PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu’s power to override the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on revenue remittance with an executive order is being questioned in several quarters.
Some oil and gas governance experts differ in their stance, with some also noting that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) should be amended since it is already an act of the parliament passed and signed by the executive.
On Wednesday, February 18, Tinubu signed an executive order directing remittance of oil and gas revenues to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
By this order, all taxes, royalties and profits under Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) are to be fully remitted to the federation account.
The order, the Presidency said, would safeguard and enhance oil and gas revenues for the federation, curb wasteful spending and eliminate duplicate structures in the oil and gas sector.
According to the order, which has been officially gazetted, the NNPC will no longer collect and manage the 30 per cent frontier exploration fund.
Similarly, all operators/contractors of oil and gas assets held under a Production Sharing contract shall, from the date the order was issued, pay royalty oil, tax oil, profit oil, profit gas, and any other interest due to the government of the federation directly to the federation account.
The Presidency said Tinubu had also suspended payments of the has flare penalty into the midstream and downstream gas infrastructure fund.
However, in a statement, Wumi Iledare, an oil governance expert and a professor Emeritus of Petroleum Economics, told The ICIR that there were some merits and demerits in the order.
He noted that the order represented a significant fiscal intervention within Nigeria’s petroleum governance framework and signaled a renewed effort to strengthen revenue transparency, reduce discretionary retention, and improve statutory remittances to the three tiers of government.
He emphasised that apart from the intent to safeguard revenues, certain aspects of the order intersected directly with provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
Citing an instance, Iledare argued that the Frontier Exploration Fund, the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, and existing Production Sharing Contract (PSC) fiscal structures were statutory constructs established by the National Assembly.
While executive authority under Section 5 of the Constitution empowers the president to implement and enforce laws, Iledare pointed out that substantive alterations to statutory fiscal frameworks might require legislative amendment to ensure constitutional alignment and institutional certainty.
On the question of direct remittance of royalty oil, tax oil, and profit oil to the Federation Account, he said the order had the potential to enhance transparency and reduce intermediation.
He stated, however, that the implementation must be carefully sequenced to preserve contractual stability and avoid unintended legal or investor confidence challenges.
Iledare also observes that the structural dual role of NNPC Limited — as both commercial operator and concessionaire under certain arrangements — has long presented institutional tensions within the post-PIA framework.
“Any reform aimed at reinforcing NNPC’s commercial identity must be anchored in legal clarity and predictable governance mechanisms,” he stressed.
Making a similar submission, the Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the instrument of an executive order did not confer legislative powers on the president.
He clarified further executive order is issued as a supplement to the proper execution of existing legislation.
“A bill passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President can only be amended by a subsequent act of the parliament. The president cannot use an executive order to vary, suspend or rewrite a validly enacted act,” he added.
POWER Generation Companies (GENCOs) has said the Presidential Villa’s decision to disconnect fully from the national grid by March 2026 represented a vote of no confidence in on-grid power.
They argued that the decision, facilitated by a ₦17 billion independent solar mini-grid project, made the national grid unfit for purpose.
Besides also noted that it would further send wrong signals to investors in on-grid power, as rising debts in the sector remained alarming.
Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, had defended the project, stating that it was unsustainable for the Presidential Villa to continue paying an annual electricity bill of approximately N47 billion.
The Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generating Companies (APGC), Joy Ogaji, who spoke on the development with The ICIR in an exclusive interview noted that the migration had been viewed in some quarters as a cost-saving measure to curb excessive billing, adding, however, that “the implication for on-grid power is severe, as it represents a sovereign vote of no confidence in the national grid.”
According to Ogaji, being the regulator, policymaker, and largest equity holder in the transmission network (TCN), bypassing its own infrastructure constitutes a total failure of the Service-Based Tariff (SBT) model.
“It signals to the market and to local and international investors that the national grid is no longer a viable platform for critical infrastructure,” she said.
The migration, Ogaji argued, not only removed a premium “Band A” consumer from the revenue pool but risked catalysing a “grid defection” domino effect among other premium industrial and government consumers. This, she said, would compound liquidity problems in the sector and weaken investors’ confidence in the sector.
She stressed that GenCos’ legacy debts surpassed ₦6 trillion (as of Q4 2025), with the recent ₦501 billion bond issuance covering less than 10 per cent of outstanding obligations, which she said would compound debt woes, adding that “This migration to solar is ill-timed as it raises an existential threat not to the GenCos but to the sector.”
