…Lagos CP says Sowore remains wanted

Lagos lawmaker, Mr Temitope Adewale, says President Bola Tinubu is irrevocably committed to the security of Nigeria and will deal ruthlessly with terrorists and their sponsors.

Adewale, representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, said this in a statement on Friday.

He was  reacting to recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”

The ranking lawmaker said President Tinubu remains fully committed to protecting Nigerians and strengthening the nation’s security architecture.

“President Bola Tinubu, as a father, is not happy that bandits and terrorists are trying to downplay the gains of his administration, just as they did with previous governments.”

“This is one reason the President ordered the newly appointed service chiefs to put a final end to insecurity. The current administration will never pamper terrorists or their sponsors,” he said

Adewale said the President had demonstrated strong leadership by overhauling the Armed Forces to ensure greater efficiency, discipline, and coordination in tackling the country’s security challenges.

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He noted that Tinubu’s decisive actions showed that Nigeria would not compromise with those threatening its unity and peace.

According to him, the President’s determination is already inspiring confidence among citizens and international partners who value Nigeria’s stability in Africa.

Adewale also praised Tinubu’s administration for its bold economic reforms, which he said were transforming the economy and restoring investor confidence.

“In the last two years, various countries and global organisations have acknowledged Nigeria’s growing economic success,” he said.

“The administration continues to open more pathways for growth, attract multi-billion-dollar investments, and revive moribund industries, proving that the government is on the right track,” he added.

The lawmaker said economic indices had continued to show positive trends, including a stronger currency and declining inflation for the first time in years.

“For the first time, sub-national governments are financially empowered to drive development in their states,” he said.

Adewale urged global powers, especially the United States, to support Nigeria’s progress rather than issue threats or negative classifications.

“What Nigeria deserves now is international collaboration and support, not undue criticism,” he said.

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He appealed to Nigerians to remain patient and committed to the Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring that the results of current reforms would soon meet citizens’ expectations.

“We must continue to encourage the new service chiefs to justify the President’s confidence in them and deliver lasting peace across the country,” Adewale said.

“With unity, discipline, and commitment, Nigeria will overcome insecurity and build a stronger, more prosperous nation under President Tinubu’s leadership,” he added.

In another development, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, has reaffirmed that political activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, remains wanted by the police, directing that he should be arrested anywhere he is found.

Speaking with journalists during the ‘Show of Force’ on the Third Mainland Bridge on Friday, CP Jimoh said the police had intensified security across the state to prevent a recurrence of the violent protests witnessed on Sept. 8.

He described the ongoing exercise as a confidence-building operation to assure residents of their safety.

“This is to ensure that we do not have any repeat of what happened on Sept. 8. Sowore is known for his antics.

“He is ignorant of the law and arrogant. I have declared him wanted.

“I have directed that anywhere he is seen, whether in a hotel, in transit, on the ground, or even at the airport, he should be apprehended and prosecuted,” the commissioner said.

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CP Jimoh revealed that the police had received intelligence reports about plans by Sowore and his associates to stage protests aimed at disrupting public peace, but officers acted swiftly to foil the plan.

“When he was planning the mayhem, we got information ahead and struck at the point where he had gathered about 300 protesters.”

“In the process, 13 were apprehended, and the vehicle they intended to use to block the Third Mainland Bridge was recovered.”

“Those suspects have since been arraigned and remanded in custody,” he added.

The police boss said that the activist had been evading arrest.

“If he is bold enough to show up in Abuja, why can’t he show up in Lagos? Let him come forward and face the law,” Jimoh challenged.

He emphasised that the police had the constitutional authority to declare anyone wanted if their actions threatened public safety.

“Under Section 215, subsections 1(b), 4, and 5 of the Constitution, I have the power to protect lives and property and maintain law and order.”

“I deem it fit to declare Sowore wanted because of his threat to the peace and welfare of Lagos residents,” he said.

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The commissioner said that the temporary closure of the Berger Bus Stop was a preventive measure to forestall unrest, noting that it was reopened daily by 3:00 p.m. with alternative traffic routes provided for commuters.

CP Jimoh urged Lagos residents to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring that the state remains peaceful and under effective security surveillance.

“The entire Lagos is safe. We are on the ground 24/7 to ensure residents go about their lawful businesses without fear,” he said.

Mr Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu State and Chairman,  National Economic Council’s (NEC)  committee on overhaul of Police and other security training institutions in Nigeria, says President Bola Tinubu has declared an emergency on the institutions as part of efforts to tackle criminality and security challenges across the country.

 President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the committee on Oct. 23,  during the council’s 152nd meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mbah said the initiative to revamp the security training institutions across the country was consequent upon the President’s proposal to the 152nd meeting of the  NEC, a fortnight ago, where he expressed deep concerns over the poor state of the facilities nationwide.

The governor, who spoke at the Police Training College, Ikeja, Lagos, during the commencement of the committee’s tour of training facilities for the police and other security agencies nationwide, clarified that the initiative predated and had nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s comments on the security challenges in Nigeria.

He explained that President Tinubu was of the view that the nation could only get the best out of its personnel if they were trained in conducive environments and exposed to 21st-century tuition and equipment.

Mbah assured that the committee, which also has governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) as members and former Inspector-General of Police, Baba Usman, as Secretary, would treat the assignment with the seriousness and urgency it demanded.

