Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has raised alarm over what he described as a fresh plot to implicate him in criminal activities, alleging a coordinated effort to damage his reputation and keep him in prolonged detention. In a statement on Sunday his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai warned of “malicious orchestrations” against him, pointing to recent developments which he said indicate a troubling pattern.
2. Former Kano State governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after weeks of political consultations. He dumped the party alongside Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
3. No fewer than 20 passengers, including candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, were reportedly abducted by sea pirates along the Calabar waterways on Friday. A naval officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident on Sunday, saying gunmen ambushed a passenger ferry travelling from Calabar in Cross River State to Oron in Akwa Ibom State.
4. The traditional ruler of the Olayinka community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Salman Olátúnjí Aweda, was abducted by terrorists in the early hours of Saturday. The abductors have reportedly demanded a ransom of N400 million for his release.
5. Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have rescued 13 passengers abducted from a Benue Links commercial bus on the Makurdi–Otukpo road. A counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, said the victims were among 17 passengers kidnapped last Wednesday while travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo in Benue State.
6. Ogun State Police Command has arrested three suspects in separate operations across the Mowe and Sagamu axis, recovering locally made firearms, cartridges, and charms believed to be linked to cult-related and criminal activities. According to a statement signed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, on Sunday, the arrests were made between April 14 and 18, 2026.
7. Barely one week after a Nigerian mother of three died of cancer in the United Kingdom, another Nigerian father of three, identified simply as Herbert, has been found dead in his apartment. This is just as the deceased was said to have left behind a wife and three young children, as his family appeals for financial support to cover funeral and repatriation costs.
8. Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to reschedule the examination for eight UTME candidates following their ordeal at the hands of kidnappers. Alia made the appeal on Sunday while hosting the victims at the Old Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, describing them as victims of circumstance who should not be neglected.
9. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted consignments of cocaine and cannabis concealed in food flasks. The agency said 12 large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.80 kilograms were discovered hidden in the false bottom of food flasks bound for the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic flight from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
10. The National Assembly Liaison Officer to Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, Iheanyi Chinasa, has defected to the All Progressives Congress, in a development signalling growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections. This was disclosed in a Sunday statement signed by Levinus Nwabughiogu, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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