics and enhancing the quality of the Civil/Public Service.

The appointment was contained in a statement issued by the State Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, who said the decision was in line with the provisions of Section 12 (1) of the Ogun State Statistical Law, 2012.
According to the statement, Mrs. Adebayo was selected from the pool of successful Directors under the Ogun State Pipeline Leadership Development Programme, a scheme designed to groom and supply competent officers for top-level appointments in the Civil/Public Service.

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As a business owner, prioritising your customer experience should be one of the topics that dominate your desire to grow. Your customers cannot think about your business as you would. It is the entrepreneur’s duty to always think about them. That is why you need to engage with them. It is more like a reminder and solidifying your relationship with them.

Below are ways to improve customer engagement:

1. Always keep in touch

You should always stay in touch with your customers so they can keep patronising you. You’re simply telling them you’re the best, you offer the best services or product. This is how customers begin wanting to know more about what you do.

2. Work on negative feedback

One of the hallmarks of good entrepreneurs is how they handle negative feedback. Don’t be pissed off. 

When you listen to complaints and you work on them, your customers will keep loving your work because you have demonstrated that they really matter; you do not take them for granted. 

Note: even if the negative feedback you get is few, don’t ignore them, every customer counts.

3. Give back

Another way to improve customer engagement is to get involved in community development.

When people see that you’re not all about making money but also interested in giving back to society, your customers will become more loyal because of the love you’ve shown to their community. They would always prioritise you.

4. Speak more of them

You can enhance your customer engagement by speaking highly of them in every business function you do. Emphasise their importance and how their loyalty has continued to help your business. Reiterate your commitment to ensuring they always get the best. 

When you’re in the midst of a targeted audience, it is an opportunity to talk about your company, your objectives, and convince them of why they should buy from you.

5. Understand their language 

There are now digital tools that can help you monitor your target market, where your customers are from, and so on. It will give you an insight into who they are and what they would surely like. Send messages to them in their local language whilst also solving their problems.



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The World Bank has commended the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Environmental Node for commencing professional certification examinations, describing the move as a significant step in strengthening standards-based practice in Nigeria.

The Bank said the development represents a critical milestone, marking the transition of the SPESSE Project from largely theoretical capacity building to the practical implementation of professional certification anchored on recognised standards.

According to the World Bank, the certification exercise was a key outcome of the recently concluded Implementation Support Mission on the SPESSE Project, which took place between November and December 2025.

As part of the mission, the World Bank delegation undertook a focused visit to the SPESSE Environmental Node, hosted by the Environmental Assessment Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Receiving the Task Team on behalf of the Environmental Node, the Director of the Environmental Assessment Department, Mrs Rofikat Odetoro, reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to developing certification systems under SPESSE that were credible, transparent and institutionally sustainable.

Speaking during the visit, the World Bank Task Team Leader, Mr Ishtiak Siddiqe, praised the Environmental Node for initiating certification activities but cautioned that success should not be judged solely by the number of certificates issued.

He noted that the long-term value of the programme would rest on the credibility, governance and verifiability of the systems supporting the certification process, particularly the National Environmental Standards Certification Programme (NESCP).

According to him, verification was not a routine administrative requirement but the foundation for building confidence in SPESSE certifications among development partners, government institutions and the professional community.

He said: “For the Environmental Node, this reinforces the need to align operational practices with the verification standards that underpin the credibility of the certification system.”

The engagement, the Bank noted, went beyond a routine progress review, reflecting a deliberate focus on strengthening institutional systems capable of sustaining SPESSE outcomes beyond the life of the project, rather than concentrating only on completed activities.

A major focus of the discussions was the independent verification framework embedded in SPESSE’s results-based financing structure. The World Bank Task Team outlined the expectations, indicators and assessment approaches that will guide future verification exercises.

In response, the SPESSE Environmental Node Project Coordinator, Mr Hussain Shittu, explained that operational practices are being aligned with these requirements, with systems established to ensure comprehensive digital records, clear audit trails and accessible participant data through the certification portal.

He added that the entire certification process from application and screening to examinations and issuance was managed on a digital platform designed to promote consistency, transparency and traceability.

Governance arrangements also featured prominently during the engagement, as the Task Team underscored the importance of formal certification approval structures, including certification boards and secretariats, to ensure institutional legitimacy.

The team acknowledged this requirement, noting that steps are being taken to align the Environmental Node’s certification governance framework with established practices across other SPESSE Nodes and relevant national institutions, in order to strengthen institutional ownership and public confidence.

