News

Senate Holds Emergency Session To Consider State Police Bill Amid Rising Insecurity

Published

9 hours ago

June 23, 2026

he Nigerian Senate is set to reconvene on Tuesday for an emergency plenary session to deliberate on the proposed State Police Bill, a major constitutional reform widely seen as critical to addressing the country’s worsening security crisis.

The emergency sitting, scheduled to hold by 11:00 a.m. at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, comes at a time when insecurity continues to escalate across different parts of the country.

errorist attacks, banditry, kidnappings, communal violence, and other criminal activities have continued to raise concerns among citizens and security stakeholders.

DAILY VOICE understands that the State Police Bill will be one of the major items for consideration as lawmakers return briefly from recess.

Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed that the bill remains a top legislative priority due to its importance to national security.

“The Senate will be considering matters of public interest, especially national security. The State Police legislation will undoubtedly be a priority issue,” Adaramodu said.

According to him, lawmakers are expected to review reports from the committee currently handling the bill as part of efforts to move the proposal forward.

“The Senate is desirous of partnering with other arms of government in curbing the undesirable activities of bandits, terrorists and other peace-threatening marauders,” he added.

The emergency session follows concerns over delays in the constitutional amendment process after the Senate went on a three-week recess without concluding work on the bill.

The proposed legislation seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List. If approved, this would allow state governments to establish and operate their own police formations alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

Supporters of the bill believe decentralising policing will significantly improve local security operations and strengthen intelligence gathering at the grassroots level.

However, because the proposal requires amendments to the 1999 Constitution, it must secure support from at least two-thirds of Senate members before moving to the next legislative stage.

If successfully passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, a conference committee from both chambers will harmonise the bill before transmitting it to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for final approval.

The recall notice for senators was contained in a June 15 memo issued by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, following directives from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The notice made clear that the session was called to address urgent national concerns, particularly issues surrounding security.

“The purpose of this emergency sitting is to enable the Senate to consider matters of urgent national importance, particularly issues relating to national security and other critical concerns that require immediate legislative attention,” the notice read.

DAILY VOICE reports that the Senate had earlier passed the State Police Bill for second reading on June 11 before referring it to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for further work.

Leading debate during the second reading, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele argued that state police has become increasingly necessary due to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

He maintained that officers recruited and stationed within their local environments would better understand the language, culture, and unique security realities of their communities, thereby improving operational efficiency.

Bamidele identified terrorism, banditry, mass abductions, farmer-herder clashes, armed robbery, cultism, communal conflicts, pipeline vandalism, and cybercrime as major threats driving the push for decentralised policing.

He also addressed concerns about possible abuse of state police by governors for political purposes.

According to him, the bill includes multiple safeguards to prevent misuse and ensure accountability.

Some of these measures include the creation of State Police Service Commissions, oversight by the Federal Police Service Commission, legislative confirmation for top appointments, national policing standards, and constitutional intervention mechanisms in cases of breakdown of law and order.

Several lawmakers across party lines, including senators from Northern Nigeria, have openly backed the proposal, insisting that the current centralised policing structure is no longer sufficient to tackle security threats effectively.

Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno also noted that the legislation could help provide proper legal regulation for vigilante groups currently operating in several communities across the country.

News

JUST IN: Electricity Company Announces Total Blackout in Three States [FULL LIST]

Published

48 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

The Daily Voice

Rivers, Bayelsa and Imo states have been plunged into darkness following a forced outage on the Alaoji 132-kilovolt transmission line operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).Geographic Reference

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, TCN said the incident occurred at about 3:39 a.m. on Tuesday.

The company explained that the outage was caused by an earth fault and a distance protection failure along the transmission line.

As a result, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) has been unable to receive bulk electricity for distribution to customers in Owerri, Yenagoa and Ahoada, affecting Imo, Bayelsa and Rivers states respectively.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) wishes to inform the public that there was a forced outage on the Alaoji 132kV Transmission Line at about 3:59am today, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, due to an earth fault and distance protection failure.

