FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, made the call on Friday in Abuja during the 2026 West African Road Safety Organisation Day.

The event carried the theme, ‘From Ratification to Action: African Road Safety Charter.’

Mohammed warned that policy ratification without implementation would remain symbolic and fail to save lives.
He stressed that stronger collaboration among African nations remained essential in tackling road crashes and fatalities.

He called for harmonised traffic laws and coordinated enforcement systems across the continent.

According to him, member states should share crash data and adopt common standards for licensing and vehicle inspections.

“Therefore, I call on all member states to move swiftly from policy documents to pavement impact.

“Let us harmonise traffic laws, establish crash data protocols, and adopt common licensing and inspection standards.

“The African Road Safety Observatory must be empowered to track our progress with credible data,” he said.

Mohammed said the Corps aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s regional economic integration agenda.

He said the policy emphasised safer trade corridors, smart traffic technology, and stronger border infrastructure management.

According to him, the Corps remained strategically positioned to deepen regional collaboration and economic integration.

He cited the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor as a key area of intervention.

“The FRSC has enhanced mobility, improved traffic management, and supported seamless movement of people and goods,” he said.

He thanked partners, including the World Health Organisation and ECOWAS Commission, for technical support.

“Ratification was the handshake, implementation is the hard work, and saving lives remains the ultimate reward,” Mohammed said.

Representing Nigeria’s Ministry of Transportation, Deputy Director, Mr Abubakar El-Nafaty, described the event as timely and significant.

He said governments and stakeholders must translate policy commitments into measurable actions across Africa.

El-Nafaty also urged stakeholders to embrace innovation and technology in transport safety management.

Also speaking, Mr Olarenwaju Olatunji, Focal Person, United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety Injury and Prevention, said road safety discussions must lead to practical action.

He said sustained implementation remained critical to reducing injuries, crashes, and avoidable deaths.

Highlights included a public lecture by Mr Wale Ajala, Acting Director, IT services, Directorate , ECOWAS commission, and goodwill messages by other stakeholders.

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Mr Harrison Nnaji, the Group Chief Information Security Officer (GCISO) of the bank, gave the assurance on Friday in an interview with our correspondent on the sideline of the ongoing Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) 11th Conference in Abuja.

Nnaji said that cybersecurity has become a strategic component of modern banking operation, requiring institutional commitment, continuous innovation and coordinated protection measures across every operational level within organisations.

According to him, cybersecurity should not be treated as a mere regulatory obligation or limited technical responsibility, but as an integral organisational strategy driven through both top-down and bottom-up approaches.

“Cybersecurity is not just an activity performed within the regulatory environment or specific organisational layers.

“It is a strategic component of the institution’s aspirations and operational sustainability,” he said.
Nnaji said the bank had continued to invest significantly on people, technology and operational processes to strengthen cybersecurity maturity and improve resilience against increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks targeting financial institutions globally.

“At the technology level, we have invested in different combinations of technologies designed to guard against multitudes of cyber attacks confronting the bank and our digital infrastructure,” he said.

He added that the bank has also prioritised targeted recruitment, capacity-building and specialised training programmes to ensure adequate cybersecurity expertise existed across different operational workstreams and service delivery units.

“The institution has established centres of excellence within various operational divisions to strengthen professional competence, improve response mechanisms and ensure effective cybersecurity decision-making across the organisation.

“On processes, we have focused on development of centres of excellence across different workstreams to ensure we have the right people asking critical questions and providing the right professional answers,” he said.

The group chief said that cybersecurity awareness initiatives were extended beyond technical teams to all employees through structured communication, regular training programmes and institutional awareness campaigns across departments and operational units.

“The bank also conducts quarterly cybersecurity awareness sessions for customers, including existing and prospective clients, aimed at improving digital safety knowledge and strengthening fraud prevention consciousness nationwide.

“That awareness was also extended to customers through educational materials to help them understand evolving threats and guide their actions appropriately while using digital banking platforms,” he said.

Nnaji noted that the bank regularly distributes informational flyers and security updates highlighting emerging cyber risks, suspicious activities and preventive measures customers should adopt to protect sensitive financial information.

He assured customers that the institution would continue to deliver secure, reliable and user-friendly banking services while sustaining public trust, operational efficiency and stronger digital protection systems across its banking ecosystem.

“At the end of the day, our priority remains ensuring customers enjoy secure, reliable and easy-to-use services while being served efficiently, effectively and securely across every banking channel,” he said.

