The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has officially inaugurated the Fire Marshal Club, a community-based volunteer initiative, accompanied by a high-profile Safety Walk to promote fire awareness and emergency preparedness across the state.

The event kicked off with a sensitization walk starting from the Service Headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, passing through the Ikeja Fire Station and various routes before returning to headquarters.

The activity aimed to engage the public directly in fire safety education and encourage proactive participation in preventing outbreaks.

Controller General Margaret Adeseye highlighted a modest decline in fire incidents between 2024 and 2025, attributing it to growing awareness efforts. She stressed that while fires cannot be entirely eliminated due to multiple risk factors, collective responsibility, adherence to safety rules, and community involvement can minimize them significantly.

“The Fire Marshal system is a globally recognized voluntary approach to prevention,” Adeseye said. “By establishing clubs in markets, commercial hubs, and neighborhoods, we will train and empower volunteers to prevent incidents and respond effectively as first responders.”

She added that members will receive comprehensive training to bridge gaps between communities and professional emergency services, including prompt reporting via toll-free lines.

General Manager of the Lagos State Command and Control Centre, Femi Giwa, underscored the role of inter-agency collaboration in aligning with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision for a safer Lagos.

Health, safety, and environment expert Dr. Julius Akpong praised the move, noting that research shows about 80–95% of fire incidents stem from unsafe human actions and ignorance, calling for ongoing education and behavioral shifts.

The Fire Marshal Club represents a key step in the state government’s strategy to protect lives and property through prevention, partnerships, and stronger emergency systems. Volunteers are expected to serve as vital links in reporting and initial response to incidents.

The initiative follows recent recruitment and training of new firefighters, signaling continued investment in Lagos’ fire safety infrastructure.

The Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS), a coalition of Nigerian civil society organizations, has called on the Inspector General of Police to launch an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into the enforced disappearance of political activist and lecturer Abubakar Idris, widely known as Dadiyata, who vanished in August 2019.

Dadiyata, then a 34-year-old lecturer at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, was reportedly abducted by unidentified armed men on August 2, 2019, as he arrived at his home in Barnawa, Kaduna State.

Despite widespread condemnation from local and international groups, multiple lawsuits, and sustained advocacy, his whereabouts remain unknown more than six years later, making it one of Nigeria’s most prominent unresolved cases of enforced disappearance involving civic actors.

In a statement released on February 14, 2026, AGFCS expressed deep concern over recent public claims suggesting the disappearance was politically motivated.

The group highlighted statements by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai during a recent live interview, where he reportedly pointed to former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as potentially responsible. El-Rufai referenced an alleged confession by a police officer said to have been involved in the operation, claiming officers were dispatched from Kano State.

According to AGFCS, which cited input from the Rule of Law and Advocacy Accountability Centre (RULAAC), these claims—if substantiated—would be “explosive.” The organization stressed that regardless of their accuracy, the allegations necessitate urgent official scrutiny.

“Enforced disappearance is a grave human rights violation and a direct threat to constitutional guarantees of the right to life, liberty, dignity, and freedom of expression under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) and international human rights instruments,” the statement read. “When civic actors disappear without accountability, fear spreads and civic space shrinks.”

AGFCS urged the Inspector General of Police, in collaboration with relevant authorities, to:

1. Initiate a transparent and independent investigation incorporating all available information, including recent public statements.
2. Publicly release the findings and clearly communicate them to Dadiyata’s family.
3. Ensure full accountability for anyone found responsible.

The group reiterated that enforced disappearances have no place in a democratic society and that Dadiyata’s family deserves truth and closure, while Nigeria requires accountability to prevent justice from remaining indefinitely delayed.

The renewed call comes amid heightened public attention following El-Rufai’s interview remarks and subsequent denials from Ganduje, who has rejected any involvement and described the allegations as baseless attempts to shift responsibility. Other voices, including Amnesty International, have also demanded an independent probe into the case.

Dadiyata, known for his social media commentary and criticism of political figures, remains a symbol of the risks faced by activists in Nigeria’s shrinking civic space. No official confirmation of his fate has emerged to date.

Similarly, it recommends 119 wells for Akwa Ibom State, 22 wells for Anambra State (to be shared among relevant parties), and 92 wells for Delta and Bayelsa States combined.

he Federal Government is preparing to restore Cross River State to its status as a littoral (coastal) state, more than two decades after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2002 in favor of Cameroon in the dispute over the Bakassi Peninsula.

The ruling and the subsequent Green Tree Agreement in 2006 led to the cession of Bakassi to Cameroon, resulting in Cross River losing its direct access to the open sea and its classification as a littoral state, along with associated oil derivation benefits.

A recent report from the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC)—comprising representatives from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), National Boundary Commission (NBC), Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGoF), and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)—has recommended reverting to the pre-cession status quo for Cross River.

The committee, tasked with verifying coordinates of disputed oil and gas wells as well as newly drilled ones from 2017 through December 2025, conducted extensive fieldwork from September 2025 to January 2026 across affected states and offshore areas.

According to details exclusively obtained by ARISE News Channel, the IATC report not only advocates for Cross River’s restoration as a littoral state but also proposes allocating 119 new oil wells to the state. Similarly, it recommends 119 wells for Akwa Ibom State, 22 wells for Anambra State (to be shared among relevant parties), and 92 wells for Delta and Bayelsa States combined.

The committee has urged President to direct the RMAFC and other relevant agencies to implement these recommendations promptly. This follows petitions from several oil-producing states seeking clarity on ownership and revenue derivation from disputed and new wells, amid ongoing debates over maritime boundaries and the impact of the ICJ ruling on internal state entitlements.

The move could significantly boost revenue allocation for Cross River through the 13% derivation formula for oil-producing states, though it has sparked discussions and counter-claims, particularly from Akwa Ibom, which has historically maintained that Cross River lacks littoral status post-Bakassi cession. The plotting of verified coordinates is seen as a key step toward resolving these long-standing disputes transparently.