Following the controversy surrounding the death of a two-year old female pupil ,the River State Government, on Thursday, April 16, 2026, ordered the immediate suspension of all academic activities at a privately-owned educational institution- Wisdom Gate International Schools.
While the authorities of the school are claiming that the pupil died as a result of books which fell off the shelf and hit her, the family has remained adamant that it was the book shelf itself that fell on the little girl, and led to her death.
According to reports, the incident occurred on March 17, 2026, at the Campus 1 of the school located in Eligbolo in Obio/Akpor Local Council of the State.
A statement from the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peter Nwagor, informed that the suspension will remain in force pending when the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident are resolved.
According to Nwagor, the decision to suspend academic activities in the school was arrived at after Government interacted with all the parties, including the deceased family.
“The Rivers State Ministry of Education has carefully evaluated the tragic incident that occurred at one of our approved schools – Wisdom Gate International Schools in Eligbolo, resulting in the death of a two-year old girl on the 17th of March, 2026.
“While we deeply sympathise with the parents of the child over the irreparable loss, and respect their privacy during these moments of grief, we appeal to members of the public to do same and avoid speculations.
“As a Ministry, we have interfaced with the Management of the school and conducted our own independent investigations into the incident.
“Consequently, Wisdom Gate International Schools, Campus 1, Eligbolo, is hereby suspended from operations and shall not resume academic activities until the issues surrounding the matter are fully resolved”, Nwagor stated.
A former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has declared that he is no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), bringing to an end months of speculation surrounding his political status and future.
The former Governor revealed that his letter of resignation has been conveyed in a letter personally signed by him and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Ward 7, Ondo West Local Government Area.
In the letter dated April 10, 2026, Mimiko stated that his decision to leave the party was based on personal considerations after a period of reflection and wide consultations.
“I hereby tender my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), effective April 10, 2026, for strictly personal reasons,” the letter read.
He explained that he had deliberately stayed away from active participation in party affairs for some time, a development that created room for introspection before arriving at the final decision.
“As you are very much aware, I have somewhat distanced myself from party activities for sometime. This stance afforded me a great deal of time to reflect and consult widely, upon which the decision to quit the PDP was taken,” he wrote.
The former governor stressed that his resignation should not be interpreted as arising from hostility or bitterness toward any member of the party.
“Let me add that I take the decision to resign my membership of the PDP without animosity toward anyone, and wish the Party well in its future endeavors.”
Mimiko also noted that persistent public speculation and repeated inquiries regarding whether he was still a member of the PDP made it necessary for him to clearly state his position.
“Speculations and inquiries about my membership status have made it necessary for me to clarify my position.
“As I have been somewhat distanced from party activities, I wish to put it on record that I am no longer a member of the PDP.”
Political observers in Ondo State are not entirely surprised by the development, as many of Mimiko’s longtime loyalists had earlier exited the PDP and aligned with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during the last governorship election.
Mimiko a former member of defunct Alliance for Democracy, (AD) left to firm Labour Party (LP) on whose ticket he contested for the governorship of the state and won in 2007.
He, thereafter, decamped to the PDP and won his second term election.
No fewer than 14 persons traveling for their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME, have been abducted by terrorist elements along the Makurdi/Otukpo Road.
According to reports, the victims were among others in a commercial bus heading from Makurdi to Otukpo, Benue State, who were attacked and kidnapped by the hoodlums.
According to the Chairman of Otukpo Local Council, Maxwell Ogiri, the victims who are Teena,were traveling to Otukpo for their UTME scheduled for Thursday April 16, 2026, when they were attacked and whisked away.
” The victims are young persons coming into Otukpo to write JAMB examination”, Ogiri stated.
He, however, informed that security agencies have been briefed while operatives have been deployed to track down the terrorists, as well as rescue the victims.
As at the time of reporting, security agencies and the Benue State Government were yet to react officially to the development.
The Source reports that many parts of Benue have been hit, of recent, by a renewed wave of attacks, and killings by suspected terrorist elements.
