The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two men for allegedly sodomising a 12-year-old boy.
The spokesperson of the command, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
He said police have arrested the suspects, Lukman Mohammed and Musa Halilu, following a complaint by the victim’s father.
According to the Police Public Relations Office, Mohammed and Halilu and another fleeing suspect identified simply as Alkasim, lured the minor into their dwelling where they subjected him to anal sexual intercourse.
The statement read, “On 16th July 2025, at about 1200 hours, Mr. Ibrahim Maikudi submitted a formal complaint to the ‘C’ Divisional Headquarters of the Bauchi Police Command regarding an alleged incident involving criminal conspiracy and unnatural offences.
“The complaint detailed that Mr Maikudi discovered excrement on the trousers of his 12-year-old son. His wife corroborated this observation, reporting having witnessed this occurrence on multiple occasions.
“Upon inquiry, the minor disclosed that he had been enticed by three individuals, identified as Lukman Mohammed, 30, Musa Halilu, 32, and Alkasim, surname unknown.
“In response to the complaint, detectives were dispatched to the location, and the victim was referred to a specialist hospital in Bauchi for a medical examination. Consequently, two suspects have been apprehended, while the third individual remains at large.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that an eyewitness, a watchman in proximity to the location, voluntarily informed the police that he had observed one of the suspects, Musa Halilu, pursuing the boy on two separate occasions.
“The watchman cautioned the boy to maintain a distance from the suspects. Shortly thereafter, he witnessed the boy approaching the suspects’ residence, at which point he intervened and reprimanded the boy.
“Following this incident, the boy’s mother inquired about the reprimand, to which the watchman provided an explanation. The boy subsequently informed his mother that he had been influenced and lured by the suspects above into their dwelling, where he was subjected to anal sexual intercourse.
“Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, psc (+), mni, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Bauchi, to conduct a thorough investigation and to ensure the apprehension of the remaining suspect,” the statement added.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, is currently meeting with the protesting retired police officers in Abuja.
The meeting is taking place at the peacekeeping hall, Force Headquarters in Abuja.
On Monday, some retired police officers protested at the National Assembly to demand their removal from the contributory pension scheme (CPS).
The demonstrators, mostly elderly, stood in the rain, holding placards and chanting anti-government songs.
Some of the retired police officers also besieged the force headquarters in Abuja to protest against CPS.
Addressing the protesters, the IGP said welfare of retired police officers is being addressed but the exit of the force from the contributory pension scheme is not something that can be activated immediately
Egbetokun, however, advised the leaders of the protest to refrain from spreading wrong narratives as the Force cannot abandon their own.
The Plateau State Chapter of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has formally constituted an Electoral Committee to oversee the upcoming elections into key executive positions within the association. The election is scheduled to take place on Friday, 6th September 2025.
This decision follows a successful reconciliation meeting held on 14th July 2025 at Plot No. PL6660, Angulu-Jos Industrial Layout, aimed at fostering unity and cooperation among members amid national-level challenges facing PMAN.
The newly inaugurated Electoral Committee is chaired by Mallam Salis Muhammad, with Simon Peter Asemoh serving as Secretary. Other members include Cletus Selbong, Dorcas Bentu, Sahmicit Solomon, and Dantala Dewan.
Nomination forms for interested candidates can be obtained at the office of Dorcas Bentu, located behind the Anglo Jos Police Station, Opposite Crest Hotel.
In the words of the committee, “PMAN Plateau State remains committed to promoting the interests of its members and the broader music industry, while paving the way for peaceful internal elections and contributing to the healing of the national body.”
For further inquiries or participation, contact PMAN Plateau through its designated representatives or visit the form collection point at Dorcas Bentu’s office.
In the face of Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, a new frontier of homegrown innovation is emerging led by none other than Dr. Bright Echefu, President and Managing Director of EIB Group. With a firm belief in Nigeria’s potential to chart its own course in defense and technology, Dr. Echefu is transforming bold ideas into tangible systems that are changing the country’s national security narrative.
Under his leadership, EIB Group has become a trailblazer in the local defense manufacturing space. The company is at the forefront of designing and producing unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite systems, combat drone technologies, offering solutions that were once sourced exclusively from foreign markets. By turning to Nigerian made equipment, EIB is helping to shift the national focus from import dependence to industrial self-reliance a crucial step in achieving strategic autonomy.
