馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
Tinubu congratulates UK's new Prime Minister, seeks stronger bilateral ties
via Punch Nigeria9 min read
President Bola Tinubu has extended congratulations to Andy Burnham on his assumption of office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, President Tinubu expressed confidence that Prime Minister Burnham's administration would deepen bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership between Nigeria and the UK. The President also felicitated with the Government and people of the United Kingdom on their peaceful leadership transition, reflecting the strength of their democratic institutions. Tinubu recalled his productive engagement with the immediate past British Prime Minister during his Official Visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026 and expressed optimism that Prime Minister Burnham would build on these achievements. He looks forward to engaging with the new British leader through bilateral and multilateral platforms, particularly under the Commonwealth, to advance the interests of both countries. The Federal Government of Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining close ties with the UK and wished Prime Minister Andy Burnham a successful tenure, assuring him of Nigeria's readiness to work closely with his administration on shared priorities and global challenges. Nigeria and the United Kingdom have longstanding diplomatic, political, and economic relations dating back to Nigeria鈥檚 independence in 1960, with the UK remaining a key trading and
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, announced that nationwide anti-crime operations conducted between June 9 and June 21, 2026, led to the arrest of 1,198 suspects for various offenses. These arrests included 151 for murder and culpable homicide, 117 for armed robbery, 151 for kidnapping, and 104 suspected cultists, with an additional 169 persons arrested for unlawful possession of firearms. The operations also resulted in the rescue of 166 kidnap victims, and the recovery of 166 assorted firearms, 1,475 rounds of ammunition, and 47 stolen vehicles. Disu highlighted the successful rescue of abducted students and teachers in Oyo State as an example of effective joint security operations, emphasizing collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, other security agencies, and the public. He urged senior officers to maintain vigilance and adopt dynamic, threat-informed strategies, stressing that performance would be evaluated by security outcomes rather than the number of operations. Disu also called on citizens to continue sharing actionable information with law enforcement.
Must ReadThe Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency NIHSA has issued a seven-day flood advisory, warning of a medium flood risk in 17 states between July 21 and July 27. NIHSA Director-General, Umar Mohammed, stated that rising water levels at key river monitoring stations have increased the likelihood of localised flooding along river channels and floodplains. The affected states include Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara. River levels at Saminaka on the Karam River, Waya Dam site on the Waya River, and Amber on the Amber River have exceeded watch and warning thresholds. Sixteen gauging stations nationwide are recording elevated river levels, putting nearby communities at risk. Mohammed urged state governments, local authorities, and residents of flood-prone communities to take immediate precautionary measures. Bauchi has the highest exposure, with 1,841 communities, 145 schools, 101 health facilities, and eight markets identified as vulnerable. Vulnerable communities and public facilities were also identified in Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue states. Mohammed called on the National Emergency Management Agency, State Emergency Management Agencies, local governments, and community leaders to activate emergency response plans, recommending the relocation of residents, livestock, and valuables from floodplains. He also advised emergency agencies to pre-position food, medical supplies, and w
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council PEBEC announced it will provide body cameras to truckers and freight forwarders operating along the Apapa and Tin-Can port corridors. This initiative aims to gather evidence against officials involved in extortion at illegal checkpoints, as previous enforcement efforts were hampered by a lack of footage. Zahrah Audu, Director-General of PEBEC, stated that the cameras are part of a broader strategy, which includes stakeholder sensitization and the establishment of clearly marked legal checkpoints with QR codes linking to the ReportGov escalation portal. The council plans to prosecute those found engaging in rent-seeking or malpractice. PEBEC is also working to reduce Nigeria's average cargo dwell time from 21 days to seven days, implementing measures such as joint cargo inspections, a shift to scanner-based processes, and the National Single Window digital platform. Additionally, the Nigerian Ports Authority is developing a unified access pass system to prevent unauthorized access and curb extortion networks. Audu acknowledged the need for more support for informal sector businesses and announced an upcoming initiative called Enable Her to assist them with formalization and scaling.