The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, urged the Federal Government, through the relevant agencies, to provide relief materials to cushion the effects of the recent boat mishap that took the lives of five persons in the Nafada River, Gombe State, North-Eastern Nigeria.
The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by the member representing Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency, Gombe State, Abdullahi El-Rasheed.
The five persons, including four young girls and a boy, reportedly lost their lives on Saturday, October 25, 2025, onboard a boat sailing across the Nafada River.
Incidents of boat mishaps have been a regular occurrence across Nigeria’s waterways, continually claiming lives and heightening tension over maritime safety, particularly in rural areas.
El-Rasheed said, “The House is disturbed that unless relevant government agencies intensify their regulatory oversight and enforce strict compliance with maritime safety standards and operational guidelines, these devastating incidents will continue to occur.”
Shortly after the adoption of the motion, the House observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims and condoled with the families of the departed.
It thereafter urged the National Emergency Management Agency and the North-East Development Commission to, as a matter of urgency, “provide relief materials and necessary support to the affected families and the grieving communities.”
Fresh pressure is mounting on former President Goodluck Jonathan to shelve his rumoured plan to contest the presidency in the 2027 general elections, as prominent figures in the Niger Delta intensify efforts to persuade him to instead support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.
Findings by The PUNCH revealed that ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, is leading the regional movement urging Jonathan to drop his alleged presidential ambition and rally behind President Tinubu’s second-term bid.
It was gathered that Tompolo, accompanied by top associates including the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, High Chief Kestin Pondi, and the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 Bayelsa State election, Joshua Maciver, among others, paid a private visit to Jonathan at his Otuoke home in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on October 16.
The meeting, which reportedly lasted several hours, was Tompolo’s first public appearance in nearly 10 years—an indication of the gravity of his mission.
Contrary to initial media reports suggesting that discussions centred on peace and security in the Niger Delta, multiple impeccable sources disclosed that the visit was primarily political.
According to sources close to both men, Tompolo’s visit was aimed at discouraging Jonathan from seeking the presidency and urging him to support President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
A top Jonathan associate, who was privy to the meeting but declined to be named for lack of authorisation to speak, confirmed that the meeting indeed took place.
“It is true, the meeting held,” the source said. “Niger Delta stakeholders feel Tinubu has done a lot for the region—look at the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the university he approved for Ogoni land, and several other projects. So everyone feels we should back President Tinubu’s second-term bid. That was what Tompolo came to discuss with the former President. He urged him not to run but to support President Tinubu.”
Pressed on whether Jonathan was nursing a presidential ambition, the associate added, “Yes, he was considering it.”
A source within Tompolo’s camp corroborated this, describing the visit as historic.
“It was the first time in a decade that Tompolo would visit anyone. That alone shows the importance of the meeting,” the source said.
Tompolo, who has been a staunch supporter of President Tinubu, currently enjoys the renewal of the multibillion-naira pipeline surveillance contract first awarded to him during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tompolo also leads a grassroots political structure known as the ‘PBAT Door-to-Door Movement’, mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election across the Niger Delta.
Further details from sources familiar with the meeting suggest that Tompolo told Jonathan that the psyche of Niger Deltans was not in favour of his rumoured ambition to return to power.
“Tompolo was very frank with him,” one source said. “He told the former President that his people were no longer disposed to supporting him for another presidential contest and that most Niger Deltans prefer Tinubu to continue till 2031.”
The source added that Tompolo advised Jonathan to “borrow a leaf” from his wife, Patience Jonathan, and Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, who have both aligned themselves with the movement for Tinubu’s re-election.
“Tompolo pointed out that Mrs Jonathan had already publicly endorsed President Tinubu for re-election and that Governor Diri’s resignation from the PDP and his planned defection to the APC were indicators that the region was moving in that direction,” the source continued.
Another participant at the meeting said Tompolo urged Jonathan not to be swayed by politicians urging him to challenge Tinubu, warning that he would not get the needed “home support.”
“He told him point-blank that no one can defeat President Tinubu in a free and fair contest considering his performance so far,” the source said. “Tompolo stressed that most Nigerians, especially in the South, want continuity to allow Tinubu to complete his programmes.”
The ex-militant leader reportedly told Jonathan that he didn’t need to defect to the APC to support Tinubu, but could remain a statesman and use his influence to deliver the region to the President in 2027.
