KOGI STATE GOVERNMENT
PRESS RELEASE
KOGI GOVERNMENT BANS OKADA OPERATIONS IN BUNU HINTERLANDS, BANS NIGHT TRAVEL ON STATE ROADS AFTER 7PM, SHUTS MARKETS AND RESTRICTS FUEL SALES TO CUT OFF BANDITS' SUPPLY NETWORK
1. The Kogi State Government has announced a series of immediate security measures aimed at cutting off logistics and supply routes to criminal elements currently under sustained military and security pressure in parts of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
2. Following a comprehensive review of ongoing security operations in Bunu District after the recent terrorist attack on Iluke community which was successfully repelled, intelligence and operational reports indicate that significant progress has been made by Joint Security Forces. Several of the attackers have been confirmed neutralized, while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently trapped within forested areas across the district as security clearance operations continue.
3. To consolidate these gains and deny the criminals access to food, water, medication, fuel and other essential supplies, the Kogi State Government has approved the immediate ban on the use of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, within designated hinterland corridors of Bunu District.
4. The affected areas include the corridor stretching from Idoyi Bunu through Illah Bunu, Iluke Bunu and Kiri, as well as the route from Iluke Bunu through Odai Bunu, Igbo Bunu, Ilogun Bunu, Olle Bunu, Ayede Bunu, Oke-Ofin Bunu and Edumo Bunu. The restrictions shall also apply to the Ayede Bunu, Aherin, Eshi and Ighun Bunu corridor and all other routes within the Bunu hinterlands.
5. Intelligence available to security agencies has revealed that motorcycle operators constitute a major channel through which food items, water, drugs and other logistics are transported to bandits hiding within the forests. Investigations have also established that some criminal elements utilize motorcycle transportation to conduct reconnaissance and gather intelligence on targeted communities before launching attacks.
6. Consequently, any motorcycle rider found transporting passengers, goods or supplies along the designated routes shall be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Kogi State Anti-Terrorism Law.
7. The Motorcycle Operators Association of Nigeria (MOAN) is hereby directed to immediately sensitize all its members on this directive, which takes effect from today, Saturday, June 13, 2026.
8. In addition, all markets located along the affected corridors shall remain closed until further notice. Mobile medicine vendors and distributors are also directed to suspend the transportation and sale of drugs on motorcycles within the affected areas for the duration of the operation.
9. Furthermore, the sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) in jerricans is hereby prohibited across the entirety of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area with immediate effect.
10. As part of measures to strengthen security across the state and deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate under the cover of darkness, the Kogi State Government hereby announces a ban on night travel on all state-owned roads across Kogi State. Consequently, all movements on state roads must cease by 7:00 p.m. daily until further notice. Any person found travelling on a state-owned road after 7:00 p.m. shall be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
11. The Kogi State Government wishes to reiterate that it possesses credible intelligence regarding individuals collaborating with criminal elements and providing support to their activities. Appropriate actions are already being taken against such persons in line with extant laws.
12. While the Government acknowledges that these measures may impose temporary inconveniences on law-abiding citizens, the protection of lives and communities remains paramount. Extraordinary security challenges .....
Publicity Helps Terrorists. It Does Not Pressure Them. They Treasure it!
It is a very big mistake to think that publicity, or global outrage, pressures terrorists. Quite the contrary. They relish it! They thrive on it. The late British Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher, put it best when she said, "Publicity is the oxygen of terrorism."
Davido means well, but doing what he did, which I will not elaborate on, because my readers know what I am referring to, actually helps the terrorists who took those children more than it aids the rescue of the kids and their teachers.
Terrorists want publicity. That is how they spread terror. If you do not know about their terrifying acts, they can't have the power of terror over you.
Publicity, however well-intended, always works in the favour of terrorists by increasing their ability to incite fear in the public and pressure governments to give in to their demands by outraging the global community, who then put pressure, not on the evil terrorists, but on civil governments.
I was a Presidential spokesman under President Jonathan, and the rescue efforts for the #ChibokGirls were hampered the day Michelle Obama held up the #BringBackOurGirls banner, making it a cause célèbre.
From that point on, the girls became so high profile that it was more profitable, from a terror standpoint, for Boko Haram to hold on to them at whatever costs.
If #BringBackOurGirls had not been made such a global phenomenon, their abductors would not have increased security around the girls and separated them, making it more difficult for security forces to rescue them.
It is not as though the Nigerian government is resting on its oars in the present case. Every effort is being made to secure the release of the children and their teachers abducted from the Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities.
We recently saw the stuff our security forces are made up of when they rescued the sister of the immediate past power minister, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, and her children.
What this situation requires is not publicity, especially on a global stage. That is what the terrorists want. And a critical mass of Nigerians are very emotional people and may not understand the dynamics at play here. As such, they may start insulting and attacking me for saying this without pausing to understand the situation.
