MANY residents of Kuje community in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, are currently living in fear over alleged planned attack on the medium correctional facility in town.
The ICIR gathered that the residents of different settlements under the community fled into their homes before 6:pm on Wednesday, April 1, over rumoured curfew allegedly imposed on parts of the town.
A message containing the rumour claimed there would be a restriction of movement from 6:pm to 6:am daily till further notice in areas including Wowo Garage to Chibiri village along Gwagwalada Road, Shadadi, Shetuko, and Kango parts of the town.
The rumour has been widely shared on social media platforms, including Whatsapp groups of religious bodies, namely churches and mosques, as well as other associations.
The ICIR earlier reported that soldiers had continued to occupy the area and conducted searches on uncompleted buildings and other locations since Friday, March 27.
Military personnel armed with whips and weapons were observed preventing motorists from parking along the Pasali/Shedadi Junction opposite the Prison Road.
Residents of Shetuko, a community behind the prison, have since been going through the Freedom Estate, a burden that adds about two kilometres to their journey if they are heading to the centre of Kuje, or going out of the town. Soldiers in trucks, were seen around the junction.
Some residents who spoke with The ICIR said commercial motorcyclists had doubled their fares in response to the situation. Others, who previously opted to walk due to rising petrol prices and increased transport costs, said the new restrictions had made movement significantly more difficult.
By Saturday morning, both motorcycles and vehicle were not allowed to drive through the Prison Road which leads to Shetuko community and surrounding areas around the correctional centre.
However, the Nigerian Correctional Service said the decision was part of the government’s efforts to protect lives and safeguard the critical national infrastructure.
Situation now tougher, residents say
On Wednesday, April 1, residents in Shetuko and Shedadi were seen fleeing into their homes shortly before 6:pm “to avert arrest by soldiers.”
However, all residents who spoke with The ICIR said the military officers had been civil and did not molest law-abiding citizens.
Several gun trucks are positioned in different parts of the area, with fierce-looking, gun-wielding and hooded soldiers keeping vigil day and night.
The correctional centre was previously attacked in 2022, leading to its fortification and remodeling by the Federal Government.
During that incident, the Nigerian Correctional Service reported that 879 inmates escaped, while five people, including an officer of the NSCDC and four inmates, lost their lives. The attackers, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, reportedly freed 64 of their members held at the facility.
Since the 2022 attack on the facility in Kuje, alongside several others across the nation under the late President Muhammadu Buhari administration, military has been deployed to protect correctional centres in the country.
Sources confirmed to The ICIR that the correctional centre is the first target of terrorists in the nation’s capital, as the nation is currently overwhelmed by insecurity, largely orchestrated by terrorists.
Terrorists had attacked the Nigeria Police headquarters, known as Louis Edet House, and the United Nations Building in Federal Capital Territory.
NCoS’ response to invasion
The ICIR contacted the spokesperson for the NCoS, Jane Osuji, last Saturday, over the development. She said the military had been protecting the facility and their presence was normal.
“Security agencies, if you have been covering them, you don’t expect them to give you information about their operations. It is for your protection. It’s not everything that’s supposed to be out there, for the benefit of the people. Because of the current insecurity around the country, we just need to trust and believe that they have our interest at heart. They are working for us; it is for our benefit.
“Kuje Custodial Centre is safe. There is nothing that is unusual about soldiers being in and around the custodial centre. They have been there with us. As far as I am concerned, as I am speaking with you, there is no emergency or security concerns other than the fact that the custodial centre has to be protected as required.”
ON March 19, young girls who stepped out of their homes, some unaware a festival, were sexually harassed in Ozoro, Delta state. While there have been different versions of the events, The ICIR found that the incidents were not entirely new or isolated, with multiple women targeted across the community.
Seventeen-year-old Mercy could still remember the chilling moment a man dragged her by her top. It was well over 10 days but the trauma refused to leave. She could barely sleep and was writhing in pain which she had hidden away from her parents.
Mercy broke down as she recalled the incident that unfolded near the boundary between Etevie and Oramudu in Ozoro in March, where she was caught in a sudden surge of men that left her unable to escape.
Mercy, one of the victims sexually harrassed during a festival in Ozoro. credit: ICIR
She had gone out to see a friend that evening around a popular place called Hospital Road, not far from where a festival was taking place in Oramudu. She said she did not go to the festival site itself and had no expectation of being drawn into the events unfolding.
Within minutes, a young man on a motorcycle singled her out and moved toward her before calling others in the area. The situation quickly escalated as more people converged, forming a crowd she estimated at over 50 individuals.
