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Abuja-Kaduna Train: Protesing families ground Transport Ministry
Exactly 120 days after terrorists bombed the AK-9 train conveying hundreds of passengers from Abuja to Kaduna and kidnapped them, families of the remaining 41 persons still in captivity, yesterday, grounded activities at the Ministry of Transportation, protesting lack of decisive action to rescue their relations.
As early as 8 am, family members of the victims besieged the Federal Ministry of Transportation headquarters, Abuja, preventing workers, including top management staff, from accessing their offices.
With mats spread at the entrance gate, they dared any staff of the ministry to cross the barricade and for over four hours, they kept faith with their threat.
Amid the protest, the Transportation Ministry said efforts were being made with security agencies to rescue the victims, disclosing that negotiators had been in the bush for three weeks over the issue.
A few hours after the protest, the terrorists released four more victims, including Gladys Brumen, Oluwatoyin Ojo, Hassan Lawal and Pastor Ayodeji Oyewumi, leaving the number of those in captivity at 38.
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, foremost women activist and politician, Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, and the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, have condemned the viral video of the terrorists flogging the Abuja-Kaduna train hostages, urging the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibility of protecting Nigerians.
Indeed, Ortom said the video and the threat by the bandits to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari and other government functionaries were clear indications that there was no government in Nigeria.
Victims’ families’ protest
Families of the victims also slammed the First Lady and wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari, accusing her of abandoning her motherly role, unlike her predecessor, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, who rose to the occasion in similar circumstances a few years ago when Chibok schoolgirls were kidnapped.
Interjecting while the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, was addressing the protesters, a victims’ family member, Hajia Hadiza Mohammed, said Mrs. Aisha Buhari abandoned her motherly responsibility of empathy for politics at a time family members were grieving over the fate of their loved ones held captive by terrorists.
Recalling Mrs. Jonathan famous lamentation “Chai, there is God o,” when 276 school girls were kidnapped from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, in 2014 by members of the Boko Haram sect, Mrs. Mohammed noted that the then First Lady earned applause for her motherly care, unlike her successor.
She said: “When Patience Jonathan was the First Lady of this country, she came out and she cried and her statement has now become a slogan in this country. What is our First Lady doing? Is she not a mother? Is she not a grandmother? For once, she has never come out to say anything to anybody.
“She has not done anything. She is there canvassing for women to come out and contest (elections). Half of the population that came out to vote in this country was women. She (Aisha) is there sitting wherever she is. She will come back to meet us here. Soldier come, soldier go, and barracks remain. My belief is that what goes around comes around.”
Mrs. Mohammed further noted that her little relatives were captured in the recent video released by the gunmen on Sunday, where they were seen flogging their victims.
“Madam (addressing the Permanent Secretary), do you know that those four little kids in the video that were running after their mothers when they were flogging their fathers, are my nephews and nieces? Do you know the trauma they will face when they get out of that place? Beating their fathers in their presence and teaching them how to be violent (it’s terrible),” she lamented
Also speaking, another family member of the abductees, Ahmed Ibrahim Aruwa, said the terrorists had reached out to the families demanding N100m each to release the victims.
With 41 members in their den, this brings the total sum of money being demanded to N4.1bn (Four billion, one hundred million naira only).”
…Lament Absence Of Ngige, Moghalu Others
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Foundation members of the All Progressives Congress APC in Anambra state have protested what they call the hijack of the party by members of the People’s Democratic Party PDP at just concluded State Congress.
They further lamented the absence of former governor and Minister Sen Chris Ngige, former National Auditor of the party Chief George Moghalu, former National Youth leader of the party Chief Uzoma Igbonwa and others during the Congress.
According to the spokesman of the foundation members Mr Uchenna Adika from Onitsha North local government area ; members such as Chief Ike Ekwensi and Chief Kene Nzekwe were both disqualified and denied access to purchase forms for the post of Deputy Chairman and Chairman, most original members of the party.
