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NIMC promotes 523 Staff in 2025

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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has approved the promotion of 523 staff members across various cadres in its 2025 promotion exercise.

The Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by the Commission’s spokesperson, Kayode Adegoke. She said the exercise aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Commission’s commitment to rewarding merit and performance.

 

According to Coker-Odusote, the promotions form part of the statutory performance reward system for staff who sat for the promotion examinations and met all prerequisites as outlined in the Public Service Rules (PSR).

A breakdown of the exercise showed that two staff members were elevated to the Director cadre (Grade Level 17), while eight were promoted to Deputy Director (GL 16). Thirty-five officers moved to the rank of Assistant Director (GL 15), with another 35 promoted to Chief Identity Officer (GL 14).

In addition, 109 staff advanced to Assistant Chief Identity Officer (GL 13), 113 to Principal Identity Officer (GL 12), 82 to Senior Identity Officer (GL 10), and 130 to Identity Officer I (GL 9).

The NIMC boss congratulated the newly promoted staff and urged them to view the advancement as an opportunity to render better service to the nation. She reiterated the Commission’s zero-tolerance stance on extortion and warned all staff to desist from such practices.

Coker-Odusote also encouraged employees to redouble their efforts in 2026 to ensure the successful implementation of the National Identification Number (NIN) project. She reaffirmed her commitment to staff welfare and to upholding the dignity of labour within the Commission.

Tinubu told to declare full-scale war against Burkina Faso over hostage of Nigerian soldiers

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President Tinbu

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former senator representing Ekiti State, Ayodele Arise, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider a full-scale war and military invasion to secure the release of Nigerian soldiers detained in Burkina Faso.

Arise made the call on Saturday while speaking on an Arise Television program, reacting to recent comments by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who confirmed that Nigerian soldiers aboard an aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso are still in the country.

While acknowledging that the Nigerian military is currently stretched by the challenges of insurgency and banditry at home, Arise insisted that the option of military action against Burkina Faso should not be ruled out.

He cited Israel’s 1976 Entebbe Raid in Uganda as an example of decisive action taken to rescue its citizens, stressing that Nigeria must be firm in defending its national interests.

“I think we should move and do something. As a matter of fact, once they are aware that we want to do that, I am sure that the man who is president there will have a rethink because they are our neighbors,” Arise said.

“Yes, we should be friendly with our neighbors, but at the same time, we should let them know that they can’t be messing with our country.”

Nigerian Newssphere reports that Burkina Faso, alongside Mali and Niger, is under military rule and is part of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), a breakaway regional bloc formed after exiting the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EPL: Full list of players leaving for 2025 AFCON

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No fewer than 25 Premier League players will depart their clubs to participate in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, Nigerian Newssphere reports.

The continental tournament is scheduled to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. FIFA has instructed clubs to release eligible players from Monday, December 15.

Nigeria, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo top the list of countries affected, with four Premier League-based players each heading to the tournament.

Below is the full list of players confirmed to be leaving their clubs for AFCON duty:

Sunderland (5):

Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Reinildo (Mozambique), Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso), Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Noah Sadiki (DR Congo).

Manchester United (3):

Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco).

Fulham (3):

Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Calvin Bassey (Nigeria), Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria).

Burnley (3):

Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo), Lyle Foster (South Africa), Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia).

Nottingham Forest (2):

Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast), Willy Boly (Ivory Coast).

Brentford (2):

Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso), Frank Onyeka (Nigeria).

Manchester City (1):

Omar Marmoush (Egypt).

West Ham United (1):

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo).

Wolves (2):

Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe), Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast).

Brighton & Hove Albion (1):

Carlos Baleba (Cameroon).

Crystal Palace (2):

Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal), Cheick Doucouré (Mali).

Liverpool (1):

Mohamed Salah (Egypt).

EPL Table: Sutton makes predictions for Premier League fixtures

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Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has shared his predictions for the upcoming English Premier League fixtures in matchday 15 as teams contend for their place on the table.