She was forced to the ground as the crowd closed in, leaving her overwhelmed and unable to regain her footing amid the pressure from those around her. During the process, her phone got damaged by the ravaging young men.
“I was so scared and embarrassed. Like 20 people touched my breasts. I felt like crying,” she said, adding that, “I was happy that it happened in the night, because many people in the town didn’t see my face.”
Mercy showing the screen of her phone damaged from the attack she suffered on the night of March 19. PC: Mustapha Usman/ICIR
Mercy eventually escaped the scene when a man pulled her out of the crowd and led her to a corner, from where she managed to flee.
The experience, she narrated, has left her shaken, embarrassed, and unable to return to the area since the incident occurred.
Mercy was not alone.
Across Oramudu that evening, multiple women found themselves caught in similar scenes surrounded, chased, pulled, their bodies turned into targets in a space that had suddenly become unsafe. The community, located just a few kilometres from Southern Delta University campus, where students move in and out daily, made female students at risk of gang violence.
Like Mercy, Peace, a 300-level student at Southern Delta University, had no idea the evening would take a dangerous turn. She had stepped out briefly to retrieve her power bank, hopping on a motorcycle and heading toward her destination.
When she arrived at the shop, she was suddenly pulled off the bike by a group of young men who appeared to be lying in wait for unsuspecting women.
“When I got there, a group of boys started shouting, ‘you people should hold her, she’s a girl.’ Then they started dragging my clothes ensuring that I would go naked,” she said.
“I was screaming for them to let me go. They tore my dress and I lost my things. They forced me, pressing my breast,” she added.
Over the past two weeks, anger and outrage have spread across Nigeria following allegations of gang molestation and sexual violations of women in parts of Ozoro, Delta State, linked to activities surrounding a local fertility festival.
While the incidents have triggered widespread calls on social media for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, they are far from isolated. Sexual and gender-based violence remains a persistent and deeply rooted challenge across the country, often surfacing in waves of public attention after particularly disturbing cases.
According to findings by the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s 2018 global poll, Nigeria ranked among the most dangerous places in the world for women, largely due to the prevalence of sexual violence, cultural stigma, and weak enforcement of protective laws.
Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics also suggests that sexual offences remain widespread, though significantly under-reported, with many survivors never formally reporting cases to authorities.
In many communities, incidents are further compounded by silence, fear of stigma, and limited access to justice, leaving survivors to navigate trauma without institutional support.
Backstory
On Thursday March 19, 2026, Oramudu, one of the five quarters that make up Ozoro in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, held its Alue-Do fertility festival. The celebration, according to findings, was rooted in Isoko tradition and centred on prayers and rituals for fertility, childbirth, and family continuity
There was no clear timeline for the ritual, as residents gave conflicting accounts. Some said it is held every five to seven years, while others claimed it takes place every ten years.
“Alue” is understood locally as a spiritual force associated with fruitfulness, and the festival traditionally involves symbolic rites performed by priests for women (or couples) seeking conception.
In practice, women who take part are usually guided through spiritual rites that include prayers and the symbolic use of sand from sacred grounds, believed to carry blessings.
Some of residents who spoke with The ICIR described it as a cultural exercise meant to support women struggling with infertility and to reinforce communal beliefs around fertility.
Usually the priest and some of the residents go to the farm (forest) to make ritual around noon and normally return to the community around 3-4pm. During this time, women experiencing infertility, alongside their couples, join them as they walk down the streets. Elderly women then pour sand on them and offer prayers, seeking divine blessings for fertility.
“It is an age-long tradition that children and women who are married for about 20, 10, 15 years, will be privileged to interface with aged women above 40, 60, 70, that no longer give birth. They will bring sand from the shrine and throw it on their belly, and they will conceive.
“It is principally a festival of fertility for women and to increase the family unit, as it were in the days of old. So, that is the nature of this festival. Single women are not expected to see the chief priest. If a single lady that is not married sees them, there will be infertility all over the place. That is why I said, it is expected that only people who are looking for the fruit of the womb are expected to be out at that time,” one of the sources said.
The ICIR gathered that the long-standing local expectations around the festival include informal social restrictions, particularly around unmarried women being discouraged from moving freely during the period of the rites.
Community accounts, corroborated with viral videos and independent findings show that during the 2026 edition, this informal norm was loosely enforced by groups of young men who took it upon themselves to “monitor” movement around the festival spaces.
It was in this atmosphere that the situation escalated. In many of the situations sighted, several women, including Mercy and Peace were crying for help as a group of men sexually harassed and attacked them in public.
