General News
Shape 2027 Elections Through Active Democratic Participation, Reps Urge Nigerian Youths
By Saint Mugaga
The House of Representatives has called on Nigerian youths to take centre stage in shaping the nation’s democratic future by actively participating in the 2027 general elections, stressing that the quality of Nigeria’s democracy will largely depend on the choices, conduct and civic engagement of young people.
The appeal was made on Thursday at the Youth Town Hall, one of the flagship events of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. The forum brought together lawmakers, senior government officials, development partners, youth leaders, civil society organisations and students to deliberate on expanding youth participation in governance, democratic accountability and nation-building.
Speaking on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, the House Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said the 10th House had deliberately placed youth development, inclusion and leadership at the heart of its legislative agenda.
He noted that the Youth Town Hall had evolved beyond a dialogue platform into an institutional mechanism through which young Nigerians contribute directly to national policymaking and legislative reforms.
According to him, several proposals currently being considered as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process and other key national policies originated from recommendations made by participants during previous editions of the Youth Town Hall.
“Many of the ideas now reflected in the ongoing constitutional amendment proposals and other national policies were shaped by contributions made during previous editions of this Town Hall. Your voices have influenced outcomes, and that is precisely why this platform remains relevant,” Ihonvbere stated.
The Majority Leader highlighted a number of youth-focused legislative initiatives already undertaken by the House, including the passage of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Reform Bill, the proposed Nigerian Youth Welfare Scheme Fund Bill sponsored by Speaker Abbas, and the constitutional amendment bill seeking to reduce the minimum age for governorship candidates from 35 to 30 years.
He also pointed to landmark reforms in education financing, taxation, electricity, cybersecurity and the digital economy, describing them as strategic interventions designed to create more opportunities for innovation, employment and economic empowerment for young Nigerians.
With political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections already gaining momentum, Ihonvbere described young people as Nigeria’s largest voting bloc and the most influential force in determining the credibility and direction of the country’s democracy.
“The quality of our elections and the future of our democracy will, to a large extent, be determined by the choices, conduct and active involvement of young Nigerians,” he said.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the House of Representatives to ensuring that young Nigerians become active partners in governance rather than passive beneficiaries of government policies.
The Speaker explained that the House had intentionally pursued legislation aimed at expanding access to quality education, strengthening digital literacy, promoting entrepreneurship, encouraging innovation and modernising institutions capable of creating sustainable employment opportunities for millions of Nigerian youths.
Delivering his goodwill message, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, applauded the National Assembly for institutionalising the Youth Town Hall, describing it as a landmark initiative that has opened the legislature to meaningful youth engagement.
He observed that previous administrations had inadvertently created a disconnect between young people and public institutions but said the current administration was deliberately reversing the trend by promoting inclusive governance and sustained dialogue.
“It is very important that young Nigerians are given the space to speak, ask questions, share ideas and take part in decisions that affect their future,” the minister said.
Olawande disclosed that the Ministry of Youth Development has created several platforms to facilitate direct interaction between government and young citizens while implementing programmes focused on entrepreneurship, digital skills development, vocational training and access to affordable financing.
He listed the Nigerian Youth Academy, digital skills initiatives, youth enterprise support programmes and the proposed Youth Green Fund among key interventions aimed at equipping Nigerian youths for opportunities in the rapidly expanding digital and green economies.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Suleiman Halilu, challenged young Nigerians to embrace innovation, technology and artificial intelligence as catalysts for national development and global competitiveness.
Halilu argued that innovation, rather than natural resource endowment, would determine the future prosperity of nations, revealing that NASENI’s Innovate Nigeria programme is providing grants of up to ₦250 million to support innovators, inventors and technology-driven enterprises.
He urged young people to continually upgrade their knowledge and skills while developing innovative solutions capable of addressing Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
On its part, Yiaga Africa urged Nigerian youths to move beyond discussions and translate their passion into sustained civic engagement before, during and after the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, a representative encouraged eligible young Nigerians to register to vote, participate actively in elections, reject misinformation, violence and hate speech, and hold elected officials accountable based on issues, performance and integrity rather than personalities or ethnic sentiments.
Yiaga Africa, which supports the Youth Town Hall under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme, also commended the National Assembly for promoting transparency, openness and citizen participation through the annual National Assembly Open Week.
