Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has issued a stern warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, cautioning that mass defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) do not guarantee political continuity or electoral success.

In a strongly worded message, Fr. Mbaka criticized the Federal Government’s tax policies, describing the imposition of additional taxes amid widespread economic hardship as unjust and insensitive.

“There is nothing wrong with paying taxes,” Mbaka said, “but at a time like this, imposing taxes on the people is like wickedness.”

The outspoken cleric further warned that political alignment alone cannot secure victory, stressing that governance must be rooted in compassion and responsiveness to the suffering of citizens.

“Even if every governor joins the APC, you will fail,” he declared, underscoring that public goodwill, not party dominance, ultimately determines political survival.

Fr. Mbaka’s remarks come against the backdrop of growing public discontent over rising living costs, economic reforms, and tax measures introduced by the Tinubu administration.

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United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has clarified the rationale behind the recent visa restrictions imposed on Nigerians, emphasizing that the measures are part of broader security protocols rather than targeted actions against Nigerian citizens.

Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday in Abuja during the visit of a U.S. Congressional Delegation, CODEL, Mills explained that the restrictions are intended to strengthen security procedures and ensure thorough vetting for visa applicants.

“The presidential proclamation, effective January 1, 2026, affecting certain visa categories, is aimed at ensuring proper vetting and credible information in the visa process, not on penalising Nigerians,” Mills said.

He noted that the proclamation specifies which visa categories may be impacted and highlights exemptions for select groups, including holders of official and diplomatic passports, as well as individuals travelling for religious purposes.

The ambassador advised visa applicants and the public to consult the U.S. Embassy’s official website for comprehensive details on the proclamation, the affected visa categories, and available exemptions.

He also encouraged those with specific questions to use the embassy’s designated communication channels for guidance.

Also addressing the press, U.S. Congressman and leader of the delegation, Bill Huizenga, stated that visa reviews and restrictions are standard procedures designed to encourage compliance and cooperation, rather than punitive measures targeting citizens.

Huizenga added that such measures primarily focus on government systems and processes and are routinely applied in different countries worldwide.

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Sunday said that it recorded a transmission peak of 5,801.84 megawatts (MW) on 4 March.

The Managing Director of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, disclosed this in his end-of-year message to staff, partners and stakeholders.

Mr Abdulaziz said the feat was a historic milestone, which occurred during the year, adding that it was the highest peak electricity generation ever delivered on the national grid.

He described 2025 as a remarkable and historic year for the company and Nigeria’s power sector.

“A highlight of our progress came on March 4, when TCN transmitted an all-time peak generation of 5,801.84 MW nationwide. On the same day, a maximum daily energy of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours (MWh) was delivered across the country—the highest ever recorded in Nigeria’s history.”
He attributed the achievement to deliberate investments in infrastructure rehabilitation, expansion of transformer capacity and sustained maintenance of transmission assets across the network.

Mr Abdulaziz also said that TCN’s wheeling capacity had increased to 8,700MW, positioning the company to better support the nation’s growing electricity demand.

“This year, we made deliberate strides to strengthen our infrastructure, rehabilitate ageing assets, and expand transformer capacity across the country.

”With these efforts, TCN’s wheeling capability has grown to 8,700MW,” he said.

Mr Abdulaziz said that between January 2024 and November 2025, the company inaugurated 82 new power transformers, adding over 8,500 Megavolt-Amperes (MVA) to the national grid.

He, however, said that infrastructure vandalism remained a major threat to grid stability.

According to him, 131 vandalism incidents were recorded across TCN’s network between January and November.

“Vandalism continues to be a thorny issue in the affairs of TCN. From January to November alone, the company recorded 131 incidents across its network,” he said.

“Management is, however, working closely with ONSA, other security operatives and vigilante groups in some communities to curb this menace.

”We will continue to intensify sensitisation campaigns and community engagement efforts to safeguard our critical infrastructure,” he said.

The TCN managing director also highlighted all other major sector reforms in the year, particularly the unbundling of TCN and the successful take-off of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).

He also disclosed that TCN advanced several donor-funded projects valued at over $1.16 billion, including the Abuja Feeding Scheme, which involved the construction of five new substations and a new 330kV transmission line.

ALSO READ: UPDATED: Nigeria generates highest ever electricity in its history – TCN

Mr Abdulaziz commended the company’s staff for their dedication and resilience, describing them as TCN’s greatest asset.

”Looking ahead to 2026, I pledge that TCN will intensify efforts to further increase grid capacity, stability and efficiency while deepening collaboration with NISO and other sector stakeholders.”

He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, security agencies and development partners for their support.

