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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to introduce Facial Biometric Verification (FBV) in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The aim according to the examination body is to tackle impersonation, examination malpractice and restore greater integrity to the examination process.

The development was contained in the Board’s weekly bulletin released on Monday.

Under the new arrangement, JAMB said it would partner with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to verify candidates through live facial recognition before they are allowed to sit the UTME.

The Board said candidates seeking to take the examination would undergo live facial verification through an application, with the verification result forwarded to NIMC.

The identity management agency would subsequently return a code to JAMB to either affirm or reject the candidate’s identity claim.

Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate Donald Duke, Social Democratic Party (SDP) flagbearer Adewole Adebayo, and former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu arrived in Abuja on Monday for an opposition summit organised by the G100 group.

The high-level meeting, billed as a platform for opposition parties and stakeholders to explore greater cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections, is expected to draw several key political figures. Discussions are likely to centre on strategies to present a more united challenge to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Duke had in recent days publicly urged opposition politicians to set aside personal ambitions and ego, warning that a fragmented opposition would struggle against the advantages of incumbency. Speaking in an interview ahead of the summit, he described Tinubu as “not an average politician,” likening any attempt to confront him without a broad coalition to fighting “a lion who also has horns.”

“The only way you can seriously tackle the incumbent is to come together… Otherwise, you’ll be factionalised. When we talk of rigging, we’re rigging it against ourselves because of our ego,” Duke said.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have confirmed their participation. The Labour Party, however, indicated it would not attend, citing an existing coalition arrangement with organised labour.

The summit comes amid growing consultations among opposition groups seeking a common front, though organisers have stressed that the gathering remains exploratory and is not expected to produce an immediate consensus candidate.

•Ishaq Yunusa

Kogi State Police Command on Friday confirmed the murder of the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Ishaq Yunusa.

Yunusa was killed in an attack by suspected bandits.

Yunusa’s vehicle was reportedly intercepted by the suspected bandits during a kidnapping operation along the Itobe–Ochadamu Expressway, around Ojuwo Olijo in Ofu Local Government Area of the state, on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

His death has thrown family members, friends and APC supporters into mourning, with calls for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

The Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday.

She said the attack occurred at about 5 p.m. on Thursday when armed assailants emerged from the surrounding bush and opened sporadic fire on motorists.

According to the police, security agencies are intensifying operations in the area, while personnel are combing the surrounding forests in a bid to rescue any abducted victims and track down those responsible for the attack.

The command says efforts are ongoing to restore security along the affected route.