Speaking with newsmen, Mbah said, “The president recognises that there is a need for bold and urgent steps to be taken in order to restore the pride, professionalism, and confidence of men and women in the security space.”

“In the words of Mr. President, you cannot expect our men and women, who are protecting our communities and are expected to uphold law and order, to be trained in an inhumane environment.

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“That is not acceptable; that is essentially why we need to address this. This is no knee-jerk reaction or predicated on any reaction.”

“This is a forward-thinking, proactive president who believes that we have exposed our training institutions to decades of neglect and that there is a need for us to get our training institutions well-equipped.”

“What we have just come here  to do is validate it.”

According to Mbah, the committee has a mandate to report back in 30 days. So, we constituted ourselves into two teams. Members of the team that have gone to visit facilities in the northern states are led by the governor of Nasarawa.

“Our team will be visiting facilities in the southern states. We are also here with the consultants, who are going to have a deep dive to conduct a deep assessment of what we need to rebuild, equip, and sustain in our training institutions. The president saw this as an emergency.”

“There is going to be an intervention for rebuilding and equipping these training institutions. As you know, the President has approved the recruitment of an additional 30,000 policemen and women.”

“And that cannot be implemented if we do not have the institutions and facilities to train these personnel. So, this is an emergency, and we are treating it with the seriousness it deserves.”

He said the revamp would be total to bring serving and prospective Nigerian security agents in sync with the 21st century.

“We know that we cannot use the system of the 20th century to train our modern 21st-century police force.”

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“They need to be imbued with evolving 21st-century skills – Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Mechatronics and all the digital skills that we need to police in the 21st century. So, what we are doing is a comprehensive revamp,” he said.

Corroborating Mbah’s explanations during an interactive session with the management of the Police Training College, Ikeja, Governor Dapo  Abiodun of Ogun, said the fact that the committee was made up of governors underscored the president’s passion and seriousness about the matter.

“We have listened to the President and we are conducting an on-the-spot assessment of some of what he told us.”

“You can be sure that the intervention is also going to be immediate, because this committee does not have the luxury of time,” he stated.

Speaking, the Commandant of the College, AIG Omolara Oloruntola, lamented that the infrastructure of the College, established by the British colonial authorities in 1949, had dilapidated over the years.

She commended President Tinubu for the initiative, saying only an immediate and far-reaching intervention could restore the institution to its past glory.

…Says Nigeria will emerge stronger amid Trump’s threats 

President Bola Tinubu met with the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.

The closed-door meeting formed part of the President’s ongoing engagements with religious leaders to promote national unity, peace, and social cohesion.

Although details were not disclosed, discussions were believed to have focused on strengthening interfaith harmony and supporting national development efforts.

The meeting followed recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened action against Nigeria over alleged anti-Christian attacks.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump directed the U.S. Department of War to prepare for possible action, warning that American assistance to Nigeria could be halted if violence persisted.

In another development, President Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that Nigeria will emerge stronger amid recent threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, assuring that the matter is being handled with seriousness and depth.

‎Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated the President’s position on Tuesday, following a routine meeting with the Nigerian leader at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

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‎Idris said the President remained calm while deploying a multi-pronged strategy to address Washington’s concerns through dialogue, coordination, and transparency.

‎He emphasised that the Federal Government prioritised constructive engagement over inflammatory rhetoric, adding that new communication channels had been opened with international organisations to deepen understanding of Nigeria’s reforms and future strategies.

‎”Of course, the issue of the U.S. threats came up, and we discussed that extensively with Mr President.”

“He is calm and looking for ways to ensure that the international community understands what Nigeria has been doing.”

“Only two weeks ago, Mr President reinvigorated the hierarchy of the Armed Forces with the appointment of new service chiefs.”

“These were steps already taken before the U.S. concerns, showing that he has been working assiduously to keep Nigeria safer for all,” Idris said.

‎The minister explained that work is ongoing across relevant agencies to address domestic and international concerns through sustained dialogue and a commitment to tolerance, security, and national cohesion.

‎He said the President has continued to meet with Christian and Muslim leaders to strengthen unity among Nigerians of all faiths.

‎“It is a multiple approach. Mr President has been meeting with religious leaders and will continue to do so because they are important stakeholders in the Nigerian project,” he said.

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‎Idris reaffirmed that President Tinubu would sustain active engagement with the international community, including the United States, regional, and continental bodies, to strengthen cooperation in addressing security challenges and correcting misconceptions about Nigeria.

‎He noted that the government remained determined to eliminate criminal elements whose actions had contributed to negative global narratives about the country.

‎”For us to be characterised as a country that is intolerant of religion is absolutely false.”

“What we have are extremists trying to divide the country. Nigerians must look deeper and reflect on our unity.”

‎“This is not the time for division or rhetoric but a time for nation-building.”

“Mr President is calm and taking the issue seriously. All relevant authorities are addressing it with the depth it requires, and we believe Nigeria will come out stronger,” Idris said.

‎He explained that his meeting with the President was part of routine consultations aimed at aligning government communication strategies with presidential directives.

 President Donald Trump of the U.S. had threatened to carry out attacks in Nigeria in response to alleged anti-Christian violence.

The U.S. President said he instructed the recently renamed Department of War to “prepare for possible action”.
‎
‎In a social media post on Saturday, he said the United States would immediately cut off all assistance to Nigeria “if the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians”

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