He also extended condolences to the families of staff who lost their lives within the year under review.

(NAN)

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Supporters of a Zamfara State House of Assembly member have threatened to leave the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, following a violent attack on the lawmaker in Dansadau.

Speaking to journalists in Gusau, the state capital, one of the loyalists, Alhaji Sadauki Madugu, expressed outrage over what he described as the “I don’t care” attitude of the governor, who was reportedly present during the incident but took no action.

“It was disheartening that a parliament member was assaulted in the presence of the governor, and the culprits were allowed to go free without any measure being taken,” Madugu said.

He added that the attack insulted not just the lawmaker but the entire constituency, noting that the PDP in Zamfara favors outsiders from states like Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna, leaving local members marginalized.

Madugu, speaking on behalf of hundreds of concerned loyalists, said the group is exploring ways to address the situation and may consider defecting to another party where their dignity and representation will be respected.

He also criticized the state administration for leaving key positions in the hands of non-indigenous officials, which he said has contributed to widespread problems across the state.

“PDP in Zamfara has proven to be destructive. How a member could be assaulted in front of the governor and nothing done, and then the governor disappears hours after the incident, shows the failure of leadership,” Madugu added.

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* Idris: It’s soothing relief for Nigeria

*Abiodun hails Tinubu, urges massive support 

Olawale Ajimotokan and Linus Aleke in Abuja

State forces, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), have successfully secured the release of the remaining students and teachers abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, sources familiar with the operation, have said.

The rescue operation confirmed that all remaining victims taken during the November 21 attack had now been freed.

Armed bandits on motorcycles, on November 21, stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School around 2am, abducting no fewer than 315 students, including 12 teachers. 

The assailants, reportedly, moved systematically from dormitory to dormitory before taking their victims into nearby forests.

During the initial attack, 50 students managed to escape. Security agencies had previously secured the release of around 100 abductees on December 8, leaving a number of victims still in captivity until the latest operation.

The source, the remaining captives were freed on Friday evening in a forest located between Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas.

Security personnel from the Office of the National Security Adviser oversaw the evacuation under heavy protection. 

The source added that the release followed intensive negotiations between the government and the abductors, though it remained unclear whether ransom was paid.

The abduction from St. Mary’s Catholic School was recorded as the single largest school kidnapping in Niger State to date.

Data showed that since January 2023, at least 816 pupils had been abducted in 22 separate school attacks.

However, reports on the current location of the released students were conflicting. 

Some sources indicated they were in Minna receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families, while others suggested they were in Abuja, awaiting handover to Governor Umar Bago of Niger State, who was currently in the city.

Confirming the development, Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Proprietor of the school, Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna,

said Bago called him “a few minutes ago to confirm the release of the children and their teachers”.

He, however, said the figure of children released was not mentioned, adding that they are expected in Minna today and to be received by the governor at Government House.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the rescue of the remaining 130 children and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, was a fitting end to the year. Idris stated this in a statement last night, stressing that all the abducted pupils of the Catholic School, numbering 230, had been freed, with not a single pupil was left in captivity. 

He said the released 130 pupils had also been handed over to the Niger State government, after which they would be reunited with their families. 

Idris said, “This courageous effort by our security forces reaffirms our nation’s resolve to protect its people. The federal government empathises with the parents and guardians of the pupils for the agony the abduction has caused them, wishes them a pleasant family reunion, a good healing process, compliments of the season and a Merry Christmas.”

Ogun State Governor, and Chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, expressed delight at the release of the 130 students, saying it is a sign that evil forces would not triumph over Nigeria.

Abiodun said the release of the remaining students of the school, which brought the total number of those rescued to 230, fulfilled Tinubu’s pledge to ensure the freedom of the students without any hurt, and facilitate their reunion with their parents.

Commending the president for the security measures rolled out, which he said had restored the confidence of Nigerians in their government, Abiodun said the catalogue of releases of abducted persons, including 24 from Kebbi State and 100 from a Catholic school in Niger State, as well as the Christian worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, showed that the president had capacity to face Nigeria’s challenges head on.

Abiodun, in a statement issued in Abeokuta, said it was particularly heart-warming that the students and their parents would be able to celebrate the Yuletide in warm embrace after the terrible ordeal, urging the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.

He stated, “I am extremely delighted to learn that the remaining 130 students of St. Mary’s Catholic School Papiri community, Niger State, who were hitherto in captivity, have been released. 

“The students, their parents, Papiri community and the Government of Niger State have all been through a lot, and I rejoice with them in this moment of triumph over the forces of darkness who seized innocent students from their hostels, and their teachers from the school grounds.