In one of the clips, a male voice was heard claiming that any woman who stepped outside during the period risked being raped. Another clip showed a lady being dragged on the ground, with men attempting to tear her clothes, while manhandling her. She was later seen to be rescued by another person. However, several other ladies were chased down the street by several men.
The price for coming out
Findings by The ICIR show that while the stakeholders have tried to debunk the 2026 incident and dubbed it as work of ‘hijackers’, the targeting of unmarried women during the Alue-Do festival is not entirely new. Residents said that in previous years, enforcement of the “stay indoors” warning often took the form of public harassment rather than organised violence.
Several community members decried a pattern where men took it upon themselves to patrol Oramudu streets during the festival, chasing unmarried women who were seen outside. In some cases, the women were pursued back to their homes amid shouting and ridicule.
Though not as widespread or as chaotic as what unfolded in 2026, according to these residents, they said these actions were a culture of fear and intimidation for young women in the area.
‘I was almost raped in 2015’
In 2015, Esther (real name withheld for protection) had just moved to Ozoro after getting married. Being new to the community, she tried to settle into a routine, opening her small shop and learning the ways of the town.
One of the residents narrating her ordeal in 2015. PC: Mustapha Usman/ICIR
When the festival came around that year, she treated it like any other day but her mother-in-law drew her attention to the possible dangers of not closing her shop.
She remembered being told to close her shop early. At the time, she said, it sounded like one of those things people say about local customs, so she tried to observe from outside. “I didn’t take it seriously,” she admitted.
But by 4pm, the mood in the area began to change. Some group of young men started moving through the streets in clusters.
“When the time came, boys and men started chasing girls. When we saw this, we ran into a shop and watched from behind.”
Esther would later run into a nearby shop and watch from behind, trying to make sense of the chaos outside. She said she could see women being chased from where she stood.
But that was not all. She was later attacked by some young boys on her way home.
“They were like 30 or more,” she said, adding, “They tried to rape me until an elderly woman appealed to them. That year’s festival for me was even harder than this year’s but there was no social media.”
The ICIR could not independently confirm this account. However, The Deputy President General of Ozoro Inonoje Emmanuel, confirmed that although the unmarried women were not to be “sexually harassed,” they were often shouted at and ‘chased’ inside.
“They will pursue them to go inside because they are not expected to see them. Those aged women will shout at them,” he said.
More cases of harassment
Witnesses and victims’ accounts showed that the harassment was not limited to one location, but spread across different parts of the town, with multiple incidents reported within a short period.
Gwake junction, where about five ladies were said to have been sexually harassed. Mustapha Usman/ICIR
At Gwake, residents alleged that about five women were harassed during the incident. According to accounts, the women were caught in the confusion as groups of young men moved through the area, leaving several people scared and scrambling for safety.
A local phone repairer, who simply introduced himself as Ken, said the situation around Gwake junction, on March 19, began when a bike rider passed through the area carrying a young woman, which appeared to trigger tension among a group of youths already gathered around the festival route.
He dismissed widespread claims of rape in the area and described the harassment as selective, saying only some young women, mostly students, were targeted, while others passed without being disturbed.
He explained that about five girls were touched and chased before being forced to run to safety.
“They mostly targeted fresh students. Any woman they didn’t consider attractive, they didn’t harass. And they would never try to harass someone’s mother, because people would react quickly.
“One of the girls who was harassed was rescued by my neighbour who sells provisions. He allowed the girl into his shop and stopped those boys from disturbing her again,” Ken, who was in his shop when the incident happened, added.
Witnesses further said similar incidents were recorded along the major road, where travellers on motorcycles and unsuspecting passers-by were caught up in the confusion, particularly those who were unaware that the festival was taking place.
Eye witnesses said some women were harassed around the Hospital road. Mustapha Usman/ICIR
The ICIR gathered that at Hospital Road, opposite Stop n’ Chop Restaurant, about five other girls were harassed during the same period.
‘I thought I would die’
“I was so scared. I wasn’t even seeing anything before someone rescued me from the crowd of over 50 people. I thought I would die,” these were the words of Mercy as she continued narrating her ordeal.
Mercy, who is in SS-3 and lives in Oruto, said she was lucky to have been pulled out of the situation by a man she did not know, just as the crowd closed in on her and she struggled to break free.
“I think they would have done something worse than what they did to me, like rape me because they were already dragging my trouser to come down,” she added.
She said the intervention came at a critical moment when she had already been overwhelmed and could barely comprehend what was happening around her.