Dr. Echefu maintains that local manufacturing is not just a business opportunity; it is a patriotic mission. He notes that Nigeria’s industrial growth has already reduced the need for imported equipment such as tractors and other machinery. Now, the same approach is being applied to critical security infrastructure. His defense subsidiary, EIB Stratoc, is a fully Nigerian owned company employing over 1,000 skilled professionals and working directly with the military on research, product development, and supply of operational hardware. He stresses that collaboration between the private sector and the armed forces is vital to building a resilient national defense system. With demand for locally manufactured defense tools rapidly outpacing supply, Dr. Echefu is calling on the government to step up its support for indigenous manufacturers. This includes not only policy reforms and financing options but also active patronage to stimulate scale and sustainability.
According to him, the opportunity to transform Nigeria’s security architecture is real but it requires bold investment and faith in local capacity. The vision is clear: a Nigeria where surveillance drones, combat support tools, and mission critical systems are built on home soil by Nigerian hands, using Nigerian talent and resources. This shift, he argues, will not only secure the country’s borders but also deepen its economic independence.
Beyond defense, the impact of EIB Group’s work is being felt across Nigeria’s broader industrial landscape. Local production has spurred job creation, technology transfer, and technical training, opening up new career paths for young engineers and technicians. The ripple effects of these efforts are enormous from economic stimulation to national pride in “Made in Nigeria” innovation. Dr. Echefu’s message is unambiguous: Nigeria has what it takes to secure itself it only needs the will to support its own. “We must believe in our capacity to defend and build. Local innovation is not a backup plan; it is the future,” he says.
As the country looks for long term solutions to its security and economic challenges, the work of Dr. Bright Echefu and EIB Group offers a compelling model of what’s possible when vision, innovation, and national interest align. With greater support, the promise of a self-reliant, secure Nigeria may soon become reality.
The Labour Party (LP) statutory National Executive Committee (NEC) has elected Senator Usman Nenadi as the Interim National Chairman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as the Interim National Secretary, among others, as members of the party’s interim working committee.
Nenadi was elected on Friday during the party’s NEC meeting in Abuja.
The interim working committee is expected to oversee all party activities till the party’s convention, when elections for a new NEC will be conducted
Other resolutions reached during the meeting include the approval of the schedule for the conduct of ward congresses, local government area congresses, state congresses, Zonal congresses, and the National Convention of the Labour Party.
The National Secretariat of the party is mandated to publish the guidelines and timelines to ensure transparent and democratic elections at all levels.
“Amid Silence and Sorrow: Why We Must Never Forget the Humanity in Us” By Nankpak Cirfat
Following the passing of Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari, the nation has engaged in a public reckoning with his legacy. Tributes have poured in from political allies, foreign diplomats, and citizens. Flags flew at half-mast, and debates resurfaced on whether he deepened Nigeria’s democratic fabric or weakened it through prolonged silence and policies that many considered exclusionary.
While this national reflection is understandable, perhaps even necessary it is impossible to ignore a glaring inconsistency in how we distribute compassion in Nigeria. As we mourn one man’s death at the highest echelon of power, we continue to turn a collective blind eye to hundreds of lives lost in rural communities, particularly in Plateau State.
Since early 2023, coordinated attacks in Bokkos, Mangu, Riyom, and Barkin Ladi LGAs have led to the deaths of over 1,300 civilians, with tens of thousands displaced. In December 2023 alone, the Christmas Eve massacre in Bokkos saw at least 190 people killed across 23 villages, according to Human Rights Watch. Despite this, national outrage was largely muted, federal response tepid, and media coverage fleeting.
This disparity in response reveals a disturbing hierarchy of empathy in Nigeria’s public consciousness, where the lives of the elite are grieved with state-backed solemnity, but the poor are mourned only by their neighbors.
What is happening in Plateau State is not merely intercommunal conflict or isolated acts of violence; it is a slow-burning genocide. Villages are wiped out, cultural heritage erased, and survivors are abandoned to IDP camps with inadequate security or support. Yet, we continue to frame the issue in passive, euphemistic terms like “clashes” or “reprisals,” thus avoiding the moral clarity and urgency the crisis demands.
Why does this matter? It matters because the way a nation responds to suffering, particularly of its most vulnerable defines its moral standing. When state institutions and political elites demonstrate more concern for protocol than for protection, they erode public trust and feed the very instability they claim to combat.
Moreover, selective empathy undermines social cohesion. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state that cannot afford to normalize systemic indifference to certain regions or groups. If justice and dignity are not evenly distributed, then peace will always be fragile and conditional.
