1. A cold war is rocking the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), sparked by  a social media  altercation  between the aides of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi and  the national leader, Seriake Dickson. The gladiators are Esther Umoh, an aide and official photographer to Obi, and Theo Abu Agada, the party’s director of New Media and Strategic Communications.

Both have been throwing brickbats at each other‘s camp over what Umoh calls the negligence of the party leadership with respect to educating the supporters on its proper logo ahead of the 2027 election.

2. Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY) on a patrol near Maradun in Zamfara State have intercepted a 35-year-old terrorists’ collaborator, Lawali Dan Alo, and recovered N5.302 million and mobile phone from him.
“Preliminary interrogation showed the suspect was allegedly delivering the funds on behalf of a terrorist leader to another individual, Kasimu Garba, who was arrested at his residence. Both suspects are in custody for further investigation,” Lt.-Col Aliyu Danja, the Media Information Officer of OPHK, said in a statement on Saturday.

3. Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested three more persons suspected to be members of the kidnapping ring that abducted the Dean of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Prof. Samuel Avengbe Okunsebor. The university don was rescued by DSS operatives two days after some gunmen kidnapped him on July 15, 2026, at Mile Uku, a border community between Lafia and Nasarawa-Eggon local government areas.

4. The Police Command in Benue State has arrested five Pakistani nationals with 35 mobile phones during separate intelligence-led operations in Otukpo and Ugbokolo. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Aondongu Orchia, made the disclosure in a statement in Makurdi on Saturday.

5. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Saturday, took a swipe at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, over his remarks on former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George. The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Dr Christopher Odianarewo, said Wike’s outburst raises more questions than it answers and further exposes the depth of his obsession with Chief George.

6. Thirteen people were rescued after a residential building collapsed in the Dan Dishe area of Kwanar Yashi, Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State, early Saturday morning. It was gathered that 16 people were injured in the incident. The Kano State Fire Service said its Emergency Response Unit received a distress call about the incident at about 4:32am and immediately mobilised personnel from its headquarters to the scene.

7. Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has accused the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the state of importing and harbouring election result hackers at a hotel in Osogbo, Osun State. The party subsequently called on security agencies to act swiftly and apprehend those involved in the alleged illegal operation.

8. President Bola Tinubu on Monday summoned no fewer than 76 leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State to the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, over growing disquiet within the party ahead of the August 15 governorship election. Sunday PUNCH gathered that the meeting, which held late at night, followed a report by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

9. Prominent Niger Delta leaders have faulted the recent criticism  of the Lagos-Calabar project by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke.
They are strongly in support of President Bola Tinubu for executing what they consider a critical dividend of democracy for the geo-political zone and its people.

10. The Nigerian Navy has recovered approximately 24,000 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers. This is contained in an operational report by the Director, Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, made available on Saturday in Abuja.

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has said that “34 and a half” governors are backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. 

Galadima, while speaking at the inauguration of the national reconciliation committee of the party,  said Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, has not decided who to work with between the ruling party and the opposition coalition.

The NDC chieftain said Mohammed was advised against aligning with a party that has a strong presidential candidate after a meeting with NDC stakeholders.

Galadima also said Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has distanced himself from both Tinubu’s camp and the coalition.

“There are thirty-four and a half governors. The one who is not with him, visibly shown, is Seyi Makinde. The half is Bala Mohammed,” Galadima said.

“Mohammed is half, because Bala Mohammed met with us after the wee hours of the night, 3:00 a.m. We parted; we were both at the NDC together. Just for him in the morning to call that he has rescinded his decision, that he was advised not to go into any party with a strong presidential candidate,” Galadima said.

“So, it means Bala Mohammed is on the fence. He may work with us; he may work with them. That’s why he’s half, as far as I’m concerned.

“So if you are in power, you have the authority to say, look, we are only fielding this man; all of you step down. Or they can compensate you. We have nothing to compensate anybody, except we reason, except patriotism, that we need to salvage this country.”

1. Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has defended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the anti-graft agency acted within its legal powers by freezing the Osun State Government’s account.

Falana, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, said the commission did not act unlawfully, stressing that the President himself acknowledged the legality of the EFCC’s action while expressing concerns only about its timing.

“As far as the law is concerned, the EFCC has not acted illegally. As a matter of fact, that came out in the statement of the President, that whereas, ‘I’m not questioning your mandate and the exercise of your powers; however, I’m embarrassed,’” Falana said

2. Former Nigerian police chiefs have raised concerns about the country’s proposed state police framework and submitted recommendations to strengthen the model before it is finalised, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has revealed.
Mr Disu stated this while delivering his opening remarks at a workshop organised by the National Institute of Police Studies in Abuja on Thursday. In his remarks, livestreamed by the police spokesperson for new media, Ali Giwa, the IGP said the retired police chiefs had reviewed the draft framework and offered inputs that would be incorporated into the final document

3. Thailand has been plunged into mourning after a 14-year-old student carried out the country’s deadliest school shooting in years, killing seven people, including five school staff members, before taking his own life in a shocking rampage that has reignited debate over gun control and mental health. The attack unfolded on Friday morning in Nonthaburi province, northwest of Bangkok, where the teenager first allegedly shot and killed his grandparents at their home before heading to Debsirin Nonthaburi School armed with a handgun legally registered to his grandfather. Once on campus, he opened fire, sending students and teachers scrambling for cover as classrooms descended into chaos

4. A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Kano on Friday ordered the remand of a 25-year-old woman, Maimuna Idris, in a correctional centre for allegedly cutting off her boyfriend’s manhood. According to a report by the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the victim was identified as Ashiru Sani. Idris, who resides in Maigatari Local Government Area of Jigawa, is facing a two-count charge of attempted culpable homicide and causing grievous hurt

5. The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, has explained why Afrobeats star Ayra Starr was initially denied a South African visa, saying she failed to submit the correct yellow fever certificate. Moroe said the incident occurred in February 2024 and not recently as portrayed in some reports, insisting the singer’s visa application was rejected solely because it did not meet the country’s immigration requirements

6. X has announced plans to discontinue its Revenue Sharing programme and introduce a new Original Content Rewards programme to reward creators for producing original content on the platform. The social media company announced the changes on Friday in a post on its X Creators handle, saying the new programme would reward creators who contribute original content.

7. Some of the rescued victims of the February 3 terrorist attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have revealed that at least 13 captives died during the nearly six months in captivity, while 12 children were still being held by the terrorists.

8. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested an Edo-based self-acclaimed spiritualist, Odigie Moses, for allegedly blackmailing a woman into sending him money by threatening to release her nude video. According to a statement shared by the EFCC on its X account on Friday, Moses allegedly demanded $1,100 (N1.5m) before he was arrested in Ekpoma, Edo State.

9. The Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Court sitting at the High Court of Awka, Anambra State, has convicted and sentenced a 27-year-old final-year Mass Communication student, Wisdom Edem, to 25 years, five years and five years imprisonment, respectively for rape, sexual abuse and inflicting injury on a 10-year-old girl. In the Charge No. A/3C/2024, obtained by our correspondent in Awka, on Friday, the court was presided over by Justice Peace Otti, on Wednesday.

10. Lagos State Government has arrested 27 suspected hoodlums for allegedly vandalising a newly constructed bridge linking Festac Town to Alakija during a midnight enforcement operation. The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the arrests followed the discovery of what he described as a “disturbing act of vandalism” beneath the bridge.