President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed that the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Dr. Sikiru Kayode Adetona, had predicted his presidency and assured him he would be re-elected for a second term.

Tinubu made the disclosure on Sunday during his remarks at the 8th Day Fidau Prayers held in honour of the late monarch, describing the royal father’s blessing as instrumental to his political success.

“I was successful because of your support and the blessing of the late Awujale. I came to him and he blessed me. And he said, ‘You will win that election and you will be re-elected. Go ahead,” Tinubu said.

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He described the late Oba as a man of deep wisdom, noting that Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State had carried forward the monarch’s legacy of leadership and insight.

The President, in a moment of gratitude and humour, also commended Governor Abiodun, whom he referred to as “eleyi of Ogun State” for his dedication to the late monarch’s wellbeing.

“I won’t bring out his other titles. Okanlomo, eleyi of Ogun State. At this stage, I must mention clearly how much I thanked him for taking care of our father,” he added.

The Federal Government has secured a $5 million loan to upgrade power distribution infrastructure and increase electricity generation to over 8,000 megawatts (MW) in the next twelve months.

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, revealed this during the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) retreat held in Abuja over the weekend.

Gbeleyi, while speaking at the event, charged the NISO management to address the gap between the current daily wheeling capacity, which stands at around 5,500MW, and the generation capacity, which already exceeds 14,000MW. He identified the real challenge as the weak transmission and distribution networks.

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He said, “In the near term, 12 to 18 months, we can scale up capacity to probably increase that 5,500MW by a minimum of 50 per cent because generation capacity is there in the grid. So, capacity can be scaled up. Chances are that with the distribution infrastructure also being scaled up, we’re going to focus on three pillars: operational efficiency, financial prudence, and governance.”

The Managing Director of NISO, Engineer Abdu Mohammed Bello, was optimistic about reaching the 8,500MW target, citing increased investor interest and stronger private sector engagement.

“We have a lot of resources. Nigeria harnessing these resources together, definitely we can do that. At the end of the day, we expect to see real-time grid operations. We expect to see modernisation of the grid. Government has awarded a new contract for the SCADA system,” the NISO chief stated.

Stakeholders at the event stressed the need for commitment, transparency, and coordinated efforts across agencies to overcome longstanding challenges, adding that stability, market transparency, and operational independence are crucial to power sector growth.

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, has announced the establishment a new Tactical Division in Ivieukwa- Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of the state aimed at curbing incessant kidnapping and related crimes in that axis.

A statement by the Edo State Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, said the CP made the announcement on Saturday, July 19, 2025, when he paid a “strategic visit to Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area, as part of ongoing efforts to assess and strengthen the security architecture across the state.”

Recall that on Thursday July 10, 2025 night, gunmen attacked the Catholic Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary School at Ivianokpodi-Agenebode, killed a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attached to the school and abducted three students of the school.

The attack came barely ten months after an attack was carried out in the area. Two people including a priest were kidnapped and one killed during the attack.

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Consequently, the police imagemaker, while quoting the CP in the statement said that the Tactical Division, when established, would service a rapid unit challenges in the area

The statement partly reads: “During the visit, the Commissioner of Police made a stop at St Peter Grammar School Corpers lodge, Agenebode, and the Immaculate Conception Junior Seminary, Ivianokpodi-Agenebode, where he met and interacted with serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

“He assured the corps members of the Command’s unwavering commitment to their safety.

“CP Agbonika used the opportunity to highlight the proactive measures being adopted by the Command to prevent crime and respond swiftly to any emerging threats in the area.

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“In furtherance of this, he officially announced the establishment of a new Tactical Division in Ivieukwa- Agenebode. The Tactical Division will serve as a rapid response unit to address security challenges, particularly in rural communities and riverine areas within the LGA and adjoining environs.

“Personnel of the State Intelligence Department (SID) were equally deployed to ensure timely intelligence gathering in the area.”

The PPRO in the statement said the “Commissioner reaffirmed that the Nigeria Police Force under his leadership in Edo State remains committed to partnering with communities, institutions, and other security stakeholders to maintain law and order across the state.”

He further “urged residents to remain law-abiding and continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and useful information that can aid in crime prevention and detection.”