The State itself has been one of the epicentres of terrorist attacks and killings in the North Central region of Nigeria.
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the extradition of a Nigerian declared wanted in the United Kingdom (UK) for alleged murder and drug trafficking.
Anthony Placid, Force spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday that the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja, has successfully facilitated the extradition of one Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi to the United Kingdom to face charges bordering on murder and drug trafficking.
According to the statement, the extradition followed a formal request by United Kingdom authorities in September 2024 to locate, arrest, and extradite the fugitive over his alleged involvement in the murder of one Joshua Boadu on 18th June 2018, after which he fled to Nigeria to evade arrest.
“He was also alleged to have been involved in the supply of crack cocaine, a Class-A controlled drug, between October 2017 and March 2018 in the United Kingdom.
“The suspect was arrested on 23rd January 2025 by operatives of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja, following which extradition proceedings were initiated at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/416/2025.
“On 16th February 2026, Honourable Justice A.O. Faji granted the application for his extradition in accordance with the Extradition Act, Cap E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“Pursuant to the court order and the execution of a surrender warrant by the relevant Nigerian authorities, the fugitive was formally handed over to United Kingdom law enforcement officials on 14th April 2026 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, for diligent prosecution.
“KGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, reiterates the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to strengthening international police cooperation and ensuring that Nigeria does not serve as a safe haven for fugitives.”
Strong indications have emerged that the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike-backed Abdulraham Mohammed-led Peoples Democratic party PDP may have laboured in vain, even after successfully taking control of the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja.
This follows the ongoing apprehension and anxiety over the status of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, its National Secretary, particularly at the time he was a signatory to the appointment of the Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee.
The Wike-backed group is said to have suddenly,and regrettably woken up to the sad reality that Anyanwu may have signed and participated in the activities that eventually threw up Mohammed-led NEC ,and the subsequent Abuja National Convention at a time when he was affirmed to be under suspension.
Senator Anyanwu had on November, 3, 2025, signed a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as regards the appointment of the Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee of the PDP
But before then, the Chief Tom Ikimi-headed National Disciplinary Committee NDC of the PDP, had, on November 1, 2025, slammed an indefinite suspension order on some party chieftains including Anyanwu over alleged anti-party activities.
The suspension of Anyanwu by the Iliya Damangun-led NEC was instructively affirmed by the Court of Appeal Abuja Division , during its judgment on March 9,2026 .
Curiously, while the Appellate Court affirmed the trial Court’s earlier ruling nullifying the Ibadan National Convention of the PDP which threw up the Tanimu Turaki-led NEC affirming the Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee as the recognised national leadership, it equally affirmed the suspension of Anyanwu and others by the party.
There are growing fears within the Wike-backed PDP faction, that the overlooked Court of Appeal affirmation of the suspension of Anyanwu ,a principal actor in the activities that enthroned the current Mohammed national leadership ,may have been a very costly error that can invalidate all its efforts in the struggle for the control of the soul of the PDP.
It would be recalled that an FCT High Court had initially dismissed Anyanwu’s legal action against his suspension by the party, a ruling which the Court of Appeal merely affirmed .
In his motion on notice at the trial court, Anyanwu had, among other things prayed the Court to set aside the findings and recommendations of the PDP NDC upon which his suspension was based .
In the suit marked CV/1050/2025 , Anyanwu insisted that the NDC lacked the jurisdiction to determine the allegations leveled against him by the party.
Consequently, he asked the Court to issue an order invalidating his supposed suspension ,the NDC having also not giving him the opportunity to defend himself..
Surprisingly, both Anyanwu and the Mohammed-led faction of the PDP did not bother to appeal both the FCT judgment and the March 9, Court of Appeal’s affirmation of the verdict.
However, months after, and with the reality of the implications dawning, Anyanwu has hurriedly filed an appeal against the FCT High Court ruling.
In a 9-point notice of appeal dated April 10, 2026,filed by K C O Njemanze,SAN, his Counsel, Anyanwu prayed the Court of Appeal to nullify the judgment of the trial court affirming his suspension ,and subsequent expulsion by the PDP.