She further disclosed that the Nigerian electricity market relied on a cross-subsidy model, which the exit of the Villa to solar could lead to revenue erosion.
“The loss of the Presidential Villa’s monthly billing reduces the market remittance flowing from DisCos to NBET, and ultimately to GenCos.
“If the Presidency exits grid-power, other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), which collectively owe billions in unpaid bills, will likely seek similar budget allocations for off-grid solutions to avoid payment, further shrinking the addressable market for GenCos.
“The loss of the Presidential Villa’s monthly billing reduces the market remittance flowing from DisCos to NBET, and ultimately to GenCos,” she added.
The Presidency’s exit is not merely an installation of solar panels; “It is a policy statement. It declares that the Nigerian national grid is unfit for purpose.”
She suggested that Nigeria needed a mix of power generation sources with a huge baseload, which provides a stable and constant supply of electricity.
The ICIR reports that Nigeria’s power sector is currently going through liquidity problems largely occasioned by an unbalanced tariff methodology and subsidies, which have impacted on investors’ trust in the market, with the GENCOs currently being owed over N6 trillion as of January 2026, with the government only able to pay N501 billion of the debt.
DOZENS of dilapidated buildings currently occupied by police officers and their families at different barracks in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos are tragedies waiting to happen.
Ramshackle MOPOL 20 and Area F barracks cluster near the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) – an institution that should ensure basic minimum standards are maintained in buildings and renovation of existing ones in the state.
The barracks remain in their perilous state, at least 70 years after some of them were built, exemplifying the systemic rot in Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the hardships faced by many of its rank and file.
The blocks are riddled with cracks and blotches, and their walls have long been blighted and peeling. There are clear signs the concretes could lose strength while some of the buildings give way, placing hundreds of its occupants in the jaw of death. Though many of the occupants are aware of the looming tragedy.
One of the ramshackle blocks at the Area F Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
The ICIR observed that the barracks, with derelict buildings marked by weathered wall and sagging roofs, stand out as eyesore among impressive facilities in the neighbourhood, including institutions of the Nigerian Police Force.
Among such facilities are the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja Police College, Police Department of Operations, Special Protection Unit (SPU), and Ikeja Divisional Police Headquarters.
Other good buildings in the area could be found in the Emeka Anyaoku Estate, Lagos State High Court, Lagos State Electrification Agency, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Office of the Auditor General for Local Governments, Ikeja Tax Stations, Lagos State Muslims Welfare Board, Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Motor Vehicles Administration Agency, and Ikeja Senior High School.
There are other police barracks in Ikeja metropolis, namely Mounted Troop, New Staff Quarters, MTD Barracks, Mopol 23 Barrack, Central Store, and Traffic Training School. Their conditions are not as bad as those of Area F and Mopol 20 Barracks.
The rear sides of two blocks at the Mopol 20 Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos State. PC; Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
From the rear, the two barracks tell a far grimmer story than their frontages. The walls are streaked and stained with filth, smeared by wastewater from leaking pipes and overflowing drains. The soakaways and sewage ooze foully, and the stench wafts into the neighbourhood.
About a kilometer away from Mopol 20 Barrack is Area F – said to have been built before Nigeria’s independence.
Some police officers and other residents who were born and raised in the area told the reporter that the barrack was initially designed to accommodate workers of the pre-colonial Public Work Department (PWD) and was converted to a police barrack after Nigeria’s independence.
The structures have remained as they were since they were built. They exist with broken floors and ceilings that leave gaping holes for rodents, birds and vermin to torment occupants, mostly at night.
The rear sides of two blocks at the Mopol 20 Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos State. PC; Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
The bungalows among them were the first to be constructed (before Nigeria’s independence) Though they appear to be standing strong, they exhibit varying defects, including broken ceilings and floors. The most noticeable problems with them are the detached toilets and bathrooms. They are heavily weathered and reeking.
A row of block has about 10 room and parlours with five detached toilets. Each row of building has five small, detached buildings, comprising two separate sections, each with its toilet and bathroom.
The lack of public water in the barracks worsen poor hygiene among occupants. Churches, NGOs and other well-meaning people dug boreholes for the barracks. While public water is in Ikeja, it is not connected to the barracks. The reporter saw water vendors serving homes in barracks that could be described as microcosm of the nation – their occupants are from different regions of the country, representing a mix of cultures and backgrounds.