“If this incident shows anything, it is the fact that the Bola Tinubu administration is committed to a safe, secure and prosperous Nigeria, and deserves our collective prayers and moral support. 

The governor added, “The president is determined to tackle the upsurge of kidnapping and terrorist attacks, and bring sanity back to our society, which will invariably restore the confidence of Nigerians and the international community in the government, and bring massive development.

“The security agencies deserve plaudits for this feat. I also urge them to ensure that the terrorists behind the attacks on innocent and law-abiding Nigerians are hunted down and prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.”

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By Babajide Komolafe

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc. are set to formalise a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ensuring faster and more efficient reimbursement of depositors in the event of bank failures.

The development was disclosed by NDIC Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Thompson Oludare Sunday, during a courtesy visit to the Corporation’s Abuja headquarters by the NIBSS Executive Management team led by its MD/CEO, Mr. Premier Oiwoh.

Sunday commended NIBSS for its long-standing support, particularly its role in driving digital verification processes via the Bank Verification Number (BVN) platform, which facilitated seamless payment to alternate accounts of depositors of the failed Heritage Bank Limited. He described NIBSS as a “reliable partner” and said the MoU would solidify collaboration on depositor protection.

Key areas of the MoU include real-time synchronization of NDIC’s deposit registers and electronic records for swift account verification during bank resolution, expansion of disbursement channels to include Mobile Money Operators and a potential NDIC-branded mobile interface, and investment in Single Customer View (SCV) and interoperability infrastructure for instant validation.

Sunday praised NIBSS for reforming Nigeria’s payments system, mitigating financial fraud, and positioning it ahead of peers globally.

In response, Mr. Oiwoh reaffirmed NIBSS’s commitment to supporting NDIC’s mandate, emphasizing that prompt depositor reimbursement enhances public trust and financial inclusion. He noted that NIBSS is working closely with law enforcement to safeguard the nation’s payment infrastructure while lowering transaction costs and reinforcing the stability of the financial system.

The partnership is expected to strengthen NDIC’s capacity to protect depositors, enhance operational efficiency during bank resolutions, and boost confidence in Nigeria’s banking and digital payments ecosystem.

The post NDIC, NIBSS partner to speed up depositors’ reimbursement appeared first on Vanguard News.

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The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Police, Western Command, has activated comprehensive security measures across major port corridors in Lagos State to ensure safety and uninterrupted maritime operations during the Yuletide season.
 
The Commissioner of Police, Ports Authority Police Western Command, Oluwatoyin Agbaminoja, in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Isaac Hundeyin, said that the round-the-clock patrols on land and water had been intensified to deter criminal activities and ensure the safety of vessels, cargo and port infrastructure. 
 
Agbaminoja said the security directives were to safeguard port users, maritime stakeholders and critical national assets across all port corridors in the state during the festive period.
 
She said that security measures had been activated across Apapa Port, Tin Can and Island Port, Lekki Deep-Sea Port, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, and the marine patrol axis covering up to 12 nautical miles.
 
The commissioner stated that the strategy aims to guarantee seamless port operations amid increased human and vehicular traffic typically associated with the festive season.
 
To ensure a safe festive season, Agbaminoja said that the Command had strengthened collaboration with sister-security agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies and Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) to enable real-time response to security concerns.
 
She added that additional personnel had also been deployed to critical locations prone to human congestion and vehicular traffic during the Yuletide period, while intelligence gathering and surveillance operations have been enhanced to identify and prevent potential threats to ports’ safety and national economic assets.
 
The commissioner, therefore, urged all port users to remain vigilant, comply with security guidelines, and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest Port Police Division or the Marine Unit.
 
“The Command wishes to reassure port users, maritime stakeholders and the public of its unwavering commitment to maintaining safety, security, and order across all port corridors during the Yuletide period. The command also remains committed to ensuring that activities within the nation’s maritime domain continue smoothly and securely throughout the season and beyond,” the commissioner stated.

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Sunday Ehigiator

JEX Markets Limited, Nigeria’s energy commodities exchange and market infrastructure company, has announced the appointment of Dr. Blessing Ayemhere as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, subject to the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  The appointment is expected to take effect from January 3, 2026.

The company in a statement yesterday, said “Dr. Ayemhere will provide strategic leadership as JEX Markets advances plans to build a transparent, liquid, and globally competitive marketplace for natural gas and other energy-related products in Nigeria.

“In his role, he will work closely with the Board, regulators, market participants, and infrastructure partners to launch trading operations, deepen liquidity, strengthen market integrity, and drive innovation across the JEX ecosystem.”

Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of JEX Markets Limited, Mr. Oscar Onyema, said the selection followed a rigorous process facilitated by Global Career Company.
According to him, “Dr. Ayemhere’s depth of experience and proven leadership would strengthen the company’s capacity to deliver on its mandate of building a world-class, transparent, and efficient energy marketplace that supports Nigeria’s energy transition and industrial growth.”

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*As prices of shampoo, washing, setting soar

The adage, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, has come to play in the lives of many Nigerians who have created one innovation or the other to save or change a lifestyle.

The old tradition of visiting the salon, washing, drying and styling of hair is fading gradually as the cost of living keeps skyrocketing and purchasing power reducing.

Economy&Lifestyle has discovered that apart from cutting hair, maintaining natural hair to save cost, many with relaxed hair have improvised various low cost means to maintain their hair styles. Some women now use detergents, liquid soap for dishes to replace hair shampoo, kerosene and canfur mixtures as relaxers among other things.Explaining the reason for such action, Mrs Theresa Kingsley, a small business owner said: “Do you know the latest price of shampoo and conditioner?

“Even the price of a relaxer is high. Before, with N150 or N200, you can get a good relaxer. The opposite is the case now. A small bottle of good shampoo goes for N3,000 to N20,000.If you buy one of N500 it will turn to water within two days.

“I decided to use detergent or liquid wash for myself and my daughter. Sometimes I use soda bar soap which cleanses my hair better compared to liquid wash.

“My daughter doesn’t visit the salon anymore because I created time to plait her hair to cut costs.I have decided to go on a low hair cut next year to save myself from all this hair drama.”

Mrs. Anita Eruwa, a tailor, mentioned a hairdresser who usually uses detergents to wash her customers hair especially when her shampoo finishes and she can’t afford another one.

“It is not the fault of the hairdresser because many people want cheap services and as such must pay dearly for any default found in such salon.

“This hairdresser charges less for retouching, washing and setting.The money she charges doesn’t add up to the increased cost of shampoo and other hair maintenance kits talk of rent.Why won’t she use detergents?”, she added.

Mr. James Dike, a hairstylist, noted that even those revamping wigs use detergents which damage expensive human hairs worth millions of Naira.“A client of mine gave a lady two human hairs to revamp. This lady used detergent to wash the wigs which cost N1.8 million.She ended up destroying the strands.

“My client arrested her but she was told to let it go because seeing the lady, she cannot pay the money.

The post Poverty: Some ladies now use detergents, for hair maintenance appeared first on Vanguard News.

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The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen Waidi Shaibu, has commissioned a 60-unit Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS) Housing Estate in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The commissioning was done alongside a Post Service Housing Development Limited (PHDL) Shopping Complex at Akobo, Ibadan, as part of sustained efforts to enhance the welfare of Nigerian Army personnel.

Speaking at the ceremony, Shaibu described the project as a practical demonstration of the Nigerian Army’s Soldier First philosophy. He noted decent and affordable housing as central to troop morale, operational effectiveness and post-service stability. He added that the AHOOAS scheme was designed to ensure that soldiers retire in dignity, with secure home ownership in locations of their choice.

The COAS recalled that the pilot phase of the AHOOAS project at Idu, Abuja, delivered over 400 housing units, all of which are occupied by soldiers and their families.

According to him, the success of the pilot informed the expansion of the scheme to Ibadan, Benin, Jos, Akwa Ibom and other locations nationwide, while plans are also underway to fast-track home ownership for Army Warrant Officers.

Shaibu commended the Oyo have government for its sustained support to military formations and appreciated traditional institutions for promoting peace and cooperation.

He lauded the management of PHDL for its professionalism in project delivery and acknowledged Family Homes Funds Limited for partnering with the Nigerian Army to construct 50 housing units for widows of fallen heroes.

The COAS called on other state governments to support the scheme through land allocation for future phases, emphasising that affordable housing remains a critical pillar of the Nigerian Army’s transformation agenda, in line with the vision of President Bola Tinubu.

In his remarks, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of PHDL, Maj-Gen Isiah Alison, disclosed that the Ibadan project comprises 60 housing units, 30 two-bedroom houses for non-commissioned soldiers and 30 three-bedroom houses for senior non-commissioned soldiers.

He stated that five per cent of the houses were allocated, free of charge to soldiers who sustained disabilities in the line of duty, while 70 per cent of the units were reserved for soldiers at highly subsidised rates.

Alison explained that houses constructed at costs of up to N30 million were sold to soldiers for as low as N7.5 million, describing the initiative as a deliberate welfare intervention rather than a commercial venture.

He added that similar housing projects were ongoing in other locations, alongside service shopping complexes designed to support small businesses and stimulate local economic activities of troops’ families.

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