The federal government’s silence and the sluggish pace of justice have emboldened impunity. Perpetrators continue to attack knowing there will be no meaningful investigation, prosecution, or international spotlight. Plateau is bleeding, and Nigeria is watching. I believe this is not just a security issue, it is a governance crisis, a communication failure, and a moral emergency. We must demand accountability not just from armed actors, but from institutions tasked with preventing violence and protecting lives.
The death of former President Buhari should not overshadow the death of our national conscience. If anything, it should compel us to interrogate what kind of republic we are building, one where we remember the powerful but forget the powerless? We need more than condolences. We need a shift in national priorities. That includes: Immediate deployment of impartial investigations into the Plateau killings;
Transparent and equitable support for all internally displaced persons (IDPs);
Stronger early-warning systems and community-based conflict prevention strategies;
A responsible media that doesn’t allow crises to vanish from the headlines once political drama resumes.
Finally, we must recenter humanity in public discourse. Behind every number is a name, a family, a future extinguished. Whether in the corridors of Aso Rock or the ravaged hamlets of Daffo, every Nigerian deserves dignity in life and justice in death. Buhari’s death is a moment not just of mourning, but of moral recalibration. If we can lower our flags for a former president, we can raise our voices for the voiceless. The test of any nation is not how it remembers its leaders, but how it protects its people.
Nankpak Cirfat is a communications officer – media relations at Connected Development (CODE), a journalist, and a development advocate He works at the intersection of civic accountability, good governance, peacebuilding, and public storytelling.
Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye, wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has narrated how a pastor in the church diverted $8,000 meant for missions, abandoned his wife in South Africa, and traveled to the United States to marry another woman.
She shared the revelation while ministering at a recent programme organised for men in the church.
A video of her message, which has been circulating online, was monitored by Church Times.
According to Pastor Folu, the incident occurred during one of her missionary visits to Cape Town, South Africa, where she was invited to preach at a local RCCG parish.
She explained that midway into her ministration, a woman entered and began removing chairs, indicating that the church’s time at the venue had ended.
Surprised to discover that the church held its services in a rented eatery, she recalled approaching the parish pastor to ask what it would take to secure a permanent worship space.
The pastor, whom she described as being from Ekiti, explained that with just $8,000, the church could begin raising funds for a permanent site.
He proposed using the money to purchase a fairly used vehicle and giving it to a tourism agency, which would pay returns to the church to fund the building project.
Encouraged by the idea, Pastor Folu said she quickly released the $8,000 to him. But instead of carrying out the plan, the pastor absconded with the money.
“Unknown to me, the man had a different plan,” she said. “As soon as he collected the money, he travelled to the U.S. and left his wife in South Africa.”
She revealed that the pastor went on to marry another woman in the U.S., leaving his former wife in distress.
“The woman he abandoned in South Africa is presently in a terrible state now, almost running mad,” she lamented.
Addressing the congregation, she questioned the integrity of such actions, saying: “RCCG men, what are we going to do? Are we going to continue with such a lying spirit, a deceitful spirit to the God of the kingdom?”
The audience responded with a resounding, “No!”
Mrs. Adeboye stressed the need for a return to spiritual discipline and obedience, adding, “That is why we have this landmark meeting. We must go back to the old path where we look up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
Reflecting on the early years of the Redemption Camp, she reminded the men of the sacrifices the church made in pursuit of God’s will.
“We must get to the point where we say, ‘Wherever He leads, we follow,’” she said. “We were in this bush. For three years, there was no light.
“We went back to the days of lanterns and we were grinding with stone, whereas where we were coming from, we had grinding machines, we had washing machines.”
She concluded with a word of encouragement, “We may not know where God will take us, but we have a bright future, if we remain faithful.”
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Service Board (CDCFIB) has suspended online recruitment for job applicants in any of the paramilitary agencies until July 21.
In a statement on Thursday, the Secretary to the Board, retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulmalik Jubril, said that the temporary suspension was to optimise the efficiency of the recruitment portal https://recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng.
“This development will ensure that the portal accommodates the high level of applications while guaranteeing a smooth, transparent, and fair recruitment process.
“We appreciate the enthusiasm and interest of young Nigerians to serve their country through these vital agencies,” Jubril said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the online recruitment exercise was initially slated to commence July 2 before it was moved to July 14.
The paramilitary agencies with vacancies are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Federal Fire Service.
Reports has it that former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a letter dated July 14 and made public on Wednesday, Atiku announced his resignation, stating that the decision was necessitated by what he described as a departure from the founding ideals of the party.
