The Nasarawa State command of the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the abduction of three students of the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) from an off-campus hostel along Awe Road, close to the temporary campus of the institution in Akunza, Lafia.

One of the abducted students was rescued and an intensive search-and-rescue operation was underway to free the other two victims and arrest the gunmen, the police said.

SP Ramhan Nansel, State Police Public Relations Officer, said the command received a distress call over the incident at about 9:21 pm.

He said the gunmen stormed the students’ residence and knocked the door before gaining access into the building.

“So what happened is that the students were at home when the gunmen came. “They knocked on the door, and they came in,” Nansel said.

The police spokesperson said the off-campus hostel was in a secluded area near the university’s temporary campus.

He said the residence was located behind a high tension power line and near a bush path to Awe town which he said was vulnerable because of its closeness to the bush.

“That place is near the bush. “There is a gate there; whether you push it with your foot or with your hand, it will open,” said Nansel.

A police spokesperson said kidnappers operating around the area usually take the high-tension power corridor and cattle routes to escape into the forest surrounding the area after abducting their victims.

“Most of the time when the kidnappers abduct somebody they follow the high tension line, pass through that area and head into the bush,” he added.

Police Rescue: An Student
Nansel said the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, on receiving the distress call, immediately ordered the deployment of tactical teams and patrol operatives to the scene.

He said personnel were sent to the scene and surrounding forest to launch a coordinated search and rescue operation.

CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, the Commissioner of Police, immediately ordered the deployment of tactical teams and patrol operatives to the scene for a coordinated search and rescue operation in the surrounding forest.

“The prompt action has led to the rescue of one of the abducted students while efforts have been intensified to ensure the safe release of the two other victims in captivity and the arrest of the perpetrators.

“The CP has ordered all operational and intelligence assets of the Command to continue the operation until the remaining victims are rescued unharmed,” Nansel said.

The police spokesperson said the search is ongoing in the areas surrounding and operatives are already on the trail of the abductors.

Nansel also warned students not to rent accommodation in isolated and vulnerable areas because of cheaper rent.

He said students who are temporarily living around the university should think about getting together to find accommodation in safer and more populated areas, rather than living alone in isolated buildings.

“It’s not a place for anybody to live. People are looking for low-cost accommodation. “Instead of living alone, as it’s only a temporary stay, join your resources or chip in to pay for a single house,” he said.

The Nasarawa State Police Command had urged residents and members of the public who have credible information on the abductors or whereabouts of the remaining students to assist security agencies.

This ensured that the operational and intelligence efforts would continue until the two students still in captivity were rescued unharmed and the perpetrators arrested.

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Nasarawa West Senator, Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, has promised to continue and deepen the economic reforms and investment drive embarked upon by the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule if elected in 2027.

Wadada gave the pledge yesterday in his goodwill message at the 2026 Nasarawa Investment Summit, where he described the event as “a strategic inflection point” in the economic journey of Nasarawa State.
Speaking to investors, policymakers, captains of industry and members of the diplomatic and business community, the senator said the summit marked a transition from “building momentum to institutionalising legacy; from attracting investments to sustaining impact; and from vision to measurable, long-term prosperity.”

He praised Governor Sule’s administration for providing a solid foundation for economic transformation through reforms, infrastructure development and strategic investment promotion initiatives led by the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA).

He said the state received over $1.23 billion in investment inflows in 2024, with about $466 million already actualised according to figures from the Nasarawa Investment Reports of December 2025, while the 2025 investment portfolio was over $1.008 billion.

“They are not just numbers. They are signals of a system working. They are indicative of a conscious move away from rhetoric toward results,” Wadada said.

The senator also commended the introduction of the Lafia Declaration at the summit, terming it a big step towards sustaining reform continuity beyond political cycles through institutional memory, policy discipline and long-term planning.

As a political leader and proud son of Nasarawa State, I acknowledge and commend the leadership of Governor Abdullahi A. Sule. “His administration has done what is most important in governance: de-risking the state for investors, strengthening institutions and aligning development with strategy,” he said.
Wadada told stakeholders that his administration, if elected governor in 2027, would build on the gains already made and not undo ongoing reforms.

“We will not disrupt progress, we will deepen progress. “We will not reverse reforms, we will institutionalise and scale up,” he said.

He said investment and economic growth would remain at the core of his WADADA HEARTS Agenda, especially under Pillar Five on trade and investment.

He said priority areas under the agenda would include scaling up domestic and foreign direct investments across mining, agriculture, manufacturing and energy while also strengthening investor confidence through policy stability and contract sanctity.

