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Southern stakeholders reject Arewa’s inclusion of Middle Belt in North geopolitical zone

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Southern and Middle Belt leaders have rejected the proposal by Arewa leaders to include the Middle Belt in the geopolitical configuration of the North.

The African Sociocultural Harmony and Enlightenment (ASHE) Foundation, which made this known in a statement, said that the continued classification of the Middle Belt as part of Arewa amounts to an endorsement of undue politics.

In the statement signed on behalf of the southern leaders by the Foundation’s President, Prince Justice Faloye, the group stated that lumping the Middle Belt as part of the North amounts to continuous marginalization of the region.

Reacting to the recent 25th anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ASHE Foundation said the body’s identity represents the historical continuation of the Sokoto and Bornu empires, whose “Afro-Arabian imperialistic agenda” sought the political domination and cultural erasure of both the South and Middle Belt.

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The group noted that this legacy explains why the South and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), chaired by Afenifere leader, HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, was absent from the event in Kaduna.

Faloye said the colonial decision to group Middle Belt ethnic nationalities under the Northern Protectorate—despite their cultural and civilisational affinity with the South—resulted in decades of political marginalisation and “genocidal ethnic cleansing” across the region.

He referenced the political outlook of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who consistently preferred alliances with the South and Middle Belt, including the 1958 partnership with the United Middle Belt Peoples Congress.

According to the statement, the creation of SMBLF in 2014 reaffirmed the South–Middle Belt civilizational partnership and exposed what it described as the flaw in Nigeria’s current North–South boundaries, which ASHE argues do not reflect geography or cultural realities. The group accused Arewa of profiting from colonial distortions to promote political exclusion and turning a blind eye to attacks by “herdsmen and jihadists,” which have attracted global condemnation.

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Faloye said the decision of some Middle Belt groups to attend the Arewa anniversary contradicted the spirit of the 2014 National Confab, which agreed on far-reaching reforms such as state policing, power devolution, and referendum rights for minorities.

“It would be hypocritical for Middle Belt partners in SMBLF to acknowledge those who have spent a decade sabotaging restructuring,” he said.

He also dismissed the participation of a faction claiming to represent Afenifere at the Kaduna event, describing them as “renegades” reminiscent of the NNDP era and accused them of supporting policies that undermine the poor and promote ethnic exclusion.

Faloye insisted that anyone committed to ending the killings in the Middle Belt must oppose the Arewa framework, which he called “a vehicle for Afro-Arabian imperialism.”

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He urged both domestic actors and the international community to intensify advocacy for restructuring and state police to ensure that indigenous communities “protect themselves and enjoy representative governance in their chosen regions.”

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‘It’s out of place’ , don’t compare Ogbomoso and Adelabu kidnaps – Presidency tells Nigerians

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The presidency has cautioned Nigerians against comparing the kidnapping incidents involving the relatives of a former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and those of schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

In a statement on Sunday, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, explained that the motivations and agendas behind the two kidnapping incidents are entirely different.

According to him, urban kidnappers who want to make money are responsible for the Adelabu family episode, while a band of terrorists operating deep inside the bush are responsible for the kidnapping of schoolchildren, which happened in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The presidential media aide, who spoke against the backdrop of calls for the government to move swiftly and rescue the schoolchildren in captivity, just like the Adelabu relatives were rescued, assured that the government and security agencies are not being selective, as claimed in some quarters.

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He reiterated that the two situations are different and that those accusing the government of being selective are totally wrong.

Ajayi also gave fresh assurances that the children and teachers in the bush will be rescued very soon.

“Those who are comparing the Adelabu’s sister and her twins situation to the Ogbomoso kids and their teachers are totally wrong.

“It is wrong to compare the urban gang of kidnappers who engage in copycat crime to make money and hide victims inside a flat within the community to a band of terrorists operating deep inside the bush. The two sets of criminals have different motivations and agenda.

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“The Ogbomoso children and their teachers will be rescued, and government/security agencies are not selective, as falsely claimed. The approach to the two incidents can’t be the same.