Mercy said that even after she broke free, she struggled to regain composure, as the shock left her disoriented and unable to understand the full extent of what had happened.
Beyond the physical injuries, she described lasting emotional distress, saying she now feels unsafe passing through the same area where the incident occurred.
“I don’t even like going there again. People laugh when they see me pass,” she said, adding that the stigma and embarrassment from the incident has made it difficult for her to speak openly about it.
Blessing was on a motorcycle when four men grabbed her from behind and pulled her down. Immediately, the four boys started touching her inappropriately.
“As they were touching my body, I told them I was on my period, but they asked how much I could pay to get my freedom. I told them N5,000, but they later forced me to send N10,000” she said.
Like Blessing, Emilia had just returned from a trip and was approaching her hostel when the motorcycle she was on stopped. In seconds, she was pulled down.
According to her, some of the boys began rummaging through her items. It was only when students from her hostel rushed in that she was pulled free.
“I was on my way back from a trip when they attacked me at Aso Rock junction. They dragged me off the bike, tore my clothes, and began touching me inappropriately. They harassed me while others destroyed my belongings.
“It was my hostel boys who eventually came and rescued me. I told my parents what happened, and they asked me to come home or said they would come to meet me. But I told them I should wait since investigations had already started.”
Some of the student hostels off campus deserted due to the March 19 incident. Mustapha Usman/ICIR
A visit to the university environment and nearby hostels showed an unusual stillness. Many rooms were locked, and the surroundings had thinned out. Although The ICIR gathered that the students had just concluded their exams—a period when some typically leave town—students and residents said the level of emptiness was not normal.
Southern Delta University. Mustapha Usman/ICIR
The Students’ Union Government (SUG) President, Oribelua Precious, confirmed that at least six students had reported being harassed, noting that efforts were ongoing to compile a full list of affected persons.
The Dean of Students Affairs of the Southern Delta University, Oghnerukevwe Prosper, declined to speak when contacted.
Sexual violence blamed on ‘hoodlums’, poor communication
Authorities in Ozoro have blamed the wave of sexual harassment during the festival on “hoodlums” who allegedly hijacked the process, while also pointing to poor communication by organisers as a major trigger of the chaos.
The Deputy President General of the community, Inoneje Emmanuel, said the organisers failed to follow established procedures by not informing the central leadership or the monarch ahead of the event.
He said the announcement was made only within the host community and in the Isoko language, excluding the larger population of residents, students, and visitors in the increasingly cosmopolitan town who could not understand the message.
“They were supposed to pass the message through the administrative organ of the kingdom, which would then inform the king, but they did not do it,” he said.
This communication gap, many said, left many residents unaware of the timing, movement, and restrictions tied to the ritual, leading unsuspecting women and passers by to move through affected areas where they became targets.
Emmanuel added that the absence of proper coordination created an opening that was exploited, adding that, “the process was hijacked by some hoodlums and miscreants. People who had no role in the festival took advantage of the situation.”
The Delta State Police command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bright Edafe, explained that proper procedures were not followed in organising the festival, noting that key stakeholders, including the traditional ruler, school authorities, student representatives, and the police, were not informed beforehand.
18 suspects arrested, some granted bail
Meanwhile, the Delta state police on March 20, a day after the incident confirmed that it had arrested the chief organiser, Omorede Sunday, and four other suspects.
By March 23, additional arrests had been made following further review of evidence. Police authorities said those arrested were transferred to the State Command Headquarters for investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department.
Edafe, said two more suspects were later apprehended, increasing the total number of arrests to 18. He added that some of the suspects have since been granted bail.
According to him, the offences under investigation are bailable, and the suspects will be formally charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Editor’s note: The real names of some sources, including victims, in this report have been withheld to protect their identities.
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed former Senate President, David Mark, as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing a ruling by the Court of Appeal.
The decision was announced on Wednesday, April 1, after the commission said it reviewed the judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026, which arose from a leadership dispute within the party.
INEC said it would also remove the names of members of the party’s National Working Committee led by Mark from its official portal, in compliance with the court’s directive to maintain the “status quo ante bellum,” the situation before the dispute began.
The commission explained that the decision meant it would no longer recognise Mark or his team as officials of the party pending the final determination of the case before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The dispute is between Mark and Nafiu Bala Gombe, who claimed he should lead the party as acting national chairman following the resignation of the previous leadership.
Gombe had approached the court to stop Mark’s group from parading themselves as party leaders and to compel INEC to recognise him instead.
