The Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA) has raised concerns over the proliferation of unregulated advertisements on mini-transport buses (Korope) and Tricycles (Keke Marwa) in the state.

Speaking at a meeting with different leadership groups of transport associations in the state on Friday, the Acting General of KWASAA, Toba Adeyeye, explained that the trend had opened doors for scammers and individuals selling unapproved drugs and beverages to circulate misleading and potentially dangerous messages to the public

Adeyeye, who emphasized that the safety and well-being of Kwarans remain paramount to the Governor Abdulraham Abdulrazaq, maintained that the agency would not tolerate any advertisement capable of posing risks to members of the public.

The general manager, therefore announced that any individual, business or organization seeking to advertise on mini buses or tricycles must formally write to KWASAA, attach the proposed advertisement design and secure official approval before such materials could be displayed by transport operators.

Responding on behalf of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the State Secretary, Alhaji Yemi Aliu, pledged to communicate the resolutions of the meeting to union members and ensure that all individuals intending to place adverts on vehicles are referred to the agency for proper authorization.

Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of the Transport Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), Abdulganiyu Isiaka Agba, called for broader public sensitization to further enlighten citizens about the new and laudable directives introduced by KWASAA.

Also speaking, Mr. Babatunde Abdulganiyu, the Administrative Secretary of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), assured the agency of the association’s readiness to collaborate fully with the state government to safeguard the lives and property of Kwarans.

The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment by all parties to work collectively in ensuring safe, responsible, regulated outdoor and transit advertising in Kwara state aligned with global best practices.

The Kwara State Government has yet to release the 38 abducted members of the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, Eruku, Kwara State—who regained their freedom last Sunday—to their families, findings by Saturday PUNCH have revealed.

It was gathered that the worshippers were being kept in an undisclosed hotel days after completing medical examinations paid for by the state government.

The freed worshippers were abducted by bandits on November 18 during a special thanksgiving service in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.

Three people were killed while another person sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

The 38 abductees were released last Sunday and taken to Ilorin by government officials. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced their release in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.

Although the statement did not disclose where or how the victims were freed, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed speculation that ransom was paid, insisting the government merely negotiated with the bandits.

However, days after the announcement, the worshippers had still not been reunited with their families. Several relatives told our correspondent that they were becoming increasingly anxious over the delay.

A relative of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the community had expected the worshippers to return immediately after their release was announced.

He added that although the families were grateful the victims were out of danger, the prolonged wait had become emotionally draining.

“The government told us they are taking care of them. We celebrated when they called us on Sunday to say they had been released. Everyone was dancing and thanking God. But since that day, they have yet to arrive in Eruku.

“We miss them and hope to be reunited soon. At least we know they are out of the kidnappers’ den, but delayed expectations weigh heavily on the heart,” he said.

Another relative expressed similar concerns, noting that conflicting reports circulating within the community had compounded their worries.

“We are hearing different stories about their whereabouts. But at least we saw them in the news on Sunday with the government, and we have spoken with them on the phone. They told us they were safe. Seeing them again will gladden our hearts,” she said.

Asked whether the community contributed any money for the release of the worshippers, one relative insisted that no payment was made.

“We don’t know how they were freed or where. We only received calls from security officials on Sunday evening that our people had been released and were being taken to the Government House for medical attention,” he said.

A senior government source, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Saturday PUNCH that the victims were still undergoing medical and psychological evaluation in Ilorin.

The official said, “They went through trauma and a harrowing experience, especially the young ones and the elderly. The government is concerned about their welfare and wants to give them the best medical care before allowing them to return home.”

When asked whether ransom was paid to secure their release, the official replied in the negative.

“The government cannot pay money to bandits, as doing so will send the wrong signal that crime pays. It is unfortunate that we are in this situation.

“People should be commending the government for ensuring the abducted worshippers were freed unhurt. They will soon be reunited with their families.”

Other residents of Eruku told Saturday PUNCH that although they appreciated the government’s medical intervention, they were eager to welcome the worshippers back home for proper community healing.

The Kwara State Government has yet to offer any explanation as to why the victims have not been reunited with their families.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Communication, Bolanle Olukoju, said she would revert with official details on the matter.

But several hours later, a follow-up inquiry by our correspondent went unanswered.

