….As FG Advances New Police Academy Campus

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is advancing efforts to reposition the Nigerian Police through strategic investment in education. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed the President’s commitment during a high-level meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Police Force in Abuja.

According to a statement, minister revealed that the meeting focused on strengthening police training institutions nationwide, and noted that plans have been finalized to commence academic activities at the Southern Campus of the Nigeria Police Academy in Erije, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The meeting, attended by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, former IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and other senior officers, centered on infrastructure development and operational take-off of the new campus.

The Minister emphasized that the initiative aligns with the President’s broader agenda to enhance national security by equipping police personnel with modern, education-driven skills.

He added that the Nigeria Police’s contributions to national stability must be supported through improved training and institutional capacity, pointing out that as part of immediate steps, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has been directed to fast-track resource verification to enable the new campus to begin admitting students between September and November 2026.

Discussions also covered plans to upgrade over 42 police colleges into monotechnics, with select institutions to offer specialized, industry-relevant courses, saying that three key committees have been establishedto drive implementation.

These include a resource verification committee led by the NUC, a capacity-building committee for police colleges chaired by DIG Isyaku Mohammed in collaboration with NBTE, and an infrastructure development committee headed by the Executive Secretary of TETFund.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, commended the initiative and pledged full support, while IGP Tunji Disu highlighted education as critical to addressing security challenges.

Disu also reaffirmed the Police Force’s commitment to introducing impactful courses that will strengthen personnel capacity and enhance national security.

Protesters, under the aegis of Concerned Northern Nigeria Stakeholders, staged a protest on Monday at the entrance of the Federal High Courtin Wuse, Abuja, chanting solidarity songs and waving placards with inscriptions such as “No Opposition, No Election,” “Tinubu, Let Our Democracy Breathe,” and “AGF Must Be Neutral.”

The protesters are warning President Bola Tinubu against interferences in the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The leader of the group, Banki Sharrif, raised alarm over what he described as growing threats to judicial independence and democratic institutions, accusing the Federal Government of undermining due process.

He said, “We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately cease all forms of interference, overt or covert, with the judiciary. Courts must never be reduced to instruments of political engineering. The moment justice is manipulated, the nation itself is placed on trial.

“A government that seeks to weaken opposition betrays a lack of confidence in its own legitimacy. Democracy thrives on competition. Suppressing it is not strength; it is fear.

“Elections without credible opposition are nothing more than staged exercises. Democracy demands fairness, openness, and equal opportunity for all political actors.”

The demonstrators warned that democracy cannot function under “intimidation, coercion, or calculated manipulation,” insisting that civic space and opposition remain central to a functioning republic.

Monday’s protest comes amid heightened political tension over a suit backed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, seeking the deregistration of several political parties.

In court filings before the Federal High Court, the AGF supported a case instituted by some former lawmakers asking the court to compel INEC to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four others.

Other parties listed in the suit include the Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and the Zenith Labour Party.

•Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has confirmed that so far, 130 Nigerians have registered for voluntary evacuation flights from South Africa amid rising tensions linked to anti-foreigner protests in the country.

The minister added that another wave of demonstrations is expected between May 4 and 8, 2026, prompting further security and diplomatic coordination between both countries.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a situation report via her X handle , said that the evacuation arrangement is part of broader diplomatic and security measures being coordinated with Nigerian missions in South Africa.

She emphasised that the

The minister explained that the evacuation plan follows directives from President Bola Tinubu, who ordered heightened monitoring of the situation and stronger protection for Nigerians abroad.