Chelsea will host Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, while Liverpool faces Brighton. Later that night, Arsenal takes on Wolves at the Emirates Stadium, and on Sunday, Crystal Palace will meet Manchester City. The week concludes on Monday with Manchester United hosting Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

Sutton’s predictions, as featured on BBC Sport, are: Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Sunderland 2-1 Newcastle United

Liverpool 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Crystal Palace 1-1 Manchester City

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Burnley 1-1 Fulham

Arsenal 3-0 Wolves

Brentford 2-0 Leeds United

West Ham United 1-2 Aston Villa

Manchester United 1-2 Bournemouth

Insecurity: Bandits, terrorists evade tracking with special devices—Nigerian Minister, Tijani

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Dr Tijani Minister of Communications in Nigeria

The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has revealed that bandits and terrorists operating in Nigeria rely on sophisticated technology to protect their communications from security agencies.

Tijani disclosed that criminal groups use call-hopping technology, which allows their phone calls to bounce across multiple cell towers, making them difficult to track.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, the minister explained that the criminals deliberately operate from areas with little or no telecommunications coverage to further evade detection.

“There was a special kind of technology they were using to make calls. They weren’t using normal towers. They bounced calls off multiple towers. That is why they enjoy staying in areas that are not connected at all,” he said.

According to Tijani, this method ensures that their communication signals disappear once they move from one location to another, enabling them to launch attacks from unserved or poorly connected areas.

He also revealed that Nigeria is upgrading its communication satellites to serve as a backup in situations where ground-based telecom infrastructure is unavailable or disrupted.

“If our towers are not working, our satellites will work. Nigeria is the only country in West Africa with communication satellites, and we are bringing in new ones to upgrade their capabilities,” the minister added.

This comes amid a spike in insecurity in the last few months across Nigeria. Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed recently declared an emergency on security to upturn the trend. The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, said Tinubu’s government has not delivered results in tackling insecurity.

Naira records first gain against US dollar after 11-day slide

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The naira on Friday posted its first appreciation against the United States dollar following a depreciation streak that began on December 2, 2025.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the local currency strengthened to N1,454.41 per dollar at the official foreign exchange market on Friday, compared to N1,456.07 recorded on Thursday.

This represents a day-on-day gain of N1.66 at the official window. Despite the improvement, CBN figures indicate that the naira has still lost about N9 against the dollar over the past eleven days.

At the parallel market, however, the naira remained unchanged, trading at N1,490 per dollar on Friday. Bureau De Change operators in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, said the rate has been stable at that level since Monday.

The marginal appreciation comes amid a rise in Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves, which climbed to $45.44 billion as of December 11, 2025, from $44.91 billion recorded on December 2, according to data from the apex bank.

Dangote petrol price cut reflects dividends of Tinubu’s oil sector reforms in Nigeria — Sunday Dare

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President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has attributed the recent reduction in petrol prices by the Dangote Refinery to the oil sector reforms introduced by the current administration.

Dare made the assertion while praising President Tinubu for implementing reforms he said are already yielding benefits for Nigerians.

Recall that Nigerian Newssphere reports on Friday that Dangote Refinery recently slashed its gantry price of petrol to N699 per litre from N828.

Reacting to the development on X, Dare noted that the refinery had also introduced a 10-day credit facility for customers, supported by bank guarantees, with a minimum purchase requirement of 500,000 litres.

He argued that the current situation in the petroleum sector is a direct outcome of the administration’s policy decisions.

“The dividends of the oil sector reforms of the Tinubu administration are becoming evident,” Dare wrote. “The removal of fuel subsidy unleashed market forces and encouraged competition. The government’s naira-for-crude policy provided Dangote Refinery with the lifeline it needed, boosting local production and challenging NNPCL.”

He added that increased competition in the market has driven prices downward, stressing that the progress recorded so far is the result of difficult but necessary reforms.