General News
Mother Subjects Daughter to Abuse, Admits: “I made $300 from my 8-yr-old daughter’s pornographic video’
By Nick Ibe
The viral video on the social media involving an 8-year old girl whose ordeal was caused by her money loving mother has been arrested.
The arrest was facilitated by vigilante police operatives in the area, as well as bloggers and residents who provided information that assisted the investigation leading to the arrest of her 36-year-old mother, Anulika Onyeanusia, Onitsha, Anambra state.
According to the police, the Anambra State Police Command arrested her over alleged child pornography in Onitsha, by uploading a video involving her eight-year-old daughter on a pornographic platform to make money.
Onyeanusia, after the arrest, reportedly, told investigators that the highest amount she had made from uploading such content was $300.
The suspect also disclosed that the eight-year-old girl seen in the video is her second child, while preliminary investigation by the police allegedly revealed that she had also subjected her first daughter to similar acts and uploaded the content on a pornographic platform.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly blamed the act on the devil, telling police: “It is the devil, please forgive me” while adding that her husband was unaware of what she had allegedly been doing to their two daughters.
The arrest followed the circulation of a video showing the woman allegedly using sex toys on the eight-year-old girl. The video prompted police operatives to act on what the command described as open-source intelligence and traced the suspect.
In the disturbing footage, the girl could be heard crying and pleading with her mother to stop as the alleged abuse continued. The police said the video showed the suspect allegedly engaging in the act while apparently producing the content for an online audience.
During the operation, which was carried out on Thursday evening, the command said four children, aged two, three, six and nine years, were rescued.
The Police also disclosed that sex toys and other items believed to be relevant to the investigation were recovered from the suspect.
The command said investigation was ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged abuse and determine whether other persons were involved.
Spokesman for the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect and rescue of the children, said, ” The suspect is currently in police custody as the Command intensifies its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence and the possible involvement of other persons. The husband of the suspect is also undergoing interrogation to determine whether he has any connection with the alleged offence.
“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji, who is deeply disturbed by the alleged act, described it as unacceptable, particularly because it involves the exploitation and abuse of children who are incapable of protecting themselves. He has therefore directed a thorough and professional investigation while ensuring that the rescued children receive appropriate care and protection.
“To this end, the Command notes that beyond the investigation and prosecution, its priority is the safety, dignity and wellbeing of the rescued children.
“The Command will work with the appropriate child-protection and relevant support agencies to ensure that the victims receive the necessary care, protection, counselling and other support required for their recovery. Their identities and privacy will be protected throughout the process, and they will be treated with compassion and sensitivity.
“The Command also commends the vigilante operatives in the area, as well as bloggers and residents who provided information that assisted the investigation and led to the arrest of the suspect”, he stated.
General News
Lawyer Assaulted by Police: NBA Gboko Branch Secures N500 Million General and Exemplary Damages in Makurdi Court
By Our Reporter
In the pursuit of justice for a colleague, B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq., who was recently assaulted and battered by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gboko Branch, under the leadership of Felix Uwar, Esq., on Friday, 11th September, 2026 obtained judgement in favour of its member.
The facts which impregnated the suit that delivered the sweet victory are that, sometime in May, 2026, a client retained the legal services of B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. to secure his bail at Koti-Mbaduku, Shangev-Ya, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
On arrival at the police outpost, the officer in-charge, one Inspector Terngu Ikyuur, demanded for money as a condition for the bail of the said client. Confused, the learned Iliamkondo, Esq. requested to know why he had to pay for bail when it was statutorily free of charge whereupon the police officer got infuriated and ordered him to vacate the police outpost immediately or face being implicated in his client’s cause. Mr. Iliamkondo then made to deliver his written application for the bail of his client but the officer instead seized him by the shirt, stalked him to the ground and cramped him into detention alongside his client and other inmates.
The following day, Inspector Terngu Ikyuur brought Mr. Iliamkondo out of the detention facility and forced him to carry on his head a bucket of faeces and urine passed over night by inmates. The officer compelled him to sing that he was a-charge- and-bail lawyer as he marched Mr. Iliamkondo around the community with a loaded gun pointed at his head all the while, threatening to kill him if he stopped marching.
