CRIME
INEC Faults NASS, Others on Electronic Result Transmission

By Jude Opara, Abuja and Dan Amasingha, Minna
Contrary to the position of the National Assembly (NASS) that electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria is not possible due to alleged poor network coverage, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has the capacity to do so.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education (IVEC), Barr Festus Okoye said the Commission has the capacity to transmit election results electronically from every remote area in the country.
Speaking at the weekend on Channels Television programme monitored in Abuja, Okoye said the position of the Commission was clear on the issue and it had always been, even when it transmitted election results electronically in Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
“We have uploaded election results from very remote areas in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, even from areas where you have to use human carriers to access.
“So, we (INEC) have made our own position very clear, that we have the capacity and we have the will to deepen the use of technology in the electoral process.
“But our powers are given by the Constitution and the Law, and we will continue to remain within the ambit and confines of the power granted to the Commission by the Constitution and the law”, Okoye stated.
Last week, the lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives were sharply divided over the electronic transmission of results.
While the lawmakers of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were mainly in support of the electronic transmission of election results, their counterparts in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were the greatest opposition to the system despite the overwhelming acceptance of the system by a majority of the Nigerian people.
The two chambers of the National Assembly were thrown into rowdy sessions for two days as the lawmakers debated Section 52(2) of the Electoral Amendment Act Bill, which deals with electronic transmission of election results.
While it was a little easier for the APC members to get a version of the bill at the Senate that mandates INEC to get authorization from the NCC and the National Assembly before transmitting election results electronically, it was not so easy for their counterparts in the House of Representatives.
The lower chamber had to adjourn on Thursday after a stalemate and the Friday plenary was even more chaotic as PDP lawmakers had to stage a walk out as the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase who presided over the Committee of the Whole insisted in forcing the version preferred by the APC on them.
The main argument of the lawmakers opposed to electronic transmission of results is that there is not enough network coverage in parts of the country.
However, Okoye had assured that has the capacity and technological knowhow to transmit election results electronically in every part of Nigeria just as Nigerians in parts of the country do electronic banking with their handsets.
Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the National Assembly’s rejection of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically.
In his contributions, Senator Shehu Sani stated that by legislating that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Senate will sanction the eventual electronic transmission of election results means that NASS had created three electoral bodies.
Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate between 2015 and 2019 stated this in a television programme monitored in Abuja.
The senator who is also an activist expressed disappointment at the turn of events, saying it was sad, unfortunate and tragic that the National Assembly could not agree on such issue of national importance.
“The National Assembly is made up of politicians and elected public officials. It is wrong for us to have a law where they would be involved in deciding or approving whether election results should be released or not.
“All they have done simply is that the ruling political party with dominance in the national assembly will decide whether results should be electronically announced or not.
“Another point we need to observe is that during elections, most of the lawmakers are back to their constituencies and it is not possible at that time to have a quorum in the national assembly for the purpose of approving whether election results.
“All they are trying to do is simply to give the ruling party the opportunity to decide whether the result of election is released or not.
“It is better the country does not operate electronic transfer of results than where the NCC headed by the appointee of the President and the national assembly headed by a politician from the ruling party dominating both chambers to decide the processes of an election. It is very wrong to have such a type”, he said.
According him, the legislators were deceiving themselves by hinging their argument on poor network coverage, adding that if they were losing, they would find a way of manipulating the results.
He also said that the announcement of election results was key and one of the problems that had bedevilled previous elections in the country.
“You can have credible elections but the person announcing the results can be compromised but when you have a system where results are automatically transmitted electronically, it is not going to be subjected to anybody’s manipulation and like I have said, people need to know this very well that during elections, there is nobody in the National Assembly, everyone would have left and won’t come back until after election?”
CRIME
Police Arrest Three over 2024 Murder, Robbery in Abuja

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of Azubuko Nwakama, a staff member of Liberty Radio, who was attacked and robbed at Panteka Market in Mpape on June 14, 2024.
The Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh disclosed in a statement that the arrests followed months of sustained investigation and surveillance by detectives attached to the Mpape Division.
“Following the incident in June 2024, detectives from Mpape Division immediately launched a comprehensive investigation,” she said.
The suspects reportedly robbed the victim of his mobile phone and other valuables before stabbing him.
However, efforts to trace the stolen phone proved difficult for months, as the device remained switched off.According to the police, the breakthrough came on August 2, 2025, when the phone — a Redmi 13C — was switched on and tracked to one Mutari Lawal, 32, of Kano State.
“Upon arrest, Mutari confessed to the crime and revealed the identities of his accomplices: Dan’Asabe Ibrahim, 22, from Zamfara State, and Danjuma Ibrahim, 18, both with no fixed address in Mpape,” the statement noted.
Lawal reportedly admitted he took the phone to Kano, where he kept it powered off for over a year. He returned to Abuja and switched it on only after attempting to wipe its data and insert a new SIM card.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ajao Adewale, commended the officers for their professionalism and perseverance, stressing that justice has finally caught up with the suspects.
He also warned criminal elements in the territory to either “repent or relocate,” as the law will eventually catch up with them.
“The long arm of the law is patient, persistent, and resolute,” the CP declared.
The FCT Police Command reiterated its commitment to public safety and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities via its emergency numbers: 08032003913, 08028940883.
…Nab Herder with Ammunition, Six Suspected Robbers in Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a herder in possession of an AK-47 magazine loaded with six live rounds of ammunition, along with six individuals suspected of involvement in robbery and kidnapping across parts of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ramhan Nansel disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday in Lafia.
According to him, the arrests followed credible intelligence from a concerned citizen, leading operatives of the Doma Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, to raid a known criminal hideout in Yelwa Ediya, Doma Local Government Area.
The suspects arrested include Dardau Shehu, Yunusa Malami Hashimu, Musa Abubakar, Ibrahim Musa, and Mohammed Musa, all residents of Yelwa Ediya Village.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to their involvement in the abduction of a local councillor (name withheld) on May 26, during which two mobile phones, an Infinix Note 30 (valued at N250,000) and a Tecno phone (valued at N20,000) were taken.
They also allegedly admitted to staging a roadblock along the Doma–Yelwa road on July 19, 2025, around 9:00 a.m., during which they dispossessed one Ibrahim Haruna of a Bajaj motorcycle valued at N970,000. The motorcycle was later sold, with one of the suspects reportedly involved in arranging the sale.
“Officers recovered N100,000, identified as proceeds from the sale, which had been concealed in the bush. A Bajaj motorcycle was also recovered during the operation,” the PPRO stated.
In a separate incident, officers from the Keana Division arrested a herder accused of discharging a firearm during a dispute with local farmers at Gidan Zaki Hassan, Kuduku, in Keana LGA.
The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Suleman Mohammadu, was arrested with support from community members. An AK-47 magazine containing six live rounds was recovered from him.
The Commissioner of Police, Shettima Jauro Mohammed, has directed that all suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
CP Mohammed reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring public safety across the state and called on residents to remain law-abiding and cooperate with law enforcement by providing timely and credible information.
CRIME
Police Arrest Five Kidnappers, Recover N5m Ransom in Delta