“What you saw that took place there at the party Secretarate is a hijack of the party by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and not the real APC stalwarts”
“Some of us went to buy forms for the post of state Chairman they refused to sell to us and there are some of us who actually purchased forms for the post of Deputy Chairman but they were disqualified by them and you call it internal democracy in the party ”
The group questioned that ; “,At what point did all these people join the APC ? ”
“There should be a demarcation between the Renewed Hope Ambassadors campaign organization of Mr President and the leadership of the APC in Anambra state” he said.
But Sen Uche Ekwunife during the Congress contended that what the party did was I line with the provisions of the APC constitution adding that the party at this point do not need Photoshop executive members who do not have capacity or anything to offer for the growth and progress of the party .
“Our outgoing Chairman Chief Basil Ejidike is not going because he did not do well or that he is incompetent but he has been there for seven years and there is the need to regig the party ”
“It is not about becoming an executive member of the party for Photoshop or just to be there ”
“We did basketing and consensus in line with the provisions of our party Constitution and we are looking at people that had capacity to work and deliver and not rubber stamp executive ” she said.
By Chinedu Sabastine
The second edition of the Enugu Tech Festival (ETF 2.0) has concluded with a record-breaking 53,000 physical participants, reinforcing Nigeria’s growing ambition to emerge as a continental hub for digital innovation.
Held from 24 to 27 February 2026 at the Enugu International Conference Centre, the four-day festival exceeded its projected target of 50,000 attendees, drawing innovators, founders, investors, policymakers and students from across Nigeria and beyond.
Convener of the festival and Enugu State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Prince Lawrence Ezeh, described the turnout as “a resounding validation of Enugu’s vision to become a technology trailblazer in Africa.” He noted that the festival also attracted hundreds of online participants globally.
The event was broadcast live on Africa Independent Television (AIT) and reportedly ranked among the top five trending global events on social media during its run—an unprecedented level of digital engagement for an African technology convergence.
“We set out to inspire 50,000 innovators, thinkers, founders, investors and digital talents. To see nearly 60,000 people here—not registrations but real engagement—shows that the African tech narrative is shifting from perception to measurable impact,” Dr Ezeh said.
Attendance Breakdown and Daily Focus
Organisers disclosed that Day One recorded 20,000 participants, Day Two 15,000, Day Three 13,000, and Day Four 5,000 attendees. Each day was structured around a central theme, featuring contributions from government, global tech firms, startups and academia.
The theme for ETF 2.0 was “Coal to Code: Energy in New Form.”
Policy, Investment and Innovation
Day One focused on policy and governance and was officially declared open by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, who emphasised technology and innovation as central pillars of his administration’s development agenda.
“We are witnessing an economic renaissance powered by technology… The global economy is now driven by ideas, code, data and innovation,” Mbah said, adding that Enugu has chosen to be “a producer, not a spectator” in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Dignitaries including Sweden’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, toured exhibition halls showcasing startups, coding boot camps, robotics demonstrations and AI-powered agricultural tools.
Observers from Britain and other European markets noted a shift in Nigeria’s tech discourse—from aspirational rhetoric to implementation-driven frameworks with measurable outcomes.
Day Two spotlighted entrepreneurship and investment. A curated “Deal Room” facilitated engagements between startups and venture capitalists, while masterclasses addressed scaling, product-market fit and cross-border expansion. Investors from Lagos, Nairobi, London and Dubai attended, reflecting rising global interest in African digital enterprises.
Dr Ezeh described the festival as “a bridge between talent and capital,” positioning Enugu as an emerging investment gateway to South-East Nigeria’s technology corridor.
Day Three explored artificial intelligence, blockchain and Web3 technologies, featuring a live hackathon with teams developing solutions in fintech, healthcare diagnostics and climate-smart agriculture. Panels also examined responsible AI governance and decentralised finance regulation.
Youth Empowerment and Lasting Impact
The closing day blended innovation showcases with awards and cultural performances. Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, reaffirmed federal support for youth-led innovation and research commercialisation.
Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, described ETF 2.0 as “a landmark achievement” that has elevated Enugu’s global profile.
One of the festival’s most tangible outcomes was its youth empowerment initiative. Hundreds of young participants received laptops and tablets, while selected startup founders and innovation teams were awarded ₦10 million grants each to accelerate product development and market entry. Additional groups received smaller grants to support training, prototyping and community tech hubs.
