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2027: Elections Can’t Resolve Nigeria’s Crisis, Hold Referendum -IPOB

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Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has dismissed another round of balloting as incapable of resolving what it described as Nigeria’s fundamental political crisis, insisting that the country needs a referendum rather than another change of political leadership.

 

The separatist group said the question confronting Nigeria goes beyond who emerges president in 2027, arguing that Nigerians should first be given an opportunity to determine whether they want to continue under the existing political arrangement or negotiate a different constitutional future.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, on Thursday ,IPOB said the debate should not be reduced to a choice among President Bola Tinubu and opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

It maintained that repeatedly electing different leaders without addressing what it called Nigeria’s foundational problems amounted to “doing same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

According to the group, its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has consistently placed referendum and self-determination at the centre of the agitation. “The peoples trapped in this colonial construction named Nigeria should determine, peacefully and democratically, the future they want.”

IPOB argued that while an election determines who exercises political power for a specified period, a referendum could enable citizens to decide the constitutional framework under which they want to be governed.

IPOB said such a process should not predetermine Nigeria’s break-up, but should give the people an opportunity to choose among remaining together under a new constitution, adopting another federal arrangement or pursuing self-determination.

It drew comparisons with the United Kingdom, citing constitutional votes held in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The group referred particularly to Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, the 1997 devolution referendums in Scotland and Wales and the 1998 Northern Ireland vote on the Belfast Agreement.

It also cited the September 14, 2026 memorandum signed in Cardiff by leaders of Plaid Cymru, the Scottish National Party and Sinn Féin, in which the parties asserted the right of their respective peoples to determine their constitutional futures through democratic means. The Cardiff agreement and its self-determination language have been independently reported.

“If referendum can settle constitutional questions in Britain, why should the peoples of Nigeria be permanently denied the same opportunity?” IPOB asked.

The group also cited a recent symbolic vote in Piddington, Oxfordshire, as further evidence of the use of voting to express views on constitutional or territorial questions.

IPOB sought to reinforce its argument with recent comments by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Africa’s democratic system.

At the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi on August 11, Obasanjo criticised the Western liberal democratic model inherited by African countries, arguing that it lacked sufficient African context and content. His remarks were made at a forum themed, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”

The pro-Biafra group also cited former President Goodluck Jonathan’s previous comments on Nigeria’s historical struggle to achieve national integration following the 1914 amalgamation.

It maintained that the approach to the 2027 election presents another opportunity for the country to confront what it considers the more fundamental question of political consent rather than concentrate solely on the personalities seeking the presidency.

For IPOB, the group said, “the issue is not who governs Nigeria, but what political arrangement the people freely consent to live under.”

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Court Arraigns Journalist In Benue

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A Benue State High Court, presided over by Justice Mary Abounu, has arraigned the Benue State correspondent of Aljazirah Newspaper, Henry Ibya, in Makurdi over alleged cyberstang.

 

The trial judge had sought the prosecution’s response to the defendant’s argument that the journalist was reliable and should be granted bail.

The absence of the prosecution counsel in court did not stop the proceedings, as the defendant’s counsel, Tom Uja, Esq., notified the court of his bail application for his client.

He stated that the prosecution had taken the journalist to two other courts in the state on the same charge and that his client had never failed to appear in court whenever required.

Although the prosecutor’s absence did not affect the judge’s decision to proceed and grant bail, which was also believed to be in the interest of justice, the matter was adjourned until November 5, 2026.

One Terna Abuul, said to be the Director of ICT at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, reported Henry Ibya to the Nigeria Police Force, Benue State Command.

The director had accused the journalist of allegedly reporting mismanagement in the institution’s ICT department.

According to Abuul, Ibya’s report accused him of wrongdoing.

On the strength of the said report, the journalist was arraigned before the High Court in Makurdi.

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64 Dead, 80 Injured As Two High-Speed Trains Collide

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At least 64 people have been killed and dozens seriously injured after two high-speed trains collided near Urda, south of Madrid, in one of Spain’s deadliest rail disasters in more than a decade.

 

The Castilla-La Mancha regional government confirmed the death toll as emergency crews continued rescue operations at the crash site. More than 500 passengers were travelling on the two trains involved, according to a regional government spokesperson.

The BBC reports that the collision of the two trains involved a Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo service operating on the Madrid-to-Seville route. Aerial images analysed by the broadcaster showed parts of the Renfe train leaving the tracks, while carriages of the Iryo train also derailed.

The cause of the collision had not been officially confirmed. However, Spanish media cited preliminary accounts suggesting that the Renfe train struck the Iryo service, which may have been stationary following a problem on the tracks.

The scale of the disaster prompted a major emergency response involving ambulances, helicopters, rescue teams and police officers. At least 80 people were reported injured, with about 50 believed to be in serious condition and 15 in critical condition, according to regional officials.

Several victims were transported to hospitals in nearby areas, while others were taken to Madrid for treatment. Hospitals in Toledo, Ciudad Real and Alcázar de San Juan reportedly suspended planned surgeries to accommodate casualties from the crash.

Blood transfusion centres in Madrid and Toledo also appealed for urgent donations to meet a possible surge in demand.

Survivors described scenes of panic and severe destruction. One passenger, Sebastián Herrero, told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that he felt a powerful impact that threw him into the seats ahead. He said injured passengers had broken noses and arms, while smoke spread through the carriages.

Another passenger, Iñaki, told El País that the impact sent him rolling across the floor. After escaping, he saw injured people and bodies around the wreckage.

BBC Verify also examined images and videos appearing to show a section of railway track piercing through a Renfe carriage, with approximately 10 metres of rail protruding through its roof.

The disaster has revived concerns about railway safety in Spain, which suffered another deadly high-speed rail accident near Córdoba in which 46 people died. The country’s previous worst rail disaster occurred in July 2013, when 80 people were killed in a derailment near Santiago de Compostela.

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, said he was shocked by the crash and remained in contact with the transport minister. The Spanish royal family also expressed condolences to victims’ relatives and praised emergency workers.

Meanwhile, the Royal Spanish Football Federation postponed 24 Copa del Rey matches in solidarity with the victims, while most political parties suspended campaign activities.

Rescue and recovery operations continued as authorities worked to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collision.

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Police Arrest Suspected Eiye Cultist, Recover Two Pistols, Cartridges In Ogun

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Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Squad of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 26-year-old suspected cultist and recovered two locally made pistols, three live cartridges and a battle axe in the Atan area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Council of the state.

 

The suspect, identified as Okiki Muhammed Adewusi, popularly known as “Baba Obo”, was arrested in the Ore area of Atan on October 26, 2026, following intelligence received by operatives of SWAT Base 7, Abule Iroko, Sango-Ota.

The Police Spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the arrest in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday.

According to Babaseyi, a search of the suspect’s residence after his arrest led to the recovery of a locally made pistol and three live cartridges.

He added that preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had allegedly admitted to being a member of the Eiye Confraternity.

Babaseyi said information obtained from the suspect led to a follow-up operation at about 6.30 a.m. on October 27, 2026 during which operatives recovered a second locally made pistol and a battle axe from a separate location.

The recovered items have been secured as exhibits, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other suspects believed to be involved in the activities and recover additional weapons.

The police spokesperson said investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the case.

The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the SWAT operatives for their vigilance, professionalism and effective use of intelligence.

Ojajuni reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks, curbing cult-related activities and tackling the illegal possession of firearms across the state.

He urged residents to provide timely and credible information about suspected criminal activities, assuring them that the Command would act on actionable intelligence to protect lives and property and maintain public safety.

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