From Francis Sadhere, Delta
Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping in the state, with the arrest of five suspected kidnappers and recovery of N5 million ransom from the criminal gang.
In a press release issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, stated that the arrests were made during a series of coordinated operations carried out by the Command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad and the CP’s Special Assignment Team.
According to the statement, on July 12, 2025, at about 6:30 am, operatives led by Godwin Osadolor tracked and apprehended one Sanusi Abdulahi at a hideout in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Oshimili North Local Government Area.
Abdulahi was reportedly found in possession of ₦5 million, believed to be part of a ransom paid by a recent kidnapping victim.Preliminary investigations linked the gang to multiple kidnapping incidents in Ibusa, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Obulu-Okiti, Isele-Uku, and Isele-Asagba. The gang was also fingered in the abduction of a young woman in Ogwashi-Ukwu on July 9, 2025. Based on intelligence provided by Abdulahi, police raided hideouts in Second Deputy and Oko, both in Asaba, leading to the arrest of four other members of the gang.
Meanwhile, in a separate sting operation on July 9, 2025, along the Patani-Ughelli Expressway near the Unenurhie axis, operatives of the CP’s Special Assignment Team stormed the hideout of a notorious gang led by one Solomon Danisco, alias “Picolo.”
Other gang members include Nelson Jacob, Oruma Saturday, Olise Jude, Precious Urhobowin, and Whisky Rufus, also known as “Asawana,” a native of Ewu community.
The suspects reportedly engaged the police in a fierce gun duel. Six of them sustained severe gunshot wounds and were later confirmed dead at the hospital, while two others are receiving treatment under police custody.
Items recovered from the scene include four locally-made guns and 19 rounds of live cartridges.
Edafe reaffirmed the Command’s commitment under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda to rid Delta State of criminal elements and ensure the safety of residents.
He also called on the public to continue supporting the police by providing credible information that could lead to the arrest of criminals.
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CRIME
Plateau Killings: Night Raid Assault Claims 20, Injure Many

From Jude Dangwam, Jos
No fewer than 20 people were killed on Monday night in an attack by gunmen in the Bindi village, Ta-Hoss District of the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The assault, which also left many injured, is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued the state’s rural communities.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers stormed the village while residents were asleep, launching a coordinated house-to-house onslaught.
Women, children and the elderly were among the victims, as many were unable to flee the violence in time. Survivors described the assailants as heavily armed.
Senator Pam Dachungyang, representing Plateau North, condemned the killings and expressed concern over what he described as a “War situation.
”In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Eric Dung, the Senator said the recurring attacks, including previous ones in Jol and Rim villages, point to a deliberate effort to terrorize and displace farming communities.
“This cycle of daily, unprovoked attacks is an indictment on all of us. The situation in Bindi (Jebu) last night is beyond tragic and stands to be condemned by all. These are people whose primary occupation is farming, and the continued violence is not only destroying lives but also threatening food security and livelihoods,” Dachungyang said.
The Senator further disclosed that he had reached out to the leadership of the National Assembly to push for a more practical and coordinated military response aimed at dislodging the armed elements behind the attacks.
He also called for an urgent review and strengthening of the state’s security architecture, especially the Special Task Force (STF) responsible for peacekeeping in the area.
Also reacting, the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), Riyom Chapter, issued a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Gideon Manjal and Publicity Secretary, Gadu Dong, condemning the attack and calling it part of a broader campaign to displace indigenous people and seize ancestral lands.
“This assault occurred despite the visible presence of security forces in and around the area, including armored military assets. The identities and hideouts of these attackers are known to authorities, yet no meaningful action has been taken to dismantle them,” the group stated.
COPDEM accused both the state and federal authorities of negligence, stressing that repeated attacks on communities like Ta-Hoss, Jol, Rim and Bachi have occurred without adequate protection or justice.
The group called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Caleb Mutfwang to authorise a full-scale military operation to flush out terrorist elements from Plateau’s regions.
It also urged the government to provide urgent humanitarian aid, trauma counselling and reconstruction support for the affected communities.