
News
Tinubu jets out to Rome – 16th foreign trip this year
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for Rome, the capital of Italy, which will be his 16th foreign trip in 2025.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, the president in Rome will participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Level Meeting, which focuses on security crisis in West Africa.
The meeting, which will begin on October 14, will bring together heads of state and government, senior intelligence and military officials from African countries, and representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to discuss the evolving security challenges in West Africa.
The Aqaba Process meeting is a counter-terrorism initiative launched by King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2015.
It is co–chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Italian government.
The meeting recognises the complex security challenges confronting West Africa, including the expansion of terrorist networks, the growing crime-terror nexus and the increasing overlap between land-based terrorism in the Sahel and the maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to the statement, participants at the meeting will exchange assessments of the current security landscape in West Africa and foster collaboration between regional and international partners to address cross-border security challenges.
Participants will also develop strategies to counter the terror threat on land and the sea.
The meeting will discuss ideas on how to coordinate efforts to combat online radicalisation and disrupt digital networks that facilitate terrorist propaganda and recruitment.
In addition to attending the plenary sessions of the Aqaba meeting, Tinubu will hold bilateral talks with other leaders to explore ways of addressing the rising security challenges across the subregion.
Tinubu will be accompanied by Bianca Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs; Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence; Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); and other government officials.
Tinubu’s 2025 foreign trip so far
With his latest trip, President Tinubu has now embarked on 16 international journeys across 12 countries in 2025 alone, and at least 44 foreign trips since taking office in 2023.
Years He recently returned from a 10-day annual vacation in Europe, during which he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Tinubu’s travels have spanned high-level summits, bilateral meetings, presidential inaugurations, and a few personal breaks.
His 2025 foreign trips started on January 6, when he travelled to Accra, Ghana, for the inauguration of President-elect John Mahama.
Days later, from January 12 to 16, he attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Summit in the United Arab Emirates, holding side meetings with Gulf investors and government officials on trade and energy cooperation.
Later that month, from January 27 to 28, Tinubu was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit. In February, he travelled to France and then to Ethiopia for the 37th African Union Summit, where African leaders discussed regional security, climate action, and trade integration under AfCFTA.
Between April 2 and 21, Tinubu undertook a two-week working visit that took him to France and the United Kingdom. In mid-May, he was in Vatican City for the historic inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in Rome.
From June 28 to July 4, the President made a landmark state visit to Saint Lucia, where he addressed Caribbean leaders in Castries before heading to Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit (July 4–7).
He returned to Brazil in August for a two-day state visit after attending the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Japan, where he met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss maritime security and digital infrastructure.
Before arriving in Japan, Tinubu made a brief stopover in Dubai on August 15, which is his second visit to the UAE this year, before proceeding to Yokohama on August 18.
From September 4 to 17, he was again in France and the UK for a working vacation, part of his 2025 annual leave. That visit came nearly a year after his two-week vacation in the UK in October 2024.
His latest trip, beginning October 12, takes him to Rome for the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Level Meeting.

News
BREAKING: JAMB releases first batch of 2026 UTME results, warns against score manipulation
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the release of results for 632,788 candidates who participated in the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), held on Thursday.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, on Friday.
According to the Board, candidates can now access their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to either 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number registered during the examination process.
At this stage, only result viewing is available, as printing of result slips has not yet been enabled.
JAMB emphasised that the UTME exercise is still ongoing, adding that additional batches of results will be released progressively as marking and processing continue.
The Board also issued a stern warning against any attempts to manipulate or falsify results.

It cautioned candidates against altering SMS messages received from its official platforms to misrepresent their scores to others, including parents and guardians.
JAMB Releases Results of 632,788 Candidates from Day One of the 2026 UTME
The results of candidates who sat the 2026 UTME on Thursday, 16 April 2026, have been released and are now available for viewing.
To check their results, candidates should send UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019…
— Fabian Benjamin (@FabianB58246501) April 17, 2026
Describing such actions as a serious criminal offence, JAMB disclosed that it has already taken action against offenders. “Two candidates and one parent are currently in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement revealed.
The Board reiterated that anyone found guilty of such misconduct would face the full weight of the law.
JAMB urged candidates to adhere strictly to official channels and maintain integrity throughout the examination process, as it continues efforts to ensure a credible and transparent admissions system in Nigeria.

