The Zamfara State House of Assembly has endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment seeking the establishment of state police in Nigeria.

The resolution was adopted during the Assembly’s sitting on Monday as part of the ongoing constitutional alteration process initiated by the National Assembly.

Speaking with journalists in Gusau, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Isma’ila Zannan Moriki, said the proposed state police would strengthen efforts to tackle insecurity in Zamfara and other parts of the country if approved.

Moriki said the resolution followed the transmission of the proposed constitutional alterations by the National Assembly to state legislatures for consideration.

He expressed optimism that the establishment of state police would provide additional support to existing security agencies in addressing the security challenges confronting the state.

“This will, Insha Allah, complement the efforts of Mr President and Governor Dauda Lawal in addressing the insecurity-related issues in the state and our dear country Nigeria,” he said.

The Assembly’s position comes amid persistent attacks and abductions by armed groups in parts of Zamfara, with several communities continuing to grapple with insecurity.

The Speaker also dismissed claims that recent political developments involving some lawmakers had affected the functioning of the Assembly.

According to him, the House remains “stable, functional and fully engaged” in its legislative responsibilities, with plenary sessions and other legislative activities continuing as scheduled.

Moriki also commented on the recent defection of some lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress, saying their political decisions were separate from disciplinary proceedings instituted against them by the House.

He said the affected lawmakers had been suspended since February 26, 2024, over allegations bordering on gross misconduct, conspiracy, mischief, contempt of the House and violations of the Assembly’s Standing Orders.

He added that their suspension was extended on May 13, 2026, because the disciplinary proceedings had yet to be concluded.

The Speaker urged members of the public to distinguish between the lawmakers’ political affiliations and the disciplinary actions against them, stressing that their defection did not invalidate the pending legislative or legal processes.

He reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to the rule of law, legislative integrity and the protection of public institutions.

The resolution on state police forms part of the broader constitutional amendment exercise currently before state legislatures across the country.

A prosecution witness has told the FCT High Court in Maitama how funds belonging to Taraba State’s local governments were allegedly transferred into a private company’s account during the administration of former Governor Darius Ishaku.

The witness, Taiwo Jones, an assistant cashier with the Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said about N600 million to N700 million was transferred from Gassol Local Government into the account of P3 Cornerstone Nigeria Limited between 2019 and 2021.

Jones gave the testimony on Monday while appearing as the third prosecution witness in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) trial of Ishaku and Bello Yero, a former Permanent Secretary in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The EFCC is prosecuting the former governor and Yero on 15 counts bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds allegedly amounting to N27 billion.

Ishaku served as Taraba State governor from May 2015 to May 2023.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Jones said the money paid into his company’s account was part of local government “subvention”.

Asked to give the total amount received from Gassol Local Government, the witness said: “It will be around N600 million to N700 million approximately. I don’t have my calculator.”

Jones explained that he operated P3 International, a company he initially used for his farming business before joining the state civil service.

He said the company’s account was subsequently used to receive and disburse funds on the instructions of Yero.

According to the witness, approximately N1.8 billion passed through his company’s account on Yero’s instructions for onward disbursement to other individuals and accounts.

During Monday’s proceedings, the prosecution presented a United Bank for Africa (UBA) letter detailing transfers from various local governments to P3 Cornerstone’s account.

Jones confirmed that funds transferred from the local governments were received into the company’s account on the corresponding dates.

He also testified that portions of the money were transferred to an account identified as the “Seven per cent Emirates and Traditional Councils” account.

The witness said he sometimes transferred funds to Prince Onwuzurike or withdrew money and handed it to Yero and Dare Lawal, allegedly acting on Yero’s instructions.

Lawal and Onwuzurike had earlier testified as the first and second prosecution witnesses respectively.

Jones further gave the court details of some of the transactions involving P3 Cornerstone.

He said Yorro Local Government transferred N50 million to the company’s account on October 11, 2019, adding that the entire amount was subsequently handed over to Yero and Lawal.

He said another N58.5 million was transferred into the account on October 25, 2019, and was later paid to Onwuzurike.

The witness also testified that Gassol Local Government made separate transfers of about N64.9 million and N1.4 million into the account, with the bulk of the funds subsequently transferred to the Seven per cent Emirates and Traditional Councils account.

He added that Ardo Kola Local Government transferred N55 million to the company on November 28, 2019, while Gassol Local Government also transferred N62 million.

