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The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last month killed over 5,000 people, National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez posted on Telegram Friday.

The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck within a minute of each other on 24 June, decimating the coastal state of La Guaira located north of Caracas.

The disasters killed 5,069 people, Rodriguez said, with most casualties occurring in the coastal region.

The number of people injured remains unchanged at 16,740, with the parliamentary leader earlier stating that most had already been discharged from hospital.

Some 20,000 people made homeless by the quakes are living in overcrowded camps, many of which lack water supplies and proper sanitation systems.

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The Isoun family announced the death of former minister Turner Isoun, who passed away in Abuja on Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Isoun served as Minister of Science and Technology under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and championed Nigeria’s space and ICT revolution.

According to Premium Times, the Isoun spokesperson, Diseye Timinipre Isoun, confirmed the passing of the family patriarch in a statement, noting that the elder statesman was based in Odi, Bayelsa State.

In his reaction, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State described the late Professor as “an academic colossus whose contributions to scholarship and national development are outstanding and immeasurable.”

He stated that Prof. Isoun’s demise was a significant loss not only to the Ijaw nation but also to Nigeria as a whole, The Nation reported.

Isoun’s ‘legacy’ in science and ICT

A Professor of Veterinary Medicine by training, Isoun made his most enduring mark during his tenure as Minister of Science and Technology in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He was widely credited with driving Nigeria’s early push into information technology and space exploration.

Among his most consequential initiatives was the establishment of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the creation of Galaxy Backbone Plc, a government ICT firm set up to harmonise national communication networks and build a reliable broadband infrastructure across the country.

Under his watch, Nigeria also achieved landmark milestones in space technology, including the launch of NigeriaSat-1 and Nigcomsat 1R, two satellites that marked a defining chapter in the country’s scientific history.

Before his ministerial career, Isoun had already distinguished himself in academia.

He served as the founding Vice Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology in Port Harcourt in the old Rivers State, now known as Rivers State University, laying what Governor Diri described as the solid foundations of the country’s first technology-focused university.

Beyond his academic and governmental roles, Isoun remained deeply connected to his Ijaw heritage.

He served as chairman of the Ijaw National Congress, Central Zone, and played a notable part in the political process that led to the creation of Bayelsa State from the old Rivers State in 1996.

“The Odi-born scientist would be greatly missed for his candour, wise counsel and commitment to Ijaw socio-cultural values,” Governor Diri said, while extending condolences from the Bayelsa State Government to the Isoun family and community.

He urged them to take comfort in the late elder statesman’s lasting contributions to national life.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to forge an alliance against drug trafficking and piracy.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to sign the MoU at the NDLEA headquarters on Friday 17th July 2026, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the partnership may appear, on the surface, to bring together two unrelated mandates, but which, on closer examination, reflects a shared reality in the fight against organized crime in Nigeria.

According to him, “Our experience at the frontlines of drug law enforcement has shown us time and again that criminal networks rarely confine themselves to a single illicit enterprise. The same syndicates that traffic in narcotics are often found dabbling in other forms of economic crime, including the piracy of intellectual works that rightfully belong to Nigeria’s creatives: our musicians, filmmakers, writers, and software developers. Proceeds from one illegal trade frequently find their way into financing the other. This is the criminal value chain we must disrupt together.
“Today’s MoU gives structure to that shared fight. Through it, our two agencies commit to exchanging intelligence, coordinating joint operations, building the capacity of our respective officers, and supporting one another with the technical resources needed to do this work well. A Joint Working Committee will be established to drive this collaboration forward, meeting regularly to ensure that what we sign today translates into real results on the ground.

“Let me be clear: this partnership is not just about law enforcement. It is about protecting the health and social wellbeing of our people, and about safeguarding the immense creative talent of this nation: a talent that deserves to thrive without the theft that piracy represents, and a society that deserves protection from the scourge of illicit drugs.”

He commended the NCC for recognizing the intersection between drug trafficking and piracy. “This is how effective government works; agencies finding the common threads in their missions and pulling together rather than in isolation”, Marwa added.

In his remarks, the Director General of NCC, Dr. John Asein noted that the alliance between NDLEA and NCC marks a significant milestone in the growing culture of inter-agency collaboration within the Nigerian public service, adding that the effort will enhance the common responsibility of protecting the Nigerian society from criminal enterprises that undermine national security, economic development and the rule of law.

In his words, “Copyright piracy is sometimes wrongly perceived as a minor commercial offence or a victimless activity. In reality, large-scale piracy is often a highly organised and profitable criminal enterprise. It deprives creators and investors of legitimate income, destroys jobs, discourages investment, reduces government revenue and weakens the foundations of Nigeria’s creative economy.

“International experience has demonstrated that organised copyright piracy is rarely an isolated criminal activity. Across several jurisdictions, the same criminal syndicates, logistics channels, financial networks and distribution systems used to traffic pirated goods have also been linked to other forms of transnational organised crime, including narcotics trafficking, money laundering, smuggling and cyber-enabled offences. This reality underscores the imperative for closer collaboration between agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigerian Copyright Commission.

“The same clandestine supply chains, transportation routes, storage facilities, financial channels and distribution networks used for trafficking in illicit drugs and other prohibited goods may also be deployed for the movement and sale of pirated books, films, music, software and other copyright products. Proceeds from piracy may equally be laundered or channelled into other criminal activities.
“This connection makes collaboration between the Nigerian Copyright Commission and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency both necessary and timely. By combining our respective mandates, expertise and intelligence capabilities, we can more effectively identify criminal networks, trace illicit financial flows, disrupt illegal supply chains and dismantle the structures that sustain organised criminal enterprises.
“For the Nigerian Copyright Commission, this partnership offers an invaluable opportunity to leverage the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s world-class expertise in intelligence-led law enforcement. Over the years, the NDLEA has earned a well-deserved reputation, both nationally and internationally, for its professionalism, operational excellence and innovation in combating organised crime. Under the able leadership of the Chairman/Chief Executive, the Agency has demonstrated remarkable success in intelligence-driven operations, strategic investigations, forensic capabilities, surveillance, financial intelligence, international cooperation and effective inter-agency coordination.”