However, INEC said it would not recognise either faction for now, adding that it would not accept communications from any of the groups or monitor any meetings, congresses, or conventions organised in the name of the ADC until the case is resolved.
The electoral body also declined Gombe’s request to take over the party’s leadership, insisting it would remain neutral while the matter is still before the court.
INEC noted that although Mark’s leadership emerged after a party meeting in July 2025 and was uploaded to its portal in September 2025, the Court of Appeal ruling requires a return to the status quo before the lawsuit was filed in September 2025.
“Since the names of the current National Working Committee members led by Senator David Mark were uploaded on 9th September, 2025 by INEC (7 days after the suit was instituted), the names would be removed from the INEC portal pursuant to the order of the Court of Appeal to maintain the status quo ante bellum until the matter is decided by the trial court,” the commission argued.
Dismissal of Mark’s appeal
The dispute dates back to July 2025, when a new National Working Committee led by Mark emerged after the resignation of the previous leadership.
However, Gombe, who was the party’s vice-national chairman, rejected the arrangement, insisting he did not resign and should have automatically assumed leadership in line with the party’s constitution
He subsequently filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to stop Mark’s group from parading themselves as party leaders and to compel INEC to recognise him instead.
Mark’s camp challenged the case at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the lower court lacked jurisdiction, but the appellate court dismissed the appeal and upheld the continuation of the case at the Federal High Court.
Reacting to this on Wednesday, the electoral umpire said that it would be obeying the Court of Appeal ruling, which dismissed Mark’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court and ordered all parties to maintain the status quo to avoid undermining the ongoing case.
“Accordingly, in order to protect the integrity of the proceedings and the eventual determination of the substantive suit pending before the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025,” the commission wrote, adding that parties “are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall refrain from taking any step or doing any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.”
The commission urged all political actors to respect judicial processes and avoid actions that could disrupt preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The ICIR reports that the ADC has been widely seen as the only major opposition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which produced President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
Tinubu is currently gearing up to seek re-election, and many Nigerians believe the ADC is the only viable opposition to the APC, given that 32 of Nigeria’s 36 governors are currently in the APC.
Despite the influx of the Nigeria governors into the APC, prominent politicians, including former vice president Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir Lawal, former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwanso, former minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, and former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi are among the leading figures in the ADC.
Meanwhile, there are concerns that the ADC may not participate in the 2027 polls should the case in court lingers and INEC refuses to change its position on not recognising any of the party’s leaders.
According to the INEC timetable, political parties are to conduct their primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026.
The ADC’s failure to resolve its leadership crisis will mean that the APC goes to the poll without a major challenge, as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), once branded as Africa’s largest political party, has seen its membership depleted by mass defections and currently faces similar leadership crisis.
AT least 30 students of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, were hospitalised on Wednesday, April 1, after a suspected gas leak caused panic in the school.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred shortly after morning assembly when fumes believed to have emanated from gas explosion or school laboratory spread across the school premises.
The gas immediately left students and staff struggling to breathe, with some collapsing after inhaling the gas.
The state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed the development, noting that about 30 students were affected and rushed to the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode.
”Some students were affected, about 30, and they were rushed to the General Hospital in Ijebu Ode. Most of them are now in stable condition, and some have been discharged,” The Cable quoted the commissioner to have said.
Oresanya added that there was no evidence of a gas pipeline or industrial facility around the school, noting that investigators were still trying to determine the exact source of the fumes. He said preliminary findings suggested the possibility of human activity, including the use of gas cylinders in nearby areas.
He also explained that during inspection, officials discovered a bush close to the school, raising suspicions that the substance might have originated from there.
However, there has been confusion over the exact cause of the incident. Some accounts suggested a possible laboratory-related chemical spill within the school, while others pointed to a suspected gas cylinder leak in the surrounding environment.
Oresanya added that there were no industrial facilities in the area capable of causing such pollution.
“Some teachers also confirmed that the odour that filled the school premises smelled like carbide. So, it is possible that a carbide gas cylinder exploded somewhere,” he added.
He, however, assured residents that investigations were ongoing and promised to release further details once the source of the leak is confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Director of the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, Banjo Adeoye, confirmed that 30 students and one teacher were brought to the facility.
He added that most of the affected persons were in stable condition, although the exact substance responsible for the incident had yet to be identified.
THE FEDERAL High Court sitting in Kaduna has remanded former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) after adjourning the hearing of his bail application to April 14.
The presiding judge, Rilwanu Aikawa, fixed the new date on Wednesday, April 1, following submissions from both the defence counsel and the prosecution in the ongoing case.
