News
Tinubu’s Govt ‘Sitting Back, Not Doing Enough’ to tackle insecurity — US Congressman Huizenga
US Congressman Bill Huizenga has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of “sitting back” and failing to address worsening insecurity in Nigeria.
Huizenga said this on Thursday while testifying before the US House Subcommittee on Africa reviewing Nigeria’s redesignation as a country of particular concern (CPC).
The congressman directly faulted the Tinubu administration’s response, accusing Nigeria’s delegation of downplaying the crisis in Washington.
“It ought to be outrageous that it is Christians, moderate Muslims, and anyone being terrorised by these radicalised Islamists in Nigeria, and we’ve got the Tinubu government sitting back and not doing enough. I was recently interviewed by Nigerian television, and that was really their question. Is the Tinubu government doing enough? And I had to answer, ‘No, they are not.’
“And I do not understand how a delegation can come here to the United States and downplay and come up with all of these other excuses as to why this is allowed to happen. It should be rejected, and should be called out for what it is,” the lawmaker said.
Huizenga criticised the media and some members of Congress for “denying” or “de-emphasising” the scale of the killings.
“I went to school with kids from Nigeria. We’ve got neighbours who’ve been missionaries there, who have family there, who have friends there, who know this is going on. Yet, we’ve got not just the mass media, we’ve got people within the Congress denying that this is happening, or certainly de-emphasising it,” he said.
Huizenga recalled a Christmas Eve 2023 attack that killed 200 people and said the incident showed that security conditions had not improved.
Questioning the pattern of religious attacks in the country, he asked, “Do we see Christians killing Muslims the way radicalised Islamists kill Christians in Muslim areas?”
The committee will also hear from senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.
Advertisement
Thursday’s hearing came after US President Donald Trump reinstated Nigeria on the CPC list on 31 October 2025.
Trump alleged systematic persecution of Christians and confirmed that military options were being reviewed.
The Nigerian Government, howevr, rejected the allegations. President Tinubu said, “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our reality”.
Nigeria was first designated a CPC in 2020 under Trump. Former President Joe Biden removed the country from that list shortly after assuming office.
Gunmen on Thursday night ambushed and beheaded a 30-year-old man, Elisha Abbas Saku, at Riwhie-Chwo in Nzharuvo, Miango District of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident occurred around 10 pm when the gunmen stormed the community, throwing residents into panic and confusion.
A statement issued on Friday by the Irigwe Youth Movement described the killing as a brutal ambush.
The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Joseph Yonkpa, who signed the statement, prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul while calling for divine comfort for the entire Irigwe Nation.
“Yesterday night, 16th April 2026, gunmen ambushed and beheaded Mr. Elisha Abbas Saku, 30 years old, at Riwhie-Chwo, Nzharuvo, Miango District of Bassa LGA, Plateau State,” the report stated. “May his soul rest in peace, and may God comfort the entire Irigwe Nation.”
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.
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.
-
News2 days agoJAMB: Gunmen abduct UTME candidates, others
-
News1 day ago
Billionaire trader Habby Forex hospitalized in Canada, undergoes surgery
-
News17 hours ago
JAMB to release Thursday’s UTME 2026 results today
-
News3 days ago
Cybersecurity breach hits CAC as Nigerian Agency confirms unauthorised access to system
-
News3 hours ago
BREAKING: JAMB releases first batch of 2026 UTME results, warns against score manipulation
-
News3 days ago
2027: Tinubu will lose before 10am on election day – Ex-ADC spokesperson
-
News1 day ago
Pastor sentenced to life imprisonment for raping church member’s daughter
-
Politics2 days ago
Atiku says 2027 presidential election will be his last outing
