The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, urged its relevant committees to investigate the alleged communal clashes between residents of Iguelgba, Oben, Ikobi, and Obazogbe N’ugu of Edo State and the people of Mosogar in Delta State.

Since 1991, when the boundaries between Edo State and Delta State were created and explicitly defined, the indigenes of both communities and states along the border have been living in peace until recently.

The recent clash is allegedly caused by the people of Mosogar, who, according to Osawaru, “Led unjustified incursion and attack by thugs and hoodlums to the Edo communities.”

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Briefing members in a motion of urgent public importance during the plenary session, the member representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwude Federal Constituency, Edo State, Billy Osawaru, noted that the people of Iguelgba, Oben, Ikobi, and Obazogbe-N’ugu Communities of Orhionmwon Local Government Area have “lived in peace within the oil exploration area of Orhionmwon LGA without fear, harassment and crisis of any kind and have shared common boundaries with Delta State, particularly at the Mosogar axis of the state.”

The Edo lawmaker warned that if the “Unwarranted and unprovoked incursion by people of Mosogar and Delta State in general on the lands and communities of Iguelgba, Oben, Ikobi, and Obazogbe-N’ugu in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Edo State, the situation can lead to a full-blown interstate crisis, thereby threatening the peace and stability of the nation.”

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He further added that “If serious action is not taken to stop this incursion and attack coming from the Mosogar people, it may snowball into a full-scale interstate crisis, which will in turn threaten the peace and stability of the nation in general.”

When the motion was put to a voice vote, members present at plenary voted overwhelmingly in support, and the House mandated its Committees on Special Duties and National Security and Intelligence to investigate the incident and report back within four weeks.

It also urged the relevant security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the National Intelligence Agency, to take immediate action to restore peace and protect the lives and properties of the affected communities.

The House further urged the Governments of Edo and Delta States to expedite action in resolving the dispute through dialogue and mutual understanding without further delay.

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Dr Bernard Doro from Plateau State as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, forwarding his name to the Senate for confirmation.

Doro’s nomination comes after the elevation of Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, who was elected National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress in July.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the nomination in a statement issued Tuesday.

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Presidency officials familiar with the developments had told our correspondent that the President, during a private meeting with close aides on Monday evening, expressed his intention to name nominees to occupy two vacant portfolios in his cabinet, including that of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, who resigned weeks ago.

Born on January 23, 1969, in Kwall, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, Onanuga said Doro brings more than two decades of experience spanning clinical practice, pharmaceutical management, strategic leadership, and community development in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

“He has degrees in Pharmacy and law, an MBA focusing on IT-driven business strategy, and a Master’s in Advanced Clinical Practice.

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“He is an Independent Prescriber and Advanced Clinical Practitioner with NHS frontline experience across urgent care, walk-in centres, GP practices, and hospital settings,” the statement read.

Beyond his medical and administrative expertise, Doro has been active in youth mentorship and social impact initiatives in both the Nigerian diaspora and local communities.

If confirmed, he will join President Tinubu’s cabinet and be sworn in at a Federal Executive Council meeting.

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed a bill prescribing life imprisonment for anyone — male or female — found guilty of sexually defiling minors in a move to stem the rising tide of child sexual abuse across the country.

The passage of the bill comes amid mounting national outrage over increasing cases of pedophilia and child molestation, which have left many victims physically and psychologically scarred.

Reports from rights groups and law enforcement agencies in recent years show that Nigeria has witnessed an alarming surge in cases involving children as young as five being sexually assaulted by adults, including family members, teachers, and clerics.

Presenting the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC–Edo North) stressed that the offence of defiling a minor should be treated differently from that of raping an adult.

“A minor is a child who cannot give consent and whose life can be permanently damaged by such an act. Those involved in defilement deserve severe punishment.

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“I propose 20 years penalty for anyone found guilty. There are disturbing cases involving children as young as five or ten,” Oshiomhole said.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, also supported the motion, insisting that offenders should face punishment without the option of a fine.

Although Oshiomhole’s initial 20-year jail term proposal gained traction, it was later rejected after Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) argued that the punishment should be stiffer to serve as a deterrent.

“I want to propose that the punishment for defilement of minors should be life imprisonment, regardless of the offender’s gender,” Aliero said.

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His position was immediately backed by Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West), who maintained that the gravity of the crime warranted the maximum penalty.

When Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, the “ayes” were overwhelmingly in the majority.

Akpabio declared, “I hereby move that henceforth any man or woman who is guilty of defiling a minor should be sentenced to life imprisonment.”

The bill’s passage is expected to serve as a deterrent amid growing public concern that many child rape cases go unpunished due to weak enforcement and social stigma.

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Over the past decade, several high-profile cases of minors being raped — some by trusted relatives and religious figures — have drawn widespread condemnation and renewed calls for harsher penalties.

In 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons reported a spike in cases of child defilement, with many offenders walking free due to loopholes in existing laws.

If signed into law, the new legislation would replace earlier provisions under Nigeria’s Criminal Code and Penal Code, which prescribed lighter sentences for offenders.