By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

An Israeli Member of the Knesset, Afef Abbed, has called on the United Nations to review Nigeria’s implementation of a 2022 opinion concerning the detention of Nnamdi Kanu and to seek an official update from the Nigerian government.

In a letter dated September 1, 2026, addressed to the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Abbed urged continued international monitoring of Kanu’s case.

Abbed referred to Opinion No. 25/2022 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found Kanu’s deprivation of liberty arbitrary and called for his immediate release, compensation and other reparations. The Working Group also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest in Kenya and subsequent transfer to Nigeria.

The Israeli lawmaker said the UN opinion remained relevant despite subsequent developments in Nigeria, including Kanu’s conviction on terrorism-related charges in November 2025 and his sentence to life imprisonment. Reuters reported that Kanu was convicted on November 20, 2025, after a trial over terrorism-related charges.

According to Abbed, the later conviction did not remove the need to examine the concerns raised by the Working Group regarding Kanu’s rights, detention and transfer to Nigeria.

He asked the UN to request an official account from the Nigerian government on measures taken in response to Opinion No. 25/2022 and, where permitted, publish an update on its implementation.

Abbed further urged the UN to encourage continued dialogue with Nigeria to ensure that proceedings involving Kanu comply with international human-rights standards and Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The lawmaker also called for continued monitoring by relevant UN human-rights mechanisms, particularly regarding Kanu’s right to due process, fundamental rights and conditions of detention.

The letter raised additional concerns over allegations regarding Kanu’s health and claims that he had not received adequate medical care or that his personal physician had been prevented from providing treatment. Abbed said such allegations should be examined by the appropriate international human-rights mechanisms.

The UN Working Group’s 2022 opinion had concluded that Nigeria failed to establish a legal basis for Kanu’s detention and characterized the detention as arbitrary under Category I. It also found that Kanu had been subjected to detention connected to the exercise of rights including freedom of opinion and expression.

Abbed also noted that United States Congressman John James had recently called for Kanu’s release, although the Israeli lawmaker’s letter primarily focused on the role of the UN and implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations.

The appeal comes as Kanu remains in custody following his 2025 conviction. His case has continued to attract international attention because of the circumstances surrounding his 2021 arrest in Kenya and transfer to Nigeria, as well as questions surrounding his subsequent prosecution.

Abbed said a rights-based resolution should be pursued in accordance with international law, the rule of law and due-process principles.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday ordered a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of suspected illegal miners detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) following enforcement operations around Lt.Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna, Niger State.

In a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga,President Tinubu said the life of every Nigerian matters and that no citizen should lose his life while in government custody as a result of negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.

The President expressed deep concern over the reported deaths, describing the development as a grave matter that requires urgent investigation and accountability.

“While the federal government would continue to combat illegal mining and other criminal activities across the country, enforcement operations must be conducted strictly within the law and with full respect for the dignity and fundamental rights of every person in custody.

“The fact that these individuals were suspected of illegal mining does not in any way remove their right to life, dignity and humane treatment while in government custody. Government will not tolerate mass deaths arising from official negligence, dereliction of duty or failure by public officials to protect the lives placed under their care.

“Where the investigation establishes that any official, through action, abuse or negligence, contributed to these deaths, such an officer must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. There must be accountability,” the President said.

President Tinubu directed the relevant authorities to ensure that the investigation is comprehensive, transparent and unhindered, covering the circumstances of the arrests, the condition of the detainees when they were taken into custody, the conditions under which they were detained, the number of persons held in the facility, the medical attention provided and the events leading to their deaths.

“The suspension of officers is only an administrative step and must not substitute for a proper determination of criminal responsibility where the evidence warrants prosecution,” the President said.

He directed the Ministry of Interior and the NSCDC leadership to cooperate fully with all relevant investigative authorities and ensure that no officer interferes with the process or attempts to frustrate the establishment of the truth.

President Tinubu extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the repose of their souls.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to advancing local technological capacity and strengthening strategic partnerships to boost national security and personnel development.

Speaking on Friday, 18 September 2026, during a courtesy visit to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) headquarters in Abuja, General Shaibu highlighted the urgent need to build local expertise in unmanned aerial systems and drone technology to tackle terrorism, insurgency and banditry.

He praised the PTDF’s long standing role in human capacity development and formally requested specialized training for army personnel to create a strong pool of skilled professionals.

“This will help us establish indigenous companies for the development of unmanned aerial systems and reduce reliance on foreign military training,” the COAS said, while also acknowledging the Fund’s continued support for Command Secondary Schools.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Professor Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, commended the sacrifices of the Nigerian Army in safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.

He outlined ongoing collaborations under the PTDF In-Country Scholarship Scheme at the Nigerian Defence Academy and pledged to establish a modern ICT center for digital skills training at the proposed Command Science Secondary School in Kaduna.

Professor Aliyu also called for the Army’s support in protecting PTDF’s strategic national assets and regional centers of excellence in Kaduna and Afam.

He advocated for a formal security framework between both institutions to ensure rapid emergency response and safeguard staff, students and infrastructure.