El-Rufai was recently arraigned by the Commission on a 10-count criminal charge concerning allegations of the diversion of public assets and money laundering offences.
The charges include claims that he unlawfully received about N579 million as severance allowance, far exceeding the approved entitlement, and multiple foreign currency transfers suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that the former governor received $320,800 through several transactions between 2017 and 2023, in addition to other sums in foreign currencies from individuals said to be at large. Prosecutors further accused him of conspiring to conceal the origin of funds in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Meanwhile, this is the second time the court has adjourned the bail hearing. The court had on March 24 adjourned ruling on his bail application to March 31 after to March 31 after the counsels to the accused, and litigants presented arguments.
The former governor, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
While the defence urged the court to grant bail on constitutional grounds, the prosecution opposed it, citing the gravity of the charges and the risk of interference with ongoing investigations.
El-Rufai is also scheduled to appear before the State High Court on April 10 in a separate matter instituted by the ICPC.
The proceedings at the State High Court, earlier on Tuesday, March 31, were stalled after the absence of the second defendant, Amadu Sule (Leda), prevented the arraignment from going ahead as scheduled.
Consequently, the case was adjourned to April 10, 2026, for continuation of proceedings.
According to the charge sheet marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26 obtained by The ICIR, the defendants were accused of offences allegedly committed between 2015 and 2025 during and after El-Rufai’s tenure as governor.
Prosecutors alleged that, in December 2016, while serving as governor, El-Rufai induced the Kaduna State Government to approve an alleged N11 billion payment to Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project that was never executed.
He was also accused of allegedly approving and receiving severance payments exceeding N289 million in 2020 and 2023, above his legally entitled entitlements, an act prosecutors say amounts to abuse of office and corruption.
In another count, the prosecution alleged that between March and November 2022, El-Rufai and another person at large dishonestly disposed of $1,085,066.38 in World Bank loan funds, allegedly in violation of a loan agreement.
NIGERIA’S Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has yet to step down from his position following a directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu mandating all political appointees seeking elective office to resign by March 31.
The directive, announced by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), ordered all affected political appointees, including ministers, ministers of state, special advisers, senior aides, and heads of federal agencies, to step down if they intend to participate in party primaries or contest elective positions in the 2027 general elections.
According to the government, the directive aligns with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which outlines party primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, ahead of the 2027 polls.
The statement, signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations at the OSGF, Dewan Goshit, stressed that the order was issued to ensure full compliance with electoral laws, promote transparency in governance, and guarantee a level playing field for all aspirants.
It further directed affected officials to submit their resignation letters through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation before the deadline.
Following the expiration of the deadline, at least three ministers and several other political appointees have resigned from their positions to pursue various elective offices.
The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Ahmed Alkali, was among the first to step down after meeting Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. He is expected to contest the governorship of Gombe State in 2027.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, also resigned his position to pursue the Bauchi State governorship race.
Tuggar, a former diplomat and ex-member of the House of Representatives, is reportedly positioning for a return to state politics after serving in Tinubu’s cabinet since 2023.
Similarly, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Tanko Sununu, resigned his appointment and is said to be preparing to contest a senatorial seat in Kebbi State.
Other political appointees have also exited federal boards and agencies in compliance with the directive, including Nasiru Gawuna, who resigned from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and reportedly joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as well as Abdulrazak Namdas of the Niger Delta Development Commission board, and presidential aide Nasir Ja’oji, who stepped down to pursue a seat in the House of Representatives.
However, Adelabu is yet to publicly announce his resignation, even as he is widely believed to be preparing to contest the Oyo State governorship election in 2027.
In a viral video in October 2025, Adelabu declared his ambition as he recalled his previous defeats to Governor Seyi Makinde in 2019 and 2023
“I have now paid my dues. I contested against Seyi (Makinde) in 2019. In 2023, I also contested against Seyi, then as the sitting governor. But in 2027, God has shown that it’s our turn. It’s Adelabu’s turn. Anything that belongs to Adelabu belongs to us all,” he had said.
In the video, he expressed confidence that the next election would be different.
This means that with this development, Adelabu and other members of the president’s cabinet interested in elective offices in 2027 might have shelved their ambitions.
Persistently poor power supply under Adelabu
Adelabu’s political ambition comes amid growing criticism of his performance as Minister of Power since his appointment in August 2023, particularly as Nigerians grapple with worsening electricity supply during the current heat season.