For four years, I travelled around the world, meeting world leaders in my effort to secure Leah Sharibu's release. I did not collect a dime from anybody and funded this effort myself.
I even released a charity single that I composed and produced with the late Onyeka Onwenu, and went to Nepal to attempt an Everest Climb.
However, after meeting two serving British Prime Ministers, and Canadian and Spanish Prime Ministers, an Icelandic Minister, as well as several Caribbean leaders, I was informed by top level security officials that my activities were actually making Leah Sharibu's release less likely, because by raising her profile, I was making her too valuable as a hostage to her captors, who would rather use the global publicity I was getting for her to raise funds, recruit more terrorists and project themselves.
And when my attention was directed to the UNESCO Handbook for Journalists on Terrorism Coverage, I was mortified with what I read. That piece of literature is very clear on how terrorism thrives the more journalists, celebrities, and politicians publicise acts of terror. In fact, the more you do, the more likely you will have reoccurrences.
That is why I stopped the publicity aspect of the #FreeLeahSharibu campaign.
Look at it this way. If you are a terrorist and are seeking publicity for your cause, to create a larger-than-life image and incite fear in the public, why would you release the very hostages who are responsible for the publicity you are getting?
I wish Nigerians could look at this in a sentient manner instead of being emotional over an issue that we can only resolve if we are rational!
A must-read for anyone interested in El-Rufai; it's long but worthwhile.
Reminiscence: Working with El-Rufai in the FCT
By Auwalu Anwar.
Since his voluntary but spectacular return to the country from Cairo on 12 February 2026 and subsequent incarceration by the agents of Emperor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the story of Malam Nasir Ahmad El- Rufai (NAE) has been narrated differently by many interest groups, including his acquaintances, friends, human rights activists, journalists, lawyers and politicians. However, what I found conspicuously missing in all the narratives that I came across is, an objective analysis of his character as an administrator by someone who worked closely with or under him in any of the three public places he administered, namely: Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Kaduna State. For instance, the common remarks about his style of leadership that presented him either as a mere sinner or a revered saint, without making any attempt to go beyond the smokescreen of such moral categorization were both irrelevant and unhelpful for the proper understanding of his essential nature as an administrator or a public servant.
How did NAE, for instance, conceive, protect or violate the trust given to him when he served as Director General, BPE; Minister of the FCT or Governor of Kaduna State? How did he recruit and relate with his political appointees, who were answerable to him? What was the extent of his distance or interference in running the day- to- day affairs of the MDAs under his jurisdiction; but especially in the implementation of their capital projects? This write- up aims to frankly answer these crucial questions, with particular reference to my experiences working with and under him in the FCT.
I first came across NAE in 1998 when a mutual friend, Malam Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, invited me to the inaugural meeting of an All- Nigeria Elite Group known as the Abuja Initiative or simply AI, in Abuja. NAE was then working as an economic adviser and member of the Programme Implementation and Monitoring Committee under General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Because of the activities of AI and my relationship with Bashir, our paths continued to cross at that time.
With the formation of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and the emergence of General Olusegun Obasanjo as President, NAE was appointed Director General of the BPE. I later became Special Adviser (Political) to the Speaker, House of Representatives, the purposeful and selfless Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na'Abba in February 2000. When NAE established a steering committee on Competition and Anti- Trust in the BPE, he appointed me as one of the members. It was an influential committee with many respected persons including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, Professor Charles Soludo, Madam Oby Ezekwesili, Hajiya Maryam Uwais and Mr. Asue Ighodalo, constituting the membership.
In 2003, on his appointment as Minister of the FCT, NAE met with all categories of staff and audited all the operational organs of the institution. To his dismay, he discovered that civil servants had all the time to lazy around as much as they wanted for two reasons: firstly, they had thirty- five years to stay in the service; they could also live up to sixty years before retirement. As such, most of them had no motivation for initiative, innovation, or even commitment to the responsibilities for which they were employed.
To change the trajectory, he thought of creating mandate secretariats, which would operate like state ministries and appoint secretaries, who would serve as commissioners. He compiled all his findings, the audited reports of all the sectors and his vision for a way forward into a comprehensive document. He shared copies of the documents with Bashir, Asue and my humble self to study for a week, with the request that we should all think of suitable individuals who would be invited to assist him in running the new structure.
On this day, 28 years ago, General Sani Abacha passed away in mysterious circumstances on Monday, June 8, 1998. This photo, taken on Saturday, March 21, 1998, with Pope John Paul II, was taken three and a half months before Abacha died. General Abdulsalami Abubakar is immediately behind and to Abacha's right.
