ABUJA, June 16, 2026 – Nigeria moved one step closer to decentralized policing Thursday as the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a constitutional bill allowing all 36 states to create their own police forces alongside the federal Nigeria Police Force. The bill, which enjoys cross-party support, is President Bola Tinubu’s major security reform aimed at tackling kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, and communal clashes that have stretched federal police beyond their limits. The Senate is expected to adopt it later today. Why State Police Now? For decades, policing has been controlled from Abuja despite vastly different threats: Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, mass kidnappings in the northwest, farmer-herder clashes in north-central, separatist violence in the southeast, and oil theft in the Niger Delta. Governors say they are held accountable for security but lack operational control over police in their states. Reform advocates argue state police will impro...

 The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties, triggering immediate condemnation from opposition leaders who described the ruling as undemocratic and a violation of a subsisting Court of Appeal order. Justice Peter Lifu, delivering judgment in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, directed INEC to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration. The court held that the parties breached provisions of Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution as amended and the Electoral Act 2022. The judgment threatens to remove former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the 2027 presidential ballot, as he emerged as the ADC’s candidate earlier this year. It also affects candidates preparing for the Osun State gov...

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2026* – The United States and Iran signaled Friday that an agreement to end their war was close, with both sides agreeing on a text and Washington expecting to sign an initial deal in the coming days. A senior U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal met President Donald Trump’s core objectives and put negotiations “in a very, very good place.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told state television that changes were still possible, but the tentative agreement made clear that his country had emerged stronger from the conflict. “Iran is the winner of the war with the U.S.,” Araqchi said. Terms of Interim Agreement The so-called memorandum of understanding calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, sources on all sides of the deal said. Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, which was Trump’s stated rationale for starting the war, would take place afterward. Under...

Akpabio . ABUJA, June 14, 2026 – The Senate on Thursday directed security and intelligence agencies to intensify efforts to identify, track and arrest bandits and terrorists who openly display their activities and proceeds of crime on social media platforms, particularly TikTok. The resolution followed growing concerns over the brazenness of criminal networks using digital platforms to project influence, flaunt ill-got wealth and carry out public giveaways believed to be funded through criminal activity. The directive came during plenary after Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, moved a motion on the rising wave of bandit attacks and terrorist incursions in Kogi West and other parts of the country. During deliberations, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, introduced an additional prayer calling for coordinated action by the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other relevant security ...

omar. MOGADISHU / WASHINGTON, June 10, 2026* – The Trump administration on Tuesday said Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry to the United States for the 2026 World Cup "because of his links to suspected members of terror organizations." The statement came four days after Artan was turned back at Miami International Airport on June 6, despite holding a valid U.S. visa and FIFA accreditation. Artan, named Africa’s Referee of the Year 2025, was set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup. *Detained at Miami Airport*   Artan landed in Miami on June 6 to join FIFA’s referee camp ahead of the tournament. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained him for 11 hours, then held him in a cell for several more hours. By day’s end he was placed on a flight to Istanbul. CBP initially said Artan was "determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns." The administration’s June 10 statement went further, directly citing links to sus...

 Borno State records 74 cholera deaths with over 1,200 cases reported. Health ministry, WHO ramp up response in IDP camps. See symptoms, prevention tips. A cholera outbreak in Borno State has claimed 74 lives, with health authorities confirming over 1,200 suspected cases across several local government areas as of this week.  The Borno State Ministry of Health announced the figures on Monday, noting that most deaths occurred in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps and host communities with limited access to clean water.  Worst-hit areas named.  Jere, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Mafa, and Konduga LGAs account for 80% of reported cases, according to the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Baba Mallam Gana.  “We are seeing a sharp rise due to the rainy season and poor sanitation in some settlements. Our emergency teams are on ground with chlorine tablets, rehydration salts, and antibiotics,” Dr. Gana said during a press briefing in Maiduguri.  The Wo...

National Assembly, federal Republic of Nigeria  Nigeria’s House of Representatives has passed a bill to create State Police. Here’s what the State Police Bill means, why it matters, and what happens next. Nigeria moved one step closer to decentralized policing this week. The House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment bill that would allow all 36 states to establish their own police forces. The bill, which has been debated for years, now heads to the Senate for concurrence. If both chambers agree and 24 state assemblies approve, Nigeria’s security structure will change for the first time since 1999. For ordinary Nigerians dealing with banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder clashes, this bill could be the biggest security reform in decades. But it also raises questions about funding, abuse, and political control.    The bill seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to remove policing from the Exclusive Legislative List. Right now, only the federal g...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the National Assembly’s approval to secure a $5 billion external loan from First Abu Dhabi Bank of the United Arab Emirates. The request is part of a larger $6 billion external borrowing plan that also includes a $1 billion UK-backed facility for port rehabilitation. The Senate has already approved the loans after receiving Tinubu’s letters during plenary.  Tinubu asked the Senate to approve a “structured Total Return Swap (TRS) derivative external financing programme of up to $5 billion” with First Abu Dhabi Bank. He told lawmakers the facility will be disbursed in tranches and will be backed by naira-denominated federal government securities as collateral. The President requested “urgent approval” for the deal. According to the President, if fully drawn, the $5 billion facility would raise Nigeria’s total public debt from $110.3 billion to $115.3 billion. As of 31 December 2025, Nigeria’s public debt stood at about $1...