News December 15, 2025 NIPR Admits 448 New Members at 4th Quarter 2025 Induction

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has inducted 448 new members into the Institute at its 4th Quarter induction ceremony held today, Friday, 12th December, 2025, in Abuja, bringing the total number of new members inducted this year to 1,516.

Speaking during the induction ceremony, NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku charged the new inductees with the responsibility of nation building through responsible communication, saying that "Public Relations professionals must now rise beyond routine communications to nation-supporting communication, that builds confidence, explains reforms, manages expectations, reduces tension, and rallies citizens behind shared national purpose."

Dr. Neliaku in a solemn call, remarked: "Dear inductees, from today, you are no longer just communication professionals. You are now national stewards of trust."

Also speaking at the event, Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Ali M. Ali stressed that effective public relations is at the heart of the success of governments and organizations, as it helps in building bridges of trust and transparency.

He admonished the new inductees to be builders of reputation and ethical shapers of narratives, while stressing the need to uphold highest professional standards rooted in integrity, truth and creativity.

The NIPR holds induction every quarter of the year to admit new professionals to be licensed as chattered practitioners, as part of its constitutional responsibilities in regulating the practice of public relations in Nigeria.

Stanley Ogadigo

Director, Public Relations

12-12-2025

News December 14, 2025 Rejoinder: INEC's Position Exposes Internal Documentation Gaps, Not Accord Party's Failure

The attention of the leadership of the Accord Party (Prof. Chris Imumolen–led faction) has been drawn to the recent publication by The Punch titled “INEC disowns factional Accord Party gov primary in Osun.”

While we respect the role of the media and the statutory responsibilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it is important to set the records straight and clarify critical facts deliberately or inadvertently omitted.

First, the claims attributed to INEC clearly expose internal inefficiencies and weak document control mechanisms within the Commission, rather than any failure on the part of Accord Party. The Party duly complied with the law by submitting the required notification of its governorship primary to the INEC Headquarters, in line with the Electoral Act. Evidence of submission exists, including a received and acknowledged copy, which remains on record.

If such communication was not internally relayed or properly processed within INEC, that administrative lapse cannot, in law or logic, be blamed on the Party. The minimum requirement under the law is notification and acknowledgment—not internal circulation within INEC, which remains the Commission’s sole responsibility.

Secondly, it is deeply concerning that the same INEC that now questions internal party processes has consistently failed to comply with a valid and subsisting court order. In October 2024, the FCT High Court unequivocally recognized Prof. Chris Imumolen as the National Chairman of Accord Party. To date, INEC has refused or neglected to fully give effect to this judicial pronouncement.

This selective compliance raises serious questions about institutional bias and the activities of certain elements within INEC who have repeatedly positioned themselves against the democratic interests of ordinary Nigerians and political parties operating within the law.

Furthermore, the leadership dispute within Accord Party is already before a competent court, with the matter scheduled for hearing on 8th January, where the issue of rightful leadership will be conclusively determined—despite the existence of a prior court order already recognizing the Prof. Chris Imumolen–led leadership.

It is therefore premature, misleading, and legally unsustainable for INEC to take public positions that prejudge a matter already before the courts, especially while remaining in contempt of an existing judgment.

The Accord Party reiterates its commitment to:

* Due process

* Rule of law

* Internal democracy

* Peaceful and lawful political engagement

We call on INEC to urgently strengthen its internal documentation, communication, and compliance systems, uphold court orders, and desist from actions that undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Nigeria’s democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of administrative inefficiency or institutional bias.

Signed:

Accord 

National Secretariat

News December 14, 2025 Ebonyi gov approves N150,000 Christmas bonus for civil servants

 

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has approved a N150,000 Christmas bonus for all civil servants in the state ahead of the 2025 festive season.

The approval was announced on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel, Abakaliki. The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Monday Uzor.

“Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has announced a hundred and fifty thousand naira Christmas bonus to every civil servant in the state,” the statement read.

According to Uzor, the governor said the gesture underscores his administration’s resolve to prioritise workers’ welfare despite the decline in the state’s revenue in the last year.

