News
Dingyadi Reiterates Govt’s Commitment to Advancing Technology-Based Policing
The Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has reiterated government’s renewed commitment to advancing technology-based policing in line with global best practices, and the need to deepen community policing and human intelligence in Nigeria.
According to a statement signed by the Head, Press and Public Relations Bolaji O. Kazeem, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), Dingyadi made this known during a sensitization campaign on the Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) activities for the South-South zone held at the Adsuits Hotel, Calabar, Cross Rivers state.
The Minister pointed out the merit in broadening policing endeavors from the traditional approach to a more encompassing and community-led Policing strategy, which requires active citizen participation and a high level of confidence in the Nigeria Police.
In his words, “the far-reaching benefits of deepening the realization of a people-centric and collective security paradigm, through the reformation of our policing architecture, and creation of additional layer for citizens to seek redress, necessitated the resuscitation of Police Public Complaint Committee, in the year 2019”.
He added that the strengthening of the newly resuscitated Police Public Complaints Committee, to eliminate all forms of subjective narrative, which hitherto hindered cooperation between police and citizens, is coming at a time our nation is in dire need of citizen support to collectively fight crime and criminalities.
According to him “following the directive of Mr. President, I inaugurated the resuscitated Police Public Complaints Committee in Abuja on 7th April 2021, to among others bridge the gap between the police and the populace to elicit sustainable confidence and mutual cooperation. We are here today, to sensitize the public, on the Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC), being an initiative taken by the Federal Government to enlighten the public on measures to enhance Police-Public Relations in Nigeria”.
Dingyadi said Public Complaints Commission deals generally with all kinds of complaints against administrative injustices by public institutions, adding that the Police Public Complaints Committee is created as a specialized institution to deal strictly with public complaints against Police Infractions.
“It is important to point out, that this strategy is already in operation in many advanced nations,” he stressed.
The Minister noted that the overriding objective of the PPCC is to serve as a platform that has oversight on the activities of Police Personnel viz-a-viz their interaction with the public.
In his goodwill message, the Deputy Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Cross River Chapter, Engineer Joel Henshaw thanked the government for creating the PPCC noting that the youths are most affected by the activities of the police officers.
He said the initiative will change the narrative of infringement of the rights of the youths and serve as a medium for appraisal of the activities of the policemen in the field.
The Secretary, Cristian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Cross River State, Rev. (Dr.) Emmanuel Orok Duke said that CAN has an important role to play and is very concerned about Human Rights and ready to partner with the government to ensure that citizens live in peace in the country.
In his words: “the issue of security is a concern of all, we pray to God to transform us. The crisis of insecurity and tramp on Human Rights is in our nature and habit, we continue from the pulpit to engage with others that every citizen should respect civil authority and also encourage our faithful to respect the law of the land and if anybody among us falter against the law should be ready to be reprimanded.”
The representative of the Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of Zone 6, Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Kamorundeen Okunlola stated that PPCC is very important to the Police ecosystem and IGP resolved to bring the police closer to the people.
According to him, “there is the need for synergy to bridge the gap between police and citizens. People need to be educated on the importance of cooperation and the sensitization campaign by the Ministry will assist us to understand that we need each other.
By Eric Elezuo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced the kickoff of the 2026 West African Second-term School Certificate Examination, saying it would be computer-based, and decrying the decline of male participation as against their female counterparts.
The Council made the disclosure on Monday, while addressing the media at its National Office in Yaba, Lagos, on steps so far taken to ensure a hitchfree 2026 Examination.
In his address, the Head of National Office, Mr. Jacob Josiah Dangut, remarked that the 2026 computer-based WASSEC, started on April 21, 2026 with practical test papers, stressing that the nitty gritty parts of the exercise will kick off on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, therefore the reason for the sensitization of the Nigerian public on the exams.
He noted that nearly two million candidates registered to sit for the examinations.
In his words, “A total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools enrolled for the examination.
“Of this number, 958,564 candidates (48.92%) are male, while 1,001,072 candidates (51.08%) are female. This reflects an increase in female participation and a decline in male participation compared to last year.”
Dangut called on policy formulations to take the matter serious so as to reinvent the urge for education among the malefolks.
Meanwhile, Dangut informed the public that candidates are being tested in 37 subjects across 97 papers, supervised by about 29,000 senior secondary teachers nominated by state ministries of education.
Dangut said the rise in computer-based entries followed the successful debut of the format in 2025, with more schools and offshore institutions adopting it for its efficiency and alignment with global standards.
The 2026 exercise will run through to June 19th.
The simmering political battle in Rivers State appears to have taken a fresh turn, following the screening of aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries, with several loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara failing to make the party’s final list.
In a development already stirring political intrigue across the state, former Obio/Akpor council chairman Chijioke Ihunwo and serving lawmakers Sokari Goodboy and Victor Oko-Jumbo — all widely regarded as strong allies of Governor Fubara — were among those not cleared by the party’s screening committee for various reasons.
Political observers are interpreting their failure to scale through as more than just a routine internal party exercise. They say it is the latest signal of the deepening political fault lines in Rivers, where Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Minister Nyesom Wike, remain locked in a prolonged struggle for political supremacy.
On the other side of the divide, the list of cleared aspirants appears to favour established political figures and returning lawmakers, largely seen as loyal to the Wike camp.
Among those cleared are:
Maol Dumle
Major Jack
Enemi Alabo George
Tonye Smart Adoki
Tekenari Granville
Their emergence is being viewed as a reinforcement of the influence of the former governor within the APC structure in Rivers State.
The screening exercise, announced by Rivers APC publicity secretary Chibike Ikenga, comes at a politically sensitive time, with alignments already forming ahead of future elections and control of the Rivers State House of Assembly remaining a critical battleground.
For many political watchers, the outcome raises fresh questions: Is the APC in Rivers consolidating into a single power bloc? And does this effectively shut the door on Fubara’s loyalists seeking alternative political platforms?
Fubara, elected under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, joined the APC last year, following a political dispute with Wike.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has been factionalized ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rival factions emerged after its chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly removed on Thursday.
While Uzodimma insists that he remains PGF chairman, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, are reportedly leading a separate faction.
Another bloc within the forum has reportedly queued behind the duo of Abiodun and AbdulRazaq.
The development, which comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party, marks a significant crack in the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports by Arise TV, details surrounding the disagreement remain unclear, but sources within the party said tensions have been building over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the next election season.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the factions had made an official clarification regarding the alleged division.
