The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on Nigerians to reject politicians he described as political gamblers, accusing them of using deception to gain access to public office.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Wike warned Nigerians against taking politicians seriously simply because they visit Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps to celebrate their birthdays while seeking the presidency, particularly if they did not demonstrate similar concern for vulnerable citizens while holding public office.

He urged Nigerians to look beyond ethnic sentiments, political calculations and power struggles when choosing their leaders, stressing the need for competence, fairness, accountability and effective service delivery.

The minister made the remarks on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the inaugural Idoma Hall of Fame induction ceremony, organised as part of the Idoma Centenary Plus celebration.

Speaking on the theme, ‘People, Politics and Power Play in Nigeria: The Agitation for Equity and Fairness’, Wike cautioned against politicians exploiting grievances over marginalisation to advance their personal interests.

He argued that Nigeria’s political future depended on citizens’ ability to distinguish genuine public servants from individuals seeking power for personal or sectional gains.

Wike urged Nigerians to assess the intentions, track records and performance of political leaders rather than allow ethnic loyalty or a sense of entitlement to influence their decisions.

According to him, demands for equity and fairness should not become opportunities for political opportunists to redistribute privileges among competing groups without addressing the underlying problems.

“One of the enduring difficulties of our political life is the tendency to convert public power into private possession,” Wike said.

He explained that when public office became a tool for personal enrichment, government resources were diverted towards private interests, while sectional domination left other citizens feeling excluded from governance.

The FCT minister maintained that Nigeria’s pursuit of fairness would remain unsuccessful if political actors concentrated solely on which ethnic group or region controlled power without examining how that power was exercised.

“If one group replaces another at the table while the benefits remain fundamentally exclusionary, the occupants have changed, but the injustice has not,” he stated.

Wike also challenged Nigerians to demonstrate a consistent commitment to justice, warning against condemning marginalisation only when their own communities were affected.

“If we complain about marginalisation only when our own people are excluded, but become silent when others are marginalised after our people gain power, we are not opposing injustice; we are seeking access to its privileges,” he said.

He stressed that genuine fairness required defending justice even when doing so conflicted with one’s ethnic affiliations or political interests.

The minister further called for a political culture in which public office was treated as a responsibility entrusted to leaders rather than an entitlement, adding that Nigeria’s diversity should strengthen national unity instead of encouraging exclusion.

He noted that the federal character principle enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was intended to promote national unity and prevent a small number of states or sectional groups from dominating public institutions.

However, Wike cautioned that the quest for balanced representation must not undermine competence and merit.

“A Nigerian should not be excluded from public office because of where he or she comes from; neither should competence become irrelevant once a candidate’s identity satisfies a representational expectation,” he said.

Wike argued that the success of political leadership should be judged by the tangible improvements it delivers to citizens rather than the identities of those occupying positions of authority.

He listed employment, quality education, healthcare, infrastructure, electricity, security and economic opportunities as essential indicators of meaningful political inclusion.

According to him, appointing a prominent political office-holder from a particular community would offer little benefit if ordinary residents continued to struggle with unemployment, poor public services and economic hardship.

“The real measure of political inclusion is therefore not simply who occupies office, but what the exercise of that office produces for the people,” he said.

The minister acknowledged that Nigeria had introduced several arrangements to accommodate its diversity, including federalism, state creation, revenue allocation, zoning and rotational presidency.

Nevertheless, he maintained that these mechanisms alone could not guarantee fairness without a genuine commitment to serving the public interest.

Wike called for a political system that prioritised the common good and provided every Nigerian with a fair opportunity to participate in national life, regardless of background.

He also criticised the zero-sum approach to politics, in which the progress of one community is perceived as a setback for another, warning that such thinking threatens national unity.

He urged political leaders to strengthen institutions that serve the entire country rather than promote arrangements that favour only their supporters or ethnic constituencies.

A Federal High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, has sentenced two men to 15 years’ imprisonment each and a Chinese national, Ripin Liu, to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The court also ordered the forfeiture of a vehicle and a Bajaj motorcycle to the Federal Government after ruling that the items were connected to the crimes.

According to reports, Justice Emmanuel Gakko, who presided over the case, ruled that the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants conspired to commit terrorism and provided support to terrorists.

The offences were prosecuted under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

During the proceedings, the court heard that the defendants, including Liu, were intercepted along Yauri Road while travelling in a vehicle allegedly purchased to transport kidnapped victims to a forest hideout.

Liu was reportedly found in possession of a Beretta pistol when he was arrested and was subsequently convicted in connection with the offences.

In delivering the sentences, the court handed Aliyu Hadari and Umar Musa Uzzi 15 years’ imprisonment each, while Liu was sentenced to six years.

In a separate case, the court convicted several other individuals and imposed varying prison terms for offences brought against them.

Mohammed Bello Ibrahim, popularly known as Banki, received a four-year prison sentence without the option of a fine.

Similarly, Abubakar Siddi, Mohammed Bako, Bello Dantiye, Aliyu Dandaula and Abubakar Usman were each sentenced to three years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine.

Buba Alhaji Umaru, who was arrested in Bagudo Local Government Area after allegedly entering Nigeria from a neighbouring country with a locally made pistol, was also sentenced to three years in prison.

John Zweme received a two-year-and-six-month prison sentence, with an option of a fine, while Aliyu Bako and Sani Alaramma were each sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, also with the option of a fine.

Meanwhile, the Kebbi State Police Command has secured the conviction of six individuals over the vandalism and theft of electricity cables in the Sakaba area of the state.

The convicted individuals were identified as Sani Tanko, Ibrahim Hamza, Samson Sunday, Abdulrahman Isah, Adamu Musa and Masudu.

Described as economic saboteurs, the six men were handed prison sentences ranging from three to eight years for their involvement in the offences.

involvement in the offences.

Fresh details have emerged surrounding the death of Nigerian gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, following an account shared by his personal assistant, Babadunni Gbolabo.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Toluwanisings reportedly died on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, Gbolabo revealed that the singer suddenly slumped and was taken to several hospitals in Ibadan in an attempt to save his life, but the family reportedly struggled to secure medical attention.

According to the personal assistant, efforts to get the singer admitted were unsuccessful at as many as eight hospitals, with some facilities allegedly citing the unavailability of doctors due to an ongoing strike.

Gbolabo explained that the singer had appeared to be in good health before the incident occurred, leaving those around him shocked by his sudden collapse.

He added that attempts to revive the gospel musician were made before he was rushed from one hospital to another in search of emergency treatment.

Recounting the incident, Gbolabo said: “When it happened in the morning, I wasn’t here, so they called me and I came.

“There was nothing wrong with him. He was very fine and in perfect condition. He just slumped. They tried to resuscitate him. They went helter-skelter. They took him to some hospitals, but they were giving excuses.

“Some said doctors were not working because of the strike. Some did not admit him at all. That is how it went. We tried our best, including prayers. We took him to up to seven to eight hospitals in Ibadan, but God said his time was up.”

The singer’s personal assistant further disclosed that Toluwanisings’ body had been deposited at a mortuary while the family began making arrangements following his death.

He explained that relatives were yet to finalise the necessary decisions, adding that the next steps would be determined after family members had met and agreed on the arrangements.

“The family members are here. So, we are all just managing the situation, as the body is currently at the mortuary. Once the family members meet and are clear on things, we will know the next step to take.

“But they haven’t done the necessary things. Whatever they conclude upon arrival, that is what we will execute,” he added.