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Nigeria, Italy to deepen bilateral ties

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•  Irregular migration, insecurity, counter-terrorism top list

Nigeria and Italy are poised to deepen bilateral relations, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has said.

In a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, she said despite the over six decades diplomatic ties with Italy, Nigeria was yet to have a bi-national commission with the country and called for one.

The minister who stated this when the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Mengoni, paid her a courtesy visit in her office said that Italy remains a strategic partner for Nigeria in Europe, with bilateral ties reinforced by high-level visits.

According to her, those engagements have continued to underscore the shared interests of both nations in sustainable development, food security, and economic cooperation.

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“The strategic nature of this relationship is further evidenced by ongoing diplomatic consultations that address global challenges including climate change, irregular migration, and regional security concerns,” the minister said.

She acknowledged and urged the sustenance of joint dedication to combating illegal migration, human trafficking, and transnational crime by both countries while inviting deeper Italian engagement in Nigeria’s economic reform agenda, particularly in sectors such as renewable energy, agribusiness, and infrastructure.

The minister also called for Italy’s technical support in Nigeria’s industrialization efforts, highlighting the importance of ease of mobility as a catalyst for trade, investment, education, and cultural exchange between the two counties.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized that improving the efficiency of Visa issuance and processing will not only reduce delays and frustrations for applicants but also directly support economic cooperation and diplomatic engagement.

The minister further called for the establishment of efficient trade facilitation mechanisms that would enable Nigerian goods—especially agricultural and manufactured products—to reach the Italian market directly, reducing transit costs, improving supply chain efficiency, and enhancing market competitiveness.

She identified migration as a challenge and an opportunity in Nigeria-Italy relations, as both countries worked to address irregular migration while facilitating legal pathways for movement.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that the bilateral cooperation encompasses repatriation agreements, voluntary return programmes, and reintegration support for Nigerian nationals returning from Italy.

She noted the joint initiatives tackling human trafficking networks that operate between both countries, with particular focus on protecting vulnerable populations. She added that the two nations had developed programmes to create economic opportunities in Nigeria that might reduce migration pressures, including vocational training and small business development projects in regions with high migration rates.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said: “We are concerned about ways and means of combating irregular migration especially as Italy is a leading destination for Nigerian migrants.

“We are looking at youth restiveness and initiatives in managing migration; looking at youth-focused initiatives that could give skills to the youths, create jobs and keep them busy.

“We are appealing for assistance in dealing with online radicalization of our society; in building capacity to combat violent extremism.”

Earlier, Ambassador Mengoni said that his country was looking forward to improving bilateral relations with Nigeria, based on their policy strategy for building stronger cooperation and businesses with Africa.

He explained that he arrived Nigeria recently and was determined to ensuring that Italy maximized the strategic place of Nigeria in the continent to the mutual benefit of both countries.

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Two Suspected Bandits Killed in Kano Ransom Collection Ambush, ₦10m Recovered

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Two suspected bandits have been killed and ₦10 million recovered after local hunters intercepted a gang allegedly involved in a kidnapping operation in Falgore Forest, Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, shortly after three suspected bandits collected the ransom demanded for the release of a 45-year-old man, Kabiru Aliyu.

Aliyu, a resident of Falgore Village, was abducted on September 11, 2026.

According to the Kano State Police Command, the suspects were intercepted by local hunters, popularly known as Yan Bula, while returning to their hideout after collecting the ransom.

Two of the suspects reportedly died during the confrontation, while the third escaped with injuries. The hunters recovered the entire ₦10 million ransom.

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The police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said preliminary investigations identified one of the deceased suspects as Dogo Isah, a commercial motorcycle operator from Maigwanda Village in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The operation was carried out under Operation Kukan Kura, a security initiative aimed at tackling kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in Kano State.

The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the hunters for their intervention and directed security operatives to intensify efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspect and recover any weapons used by the gang.

The rescued victim was subsequently debriefed, medically examined and reunited with his family.

The incident highlights the role of local hunters in intelligence gathering and rural security, particularly in areas where difficult terrain poses challenges to conventional security operations.

However, the escape of one of the suspects leaves security operatives with the task of tracking him down and determining whether the gang was involved in other kidnapping incidents in the region.

The police urged residents to provide credible information that could assist ongoing efforts to apprehend fleeing suspects and prevent further criminal activities.

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2027: Atiku’s Son Pledges 10 Buses for Tinubu’s Re-election Campaign

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Abba Atiku Abubakar speaks during a visit to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, where he pledged 10 buses for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign. Photo: Hon Yusi Buba/Facebook
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Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has pledged 10 buses to support mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Abba made the pledge during a visit to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, according to a statement issued by Yusi Buba, Senior Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation to the party’s Deputy National Chairman.

He was received by the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori.

Buba said Abba commended the party’s leadership and Tinubu’s administration, expressing support for the President’s continued stay in office.

“In a demonstration of his commitment to the political engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections, Hon. Abba Atiku Abubakar announced the donation of ten buses to support activities aimed at mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2027,” the statement said.

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The APC aide said Dalori welcomed Abba and acknowledged his pledge, describing it as support for the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the elections.

The development followed Abba’s announcement of a nationwide mobilisation campaign for Tinubu’s re-election and the unveiling of the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, a political support group established to advance the President’s second-term ambition.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Abba said the organisation would commence activities in the Federal Capital Territory before expanding to other parts of the country.

He also announced plans for a two-million-man mobilisation march across the six geopolitical zones, with the exercise scheduled to begin in Abuja.

Abba defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in January, declaring his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.

His father, Atiku Abubakar, is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election.

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NCDC Identifies Two Suspected Ebola Cases In North-East

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Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in the North-East region of the country.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in a post via its official X handle on Saturday, adding that both individuals had been isolated.
It also said contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is underway.

According to the agency, confirmation is subject to laboratory results.
Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing is ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted,” the NCDC said.

“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results.

“The public is advised to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”

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The latest update by the NCDC came days after it said it identified another contact, an e-hailing driver, linked to the confirmed case of the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, increasing the number of primary contacts to 54.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, told Channels Television on October 26 that efforts were ongoing to identify the secondary contacts.

“So we are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that we have all the contacts, and they have been followed up. So we are still not out of the woods; because the index case is out doesn’t mean that we don’t have that,” he said.

The Federal Government had announced Nigeria’s first confirmed case of the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja on October 20, 2026, identifying the patient as a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, who returned to Nigeria with symptoms on October 7, but the Ugandan authorities denied reports of an Ebola outbreak in the East African country.

The index patient was later flown to Switzerland along with her husband.

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