According to one of the sources, Jonathan listened attentively and promised to consider Tompolo’s advice carefully.
“President Jonathan appreciated Tompolo for his visit and acknowledged the wisdom in his submissions,” the source said. “He promised to review the counsel and make his decision known in due course.”
While Tompolo declined to speak to journalists after the closed-door meeting, Jonathan told reporters that the visit focused on maintaining peace and stability in the Niger Delta.
“Since I left office, we have not seen each other,” Jonathan said. “Tompolo is one young man who has played key roles in the unity of our people. We discussed issues people have been complaining about to ensure the Niger Delta remains peaceful. He has contributed significantly to peace and the protection of oil installations.”
Despite Jonathan’s diplomatic tone, multiple insiders insist that the political dimension dominated the discussions, especially as Niger Delta elites increasingly tilt towards Tinubu’s re-election.
Meanwhile, former Labour Party governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Udengs Eradiri, dismissed claims that Jonathan was planning a return to power, describing such reports as speculative.
“I am not aware that Jonathan is running,” Eradiri said. “Until he himself comes out to declare, it’s just rumour. And as for Tompolo’s visit, it’s normal that he would pay respect to Jonathan as a leader in the Niger Delta.”
He explained that Jonathan remains a revered figure among Niger Delta stakeholders due to his pivotal role in the Amnesty Programme, which he helped midwife while serving as vice president under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
“Any day, any time, Goodluck Jonathan is a leader respected by people like Tompolo,” he said. “So, it is natural that when Tompolo visits Bayelsa, he would first go to see Jonathan. Whether there was political persuasion or not, I cannot say. But I don’t think Jonathan has declared any ambition to be pressured in the first place.”
China said on Thursday it “opposes” recent sanctions slapped by the United States on the two largest Russian oil companies over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, saying they had “no basis in international law”.
President Donald Trump announced the measures on Wednesday after plans for a fresh summit with Vladimir Putin collapsed, complaining that talks with his counterpart “don’t go anywhere”.
China — a major Russian trading partner — has said it takes a neutral stance on the war and has refrained from condemning Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Asked about the new US sanctions at a daily press conference in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said “China consistently opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorised by the United Nations Security Council”.
In response to another question about Trump’s statement that Chinese President Xi Jinping could have a “big influence” on Putin in efforts to end the war, Guo said that “dialogue and negotiations are the only feasible way out of the Ukraine crisis”.
At the same press conference, Guo criticised sanctions on Russia agreed on Wednesday by the European Union, whose targets included Chinese companies, saying Beijing was “strongly dissatisfied”.
“China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it,” he said.
“The European side is in no position to make irresponsible remarks about the normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises.”
Guo urged Brussels to “stop making an issue out of China”, vowing that Beijing “will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”.
Kanu Agabi, former Attorney-General of the Federation and lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday, applied to withdraw his representation in the ongoing terrorism trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu is facing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism, filed against him by the Federal Government.
When the matter was called on Thursday, Agabi informed the court that he would no longer be representing the IPOB leader, adding that the defendant had decided to take back the case from them.
In the same manner, all the Senior Advocates of Nigeria involved in the case also announced their withdrawal from the case.
Kanu, confirming the development, told the court that he would be representing himself for now, but noted that the position might change later.
The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, asked whether he should assign a lawyer to represent him, but the defendant (Kanu) declined.
Meanwhile, addressing the court orally to open his defence, Kanu argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to try him.
Recall that Justice Omotosho, on October 16, granted the defendant six consecutive days, beginning from October 23, to open and close his defence in view of the accelerated hearing earlier granted in the case.
Kanu had listed former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd); a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), and others as part of his witnesses.
United States Vice President JD Vance warned Wednesday of the tough task ahead in disarming Hamas and building a peaceful future for Gaza, as Washington sought to reassure its ally Israel over the next steps in its ambitious ceasefire deal.
Vance met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of a trip to Israel, part of a diplomatic blitz in support of the US-brokered plan to end the fighting, recover hostages and, eventually, rebuild the devastated Palestinian territory.
“We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza, to make life better for the people of Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel,” Vance said.