“When the barracks were built, they had public water. Today, you can hardly see any pipe of public water in any of the barracks,” Mojolaoluwa Oladimeji, an elderly woman within the neighbourhood told the reporter.
A toilet at the Area F Police Barrack. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
In 2025, the police authorities asked occupants of the facilities to quit. Rumours spread that they had been sold to private developers who would rebuild and rent them out at subsidised rates to officers.
Another version of the news claimed that the NPF was ashamed of the structures and was uncomfortable with their continued existence at the heart of Nigeria’s commercial capital. However, while the tenants were planning to vacate, the police leadership in Abuja allegedly said the demolition of old barracks across the country should be done in phases.
“Specifically, the IGP said the Force would not pull these barracks down while we have not rebuilt the ones already demolished in Lagos here. He said all the old barracks could not go down simultaneously, but they should be done in phases,” one of the officers who spoke in confidence with our reporter said.
Alani Kayode, (not real name) is among the tenants. He was informed by the police authorities to quit his ramshackle apartment at the Mopol 20 Police Barrack in 2024. The NPF was to pay N2 million for each room occupied at the barracks.
A dilapidated building at Mopol 20 Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
Kayode treats his wife and children for typhoid and malaria at least once monthly. He complained bitterly about how rodents, cockroaches and other pests co-habit with the residents, including his family, because many sections of the barrack’s floors and walls are fissured, serving as easy abode for pests.
He also blamed this on polluted air occasioned by stench from leaked sewage that flows freely around buildings and breed legion of mosquitoes.
“You can see that this place is unsafe for anyone. It’s seriously affecting us mentally. You can’t boast of your residence or bring a visitor or extended relation to your home as an officer of the Nigerian Police. One does not need any court to give a verdict on this – it’s too bad. I repaired my doors, windows and I replaced all the nets. Can I change the poor air that my family breathes?
Some of the blocks at the Area F Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
“We are only managing this place because it was given to us free. We don’t pay for rent. Many of us cannot afford accommodation outside. You don’t expect officers of the Nigerian Police to live in this place, especially in the 21st century. The state of the buildings speaks for themselves,” he said.
The officer was transferred to Ikeja in 2016 and has since been living with his family at the barrack. Several officers interviewed said the Mopol 20 and Area F barracks had long been abandoned by the authorities since they are largely occupied by the rank and file.
Kayode confirms this. “I met the buildings in this condition. The problems did not start today, our barracks have long been neglected by the successive police leaderships and governments. This is exactly what you see in many states across our country.
“Go to the back of these buildings and see what they look like – very disgusting. The buildings look as if they will fall in the next second. Can the world imagine that Nigerian police officers live in this place? Not in worn-torn Sudan or Gaza, but located in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria’s former capital. There is nothing the occupants can do to salvage the situation. Much of the infrastructures have damaged because they have exceeded their lifespan,” Kayode noted.
A dilapidated building at Mopol 20 Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
The reporters inspected some rooms, toilets, and bathrooms in the barracks. They reeked, and their walls and floors were rank and too filthy for humans to use. Because of the state of the facilities, many occupants defecate in bowls and empty in the toilets.
Available records show that Lagos State records the most building collapses in Nigeria. Curiously, President Bola Tinubu recently announced the recruitment of additional 50,000 police officers to help curb ballooning insecurity nationwide.
Though the police authorities neither provided the population of their officers in Lagos State nor responded to other enquiries on the findings of this investigation through a freedom of information request by The ICIR, it is believed that a chunk of the new police recruits ordered by Tinubu will be posted to Lagos, and some of them will live in these time-worn barracks.
Officers’ lamentations
The officers complained bitterly about delayed payment of their salaries by the government. “We don’t get salaries like other government workers on time. Our salaries always come in the first week of the following month. This is not good enough. Some government workers get their payments by 28th of the month.
Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) is very close to the barracks. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
“The police provide essential services to the people; therefore, their welfare should be prioritised,” said another officer, Obinna Chukwuemeka (not real name)
Chukwuemeka bemoaned unavailability of means of transportation for police officers to their duty posts as provided for civil servants in the state and by the Federal Government. “There are no means of transportation. Police officers look for transportation to their places of work. Even some of the vans we have for operations won’t have fuel to run them,” he said.
According to him, police are not motivated. “We are the worst motivated police in Africa, despite facing some of the worst insecurity issues on the continent. We are not motivated in the area of housing, transportation, uniforms and accountrements.