Despite Nigeria’s installed generation capacity of about 13,625 megawatts, actual electricity supply has remained below 5,000 megawatts. Data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission shows that only about 5,506MW was transmitted in October 2025, while early 2026 figures indicate an average of 4,901MW available for dispatch—just 36 per cent of capacity.
The sector has also been plagued by recurring national grid collapses. Over the past five years, the grid has recorded at least 26 system failures, with nine occurring in 2024 alone, often plunging large parts of the country into prolonged blackouts.
While the federal government introduced tariff reforms under Adelabu’s leadership – targeting higher-paying customers to reduce subsidy burdens – many Nigerians say increased electricity costs have not translated into improved service delivery.
Industry challenges, including over ₦6 trillion in sector debt and persistent gas supply shortages, continue to limit generation. Gas-fired plants, which form the backbone of Nigeria’s power supply, are receiving less than half of the fuel required for optimal operation, forcing operators to reduce output.
As a result, households and businesses remain heavily reliant on petrol and diesel generators, significantly increasing the cost of living and doing business.
TENSION has escalated across parts of Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State following the relaxation of the curfew imposed by the state government.
Residents informed The ICIR that fresh clashes broke out among communities in the LGA Wednesday morning.
The unrest followed recent attacks in Angwan Rukuba, in Jos North, where violence had earlier forced authorities to impose movement restrictions.
Although the curfew was partially eased to allow residents carry out essential activities, the decision appears to have triggered renewed hostilities.
Findings by The ICIR show that retaliatory attacks have spread across multiple flashpoints, particularly within the Jos North.
Areas such as Nasarawa Gwong, Bauchi Road, Farin Gada, and the Gada Biyu axis have witnessed heightened tension, with reports of clashes and reprisal attacks among residents.
The ICIR sighted videos of chaotic scenes, with groups confronting one another in the streets and, in some cases, clashing with security operatives.
This organisation also gathered that the violence has taken on a sectarian dimension, with Christian and Muslim youths allegedly targeting each other in parts of the area.
Security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, have been deployed to contain the unrest, but sources said operatives are overstretched as incidents occur simultaneously across several locations.
Traders and residents have shut their shops and locked their doors, while travellers are making detours to avoid the violence.
Background
THE Plateau State Government had imposed a 48-hour curfew in Jos North Local Government Area following a deadly attack on March 29 in Gari Ya Waye community, Angwan Rukuba by gunmen.
The attack immediately led to a retaliatory attack by mobs who reportedly killed dozens of people.
The curfew, announced by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, took effect from midnight of March 29 to April 1.
The government said the decision was taken after the incident resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, with authorities seeking to prevent further escalation of violence.
The Plateau State Police Command confirmed that at least 14 persons were initially killed in the attack.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, the Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah, led a joint security team, including tactical units and other agencies, to the scene shortly after receiving a distress call. Security operatives subsequently launched operations to track down the perpetrators, combing nearby bushes and surrounding areas.
Authorities said the victims’ bodies were evacuated to a mortuary for autopsy, while efforts to identify them and arrest those responsible were ongoing.
Meanwhile, residents claimed that no fewer than 20 people died during the attack on the Angwu Rukuba community.
The attack sparked widespread fear, with residents sharing videos online showing bodies lying on the ground, while eyewitnesses reported that the assault occurred around 8:30 p.m. amid gunfire.
The incident also disrupted academic activities, as the University of Jos postponed examinations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, citing security concerns and rising tension in and around the area.
The ICIR reports that Plateau State has endured recurring waves of violence in recent years, including attacks, kidnappings, and cattle rustling.
In January, nine persons were reportedly killed during a crossover night celebration in Jos South, while in 2025, coordinated attacks in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi left more than 100 people dead and displaced thousands.
AFRICAN Women in Media [AWiM] is inviting submissions for its 10th annual conference and Global Forum — AWiM26 Conference, which will take place in Namibia.
AWiM26 will bring together leaders from media, creative industries, technology, policy, academia, and finance to explore how inclusive leadership can shape the future of media systems.
The 2026 conference also marks 10 years of AWiM’s work advancing gender equality in and through media and will reflect on progress while addressing barriers that still limit women’s participation in media leadership and media economies.
The organisers are inviting contributions from professionals working across journalism, film & television, radio, publishing, music & advertising, sports media, gaming, content creation & influencer industry, community storytelling, digital platforms & media financing.
The conference will also mark the launch of the Windhoek Framework for Inclusive Media Economies, an initiative aimed at strengthening fair participation of African media organisations and creators in regional and global media systems through equitable partnerships, inclusive leadership, and digital protection.