According to Anyanwu, the trial court erred in law when it held that the plaintiff did not exhaust all the party’s internal disputes resolution mechanisms before instituting his court action.
Anyanwu in his application contended that the case contrary to the trial court’s decision that the the matter is within the purview of internal affairs of the party, ” transcends the internal or domestic affairs of PDP ,.
Consequently ,he prayed the court for an order setting aside the judgment of the lower court , striking out his suit based on lack of jurisdiction.
President Bola Tinubu has noted that the victory of Romuald Wadagni in the Presidential election in Benin Republic is a reflection of the People’s trust in his leadership.
Tinubu, in a massage signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), congratulated the President-elect on his victory at the polls.
Romuald Wadagni, the country’s Minister of Finance, secured an overwhelming majority of the vote in the presidential election held on April 12.
In a letter signed by him, President Tinubu said the victory “reflects the trust the Beninese people have placed in your vision and your distinguished record of service as Minister of Finance.”
President Tinubu also stated that Nigeria and the Republic of Benin “share a long history of friendship, cultural ties, and cooperation,” adding that he looked forward to working with His Excellency Romuald Wadagni to strengthen bilateral relations.
President Bola Tinubu
The full text of the letter :
Your Excellency and Dear Brother,
“On behalf of the Government and the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I extend my warmest congratulations to you on your election as the President of the Republic of Benin following the polls held on April 12, 2026.
“I commend the Government and people of the Benin Republic for conducting a peaceful election and noted that Wadagni’s victory reflects the trust the people have placed in his vision and record of service as the current Minister of Finance.
“This transition marks a significant chapter in your nation’s history. I therefore commend the people of Benin for their resilience and commitment to the democratic process and to maintaining peace during the election cycle.
“Our two nations share a long history of friendship, cultural ties, and cooperation. I therefore look forward to working closely with your administration to strengthen our bilateral relations further, enhance regional security, and promote economic prosperity within the ECOWAS sub-region and the African Union.
“As you prepare to assume the onerous responsibilities of the high office of the Presidency, I wish you great wisdom, fortitude, and success. You can please rest assured of my unstinting support and cooperation in this regard.”
As a mark of support for bereaved family, Edo State Government has approved full educational scholarships for the three children of the late Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, who died in active service to the nation.
The gesture is seen as a move that underscores growing sub national support for families of fallen military personnel.
Brigadier-General Braimah, who hailed from Edo State, was killed by terrorists in Borno state while leading military personnel to curtail banditry in the northern region.
The approval, granted by Governor Monday Okpebholo, ensures that the beneficiaries will receive uninterrupted funding for their education from their current academic levels through to university.
The beneficiaries include Farida Hussain-Braimah, an 18-year-old 100-level Software Engineering student at Nile University, Abuja; Amir Hussain-Braimah, 16, currently in Senior Secondary School 3 at Olumawu Senior School, Abuja; and Yasmeen Hussain-Braimah, 12, a Junior Secondary School 2 pupil at Olumawu Junior Secondary School, Abuja.
Speaking on the initiative, Okpebholo described the decision as both a moral obligation and a reflection of responsible governance, noting that the late officer’s death represents a significant sacrifice in service to Nigeria.
“Brigadier General Braimah paid the ultimate price in service to this country. It is only right that we stand by the family he left behind and ensure his children have uninterrupted access to education,” the governor said.
He added that the State Government remains committed to supporting the children throughout their academic journey, positioning them for long-term stability and productivity.
Braimah, who was described by the Governor as a symbol of discipline, courage, and patriotism, died during ongoing security operations and was buried with full military honours at the Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The Presidency has accused former Vice President Abubakar Atiku of attempting to undermine the long-standing North-South zoning principle ahead of the next general election.