Vance had kicked off the three-day visit on Tuesday by opening the Civil-Military Coordination Centre in southwest Israel, where US and allied troops will work with Israeli forces to monitor the truce and to oversee aid to Gaza.
Turkish troops?
“A lot of our Israeli friends working together with a lot of Americans to actually mediate this entire ceasefire process, to get some of the critical infrastructure off the ground, ” Vance said, after talks with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Vance cited an “international security force” as one of the bodies that would have to be set up. Under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, this military mission would keep the peace in Gaza as Israel withdraws.
Several US allies are considering joining the force, but no American troops would be on the ground inside Gaza, instead coordinating from the CMCC in Kiryat Gat, Israel.
Reports that Israel’s outspoken critic and regional rival Turkey could provide troops have rattled Israeli opinion.
Netanyahu said decisions on the new security force would be made in discussion with the United States, but on Turkey’s role he said: “I have very strong opinions about that. You want to guess what they are?”
‘Great optimism’
Despite an eruption of violence on Sunday, when two soldiers were killed and Israel responded with a deadly wave of air strikes, Vance expressed “great optimism” that the ceasefire would hold and the plan to end the war proceed.
Netanyahu and his wife Sara welcomed Vance and the US Second Lady Usha Vance to his office and the couples sat down for breakfast, followed by a working meeting and a televised news conference.
The Israeli leader, who has been criticised by some domestic opponents for accepting the US-backed ceasefire before Hamas was fully destroyed and before all the remains of deceased hostages are returned, defended the deal.
“We’ve been able to do two things. Put the knife up to Hamas’s throat. That was the military effort guided by Israel,” he said, thanking Trump for his diplomatic efforts in the broader Middle East, smoothing relations with Israel’s neighbours.
“And the other effort was to isolate Hamas and the Arab and Muslim world, which I think the president did brilliantly with his team. So those two things produced the hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Vance also championed the Gaza deal’s role as a “critical piece in unlocking the Abraham Accords” — a Trump administration plan to build relations between Israel and its former foes in the Arab world.
‘Very, very fragile’
Israel responded to its soldiers’ deaths on Sunday with an intense wave of bombings that the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry said killed 45 Palestinians. Hamas denies any role in the killings.
Despite the violence, Hamas has continued to hand over the remains of deceased hostages in small numbers as part of the ceasefire deal, and Palestinians have welcomed the truce, their cities lying in ruins.
Displaced civilian Imran Skeik, 34, living in a tent in Al-Saraya Square in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City, told AFP: “The situation is much better — the war has stopped, and there are no sounds of bombs and shelling like before.
“We hope the ceasefire continues and that Israel and Hamas both stick to it. We’ve started to get some rest, but there are still many problems. Will we have to stay in tents — another kind of suffering?”
Hostage remains
The Israeli military said Wednesday the remains of two more hostages returned the day before had been identified as Aryeh Zalmanovich and Master Sergeant Tamir Adar.
Zalmanovich, 85 at the time of his death, was abducted from his home in kibbutz Nir Oz and killed in captivity on November 17, 2023, the military said.
The soldier Adar, 38 when he died, was killed while fighting to defend Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken captive, it said.
The militants have now released 15 of the 28 hostage bodies pledged to be returned under the deal, but Hamas has said the search is hampered by the level of destruction in the territory.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has killed at least 68,229 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN considers credible.
Hamas’s 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
President Bola Tinubu has approved a two-year tenure extension for the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Mr. AbuduGaniyu Adebomehin.
The move is aimed at consolidating ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s geospatial data systems and national land administration, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed in a statement released on Wednesday.
The extension will take effect from January 5, 2026, and follows the recent transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to the Presidency.
The transfer places geospatial intelligence and national surveying operations directly under the executive arm.
Adebomehin’s two-year extension will see him serve until January 2028.
According to Onanuga, “The President expects Mr Adebomehin to consolidate the reforms within the next two years, focusing on national land management and administration, highways and abutting land infrastructure coordination, reclamation and erosion control programmes, and other related matters of strategic national importance.”
Adebomehin was appointed the Surveyor-General of the Federation by the late President Muhammadu Buhari, effective January 5, 2022.
The House of Representatives is set to investigate the domiciliation of green energy projects in inappropriate government entities to prevent substandard implementation and loss of public funds.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance at Wednesday’s plenary, sponsored by the member representing Oshodi/Isolo II Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Hon. Jesse Onuakalusi.
