The chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has directed security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in vote buying or vote trading ahead of the June 20 Ekiti State governorship election.

Speaking during the presentation of the voter register to political parties in Ekiti State, Amupitan described vote buying as one of the biggest threats to Nigeria’s electoral system. He said the practice is a criminal offence under the Electoral Act and urged agencies such as the police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to ensure offenders are “arrested and promptly prosecuted.”

According to INEC, about 1.06 million registered voters are expected to participate in the Ekiti governorship election.

Amupitan also emphasized that political parties should avoid any involvement in vote trading, saying it undermines the credibility and transparency of elections in Nigeria.

“It is the responsibility of INEC to prosecute. Therefore, we urge all political parties to please refrain from this issue of vote trading because it is a big minus to the electoral process in Nigeria. 

“So, on these notes, I want to thank all of you for your attention and to assure you that together we will build democracy in Nigeria and Nigeria will be better for it”. 

He described the presentation of the voter register as a momentous day because “we are performing a constitutional and a statutory duty of the publication and presentation of the voters’ register for Ekiti State preparatory to the off-cycle governorship election that will be coming up in a month’s time. 

“The electoral act requires that 30 days before the election, the register of voters must be published and presented to the political parties. So, it is with great sense of responsibility and a sense of commitment that I stand before you today. This moment signifies a crucial step in reinforcing the integrity, the transparency, and credibility of our electoral process”. 

According to him, “the voters’ register is the foundation upon which free, fair, and credible elections are built, adding that its accuracy, completeness, and integrity are paramount to ensuring that every eligible voter’s voice is heard and that the will of the people is accurately reflected. 

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has declared that the Nigerian government will end killings in the country. Bwala made the remark while maintaining that Nigerians reserve the right to defend themselves with lethal weapons against aggressors in their houses. On Friday, gunmen had invaded the LA Primary school where teachers and pupils were abducted.

Reacting, Bwala said: “Solution is what we all look to, evil men operate anywhere in the world, no matter how tight you are as a government.

“You do your best and expect that with the help of God and collective participation of the people through collective intelligence we will be able to put an end to it.

“I know the Nigerian people will continue to complain. So because if for example, no matter how we say that we are sorry and the incident happened again people will complain, cry and mourn because it’s the life of the Nigerian people that are taken away by the evil element. We will put an end to this as a people.

“Every eve of elections in Nigeria from 2014, 2018, 2022, and now 2026 you will see that crisis increases because of the idea of a crisis economy. A lot of people take advantage of that but the will and spirit of the collective people is what will put an end to this situation.

“The constitution has guarantee to every citizen of Nigeria the right to self defense, you have the right to defend yourself.

“When your right, my right, and that of my neighbour is put together, it becomes collective right to defend ourselves and Nigerians have the right to defend themselves.

“If you come to my house to try to kill me, any lethal weapon I use to defend myself is guaranteed by the constitution.

“Number two as a people we have vigilante and in Borno State we have paramilitary organizations that provide intelligence to law enforcement.

“Nigerians don’t have the right to bear certain arms unless those arms are permitted but the collective people can come together to apply to the government for the right to coordinate themselves.”

A senior police officer who was reportedly due for retirement has been killed during a violent clash involving suspected thugs in Kano State, sparking outrage and renewed concerns over rising urban violence in the state.

The police officer attached to the Hotoro Division, identified as Sani S.O., has been killed during a clash between rival thugs in Kano, just months before his retirement.

A source close to the deceased said the officer was deployed alongside his colleagues to disperse the fighting groups when he was allegedly shot by one of the thugs using a dane gun.

“He was working at the Hotoro Division and was deployed with others to disperse the thugs. Unknown to him, some of them had a dane gun, which they used to shoot him.
“He was rushed to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead,” the source, who pleaded anonymity, said.
The source described the late officer, who had served for more than 30 years, as a respected figure in his community.
“He was a good person who contributed immensely to society, especially within his immediate environment. He was just a few weeks away from retirement before he was killed,” the source added.
Efforts to get the reaction of the police were unsuccessful, as the state police spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, did not respond to calls and text messages as of the time of filing this report.
Kano has in recent weeks witnessed a resurgence of thuggery-related clashes in different parts of the city, including areas previously less associated with such violence. The development comes as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Some of the areas recently affected by thuggery include Fagge, Abattoir Market, Koki, Kurnar Asabe, Hotoro and Gyadi-Gyadi, among others.

Gumi has remained one of Nigeria’s most controversial religious figures due to his long-standing involvement in negotiations with armed groups in northern forests.

Over the years, the cleric visited camps controlled by kidnappers and bandits in Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states, claiming his objective was to persuade fighters to surrender and embrace peace.

The cleric gained national attention during the wave of school kidnappings between 2020 and 2022, when he acted as an intermediary in negotiations involving abducted students and kidnapped victims.

Supporters argue that his engagement with armed groups helped secure the release of hostages and opened channels for dialogue in areas where military operations had struggled. Critics, however, accuse him of normalizing criminality and portraying terrorists as victims deserving sympathy

Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has called on the President Bola Tinubu-led government to immediately arrest controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, over what he described as inflammatory comments allegedly sympathetic to bandits terrorising parts of Nigeria.

Adeyanju made the demand on Wednesday following the circulation of a viral video in which Gumi was heard speaking about Fulani herders amid worsening insecurity across the country.

In the video, the cleric reportedly said Fulani herdsmen “are going nowhere,” insisting that “they are part of us and we are part of them. We must live with them.” Reacting through a post on his Facebook page, Adeyanju said individuals who sympathise with terrorists should be treated as terrorists.

“People like Gumi can only survive in a country without a government. Terrorists sympathizers are terrorists,” he wrote.

He further alleged that the cleric’s public comments and actions were encouraging terrorism and undermining national security efforts.

“His words and actions promote terrorism in Nigeria. I call on the government to arrest him to serve as a deterrent to others,” Adeyanju added.