It warned the former Vice President against pursuing another presidential bid in 2027. Atiku has, however, signified to contest for the last time for the presidency next year on the ticket of African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Atiku Abubakar had reignited the national conversation on power rotation by asserting that the Southern region of Nigeria has spent more years in power than the North since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Speaking during a recent engagement, Atiku addressed the sensitive issue of zoning and power shift, which has remained a recurring theme in Nigerian politics, especially as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
According to Atiku, a careful review of the democratic period shows that Southern leadership has cumulatively held the presidency for a longer duration than the North.
He used this observation to argue that any rigid adherence to zoning must take historical realities into account, rather than being based solely on emotional or regional sentiments.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, argued that Atiku’s stance mirrors his actions during the 2023 election cycle, when he contested as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate despite internal expectations that power should shift to the South after the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, that decision deepened divisions within the party and contributed to its electoral loss.
Reacting to Atiku’s interview on Arise TV, Onanuga dismissed the former Vice President’s claim that the South has held power longer than the North since 1999, describing the argument as misleading and self-serving.
He noted that the North’s shorter time in office was largely due to the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, which led to the constitutional succession of Goodluck Jonathan.
The presidential aide maintained that this circumstance does not invalidate the zoning arrangement, insisting that the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is entitled to complete its tenure as part of the rotational balance.
Onanuga further cautioned Atiku against what he described as a repeat of past political miscalculations, labeling him a “serial contender” and predicting another defeat if he joins the 2027 race.
He urged the former Vice President to abandon any renewed ambition and respect the existing power-sharing framework, stressing that it remains the South’s turn to produce the next President.
Six months after his appointment as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan appears determined to beat the record of Professor Maurice Iwu as the most mistrusted electoral administrator yet.
Iwu, a professor of Pharmacognosy (the study of medicinal plants), also had the distinction of managing Nigeria’s worst elections in 2007. On top of that, he gave science a bad name with the dubious claim that he had discovered the cure for Ebola.
The last thing Amupitan wants is to upstage Iwu’s sordid reputation. His comments on social media are stalking him, and he must be wondering if his job is over even before it started.
The long arm of social media
His archived post before his appointment shows partisan leanings during the 2023 election cycle, with content supportive of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and critical of opposition figures.
The account’s activity, coupled with the sudden renaming and restriction after scrutiny intensified, has fuelled suspicion of a hurried clean-up. You’re left to wonder why, if, as he claims, he has nothing to hide.
His numerous travails since becoming INEC chair remind me of a line from Things Fall Apart, one of the greatest novels out of Africa. In it, Chinua Achebe, a master storyteller, embeds an anecdote about suffering in Okonkwo’s troubled life to deepen the impact of the moment: “When trouble knocks at your door, and you tell him to go away because there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”
Amupitan’s self-inflicted troubles already have their own stool and footrest. He’s caught in a mesh, and trying to remove one sticky web only adds to the tangled mess.
Trouble dey sleep
The first gust of the storm blew in October 2025, when the US declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over purported genocide against Christians. Almost immediately, Amupitan’s 2020 legal brief entitled “Nigeria’s Silent Slaughter”/“Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria – The Implications for the International Community”, in which he argued that attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen constituted a genocide against Christians and minority groups in Nigeria, exploded in the public space.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
A broad sweep of individuals and groups felt energised by the obvious religious bias verging on hate and incitement, and called on either President Tinubu to rescind the nomination, or for the National Assembly to decline confirmation, neither of which was heeded.
His 80-page chapter, entitled “Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria”, alleged an “Islamisation agenda” describing over 60,000 brutal killings since 2001, linking violence to a Fulani-led jihad dating back to Uthman Dan Fodio in 1804. He cited the 2015 Open Doors Report, which reported the destruction or closure of over 13,000 churches and accused the government of complicity through silence and failure to protect victims. The brief recommended a UN referral to the International Court of Justice or, as a last resort, foreign military intervention.
Fondly remembered
Following his appointment, the brief resurfaced and sparked a backlash, especially for its anti-Muslim slant. Five years down the road, his call to a national assignment blew the lid so fortuitously that it fit into the narrative of American congressmen Ted Cruz and Mike Arnold, alongside other subterranean calculations of the Trump administration, like a well-timed pass.