Beyond certification processes, discussions also linked SPESSE outcomes to broader development impact. On additional financing, the World Bank highlighted a strategic focus on Ministries, Departments and Agencies with a high concentration of World Bank-funded projects.

This approach, the Bank said, was intended to ensure that SPESSE-certified professionals are deployed where development investments are most active, thereby improving project delivery, safeguarding compliance and overall institutional performance.

As SPESSE approaches project closure and potential additional financing, the experience of the Environmental Node underscores a key lesson: effective standards systems depend not only on training, but equally on strong governance, rigorous verification and institutional discipline.

The World Bank’s engagement, it said, reaffirmed SPESSE’s core objective — not just to build individual capacity, but to establish durable systems that uphold environmental and social standards long after the project concludes.

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The Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Engineer Olalekan Badmus, popularly called Omo Oloore, has underscored the importance of grassroots sports development as a vital tool for youth empowerment, unity and talent discovery.

Badmus made this known on Monday at the annual Olayinwola Football Competition, held at Ile-Ishana, Baruwa, Ogo Oluwa area, Osogbo, Osun State, where he praised the organisers for using sports to foster peaceful coexistence among people of diverse backgrounds and political affiliations.

According to him, football remains a powerful platform that promotes endurance, discipline and togetherness within communities.

“We should always encourage sports in all ways possible. This competition has brought together people from different categories, irrespective of political parties. Beyond unity, we have also seen endurance and commitment among the players,” Badmus said.

Congratulating the SRJ Football Club for emerging champions of the tournament, the NPA Executive Director described the competition as one that should be sustained and replicated across local communities.

He also applauded Gangaria FC and Olayiwola FC for clinching second and third positions, respectively, noting that their performances reflected the growing football potential among youths in the area.

Badmus revealed that the APC governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, was represented at the event and donated generously in support of the tournament, a gesture he said demonstrated commitment to grassroots sports development.

He further expressed optimism about the future of sports in Osun, stating that if Oyebamiji emerges victorious in the upcoming August 8, 2026, Gubernatorial election, efforts would be made to “bring the lost glory of sports back to life in Osun State”.

Reaffirming his personal support for youth-focused sporting initiatives, Badmus disclosed that he had attended and supported other football competitions prior to the Ile-Isana event.

“The best way to harness the talents of our youth is to encourage them. I congratulate all the teams and urge them to continue to excel in their chosen paths,” he added.

At the end of the competition, SRJ FC emerged winners, Gangaria FC took second, while Olayiwola FC claimed the third position.

An Osun-based media practitioner, Adeniyi Ademola, emerged as the new chairman of Olayiwola Football Club with a promise to discharge his duties tremendously wel,l just as he vowed to take the football club to greater heights.

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Fire has razed Abagbo Garden and Hotel, a popular hotel situated in the Kwankwashi area of Suleja, Niger State, leaving the owner, Sunday Agbo, in a state of shock and despair

It was gathered that the fire, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, was caused by a generating set. The fire spread rapidly, destroying properties and goods worth millions of naira.

It was also learnt that despite efforts by men of the state Fire Service from the Suleja Division, who lmobilized to the scene to save the situation, a substantial part of the hotel was destroyed.

Eyewitnesses who described the incident as a “mysterious fire” due to the speed and the magnitude of destruction, said neighbors and good Samaritans had to intervene to prevent Agbo from committing suicide after he watched his life’s work go up in flames.

“The director of the hotel watched helplessly as the fire reduced his life time investment into rubbles. He took to his heels but was immediately chased and held down by people who suspected that he was heading for a suicide mission,” an eyewitness disclosed.

The hotel, also known as “car wash hotel”, is one of the most popular in Suleja. It was gathered that over 200 cartons of beer were destroyed.

Agbo, an indigene of Benue State, was said to had taken a loan of over N10 million to renovate the hotel and was yet to pay for the 200 cartons of beer delivered on Saturday before  the incident occurred.

He was later taken away from the scene of the fire incident to his home where families and friends visited to sympathize with him and consoled him over the heavy loss.

Responding to sympathizers, the hotelier said, “I don’t know how I will come out of this, I am finished. What else do you want me to be doing in this life?”

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• Adewale, a Nigerian law graduate from OOU, claims the university has refused to issue his certificate despite spending eight years in school.
• He blamed strikes, payment system changes, and unresolved administrative issues for his ordeal.

A Nigerian man identified as Adewale has accused Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) of refusing to release his law certificate after he spent eight years studying at the institution.

In a TikTok interview, Adewale said his academic journey was disrupted by frequent strikes and policy changes.

