EFCC Boss Orders Withdrawal of Charges Against Maryam Shehu, Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has compassionately ordered the withdrawal of charges preferred against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad, who were, on Thursday August 20, 2026 arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the Commission.
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While the Commission considered the arraignment of the two defendants for cyber stalking to be contrary to Section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the same Act, the Executive Chairman, nonetheless, considered the passionate pleas and apologies of Shehu’s father and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians for leniency.

To this end, he has directed that charges filed against the two young Nigerians be dropped and warned that the EFCC would no longer tolerate any wilful attack on its image in any form, medium or platform.

Ola Olukoyede

The EFCC’s boss assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to function in line with its assigned mandate and in the best interests of the nation.
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FG’s TETFund Investment in Tertiary Institutions will Unlock Economic Potential in North Central, Says Information Minister

The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the Federal Government’s investment in tertiary education through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) will help unlock the North Central region’s vast agricultural, mineral, energy and economic potential.
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Idris stated this on Thursday in Lokoja, Kogi State, at the 2026 TETFund North Central Zonal Town Hall Meeting.

The Minister said the region’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education must be closely connected to its development needs and produce graduates with skills relevant to agriculture, mining, manufacturing, technology and other sectors.

“Our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education must therefore be closely connected to these opportunities, producing the scientists, engineers, agricultural experts, technicians and entrepreneurs required to unlock the vast potential of the North Central,” he said.

He said the Federal Government’s commitment was reflected in the 2026 TETFund intervention, with approximately ₦2.53 billion allocated to each public university, ₦1.87 billion to each polytechnic and ₦2.06 billion to each college of education.

“These are not simply budgetary figures. They represent laboratories that can be equipped, lecture halls that can be built, libraries that can be modernised, research that can be supported and students who can learn in better environments,” Idris said.

The Minister stressed the need for stronger links between tertiary institutions and industry, saying institutions must focus not only on producing graduates but also on research, innovation and job creation.

He also highlighted the role of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), technical and vocational education, digital skills and entrepreneurship programmes in expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.

“Education is therefore not only an economic investment; it is an investment in national security and social stability,” he said.

He urged TETFund to maintain transparency, monitoring and accountability in the use of intervention funds and called on stakeholders to ensure that recommendations from the town hall lead to measurable action.

The Executive Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, said tertiary institutions must move beyond producing graduates to becoming centres for research and practical solutions to the country’s challenges. “We need research that solves problems in agriculture, mining, healthcare, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and security. Our research must move beyond theory to solutions that improve the lives of our people,” the Governor said.

He added that tertiary institutions should help turn the region’s natural resources and human capital into food security, industrial growth, employment and sustainable development.

Information Minister

In attendance was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) ably represented by Prof Babatunde Bernard; the former Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Captain Idris Wada; the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, among other dignitaries.

Rabiu Ibrahim, mnipr
Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation

Thursday, 20 August, 2026
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FCT Minister Wike Promises to Complete 10 Abuja Projects Before 2027 Elections

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has assured all that at least 10 major road and infrastructure projects in Abuja will be completed and ready for inauguration before the 2027 general elections.
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Wike gave the assurance on Wednesday while inspecting the ongoing Tungan Madaki-Zuba Road and Nile University-RR3 Road projects in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to a statement issued by the minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister said the inspection was aimed at assessing the progress of projects inaugurated during the FCT Administration’s third anniversary and determining whether the contractors would meet their delivery commitments ahead of the 2027 elections.

At the Tungan Madaki-Zuba Road project, Wike disclosed that five of the six box culverts had been completed, describing the pace of work as commendable.

He said the contractor, China Geo-Engineering Corporation, had assured the administration that the project would be completed and handed over by December.

“They have the capacity. I mean, they are not a new company. They have the capacity, they have the equipment. What’s important is if you have the equipment, and they have the equipment as part of capacity. So, they’ve been tested before now, so I have so much confidence in them,” Wike said.

The minister commended the contractor for its commitment to the project, noting that the company had demonstrated the capacity and willingness to contribute to the development of the FCT.

He, however, disclosed that the projects were capital-intensive and that some contractors had not received up to 30 per cent mobilisation despite continuing with the work.

The minister said the administration was working towards having 10 major projects completed and ready for commissioning before the 2027 elections.

“We are also visiting some other two projects tomorrow, believing that by the end of the year, we would have had up to 10 projects, as promised, lined up for commissioning before the general election,” he said.

The statement also reiterated that the FCT Administration had intensified efforts to tackle flooding through the removal of structures obstructing waterways across Abuja.

It stated that the FCT minister said the demolition exercise, which commenced in Maitama on Tuesday, would be extended to other parts of the capital where waterways had been blocked by structures.

“We’ve just started somewhere. After that, we will move to another area. We are not going to end just with what we started yesterday,” Wike said.

Wike

The minister further disclosed that the Director of Development Control was being queried over approvals allegedly granted to car dealers to operate on designated green areas.

He directed the immediate removal of car dealerships operating on such spaces, stressing that green areas must be preserved for recreational and environmental purposes.
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