Security sources close to the rescue operation hinted that the victims may still be undergoing post-trauma evaluation and debriefing in a secure facility.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and several state governors led thousands of people in performing funeral prayers for the late Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, in Bauchi State on Friday.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other federal and state officials were also among the mourners who paid their last respects to the Islamic cleric.

The late cleric was, until his death, the supreme leader of the Tijjaniyya movement in the country.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the scholar died on Thursday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, around 1:30 a.m., after a brief illness. He had been admitted to the hospital on Wednesday.

Born in 1927 in Gombe, the late Bauchi devoted his life to Qur’anic education, Islamic scholarship, and spiritual mentorship, which brought him to prominence within and outside the country.

The Senate on Thursday convened a security summit for the North Central zone in Jos, Plateau State, to address the worsening insecurity across the region.

The North Central zone—comprising Plateau, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Nasarawa states—has suffered a surge in violent attacks.

In Plateau State alone, more than 420 communities have been attacked and over 12,000 people killed in the past decade.

Leading the Senate delegation, Senator Abba Moro underscored the need for collective responsibility in tackling the nation’s security challenges.

“National security is a shared responsibility. It does not rest solely on the military or security agencies,” he said.

Moro, who represents Benue South, lamented the devastating toll of insurgency, militancy, banditry, kidnapping and other threats nationwide.

He said the summit was designed to produce “practical and actionable solutions” informed by contributions from security experts, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations and victims of violence.

“Please be assured that the input gathered today will shape the recommendations we submit to the Senate, guiding legislative interventions, budgetary priorities and policy reforms to strengthen our national security framework,” he added.

He noted that the summit’s resolutions would support a more comprehensive and enduring national security policy.

Communities, he said, must remain vigilant; state governments must strengthen local security initiatives; the private sector should form strategic partnerships; and the Federal Government must continue to reform and modernise security institutions in response to evolving threats.

In his remarks, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State decried the loss of lives and livelihoods, blaming the insecurity on competition for land and political power, population pressures and criminal activities.

“It is time to stop pointing fingers and comparing who has lost more lives across religious or ethnic lines,” he said. “It is time to unite, join hands and confront this demon.”

Represented by his deputy, Josephine Piyo, Mutfwang commended the Senate for the initiative, describing the summit as a welcome step towards finding lasting solutions to the national security crisis.

The one-day summit drew a broad range of stakeholders—traditional rulers, youth groups, opinion leaders, security agencies and academics—who are expected to produce recommendations on the most effective strategies to tackle insecurity in the region.

The Nigerian Air Force has approved the promotion of 57 senior officers to the ranks of Air Vice Marshal and Air Commodore.

In a statement on Thursday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the promotion released on November 27, 2025 included 27 officers elevated to the rank of Air Vice Marshal and 30 to the rank of Air Commodore.

Ejodame said the officers were promoted after meeting the requirements set by the Air Force, including assessments of merit, competence and experience.

“The promotion cycle reflects a deliberate effort to reinforce high-command leadership, enhance operational expertise, and strengthen the intellectual and strategic backbone of the Service. Each officer was selected following a rigorous evaluation of merit, professional competence, operational experience, loyalty to the Service, and alignment with the strategic objectives of the Nigerian Air Force, “ the statement partly

They include Group Captains MA Imam, AA Komolafe, HI Eze, DU Edet, MB Umar, GH Okoh, SP Sekegor, PP Okonkwo, PU Okweugo, AU Yahaya, M Yahaya, IR Ubeh, OK Cole, EA Ifebi, RK Olundu, IO Akpasa, AK Mohammed, HA Meshack, SN Nwachi, ZB Shuwa, EJ Alabila, SA Osoniyi, AO Ogunmola, AJ Arumona, BI Jayeoba, CE Akuh, NN Onuoha-Mba, PA Garba, YM Abdullahi and M Suleiman, “ the statement added.

Ejodame noted that the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, urged the officers to justify their elevation through professional conduct and commitment to duty.

The elevation of 57 officers aligns with NAF’s routine process of replacing officers exiting the system due to retirement, completing service terms, or transitioning to other postings.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay a N620,000 fine for stalling proceedings in the suits filed by 62 disengaged staff members challenging their termination.

Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae issued the order after counsel for the former employees, Ola Olanipekun (SAN), complained that the apex bank’s late filing of a fresh application had forced an unnecessary adjournment in a matter scheduled for hearing.

The 62 former staff, who filed separate suits now pending before the court, are urging the NICN to nullify their termination letters dated May 23, 2024, which were issued under the heading “Re-Organisation”.

They contend that the action violated the CBN Act 2007 and the bank’s internal human resource policies, rendering the sack unlawful and void

The claimants are seeking reinstatement to their former or equivalent positions, payment of all outstanding salaries and entitlements, and an order setting aside the termination entirely.

Their counsel has also applied for the consolidation of the multiple suits, which earlier had procedural complications.

In 2024, the President of the NICN, Justice Benedict Kanyip, recused himself after discovering that a lawyer in the CBN’s consortium of counsel, from D.D. Dodo & Co. is his in-law.

The disengaged workers, many of whom helped establish the CBN’s now-defunct Economic Intelligence Unit, claim they were unjustly targeted despite the unit’s significant achievements.

They cite investigations into the P&ID $11bn arbitration, recovery of N3.18bn concealed by a bank agent, and probes into gaming companies involved in massive, unauthorised foreign exchange repatriation.

They maintain that their termination was punitive, arbitrary, and designed to disband a unit credited with critical financial intelligence successes.

At Thursday’s proceedings, Olanipekun told the court that parties were ready to proceed with the substantive originating summons and the CBN’s pending preliminary objection when the bank suddenly introduced a new motion—filed on November 26, and served that same morning, seeking to convert the case from an originating summons to a writ of summons on the grounds that facts were in dispute.

“It is important to say that we were served with this application this morning,” he said.

He argued that, contrary to CBN’s submission in its motion, the facts in the instant case are perfectly within the rules of hearing it via the originating summons.

He prayed the court to disregard the CBN’s application so that the case could proceed accordingly.

Olanipekun, who said the case involved 62 claimants, described the application as a deliberate setback aimed at delaying the matter and asked the court for a cost of N10,000 per claimant, totalling N620,000.

“We ask for a conservative cost of N10,000 per person and a total of N620,000. This is because this matter was slated for hearing, and the claimants and their counsel are diligently ready to proceed so that we can address the injustice done to the claimants,” Olanipekun said.

Responding, CBN’s lawyer, Wilson Inam (SAN), told the court that he filed an application, dated November 26, seeking an order of the court to convert the claimants’ originating summons to a writ of summons because the facts are in dispute.

“I apologise for filing it just yesterday and for serving my learned brother this morning in court,” he said.

Justice Obaseki-Osaghae, however, agreed with the ex-workers’ counsel, holding that the bank’s motion had indeed disrupted the scheduled hearing.

“Cost follows event,” she ruled. “Cost is hereby awarded in the sum of N620,000, and this should be paid before the next adjourned date.”

The matter was subsequently adjourned till January 12, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications.

Former governor of Kano State and ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has urged the current Governor Abba Yusuf-led administration to learn from the security strategies implemented during his tenure (2015–2023) to address rising insecurity in some border communities.

Ganduje highlighted that his administration’s security framework included strengthened local vigilance networks, multi-layered community policing, robust intelligence sharing, close coordination with security agencies, and development-focused crime prevention measures.

He said these strategies helped curb rural banditry, deter urban crime, and maintain relative stability across the state.

In a statement released by Muhammad Garba, his former Chief of Staff and ex-Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ganduje expressed concern over the “worrisome” security situation in Kano.

He described recent attacks in Shanono and Tsanyawa Local Government Areas, which left three people dead and several women and children kidnapped, as “tragic, painful, and deeply distressing.”

Ganduje extended condolences to the families and residents affected, stressing that the emotional and psychological trauma from the attacks requires urgent and coordinated action.

He called on the Kano State government to adopt proactive, intelligence-driven, and community-based security measures to prevent further incidents.

The former APC chairman also praised the responses of Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, and other states in handling similar security challenges, highlighting their effective interventions, cross-agency cooperation, and strong community engagement.

He appealed to affected communities to remain calm yet vigilant, cooperate with security agencies, and provide timely information to prevent further attacks.

Ganduje emphasized that tackling insecurity requires collective responsibility among citizens, traditional institutions, government authorities, and security agencies.