A section of the Area F Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
“The irony of the matter is that officers on operations are not given uniforms and accountrements when they need them. One of the reasons there is no uniform dressing in the police is that people buy many of these things on their own. Look at police officers when they stand together, maybe on duty, you can clearly see these differences in their dressings. Once there is no uniformity and consistency in supply, people will only buy what they can afford.”
Aminat Abubakar, a female officer, (not real name) noted that under the guise of inadequate manpower, officers end up working for 24 hours instead of eight hours.
She said, “Once you’re given these substandard barracks, maintaining, fixing, water and other amenities become the duties of the officers. The worst is the road. If you come here during the rainy season, you will cry for us. Some of our homes are flooded through leaked roofs, and water from flood troop into our rooms. There are no good drainages; floodwater moves anyhow when it rains.”
One of the toilets at the Area F Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
She bemoaned the condition of police officers and their families, arguing that there was no care for them, and many of their families lived in poverty.
The woman recalled the agonies retired officers endure when claiming gratuity and other benefits, including the travails which relations of officers who died in the line of duty face in getting the deceased’s benefits.
Another officer who commented on the crises faced by police officers said they were not motivated in any way. “See where our officers are living. A police officer cannot proudly say he bought a tokunbo car except he is favoured. How many officers can proudly buy a tear rubber vehicle?
“Our major challenges are that the roads inside the barracks are terrible and the buildings are very dilapidated. Ije Barrack, Obalende, was the worst barrack in Lagos State. It was demolished recently.
Broken ceiling of a bungalow at the Area F Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
“We were supposed to have left this place for long. The authorities said the Force should build the barracks that were pulled down first before demolishing and sending people out of these places. They wanted to pay N2 million as relocation allowance for each room. You can imagine hundreds of rooms within Area F and Mopol 20 barracks. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and we are still waiting.”
Some of the officers interviewed said many non-governmental organisations exploit their challenges to deceive their superiors and get police protection.
“Some corporate institutions will come and mount their banners etc. in the barrack, promising they would support us with some amenities. They do this with the intention of getting free security protection by making our superiors release some officers to them.
“At the end of the day, they don’t do anything. One of the organisations to be deceived easily is the police. They will tell lie that they have seen the ogas (bosses) at the top and do whatever they like with the rank and file who are released to them,” one of the officers said.
Aerial view of a section of the Area F Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
Police budgets for barracks
The ICIR gleaned the Federal Government’s budgets for building and rehabilitating barracks for officers of the NPF from 2021 to 2026. The budgets were lumped with allocations for building police stations.
The figures are shown in the table below
S/N
Year
Construction/Provision of Police Stations/Barracks
Rehabilitation/Repairs of Police Stations/Barracks
1
2021
N5.71 billion
N71 million
2
2022
N5.83 billion
N181.97 million
3
2023
N6.75 billion
N181.97 million
4
2024
N6.77 billion
N1.34 billion
5
2025
N7.87 billion
N1.195 billion
6
2026
N16.38 billion
N451.63 million
Source: Budget Office of the Federation
The budget shows that while allocations for construction/provision of police stations/ barracks enjoyed minimal rise between 2021 and 2025, the figure rose sharply by 108 per cent in 2026.
Similarly, the government proposed N451.63 million for the rehabilitation/repairs of police stations/barracks in 2026. This is a sharp decline from N1.195 billion approved in the previous year. The allocation decreased by 62.2 per cent.
Dilapidated buildings at Mopol 20 Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
History of building collapses in Lagos
Lagos State has a long history of building collapses and accompanying human casualties and loss of valuables. The ICIRinvestigation revealed that regulatory failure is largely responsible for these preventable tragedies. The disasters happen almost yearly with alarming tolls.
The ICIRreported how eight building collapsed under the watch of the state former Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Idris Salako, a doctor, under whose watch many buildings gave way. He resigned over continuous crumbling of buildings in the state.
The state government often reacts after a building has caved in, with threats to pull down substandard structures.
In 2019, the state government vowed to pull down old buildings at the Ita Faji area of Lagos Island after a three-storey building collapsed.
A two-storey building, located at No. 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, collapsed in the early hours of Monday, October 27, trapping several occupants under the rubble when many of its occupants were asleep.
A five-storey building fell in the state in April 2023 at Ladipo Oluwole Street in the GRA area of Apapa.
At least five people died after another building gave way on Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate Maryland in July 2024.