“We are where we are today because one man took the bold decision to end the subsidy trap and implement reforms,” Dare stated.

 

Tinubu has delivered no results-NLC tells FG Nigerians want action

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed has achieved no results in tackling insecurity in Nigeria.

The Union therefore urged FG to move beyond frequent changes in the nation’s security leadership and focus on delivering tangible results in the fight against insecurity.

Speaking on Friday during an interview on Prime Time, a program on Arise Television, NLC President Joe Ajaero said Nigerians are yet to see meaningful improvements despite repeated reshuffling of service chiefs and other security officials.

Recall NLC has announced a nationwide protest scheduled for December 17 over the worsening security situation across the country.

According to Ajaero, replacing ministers or service chiefs does not automatically translate into improved security, as cases of kidnapping, banditry, and other crimes persist nationwide.

“The Federal Government changing service chiefs and rejigging the security architecture does not mean we are seeing results. What Nigerians want are solutions,” he said.

He added that the removal of key security officials has not halted the rising insecurity, stressing that the focus should be on practical outcomes rather than theoretical changes.

“We prefer to see real solutions. Changing the guard alone is not enough; we want results,” Ajaero stated.

Responding to questions on what concrete alternatives or recommendations the NLC is offering beyond protests, the labor leader disclosed that the Congress has repeatedly engaged the government through formal channels without response.

He said the NLC had written to President Bola Tinubu since June on several issues, including taxation and industrial actions in the education and tertiary sectors, but had yet to receive any acknowledgment.

“So where do we place our demands if not on the table?” Ajaero asked, justifying the decision to mobilize Nigerians for protest

Tinubu performing worse on insecurity than Jonathan — Prof Ibrahim

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President Tinbu

A Senior Fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, has said President Bola Tinubu is performing worse on insecurity than former President Goodluck Jonathan, whom he once criticized over the abduction of schoolchildren in 2014.

Prof. Ibrahim made the remarks on Friday during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television.

 

He recalled that many Nigerians had hoped insecurity would end with the emergence of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, given his background as a former army general, but said those expectations were not met.

 

According to him, Buhari “proved totally incapable” of addressing the security crisis, adding that President Tinubu, who had faulted Jonathan over school abductions, now finds himself in office and is doing worse.

“I think it’s been a very difficult year for Nigerians,” Ibrahim said, noting that while previous years were also challenging, what stands out is the “glaring inability, or unwillingness” of the Nigerian state to fulfill its constitutional duty of ensuring the security and welfare of citizens.

He argued that since 2009, insecurity has continued to worsen annually, with more civilians acquiring arms and using them against communities, road users, as well as security personnel.

“This clearly indicates a sustained lack of effort on the part of the Nigerian state to carry out its constitutional responsibility,” he said.

Ibrahim warned that once people who are not legally entitled to bear arms can procure and use them with impunity, the problem will inevitably escalate.

He added that despite several moments of hope for change under successive administrations, Nigerians are yet to witness a government with the political will, determination and capacity to effectively tackle the growing insecurity in the country.

Arteta reveals EPL title race contenders other than Arsenal, Man City

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has insisted that the Premier League title race this season extends beyond just his side and Manchester City.

Arteta made the remarks during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday night’s clash against Wolves.

The Gunners currently sit at the top of the Premier League table, holding a two-point lead over second-placed Manchester City and a three-point advantage over third-placed Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace occupy fourth place with 26 points, while Chelsea are fifth with 25 points, underlining the tight nature of the competition.

Asked if the title battle was a straight contest between Arsenal and the Citizens, Arteta dismissed the notion, stressing that several teams remain firmly in the race.

“There are a lot of teams involved when you look at the table,” Arteta said.

“We know the situation with other clubs as well. With Manchester City, you always expect the quality and experience they have in this competition. Our focus has to be on what we have to do.”

 

 

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