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Gombe, through his lawyer, Luka Haruna, SAN, informed Justice Nwite shortly after the case was called for hearing, following the recent Supreme Court decison.

Earlier, Haruna drew the attention of the court to what transpired before the trial judge on the last adjourned date.

“With humity and respect to my lord, we wish to draw your lordship attention to the fact that this matter was adjourned sine die consequent upon the interlocutory application filed by the 2nd defendant (Mark) in this case.”

According to him, the interlocutory appeal of the 2nd defendant has travelled up to the Supreme Court.

“We are glad to inform this honourable court that on the 30th day of April, 2026, the Supreme Court has delivered his judgment in the interlocutory appeal, dismissing the said appeal for lacking in merit.

“However, the Supreme Court again set aside the order made by the Court of Appeal, staying all actions pending the determination of the case before your lordship,” he said.

Haruna, therefore, told Justice Nwite that today’s proceeding was the first time the matter would be coming up in the court after its indefinite adjournment on April 14.

The lawyer, however, said that the plaintiff (Gombe) had written a letter to the Chief Judge of the FHC, John Tsoho, on May 4, requesting for the transfer of the case to another judge.

“I can confirm that the same letter has been transmitted to the registry of this honourable court.

“At this juncture, we must humbly pray to your lordship to wait for the administrative decision of the CJ,” he said.

According to him, whichever way Honourable Chief Judge decides, either to grant or refuse the application, the plaintiff is bound by this decision,” he said.

Haruna, however, said he had just gotten a confirmation from the defence lawyers that the said letter had not been served on them.

Lawyer to ADC, Rilwan Okpanachi; Suleiman Usman, SAN, who appeared for Mark; Mohammed Sheriff, who represented Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; P. I. Oyewole, counsel for Chief Ralph Nwosu, and other lawyers in the case vehemently opposed application for the case transfer.

Okpanachi, who correct the narrative given to court by Haruna about the Supreme Court judgment, said the apex also sustained and upheld the order of accelerated hearing made by the Appeal Court.

He, however, said that parties were yet to obtain the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment to enable them furnish the court with its full content and to allow the court takes appropriate decison.

“It will be fair that this court is offerred the CTC to know what is left,” he said.

Okpanachi expressed surprise at Gombe’s application for reassignment pf the case.

According to him, the same letter to the CJ requesting for transfer of the case has not been served on us, either by the CJ or the plaintiff.

“As it is, we don’t know the form or content of this application,” he said.

He described Haruna’s application as “an ambush.”

“We will also consider it as an attempt to fustrate the order of Appeal Court which is suatianed by the Supreme Court.”

He said as respondent, “we make bold to say that a litigant is not allow to choose which court where his own case should be decided.”

According to Okpanachi, the only good thing the application for the transfer of this matter has achieved is that the intergrity of this court has been confirmed.

He said this was so because nothing had happened since the last adjournment.

“To drive home our point, this application cannot stop this honourable court with the hearing of this matter.

“And we would have insisted that the court should go on with the hearing today if not for the fact that my lord has not been availed with a copy of the Supreme Court judgmemt to be properly guided by it.

“In the circumstance, it is our humble prayer that the court reiterate its order adjourning the matter sine die for the court to be properly informed about the outcome of the appeal through affidavit exhibiting the judgment.

“That is our position my lord,” he said.

Usman, who represented Mark, aligned with Okpanachi’s submission.

He said Haruna’s private correspondence with the CJ was a disturbing one.

“It is not only unfortunate but a dangerous trend which must not be allowed to stand.

“We maintain absolute confidence in the intergrity, impartiality and sound judicial discretion of this honourable court.

“The so-called letter in a normal view, is a fundamental breach of procedure, amounting in law to an illegality and not a mere irregularity,” he said.

According to the lawyer, it is a clear case of forum shopping and judge shopping, and an attempt to mislead the honourable CJ, in view of the clear order of both the Appeal Court and Supreme Court.

Usman insisted that there was no clear order by the superior court that the case should be remitted back CJ for reassignment.

Kalu Kalu, who appeared for a party seeking to join (Nkemakolam Ukandu), and other lawyers also opposed Haruna’s application.

Justice Nwite then stepped down the matter to deliver ruling on the parties’ submissions.

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The Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent on Friday in Lagos.

