By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council with immediate effect.

The announcement was made in a Government Special Announcement issued on Thursday and signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi.

According to the statement, all Commissioners and Special Advisers have been directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most senior officers in their respective ministries without delay.

“His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council,” the statement read.

The governor also expressed appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council for their service and wished them well in their future endeavours.

No reason was provided for the dissolution at the time of filing this report.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2026 African Union (AU) Summit.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), this year’s summit is themed: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

The gathering will center on advancing continent-wide commitments to sustainable water resource management, improved sanitation infrastructure, and the broader developmental objectives outlined in the AU’s Agenda 2063 framework.

During his stay in Addis Ababa, Vice President Shettima will participate in the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government and the 30th General Assembly, scheduled for February 14 and 15, 2026, respectively.

On the sidelines of the main summit, Shettima is expected to engage in high-level side events and hold bilateral meetings with political leaders and business executives. These engagements are aimed at deepening Nigeria’s diplomatic ties, expanding economic cooperation, and reinforcing strategic partnerships across the continent.

The Vice President is accompanied by cabinet ministers and other senior government officials. He is scheduled to return to Nigeria upon the conclusion of his official engagements in Ethiopia.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Security operatives on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from Cairo, Egypt.

The allegation was made by El-Rufai’s Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account shortly after the incident.

According to Adekeye, security agents approached the former governor as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody. He said El-Rufai declined to comply, insisting that he would not accompany the operatives without a formal invitation or warrant.

“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation,” Adekeye wrote.

He further alleged that during the encounter, the operatives seized the former governor’s passport from one of his aides.

“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” the statement added.

As of press time, there was no official statement from the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), or any other security agency regarding the alleged incident.

The development comes a day after El-Rufai, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, suggested that he could face arrest upon returning to the country. He claimed that some of his former associates in Kaduna had already been detained.

“About four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested. So, it may only be a matter of time before they come for me as well,” he said.

The circumstances surrounding Thursday’s incident remain unclear, pending official confirmation from the relevant authorities.