The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs have thoroughly screened three ambassadorial nominees forwarded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and gave them a clean bill of health.

Those who have been screened are :

Rtd. Col. Kayode Are : He offered a detailed overview of his extensive career in national intelligence and security, highlighting his distinguished roles in the Nigerian Army, as former Director-General of the State Security Service, Deputy National Security Adviser, and his continued contributions to security reforms.

Amb. Amin Muhammad Dalhatu : He recounted his longstanding service in the Federal Ministry of Finance and NNPC, his transition into agriculture, and his successful tenure as Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Korea between 2016 and 2021, a period that strengthened his diplomatic acumen.

Ambassador Ayodele Oke, a seasoned diplomat and intelligence professional, presented a rich 38-year service history across six countries on three continents. With academic qualifications in political science, international relations, law, and international criminal law, along with advanced training in reputable international institutions.

He addressed concerns regarding past intelligence-related allegations, noting that all issues had been conclusively resolved following official reviews.

Niger North Senator and Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, who presided over the Wednesday screening exercise, said that the Committee expressed unanimous satisfaction with the calibre of the candidates and applauded the President for presenting individuals of notable experience and merit.

The Committee, empowered to scrutinise the competencies and suitability of the non-career nominees, conducted an in-depth engagement attended by over a dozen senators.

The session featured rigorous interrogation, professional assessments, and broad deliberations focusing on each nominee’s track record, capacity, and character.

At the conclusion of the exercise, the Committee expressed unanimous satisfaction with the calibre of the candidates and applauded the President for presenting individuals of notable experience and merit.

Members observed that all three nominees possess robust professional backgrounds, diverse national service credentials, and the temperament required for high-level diplomatic assignments.

They commended the President for identifying individuals whose experience aligns with Nigeria’s evolving global priorities.

Upon completion of the screening, Senator Sani Bello presented the nominations for the Committee’s decision, and members unanimously endorsed all three nominees for Senate confirmation.

The nominees Rtd. Col. Lateef Kayode Kolawole Are (Ogun), Amb. Amin Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Amb. Emanuel Ayodele Oke (Oyo) were collectively described as credible assets capable of strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic and strategic engagements.

The Senators in attendance included Senators Henry Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West), Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), Mukhail Tokunbo Abiru (Lagos East), Ali Ndume (Borno South), Ikra Aliyu Bilbis (Zamfara North), :Salisu Shuaib Afolabi (Ogun Central), Peter Ndalikali (Niger South), Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (Nassarawa West) among others

The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, under the leadership of Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, will resume the screening of the remaining ambassadorial nominees at a subsequent date.

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa has said that the payments of ransom to terrorists in the country is ineffective to combat terrorism

General Musa stated this yesterday, during his screening as minister by the Senate.

General Musa told the lawmakers that the government at all levels must enforce a total ban on ransom payments and negotiations with terrorists, warning that such actions only empower criminals.

“There is no negotiation with any criminal. When people pay ransoms, it buys terrorists time to regroup, re-arm and plan new attacks. Communities that negotiated still got attacked later,” he said.

He stated that Nigeria’s fight against insecurity would remain ineffective until the country established a unified national database that captured every citizen and linked all security, banking and identity systems together.

Thousands of internally displaced persons in Benue State have started returning to their ancestral homes after more than 14 years of forced exile caused by repeated attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen.

Communities in Gwer West Local Government Area, including Tse Akpiti, Igbafu, Zwatem in Mbakyoudu district, Abiam in Sengev, Gidan Pepa, and New Nigeria, are witnessing a gradual but steady return of their original inhabitants.

Residents told journalists that farming and commercial activities have resumed without fear, with yam, rice, and cassava harvesting currently in full swing across the once-abandoned farmlands.

A resident of Agberagba, Semon Gyundu, said: “We never believed we would step foot here again. The journey back looked impossible, but today we are farming and sleeping in our fathers’ compounds without panic.

”Another returnee from Abiam community, Jimmy Nyor, expressed gratitude to “our son who is complementing government efforts,” adding that normal life has returned and they can only get better with more support.

Leading the resettlement drive is the National President of the Tyoshin Development Association (TDA), Chief Tiza Timothy Tarnongo, who has been mobilizing indigenes and partnering with the state government.

Chief Tarnongo appealed to both the Benue State Government and humanitarian organizations to urgently rebuild destroyed schools, health centers, boreholes, and roads to encourage more displaced families to return permanently.

With sustained collaboration between the state government, community leaders, and aid agencies, there is growing optimism that many more IDPs across Gwer West and other affected local government areas will soon reclaim their ancestral lands without fear of further attacks.