The Federal Government, through its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, is currently funding numerous green and renewable energy projects aimed at promoting sustainable power generation, reducing carbon emissions, and improving access to clean energy, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
However, reports indicate that some of these projects, including solar mini-grids, wind farms, and other renewable energy initiatives, have been domiciled with entities and institutions that lack the technical expertise, professional competence, or statutory mandate to effectively execute or supervise them.
Speaking on the motion, the Labour Party lawmaker expressed concern over what he described as “the misplacement or inappropriate domiciliation of projects,” noting that it undermines the objectives of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan.
He said, “The House is concerned that this encourages duplication of efforts, delays implementation timelines, and often results in substandard or abandoned projects, thereby wasting public funds and eroding public trust.
“The House is worried that the lack of due diligence and proper inter-agency coordination in assigning such projects has led to inefficiency, poor monitoring, and loss of value in the delivery of renewable energy infrastructure, particularly in rural electrification and public sector energy efficiency programmes.
“The effective management and domiciliation of green energy projects with competent and appropriate agencies such as the Rural Electrification Agency, Energy Commission of Nigeria, and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, among others, are critical for ensuring technical quality, sustainability, and accountability in project delivery.”
Onuakalusi further warned that the continued mismanagement and misplacement of green energy projects could derail Nigeria’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and the Paris Climate Agreement, with grave consequences for environmental sustainability and economic growth.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Renewable Energy to investigate the reported domiciliation of green and renewable energy projects across MDAs to determine compliance with due process, capacity standards, and statutory mandates.
The Committee is also to identify cases where renewable energy projects have been misplaced, mismanaged, or underperformed due to domiciliation with inappropriate entities and recommend corrective measures, including sanctions where necessary.
Additionally, the House directed the Federal Government, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Bureau of Public Procurement, to ensure that future green energy projects are domiciled strictly with competent, legally mandated, and technically qualified institutions, as recommended by the Committee on Renewable Energy.
It also urged the Federal Ministry of Power and the Energy Commission of Nigeria to develop a clear framework for inter-agency coordination and delineation of responsibilities in implementing renewable and green energy initiatives, and to report back to the House Committee on Renewable Energy within four weeks.
Furthermore, the House proposed an urgent amendment to the Electric Power Sector Reform Act to align existing legislation with Nigeria’s renewable energy objectives.
The United Kingdom on Tuesday cut the post-study work period from two years to 18 months for foreign students, including Nigerians, from January 2027.
This was disclosed by the UK’s Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, on October 14 while explaining the reasons for the need for immigrants to pass an A-level standard of English Language.
According to a statement posted on the UK Government’s website on Wednesday, the time for international students to find a graduate-level job after completing their studies will be reduced to 18 months from the current two years.
The statement read, “Laid in changes before Parliament this week, the measures form part of the government’s flagship immigration white paper and Plan for Change to deliver on the priorities of working people for tighter control of who comes to this country while continuing to attract top global talent.
“The time for international students to find a graduate-level job after completing their studies will also be cut to 18 months from the current two years. The immigration skills charge (ISC), which is paid by employers sponsoring skilled foreign workers and reinvested in training the domestic workforce, is being raised by 32%.
“The ISC increase is the first since 2017 and will be used to boost investment in British workers and reduce reliance on overseas recruitment. The Parliamentary process to increase the charge will begin later this week. To ensure graduates contribute effectively to the economy, the maximum post-study stay will be reduced to 18 months from the current 2 years for most from 1 January 2027. It comes after data clearly showed that many holders had not transitioned into graduate-level employment as intended.”
Recently, the UK announced that an additional fee is expected to be passed on to overseas students, making studying in the UK more expensive than before.
The tuition fees for undergraduate degrees in the 2025/26 academic year have already risen by 3.1%, from £9,250 to £9,535.
Additionally, stricter English language requirements are being introduced for international students entering the country for study, work, and settlement.
Data shows fewer foreign students opted for the UK as a study option in 2024.
UK immigration rules were modified in January 2024 to prevent students from bringing dependants, except for those studying postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has challenged past administrations to show records that they have done more projects than the administration of President Bola Tinubu, since the inception of the federal capital.