He explained that while he was in 300 level, the university changed its payment system, forcing many students to leave. According to him, the former system allowed part payment of fees, but this option was later removed.

‎”I spent 8 years and the school refused to give me my certificate. I studied law. First of all, in the first year, we didn’t even do anything, we were just on strike. Then they merged us with another set and we started from there“, He stated.

Adewale revealed that he has been battling the issue for five years, made several unsuccessful attempts to resolve it, and even took two leaves of absence during his studies.

In other news…. ontroversial musician and social media personality Speed Darlington has ignited a fresh debate online after opening up about his unconventional approach to romance and his refusal to practice monogamy.

At 41, the entertainer confessed that he has never experienced true love, despite currently maintaining relationships with multiple women.

Speaking on his current dating life, Darlington revealed his “strength in numbers” approach to relationships. “I’m 41 years now, I’ve never fallen in love, I’m talking to 6 different girls now, you can’t be the only one,” he stated. He further disclosed that a previous marriage plan collapsed when he was honest about his desire for multiple partners: “I almost got married to one but she left me because I told her I’m polygamous in nature”.

Following that experience, Darlington shared controversial advice he received from his brother regarding how to manage future partners:

“He said I should just bring them in, get them pregnant and then I can tell them afterwards”.

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Operation Sweep, a special security task force of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Monday combed motor parks and other strategic locations in the FCT to flush out criminal elements.

Mr Adamu Gwary, Director, Security Services Department, FCTA, told journalists after the operation that the move was to ensure a safe and secure Yuletide season.

Gwary, who was represented by Dr Peter Olumuji, Secretary, Command and Control Centre, said that the ongoing operation would strengthen security throughout the festive season.

He explained that FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, has given a marching order to the security agencies under the Operation Sweep to rid the territory of every form of criminality.

He noted that the operation had been very successful, adding that it was being sustained through continued monitoring of motor parks.

The director also said that illegal motor parks being used by “one chance” criminal elements to abduct people were being dismantled.

“Also, any place harbouring criminal elements, including shanties, was being destroyed.

“We want to tell all miscreants and criminal elements in the FCT, that the territory will be too hot for them to operate.

“We don’t have a safe haven for criminals in FCT anymore and they should take note of that,” he said.

He added that a lot of arrests have been made, a lot of shanties dismantled, and criminal elements operating as taxi drivers dislodged.

The goal, according to him, is to ensure the safety of lives and property of every resident in the FCT during the festive season and beyond.

According to him, the administration, in partnership with security agencies, had also deployed men and officers to suspected black spots across the city to provide tight security during the festive period.

He called on operators of motor parks and event centres to ensure that those without clear identity, especially motorists, do not operate among them.

Mr Adamu Abubakar, Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Jabi Motor Park, Abuja, commended the task force for helping to rid the city of once chance operators.

Abubakar said that the move was helping to sanitize the operation of transport workers in the FCT.

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The Federal Government has stated that the recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been largely resolved.

Recall that the US President, Donald Trump had threatened military intervention over alleged mass killings of Christians in Nigeria.

However, speaking on Monday at a year-end news conference in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that a respectful engagement with the US had led to a strengthened partnership.

He said “The recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been largely resolved through a firm, respectful engagement culminating in a strengthened partnership between America and Nigeria,” 

According to the minister, Nigeria navigated complex international diplomacy with maturity and principle in 2025.

He also recalled some bilateral Memorandum of Understanding the Federal Government has entered into with the United States to boost the nation’s healthcare.

“Just last week, the Federal Government of Nigeria signed a five-year, $5.1 billion dollar bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of the United States.

“In the agreement, the U.S. will provide $2.1 billion dollars in grant funding, while Nigeria will commits $3 billion dollars.

“This has been described as the largest co-investment by any country to date under the America First Global Health Strategy.

“It will strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system, save lives, and attract investment. Those who thought Nigeria’s relationships with the U.S. were going down due to the recent misunderstanding can now see that the ties are even stronger than before,” Idris said.

Idris stressed thet Nigeria is no longer on the sidelines, adding that it is a confident and strategic partner on the global stage, defending its national interests and attracting beneficial partnerships.

On diplomacy, the minister explained that Nigeria’s newly appointed ambassadors will assume duty in their respective countries of assignment in 2026, following their clearance and confirmation by the National Assembly.

Their deployment, Idris stated, would further strengthen Nigeria’s bilateral relations and enhance the country’s global visibility and strategic engagement.

“In 2026, again, our newly appointed ambassadors will take up their posts in their countries of assignment. Of course, their clearance and confirmation have just been made by the National Assembly,” Idris said.

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