A section of a two-storey building at the Area F, Ikeja, Lagos
In September 2022, a three-storey building collapsed on Sonuga Street, Palm Avenue, Mushin, Lagos. Two people were rescued from its rubbles.
No fewer than two people died following the collapse of a seven-storey building in the Lekki area of Lagos in September 2022.
What appears the most tragic of building collapse in the state in recent years was the 21-storey building under construction which crumbled and killed its owner and others at the Ikoyi area of the state in November 2021.
All these happened under the watch of successive governments and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) “set up to ensure that basic minimum standards are maintained in building construction and renovation of existing and new buildings to be safe, healthy, accessible and habitable for present and future generations.
“The agency works together with developers/owners to provide a highly quality service and make sure that all buildings are satisfactorily carried out,” according to information on its website.
When contacted by the reporter, the agency’s spokesperson, Ademuyiwa Adu, said his organisation wasn’t aware of the state of the barracks. “I appreciate what you have said. I will go and check. I can’t speak on police. You know police and army, you can’t just badge into their barracks and say you want to visit or whatever,” he said when told how terrible the barracks are.
One of the derelict buildings at the Mopol 20 Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos State. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR25
Police fail to react
Through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, The ICIR sought to know the number of barracks the Nigeria Police Force had built for its officers in Lagos State over the past 10 years.
Besides, the request sought to have the population of police officers in the state.
The ICIR, in the letter, dated January 23, 2026, and received by the Central Mall Collection Office, Department of Finance and Administration, Force Headquarters, Abuja, same day, also requested the dates some barracks in the Ikeja area of the state were built.
The barracks include Mopol 20, Area F, Mounted Troop, New Staff Quarters, MTD Barrack, Mopol 23 Barrack, Central Store and Traffic Training School.
The NPF failed to respond to the request nearly one month before this report was filed, in flagrant abuse of the law.
Section Four of the FoI states, “Where information is applied for under this Act, the public institution to which the application is made shall, subject to sections 6, 7, and 8 of this Act, within 7 days after the application is received – (a) make the information available to the applicant.
Some of the toilets at Area F Police Barrack, Ikeja, Lagos. PC: Marcus Fatunmole/The ICIR
“(b) Where the public institution considers that the application should be denied, the institution shall give written notice to the applicant that access to all or part of the information will not be granted, stating reasons for the denial, and the section of this Act under which the denial is made.”
The NPF only collected the request and refused to act on it.
Section 7, subsection 4 and 5 of the Act states, “Where the government or public institution fails to give access to information or record applied for under this Act or part thereof within the time limit set out in this Act, the institution shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have refused to give access.
“Where a case of wrongful denial of access is established, the defaulting officer or institution commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N500, 000.”
The ICIR also contacted the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, an assistant commissioner of police, on the phone to get his reactions to the findings and claims made by residents.
He did not respond to calls, text and WhatsApp messages sent to his line.
This organisation also contacted the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, a superintendent of police, on the findings. She promised to check the barracks when the reporter spoke with her on the phone on Friday, February 13. Follow-up calls and text messages the following week attracted no response from her.
SINCE October 2014, the spectre of terrorism has cast a dark shadow over the lives of the people of Hubaland, Hong local government area of Adamawa State. In that fateful month, the infamous Boko Haram launched a violent invasion, seeking to impose its extremist ideology and establish a caliphate.
Although their campaign was ultimately short-lived, the devastation they wrought left an indelible mark on the community, transforming once-vibrant lives into stories of struggle and resilience amid persistent fear and uncertainty.
Many villages, particularly those nestled on the outskirts of the dreaded Sambisa Forest, have become mere shadows of their former selves. Fields that once bobbled with life and productivity now lie abandoned, as residents are too frightened to venture out to farm. Herders, once proud stewards of their livestock, now find themselves unable to tend their animals freely, paralysed by the constant threat of rustling and violence that looms in the air.
The strong sense of community and the rhythm of daily life that once defined these villages have been tragically disrupted. The military has made tremendous efforts to restore peace in the region, demonstrating unwavering dedication and sacrifice. At one point, a measure of calm was successfully established in these once-troubled areas.
However, this hard-won peace came at a great cost: many lives were lost, and countless properties were destroyed in the conflict. It is essential to honour and pay tribute to Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkushu, a remarkable hero of our land, who selflessly gave his life—along with his brave comrades—in the noble pursuit of protecting our homeland. Their courage and sacrifice will forever be remembered.