“TCN’s maintenance crew has since swung into action and is currently working on the line to ensure that normal bulk power supply is restored as quickly as possible.

“Consequently, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) has been unable to off-take electricity supply for distribution to its customers in Owerri, Yenagoa, and Ahoada.

“TCN apologises for any inconvenience this outage will cause affected electricity customers,” TCN stated.

News

Tinubu Never Promised Nigerians 24-Hour Electricity – Onanuga

Published

8 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has denied claims that his principal promised to provide 24-hour electricity for Nigerians during the 2023 presidential campaign.

According to Onanuga, the claims that Tinubu promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity during the 2023 election campaign are a misrepresentation of his words.

Naija News reports that Onanuga offered the clarification in a statement on Monday, 22nd June, as part of his response to calls by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for Tinubu to resign from office over worsening security and economic conditions in Nigeria.

Obi said that, as an example of leadership and accountability, Tinubu should resign just like the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced his resignation over growing dissatisfaction from citizens.

As part of the alleged failures of the Tinubu government, Obi cited insecurity, unreliable electricity supply and worsening economic hardship.

Particularly, he mentioned that President Tinubu, in the build-up to the 2023 elections, had promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity and told them not to re-elect him if he failed to keep the campaign promise.

However, in response to the call and submission, presidential spokesperson Onanuga accused Obi of misrepresenting Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promise. He said the president did not promise 24-hour electricity for all Nigerians.

The presidential media aide added that those claiming Tinubu made such a promise are simply being mischievous.

According to him, Tinubu was addressing Lagosians during his campaign speech, and the context was about paying estimated electricity bills.

“Concerning President Tinubu’s campaign promises on power supply, it is misleading for Peter Obi to parrot the claim that candidate Tinubu guaranteed 24-hour electricity for all. What he actually said on that occasion in Lagos and which Obi and his followers have consistently misquoted, for the sake of mischief, was: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me—unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.,” Onanuga said.

To justify his principal’s performance in office, specifically in the power sector, the presidential aide said Tinubu’s administration had signed the Electricity Act, expanded prepaid meter deployment and invested in alternative power sources.

News

FG Convenes Emergency Meeting Over Rising Cooking Gas Prices Nationwide

Published

9 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

The Federal Government has moved to address the growing concern over rising cooking gas prices across Nigeria by convening an emergency stakeholders’ meeting aimed at finding immediate and long-term solutions.

The meeting was called amid fresh concerns over the continuous increase in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, which has placed additional financial pressure on millions of Nigerian households already battling rising living costs.

Key players across the gas value chain attended the meeting. They included government officials, regulators, gas producers, marketers, terminal operators, and major industry associations. Discussions focused on the factors driving the sharp rise in prices and practical steps needed to improve supply and stabilize the market.

Speaking during the meeting, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a major source of energy for homes across the country. She said cooking gas remains critical to Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals, especially as the government continues efforts to encourage cleaner and safer energy alternatives.

Oyekunle noted that the rising cost of cooking gas is becoming a serious concern for many families. According to her, the increase is not only affecting household spending but is also pushing up the cost of essential goods and services.

She stressed the need for urgent intervention to prevent further strain on consumers.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Tinubu is closely monitoring developments in the sector and is concerned about the impact of rising LPG prices on Nigerians.

Ekpo revealed that the President has directed all relevant agencies and stakeholders to take immediate and proactive steps to tackle the situation.

He said while increasing supply remains important, it must be supported by better logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing systems to ensure that consumers feel the impact of any intervention.

According to the minister, solving the problem will require coordinated efforts across the entire gas supply chain.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Rabiu Umar, pointed to high landing costs as one of the major reasons behind the current surge in LPG prices.

He explained that several market factors, including import costs, foreign exchange challenges, transportation expenses, and supply bottlenecks, continue to affect pricing.

Despite the challenges, Umar expressed confidence that ongoing efforts by regulators and industry operators would begin to ease market pressure in the coming weeks.

He added that the authority is actively engaging producers and marketers to boost domestic supply, strengthen market monitoring, and improve product availability nationwide.