Jones said Zing Local Government transferred N70 million, while Yorro Local Government transferred N11.3 million into the account.

He told the court that he reported the receipt of the funds to Babagida Hassan, the then Director of Finance, who sometimes instructed him on how the money should be disbursed.

The witness also said he had never been queried for failing to account for or deliver the funds transferred into his company’s account.

Thereafter, Jacobs tendered Jones’ statement to the EFCC and his personal UBA account statements through him as exhibits.

Justice Slyvanus Oriji adjourned the case until Tuesday, October 6, for continuation of the trial.
Clarify Jones’s company names.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deployed a joint financial monitoring mechanism with relevant anti-graft and financial intelligence agencies to track illegal campaign spending ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission also disclosed that the number of registered voters in Nigeria had risen above 103 million following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at a strategic workshop for media executives organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission.

Amupitan said INEC was determined to prevent excessive spending and financial inducement from undermining the credibility of the 2027 elections.

According to him, the commission is working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor campaign financing and identify suspicious transactions and expenditure.

He said the monitoring teams would track illegal campaign spending and strengthen surveillance around polling units to detect attempts by political actors to influence voters through financial inducements.

The INEC chairman warned political parties, candidates and campaign managers that violations of the Electoral Act would attract arrest and prosecution.

He stressed that electoral outcomes should be determined by voters’ convictions rather than the financial strength of candidates.

Amupitan also announced that INEC had acquired 57,000 additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as part of efforts to strengthen its technological capacity for the 2027 elections.

He said the commission was targeting simultaneous voting across all polling units nationwide, while assuring Nigerians that lessons from recent off-cycle elections would be applied to improve logistics, personnel and technology.

On voter registration, the INEC chairman said the National Register of Voters had surpassed 103 million after the conclusion of the three phases of the CVR.

He said the exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrants, comprising 2,611,266 in the first phase, 4,121,835 in the second phase and 3,867,997 in the third phase, subject to final verification.

Amupitan said the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup had been completed, while the preliminary voters’ register had been displayed for claims and objections.

He explained that the first phase of the CVR commenced on August 25, 2025, and ended on December 10, 2025, while the second phase ran from January 5 to April 17, 2026.

The third phase commenced on May 11 and ended on July 26, 2026.

The commission said the registration exercise represented eight of the 14 major statutory activities outlined in its timetable for the 2027 elections.

Amupitan further warned political parties and candidates against violence, intimidation and hate speech during the electioneering period.

He said INEC, through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), had activated an early-warning mechanism to monitor political violence, thuggery and dangerous campaign rhetoric.

He warned that parties or candidates found responsible for inciting violence, disrupting opponents’ rallies or deploying armed thugs would face sanctions.

Earlier, NGE President, Eze Anaba, called for a credible and transparent electoral process that would give voters confidence that their votes would count and reduce the need for courts to determine electoral outcomes.

Anaba said elections were not merely about casting ballots but also about building citizens’ trust in the electoral process and the institutions responsible for conducting elections.

The Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, also stressed the need for timely and transparent communication from INEC.

Speakers at the workshop equally warned against deepfakes, fabricated campaign materials and other forms of manipulated content capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

Amupitan urged media editors to work with INEC in promoting verified information and responsible journalism ahead of the elections.

He described editors as a “bridge in an era of information chaos,” urging newsrooms to prioritise factual accuracy, proper context and verification over sensational reporting.

The governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Rivers State, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has pledged to donate his salary and allowances to widows across the state if elected governor in the 2027 general elections.

Lulu-Briggs made the pledge on Monday during a media chat in Buguma, his country home in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, where he unveiled his development blueprint, tagged “Reset Rivers State.”

The NDC candidate said his administration would be anchored on transparency, accountability and selflessness, with a strong focus on creating opportunities for young people to pursue their aspirations.

According to him, his decision to forgo his official remuneration was inspired by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, whom he described as his principal.

“When we have the opportunity to manage government resources, I can promise Rivers people that their every penny will be accounted for.

“I’m sure I’m going to be like my principal, campaigning for President, Peter Obi. I will not even be asking for any salary. Every month, any salary will go into assisting one widow or the other,” he said.

Lulu-Briggs also said he would not depend on government funds after leaving office, stressing that his businesses would continue to provide for him.

“The way we have gone, there will be no need to even pension me because I’m sure that my businesses will still be running,” he stated.