News
Arewa APC Forum withdraws support for Tinubu citing nepotism, incompetence
The Arewa APC Forum, Kano State chapter, has announced the withdrawal of its support for the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing concerns over governance and leadership direction.
In a statement dated April 17, 2026, the forum said its decision followed “extensive consultations and careful reflection” on the state of affairs at the federal level.
The group stated that it could no longer, “in good conscience,” continue to support the current administration, which it criticised over alleged issues including nepotism, incompetence, and corruption.
“We believe that leadership must inspire confidence, uphold fairness, and demonstrate a sincere commitment to national unity, institutional integrity, and responsible governance,” the statement read.
It added that where such values are persistently undermined, “silence becomes complicity.”
The forum further declared that its confidence in the current political direction has been withdrawn, urging its members to align with this position in future political engagements.

The statement was signed by Sallah Hakilu Kibiya, chairman of the forum in Kano State.
The development signals potential cracks within support structures linked to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in the northern region, as political alignments begin to shift ahead of the next electoral cycle.

News
Sen. Ngwu donates security gadgets to Forest Guards, lauds Mbah’s investment in security
The Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, Senator Osita Ngwu, has donated critical security equipment to the Enugu State Forest Guard to bolster its operational capacity and sustain the state’s strides in combating insecurity.
The donation, made on Friday at the Forest Guard Command headquarters in Enugu, included tested body armour, bulletproof vests and helmets, long-range binoculars, communication radios, and first aid materials aimed at improving field efficiency and personnel safety.
Speaking during the presentation, Senator Ngwu commended Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as unprecedented investment in the state’s security architecture, noting that Enugu has emerged as a reference point in security management.
“To the glory of God, we have a governor who is overperforming and understands what governance entails across all sectors. Particularly in security, only a few people know that the Command and Control Centre in Enugu is currently the best in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the level of sophistication of the centre surpasses what is obtainable even at the federal level, stressing that the infrastructure has significantly strengthened efforts to safeguard lives and property.
The lawmaker explained that his intervention was inspired by the governor’s commitment to security, emphasizing that governance requires collective responsibility.

He called on citizens to support security agencies with timely and credible information.
“There is a saying in security: if you see something, you must say something. Without information, the work becomes more difficult,” he noted.
Ngwu also acknowledged that insecurity can heighten during election periods, sometimes driven by political activities, but maintained that a responsible government must remain proactive in tackling threats and ensuring that criminal elements are brought to justice.
Highlighting the state’s Security Trust Fund, he noted that it supports multiple security agencies, including the police, army, DSS, neighbourhood watch, and the Forest Guard, adding that his donation was a modest contribution to complement the governor’s efforts.
Reacting, the Chairman of the Enugu State Forest Guard Board, Col. Daniel Chukwu (rtd.), described the donation as timely, recalling that the agency initially met a “broken and dysfunctional system” which required rebuilding from the ground up.
“We thank the governor for the enabling environment and unwavering support. Every proposal aimed at improving operations and welfare receives prompt approval,” he said.
Chukwu disclosed that the first batch of personnel had been trained in Osun State, with positive results already evident, and urged other stakeholders to emulate the senator’s gesture.
Also speaking, the Commander of the Forest Guard, DCP Olasoji Akinbayo (rtd) described the donation as a morale booster, noting that it would enhance ongoing operations across the state’s forests.
“You have set the ball rolling with this uncommon act. We expect more support from citizens so that we can do more,” he said.
He further revealed that the state government had procured over 1,000 sophisticated rifles for the outfit, enabling operatives to intensify efforts in tackling crime and securing forested areas.

-
News2 days agoJAMB: Gunmen abduct UTME candidates, others
-
News1 day agoBillionaire trader Habby Forex hospitalized in Canada, undergoes surgery
-
News17 hours agoJAMB to release Thursday’s UTME 2026 results today
-
News3 days agoCybersecurity breach hits CAC as Nigerian Agency confirms unauthorised access to system
-
News2 hours agoBREAKING: JAMB releases first batch of 2026 UTME results, warns against score manipulation
-
News3 days ago2027: Tinubu will lose before 10am on election day – Ex-ADC spokesperson
-
News1 day agoPastor sentenced to life imprisonment for raping church member’s daughter
-
Politics2 days agoAtiku says 2027 presidential election will be his last outing


