Connect with us

Headline

Insecurity: Obasanjo Drums Support For State Police

Published

on

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the creation of State police.

Obasanjo said Nigeria needs state police to effectively tackle the insecurity challenges in the country.

Advertisement

He made the call while delivering his speech at a lecture titled, ‘Social responsibility in nation building,’ to mark the 78th anniversary of Island Club in Lagos on Friday.

The former president said only a safe environment could guarantee nation building.

According to Obasanjo: “I have said it before and I will say it again. Nigeria should have state police in all the states so that they can adequately tackle insecurity.

Advertisement

“Guaranteeing citizens a safe environment and round security is one thing a government must do.

READ ALSO: PDP Convention: Secondus Heads For Supreme Court, Vows To Stop Alleged Impunity

“No nation can be built where peace, security and stability are not assured or guaranteed and with reasonable predictability of the President and the future not enthroned.”

Advertisement

Headline

David Lammy Appointed UK’s Deputy PM

Published

on

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, in a move that could reshape the direction of his administration.

As part of the shake-up, David Lammy, a senior Labour figure and former Foreign Secretary, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, taking over key roles previously held by Rayner.

Advertisement

The cabinet reshuffle comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is under growing pressure from both within the Labour Party and the broader electorate.

The sudden resignation of Angela Rayner, a high-profile figure with strong working-class support, has exposed internal tensions and sparked concerns over the party’s unity and electoral strategy.

According to BBC News on Friday, the reshuffle is seen as a crucial test for Starmer’s leadership, especially as Rayner had been a prominent and working-class figure whose departure may weaken his appeal to core Labour voters.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:UK PM Starmer Urges Israel To Stop Gaza Assault

Key Cabinet reassignment

-Lammy transitions from Foreign Secretary to Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.

Advertisement

-Yvette Cooper moves from Home Secretary to Foreign Secretary.

-Shabana Mahmood is promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary.

Other notable appointments include:

Advertisement

-Steve Reed as Housing Secretary

-Pat McFadden as head of a newly expanded Work and Pensions department

-Douglas Alexander as Scotland Secretary

Advertisement

-Liz Kendall moves to Science and Technology

READ ALSO:UK PM Starmer Urges Israel To Stop Gaza Assault

-Emma Reynolds becomes Environment Secretary

Advertisement

-Peter Kyle appointed Business Secretary

-Jonathan Reynolds named Chief Whip

-Alan Campbell becomes Leader of the House of Commons

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray were removed from their cabinet roles.

Political Fallout and Internal Tensions

READ ALSO:UK Bars Over 100 Job Roles From Foreign Recruitment To Curb Migration

Advertisement

Labour now faces mounting political pressure. Observers note Rayner’s exit leaves a vacuum for constituents drawn to her working-class credentials, possibly intensifying internal party divisions.

Her resignation also triggers a deputy leadership contest, opening up a battleground between the party’s centrist and left-leaning factions.

Moreover, Labour’s popularity has waned, with opposition to policies on welfare and immigration increasing support for Reform UK.

Advertisement

Starmer’s government’s handling of economic pressures and an upcoming £40 billion budget shortfall deepen the political stakes.

READ ALSO:Putin Not Serious About Peace, Says UK’s Starmer

Lammy Steps into Key Role at a Crucial Juncture

Advertisement

Lammy’s appointment is viewed as strategically significant. Known for his reform credentials and advocacy for criminal justice reform, his new position comes as Parliament prepares for the Sentencing Bill.

The Prison Reform Trust welcomed his appointment, noting the timing offers “an important opportunity to move away from the failed cycle of overcrowding and crisis management.”

This reshuffle represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Keir Starmer’s administration. With Labour under heightened scrutiny and internal frictions rising, the effectiveness of the newly configured cabinet will be a litmus test of Starmer’s leadership, particularly as the party approaches a difficult budget season, rising populist pressures, and internal power shifts ahead of the next deputy leadership election.

Advertisement

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Headline

Nigerian Arrested In Poland For Using Fake Residence Permit

Published

on

Polish authorities have confirmed the arrest of a 26-year-old Nigerian citizen on charges of using a counterfeit residence document.

The individual was detained by the Polish Border Guard, known as Straż Graniczna, as part of ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and document forgery.

Advertisement

This information, which was obtained by PUNCH Online on Friday, was published on the Border Guard Headquarters’ news outlet on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

The BG HQs of Poland is the central unit which services the Border Guard Commander in Chief by supporting and coordinating actions of the BG units.

READ ALSO:21-year-old Nigerian Arrested For Allegedly Ass@ulting Man At Gym In Poland [Video]

Advertisement

The report indicated that, “the Nigerian man admitted that he ordered the document online while still in the UK, received it by post, and paid €2,000 for it.

“It turned out that the Nigerian had no legal basis for staying in Poland as he had been in the country illegally for four days.”

Consequently, the Commander of the Border Guard ordered him to leave the country within 20 days and imposed a three-year ban on entry to the Schengen Area.

Advertisement

In addition, he was charged under Article 270 § 1 of the Penal Code – for using a counterfeit document.

READ ALSO:Legal Chaos In Poland As President, New Govt Clash

The man pleaded guilty and voluntarily submitted to the penalty, but declined to provide further explanation.

Advertisement

According to sources specialising in immigration law, many individuals who use these fake documents are victims of elaborate scams.

As one legal expert noted in a report, “Until the situation was clarified, Ibrahim was detained in prison.”

READ ALSO:Poland To Pay Woman Denied Abortion €16,000 Compensation

Advertisement

Law enforcement agencies across Poland have been actively working to dismantle these criminal networks.

A recent, large-scale operation supported by Europol led to the arrest of dozens of suspects and the seizure of thousands of counterfeit documents, including residence permits, visas, and other identification.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Headline

US To Cut Military Aid To European Countries Near Russia — Official

Published

on

The United States is to end long-running military assistance for European countries close to Russia, as it pushes the continent to play a greater role in its own defence, an official in one of the countries confirmed on Friday.

Last week, the US Defense Department informed the countries that, starting from its next financial period, funding will be reduced to zero,” the defence policy director in Lithuania’s defence ministry, Vaidotas Urbelis, told reporters.

Advertisement

The decision comes as US President Donald Trump struggles to end Moscow’s three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine.

Urbelis confirmed reports in The Washington Post and The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials saying the move was part of Trump’s efforts to cut US expenditure abroad.

READ ALSO:Trump Moves To Cut More Foreign Aid, Risking Shutdown

Advertisement

The FT said US officials had told European diplomats last week that Washington would no longer fund programmes to train and equip eastern European militaries along Russia’s border.

The Washington Post said the funding to be cut was worth several hundred million dollars.

In Lithuania’s case, the cuts would impact “the purchase of US weapons and other equipment, and training”, Urbelis said.

Advertisement

He added that it “will not have an impact on the US troop presence in the region”, which was funded through a separate US budget allocation.

READ ALSO:Stolen Jewellery: Patience Jonathan Ex-aides’ Lawyer Laments As Adjournment Hits 42

A White House official said the move hewed to a January executive order Trump had signed that reevaluated US foreign aid.

Advertisement

This action has been coordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president’s longstanding emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defence,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Trump has long been sceptical of both US defence spending in Europe and aid for Ukraine, pushing some of Washington’s closest allies to play a greater role on both fronts.

The Lithuanian defence ministry official said that the US funding for training and equipping its military covered between a third and 80 percent of total military aid received by the country.

Advertisement

Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees daily that he viewed the US move as “especially symbolic, in a negative way.

AFP

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending