The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has charged personnel to uphold neutrality, professionalism and strict adherence to the rules of engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He also warned officers against voter intimidation, abuse of citizens and obedience to unlawful orders, stressing that their conduct would be crucial to protecting Nigeria’s democracy and ensuring peaceful, credible elections.

Audi gave the charge at the Corps’ headquarters in Abuja while declaring open a three-day workshop for 216 officers drawn from the 36 state commands, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command and 18 zonal commands.

The workshop was organised to prepare personnel for election security duties, with emphasis on protecting electoral materials, election officials and other critical stakeholders.

The NSCDC boss said the Corps would not tolerate laxity in the discharge of election-related responsibilities, adding that officers must be adequately prepared to manage security challenges before, during and after the polls.

He stressed the importance of vigilance and the ability to de-escalate tense situations without resorting to force, while applying necessary force only when lawful and unavoidable

Audi also urged participants to familiarise themselves with the legal framework governing elections, operational procedures, intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies to ensure a peaceful electoral process.

“We must not wait till Election Day to familiarise ourselves with electoral rules. The rules of engagement help officers to protect the process, citizens and defend the democracy that we are currently enjoying,” he said.

The NSCDC boss further emphasised that national interest must remain paramount in the discharge of their duties, warning personnel against abandoning their duty posts or engaging in conduct capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

A man identified as Okoye has been convicted of producing and distributing counterfeit Goya olive oil in Aba, Abia State.

His conviction followed an enforcement operation by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, in April 2026, during which officials uncovered a facility allegedly used for the illegal production and distribution of the fake product.

Okoye was arrested during the operation, while samples of the recovered products were taken to the agency’s laboratory for analysis. The findings subsequently formed part of the investigation that led to his prosecution.

The conviction comes months after NAFDAC warned Nigerians about the circulation of counterfeit Goya olive oil packaged in plastic bottles and presented to consumers as genuine imported products.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his comment that borrowing is not leprosy, describing the position as “absolute nonsense”.

Obasanjo spoke on Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the Ajibosin Platform, a public forum theme “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to solve grassroots problems and accelerate National Development.”

In April, Tinubu said his administration would continue to borrow whenever necessary, insisting that it should not be viewed negatively.

Tinubu spoke at the State House during a meeting with Plateau leaders led by Caleb Mutfwang, the governor, and Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“If we have to borrow, we borrow. Borrowing is not leprosy, we just have to work hard to be able to pay for it,” the president had said.

His remarks came amid rising public concern over Nigeria’s growing debt burden and the increasing share of national revenue committed to debt servicing.

Reacting to Tinubu’s comment, Obasanjo hit him hard, maintaining that leprosy can only destroy one person at a time while debt destroys generations.

The former president said: “And for anybody to say debt is no leprosy, is absolute nonsense. Debt is worse than leprosy. Because leprosy destroys only one person. Debt destroys generations.”

Obasanjo questioned Nigeria’s economic management, recalling that when he started his farm 47 years ago, the naira exchanged at N1 to $1.85.

“When I started my farm, 47 years ago, naira to the dollar was one naira to $1.85. Forty-seven years ago. What has Nigeria done in 47 years that we now have 1,500 naira to the dollar? What have we done?” he asked.

He also questioned the capacity of the country’s political leadership to make decisions that would improve the lives of Nigerians.

“What do our leaders know? And what do they not know? And from what they know, what can they do for us?” he asked.

The former president further criticised Nigeria’s dependence on foreign institutions, particularly the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), arguing that their policies were not necessarily designed to address the country’s peculiar circumstances.

He recalled how Nigeria was discouraged from subsidising agriculture despite what he described as the agricultural support available to farmers in developed countries.

“World Bank and IMF were not designed for us. They were not built by us. They were built before we became independent. And that’s the people who would determine what we do,” he said.

Obasanjo also warned against blindly adopting economic prescriptions from foreign-trained experts without considering Nigeria’s realities.