The senator also revealed plans to set up a Governor’s Results Delivery Unit, real-time development and investment performance dashboards, and quarterly accountability reviews to ensure effective project delivery and measurable governance outcomes.

“Because at the end of the day it’s not what is announced that matters, it’s what is delivered,” he said.

He also called on investors and development partners to leverage on Nasarawa State’s strategic location of bordering the Federal Capital Territory, vast mineral resources and a reform-oriented investment climate.

“We will build on the investment drive of His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi A. Sule. “We will protect what has been built and we will take Nasarawa to the next level of growth and prosperity,” he said.43

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The Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is having more problems after Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada was publicly supported as the best candidate to replace Governor Abdullahi Sule in the 2027 governorship race.

What was supposed to be a normal political alignment has instead led to a lot of anger and a cold war between important members of the ruling party before the 2027 general elections.

Remember that last Thursday, Governor Sule said that Wadada, the senator from Nasarawa West, was his top choice for the governorship election in 2027.

The governor said that the senator was the “Muje Maha” spirit that has guided his administration’s approach to governance and political openness.

“We need to find people who can win this election.” “Now that we all support it, if we really believe in the so-called Muje Maha, now is the time for Muje Maha to be Wadada,” Governor Sule said during the public endorsement.

Some high-ranking members of the ruling party in the state, on the other hand, did not like this because they think he made the decision too quickly without talking to everyone and following the law.

Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, a former governor and powerful party leader in the state, is at the head of the pushback. He has publicly criticized both the timing and the process of the endorsement.

He said that he was not asked for his opinion or taken along when Wadada was shown to Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

“I was never asked. This is not normal. “Al-Makura said, “It is too soon for the party to even have released guidelines.”

He also said that the governor has a constitutional right to back a candidate, but due process and getting input from stakeholders must not be overlooked.

“We don’t have a problem with Wadada or any other candidate; we just want the process to go as planned,” he said.

But Governor Sule quickly denied the claims of wrongdoing, saying that his actions are in line with established political norms in the state.

The governor kept saying through his media aide that

“This is planned, careful leadership, not forcing.”

When the governor introduced Wadada to President Bola Tinubu, he said it was both right and important to keep the party’s national leader up to date.

Abubakar Adamu, a former Inspector General of Police and one of the top candidates for governor, has also said that the endorsement of Wadada did not mean an election. He promised to run for governor and beat the governor’s chosen candidate.

Adamu and others want to be governor on the APC platform, but the governor says that the governorship slot should be given to Nasarawa West, where Wadada is from, so that justice and fairness can be served.

Even though there is a lot of disagreement, the Majority Caucus of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Danladi Jatau, has come out in support of Wadada.

“We fully support and back Senator Wadada as Governor Sule’s successor. We will stay loyal to the party and the governor’s decision,” it said.

The lawmakers also asked other candidates to support Wadada in the name of party unity.

In addition to the procedural disagreement, stakeholders are also questioning Wadada’s ability to lead.

Charles Agum, a political analyst, criticized the senator’s recent media appearance for not being deep enough and not focusing on issues.

“Instead of looking for solutions, he seemed more interested in attacking other candidates.” “That showed a worrying lack of readiness,” he said.

Some candidates felt left out by the early endorsement, and others are thinking about openly opposing it during the primaries.

Douglas Otaru, who used to be the Nasarawa APC Publicity Secretary, said that Governor Sule’s last-minute choice will be the end of the ruling party in Nasarawa State.

“I’ll say it again: I won’t stoop too low to criticize Governor Abdullahi Alhaji Sule,” he said. He has done well by his own standards, but the biggest mistake he made was letting the party run itself for so long.

“Sadly, some desperate people in the party took advantage of him and made him think everything was fine, ignoring voices of reason like mine.

“His bias, by putting his friend Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as the best candidate, means he can’t run a fair primary. If he cares about his reputation, he should think about stepping aside to make room for free, fair, and credible primaries before the 2027 general elections.

In addition to questions about how the process works and who should be consulted, the controversy has brought up old arguments about zoning and power rotation in Nasarawa State.

Since democracy returned in 1999, the governorship seat has changed hands between the three senatorial districts.

But stakeholders say that Nasarawa South has had a long run, with leaders like Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who served for eight years, and the late Aliyu Akwe Doma, who served for four years, bringing the total to twelve years.

Some politicians say that Nasarawa South should be allowed to “complete” what they call the last four years of Doma’s tenure cycle in order to keep things fair.

A group of religious, political, and indigenous groups is fighting this position, saying that fairness should go beyond senatorial zoning and include federal constituencies that haven’t yet elected a governor.

The group is very against the rise of a candidate from the Keffi axis, pointing out that Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor, came from the same group.