Gbadegesin said the state had operated a rolling waste management framework since the administration of former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, which had guided reforms and improvements in the sector over the years.

He noted that evolving urban challenges, rapid population growth, and changing waste generation patterns now required a more comprehensive and forward-looking strategy to sustain progress and drive future development.

“What we are doing is building on an existing foundation. The waste management system in Lagos has evolved over time, and the current effort is to update the framework to reflect new realities and position the state for the future,” he said.

He said the updated Master Plan would provide a strategic roadmap for planning investments in critical infrastructure and system upgrades over the next 10 to 15 years.

Gbadegesin identified key priority areas under the revised framework to include landfill development, establishment of material recovery facilities, deployment of waste-to-energy systems and development of biogas plants.

He listed others as acquisition of mechanical street sweepers, and expansion of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework through PSP operators.

He added that the updated framework would support capacity building and encourage local manufacturing and assembly of waste management equipment, including compactor trucks and tricycle compactors.

Gbadegesin stated that the long-term objective was to transition Lagos towards a zero waste economy, where waste generation would be minimised while resource recovery, recycling, and reuse would be maximised.

He emphasised that such a transition would not only improve environmental sustainability but also unlock significant economic opportunities within the waste management value chain.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to continuous reform, strategic planning, and collaboration with stakeholders and development partners to build a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable waste management system for Lagos State.

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This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.

In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the Yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.

The central parity rate of the Yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.

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Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, also ordered Sowore, the sole defendant in the case, to enter his defence.

Our correspondents reports that Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu.

The defendant, in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts, had allegedly referred to the president as “a criminal.”

At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, rather than proceeding to conduct his defence, Sowore opted to make a no-case submission.

Sowore, through his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, argued among others, that no prima facie case was made against him to warrant his being called upon to enter a defence.

Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Umar dismissed Sowore’s no-case submission and upheld the argument by lawyer to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, that a prima facie case had been established against him to warrant his being called upon to enter a defence.

The judge, therefore, ordered him to enter his defence against the case already made out against him by the prosecution.

Shortly after the ruling, and following an oral application by Sowore’s lawyer, Abubakar, the judge granted audience to the defendant.

While addressing the court, Sowore accused the judge of being bias, alleged that the judge humiliated his lawyer by ordering him to kneel down during one of the court’s sittings.

Sowore said he was not sure he would get justice in the court and asked the judge to recuse himself from the case.

Marshall, who spoke afterwards, re-echoed what his client said and asked the judge to recuse himself.

Responding, the prosecuting lawyer, Kehinde, disagreed with the defence oral application, arguing that such plea could only be made via a formal written application.

Ruling, Justice Umar ordered Abubakar to file a formal application, which he must serve on the prosecution, stating reasons why the judge should recuse himself from the case.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter untill May 19 for hearing.

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This is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the SGF, Mr Yomi Odunuga.

Odunuga said the clarification was personally signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume.

According to him, Akume urges the public and media organisations to verify official titles before publication to avoid what he described as embarrassing and avoidable errors.

“For the record, the correct and official appellation is: ‘His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’,” he stated.

He advised that verification could be made through the OSGF’s official communication channels to include; Facebook- @OfficeoftheSGF, Instagram- OfficialOSGFNG, X (formerly Twitter)-OfficialOSGF, Email- info@osgf.gov.ng.

According to him, the clarification became necessary following an error observed in the naming and appellation of the President in a publication by a national daily on Wednesday, May 7, 2026.

Odunuga explained that Akume had noted that such lapses could be avoided through proper verification from appropriate official sources.

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Kokumo spoke on Friday in Abuja at the graduation of a Capacity Development Programme on Arms Physical Security and Stockpile Management, organised in collaboration with the HALO Trust and supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

He said investigations and institutional assessments had identified porous borders, illicit local production, and leakage from official stockpiles of security agencies as key sources of small arms proliferation in Nigeria and the sub-region.

According to him, the diversion of weapons from government armouries remains the most worrisome challenge, noting that arms procured for national security were increasingly finding their way into criminal networks due to weak controls and accountability gaps.

“The most concerning source of proliferation remains haemorrhages from illicit stockpiles of arms-bearing agencies of government,” he said.

Kokumo stressed that strengthening armoury management systems and enhancing personnel capacity remained critical to addressing the trend, adding that the Centre had intensified training across security institutions to improve record-keeping, storage standards, and weapons tracking.

