The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading a bill seeking tougher penalties for the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit medicines and unsafe food products, including a proposed 15-year prison sentence for medicine hawkers. The proposed Counterfeit Medical Products, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Prohibition and Control) Bill, 2026 (SB.951), sponsored by the Senator representing Kwara North, Umar Suleiman, also provides for the forfeiture of assets, compensation for victims and expanded enforcement powers for...

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has appointed party chieftain and former spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, as his official spokesperson. Okonkwo announced the appointment on Thursday in a post on his verified X account, where he shared a copy of the appointment letter signed by Atiku. The letter, titled “Offer of Appointment as My Spokesperson,” formally appoints the lawyer...

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), marking the first major review of the scheme since its establishment 53 years ago. As part of the reforms, the Council directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to reflect all the approved measures, paving the way for the immediate implementation of the new framework....