President Bola Tinubu has praised Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for delivering infrastructure projects in Abuja, saying he had justified the confidence placed in him. Tinubu spoke through Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented him at the inauguration of Collector Road CN2, renamed Emmanuel Okanla Boulevard, and other road networks in the Katampe District. "When I gave him the assignment to make Abuja a true capital city, I knew his track record. Wike, you have not disappointed Mr President," Tinubu said. He credited Wike with transforming abandoned roads, delivering water projects, and building judicial quarters, adding that the people of the FCT call him 'Mr Project' for a reason.
Tinubu linked the road projects to his administration's Renewed Hope Agenda, stating they reflect a commitment to restoring public confidence through visible infrastructure. He noted that solar-powered street lights installed along major corridors have improved security and revived night life in Abuja. "We have installed solar street lights, and today Katampe is bright at night. Abuja's city life is coming back, and criminal hideouts are disappearing. This is exactly what good governance delivers: security, mobility and dignity," he said.
In a separate development, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the appointment of CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu as the new Force Public Relations Officer. The appointment was approved by Inspector General of Police Tunji Disu and announced in a statement by outgoing PRO DCP Anthony Placid. CSP Iniedu, a native of Etinan Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, holds a B.Sc. in Pure Chemistry from the University of Uyo and has undergone trainings in investigative interviewing, crime scene management, human rights-based policing, strategic communication, and intelligence analysis.
The Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced 37-year-old Zakaria Garba to death by hanging for his role in the 2014 Nyanya Motor Park bomb explosions. Justice James Omotosho sentenced Garba after he pleaded guilty to a five-count terrorism charge. The court gave him 35 years on counts one and two, life imprisonment on count three, and death by hanging on counts four and five. The attack killed at least 70 people. Ali Mohammed received 25 and 15 years on separate counts, while Isa Saleh and Tujan Mohammed got 20 years each. Salisu Bala was sentenced to 20 years on count two but acquitted on counts one and three.
Former Minister of Petroleum Alison-Madueke, who served under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, was acquitted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court of five counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The trial began in January. The EFCC had recovered about $153 million and over 80 properties from her in 2022. In a BBC interview, she stated the assets could not be traced directly to her.
President Tinubu has also directed the immediate and permanent reinforcement of security at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State. Vice President Shettima conveyed the order during a visit to the institute on Friday, addressing participants of Senior Executive Course 48.
The President celebrates Wike for completing roads while the same judiciary sentences a man to death for a 2014 bombing that exposed long-standing security failures. Tinubu's praise for new street lights in Katampe contrasts with the unresolved trauma of families who lost loved ones in Nyanya over a decade ago. The government highlights infrastructure gains but does not explain how a convicted terrorist was only sentenced now, ten years after the attack. Alison-Madueke's acquittal and the EFCC's earlier claim of recovering $153 million raise questions about how stolen funds are traced and proven in court.
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