Amupitan’s brief understated the complexities of the security challenges in Nigeria, quite conveniently sidestepping the reality that the victims of insurgents, bandits and other crimes are indiscriminate, cutting across different religious divides.
There are inferences that this contentious report was targeted at undermining the government of late President Muhammadu Buhari, on whom a section of the population had tagged the label of religious extremism. Not thinking forward, Amupitan couldn’t have fancied that his work would boomerang on Buhari’s successor at the very nick of the author’s call to the national stage.
Not giving up
Despite public reproach, the Senate went on to confirm Amupitan as INEC boss. The ‘Christian genocide’ storm more or less passed overhead and subsided without any serious damage. Always quick to retreat to their for-and-against camps, Nigerians also quietly moved on, waiting for the next controversy.
It came soon again from the Court of Appeal in Abuja. And willy-nilly, INEC was connected to the ruling, having been joined as a party in the case. It was the judgment against the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that invalidated the party’s national executives. INEC acted on the ruling supposedly in good faith, and against the trend in similar circumstances since the Bayelsa governorship election in 2019, when INEC asked the court for judicial interpretation of disputed rulings. The opposition has been baying for blood, accusing the commission of meddling in its internal affairs and demanding Amupitan’s resignation.
While still fending off the onslaught from the ADC, the beleaguered Amupitan is being trailed yet again by a past he is struggling to deny. Trying to erase a digital footprint is akin to wiping a glass screen with a dirty cloth – it just leaves more dirt.
The contents of his digital footprint, traced back to 2006, include information indicating that the Prof is the subject of allegations of partisanship by the opposition. The tweets on his X handle support the claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not appointed a neutral electoral umpire.
Publicly denying ownership of the Twitter (X) account in his name, with other critical information linkages such as email, phone numbers, and financial records, for a consistent 20-year period, or labelling them as parody or fake accounts, or deleting them, may be smart but not honourable. In the digital age, credibility must be defended not only in the conduct of elections, but also in perceptions of those who conduct them.
A word from Humphrey Nwosu
In his book, Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and Its Annulment, the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Professor Humphrey Nwosu, said democracy was sustained not just by structures, but by fairness, inclusion and legitimacy.
If Amupitan digs in, as is likely, and his appointor, Tinubu, indulges him, the commission will struggle to retain public trust. INEC may argue that suspicion is not proof and that, in any case, no forensic, platform-level evidence has been found against it.
That is precisely what the National Assembly should do: Initiate a forensic probe. INEC is independent, but not unaccountable.
Work for Akpabio
The numerous calls for his resignation by different groups, including opposition parties and civil society, are nothing but a demand for accountability. Whether he chooses to come clean or to retain the services of whitewash agents to survive to the next day is not up to him.
It might sound like a joke to expect the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led National Assembly to take the matter seriously. Akpabio is an off-colour humour bank, hardly anything more. His failure to institute a forensic probe will only reinforce the perception that Amupitan’s singular job at INEC is to make the ruling party happy.
Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book Writing for Media and Monetising It
A prestigious international recognition came the way of Nigeria through Comrade Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
Ajaero was awarded the high profile Svensson Prize on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the International Labour Conference in Brussels on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Highly celebral, Ajaero is not only the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, but an emblematic figure in the struggle for human rights.
The award was presented to him by Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
This prize, which honours an exceptional career, recognises the unwavering commitment of a defender of human rights, labour rights, and individual and collective freedoms in Nigeria and across the African continent.
Despite the dangers, abuses, and intimidation, Comrade Joe Ajaero has remained a man of conviction, action, and vision, whose steadfastness commands respect.
Beyond the recognition of a singular struggle, this distinction honours Nigerian and African trade unionism as a whole.
It also pays tribute to all activists who, wherever fundamental rights are under threat, courageously uphold the ideals of social justice and human dignity.
Ajaero has degrees in multiple disciplines including Law.
Congratulatory messages have greeted the award to Ajaero from across the Nigeria, Africa and the World.
