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NHRC Promotes Legislation Banning Cultism in Schools

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NHRC Promotes Legislation Banning Cultism in Schools

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for a strict legislation to ban cultism in the country’s institutions of learning.

The Commission apparently worried by spate of increased cultism in the nation’s tertiary institutions, said the legislation should be done is such a way that it will not affect the rights of student population in forming societies and organisations that promote human rights as well as intellectual curiosity and diversity.

The Commission’s position was expressed in Friday in Abuja by Mr. Hillary Ogbona,
the Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, while presenting the monthly human rights dashboard on human rights for the month of April.

He said the issue in focus in the month of April was cultism, saying that, over 20 cultism related deaths were recorded in three states of the Federation.

He noted that cultism, especially in higher institutions of learning has remained a long-standing menace in the country, pointing out that the secret society movements rooted in violence, intimidation, criminal behavior and other bizarre and illegal activities, not only pose grave threat to peace and security, but also pose a significant challenge to the enjoyment of fundamental human rights by affected communities.

He promised that the NHRC remains committed to addressing the issue with a firm commitment to protecting and promoting human rights.

He explained that: “The right to life and security which should be protected by the state faces significant threats in a society plagued by cultism. Cult-related violence leads to loss of innocent lives, shattered families and devastated communities as cultists operate with impunity.”

The dashboard showed that a total of 2011 killings was recorded in the month April, out of which, 82 are attributed to bandits alone, while 99 cases of kidnapping were recorded with North -West region leading with 74 in April and added that, 13 security and law enforcement agents were also killed in the month of April.

Ogbona called on government at all levels to rise up to their responsibility in protecting the lives and properties of the citizens of the country, saying that, “The cycle of violence perpetuated by cultism erodes trust and undermines the right to a secure and peaceful society.

“We also call on all security agencies to step up protection of human life in line with the provision of Section 4(2)(b) of the Constitution”, he said and that, relevant authorities should ensure that schools and streets are safe for the people.

Speaking earlier, the NHRC boss expressed the Commission’s commitment to making accessible, information on human rights and will continue to cooperate with government at all levels, civil society, media, international development partners towards the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria.

He said the dashboard will assist the government in keeping track of its obligations to national, regional and international human rights instruments and mechanisms.

He said: “We have been rendering this report to the National Assembly and the government of Nigeria on an annual basis and this document has been a reference no material accessible to all interested persons, authorities to gain insight on the status of human rights in Nigeria “.

NHRC Promotes Legislation Banning Cultism in Schools

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Troops Arrest Three Suspected Terrorist Collaborators in Taraba State Raid

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Troops Arrest Three Suspected Terrorist Collaborators in Taraba State Raid

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have arrested three suspected terrorist collaborators during a coordinated raid on identified enclaves in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Security sources said that the operation was carried out at about 0610 hours on May 10, 2026, by troops of Sector 3 OPWS deployed at Jimilari.

The sources said the troops conducted simultaneous raids on suspected terrorist hideouts at Binari, Chibi and Andamin communities following credible intelligence on the activities of criminal networks in the area.

According to the sources, three suspects believed to be providing support to terrorist elements were arrested during the operation.

Military authorities said the suspects are currently in custody and undergoing preliminary interrogation to determine the extent of their involvement and possible links to wider criminal networks.

They added that troops will sustain clearance operations and intelligence-led raids across vulnerable communities in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area to dismantle support structures for criminal elements and restore security in the area.

Troops Arrest Three Suspected Terrorist Collaborators in Taraba State Raid

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Execution Discipline Will Define Tegbe’s Agenda for Nigeria’s Power Sector-

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Execution Discipline Will Define Tegbe’s Agenda for Nigeria’s Power Sector-

By: Adeola Labzy

When the Minister-Designate for Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, told the Nigerian Senate that there was “no quick fix” to Nigeria’s electricity crisis, the statement stood out for departing from the familiar rhetoric that has long shaped public conversations about the sector. In a country where ambitious declarations on power reform have often generated headlines faster than measurable outcomes, Tegbe’s remarks offered an early signal of a different leadership posture, one anchored less on spectacle and more on execution.

This matters because Nigeria’s power sector has spent decades trapped in cycles of overpromising and institutional under-delivery. Successive reform efforts have come with bold projections, aggressive timelines, and repeated assurances. Yet the sector continues to struggle with liquidity constraints, weak market confidence, transmission vulnerabilities, collection inefficiencies, infrastructure deficits, and operational instability. Over time, the deeper casualty has not only been electricity supply, but institutional credibility.

Against that background, Tegbe’s emphasis on transparency, execution discipline, and operational realism should be read as a useful starting point, not a completed achievement. Nigeria’s electricity market does not suffer from a shortage of reform language. The problems are already well known to policymakers, operators, investors, regulators, and consumers. What has consistently undermined progress is fragmented implementation, weak accountability, poor coordination across the value chain, and the absence of sustained commercial discipline.