“I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,” the letter reads.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the Party. Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a Presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life.
“As a founding father of this esteemed Party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.
“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”
Atiku also extended his best wishes to the PDP and its leadership, expressing appreciation for the support he received over the years.
Alongside Atiku’s exit, all local government and ward chairmen of Jada Local Government Area in Adamawa State—his home state—have also withdrawn their membership from the party.
The former vice president is expected to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a dynamic celebration of innovation, empowerment, and transformation, NASCO Group hosted one of Nigeria’s most remarkable observances of the World Youth Skills Day 2025, gathering young people, technologists, policymakers, and industry experts under one roof to spotlight the theme: “Youth Empowerment through Artificial Intelligence and Digital Skills.” The event, held in Jos, Plateau State, drew wide applause for its insightful sessions, practical learning, and strong focus on the future of work.
The event opened with a welcome address that set the tone for a day of purpose. The Group General Manager of NASCO, who hosted the event, commended the enthusiasm of the youth and emphasized the importance of digital transformation in today’s world. He shared that a significant number of participants had joined online, even exceeding the physical attendance—a clear testimony to how technology has reshaped engagement. “Technology has enabled us to connect beyond physical limitations,” he said. “This event is not just about today but about equipping the youth for the future.”
Delivering the keynote address, Hon. Cletus Bako Shurkuk, the Plateau State Commissioner for Science and Technology, emphasized the urgency of embracing digital skills in the face of rising global automation. Referencing reports by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey, he warned of the potential loss of up to 800 million jobs by 2030 due to automation and AI but reassured participants that new opportunities would also emerge for those equipped with relevant skills.
“This is not the time to fear,” the Commissioner stated. “AI and digital transformation are not here to destroy but to redefine. Young people must not only consume technology—they must create, lead, and become ambassadors of innovation.” He encouraged the youth to explore fields such as data science, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and telemedicine, stressing that digital literacy is the new global passport for success.
The panel discussion featured renowned tech experts and youth development advocates. Among the discussants was Robert John, an AI technologist and embedded systems advocate, who highlighted the importance of awareness. “Sometimes, the barrier is not lack of talent but lack of exposure. When you show someone a tool like a wheelbarrow in a place where they carry loads on their heads, you’re unlocking a world of possibility,” he explained.
Job David Ayuba, CEO of Tomruk Ihub Multiverse, lauded NASCO for organizing one of the most impactful World Youth Skills Day celebrations in Nigeria. “Young people are leaving here more prepared to launch businesses, acquire digital skills, and explore AI in ways that can lead to economic development across Plateau State and Nigeria,” he said. He noted that challenges were discussed, but so were tangible solutions and strategies.
Ambassador Ponfa Miri, a tech consultant and social impact strategist, reiterated the need for collaborative investment in youth and technology. “This event proves that stakeholders, government, and private organizations can come together to build a future where young people thrive. If replicated across Plateau, it could transform the state and even Nigeria,” he said, applauding NASCO for making history.
Participants also voiced their enthusiasm. Coach Julius Owobu II, a child rights and women’s advocate, described the event as a turning point. “I learned the importance of identifying roadblocks before launching any initiative. The insights on emotional intelligence and workplace culture were also enlightening,” he noted. He especially commended NASCO for giving back to the community through free, high-value training and access to innovation.
Okwudili Goodness Oluebube, a serving corps member specializing in cybersecurity, shared a personal transformation story. “Hearing about a 13-year-old coding on his phone reminded me that my limitations are just temporary. I’m now more determined than ever to pursue ethical hacking and get the tools I need,” she said. She also stressed the importance of uniqueness and humanity in a world increasingly driven by AI.
The event was not limited to talks. Participants engaged in a Q&A session, allowing for deeper discussions with the panelists. Group discussions and collaborative group work further enriched the experience, as attendees explored real-world challenges and proposed tech-driven solutions. Young innovators were encouraged to team up, brainstorm ideas, and share feedback on one another’s ideas.
Additionally, the event created space for networking and collaboration, fostering connections between aspiring tech professionals, mentors, and established leaders in the digital space. Many participants expressed excitement at meeting like-minded individuals and finding potential collaborators for future projects.
The celebration of World Youth Skills Day 2025 by NASCO has set a benchmark for how corporate organizations can engage meaningfully with Nigeria’s youth. Through powerful conversations, actionable knowledge, and a spirit of collaboration, the event demonstrated that AI and digital skills are not just buzzwords—but tools for building a better, inclusive, and prosperous future.
