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Akpabio: Buhari Maintained Integrity in Office, Even Critics Can Agree

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised former President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership, noting that he governed the country without mismanaging public funds.

 

 

 

Akpabio, who stated this at an expanded Federal Executive Council meeting in honour of Buhari in Abuja on Thursday, said even the former president’s critics would agree that he did not embezzle public funds while in office.

File: Former President Muhammadu Buhari

He said, “And let us be honest, he was tough. He was a soldier who did not flinch under fire, a leader who did not flee from responsibility, and above all, a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for sale.

“His toughness was born not out of pride but of a patriotism, a fierce, unrelenting belief that Nigeria, with all its challenges, was still worth fighting for. And yet some disagree with him.

“That is the nature of democracy. But even his fiercest critics will admit that he did not pilfer the nation’s boss, nor pander to its pleasures to the very end.

The special FEC meeting was attended by the leadership of the National Assembly, ministers, governors, and the children of the former leader, led by his son, Yusuf.

Akpabio further stated that Buhari sought duty when others sought glory.

He also described the former president as a leader who did not flee from challenges.

“President Buhari did not merely pass through the corridors of power; he left his boots and imprints in them. He believed that discipline mattered, that integrity mattered, that leadership, even when lonely, must be anchored on something greater than power,” he added.

Buhari, a former military head of state, served as a civilian president for eight years from 2015 to 2023.

He died on Sunday at a clinic in London at the age of 82.

His remains were brought back to Nigeria on Tuesday and received by President Bola Tinubu at the Katsina Airport.

 

President Bola Tinubu receiving the body of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, at the Katsina airport on Tuesday, July 15, 2025

 

His body was later buried during a state funeral at his residence in Daura and was well-attended by top government officials, political associates, and family members of the former president, as well as residents of the area.

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Ghanaian Boy, 15, Shot Dead On Way To School In New York

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A 15-year-old Ghanaian boy, Javits Frimpong, has been shot dead while on his way to school in the Bronx, New York, with his father suspecting that the killing was connected to bullying at school.

 

Javits was reportedly shot in the stomach at about 9:30 a.m. on Thursday near Crotona Park. He was rushed to a hospital but later died from his injuries.

According to the New York Police Department, three teenage boys are being sought in connection with the killing. Investigators said the suspects fled the scene wearing black tracksuits and blue surgical masks.

Surveillance footage reportedly showed a person matching the description of one of the suspects fleeing the area after the shooting. The victim was said to have run for about a block after being shot before collapsing.

The teenager’s father, Thomas Frimpong, said he believed bullying was behind the incident, claiming that his son had been targeted by two schoolmates who were recently suspended.

Frimpong disclosed that the school principal informed him about the bullying just three days before his son was killed.

He also maintained that his son was not the aggressor in a recent confrontation at school.

“The principal told me Javits is innocent. Javits is innocent. He was defending himself,” the grieving father said.

Frimpong said he brought his son from Ghana to New York about a year ago in the hope of giving him a better life, while the boy’s mother remained in Ghana.

Describing his son, he said: “My son was precious, very clever.”

The father, who works as a taxi driver, said his last conversation with Javits on Thursday morning was a reminder to get to school on time.

The killing has sparked outrage among residents of the Crotona Park neighbourhood, with some calling for increased after-school activities and youth programmes to keep teenagers away from violence.

Police have yet to publicly identify any suspects or announce arrests as investigations into the teenager’s killing continue

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INEC Rejects 64 Petitions, Removes Candidates From 2027 Election list

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has rejected 64 petitions filed by political parties over the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates’ lists, following a review that also led to the removal of some candidates.

The commission disclosed this in a statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, on October 30, 2026.

INEC said 12 political parties filed 69 petitions across 26 states over governorship candidates.

It approved 41 of the complaints but dismissed 28.

For the State Houses of Assembly elections, 61 petitions were submitted by 11 political parties across 11 states.

The commission upheld 25 and rejected 36.

The complaints involved political parties allegedly omitted from the lists, candidates whose names were included despite not appearing in their parties’ membership registers, and cases of multiple nominations.

Following its review, INEC approved the inclusion of candidates and parties whose complaints were justified.

It also removed names that were wrongly published and candidates whose nominations did not meet legal requirements.

The commission said the revised lists would be published on its website, with details of the affected candidates, political parties and states.

“The Commission assures the public of its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process,” the statement added.

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Plateau: Gunmen Kill 4 In Renewed Attack

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Four people have reportedly been killed after gunmen attacked Sabon Angwa community, around Bet/Zat in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Thursday night, raising fresh concerns over the safety of residents despite an existing curfew.

 

The attackers reportedly stormed the community at about 8pm and opened fire on residents, triggering panic in the area.

Report quoted a Barkin Ladi resident, Bulus Jok, as confirming the gunmen operated despite the curfew imposed in parts of the state to curb attacks and restore security.

“The gunmen struck the community around 8pm despite the curfew in place and started shooting sporadically,” he said.

Jok added that the attackers shot at anything in sight, leaving four people dead and residents terrified.

He described the incident as particularly disturbing because an early warning alert had reportedly been sent to the relevant authorities a day before the attack.

The Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, also confirmed the incident, saying suspected terrorist gangs attacked the community and shot four people dead.

Tengwong condemned the killings, describing the loss of innocent lives as unacceptable. He questioned the continued attacks on communities despite security measures introduced to protect residents.

“It is disturbing that communities are still being attacked despite the security measures and curfew put in place to protect residents,” he said.

The BYM spokesman urged security agencies to strengthen surveillance in vulnerable communities, improve their response to early warning alerts and take proactive steps to prevent further attacks.

He also called for a stronger security presence in the affected areas to protect residents from further violence.

Efforts to reach security operatives for comments and further details were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

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