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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers  Headlines: States rush to deploy forest guards as insecurity deepens

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1. The deployment of forest guards has gathered momentum, with Kebbi, Gombe, Kwara, Kaduna, Edo, Imo, Bayelsa, Anambra  and several other states scaling up operations under the Federal Government-backed initiative, although implementation remains uneven nationwide.

The renewed focus on forest security follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards after recent attacks and abductions linked to suspected bandits in Oyo and Kwara States.

2. Two suspected kidnappers were killed and four others arrested during a coordinated police operation that led to the rescue of Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her two sons, the police said yesterday. Mrs John-Paul is the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. The victims were rescued unhurt after spending several days in captivity following their abduction on June 3.

3. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration will not surrender to terrorists, bandits or any form of criminal intimidation, while pledging to intensify efforts to ease the economic hardship confronting citizens across the country. The assurance was conveyed on Sunday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, during the National Inter-Denominational Church Service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, as part of activities marking the 2026 Democracy Day celebrations.

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4. The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has, in a landmark judgment, declared unlawful the National Assembly’s controversial N110 billion vehicle and allowance schemes, ruling that the spending of N40 billion on 465 vehicles for lawmakers and N70 billion in support allowances for newly elected members breached procurement laws, constitutional obligations and the public trust.

5. President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Sunday, urged Nigerians not to give up hope, saying he was compelled to introduce monthly prayer sessions to tackle abduction, killings and militancy when he served as the governor of Akwa Ibom State. He said Nigerians must continue to pray so that terrorism sponsors will be exposed.

6. former Ogun Central senator and daughter of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress, alleging persistent disrespect, rejection and unfair treatment by the party’s leadership in Ogun State. Obasanjo, who recently contested for the APC governorship ticket in Ogun State, announced her resignation in a letter dated May 31 and addressed to the state APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Monday

See also  Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines This Thursday morning: Tinubu orders Ribadu to train, arm more forest guards to tackle kidnapping, banditry, others

7. Boko Haram insurgents are still holding onto some teenage boys and girls in their enclave, even as 360 elderly men, women, and young children abducted from Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, regained freedom yesterday. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) said the victims were rescued from the Mandara Mountains, where Boko Haram fighters had been keeping hundreds of captives.

8. A United Kingdom court has remanded a 32-year-old man, Maxwell Oguanaya, in custody over the alleged murder of a 41-year-old Nigerian, Taiwo Ekerin, following an assault in Lewisham, London. The Metropolitan Police disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. The police noted that Oguanaya was charged with murder after Ekerin died from injuries sustained during an altercation.

9. Troops of Operation Enduring Peace in Plateau State have thwarted multiple kidnap attempts, including the abduction of a pastor and his wife, and rescued 10 victims in separate operations across Plateau and Kaduna states. Spokesperson for the Joint Military Task Force, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, who disclosed this in a statement released in Jos on Sunday, said the operations that led to the rescue of the victims were carried out within the last 48 hours.

See also  Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Presidency: Foreign interests fuelling Nigeria’s security crisis

10. The Indigenous People of Biafra has claimed that the Federal Government’s cross-appeal in the case involving its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has weakened the legal basis of his conviction and raised fundamental questions about the jurisdiction of the trial court. In a statement released on Sunday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the separatist group argued that issues raised in the appeal process could have far-reaching implications not only for Kanu’s case but also for the credibility of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

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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.

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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  Southern governors: State police the only solution to insecurity

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  Ibadan traditional council blames Makinde for worsening insecurity

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  We won’t rest until agents of darkness causing insecurity are eliminated - Tinubu

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  State police solution to insecurity, PDP govs tell FG

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  Iftar: What Buhari told Tinubu, Adamu, others

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  We won’t rest until agents of darkness causing insecurity are eliminated - Tinubu

“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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