Upon the intervention of his learned friends, Iliamkondo was later released after being brutalized and stripped half-naked by the police Inspector. Aggrieved, the NBA Gboko Chairman, Uwar, Esq., quickly empanelled a team of lawyers to secure the enforcement of fundamental rights of their learned friend. The team had: I. S. Gese, Esq. ; F. M. Z. Uwar, Esq.; Bem-Ephraim Orlunan Ayati, Esq. ; T. I. Tur, Esq.; S.L.Puusu, Esq. ; B. I. Aker,Esq.; G. M. Jimin, Esq. ; S. S. Gbileve, Esq. ; C. M. T. Uwar, Esq. ; F. Tyoyima, Esq. ; B. E. Atser, Esq. ; and M. I. Tagher, Esq.
The team instituted SUIT NO: MHC/4110M / 2026 before the Benue State High Court of Justice, sitting at Makurdi with B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. as the Applicant against Inspector Terngu Ikyuur; CSP Banfa U. Nanzing; Commissioner of Police, Benue State; Inspector General of Police; Police Service Commission; and Nigeria Police Force as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Respondents, respectively.
In his judgement delivered on September 11, 2026, Hon. Justice M. M. Ikwulono, upheld the application and entered judgement in favour of the Applicant, Agugu Iliamkondo Benson Bemsen, Esq.
The Court awarded general and exemplary damages in his favour and against the Respondents in the sum of Five Hundred Million Naira (₦500, 000,000.00) only for the violation of his fundamental rights by the police.
The Court also Ordered the police to author and publish an apology to the Applicant in national newspapers with nation-wide circulation, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Applicant.
But besides the court ruling, the NBA has reportedly caused a formal petition to be written against Inspector Terngu Ikyuur and his DPO, CSP Banfa U. Nanzing, for discreet disciplinary action against them.
In their response to the outcome of the matter, the legal team said: “On our part as the legal team, we salute this judgement as sound in law, compensatory to our learned friend and deterrent against the police.
“We equally thank the Chairman of the Gboko Branch of the NBA, Uwar, Esq., under whose watch he ensured that our learned colleague’s humiliation got the justice that he deserves.”
At the time of filing this report, the NPF had yet to react to the judgment.
General News
Alia Denounces Ayilamo Attack, Commiserated With Victims as DSS Arrests 3 Suspects
By Felix Umande
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has strongly condemned the deadly attack on Ayilamo Community in Logo Local Government Area, describing it as a “despicable act” and a grave threat to peace and security in the state.
The attack, which occurred on Wednesday night, claimed the lives of four police officers and seven civilians, while thousands were displaced.
In a statement on Thursday signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, the Governor said the killing of law enforcement officers “is particularly painful and underscores the enormous sacrifices being made by security personnel in the line of duty.”
“This despicable act is an attack on the peace-loving people of Ayilamo and a grave threat to the security and stability of Benue State,” Governor Alia stated.
He described the incident as “a disturbing reminder of the persistent insecurity and repeated attacks on vulnerable communities and law-enforcement officers in the area.”
Governor Alia extended heartfelt condolences to the people of Ayilamo, the families of all victims, and the entire Logo LGA community.
He also commiserated with the Inspector-General of Police and the Benue State Commissioner of Police over the loss of the four officers.
“We honour their courage and sacrifice and pray that God grants their families, colleagues, and loved ones the strength to bear this irreparable loss,” the Governor added.
The Governor commended the Department of State Services for the “prompt and professional operation” that led to the arrest of three suspects allegedly connected to the Ayilamo attack in Benue and Nasarawa States.
He described the arrests as “a significant step towards uncovering the full circumstances of the incident and bringing those responsible to justice.”
“We urge the DSS to intensify its investigation and make the best use of the information obtained from the suspects in its custody,” Governor Alia said.
Governor Alia assured that his administration will continue to collaborate with security agencies to strengthen security in Ayilamo, Logo, and other vulnerable communities across the state.
He appealed to residents of Ayilamo and surrounding areas to “remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding,” and to provide credible information to security agencies.
“We remain resolute in our determination to protect lives and property, uphold justice, and restore lasting peace across Benue State,” the Governor assured.