In that sense, Tegbe’s early posture appears calibrated toward restoring confidence in the system’s ability to execute before pursuing grand transformation narratives. This is particularly important in a sector where investor confidence, market liquidity, and operational stability are deeply interconnected. Markets respond not merely to ambition, but to predictability, governance credibility, and measurable execution. Each part of the value chain affects the other. Generation without evacuation capacity creates waste. Tariff reform without metering creates distrust. Investment without payment discipline weakens confidence. Policy statements without visible milestones deepen cynicism.

Financial sustainability will be one of the defining pillars of any credible reform effort. For years, the electricity market has operated within a fragile commercial structure marked by accumulated debts, subsidy pressures, payment shortfalls, collection gaps, and uncertainty over cost recovery. The long-term viability of the sector depends not only on expanding infrastructure, but on restoring commercial discipline and rebuilding confidence in the market itself.

This is where transparency becomes strategically important. Transparent reforms reduce uncertainty, strengthen accountability, and give investors, operators, consumers, and policymakers a clearer basis for judging progress. In practical terms, transparency is not merely a governance principle; it is an economic stabilisation tool. It can help rebuild trust in tariff decisions, improve confidence in sector data, and create a more disciplined environment for investment and performance monitoring.

Equally important is execution discipline. Infrastructure projects rarely fail only because funding is unavailable. Many fail because coordination weakens, procurement becomes opaque, implementation drifts, and accountability is diluted. In the power sector, credibility will not be rebuilt by rhetoric alone. It will require visible, measurable, and sustained improvements in the operating system of reform.

Nigeria’s power sector does not require another cycle of exaggerated optimism followed by institutional disappointment. It requires leadership capable of confronting difficult realities honestly while building a credible pathway toward operational stability, financial sustainability, and long-term reform credibility.

That is why Tegbe’s insistence on transparent reforms and execution discipline is important. Its significance will not lie in the statement itself, but in whether it becomes a governing method. In a sector where credibility has become almost as scarce as stable electricity, restoring confidence in governance may be the first and most important reform of all.

Adeola Labzy writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

Execution Discipline Will Define Tegbe’s Agenda for Nigeria’s Power Sector-

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CDHR Condemns Escalating U.S. Sanctions on Cuba, Warns of Humanitarian Crisis

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CDHR Condemns Escalating U.S. Sanctions on Cuba, Warns of Humanitarian Crisis

By: Michael Mike

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the latest sanctions imposed on Cuba by the administration of Donald Trump, warning that the measures could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe and undermine Cuba’s sovereignty.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Nigerian-based human rights organisation expressed solidarity with the government and people of Cuba amid what it described as a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis caused by renewed sanctions and executive actions from the United States.

The group particularly criticised Executive Order 14380 of January 29, 2026, as well as follow-up sanctions announced on May 1, 2026, targeting Cuba’s energy, financial, defence, mining and commercial sectors.

According to CDHR, the sanctions amount to a dangerous escalation of economic aggression capable of inflicting severe hardship on ordinary Cubans.

The organisation stated that provisions contained in Section 2 of the executive order, which impose restrictions on individuals, institutions and foreign entities engaging with Cuba, threaten the right to life and wellbeing of millions of citizens by limiting access to fuel, trade, financial cooperation and humanitarian support.

“The continued tightening of these sanctions constitutes a huge threat to humanity, particularly to the Cuban people’s internationally recognised rights to life, healthcare, food security, development and self-determination,” the statement read.

CDHR said the sanctions had already disrupted fuel supplies to the island nation, resulting in prolonged blackouts, transportation paralysis, shortages of food and clean water, and disruptions within the healthcare system.

The organisation cited reports of suspended surgeries, interruptions in chemotherapy and dialysis treatments, and worsening shortages of medical supplies as evidence of an avoidable humanitarian disaster.

The rights group further argued that economic coercion which undermines access to healthcare, electricity and basic necessities contradicts the principles of international law, human rights and the sovereign equality of nations as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

It also expressed concern over what it described as inflammatory rhetoric aimed at destabilising Cuba, warning that such actions threaten global principles of non-interference and self-determination.

Recalling Cuba’s historical support for liberation struggles in Africa, including assistance to anti-colonial movements in Algeria, Angola, Namibia, Guinea-Bissau and South Africa, CDHR noted that the country had consistently demonstrated international solidarity despite decades of sanctions.

The organisation also highlighted Cuba’s deployment of medical professionals during the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic across parts of Africa and the Global South.

CDHR lamented what it described as the silence of much of the international community while Cubans continue to endure economic hardship.

The group called on governments, regional organisations, civil society bodies, labour unions and humanitarian institutions worldwide to speak against what it termed the “economic strangulation” of Cuba and defend the country’s sovereignty.

It also urged the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies to take urgent steps toward addressing the humanitarian situation in Cuba and opposing policies that endanger civilian lives.

The statement was signed by CDHR National President, Yinka Folarin, and National Secretary, Idris Afees.

CDHR Condemns Escalating U.S. Sanctions on Cuba, Warns of Humanitarian Crisis

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