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Former Kwara State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa has formally declared his intention to contest the governorship election in 2027.

In a message to party elders, stakeholders, traditional rulers and religious leaders across the state, Bolarinwa said his decision was driven by a commitment to public service and a determination to consolidate and advance the gains of progressive governance in Kwara.

He stressed that his aspiration is driven not by personal ambition, but by a lifelong record of service that spans the grassroots, the legislature and national institutions.

Bolarinwa has served as a councillor and a two-term chairman of Lagos Mainland
Local Government, and later as a two-term member of the House of Representatives.

He noted that the journey so far has equipped him with administrative experience and legislative insight, enabling him to understand governance both at the community level and within the broader architecture of national policy.

Addressing newsmen on Thursday, he expressed confidence that with the support and prayers of stakeholders, the APC would not only consolidate its achievements in Kwara State but also secure another decisive mandate in 2027.

He urged party leaders and the people of the state to remain focused on the shared objective of building a Kwara anchored on peace, equity, prosperity and inclusive progress.

Recall that earlier on Thursday, stakeholders of the APC in Kwara North said that Bolarinwa was their choice for the governorship position.

2027: Ex-APC chairman, Bolarinwa declares for Kwara governorship poll

Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Thursday spearheaded the adoption of a landmark resolution on post-conflict recovery at the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly…

A total of 744 repentant terrorists have graduated from the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Camp under Operation Safe Corridor.

Most of the participants were from Borno (597), followed by Yobe (58), Kano (15), Bauchi (12), and Adamawa (10), Abia (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Anambra (2), Ebonyi (3), Enugu (1), Katsina (3), Kebbi (1), Kogi (5), Nasarawa (4), Niger (2), Plateau (2), and Sokoto (2).

The group also included foreign nationals: one each from Burkina Faso and Cameroon, two from Chad, and four from the Niger Republic.

At the graduation ceremony held in Gombe, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said the programme is a strategic effort to address the root causes of insurgency, stressing it is not an amnesty but a measure to reduce reoffending and curb extremist recruitment.

“This is not a reward but a deliberate approach to reducing violence, weakening recruitment pipelines, and fostering long-term stability,” he said.

He noted that combining military operations with rehabilitation is key to achieving lasting peace, urging the graduates to embrace reintegration and shun violence.

The coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, said participants underwent psychosocial support, vocational training, and reorientation programmes to prepare them for reintegration, describing it as a collective responsibility.

“This process is about rebuilding identity, restoring values, and preparing individuals to return as responsible members of society,” he said.

Ali added that the programme equips participants with the skills needed to reintegrate and contribute positively to national development, noting that reintegration requires collective support from government, communities, and families.

FG graduates 744 repentant terrorists under Safe Corridor programme

The Oyo State Coordinator of the City Boy Movement, Chief Ahmed Ajibola, has revealed that the group is targeting one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in Oyo State…

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has unveiled a new drive to revitalise Nigeria’s palm oil industry, aiming to reduce imports and save about $500m annually through expanded local production and private sector investment.

The initiative was announced at a National Stakeholders’ Meeting on the Joint Development of Nigeria’s Palm Oil Production Capacity held in Abuja on Thursday, where the Ministry partnered with Mass Industrial Development and Logistics Limited and other stakeholders to design a large-scale public-private partnership (PPP) model for the sector.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the programme is designed to reposition palm oil as a key driver of industrial growth, job creation, and food sovereignty, without relying on public sector borrowing. He was represented by his Senior Technical Assistant, Engr. Ibrahim Alkali.

Kyari noted that Nigeria, once a global leader in palm oil production with over 40 percent market share in the 1960s, now produces about 1.4m metric tonnes annually, far below the domestic demand of over 2.5m metric tonnes.

He said the shortfall forces the country to spend between $500m and $600m yearly on imports.

According to him, the structural deficit presents both a challenge and an opportunity, adding that Nigeria has over three million hectares of suitable land for oil palm cultivation but remains underutilised due to ageing plantations and low productivity.

The Minister said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the National Oil Palm Development Strategy, which seeks to expand production, improve yields, and strengthen value chain integration from smallholder farmers to industrial processors.

Under the proposed model presented by Mass Industrial Development and Logistics Limited, phase one will establish seven integrated oil palm estates of 10,000 hectares each across participating states. Each estate will combine plantations, milling and refining facilities, storage systems, and residential communities with housing, schools, and healthcare infrastructure.

Phase two will focus on downstream processing and manufacturing of palm-based products to increase value addition and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in both domestic and export markets.

The Ministry projected that the model could deliver internal rates of return of 18–25 percent, with payback periods of five to seven years, citing strong market demand due to Nigeria’s supply gap of over one million metric tonnes annually.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said the project was approved following extensive consultations and validation of the National Oil Palm Development Strategy.

He described the initiative as timely, noting its potential to boost productivity, value addition, and job creation.

Stakeholders at the meeting, including state governments, agriculture commissioners, research institutions, development partners, and private investors were urged to support the programme to unlock the sector’s full economic potential and restore Nigeria’s position in the global palm oil market.

FG Targets $500m Savings In Palm Oil Sector Revival Plan is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Amakama community in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State has been thrown into mourning following the alleged killing of three persons by a man identified as Chinedu Anamelechi, a former vigilante commander, in a violent incident that has sparked widespread shock and concern.

