Tinubu Approves 12 Army Divisions, Recruitment Of 28,000 Personnel
President Bola Tinubu has approved a major restructuring of the Nigerian Army aimed at strengthening the institution and preparing it for existential security challenges facing the country.
Under the new arrangement, four additional divisions have been created, expanding the Army’s structure from eight to 12 divisions. The President also authorised the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, alongside the acquisition of critical military equipment and increased investment in troop welfare and operational readiness.
The development was announced in a State House statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the Presidency, the restructuring is intended to improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making and enhance the Army’s capacity to respond to insecurity across the country.
Under the approved structure, the four new divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City. The 5 Division Headquarters will be located in Makurdi and cover Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while the 9 Division Headquarters in Ilorin will cover Kwara and Niger states.
The 10 Division Headquarters will be based in Jalingo and cover Taraba and Adamawa states, while the 83 Division Headquarters in Benin City will oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
DSS Rejects Life Sentence, Seeks Death Penalty For Convicted Oyo Kidnap Suspects
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday sentenced three men to life imprisonment over their complicity in the kidnap of school children and three teachers in Oyo State.
The convicts, all indigenes of Suleja in Niger State, are Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
However, the Department of State Services (DSS) has said it is dissatisfied with the judgment and will appeal, arguing that the punishment imposed on the convicts did not match the seriousness of the offences committed.
According to the DSS, the killing of two teachers by members of the terrorist group linked to the abduction amounted to a capital offence and should attract the death penalty rather than life imprisonment.
The agency said it would challenge the judgment at the appropriate court, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the case warranted a harsher punishment.
NDC’s Dickson Declares Party Nigeria’s Biggest Opposition Platform
National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, on Thursday declared that the party had emerged as the country’s biggest opposition platform.
Dickson pledged that the party would continue to resist what he described as anti-democratic forces and would defend multi-party democracy in Nigeria.
The NDC leader’s remarks come amid ongoing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition landscape ahead of forthcoming elections.
Enugu Air Aircraft Suffers Runway Excursion At Benin Airport
An Enugu Air Embraer 170 aircraft suffered a runway excursion after landing at Benin Airport on Thursday, with all passengers and crew evacuated safely and no injuries or fatalities recorded.
The aircraft, with registration 5N-ENR, was carrying 67 passengers and five crew members at the time of the incident.
Videos that surfaced shortly after the incident showed the aircraft off the runway and resting in nearby vegetation.
Authorities are yet to disclose the immediate cause of the excursion, though investigations are expected to follow standard aviation safety protocol.
Army Declares Soldier Wanted For Selling Military Uniforms To Terrorists
The Nigerian Army has declared one of its personnel, Private Mohammed Yusuf Amutu, wanted over allegations that he unlawfully sold and supplied military uniforms to terrorists and other criminal elements.
The Army disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, signed by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, Major Oluwatope Dorcas Aluko.
According to the statement, the soldier, who was serving at the Nigerian Army Ordnance Kits Factory, allegedly absconded from his unit on June 3, 2026, and was subsequently declared wanted.
The Army warned that any personnel found to have aided terrorists, criminals or other non-state actors through the unauthorised sale, diversion or distribution of military uniforms, accoutrements or other controlled items would be subjected to the full weight of military and civil laws.
Court Declares Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal ADC’s Authentic Governorship Candidate In Ogun
A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday declared Otunba Jimi Adebisi Lawal as the authentic governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the forthcoming Ogun State governorship election.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Abiodun Jordan Adeyemi, resolved the protracted leadership and candidature dispute that had divided the party into rival factions, each laying claim to the governorship ticket.
The ruling is expected to strengthen the party’s position ahead of the election, ending months of internal wrangling within its Ogun State chapter.
NDLEA Seizes Over Two Billion Tramadol Pills In 18 Months
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed that it seized more than two billion pills of tramadol within the last 18 months.
The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed this on Thursday during a familiarisation tour of the Lekki Free Trade Zone and Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos.
The disclosure underscores the scale of illicit opioid trafficking the agency has been contending with, as it continues efforts to curb the inflow of controlled substances through the country’s ports.
Five Members Of Same Family Found Dead In Abia
The Abia State Police Command has confirmed the mysterious death of five members of the same family in Umuimo, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were identified as Mr Kachi Nnabugwu, his wife, Chinaza, and their three children.
They were found dead inside their residence on Tuesday after they had not been seen for several days. Police say investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
ADC Dismisses Presidency’s Celebration Of Trump Letter To Tinubu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday dismissed what it described as the presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu.
The party insisted that no diplomatic correspondence from a foreign leader could shield the President from the verdict of Nigerian voters.
The opposition party said the Tinubu administration was seeking “foreign validation” at a time when millions of Nigerians remained confronted by insecurity, economic hardship and declining living standards.
PDP Remains Resilient, Says Turaki
The Chairman of the Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki, says the main opposition party remains resilient and cannot be erased from Nigeria’s political landscape.
Turaki made the assertion at a crucial PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
He said that in spite of current leadership and legal hurdles, the PDP possessed the internal strength to navigate its trials and remained a major political force in Nigerian politics.