The historic appointment of Alheri Bulus Nyako, a barrister, as the first-ever Tol Hoba in more than 120 years, ignited renewed hope among the people. He is widely regarded as a beacon of leadership capable of safeguarding their interests and revitalising their war-torn land. In his first year in office, he has made concerted efforts to meet the high expectations placed upon him.
His visits to the most affected areas have been marked by heartfelt interactions, offering solace to the grieving and distributing essential relief materials to those in need. His commitment to standing with the community during these challenging times has begun to restore faith in a brighter future.
Despite these efforts, the Huba Chiefdom remains without adequate military protection. The Civilian Joint Task Force, composed of untrained volunteers, is ill-equipped to confront the menacing Boko Haram insurgents. The situation in Mubang, Zah, and the federated communities of Gaya, Dabna, and Garaha has become increasingly dire, steeped in despair.
Many farmers, once hopeful for a successful harvest, are now unable to reap their crops as ruthless militants unleash terror across the land. The Chiefdom lacks the resources needed to resettle displaced families, leaving the community overwhelmed by helplessness and uncertainty.
On January 14, 2026, a devastating explosion rocked Mubang village, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community. This tragedy occurred barely a week after the village had endured a brutal attack by the Boko Haram sect—an assault that had already left deep scars and claimed many lives.
Today, the people of Mubang live in heightened fear and uncertainty, grappling with the harsh reality of becoming an endangered population in a region consumed by violence and loss. The entire Hubaland community must collectively shoulder the weight of this grief. Amid the turmoil, some individuals have stepped forward, offering their time and resources to support the distressed villages.
These compassionate souls have worked tirelessly to provide relief and comfort, often at great personal sacrifice. Within the security sector, dedicated officers have also risen to the occasion, striving valiantly to restore peace and stability. Their commitment and hard work are commendable and deserve recognition. Yet, for many suffering families, the prevailing sentiment remains that Hubaland, as a whole, has failed them in their hour of need.
Nevertheless, it is not too late for us as a people. We must revive the indomitable spirit of Hubakur: an unjust attack on one is an attack on all. An assault on any village in Hubaland is a violation of the entire homeland we cherish. This should not be the concern of Tol Alheri Bulus Nyako alone, but a collective rallying cry for every one of us. Boko Haram has attempted to fracture our unity through division and religious strife, but they have failed. Instead, we have emerged more united and resolute than ever. This is the true spirit of Hubakur.
Tol Alheri Bulus Nyako should take the initiative to convene a crucial meeting with his district heads to deliberate on strategic responses to this crisis. During this meeting, he must clearly communicate the urgency and importance of our collective mission. The committee, led by Ambassador Omar Suleiman, established to fundraise for the coronation ceremony, should be revitalised.
Community members are urged to contribute generously, according to their means. Furthermore, individuals in positions of authority must responsibly leverage their influence and connections to help protect our ancestral land for present and future generations.
Hallah writes from Dzumah Community of Hong Local Government in Adamawa State. He can be reached on 08036264545, hallatster@gmail.com
THE management of the University of Abuja has appealed to the public for urgent assistance in locating its missing student, Sadiya Usman, whom it said disappeared on her way to write an examination.
The institution revealed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Habib Yakoob.
The statement said Usman, a 100-level student in the Department of Accounting, was reported missing after leaving her residence in Kontagora Estate, Gwagwalada, Abuja, at about 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18.
“The management of the University of Abuja is seeking the assistance of the public in locating a missing student, Sadiya Usman, a 100-level student of the Department of Accounting.
“Sadiya Usman, with matriculation number 25/207ACC/1513, was reported missing after she left her residence at Kontagora Estate, Gwagwalada, Abuja, at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday 18 February 2026. She was on her way to the University’s Main Campus to write her CBT examination (GST 111) and has not been seen since,” the university said.
The institution noted that a report submitted by her guardian indicated that all attempts to reach her failed, as her phone line was unreachable and her whereabouts unknown.
“According to a report submitted by her guardian, all efforts to reach her have been unsuccessful, as her phone line remains unreachable and her whereabouts are currently unknown. The university has activated internal safety protocols and is working closely with relevant authorities to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to locate the student promptly and safely,” the school said.
It expressed concern over the student’s safety and called on the public to provide any useful information that could aid efforts to find her.
“Members of the public who may have seen Sadiya Usman or have any information regarding her whereabouts are strongly urged to contact the nearest police station or report to the Directorate of Safety of the University,” the university added.
