The recap of top 10 key happenings that you might have missed this Saturday evening, 31st January, 2026
Ebonyi gov sacks commissioner, traditional rulers over killings
The Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has ordered the removal of traditional rulers in the Amasiri clan of Afikpo Local Government Area and directed the withdrawal of their staff of office.
He also sacked the Commissioner for Tertiary Education from the area, Prof. Amari Omaka, and dissolved the entire political and traditional leadership structure of the community.
The actions followed a violent attack on Okporojo in Oso Edda community, Edda Local Government Area, during which four persons were allegedly beheaded, with their heads taken away by assailants from the Amasiri clan.
The governor gave the directives on Saturday during an on-the-spot assessment visit to Okporojo, where he addressed residents, community leaders, security agencies and government officials.
Nwifuru described the attack as “most unfortunate” and said such a barbaric act should never be tolerated in Ebonyi State.
He assured that the state government would decisively deal with the perpetrators, stressing that the lives lost would not be in vain.
Every individual must file tax returns by March 31 – Oyedele
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has urged Nigerians to file their annual tax returns.
He stressed that both employers and individuals must comply under the law.
He made this known during a webinar organised for HR managers, payroll officers, CFOs and tax managers in collaboration with the Joint Revenue Board.
In the webinar which was posted on YouTube on Friday, Oyedele said many Nigerians remain non-compliant in filing self-assessment returns.
In terms of filing returns, you need to file annual returns as employers for your employees.
Many of you must have done that already.
If you haven’t, you have just a couple of days left to file those returns, including projections of how much you will pay your staff,” he said.
He added that individual taxpayers must also file their self-assessment, noting that compliance in this area remains very low.
“This is one area where we have been non-compliant in Nigeria.
In many states, more than 90%—even the most sophisticated states—cannot boast of 5% filing returns,” Oyedele said.
Funding lapse: US Mission in Nigeria suspends social media updates, assures visa services
The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced a temporary suspension of regular updates on its official X account due to a lapse in US government appropriations, while assuring the public that passport and visa services will continue as the situation permits.
The Mission disclosed this in a post on its verified X handle on Saturday.
According to the statement, the account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, “with the exception of urgent safety and security information.”
The Mission clarified that scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at US embassies and consulates overseas would continue, depending on how the situation unfolds.
“At this time, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at US Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits,” the statement read.
NDDC unveils 9.4km Road, 1,500-seater hall in Rivers
The Niger Delta Development Commission has commissioned the 9.4-kilometre Ogu Community Road Network and a 1,500-seater Royal Hall in Ogu, Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Speaking at the inauguration of the two projects, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, said they were further demonstrations of the Federal Government’s determination to develop the Niger Delta region.
This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, and sent to newsmen.
Wike stated,
“I am overwhelmed by the current level of development in Ogu, facilitated by the NDDC.
I have seen the network of concrete roads with drainages, and I am impressed.
“The NDDC has impacted positively on the lives of the people of Ogu, and this is largely because of the working understanding between the NDDC Managing Director and the Executive Director, Finance and Administration.”
C’River gov receives honorary doctorate from MAU
Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) by Modibbo Adama University, Yola, in recognition of his contributions to governance, public service and humanitarian development.
In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Saturday, the university said the honour was presented during its combined 29th and 30th convocation ceremonies, following the collective approval of the University Senate and Governing Council.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Umar, described the award as “a unanimous academic salute to a life of service defined by integrity, inclusion and measurable societal impact.”
“This honour is reserved for leaders whose influence transcends office and geography, touching lives and strengthening institutions,” he said.
PDP BoT, 30 state chairmen close ranks around Turaki, dismiss Ibadan court ruling
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, moved swiftly on Saturday to calm nerves and reassert control, as the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, and the Forum of PDP State Chairmen declared that the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, NWC, remains firmly in charge despite a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Both party organs said the ruling, which touches on the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, does not unsettle the existing leadership.
They stressed that the core issues are already before the Court of Appeal and that the party has taken steps to prevent any disruption.
The positions were contained in separate statements made available to journalists in Abuja.
LAWMA arrest cart pushers over illegal refuse dump in Lagos
The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has arrested some cart pushers allegedly, involved in illegal waste disposal following the discovery of an unauthorised dumpsite along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, Ojo.
Recall that there has been public outcry in recent time over heaps of waste across major highways in the state, thereby posing great health hazards to the people.
The illegal dumpsite was uncovered during a routine monitoring exercise by LAWMA’s Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement Team (Ijora–Seme Division), led by Mr. Oladeji Adebayo,.
This discovery resulted in the apprehension of several carts found disposing waste unlawfully at the location.
LAWMA, Managing Director, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, stated that the activities of unregulated waste handlers contributed significantly to environmental degradation and undermined the structured waste collection system operated through approved Private Sector Participation, PSP, operators.
Defection: Governors remain leaders of APC in states, says Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has declared that governors under the All Progressives Congress (APC) remain leaders of the party in their respective states.
Tinubu made the declaration on Saturday at the official reception of Gov. Agbu Kefas into the APC held in Jalingo.
Represented by Sen. Kashim Shettima, Vice President, Tinubu announced that Gov. Kefas has assumed the leadership of the party in Taraba by virtue of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC.
He expressed his determination to support the governor and his cabinet in bringing development to Taraba.
He noted that the governor was making efforts to unite the state and harmonise the diversities in the state to attain unity.
The president urged the people of the state to rally behind the governor and support him to succeed.
Taraba Gov’s move to APC personal, touching — Shettima
Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that the movement of Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, into the All Progressives Congress (APC) is “personal and touching” to him.
Speaking on Saturday in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, at a grand reception to usher the governor into the APC, the Vice President noted that it is a point of pride that the North East Zone now boasts more APC governors.
He also expressed optimism that, when the time is right, the governors of Adamawa and Bauchi would reconsider their stances and join the ruling party.
During the event, Shettima officially announced that Governor Kefas is now the leader of the APC in the state.
Senate stalling electoral bill to undermine 2027 polls, ADC alleges
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the APC-dominated Senate of deliberately slowing down the passage of the Electoral Bill 2025, warning that the delay could weaken key safeguards and cast a long shadow over the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
The accusation was contained in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in which the ADC said the National Assembly’s failure to urgently pass the bill for presidential assent has raised suspicions of calculated stalling aimed at frustrating critical electoral reforms.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the continued prevarication by the National Assembly over the 2025 Electoral Bill, saying failure to promptly pass the bill for urgent presidential assent raises suspicions that the legislature, dominated by the APC ruling party.
It is deliberately applying delay tactics to frustrate key amendments, especially those intended to make future elections more difficult to rig.