He said the proposed sacrifice was intended to restore public confidence in government and demonstrate that political office should be regarded as an avenue for service rather than personal enrichment.

The candidate lamented what he described as a widening trust deficit between Rivers residents and successive administrations, promising to rebuild confidence in government if elected.

“People need to begin to have faith in their government again. The trust deficit between the ruled and the rulership is frightening,” he said.

Lulu-Briggs said his proposed “Reset Rivers State” agenda would focus on the economy, governance, politics and access to opportunities, with the aim of ensuring that citizens would no longer need political connections to benefit from government programmes.

“Just give us your support, give us your prayers. Let’s navigate these mucky waters of Rivers politics and we reset Rivers State,” he said.

He added that his administration would invest heavily in young people, whom he described as the strength of society, while shifting attention from merely exploiting the state’s natural resources to developing its human capital.

“We will not be defined by the things that God has blessed us with only, but by the innovative things that we are able to create,” he said.

On governance, the NDC candidate promised to reform the state civil service, which he described as the engine of government.

He attributed the weakening of the civil service to what he described as the concentration of contracts and government activities at the Government House, saying his administration would strengthen ministries and restore their effectiveness.

Lulu-Briggs also pledged major investment in healthcare, particularly through the rehabilitation and activation of primary healthcare centres across Rivers State.

He promised to recruit more doctors and provide incentives, including accommodation and inconvenience allowances, to encourage medical professionals to work in rural communities.

“If I have a doctor work in a primary health centre in Buguma or Abonema or anywhere in the state, for instance, the doctor will have the reason to want to go there to work.

“Indeed, we might make it attractive in such a way that you might find it more attractive to go and work in the rural areas than to stay in Port Harcourt,” he stated.

While acknowledging the roles of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Lulu-Briggs said more investment was needed to improve patient care and strengthen the state’s nursing workforce.

He maintained that his ultimate goal was to restore public trust, expand opportunities and ensure that Rivers State’s natural resources translated into better living conditions for its people.

The Kano State Police Command has invited Aminu Abdullahi Warkal, a candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), for questioning over an alleged display of a firearm at a political gathering in the state.

Warkal, who is contesting for the Gwale Constituency seat in the Kano State House of Assembly, was invited after a video circulating on social media allegedly showed him holding what appeared to be a pump-action rifle during a political event.

The development was disclosed by the Kano State Police spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, in a statement issued on Monday.

According to Kiyawa, police operatives encountered the video during routine cyber patrol and intelligence-led surveillance of political activities in the state.

The command said the alleged display of a firearm, if established, could constitute a violation of the Firearms Act and potentially threaten public peace and security.

“On the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, the said Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Warkal was invited to the Command Headquarters, Bompai, Kano,” Kiyawa said.

“He is currently at the Command’s State Intelligence Department (SID) and investigation is in progress.”

The alleged incident reportedly occurred during a political gathering in the Janbulo area of Gwale Local Government Area.

A video of the event has since circulated online, with reports alleging that Warkal was seen holding what appeared to be a pump-action rifle while surrounded by supporters.

However, the police have not publicly established whether the object was a functional firearm or whether it was legally licensed.

The command also did not state that the weapon was discharged or announce any criminal charge against Warkal, stressing that the investigation is ongoing.

The Kano Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, warned politicians and their supporters against carrying or displaying weapons during political activities.

Kiyawa quoted the commissioner as saying the command would not tolerate “any act of lawlessness, thuggery, or display of weapons capable of threatening public peace, irrespective of the status of the person involved.”

The police urged political candidates, their supporters and other stakeholders to conduct their activities peacefully and comply with the Electoral Act, Firearms Act and other relevant laws.

The command said it would continue to monitor political activities across Kano State and take measures against conduct capable of triggering violence or disrupting public order ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The latest invitation is not the first time Warkal has come under scrutiny from security agencies over his political activities.

In February 2026, Amnesty International Nigeria alleged that Warkal, whom it described as a social media influencer and critic of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, was detained for several hours over allegations of cyberbullying the governor.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) had also previously expressed concern over the alleged arrest and invitation of critics and social media commentators in Kano, listing Warkal among those reportedly affected.

The rights groups had raised concerns about the implications of such actions for freedom of expression.

Warkal is now being questioned over a separate allegation involving the purported display of a firearm at a political gathering.

The Kano State Police Command said its investigation into the latest incident is ongoing.