It also urged the public to contact Mohammed Yelwa on 08038739945 and University of Abuja on 09036836734 if they have any information on the missing student.
“The university remains committed to the welfare and security of all its students and will continue to provide updates as they become available,” it stated.
NIGERIA’S 10th Senate has recorded its fourth death since inauguration, following the passing of Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
Mpigi died in the early hours of Thursday at the age of 64 after a prolonged illness, according to a confirmation announced during a Senate committee session by Ogoshi Onawo, who represents Nasarawa South.
Onawo disclosed the development while presiding over proceedings that included the appearance of Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, who was present to defend her ministry’s 2025 budget proposal.
A string of losses in the 10th Senate
Mpigi’s death adds to a list of lawmakers lost in the current Red Chamber.
In July 2024, Ifeanyi Ubah died in London at 52. The businessman-turned-politician founded Capital Oil, Ifeanyi Ubah FC and the Ifeanyi Ubah Foundation, and was elected to the Senate in 2019 on the platform of the young progressive party before later defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He represented Anambra South.
The Senate again went into mourning in November 2025 with the death of Okey Ezea, followed in December 2025 by Godiya Akwashiki, marking the third loss within months before Mpigi’s passing.
The ICIRreported that the House of Representatives lost three of its All Progressives Congress (APC) members since its inauguration in June 2023.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also lost its member-elect, Isma’ila Maihanchi. He was to represent the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in Taraba State.
He died shortly after the 2023 polls and before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
He was aged 36 and died after a brief illness.
Senate continues to mourn
Earlier, on February 3, Senate President Godswill Akpabio had lamented the repeated deaths within the chamber, describing the past two years as particularly painful for lawmakers.
Speaking at a tribute night for the late Ezea held at the National Ecumenical Centre, Akpabio said the Senate had lost colleagues in quick succession, adding that each death served as a reminder of inevitability of death and the need for improved public service.
He urged politicians not to lose their humanity, stressing that what ultimately endures is compassion and the good done for others, not power or position.
Tributes also came from Nenadi Usman, who described Ezea as a principled politician loyal to the Labour Party until his death, and from former presidential candidate Peter Obi, who encouraged family and colleagues to take solace in the legacy he left behind.
Mpigi’s legislative career
Born on June 23, 1961, Mpigi spent more than a decade in Nigeria’s National Assembly.
He was first elected in 2011 to represent the Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and got re-elected in 2016.
He later won election to the Senate in 2019 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, serving in both the 9th and 10th Senates. During the Ninth Assembly, he chaired a joint committee investigating crude-oil theft in the Niger Delta.
Until his death, he served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, supervising federal road and infrastructure oversight nationwide.
He hailed from Tai Local Government Area in Rivers State’s Ogoni region and was widely regarded as a grassroots political mobiliser.
AS residents of Nigeria’s capital prepare for the next Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), there is growing public interest in what elected chairpersons at the grassroots level are exactly responsible for.
Local government elections, known as Area Council elections in the FCT, are conducted under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission and play a crucial role in shaping everyday life in communities across the territory.
While national politics often dominates public attention, decisions taken at the area council level directly affect roads, markets, schools, healthcare centres, sanitation, and local services that citizens interact with daily.
Many residents, however, mistakenly blame the federal government or the FCT Administration for problems that legally fall under the authority of area council chairmen. This confusion has weakened accountability over the years, allowing service delivery failures to persist without consequences.
Area councils were created to bring governance closer to the people — ensuring that local needs are addressed faster and more efficiently than higher levels of government could manage. When properly run, they serve as the foundation of development, public health, education, and community welfare.
In the FCT, there are six area councils: Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari Area Council, Gwagwalada Area Council, Kuje Area Council, Kwali Area Council and Abaji Area Council. Each is headed by a chairman elected to manage local affairs and oversee community-level development.
This explainer outlines the core duties of area council chairpersons as provided in the 1999 constitution:
1. Construction and maintenance of local roads and drainage
Area councils are directly responsible for building and maintaining community roads, streets, street lighting, drains, parks and public open spaces.
When inner roads are damaged, flooded, poorly lit or abandoned, it is primarily the duty of the area council leadership to intervene.
Management of primary and adult education
Local governments participate in the provision and maintenance of primary schools, adult literacy centres and vocational education facilities. This includes school infrastructure, basic learning environments and community education programmes. Poor classrooms, collapsed buildings and neglected schools reflect a failure of grassroots governance.
