By David Torough, Abuja

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026.

The new deadline, which expires at 5 p.

m. West Africa Time (WAT), was announced on Thursday by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Working Group, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila said the extension was granted to allow stakeholders more time to prepare detailed submissions and ensure that individuals, institutions and organisations make well-considered contributions to the proposed policing reforms.

According to him, the Working Group is committed to broad consultation and intends to incorporate informed views from Nigerians and relevant stakeholders into the development of the National Policing Bill.

The proposed legislation is expected to establish the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework for an effective policing architecture capable of responding to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

It is also expected to strengthen safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.

“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” Gbajabiamila said in the statement.

The panel urged legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security-sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and members of the public who have an interest in policing reform to use the additional time to submit their views.

All submissions must be made exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before 5 p.m. on August 21.

The Working Group said key issues requiring careful consideration include sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.

It stressed that extensive stakeholder engagement was essential to producing a policing framework that would be effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the security needs of communities nationwide.

At the end of its assignment, the Working Group said it would submit a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.

The panel thanked stakeholders who had already submitted memoranda and encouraged others yet to participate to take advantage of the extended deadline.

By David Torough, Abuja

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have recorded a 213 per cent increase in the number of terrorist fighters and associates surrendering in the North-East Theatre of Operations over the past week, the military has said.

The development, according to the Theatre Command, followed sustained ground operations, engagements against identified terrorist positions and disruption of logistics and supply routes aimed at weakening terrorist capabilities and restricting their freedom of movement.

The military said two high-profile terrorist members surrendered to troops on Wednesday, bringing arms, ammunition and other military items with them.

It said the recovery of the weapons further indicated the impact of sustained military pressure on the cohesion, morale and operational capacity of terrorist groups.

The Theatre Command also disclosed that other terrorists surrendered to troops of 202 Battalion in Bama on August 7 at New Abaram, following continued military operations and internal disagreements within the terrorist enclave.

The surrendering individuals were screened, while mobile phones and other items were recovered before they were handed over for further action in line with established procedures.

According to the military, the rising number of surrenders reflects not only individual decisions to abandon terrorism but also the cumulative effect of sustained attacks and the disruption of terrorist logistics and supply networks.

The Theatre Command said its multi-dimensional strategy of offensive ground operations, precision engagements and disruption of supply routes was increasingly limiting terrorists’ ability to manoeuvre, regroup and replenish their resources.

Operation Hadin Kai said it would continue applying military pressure on terrorist elements while maintaining channels for fighters and associates willing to surrender.

The command urged members of the public to support security operations by providing timely and credible information to security agencies. It also encouraged terrorists and their associates to abandon violence and make use of established surrender channels.

The statement was signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, Maiduguri, on August 12, 2026.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has reversed its seven-year restriction on local investors’ participation in Open Market Operations (OMO), opening the market to individuals, corporates and non-bank financial institutions.

The restriction was introduced in 2019, in a bid to reduce pressure on the Naira, direct more lending  to the real sector and drive down interest rates.

The reversal of the restriction  was contained in a circular titled “Review of Discount Window Restrictions and Open Market Operations Participation Framework,” dated August 12, 2026 and signed by Okey Umeano, Ag.

Director, Financial Markets Department.

Under the revised framework, the CBN said: “OMO participation (primary and secondary markets) shall be open to all eligible investors through Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).”

It specifically listed “individuals, corporates and non-bank financial institutions” among eligible investors, adding that DMBs “shall continue to submit bids and settle transactions on behalf of their customers.”

The apex bank also removed restrictions on access to its Discount Window arising from participation in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NFEM, and primary auctions of government securities.

According to the circular, “Restrictions on access to the Discount Window arising from participation in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) are hereby removed.

“Restrictions on access to the Discount Window arising from participation in the primary auctions of Government securities are hereby removed.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reviewed existing market practices and developments in the foreign exchange, money, and fixed-income markets. The Bank has also reviewed the framework governing access to the Standing Lending Facility (SLF), Tenored Repo Operations and participation in Open Market Operations (OMO).”

The apex bank also lifted the suspension of Tenored Repo Operations, allowing it to conduct repo transactions across approved tenors of between four and 90 days.

It said: “The suspension of Tenored Repo Operations is hereby lifted,” the CBN stated, adding that the operations would support “effective liquidity management, improve money market functioning and enhance monetary policy implementation.”

The reopening of the OMO market to domestic investors is expected to provide individuals, companies and non-bank financial institutions with another avenue for investing in short-term securities, while potentially deepening activity in the money market.

The CBN, however, retained control over the scale and timing of OMO issuance, stating that “the volume, tenor and frequency of OMO issuances shall continue to be determined by the CBN in line with prevailing liquidity conditions and monetary policy objectives.”

It also retained the existing single-bid auction structure for OMO transactions.

The new framework takes immediate effect, with the CBN directing all banks, authorised dealers and market participants to ensure strict compliance.