The coalition, led by Alhaji Ali Baba Nasarawa and Mallam Abdulrahman Sani Toto, said in a joint statement that the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency is still the only one that hasn’t had a governor since the state was created.

“It is not fair to give the governorship ticket back to the same federal constituency.” The group said, “Equity demands inclusion.”

They also said that Governor Sule was going against the zoning principle he had previously supported, and they warned that this could make political divisions worse and lead to backlash in the elections.

The coalition also asked for a process that was more open and fair, saying that if candidates were seen as being forced on others, it could hurt party unity before the 2027 elections.

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Abdullahi Sule, the Governor of Nasarawa State, has said that Senator Aliyu Wadada is his top choice to be the All Progressives Congress’s candidate for governor in the 2027 general elections.

Sule made the announcement during a meeting with political appointees at the Government House in Lafia. This was the first sign of political alignments as the race for his successor heats up.

Wadada, who is currently a senator from Nasarawa West, recently switched from the Social Democratic Party to the APC. Many people see this as a way for him to get ready for the governorship race.

At the same time, the governor has said that politicians who make routine tasks like paying salaries and building roads seem like big accomplishments are wrong.

On Wednesday, Sule spoke at the 59th inaugural lecture of Nasarawa State University. He talked about what people expect from leaders and how to run a government.

“A project that you do that doesn’t directly affect the people you lead is not a service.” He said, “If you ever hear a governor say that one of my accomplishments is paying salaries or providing water, power, or building roads, even if they are flyovers, that governor doesn’t know what the hell he is talking about.”

The governor said that these kinds of duties are normal for government and should not be seen as great achievements.

“This is because that’s what you were elected to do in the first place.” So, you think it’s an accomplishment just because you’re paying salaries and building roads and other things? He went on to say, “That’s not the kind of leadership people want.”

He told leaders to come up with new ways to make a real difference in people’s lives.

“But life is all about doing things that people don’t expect and that have an effect on them and what they do.” Sule said, “That’s what service is for.”

Sule used examples from his time in office to show how using unusual solutions helped solve problems that kept coming up.

He remembered how fires at a market kept happening, which caused the government to keep giving money to the traders who were affected.

“When I lived in America, every time I came home, I was told that our small business owners in the market always had their goods burned and the government would help them. “We started at ₦2 million and went up to ₦5 million. Before I got there, I think the highest was ₦10 million, which was shared,” he said.

He said that this pattern went on until his government decided to do things differently.

“After nine months or a year, the market would get burned again. Then, as the government, we would go back, find something to give them, and keep going. This is what was happening for a long time, until we started to think outside the box.

“We decided that we need to build a new market so that we don’t wake up to find it burned down again.” “We haven’t heard a single report that the market burned down again since we rebuilt it,” he said.

The governor also talked about actions taken in Auta, near Keffi, where flooding had been a problem before.

He said that better revenue from within the area made it possible to build a bridge that has greatly cut down on flooding in the area.

Ike Neliaku, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, also spoke at the event and praised Sule’s efforts to improve the state, especially the infrastructure projects along major highways.

Emmanuel Dandaura, the Vice President of the institute, said in his lecture that if communication and performance don’t match up, people may lose faith in the public.

He stressed how important it is for organizations to put accountability and responsiveness first.

He said that to stay credible, organizations must always involve stakeholders and make sure that their actions match their messages.

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The ongoing political battle in Nasarawa State between Governor Abdullahi Sule and former governor Tanko Al-Makura is quickly turning into a liability for the APC’s wider fortunes, especially given Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s electoral strength in the state.

Stakeholders are becoming divided as a result of Sen. Almakura’s efforts to abandon the zoning formula that encourages peaceful cohabitation. By inciting internal divides and supporting internal conflicts, he has escalated his divisive rhetoric.

The incapacity of political heavyweights to balance legacy power with current authority is a well-known yet perilous tendency at the core of the problem. Due to his declining popularity in Nasarawa politics, Al-Makura, the former governor of the state who lost the Senate race, seems unable to face reality and make room for Sule, who now controls the government apparatus and the devotion that comes with incumbency. Although this conflict is common, it is being handled in a way that could cause the party’s base to become divided.

The persistent projection of parallel authority is one of Al-Makura’s most significant errors. Sule permitted his predecessor’s appointees to remain in office for continuity and a smooth transition, in contrast to other climes where incumbents upload their followers. Despite the fact that this could seem like his downfall, these appointees have now changed their allegiance to the Governor because of his genuine intentions. Al-makura fools himself into thinking he can hold onto party structures. He is unintentionally supporting opposing blocs in an effort to create the impression that the House is divided. As the Lord of the Manor, he has persisted in deceiving candidates. Such misdirected messages lead to uncertainty about direction and leadership, which frequently stifles voter enthusiasm.