3. Primary healthcare services
Area councils are tasked with maintaining health centres, dispensaries, maternity clinics and preventive health services in their communities. When clinics lack basic equipment, sanitation or staff support, responsibility largely lies at the local government level.
4. Environmental sanitation and refuse disposal
Waste collection, sewage management, gutter clearing and sanitary inspections fall within the area councils’ authority. Persistent refuse heaps, blocked drainage systems and unhealthy neighbourhood conditions signal breakdowns in local administration.
5. Regulation and development of markets, motor parks and public conveniences
Area councils establish, manage and regulate markets, slaughter slabs, motor parks and public toilets. These spaces are both economic centres and revenue sources. Their cleanliness, safety, orderliness and maintenance are direct reflections of council performance.
6. Registration of births, deaths and marriages
Local governments are legally responsible for registering vital events within their jurisdictions. Proper documentation helps in population planning, school enrolment, inheritance matters and access to government services.
7. Community development projects and social welfare
Area councils are expected to provide community centres, recreational parks, public libraries, water supply in rural and semi-urban areas, and support homes for the destitute, infirm and orphans. These services improve the quality of life and social stability.
8. Support for agriculture and natural resources development
Local governments participate in agricultural extension services, veterinary clinics and rural development programmes aimed at boosting food production and livelihoods, excluding mineral exploitation, which remains outside their control.
9. Regulation of shops, food outlets, advertising and local businesses
Area councils license and regulate kiosks, bakeries, restaurants, laundries, outdoor advertising, liquor sales and other small businesses to ensure public safety, hygiene and order in communities.
10. Town planning and building control
They help regulate buildings, name streets, number houses, and support local planning efforts to prevent disorderly development and unsafe structures.
11. Collection and management of local revenues
Area councils collect property rates, market levies, motor park fees, parking charges and other local taxes. These funds are meant to be reinvested into infrastructure, sanitation, health services and community projects. Poor development despite steady revenue collection is a major accountability issue.
12. Public safety support and basic emergency services
Local governments participate in fire services, environmental protection, traffic and community safety efforts in collaboration with higher authorities, helping maintain peace and respond to local emergencies.
THE Plateau State Government has confirmed a deadly explosion at a mining site allegedly owned by Solid Unit Nig. Ltd in Kampani Zurak, Wase Local Government Area.
In a press release issued on Thursday, February 18, and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the government said its preliminary findings revealed that about 33 persons were inside the mining tunnel at the time of the explosion.
The government noted that many were feared dead, while several others who sustained injuries were receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
“The Plateau State Government has received with deep shock and profound sadness reports of a tragic explosion at a mining site in Kampani Zurak, reportedly owned by Solid Unit Nig. Ltd.
According to preliminary information, about 33 persons were said to have been inside the mining tunnel at the time of the explosion. Sadly, many lives are feared lost, while others who sustained injuries are currently receiving treatment in nearby hospitals,” the commissioner said.
Ramnap explained the state was working closely with security agencies, emergency responders, and health officials to contain the situation. She added that efforts were ongoing to secure the site, provide urgent medical care to the injured, and prevent further casualties.
“On behalf of the government and the good people of Plateau State, we extend heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident.
“We share in your grief at this painful moment. Government is deeply concerned about the development and is working closely with relevant security agencies, emergency responders and health authorities to ensure that the situation is brought under control,” she added.
The commissioner disclosed that a high-powered team of experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment was expected in Wase from Abuja to assess the situation and determine the cause of the explosion.
“Meanwhile the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal had earlier reached out to the Governor and directed the immediate and total shutdown of all mining activities in the affected area pending further investigations. In furtherance of this directive a high powered team of experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment will arrive Wase tomorrow from Abuja to assess the situation.
The Government assures the public that no stone will be left unturned in addressing this tragedy and safeguarding lives across mining communities in the state,” she said.
Ramnap urged residents of Kampani Zurak and surrounding communities to remain calm and law-abiding, while the public has been cautioned against spreading unverified information that could heighten tension or panic.
“Government calls on residents of Kampani Zurak and surrounding communities to remain calm and law-abiding. We urge the public to avoid spreading unverified information that may heighten tension or panic.
“Furthermore, we appeal to all relevant federal and state agencies responsible for mining regulation, safety enforcement, and disaster response to urgently intervene, conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion and ensure that appropriate safety standards are strictly enforced to prevent future occurrences,” the commissioner added.