Interestingly, it was widely reported and never denied that on June 8, 1988, the day he died, General Abacha had planned to retire then Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was at the time the Chief of Defence Staff. As fate would have it, General Abdulsalami Abubakar became Head of State on June 9, 1998, the day after he was to have been retired.
His sudden death also saved the life of his deputy, Lt. General Oladipo Diya, and five others, who had been sentenced to death on Tuesday, April 28, 1998, for plotting a coup against General Abacha.
Ironically, General Diya would almost certainly have automatically become Head of State after General Abacha's death if he had been a little patient.
Diya would go on to outlive Abacha by twenty-five years, before he, too, sadly passed away on Sunday, March 26, 2023.
General Abacha ruled Nigeria with an iron fist, so, understandably, he got a lot of bad press. However, he was a very intelligent man, with a surprisingly good diction and command of the English language. He also had an uncanny ability to appear to be less intelligent than he actually was. Those who had dealings with him reported that he had an outstanding memory.
His main flaws were his vindictive belief in the use of lethal force to settle political scores and an overreliance on spiritualists and marabouts.
He had little of the charm of General Babangida and warmth, which made him rather unnecessarily abrasive when dealing with opposition to his rule.
One of his lasting legacies is the creation of the six geopolitical zones, which have become the basis for Nigeria's political structure and the rotation of power between Northern and Southern Nigeria.
Another legacy was the Petroleum Trust Fund, which faced criticism for its imbalance and for focusing on one part of the country over another. Nevertheless, the PTF did bring progress and helped grow the Nigerian economy.
Only God can judge him now. Therefore, on the 28th anniversary of his death, we commend General Sani Abacha to Almighty Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Reno Omokri
Ambassador Designate to Mexico
Yes, my “Defence Minister” will be a drone.
Not a bureaucrat sitting in an air-conditioned office writing reports and receiving courtesy callers while insecurity spreads across the country.
A technologically advanced, highly coordinated drone-based defence system will be deployed to protect Nigeria's territorial integrity, monitor our borders, track terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other violent criminals, and support security operations in real time.
These systems will provide continuous surveillance, rapid response capabilities, intelligence gathering, search-and-rescue support, and logistical assistance.
They can deliver food, medical supplies, equipment, and communications support to troops wherever they are deployed, reducing delays and increasing operational efficiency/effectiveness.
The future of national security lies in technology, efficiency, accountability, and precision, not endless bureaucracy, corruption, and excuses.
Nigeria must embrace modern tools to protect its people, secure its borders, and support the men and women tasked with defending the nation, while ensuring that all security operations remain subject to the rule of law and appropriate civilian oversight.
The future is innovation.
#Sowore2027 #RevolutionNow #TakeItBack #TechnologyForLiberation
Left video fake. Right video original.
The left video was doctored with an AI generated audio of president
Tinubu.
The right video is the original video from VDM where he called out Tinubu's promise of not to be re-elected for a 2nd term, if he doesn't provide steady electricity for Nigerians, in his first 4 years.
Mr Bayo Onanuga @aonanuga1956, don't be in a hurry to issue threats. You are a presidential spokesman, do your home work to verify.
@NELFUND@NELFUND
Good morning,
I applied the student loan for a particular institutional year, and then disbursed successfully to the school, but later switched to another school just within the same year. What is my faith? I want to transfer the loan
It is sooo attractive when people apologize for responding late, or when they tell you they're unable to talk to you, the skill of communication is just so attractive.
Until you go to university/college, you'll never understand why people go to such lengths to celebrate completing their degrees (celebrating for weeks/ months).If you've never had the sleepless nights, academic exclusions, losing funding, failing modules, having to skip meals because you don't have enough to eat, you won't get it. We are not celebrating only obtaining degrees. We are happy for hanging on & making it out alive, it's a dreadful journey.🥺
Federal Government TVET Initiative 2026
Applicants can choose between two training options depending on their background:
1. Short-Term Certificate (STC) Programme
•Duration: 6 months
•Suitable for beginners, school leavers, or individuals without formal education
•Focused on fast skill acquisition for immediate employment
2. Vocational Education & Innovation (VEI) Programme
•Duration: 1 year
•Designed for individuals with some level of education or prior skills
•Helps participants improve and formalize existing knowledge
Eligibility Requirements
1. STC Programme:
•Valid National Identification Number (NIN)
•Valid Bank Verification Number (BVN)
•No formal education required
2. VEI Programme (any one required):
•Proof of prior skills or apprenticeship (Recognition of Prior Learning)
•First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC)
•Any recognized non-formal education certificate
Application opens 13 April, 2026
You can apply here👇
https://t.co/PsSX87j8pr
I don't follow the "respect is earned" philosophy. I respect everyone automatically and then each person has the opportunity to lose my respect based on their behavior.