The incident reportedly occurred within a short period and escalated rapidly, leaving residents unable to intervene.

Eyewitness accounts said the suspect first attacked his wife with a knife, inflicting fatal injuries. He was also alleged to have shot his sister-in-law and killed a young man who attempted to stop the assault.

Although the identities of the victims were yet to be officially released at the time of filing this report, sources confirmed that the violence unfolded in quick succession, throwing the community into panic.

A member of a local security outfit in Umuahia, Bright Nwabuko of the “Ottawike Security Outfit,” confirmed awareness of the incident in a Facebook post, expressing shock over the development.

“Nawaooo in Olokoro village again? It’s always good not to make a sadist a head of a security cause it will cause more harm than good… an ex commander of Oloko vigilante group did all this? May the souls of the departed rest in peace… Amen,” he said.

The Abia State Police Command also confirmed the incident, however stating that one Ezinne Ariwodo was killed while two others sustained injuries during the attack.

The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said police operatives responded swiftly to distress calls and arrived at the scene.

“Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the Command swiftly raced to the scene, where they found the lifeless body of the deceased in a pool of blood with gunshot injuries,” she said.

She further disclosed that the injured victims were immediately rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment, while the deceased was confirmed dead and deposited in the morgue for preservation and autopsy.

DSP Chinaka added that normalcy had since been restored in the area and urged residents to remain calm.

“Investigation is ongoing as efforts are in place to apprehend the suspect,” she stated, noting that security agencies were working to track down the fleeing suspect.

Meanwhile, residents of Amakama and adjoining communities have continued to express concern over the incident, calling for swift justice and stronger security measures to prevent a recurrence of such violent attacks.

The police have assured that investigations are ongoing.

Ex-Vigilante Commander Allegedly Kills Wife, Two Others In Abia Community is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Kano State Government has announced that Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, is expected to officially launch the North-West zonal deployment….

The Universal Basic Education Commission has disclosed that it has returned 700,000 out-of-school children to classrooms nationwide and distributed 15 million learning support kits to pupils.

The Executive Secretary Dr. Aisha Garba who was speaking during the flag-off ceremony for the distribution of around 140,000 instructional materials to FCT public basic schools on Thursday in Abuja, described the FCT intervention was “a continuation of these nationwide efforts” to ensure every child has access to quality education.

“The FCT SUBEB has received allocations that include core subject textbooks, teacher resource packs, and digital learning aids designed to strengthen teaching and learning outcomes.
“These items, which are around 140,000 in number, are expected to impact no fewer than 10,000 pupils in the FCT. This is indeed a milestone worth celebrating,” she said.

Garba said UBEC has advanced inclusive education initiatives through partnerships with all 37 SUBEBs and the FCT, focusing on infrastructure, teacher development, structured pedagogy, teaching aids, and digital learning tools.

She said UBEC, in collaboration with states, recently distributed 100,000 instructional materials and school records to Integrated Quranic and Tsangaya Education centres nationwide, strengthening non-formal education and addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school children challenge.

“Beyond core textbooks, the Commission has distributed smart boards, tablets, desktop computers, and over 400,000 library materials, benefiting hundreds of schoolchildren across the country.

“Recently, 15 million learning support kits were distributed across the country to support wholesome learning among our children,” Garba added.

She described the instructional materials as “tools of empowerment—resources that will enable our teachers to teach more effectively and our pupils to learn more meaningfully.”

Garba commended the leadership of FCT SUBEB for the “timely flag-off” and said she remained optimistic that the materials would reach end users as soon as possible.

She urged the FCT Administration to replicate the initiative through its annual statutory budget, “especially in terms of the timely release of counterpart funding for UBE projects, so that together, we can strengthen the quality of our basic education as well as minimize the incidence of out-of-school children in the FCT and indeed in Nigeria over time.”

Garba said the Nigerian child “remains at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President and indeed the Minister and Minister of State for Education.”

“Our combined resolve to place Nigerian children at par with their counterparts across the globe remains unshaken,” she said.

Also speaking, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike said he had approved the renovation of 108 schools across the capital territory with the mandate of President Bola Tinubu renewed hope agenda.

Represented by the Education mandate secretary, Dr Danlami Hajo disclosed that FCT has always been regular with the payment of marching grant of UBEC.

UBEC Returns 700,000 Children To School, Distributes Learning Materials is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Chairmen and councillors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State have condemned a protest staged by

The State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Ogun State Command, CN Tijjani Rabe, has emphasised the significance of robust cooperation between security agencies in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.

Rabe opined that combating drug-related crimes and improving public safety require effective cooperation.

He stated this while hosting the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Police Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, on a familiarization visit to the Command Headquarters on Thursday.

Speaking earlier, CP Ojajuni, disclosed that the visit was aimed at familiarizing with the Command and to reaffirm his commitment to sustained collaboration in tackling drug abuse and illicit trafficking across Ogun State.

Responding, the NDLEA boss expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for the visit and engaged him on practical steps to strengthen coordination, improve intelligence sharing, and sustain joint enforcement operations.

Rabe stressed that drug trafficking and abuse continue to drive violent crime and require a unified, intelligence-led response.

The Commander of Narcotics marked the visit by presenting a symbolic memento to the Commissioner and decorated him as a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) Ambassador.

NDLEA, police partner to fight drug abuse, trafficking in Ogun