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. Honours 274 personnel, 18 Commands, 19 NGOs, media platforms at 12th awards ceremony in Abuja

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) has charged officers, men and women of the anti-narcotics institution to remain resilient in view of the persistent nature of the drug challenge, which he described as a generational responsibility.

He gave the charge on Thursday 13th August 2026 during the 12th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer’s Commendations and Awards ceremony at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja where he honoured 274 personnel for outstanding performance in the discharge of their duties, and 18 best-performing commands as well as 19 NGOs and media organisations for their commitment to the war against drug abuse (WADA) advocacy in Nigeria.

According to him, “the war against illicit drugs is not a campaign with an end date. It is a generational responsibility. For every cartel we dismantle, intelligence tells us another will attempt to rise. For every corridor we shut down, traffickers will search for another route.”

He explained that the fight against drug trafficking could never be won by enforcement alone, noting that NGOs work quietly within communities to walk young people back from the edge of addiction, while journalists have told difficult stories on trafficking routes, rehabilitation, and family recovery that are not always easy to tell.

He acknowledged that many more deserving organisations and media platforms across the country exist beyond the honourees, describing the gesture as “the beginning of a tradition, not a closed chapter,” and assuring that subsequent editions of the ceremony will continue to identify and honour more individuals and organisations doing similar work.

“The fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse was never going to be won by enforcement alone. It is won in the communities where NGOs quietly walk young people back from the edge of addiction. It is won in the newsrooms where journalists chose to tell the difficult stories, the stories of trafficking routes, of rehabilitation, of families rebuilding, even when those stories were not the easiest to tell. Our partners in civil society and the media have been the multiplier effect on everything this Agency does. You have taken our message into homes, schools, and communities that our uniforms alone could never reach.”

Marwa highlighted some recent major operations that he said captured the character of the Agency: the dismantling of the Amadi Simon drug cartel; the takedown of two Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartels operating within forests in Ogun and Oyo States; and the disruption of a tramadol cartel exploiting the Togo–Benin Republic–Nigeria corridor, which he described as a route that had for years fed a crisis of opioid abuse among Nigerian youth.
“These were not simple raids. They were the product of patient intelligence-gathering, cross-border cooperation, and officers willing to go where the criminals believed no one would follow”, he noted.

The NDLEA boss charged officers of the Agency to see the honourees as a standard to reach for rather than a ceiling to stop at, and urged partners in civil society and the media to view the recognition as an invitation to do more, not a reward to rest on.
He congratulated all recipients of awards and commendations, and thanked their families as well as Nigerians who continue to place their trust in the Agency.

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The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has overturned a Federal High Court ruling that recognised Shehu Gabam as the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

The appellate court delivered the decision on Wednesday in a unanimous ruling by a three-member panel made up of Justices Fadawu Umaru, M.S. Hassan and L.A. Ganiyu.

Justice Umaru, who read the lead judgment, declared the decision of Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja null and void.

The case arose from an appeal filed by the SDP faction led by Prof. Abubakar Gombe against the earlier Federal High Court ruling which had recognised Gabam as the party’s National Chairman.

In reaching its decision, the Court of Appeal found that the Federal High Court had relied on a faulty basis in reaching its judgment.

The appellate court also referred to an earlier decision of the Supreme Court delivered on May 22, 2026, which had ruled in favour of the Gombe-led leadership.

The latest judgment has therefore overturned the Federal High Court decision and returned the leadership matter to the position supported by the earlier Supreme Court ruling.

SDP presidential candidate and counsel to the appellants, Prince Adewole Adebayo, said the Court of Appeal resolved all six applications before it in favour of the party leadership he represented.

Adebayo said the appellate court found that the Federal High Court decision recognising Gabam could not stand because it conflicted with the earlier Supreme Court ruling.

The lawyer also disclosed that the Court of Appeal affirmed the nomination of Dr Francis Ajala as the SDP governorship candidate for the Osun State election.

According to Adebayo, the Federal High Court had also made an error by entertaining a case challenging Ajala’s nomination as the party’s candidate.

He said the latest ruling had brought the long-running legal battle over the leadership of the SDP to an end and would provide clearer direction for the Independent National Electoral Commission in dealing with the party.

Adebayo also praised the judiciary for resolving the dispute and providing a legal position that would guide the electoral body.

Reacting to the judgment, SDP National Chairman, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, welcomed the decision and praised the judiciary for bringing the case to a conclusion.

Gombe called on INEC to respect the internal decisions of registered political parties, especially matters involving the choice and nomination of candidates for elections.

He also praised Adebayo and members of the party’s legal team for their work throughout the court proceedings.

Gombe said the judiciary had played an important role in resolving the dispute and supporting the democratic process.

He further thanked members of the media for following the case and informing Nigerians about developments surrounding the party’s leadership crisis.

The SDP chairman urged journalists to continue educating voters and the wider public as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections, stressing the need for credible and transparent electoral processes.

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Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to hold the Senator representing Osun East in the National Assembly, Francis Fadahunsi, accountable over alleged comments directing his supporters to kill members of the Accord Party ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.

The organisation said Fadahunsi was captured on video during a campaign allegedly instructing his supporters to kill members of the Accord Party.

“Amnesty International strongly condemns Francis Fadahunsi (APC), senator representing the Osun East senatorial district, who was on video during a campaign, instructing his supporters to kill members of the Accord Party ahead of the state’s August 15 governorship election,” the organisation stated.

It added, “Senator Fadahunsi’s reckless remarks were deliberate and solely aimed at inciting a bloody poll in Osun state.”

Amnesty International further reminded the Nigerian authorities of their responsibility to prevent statements capable of encouraging violence.

The authorities must urgently denounce any statements, live, online or otherwise, which advocate violence.

“Senator Fadahunsi must be held accountable,” it added.

The development followed a viral video in which Fadahunsi was alleged to have directed his supporters to take action against members of the Accord Party, whose governorship candidate is the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke.

Adeleke, while addressing a press conference on Tuesday, accused the senator of inciting violence and what he described as “genocide” against members of the Accord Party.

The governor called for a thorough investigation of the senator’s alleged remarks, saying urgent steps were needed to prevent the threats from becoming reality.