The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, has declared that one of its members, Mr Ugwuoke Henry Onyebuchi, a legal practitioner popularly known as “Odogwu Lawyer” is missing.

In a statement issued by the Branch, the Association disclosed that Mr Onyebuchi has been missing since December 10, 2025, with his whereabouts remaining unknown.

The NBA stated that the Lawyer was last seen at about 9p.m on the said date, a development that has sparked growing anxiety within the legal community, and among concerned members of the public.

Following his disappearance, the association had reported the incident at the Ilasan Police Station, and to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, describing the disappearance as deeply troubling against the backdrop of prevailing insecurity challenges in the country.

The NBA called for urgent and decisive action by law enforcement agencies and appealed to the public to provide any useful information that could aid efforts to ensure the safe recovery of Mr Onyebuchi.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has resumed the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, signalling the start of the second phase of the process.

The resumption, which took effect yesterday, was confirmed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola.

INEC had earlier launched online pre-registration for the exercise on August 18, 2025, before rolling out physical registration at designated centres across the country on August 25, 2025.

Last month, the commission disclosed that a total of 9,891,801 Nigerians initiated the online pre-registration process during the first phase of the exercises.

According to the commission, 2,572,054 registrations were fully completed nationwide as of November 28, 2025.

This figure comprises 1,503,832 completed online registrations and 1,068,222 registrations concluded through physical enrolment.

INEC explained that the interval between the two phases was utilised to carry out statutory activities required by law, including the display of the voters’ register for claims and objections.

The Federal Government has announced a comprehensive set of measures aimed at eliminating examination malpractice in the 2026 examinations and beyond in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.

The measures are part of ongoing reforms to strengthen credibility, transparency, and public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment system.

The disclosure was made by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, alongside the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, who stated that the Federal Ministry of Education is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.

Among the key measures is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation mechanisms.

While all candidates will answer the same examination questions, the sequencing and arrangement will differ for each candidate, ensuring that every student writes a unique version of the examination and significantly reducing opportunities for collusion.

The Ministry also reaffirmed its strict policy prohibiting the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level.

This directive, already communicated through an official circular, will be rigorously enforced to prevent last-minute school changes often associated with examination malpractice.

To further ensure transparency, a new national Continuous Assessment guidelines have been developed for immediate implementation.

All examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NBAIS etc) must strictly follow the standardized submission deadlines for each academic period:

Submission Windows

First Term CA: January•

Second Term CA: April•

Third Term CA: August

These timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity, and prompt processing of Continuous Assessment records across the country.In addition, the Federal Ministry of Education is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates.

This identifier will enable effective tracking of learners throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification, and data management.

The Ministers further assured stakeholders that examination administration will be conducted under strengthened supervision and coordination with relevant examination bodies to ensure strict compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.

They emphasized that these measures reflect the Federal Government’s resolve to conduct examinations that are credible, fair, and reflective of global best practices, while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational realities.

The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with all examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents, and candidates to ensure the successful implementation of these strategies and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations nationwide.