“Inspiration without tools is incomplete,” Dr Ezeh said. “We are placing real resources in the hands of those who will shape the ecosystem.”
A Growing Continental Signal
Beyond speeches and exhibitions, ETF 2.0 functioned as a marketplace of ideas, ambition and opportunity. Cultural performances and digital art installations underscored the festival’s message that technology and cultural identity can coexist.
For international observers, the festival reflects a broader continental shift: Africa’s youthful, tech-savvy population is increasingly entrepreneurial and globally connected.
Against persistent challenges such as infrastructure gaps and regulatory uncertainty, Enugu’s successful convening of over 53,000 innovators sends a clear signal—subnational governments are stepping forward as active ecosystem builders.
As the curtains fell on ETF 2.0, Dr Ezeh reflected on what he termed “Africa’s defining decade.”
“This festival is not an endpoint,” he said. “It is the foundation. We are building from Enugu to the world.”
If ETF 2.0 is any indication, that ambition is already gaining momentum.
While the Nigerian Police Force said 75 persons were confirmed killed in the assault on Woro and Nuku communities, local sources and international observers put the death toll significantly higher.
In a statement on X on Friday, the US Mission in Nigeria described the attack as “horrific,” saying more than 160 people were feared dead, with many still unaccounted for.
“The United States condemns the horrific attack in Kwara state in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the death toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence,” the statement read.
It welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to deploy security forces to protect affected communities.
The reaction adds to international condemnation of the attack, which had earlier drawn rebukes from the United Nations and the Republic of Türkiye.
Tinubu had ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama and approved the creation of a new military command to lead the operation, following the assault on Woro and Nuku communities.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had also ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence teams to Kaiama and surrounding communities to restore calm and prevent further attacks.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the deployment of troops under Operation Savannah Shield would help deter further violence, adding that security forces were already on the ground.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The alleged sit-at-home order reportedly issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for Monday, February 2, 2026, in Anambra State has suffered a major setback, following a firm denial by the group that it authorised such a directive.
IPOB dismissed the order as false and further disowned the use of the pseudonym Emma Powerful as the signatory to any of its press statements, warning that any statement issued under that name did not originate from the organisation.
In a statement attributed to the Head of the Directorate of State (DOS), Mazi Chukwukadibia Edoziem, the group said it never approved any sit-at-home or lockdown across Biafraland on the said date.
“Furthermore, the Directorate of State categorically states that it did not authorise any individual or group whatsoever to issue a lockdown or sit-at-home order across Biafraland on Monday, February 2, 2026,” the statement read.
IPOB also announced new guidelines for its official communications, resolving that all press statements representing its position must henceforth be issued exclusively on the organisation’s official letterhead.
The group explained that due to the abuse and compromise of the pseudonym Emma Powerful, it would no longer use the name for issuing statements.
“For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of clarity, any press statement released under the pseudonym ‘Emma Powerful’ going forward does not emanate from IPOB leadership and does not represent the position of the IPOB Directorate of State,” the statement added.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cancelled the posting of an ambassadorial nominee to Turkey, clarifying that no ambassador has been appointed to Ankara despite an earlier announcement suggesting otherwise.
The clarification came on Friday, hours after the Presidency initially announced the posting of former Kebbi State Governor, Usman Dakingari, as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Turkey.
Earlier in the week, President Tinubu had approved the posting of four ambassador-designates from a pool of more than 60 nominees confirmed by the Senate last December. However, the Presidency has now confirmed only three appointments, effectively leaving the Turkish diplomatic mission without a nominee.
In a statement issued late Thursday night, the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, had announced that President Tinubu approved the posting of four ambassador-designates.
The initial list named Kayode Are, former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), as ambassador-designate to the United States; Ayodele Oke, former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), as ambassador-designate to France; Amin Dalhatu, former Nigerian ambassador to South Korea, as High Commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom; and Usman Dakingari, former Governor of Kebbi State, as ambassador-designate to Turkey.
Following the revision, the Presidency directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally notify the governments of France, the United States and the United Kingdom of the confirmed ambassador-designates, in accordance with diplomatic procedures.
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