“We should be happy that the woman and his twins are safely home while we pray for quicker rescue of those still in the bush with their abductors,” he wrote on 𝕏.

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Large quantity of opioids intercepted in Taraba as NDLEA nabs 75-year-old in Ebonyi(Photos)

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. Arrests four notorious female dealers in sweeps across Edo, Imo, Kano, Gombe

Large consignments of various opioids and illicit substances concealed in building materials have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a relentless nationwide offensive against drug cartels leading to the arrest of a 75-year-old grandpa in Ebonyi, and four notorious female drug dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe states.

A major blow was dealt to opioid trafficking networks in Taraba state on Saturday 6th June 2026 following credible intelligence which led to the interception of a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra state to Jalingo. A thorough search of the vehicle by NDLEA operatives at the Nukkai Timber Shade, Jalingo, led to the discovery of a massive drug stash concealed beneath the cargo, while a 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was promptly arrested.
Recovered from the truck include: 320,840 capsules of tramadol; 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 4,500 pills of rohypnol; and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.

Demonstrating that age is no barrier to the enforcement of the law, NDLEA operatives in Ebonyi State tracked down and arrested a 75-year-old grandpa, Okebe Samuel, at Okposi. The septuagenarian was found in possession of 300 grams of skunk, which he sells in retail sachets to the youth in his community.

In Imo state, NDLEA officers successfully raided a known drug enclave at Umulolo, Orlu. The raid resulted in the arrest of a notorious female dealer, 32-year-old Chioma Okeke, and the recovery of 8 kilograms of skunk.
Meanwhile, in Edo state, an intense sweep of notorious drug hotspots within Benin City by NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, 2nd June 2026, yielded the arrest of four key traffickers, including three females.

At Uyosa, Benin City, two female suspects, Chioma Igba (24) and Precious Ozomah (22), were nabbed with a cocktail of illicit substances including 176 grams of skunk, 65 grams of Loud, and 5 grams of Methamphetamine. Along Agbor road in Benin City, another female suspect, 21-year-old Anita Abraham, was apprehended with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of regular Loud. At Upper Mission, Benin City, a male suspect, Henry Okey (43), was arrested with a diverse cache of psychotropic substances consisting of Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and Methamphetamine.
A swift operation by operatives in Kano State on Thursday, 4th June 2026, led to the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan at the Kafi area of Madobi, with 40 blocks of skunk weighing a total of 38 kilograms.

In a related development, operatives in Gombe State on Monday, 1st June intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi near the Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of Gombe. The suspect was caught with 15,000 capsules of tramadol.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands and formations equally continued across the country in the past week.

Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Holiness Foundation Primary School, Saki, Oyo state; Dorras High School, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos; Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra; and Army Day Secondary School, Kano state; among others.
Reacting to the string of successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers, men and women of the Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano, and Gombe commands for their resilience and vigilance. He also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts. He re-emphasized that the agency remains fully committed to dismantling drug supply chains and will continue to target traffickers regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods.

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Real reason why we banned night vigils – MFM

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The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) has placed an indefinite ban on overnight vigils and ordered all church programmes to end by 8 p.m. daily, citing rising security concerns nationwide.

The new directive was contained in a circular dated June 5, 2026, sent to Regional Overseers and branch pastors. It takes effect immediately.

According to the memo, all services, meetings, and programmes at every level of the church must now close by 8 p.m. “for the foreseeable future.” Overnight vigils and late-night prayer meetings have been suspended indefinitely.

Where such gatherings are considered necessary, leaders are to restructure them into evening prayer sessions that must still wrap up by 8 p.m. at the latest.

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The circular was signed by Temitope A. Olawale, Director of Administration at MFM International Headquarters and Nigeria. He said the decision is a safety measure based on the current state of security in the country.

“The directives are purely precautionary and aimed at safeguarding the lives and well-being of our members in the face of the current security situation in the country,” the statement read.

MFM is known for its marathon prayer sessions and overnight programmes. The new rule marks a major shift for the church as insecurity continues to impact religious gatherings across Nigeria.

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