While speaking at the service, Nwifuru also addressed concerns surrounding the Vincent Agwu Nwankwo Flyover project, dismissing claims that construction work had stalled.

“You cannot find any state in Nigeria that is doing such a flyover currently,” the governor said.

He noted that although the project is technically demanding, it would significantly alter the state’s outlook and improve its visual appeal upon completion. Nwifuru criticised what he described as misleading narratives by some social media commentators regarding the flyover.

“We are doing it not because we have money. We are doing it because we want to sign our signature in the annals of history,” he said, adding that the state is determined to gain global recognition for effective governance and contemporary infrastructure.

The governor had earlier, in August, approved a ₦20,000 increase in the state’s minimum wage, raising the salary of civil servants to ₦90,000.

The state government said the adjustment took immediate effect and aligns with Nwifuru’s ‘People’s Charter of Needs Agenda.’

At the national level, President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law in July 2024 after its passage by the National Assembly.

The new legislation increased the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, following prolonged negotiations involving labour unions, the private sector and government stakeholders.

Despite the law, several states are yet to commence implementation of the revised wage structure.

International News December 14, 2025 Benin : Ex-president’s son detained after failed coup attempt

 

Chabi Yayi, son of former Beninese president and current opposition leader, Thomas Boni Yayi, was arrested at his residence early on Sunday, according to family members.

Relatives said no explanation was provided for the arrest, which occurred about a week after an attempted coup was foiled in Benin.

“At this time, we don’t know what he is accused of,” one relative told AFP.

Another close associate, a member of the Democrats party — the country’s main opposition party led by Yayi — said, “We don’t know if it is linked to the events of last Sunday.”

Thomas Boni Yayi had earlier condemned the failed coup in a video address delivered two days after the incident.

Authorities have made several arrests following the December 7 putsch attempt. Among those detained is a former minister of defence and prominent opposition figure, Candide Azannai.

Azannai was placed in police custody for “conspiracy against the authority of the State and incitement to rebellion”.

Beninese authorities have also issued an international arrest warrant for pan-Africanist and anti-Western activist Kemi Seba, who released a defiant video message on Sunday.

In a seven-minute-long statement, Seba said he had taken precautions since the issuing of the warrant against him, though he did not say in which country he was.

“You can never stop us,” he added. “We will go to the end of our fight.”

The warrant, issued on Friday, accuses Seba of “inciting rebellion” over his public backing of the coup attempt, which he described as the country’s “day of liberation”.

Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, 44, leads the NGO Pan-Africanist Emergency and is known for his outspoken criticism of France and African governments aligned with Paris.

He has 1.5 million followers on social media. Born Franco-Beninese, Seba lost his French citizenship in 2024. He supports the military regimes that seized power through coups in the Sahel region — governments hostile to Paris and aligned with Russia.

He now travels using a passport issued by Niger’s military government, a country that shares a border with Benin.

Meanwhile, several individuals involved in the failed coup, including its leader, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, remain at large.
(AFP)

Crime News December 14, 2025 JUST IN : Bandits attack another church in Kogi, kill one, abduct worshippers

 

Armed bandits attacked the First ECWA Church in Ayetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, in the early hours of Sunday, December 14, 2025, resulting in the death of one person and the abduction of several worshippers.

The victim, identified simply as Jayjay, was reportedly killed during the attack. As of the time this report was filed, the number of worshippers taken away by the attackers had not been confirmed, with security agencies and local authorities still working to determine the scale of the incident.

The assault is the second reported attack on a church in Okun land within a few weeks, raising fresh concerns among residents and worshippers about growing insecurity in the area.

On November 30, 2025, armed men reportedly invaded a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area, during a service. During that incident, the attackers abducted the cleric identified as Orlando alongside several worshippers.

The assailants were said to have initially demanded a ransom of ₦500 million, later reducing the amount to ₦200 million. The victims’ families were given a two-day ultimatum, with the attackers warning of unspecified “consequences” should the demand not be met.

Residents also recalled that Ayetoro Kiri was attacked about three weeks earlier when armed assailants targeted a local school. On that occasion, members of the community’s vigilante group reportedly repelled the attackers, preventing both abductions and casualties.