He said the training programme was designed to build sustainable capacity among arms officers and promote best practices in physical security and stockpile management.

The NCCSALW boss commended HALO Trust for its technical support in delivering the programme, describing its global expertise in arms and ammunition management as “invaluable.”

He also appreciated the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its sustained support to arms control and disarmament initiatives across Africa, noting that such partnerships were essential to strengthening regional security architecture.

Kokumo urged the graduating participants to apply the knowledge acquired in their respective formations, warning that effective arms management was central to national security and public safety.

“You are returning as agents of change.

“Nigeria is counting on you to enforce accountability and professionalism in arms management,” he said.

He reaffirmed NCCSALW’s commitment to continuous capacity building and strengthening of institutional frameworks to curb the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region.

In his remarks, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Ben Van Novich, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening arms control and security cooperation in Nigeria.

The Dutch ambassador represented by the First Secretary (Policy Affairs), Mrs Dene Traore, said the training was aimed at improving professionalism, accountability and efficiency in weapons and ammunition management systems across security agencies.

He said the initiative, supported in collaboration with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, was critical to strengthening security structures, building trust between communities and security agencies, and preventing diversion of small arms and light weapons into criminal hands across Nigeria and the wider West African region.

The Country Director, HALO Trust, Mr Richard Goss, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening arms physical security and stockpile management as a key step toward reducing violence and enhancing regional stability.

Goss said the training reflected a shared commitment to building institutional capacity across Africa, noting that improved weapons management systems would help prevent diversion of arms into criminal hands.

He commended participants for their discipline and professionalism, urging them to apply the knowledge gained in their respective institutions, while appreciating partners including the University of Melbourne for their technical support in strengthening the programme.

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Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after the matter was called for hearing.

Uche informed the court that a letter of conditional appearance, a notice of preliminary objection, a counter affidavit and a written address had been filed on May 5 ,praying the court to dismiss the case.

He said they got information about the case through the media and hence, the need to file their processes urgently going by the importance of the matter which boiled down on the eligibility of the forner president to contest in the next election.

The senior lawyer said it was unfortunate that such a suit is filed by a lawyer who should know more that this same matter had been decided by the Federal High Court up to Court of Appeal.

Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, informed the court that the matter was for mention but he was just being served with Jonathan’s processes.

He said he would need more time to respond

Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until May 11 by 2pm for hearing of the ex-president’s objection and the substantive suit.

The judge also ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter.

Our correspondent reports that a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, had filed the case, praying the court to bar Jonathan from contesting in the 2027 poll.

Citing constitutional grounds, Jideobi urged the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in the country for the purpose of contesting in the poll.

He also urged the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting from any political party, Jonathan’s name or publishing same as a duly nominated candidate for the election.

Jideobi, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, sued the former president as 1st defendant.

In the suit dated and filed on Oct. 6, 2025, the lawyer joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

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Wike disclosed this after inspecting ongoing projects, including the Wassa informal sector roads, Road CN2 in Katampe, OSEX Main Carriageways and Gaduwa Road, on Thursday in Abuja.

He described the Wassa development as a major breakthrough, adding that successive administrations had struggled unsuccessfully with the relocation of mechanics and traders from Apo, but the current administration had taken concrete steps to resolve the issue.
“This is another promise made and fulfilled.

“The issue of Apo Mechanics relocation has been a thorny issue since the administration of the FCT, but thank God, under the administration of Bola Tinubu, it is no longer a promise; it is now a fulfilled promise,” he said.

Wike noted that roads within the informal sector site were almost completed, adding that the next phase would include installation of solar-powered streetlights and water facilities to support businesses and residents.

“You can see the informal sector. You can see the roads are almost completed. Very soon they will start putting the solar streetlights and then they will put water scheme,” he stated.

The minister said that the development would not only provide a better environment for artisans and traders but also improve the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the FCT through increased business activities.

At the OSEX Main Carriageway project, Wike expressed satisfaction with the pace of work, particularly the completion of a major bridge that he said exceeded his expectations.

“I was shocked that the bridge had been launched because when we were there last, they said in two to three weeks they would complete it and I didn’t believe it,” he said.

The minister subsequently directed the extension of the OSEX II road project to Wassa Junction, covering about 10 kilometres, to ease movement and improve connectivity within the area.

He also commended the quality of work at the Road CN2 project near Gishiri, where contractors have commenced installation of streetlights and walkways.

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