The timing of these maneuvers is equally harmful. Internal strife at the state level sends the incorrect message, as national political considerations already lean toward consolidation ahead of upcoming elections. The continuous battle runs the risk of creating gaps that opposition groups could take advantage of rather than strengthening the APC’s hold over Nasarawa.

The issue of electoral repercussions is another. Tinubu’s vote bank has always benefited from Nasarawa’s support, but party leaders’ unity is crucial to maintaining stability. Ward and local government levels, where elections are frequently held, may be affected when powerful individuals are thought to be at odds with the governor. Disillusioned party members may quietly oppose mobilization attempts, defect, or disengage.

Furthermore, the story of cohesive government is undermined by the optics of elite conflict. Voters are more interested on concrete results than in former this and that. At a time when public expectations are high, prolonged infighting runs the risk of making the APC appear inward-looking.

Al-Makura’s perceived political status and his services to the state are further diminished by this. But his strategy seems more and more ineffective in the current situation. In politics, power involves timing, moderation, and strategic alignment in addition to retention.

President Bola Tinubu and the APC’s electoral power in this crucial North Central State of Nassarawa could be the true casualty if this trend continues.

The party’s greatest valuable political asset is still unity rather than rivalry.

Gov. Abdullahi Sule, the Chairman of the APC North Central Forum, continues to be the go-to person for organizing and delivering Nassarawa State and the North Central zone.

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Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, has expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s economic reforms, stating that the policies have significantly increased revenue for state governments and enabled accelerated infrastructure development across the country.

Governor Sule made the remarks on Wednesday in Keffi during the 4th Stakeholders Meeting and the first anniversary celebration of Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman as Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK).

According to the governor, the economic policies, particularly the unification and devaluation of the naira, have ended the challenges of multiple exchange rates and improved federal allocations and internally generated revenue (IGR) for many states.

“With President Tinubu’s reforms, especially the unification of the foreign exchange system, Nasarawa State now enjoys increased revenue. This has allowed us to fund vital projects and new initiatives without borrowing,” Governor Sule said.

Highlighting recent accomplishments, he noted that the state government has approved a new salary structure for the House of Assembly and other tertiary institutions, funded completely from improved revenue without external loans. He also revealed that the state is set to break ground on a major infrastructure project—a flyover at the Total Roundabout in Keffi—valued at over ₦10 billion, with 50% of the payment already made to the contractor upfront.

“All our ongoing developments—be it road construction, institutional upgrades, or public sector improvements—are being financed 100% by the state. None of the projects is funded by loans. This is the direct result of the fiscal opportunities created by President Tinubu’s bold reforms,” the governor added.

To enhance student welfare and security on campus, Governor Sule also announced plans for a public-private partnership with Advent, the reputable construction firm behind hostels at the University of Lagos and Lagos State University. The firm will build a 1,150-bed capacity hostel at NSUK to cater to the growing student population.

Governor Sule concluded by emphasizing the transformative impact of President Tinubu’s policies on the state’s development and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to efficient resource management and sustainable growth.

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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has thrown his weight behind the re-election bid of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, just a day after the governor publicly declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term.

Governor Eno, a prominent member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made headlines on Tuesday when he became the first opposition governor to openly endorse President Tinubu’s re-election ambition. In a swift and symbolic response, Senator Akpabio—an influential figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)—reciprocated the gesture by endorsing Eno’s second term ambition.

Speaking during a public lecture organised by the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Uyo, Akpabio commended Governor Eno’s bold political move and pledged the APC’s support for his continued leadership.

“Sir, for doing that, I am a member of the All Progressives Congress. I am speaking for the elders and to tell you, we are also going to support you for a second term,” Akpabio declared, drawing a round of applause from attendees, including the governor.

Akpabio, who was represented at the event by the Chairperson of the National Assembly Service Commission, Saviour Enyiekere, added, “You broke a record yesterday by being the first opposition governor to endorse Mr. President for a second term. We will support you in whatever aspiration you have.”

The event also served as a celebration of Governor Eno’s academic achievements. The governor, who is an alumnus of the University of Uyo, was recently awarded a doctorate in Political Science, with a specialisation in Public Administration. As the guest speaker, he delivered a lecture titled, “Leading Economic Development in Sub-Nationals of the Nigerian Federation: The Arise Agenda.”

The endorsement signals a rare moment of political unity and could set the tone for future bipartisan collaboration in Akwa Ibom and beyond.

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