General
Abba Kyari Probe: Panel Yet to Submit Report—Police
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has denied reports in some sections of the media that the panel instituted by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Alkali Baba, to probe the alleged involvement of a super cop, Mr Abba Kyari, in fraud has submitted its findings.
Mr Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States for being involved in a fraud.
He was said to have helped a celebrated Instagram personality, Mr Olorunwa Abbas, otherwise known as Hushpuppi, to detain one Mr Chibuzor Vincent, over a deal gone wrong and had a strong tie with him.
Hushpuppi was busted at his residence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and then transferred to the US to face trial for allegedly defrauding a businessman of $1.1 million.
While in the US, he named Mr Kyari, which prompted the FBI to ask for his arrest. This request was granted by an American court, sparking different reactions in Nigeria because the police officer had been regarded as one of the best in the country.
He headed the Intelligent Response Team (IRT) of the police, but after his indictment, the IGP removed Mr Kyari, replacing him with Mr Tunji Disu, who once led the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos.
The nation’s police chief later recommended the suspension of Mr Kyari and this was approved by the Police Service Commission (PSC).
In order to get to the root of the matter, the police set up a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to look into the matter and on Tuesday, there were reports that the team, headed by Mr Joseph Egbunike, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), has concluded its task.
But the spokesman of the police, Mr Frank Mba, in a statement yesterday evening, claimed that the panel was still conducting its investigation, noting that the public would be informed when the report is submitted.
“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to inform the general public that the probe into the alleged indictment of DCP Abba Kyari by the FBI, being conducted by the NPF Special Investigation Panel (SIP), is still ongoing.
“Members of the public are enjoined to note that the panel has not submitted its report to the Inspector General of Police, as being wrongly reported in some news outlet and online platforms.
“The Force hereby reassures the public that the outcome of investigations by the probe panel would be communicated accordingly upon conclusion of the investigations,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, 2026, with every home expected to have a unique postcode.
Mr Tijani disclosed the development in a video post on X, describing the new system as a more precise and digitally oriented approach to addressing locations across the country.
He said the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s postal addressing system by assigning unique postcodes to individual homes.
The initiative marks a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. By replacing the outdated numeric-only system, the alphanumeric codes provide a more flexible and scalable framework that can accommodate the country’s rapid urban growth and diverse settlement patterns.
For emphasis, an alphanumeric postcode system is a postal indexing system that uses a combination of both letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), along with spaces or punctuation, to identify specific geographic locations, streets, or individual buildings for mail delivery.
Unlike purely numeric postcode systems (such as the 5-digit US ZIP Code or 5-digit codes used in some European countries), alphanumeric codes offer a much higher number of unique combinations using fewer total characters. This flexibility allows postal authorities to pinpoint locations with incredible precision, often down to a single side of a street or a specific large building.
“On October 1st 2026 Nigeria’s new Alphanumeric Postcode System goes live,” Mr Tijani said.
“For the first time, every home will be assigned a unique postcode that’s simple, precise and built for a digital future,” he added.
The minister urged Nigerians to prepare to generate their individual postcodes ahead of the launch.
The new system is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital addressing infrastructure and improve the identification and location of homes and properties for postal and other location-based services.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s addressing and digital infrastructure.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has been directed to give an account to Nigerians on how the current government has fared since its inception on May 29, 2023.
This directive was given by President Bola Tinubu in a message posted on his verified social media handles on Wednesday.
This coincides with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.
According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates seeking to become the country’s president are eligible to kick off their campaigns from today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
In his message today, Mr Tinubu said, “When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children.
“Today, your government presents The Reforms Scorecard. It sets out what our reforms have achieved, what they have cost us, and the greater costs and harms we have prevented by acting when we did.
“I have therefore directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to give an account to Nigerians, to explain the numbers, the choices we have made, the progress recorded, and the work that remains.
“You deserve to see the numbers. You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.
“This is your government. This is your country. This is our account to you.”
Shortly after he took the oath of office over three years ago, President Tinubu declared that subsidies on petroleum products were gone. He later approved foreign exchange (FX) reforms, which devalued the Nigerian Naira, shooting from about N800 per Dollar to nearly N2,000 per Dollar. However, it is currently slightly above N1,340 per Dollar in the official market.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited are advancing discussions on the development of deepwater assets estimated to hold 500 million barrels of oil reserves.
The development followed a meeting between the chief executive of the state oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, and Agip’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja.
The talks focused on ongoing work on deepwater acreage jointly held by NNPC, NAE and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) as well as plans to bring the associated resources into production.
According to NNPC, the acreage comprises the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, with estimated reserves of about 500 million barrels.
The fields are located in Nigeria’s deepwater terrain and are considered significant to the country’s efforts to expand its upstream oil production base, particularly as operators seek to advance projects capable of delivering additional barrels over the medium to long term.
While details of the expected production timeline were not disclosed, the meeting underscores renewed industry focus on unlocking Nigeria’s deepwater resources and growing crude oil production.
The acreage comprises licences converted from OPL 245 and is operated by NAE in partnership with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo.
Mr Ojulari and Mr Pinna also reviewed the work currently underway on the assets and the expected production outlook, with the discussions centred on advancing deepwater development.
The engagement comes amid renewed efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s offshore petroleum resources and increase national oil production.