The latest church attack has renewed fears over the worsening security situation in Okun land, as residents call on security agencies and the Kogi State Government to urgently step in to protect lives and prevent further attacks.

(SAHARA REPORTERS)

News December 14, 2025 Young lady, 8-month-old baby die in Lagos ghastly accident

 

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed a deadly road traffic accident that occurred early Sunday along Ikorodu Road, Lagos.

The crash happened opposite Olabode House, after Anthony and before Obanikoro, claiming the lives of an adult female and an eight-month-old baby, while several others were injured.

In a statement, LASTMA said preliminary investigations showed that a red long Tata commercial bus travelling at high speed from Palmgroove inward Anthony suddenly lost control and rammed into another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.

” In a catastrophic sequence of events, the bus veered off its lane, violently breached the median barrier and careened into the opposing carriageway, where it forcefully collided with a moving Volkswagen commercial bus conveying passengers from Anthony toward Palmgroove.

“The sheer violence of the impact resulted in the instantaneous death of an adult female passenger aboard the Volkswagen bus, while an eight-month-old female infant tragically succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision.

” The untimely and heartrending loss of such tender and innocent lives has plunged the entire corridor and indeed the wider community into profound mourning,” the statement said.

LASTMA added that its operatives, with the support of members of the public, immediately launched a coordinated rescue and recovery operation.

“A total of ten (10) victims, including the drivers of both vehicles were successfully extricated from the mangled wreckage, all sustaining varying degrees of serious injuries. Six (6) trapped passengers were rescued from the Volkswagen commercial bus, while four (4) others were evacuated from the red Tata bus.

“To avert secondary collisions and safeguard other road users, LASTMA personnel swiftly secured and cordoned off the entire accident scene and efficiently evacuated the wrecked vehicles from the expressway thereby restoring seamless vehicular flow along the main carriageway of Ikorodu Road.

“The Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) promptly transported the injured victims to nearby medical facilities for immediate and comprehensive medical attention, while officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) respectfully recovered and evacuated the remains of the deceased infant and adult female. Security operatives from the Ilupeju Police Division provided indispensable security coverage throughout the duration of the rescue and recovery exercise.

“The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, with particular empathy extended to the distraught mother of the deceased infant, who also sustained severe injuries and is presently undergoing medical treatment,” the statement said.

News December 14, 2025 Tinubu approves Brigadier-General rank for ADC months after promotion to Colonel

 

President Bola Tinubu has approved the promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general, a move that has reportedly triggered disquiet and quiet complaints within the Nigerian Army.

The approval was communicated in a letter dated 12 December 2025 and addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Wahid Shaibu.

The letter was signed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, conveying the President’s decision to elevate Mr Yusuf.

Concerns have emerged in military circles because Mr Yusuf was only decorated as a colonel in January 2025, meaning the latest elevation marks his second promotion within a 12-month period.

According to a report by Premium Times, some officers, including reportedly a number of his coursemates, have expressed dissatisfaction over what they view as an unusually accelerated rise, with critics alleging that the process reflects presidential favouritism.

Neither the Presidency nor the Nigerian Army has issued an official public statement explaining the circumstances surrounding Yusuf’s rapid advancement.

However, a Presidency source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter, said the President approved the promotion to ensure parity between Mr Yusuf and other senior security officials attached to the Presidential Villa.

The source cited similar developments in other security agencies, noting that in August, the Nigeria Police Force promoted the President’s Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, from deputy commissioner of police to commissioner of police.

Likewise, the State Security Services (SSS) recently elevated the President’s Chief Security Officer, Adegboyega Fasasi, to the rank of director.

According to the source, the police and SSS ranks are regarded as equivalent to that of a brigadier-general in the Nigerian Army.

He added that without a corresponding promotion, Mr Yusuf would have remained junior in rank to his counterparts within the Villa’s security structure, a situation he said could weaken esprit de corps among members of the presidential security team.

Yusuf was appointed ADC to Mr Tinubu on 1 May 2023, approximately four weeks before the President’s inauguration. At the time of his appointment, he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

(PREMIUM TIMES)