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FG plans complete digitisation of 774 LGs HQ by 2027
The Federal Government says it will complete the digitisation of the 774 Local Government headquarters in the 36 states by 2027.
The Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said this on Thursday at a stakeholders’ retreat on project 774 connectivity in Abuja.
Tijani said that the project would be executed in collaboration with other agencies under its purview.
He said that the government had a target of 2027 to fully digitalise all the remaining LGAs in the country.
“If you are talking about durations as to when we are going to reach all the 774 LGs, the goal is that by 2027 we would have achieved that.

“We have spread that out in the blueprint that was put out,” he said.
The minister said that one of the goals of the project was to foster inclusive development and access to digital public infrastructure in government offices located all over Nigeria.
According to him, this will include the most remote areas of the country that may have been previously undeserved or unserved.
He also said that the ministry would provide affordable and reliable internet access and resources required to deliver efficient public services through strategic partnerships and the deployment of cutting edge technology.
He emphasised the role of the LGs in delivering public services in Nigeria includes healthcare, education, social welfare, infrastructure development and waste management, among others.
“They are in charge of the provision of essential primary healthcare services, including immunisation, maternal and child health programmes and disease prevention initiative.
“They also take charge of management and administration of primary and secondary schools and implementation of education policies.
“They ensure implementation of social assistance programmes to support vulnerable populations, including the elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged individuals and families,” he said.
He said that the benefits of connecting LG Secretariats in Nigeria enhanced access to information and services.
“Some of the benefits are that it empower local entrepreneurs and businesses.
“It fosters digital skills and innovation; promotes inclusive development and strengthens governance and accountability,” he said.
Earlier, the Executive-Secretary, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Oluyomi Arowosafe, said that internet access, wide internet coverage, and ICT in underserved, unserved, and rural areas would support social inclusiveness and social equity.
“The USPF is doing that with its strategies to provide connectivity, and we do that by granting subsidy to our implementers, and they go to rural areas to deliver those services.
“We intend that our contribution in the LGs will support and add value to probably improve in the standard of living, health, and other areas.
All these are to support the eight strategic priority areas of the Federal Government, the priority three and priority five, which have to do with economic growth and inclusiveness.
.“All these are things that support the Project 774 LG connectivity, and as it stands, it is basically to support citizens’ engagement in the LGA,” he said.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said that the project had already started in the state.
“Some LGAs in the state are already benefiting from this project. It is something that is connecting the people and helping in digitising the administration of local government councils in Kogi,” Fanwo said.
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Police arrest three Anambra women over alleged sale of child for ₦2 million
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three women for their alleged involvement in child trafficking and the sale of a four-year-old boy for N2m.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspects, Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, were arrested by operatives attached to the Awada Divisional Headquarters at a motor park in Onitsha.
Ikenga alleged that the suspects belonged to a child trafficking syndicate that specialised in trafficking children and selling them to buyers for various sums of money.
According to him, the suspects were arrested during a raid on their hideouts on Saturday evening, while other members of the syndicate escaped. He added that some children were rescued during the operation.
The statement read, “The Anambra State Police Command, on the evening of July 11, recorded another breakthrough in its sustained fight against child trafficking with the arrest of three female suspects, Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, at a motor park in Onitsha by police operatives attached to Awada Divisional Headquarters.

“Preliminary information revealed how Chinasa Daniel allegedly brought two children, a two-week-old baby and a four-year-old child, on two separate occasions between June and December 2025 and handed them over to Hannah Ugah.
“Chinasa further disclosed that the four-year-old child was subsequently handed over to Florence Nnakuzie and allegedly sold for the sum of N2 million, while the two-week-old baby was allegedly sold to another woman, who is currently at large.”
According to him, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikioye Orutugu, described child trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and a crime against humanity and directed the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for a comprehensive and discreet investigation.
“The CP has also ordered operatives to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend every member of the trafficking syndicate and to commence coordinated operations aimed at locating, rescuing, and reuniting the trafficked children with their biological families.
“The Command appreciates members of the public whose timely and credible information led to the successful operation and urges residents to continue supporting the police with useful intelligence,” the statement added.
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Soldiers intercept illicit drugs on Lagos-Calabar road, arrest driver
Troops of the 65 Battalion of the Nigerian Army have intercepted a truck conveying a large consignment of illicit drugs along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and arrested its driver.
The interception followed an intelligence-led operation conducted on July 9, 2026, after troops received actionable intelligence from a credible source.
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the illicit consignment was being transported to the Berger general area of Lagos State.
“However, the suspect could not provide satisfactory information regarding the ownership or intended recipient of the drugs,” the statement read.

It added, “In line with established procedures, the suspect and the recovered illicit drugs were subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command, for further investigation and prosecution.”
The handover was carried out by the Commanding Officer of the 65 Battalion, Lt. Col. S. Adeojo.
Commending the troops, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, praised their vigilance, professionalism and operational effectiveness.
He urged them to sustain the momentum of ongoing operations and intensify efforts to deny drug traffickers and other criminal elements freedom of action within the division’s area of responsibility.
The Army said the operation underscored its continued collaboration with relevant security agencies in tackling drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
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Three brothers charged with murder after beating mother’s boyfriend to death
Three brothers have been charged with murder in Eswatini after allegedly beating their mother’s boyfriend to death over claims that he was involved in a romantic relationship with her.
The accused — Mlondi Mbuli, 25, Sakhelwe Mbuli, 18, and Lindani Mdziniso, 23 — appeared before the Mbabane Magistrates Court in connection with the killing, which reportedly occurred on June 28, 2026, in Hholoshini, located in the country’s Hhohho Region.
During the hearing, Principal Magistrate Sfiso Vilakati ordered that the three men remain in custody until July 10, 2026, while prosecutors prepare to transfer the case to the High Court, where murder cases are typically tried.
According to investigators, the suspects allegedly attacked the victim, identified as Njabulo Ngwenya, using bricks, stones, sticks, punches and repeated kicks, inflicting injuries that proved fatal.
Police believe the alleged assault stemmed from accusations that Ngwenya was having an affair with the
brothers’ biological mother.

The incident came to the attention of authorities after Sibongile Motsa reported finding her son dead inside her sister’s home in the early hours of June 28.
Court documents state that Motsa discovered Ngwenya’s body at about 1 a.m. before notifying the Royal Eswatini Police Service, which subsequently launched an investigation and arrested the three suspects.
Following their first court appearance, the accused were remanded in custody pending the next hearing and the formal transfer of the matter to the High Court.
Authorities have not disclosed additional information beyond the facts presented during the initial court proceedings.
The case has drawn widespread public interest across Eswatini as investigations continue.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland before Mswati III officially renamed the country in 2018, is a landlocked nation in southern Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. Under the country’s judicial system, serious criminal offences such as murder are generally transferred from the Magistrates Court to the High Court after the initial hearing.
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