Wike made the statement on Tuesday during the commissioning of the newly provided Engineering Infrastructure in Wuye District, ending his over one month of projects flag-off and commissioning across the FCT.
Among the projects flagged off were 12 new roads across various districts, Lot 1 of the Light Up Abuja Solar Streetlight projects, provision of access roads to the Mabushi Bus terminal, the construction and expansion of water supply to satellite towns (Lot 1 and 2), and, recently the flag-off of the construction of 600-bed hostels for the Nigerian Law School in Bwari.
The minister said the record of the Tinubu-led administration showed a form of leadership committed to changing the lives of the people, daring anyone who had such records to “speak now or forever remain silent.”
“I want to challenge anybody who would say in the history of the FCT, in any administration, who has beaten the record of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“If there is any administration since the inception of the Federal Capital Territory that has beaten this record of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, let him speak up now, or forever remain silent. What does it show? It shows leadership that is committed, it shows leadership that is willing to change the lives of the people,” he said.
The minister noted that the road project was awarded in 2009, adding that the President Tinubu administration had “shamed the opposition” and changed the narrative in the FCT, noting that the FCTA will soon begin the commissioning of renovated schools in the territory.
“This contract was awarded in 2009. For those of you who are good at Mathematics and Arithmetic, how many years is that? 16 years. It was awarded in 2009. Was Bola Ahmed Tinubu the President of Nigeria in 2009? Was this road completed?
“We have changed the narrative. We have shamed the opposition. Tinubu’s administration has changed the narrative in the FCT. Tell the opposition to come and see that the FCT is working. So, I’m happy,” he said.
Wike also assured contesting Area Council Chairmen of his support, reiterating that he would support anyone who supported President Tinubu, adding that there would be “a political tsunami” very soon.
“For all of you who are running election and are supporting Mr President, be assured, I will also support you. I have no regrets. I said here, if you are supporting Asiwaju, I’m going to support you.
“Anywhere you are, the moment I know you are with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you get my support one hundred per cent. So, if you know you have not changed your mind, don’t change your mind. Because very soon, there will be a political tsunami. It is Asiwaju all the way,” the minister stated.
A teenager, Joy Ogah, symbolically took over the seat of Vice President Kashim Shettima for a day, using the platform to advocate passionately for the rights and education of girls across Nigeria.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Vice President on Tuesday, the symbolic handover took place during a meeting on Monday between Vice President Shettima and a delegation from PLAN International, led by Helen Mfonobong Idiong, Director of Programme, Quality, and Innovation.
From the Vice President’s chair, Ogah highlighted the challenges facing girls in the country, noting that over 10.5 million children remain out of school, more than 60 per cent of whom are girls.
“We must invest in education that is safe and inclusive for every child in Nigeria,” she said, urging policymakers and stakeholders to prioritise interventions that protect and empower young girls.
Ogah also urged the government to provide free sanitary products in schools and ensure access to clean water, sanitation, and proper nutrition for all children. She stressed that every girl deserves a classroom, a choice, dignity, and not silence.
“When girls are protected, peace becomes possible. I may be the Vice President for a day, but the struggles I represent cannot end in a day. They must continue in our policies, our classrooms, our conversations, and our budgets,” she said.
Shettima also used the occasion to reaffirm President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to advancing girl-child education and inclusive learning nationwide.
“We will continue the engagement with PLAN International and see where the force and strength of government can be brought to bear on your solid advice on girl-child education.
“In President Bola Tinubu, you have an ally you can believe in and invest your trust in,” Shettima said.
Recent reports from PUNCH Online indicate growing national momentum toward gender inclusivity in education. On October 20, 2025, advocacy groups urged all tiers of government to invest more in girl-child education, mentorship, and sensitisation programmes, calling for stronger efforts to eliminate gender bias in schools.
In September, the Federal Government launched the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions (RH-SII774) targeting over 10 million women across all 774 local government areas through livelihood grants, digital inclusion, and clean energy initiatives.
Similarly, the Ministry of Education and the National Assembly have reinforced support for gender parity and access to learning.
The government’s recent workshop on inclusive education, coupled with the Student Loans Act and increased education funding, reflects ongoing institutional commitment to equity — a goal echoed in Joy Ogah’s symbolic “Vice President for a Day” advocacy.
