General
Group Cautions Ortom, Fayose Over Benue Crisis
By Dipo Olowookere
A group known as the Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria has expressed concern over the largely negative impression being promoted by a section of Nigerians, particularly on social media, which it said was aimed at criminalizing the Fulani ethnic group in the country with the ‘Fulani herdsmen’ tag.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos, the group described those criminalizing an entire ethnic group as opponents of human rights and advocates of genocide in a peaceful country like Nigeria.
“While commiserating with the immediate families of the victims of the condemnable killings of the past few days in Benue State and the entire citizens of the state, we cannot but condemn the actions of some of our states’ chief executives, including Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, whose actions, abuse of state power and the prevailing insecurity situation in their states, have led to the loss of the innocent lives of some citizens of the state,” the statement signed by the group’s convener, Mr Odeyemi Oladimeji, said.
The group accused Governor Ortom of acting autocratically in violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic, which guarantees the right of every Nigerians to live and work in any place of their choice by forcefully evicting thousands of pastoralists, who are engaged in their legitimate businesses, under the guise of implementing the controversial anti-grazing law in the state.
“While as patriots and stakeholders in the Nigerian polity, we can no longer subscribe to Governor Ortom futile argument or his grandstanding on the perennial farmers/pastoralists conflict, which the Governor has clandestinely exploited in Benue State for political reasons.
“It was obvious that the Government of Benue state deliberately nurtured the crisis and promoted bloodbath,” Mr Oladimeji stated.
“We want Nigerians to be aware of the ongoing attempt by some Governors, particularly Governors of Ekiti, Taraba and Benue State to raise illegal armies being presently recruited and armed with sophisticated weapons under the guise of protecting their states against some unknown attackers when in the true sense of it.
“These Governors are merely exploiting the situation in Benue for obvious political reasons, which is aimed at recruiting political thugs as the 2019 general election approaches.
“We have thoroughly considered the dangerous dimension that the crisis has assumed and we cannot but call on every patriotic Nigerians, particularly elders of Benue, Ekiti and Taraba to rise and call these Governors to order.
“We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch these individuals frantically making political gains out of a dangerous situation, which has continued to claim the lives of the innocent people of the state as well as pastoralists, who are engaged in their lawful businesses,” he said further.
The group also advised that rather than creating laws and promoting actions, which seek to divide and threaten the existing peace in these states of the country, these Governors should focus their energy on issues, which have direct positive impact on the living standards of their people and can guarantee the delivery of the dividends of democracy to the ordinary Nigerians.
The statement also described as unfair, the attempt by section of the country to continually push every blames over the crisis on President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Rather than blaming President Buhari and the security agencies alone for the crisis being witnessed is parts of the country, our people should know that President Buhari is a leader who has attested in words and deeds that the security of lives and properties of Nigerians anywhere they reside in the country is paramount and not negotiable.
“Nigerians should also hold these Governors, particularly Governors of Benue, Ekiti and Taraba accountable for the crisis of today, they should ask why these Governors are raising private armies and arming same against the laws of the land.
“While we believe and have it on good authority that the arming of Benue State Civilian JTF and others has resulted into the current crisis, by this statement, we call for an immediate end to all forms of political gimmicks in handling sensitive security issues, particularly in Benue State,” the statement concluded.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, August 16, 2026, declared the incumbent Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, winner of the 2026 governorship election held a day earlier.
Mr Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, defeated his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, to secure a second term in office.
The governor polled 511,067 votes, while Mr Oyebamiji scored 444,815 votes, giving Mr Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Mr Najeem Folasayo Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Mr Salaam had entered the election as one of the candidates expected to potentially emerge as a third force, particularly following the backing he received from former Osun Governor and former Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.
However, that expectation did not translate into the numbers needed to seriously challenge the two leading candidates.
Mr Adeleke’s victory means he becomes only the third governor in Osun State’s history to win a second term through an election.
He joins Mr Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mr Aregbesola in the state’s political history, although Mr Oyinlola’s tenure was later cut short following a court decision that nullified his election over irregularities.
Mr Aregbesola subsequently succeeded Oyinlola and went on to secure a second term, completing eight years in office.
Mr Adeleke’s re-election comes after a fiercely contested campaign marked by intense competition and reported violence from competing parties.
Despite those challenges, the governor consolidated his support across the state and secured a decisive victory over the APC candidate, extending his administration for another four years in the southwest states.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
This was attributed to severe acts of vandalism, as TCN disclosed that the structure collapsed after vandals removed critical structural bracing members.
The affected towers were N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, the organisation said in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on August 9, 2026, by TCN linesmen.
Further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen. The towers, J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19, are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse.
TCN condemned this act of sabotage and reiterated its commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid.
The statement said that to mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply.
TCN said it is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line, with security agencies also notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant government agencies to promptly initiate actions for the full implementation of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, following its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas, was aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, Cap. N133, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports while safeguarding the interests of shippers, service providers, and users of regulated port services. With the President’s assent, it has now been enacted as an Act of Parliament.
The legislation represents one of the landmark achievements of the 10th National Assembly. It reflects the Speaker’s commitment to legislative excellence, institutional reform, and sustainable economic growth, according to a press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Mr Musa Krishi.
The bill underwent a rigorous and inclusive legislative process, including extensive stakeholder consultations and a public hearing. It was passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President.
The Act provides a robust legal and institutional framework to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports by fostering transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency in port operations; protecting the rights and interests of shippers, service providers, and other port users; and aligning Nigeria’s port regulatory system with global best practices, thereby enhancing the ease and cost-effectiveness of doing business.
Despite receiving presidential assent, the Act has yet to be fully operationalised.
He warned that any further delay would undermine the legislative intent of the reform, prolong the exposure of port users to arbitrary charges and operational inefficiencies, and deny the nation the anticipated benefits of increased revenue, improved trade facilitation, and stronger investor confidence in the marine and blue economy sector.
The Speaker urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to take the necessary administrative, institutional, and financial measures for the prompt implementation of the Act.
He said this should include the formal transition to, as well as operational empowerment of, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to discharge its statutory mandate effectively.
The full implementation of the Act is critical to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s ports, reducing the cost of doing business, strengthening trade competitiveness, and positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
The statement noted that the Speaker reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to exercising the necessary legislative oversight to ensure this landmark legislation, along with others assented to by the President, is fully implemented and achieves its intended goals for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
