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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers  Headlines: Oyo, Borno abductions: Tough terrain, casualty fears stall rescue mission

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1. Difficult terrain, fears over the safety of dozens of kidnapped pupils and teachers, and demands by the abductors for the release of detained terrorist commanders have emerged as major obstacles to ongoing efforts to rescue victims of the recent school attacks in Oyo and Borno states, The PUNCH has learnt.

2. There are indications that state police may soon come to fruition as part of efforts to address security challenges. On Thursday, the actualisation plan reached a significant milestone as more than three months of consultations among the Executive, the Legislature, security agencies, particularly the police, and other stakeholders, were concluded at the Presidential Villa.

3. The House of Representatives was on Thursday thrown into rowdy session as the Deputy Spokesperson, Hon. Philip Agbese, alleged his signature was forged on a list of opposition members who endorsed Imo lawmaker, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, as the new Minority Leader. Coming under a motion of personal privilege on the floor of the House, Hon. Agbese denied ever endorsing Hon. Ugochinyere, saying the development infringed his privilege as a member of the Minority Caucus.

See also  Police debunk claim abducted schoolgirl died in captivity

4. Osun State police command on Thursday said it has launched a probe into the attack on the Accord chairman for Osogbo Local Government Area, Asimiyu Ajibola, which left him battling for life at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo. The command, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the incident occurred on Wednesday in the MDS Area of Osogbo, when two armed men riding on a motorcycle attacked the victim in an apparent attempt at murder.

5. Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has threatened to release the names of politicians behind the abduction of students in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The activist said this while speaking to the new executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students led by Akinteye Bàbàtunde at his residence in the Soka area of Ibadan.


6. A tricycle rider simply identified as IK has allegedly beaten his lover and mother of two to death following a heated argument and reportedly fled, leaving her corpse with their children in Ogbogoro Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The incident, said to have occurred along the CPM Street axis of Ogbogoro on Tuesday, sent shock waves through the community as some residents tried to catch a glimpse of the gory scene to confirm the sad news.

See also  Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: How 44 abducted Oyo pupils, teachers were rescued – Army

7. The Anambra State government has vowed to ensure justice for a 16-year-old girl who was gang-raped by eight men, including her guardian, in the Nawfia community, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state. The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Esther Onyekesi, stated this when the survivor (name withheld) was brought to her office in Awka on Thursday.

8. The Labour Party has summoned a meeting of its National Executive Committee for June 11 to ratify the results of its recently concluded primary elections and approve the submission of candidates for the 2027 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission. The party disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa.

9. The All Progressives Congress has disowned a purported list of its senatorial candidates currently circulating on social media and some online platforms, describing it as fake. The party said the list titled “Concluded List of APC Senatorial Candidates So Far” did not emanate from it and should be disregarded in its entirety. This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.

See also  UPDATED: Makinde receives abducted Ogbomoso pupils, teachers in Governor's Office, seeks UN probe

10. Residents of Oda Community in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State were thrown into shock after a 38-year-old man, Nsikak Kingsley, allegedly beat his father, Adone Peter, to death during a dispute. Although the cause of the disagreement between the 65-year-old father and son, which reportedly escalated into a physical assault, was not disclosed, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said in a statement on Thursday that the suspect had been arrested and detained

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

See also  Oyo school attack: Terrorists' four-point demand before releasing pupils, teachers

Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

See also  Gunmen abduct two Catholic nuns in Anambra

On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

See also  Ex-NSITF chairperson Olejeme arraigned over alleged N1bn fraud

4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

See also  Oriire school abduction: FG arraigns three for alleged terrorism, kidnapping

7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

See also  NDLEA intercepts N4.5b heroin concealed in baby food at Lagos airport

10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

See also  Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers  Headlines: Security tightens noose around Oriire abductors

Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

See also  Terrorists invade Niger mosque, kill scores, abduct several others during Friday prayers

“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

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