Metro
President Tinubu Pledges Support for NPC, Calls for Data Integrity

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja expressed his support for the National Population Commission (NPC) to conduct an accurate Population and Housing Census in the country.
He, however, emphasised the need for the commission to be prudent in their assignment and work towards producing census data that would be credible and reliable.
Speaking at the State House in Abuja after receiving a briefing from NPC Chairman, Nasir Kwarra, the President expressed concern over the delay in conducting another enumeration in the country since the last exercise done in 2006.
He urged the NPC to view this delay as an opportunity to cash in on the advantages of the current electronic and digital age.
”It is disappointing that up until now we have not been able to conduct another enumeration of our people. I hope that this delay will be converted to a great opportunity in this electronic and digital age.
”The challenge is yours and I hope that during the demarcation you did, you would have noticed the migration of people to urban centers because of the extreme poverty and unemployment.
”Digitalizing the process will make your job easier and I don’t see why we don’t, by now, have a reliable database in Nigeria to identify ourselves and ascertain our number for planning purposes and in time of disaster.
”I have listened to you and we will support you. Accuracy and integrity of your data is very important to Nigerians and for our national economic development programmes.
”We will support you, but you have to be prudent and be determined to make a name for yourself,” the President said.
The NPC Chairman said that the Commission was on the verge of conducting the final training for the Census before they were caught up with the elections and funding challenges.
He said that this was what necessitated the postponement of the exercise by the immediate-past President.
He briefed the President on the Implementation Status of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, requesting the issuance of a proclamation for a new Census date later this year or early next year.
Kwarra also highlighted the funding challenges faced by the Commission, saying they were waiting on the President to support NPC and give the go-ahead for the conduct of the census.
He said that the commission had demarcated the entire country, stating that only few places were left and that this would be done soon.
Kwarra said that the commission had also trained 60,000 instructors that would further train enumerators and supervisors.
In a paper titled “Implementation Status of the 2023 Population and Housing Census,” the NPC requested the release of the allocated N31 billion capital allocation in the 2023 budget for preparatory activities.
The commission put the total cost of the Census, after a methodology review, at N546.72 billion.
Kwarra also requested the President’s approval for an additional N225.2 billion to cover training and fieldwork allowances, retraining of trainers, and the conduct of a second-class Trial Census.
Tinubu was also asked to approve and convene a stakeholders meeting with the organised private sector and foreign partners to galvanise funds for the Census.
Kwarra informed the President that Nigeria has developed a database that can be useful in national planning, infrastructure development, and revenue generation for the government.
”NPC having completed Mapping in March 2022, tested the market with the geospatial data by making it available to researchers at a ‘test price’ where it generated over N50 million through REMITA.
”To this end, with a full integrated spatial and statistical data, government geospatial policy and coordination, NPC can generate up to 14 billion dollars and further save a lot of resources for the nation through automation of economic planning by 2028,” he said.(NAN)
Metro
NAF Airstrikes Decimate ISWAP Leadership Cell in Southern Tumbuns

The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has neutralized several high-value Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders and fighters in a decisive air interdiction in the Lake Chad region.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Director, Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
Ejodame stated that the mission, carried out on Sunday, targeted Arina Woje, a notorious ISWAP enclave in the Southern Tumbuns of Borno, known as a sanctuary for insurgent leaders.
He said the strike followed a series of credible Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sorties that confirmed the return of terrorist elements to the area after recent inter-factional clashes.
According to him, ISR data revealed significant terrorist activities, including the movement of foot soldiers, reactivation of structures and the concealment of possible command centres and logistics depots beneath dense foliage.
He added that “acting on credible intelligence, NAF air assets were dispatched to undertake focused strike mission. Aircrew on arrival, acquired and prosecuted pre-selected targets using precision-guided munitions, achieving devastating effects.
“Preliminary battle damage assessment reveals the destruction of several structures housing key ISWAP leaders, fighters, and logistics storage facilities, effectively disrupting the group’s operational planning and resupply efforts in the region.”
The NAF spokesman said the operation reflected NAF’s continued resolve to dislodge terrorist elements, deny them freedom of movement, and support ground forces in restoring peace and stability across Nigeria.
He added that the operations also reinforced the value of intelligence-driven air power missions in modern counter-terrorism operations.
Metro
Police Recover Body of Kogi Journalist Murdered by Colleague

The Police Command in Kogi said it has recovered the body of Ayo Aiyepeku, a photo-journalist, allegedly murdered by his colleague, Oluwapelumi Adebayo.
The command’s spokesperson, Williams Ovye-Aya, disclosed this on Monday day in Lokoja.
Ovye-Aya explained that Ayobami’s corpse was found on Sunday evening at a location around WAEC office, Crusher Zone 8 axis in Lokoja.
The command’s spokesperson said Aiyepeku was gruesomely murdered by his colleague, Oluwapelumi Adebayo on Tuesday night, July 22 in an office near the Government House/GRA area of Lokoja.
“Yes, the corpse of the photo-journalist has been found. It was discovered on Sunday evening somewhere around WAEC office, Zone 8 axis of Lokoja.
“The corpse has been deposited at Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja.
“The discreet investigation will help us uncover what truly happened,” Ovye-Aya said.
He appealed to the victim’s family, colleagues and the public to provide credible information to aid the investigation.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s family has made a passionate appeal to police authorities and the Kogi government for justice.
Timothy Aiyepeku, the deceased’s elder brother, and his uncle, Dr Ibikunle Jide, appealed for justice.
They pleaded with Gov. Ahmed Ododo and security agencies to help unravel the mystery behind Ayobami’s gruesome murder, and punish the perpetrators.
“Now that the body has been found, we once again appeal to the Federal and Kogi governments and police authorities to uncover the mystery behind the killing.
“We commend the Police for their effort so far, and the media for ensuring the incident receives wide coverage and public attention,” they added.
Aiyepeku’s assailant had after killing him, loaded his corpse into a deep freezer and disposed of it off.
Ayobami’s body was found by residents of the area who raised an alarm.
Residents were said to have been attracted to a nearby bush in the area by foul odour from the decomposing body of the late photographer.
On sighting his corpse, residents alerted the Chairman of Lokoja Local Government, Abdullahi Adamu, who immediately arrived at the spot in company of some security agents to recover the body.
Metro
Police Detains Housewife, Two Others for Fake Kidnap

The police command in Delta said it has arrested a housewife, who conspired with two others, to fake her kidnap in Asaba.
The command Spokesperson, Bright Edafe said, in a statement, on Monday in Asaba that the housewife (names withheld) successfully faked her kidnap and collected N3 million as ransom.
“On July 21, 2025, the Delta Police Command received a report of a kidnapping incident involving a female victim, who was allegedly abducted by unknown armed men in the Bonsaac area of Asaba.
“Acting on the report, the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, directed the Commander, Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad, Godwin Osadolor to ensure that the victim was rescued unhurt.
“Acting on this directive, police operatives launched coordinated intelligence-driven operations,” Edafe said.
She said that through diligent investigative efforts and strategic deployment, on July 22, operatives apprehended one of the suspects at Koka Roundabout, and another suspect, off DLA Road both in Asaba.
According to the police image maker, one of the suspects confessed that it was not a case of actual kidnapping but a plot between the victim and himself.
Edafe said that the revelation made by the suspect led to the arrest of the housewife.
“The housewife stated that she faked her kidnap and received a ransom of N3 million and gave her accomplices N500,000 while she took N2.5 million for herself, ” Edafe said.
According to him, all suspects involved in the fake kidnap had been arrested, while investigation is currently ongoing.