The recap of top 10 key latest happenings that you might have missed this Thursday evening, 19th February 2026
Senate mourns as Rivers senator Mpigi dies at 64
The Senate was thrown into mourning on Thursday following the death of the lawmaker representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Barinada Mpigi.
A National Assembly source disclosed that Mpigi died on Thursday at the age of 64 after a brief illness.
Until his death, Mpigi represented Rivers South-East in the 10th National Assembly and chaired the influential Committee on Works, which oversees federal road infrastructure and related projects across the country.
Mpigi began his legislative career in the House of Representatives, where he was first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2016.
Rivers assembly halts impeachment proceedings against Fubara
The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu earlier in the month.
The decision to halt the process was taken on Thursday during plenary at the Assembly’s resumed sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
According to THE PUNCH Online, the first sitting in 2026, the House commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy over alleged gross misconduct.
During the plenary presided over by the Speaker, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read a notice detailing the allegations of gross misconduct against the governor.
The allegations against the governor and his deputy listed by the House include the demolition of the Assembly complex, extra-budgetary spending, withholding of funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, alleged refusal to comply with a Supreme Court ruling on the financial autonomy of the legislature, and other acts deemed to constitute gross misconduct.
FG plans to triple yam output by 2027
The Federal Government has announced plans to increase Nigeria’s average yam yield from 10 metric tonnes per hectare to 30 metric tonnes per hectare by 2027 in a bid to close a national supply gap of over 50 million metric tonnes.
Speaking at the National Yam Advocacy Summit in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The summit was organised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Delivering his keynote address, Abdullahi said the ministry’s “Ramping Up Programme” is built on three key pillars: expanding the total land under yam cultivation, tripling yield per hectare from 10MT to 30MT, and reducing post-harvest losses from 40 per cent to 25 per cent by 2027.
Always stand on the side of truth, Fubara urges leaders
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged the Nigerian judiciary and political class to place legacy and justice above personal interests.
He said the true measure of leaders lies in how their service ends.Fubara spoke on Wednesday night at a state banquet held at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The banquet was in honour of Justice Obietonbara Owupele Daniel-Kalio, who recently retired from the Court of Appeal, Asaba Division.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, and sent to newsmen.
Addressing a gathering of jurists, government officials, traditional rulers, and other dignitaries, the governor stressed the need for high standards in public service, noting that despite challenges, excellence can be restored through collective resolve.
“It is about us coming together, believing in setting a standard and not allowing our personal interests to override those standards.
That is the only way we can restore the good old days,” he said.
Nigerian jailed eight years in US for $1.3m tax refund fraud
A United States federal court has sentenced Matthew Akande, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, to eight years in prison for stealing taxpayers’ personal information and using it to claim fraudulent tax refunds worth more than $1.3 million.
US District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston handed down the sentence, ordering Akande to serve eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The court also directed him to pay $1,393,230 in restitution, according to a statement released by the US government.
Rivers Senator Barinada Mpigi dies at 64
Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District, has died at the age of 64.Mpigi, who served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, reportedly passed away on Thursday after a brief illness.
The exact cause and place of death had not been officially disclosed as of press time, though family sources confirmed that relatives are mourning his loss.
A source alleged that the senator had been flown abroad for brain surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, but this claim had not been independently verified.
Until his death, Mpigi was regarded as a strong ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Rivers assembly halts impeachment proceedings against Fubara, deputy
The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended the impeachment proceedings initiated against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu after the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
The resolution to halt the process was adopted on Thursday during the Assembly’s resumed plenary in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The House had, at its first sitting of 2026, begun impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct, including the demolition of the State Assembly complex and alleged spending without legislative approval, among other claims.
Gov Sani pledges no demolition without compensation
Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State has pledged that his administration would not demolish any structure or dispossess any citizen of property without fair and adequate compensation.
Sani gave the assurance on Wednesday at Rigasa during the flag-off of distribution of cheques to 189 affected households along the Rigasa township roads.
He said the government would not hide under the guise of “overriding public interest’’ to displace property owners for the execution of projects.
According to him, the groundbreaking ceremony for Makera Road, Lokoja Road, Ado Gwaram Road and Asmau Makarfi Spur was performed on Sept. 12, 2025.
The governor said the projects had recorded steady progress, with drainage systems and hydraulic structures constructed, while earthworks had advanced significantly along key sections.
Mob lynches accident victim after rifles, ammunition found in Niger
An accident victim was lynched to death by an angry mob in Niger State after rifles and ammunition were discovered at the scene, police have confirmed.
The incident occurred on February 17, 2026, around 9:50 pm near the Boyi-Sarki/Toll Gate area.
The victims, riding a motorcycle from Tafa in Kaduna State toward Abuja, reportedly ran into a road construction/diversion barrier.
One rider died instantly, while the other, initially alive, was killed by the mob.
State Police Spokesperson, Superintendent Wasiu Abiodun, said police patrols responded to a distress call and discovered a sack belonging to the accident victims containing three AK-47 rifles, six magazines, and 104 rounds of ammunition.
APC hails Enugu’s peaceful, transparent Ward Congresses
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the Enugu State chapter of the party for the successful congresses in the 260 political wards of the state, describing the exercise as peaceful, free, fair, and credible.
The commendation was given by the Chairman of the APC Ward and Local Government Congresses Committee in Enugu State, Hon. Solomon Funkekeme, in the state capital on Thursday.
The party, which commended party chieftains and faithful for their peaceful and honourable conduct during the exercise, noted with satisfaction that the party had become one big family a few months after the emergence of Governor Peter Mbah as the leader of the party in the state since October 2025.