Tinubu Unfazed By Your Theatrics, You Should Be In Jail – Presidency Fires Atiku
The Presidency on Thursday launched a fresh attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his reported engagement of American lobbyists to petition United States President Donald Trump and the US State Department over a 1993 civil forfeiture case linked to President Bola Tinubu.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, accused Atiku of attempting to internationalise Nigeria’s domestic political disputes and questioned what he described as the former vice president’s desperation to become President.
The Presidency claimed Atiku spent $1.2 million on American lobbyists as part of the effort.
Onanuga said Atiku’s repeated attempts to become President had, in the Presidency’s view, affected the statesmanship expected of a former vice president.
He said, “Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s relentless desire to become President of Nigeria has regrettably closed his eyes to the virtues of statesmanship, decorum, and propriety expected of an elder statesman.”
The presidential aide argued that it was inappropriate for Atiku to take complaints against the Nigerian President to foreign political leaders.
House Of Reps Pass Tinubu’s State Police Bill
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Executive Bill seeking to establish state police in Nigeria.
The bill was approved during Thursday’s plenary, with 311 lawmakers reported to have participated in the voting process.
The development followed the House’s decision to withdraw its own version of the proposed legislation and proceed with the executive bill transmitted by President Bola Tinubu.
The lawmakers had earlier commenced consideration of the President’s proposal and moved it through the first and second readings as part of efforts to advance the establishment of state policing in the country.
The proposal is part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture amid persistent concerns over kidnapping, banditry and other security challenges across the country.
Opposition Lawmakers Walk Out As Reps Pass State Police Bill
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police, amid protests and a walkout by opposition lawmakers over the procedure adopted during consideration of the legislation.
The bill, transmitted to the House by President Bola Tinubu on July 14, was approved during a clause-by-clause consideration by the Committee of the Whole, presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
The House had earlier passed the proposed legislation on June 11 but later rescinded the decision to allow for further scrutiny.
Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, who moved the motion for the earlier decision to be withdrawn, had explained that fresh information emerged concerning provisions of the bill.
According to him, the development made it necessary for lawmakers to undertake a more critical examination of the legislation and ensure that its provisions were consistent with Nigeria’s national security architecture.
However, controversy erupted shortly afterwards when the Minority Leader, Fred Agbedi, and other opposition lawmakers attempted to raise points of order.
Abbas did not recognise them and proceeded with consideration of the legislation.
‘I Need Urgent Life-saving Surgeries’ – Nollywood Actress Ngozi Nwosu Cries Out For Help
Veteran Nollywood actress Ngozi Nwosu, battling an undisclosed health condition, has appealed to Nigerians for financial support.
Ngozi made the appeal in a post via her Instagram page, alongside a video of her lying in a hospital bed.
The actress, who did not disclose the medical condition, said she had been admitted for three weeks and was in severe pain.
She said, “I’ve been hospitalised now for three weeks, please the pain has gone beyond my control, I need your help, don’t let me die. I’m begging you my fans and family don’t let me die because I am going through a lot of pain. I have like three surgeries to go.”
In her post, Ngozi Nwosu stated that she urgently needed life-saving surgeries and appealed to the public not to ignore her plea.
‘Woman’s Financial Status Doesn’t Matter To Me’ – Singer Ruger
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Michael Adebayo Olayinka, popularly known as Ruger, has said a woman’s financial stability does not matter to him because he is already rich.
Ruger, speaking during a recent livestream with streamer Shank, said he has dated ladies who were not only unemployed but lazy.
Speaking on his ideal woman, Ruger said the person must be “someone who is funny.”
He said, “A woman’s financial status doesn’t matter to me. I am rich. I have dated girls who didn’t make money before. They just sleep and wake up.”
Ruger added that he is looking forward to settling down soon.
Arsenal Complete Long-Term Signing Of Christos Tzolis
Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Greece international Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge on a long-term contract, with the forward becoming the club’s latest addition ahead of the new season.
The 24-year-old arrives after two prolific campaigns in Belgium, where he scored 43 goals and provided 45 assists in 108 appearances across all competitions for Club Brugge.
Tzolis began his senior career at PAOK Thessaloniki after progressing through the club’s academy. He helped the Greek side win the Greek Cup in 2021, scoring five goals in four matches during the competition.
He moved to Norwich City later that year and announced himself with two goals and two assists on his debut in a 6-0 Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth. Loan spells at FC Twente and Fortuna Dusseldorf followed before his switch to Club Brugge in July 2024.
At Brugge, Tzolis established himself as one of the Belgian league’s standout performers. He played a key role in the club’s Belgian Cup triumph in 2025 and helped them win the Belgian Pro League title in the 2025/26 season. He was also named Belgian Pro League Player of the Season in successive campaigns.
The winger has earned 34 senior caps for Greece since making his international debut in October 2020.
Norway To File FIFA Ethics Complaint Over Trump Role In Balogun World Cup Ban Reversal
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is preparing a formal ethics complaint to FIFA over Donald Trump’s role in the reversal of Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
NFF president Lise Klaveness said football’s governing body must admit it made a serious mistake after overturning Balogun’s automatic one-match ban.
Balogun was shown a red card in the United States’ last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a dismissal that should have ruled him out of the following match against Belgium.
FIFA, however, suspended the ban for 12 months after United States President Donald Trump personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review.
Klaveness warned that allowing political influence to affect sporting decisions threatens the integrity of football and could create a dangerous precedent.
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