Organisers say they welcome research-based, practice-based, policy-oriented, tech-focused, creative, experimental, or cross-disciplinary proposals.
They are also encouraging content creators, podcasters, YouTubers, TikTok creators, newsletter writers, and community media practitioners to apply.
Deadline: April 30, 2026. Interested applicants can apply here.
INTERNEWS’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is pleased to announce an in-person Fellowship programme that will support selected fellows to attend and report from the Our Ocean Conference scheduled for June 16-18, 2026, in Mombasa, Kenya.
The 11th Our Ocean Conference – and the first to take place in Africa – will focus on the theme of ‘Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future’ and will also explore Kenya’s domestic priorities, such as elevating youth ocean leaders and strengthening collaboration to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Fellows will travel to Mombasa, Kenya, to attend the entire duration of the Our Ocean Conference, which will take place from June 16-18, with arrival planned for June 14 and departure on June 19. An Orientation Day, organised by EJN staff, will take place on June 15 and will provide training on the key topics of the conference and will feature guest speakers and a field trip.
EJN will cover non-refundable economy-class airfare, accommodation, meals, travel medical insurance and ground transportation costs related to fellowship participation. Organisers will also facilitate the press accreditation process and provide logistical support relating to the trip. Please note that the process of obtaining any necessary visas is the fellow’s individual responsibility, though EJN will reimburse visa costs. Fellows will also receive a per diem to cover daily expenses during their time in Mombasa.
Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio). We encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organisations – international, national, local and community-based.
Apply by April 7, 2026. Interested applicants can apply here.
TECHNOLOGY glitch and poor sensitisation are hindering tax filing efforts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as many residents fail to meet the March 31 deadline set by the FCT Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
The ICIR reports that many residents are struggling to file their tax returns, with some making last-minute attempts to beat the deadline and avoid penalties.
The 31 March deadline for tax filing in Nigeria is a statutory requirement for individuals to file their annual income tax returns. This applies to employees under PAYE, self-employed individuals, freelancers, content creators, landlords, investors, and anyone earning income from multiple sources.
Some FCT residents at the Kubwa FCT-IRS office in a last-ditch effort to meet the 31st March deadline
At the Kubwa office in Abuja, officials are helping taxpayers navigate the process, but many informal traders are just learning about the requirements.
“Many of them are coming in for the first time to make inquiries,” a tax official, Habib Aliyu, told TheICIR. He noted, however, that manual filing was not an option, as the government used a centralised system to monitor tax inflows.
At the Gwarimpa office of the FCT-IRS, businessmen and civil servants were seen making inquiries and interacting with officials about the status of their tax filing. Some were also seeking answers to tax-filing difficulties they encountered.
“I am here to file my annual tax returns and seek further clarifications since I am not so conversant with their app. I have been struggling to do it on my own, but to no avail. I was advised to come here and a tax officer, Habib Aliy,u has helped me to sort it out, “Femi Ogundipe, who works with a government hospital in Abuja, told The ICIR.
A tax consultant, Kennedy Iwundu, criticised the FCT revenue portal, saying it was not user-friendly, as he called out poor sensitisation of residents and businessmen on the usage
“The FCT-IRS has an existing portal, but people haven’t been educated about it,” he said, adding that many tax consultants were also not familiar with the portal, leading to the rush to the FCT-IRS offices.
Lagos extends tax filing to April 14
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has announced an extension of the deadline for filing individual annual tax returns to April 14, 2026, offering taxpayers an additional two weeks beyond the initial April 1 deadline.
According to the agency, the extension is intended to provide individuals with ample time to accurately complete and submit their returns.
It emphasised that timely tax filing remained a statutory obligation that should be taken seriously by all eligible taxpayers.
LIRS also reiterated that all filings must be carried out electronically via its eTax platform, noting that manual submission had been fully phased out.
Taxpayers were further advised to verify the accuracy of their Tax Identification Number, TaxID, to prevent processing delays or errors.
The directive applies to all individuals earning taxable income, including salaried employees, business operators, self-employed persons, professionals, and participants in the informal sector.
Under existing tax regulations, individuals are required to declare their total earnings for the preceding year, January 1 to December 31, 2025, within the first 90 days of a new assessment cycle.
The development comes on the heels of a similar adjustment earlier in the year, when the agency extended the deadline for employers’ annual returns from February 1 to February 7.
At the national level, Nigeria’s tax administration is currently undergoing reforms, with the introduction of key legislations such as the Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Act, the Joint Revenue Service Establishment Act, the Nigerian Tax Act, and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act, all aimed at strengthening compliance and modernising the country’s tax system.
