President Bola Tinubu @officialABAT
felicitates Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, the former first lady of Lagos State, on her 60th birthday on April 6.

Dame Fashola, wife of Babatunde Raji Fashola @tundefashola (SAN), former Governor of Lagos State and ex-minister of Works and Housing, is renowned for her dedication and contributions as an experienced administrator in education management and as a passionate advocate for health and socio-economic issues.

President Tinubu acknowledges her impact on public awareness and sensitisation campaigns on children’s and women’s health.

He describes Dame Fashola as a steadfast pillar of support for her husband, offering tremendous help during his tenure as Lagos Governor and Minister of Works and Housing.

“Dame Fashola is devoted to her family, seeing it as a priority and a haven for growth and development. Her marriage, characterised by religious tolerance—she is a devout Christian and her husband a Muslim—is a powerful example of unity and understanding, crucial elements in nation-building.”

The President expresses his appreciation for Dame Fashola’s enduring contributions to the people of Lagos, specifically her leadership of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO). Her initiatives have notably included the inauguration of recreation centres and support for the screening and treatment of women with breast and cervical cancers.

President Tinubu wishes Dame Fashola continued health, happiness, and well-being.

The Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria, MEN, has issued a powerful statement condemning the relentless violence plaguing Bokkos Local Government Area in Plateau State.

The group’s statement issued by Solomon Dalung, paints a grim picture of mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and what they described as the “targeted annihilation” of innocent citizens, with the latest attacks between April 2 and 3, 2025, claiming over 60 lives.

The statement detailed the horrifying toll of the recent assaults on communities such as Mangor Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, Tadai, and Ruwi, saying that women, children, and the elderly were among the victims and their homes torched and lands desecrated by what MEN alleges are Fulani militias operating with genocidal intent.

The statement explained, “This is not random—it is systematic, coordinated, and genocidal.”

”MEN’s outrage is matched by its frustration with the Nigerian government and security agencies, whose “glaring silence and ineffectiveness” have left the people of Bokkos defenseless. How many more mass graves must be dug before Nigeria acts”?

MEN accused the perpetrators of seeking the slow but deliberate erasure of indigenous Christian communities under the guise of farmer-herder conflicts.

The statement outlines a series of bold demands, including the immediate designation of the Fulani militias as terrorist organizations, the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate the killings, and the deployment of a permanent security task force to Bokkos.

MEN also called for the eviction of foreign mercenaries and land-grabbers and urged civil society, religious leaders, and youth movements to break their silence, lamenting that people abandoned by their government are a people who must rise to protect themselves.

MEN also praised the Butura Development Association for its solidarity with the grieving residents of Ruwi, calling it a beacon of the true Plateau spirit, emphasizing that the crisis transcends regional boundaries.

The statement called on the international community, human rights organizations and global watchdogs to document what MEN labels a genocide, saying, “Let the world know: Bokkos shall not bleed in vain.”

PRESS RELEASE
NATIONWIDE PROTEST: NPF CAUTIONS AGAINST ILL-TIMED PROTEST ACROSS THE COUNTRY

The Nigeria Police Force has read in the news that a group called “Take it Back Movement” is planning a protest across various states of the Federation, most especially the Federal Capital Territory, scheduled to hold on Monday 7th April, 2025, a day earmarked by the Federal Government as the National Police Day, to celebrate the resilience and dedication of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.

While not against the exercise of citizens right to peaceful assembly and association in Nigeria as enshrined in the Constitution, the Nigeria Police Force is deeply concerned about the motive behind such protest scheduled on the same day the contributions of the Nigeria Police Force to national security is to be celebrated, putting into consideration that such glamorous event would bring together dignitaries from all spheres of life both internationally and within the country, including Foreign Inspectors-General of Police and Diplomats.

In line with best global practices adopted by nations in celebrating the achievements of its Police institution, the Nigerian Government has taken the bull by the horn by declaring every April 7 as National Police Day. The rationale behind staging a nationwide protest on the same day is however questionable and perceived to be a deliberate attempt and unpatriotic act that is capable of rubbishing and maligning the image of the Nigeria Police and the nation as a whole.

The Nigeria Police Force hereby advises the organizers to shelve this planned protest as it is ill-timed and mischievous.

The Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, while reaffirming the commitment of the NPF to adequately carrying out its mandate in accordance with the Law and respect for rights of citizens hereby urges all the organizers of the planned protest as well as individuals who intend to join the protest to pursue dialogue by engaging the proper institution of government to press home their demands.

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI,
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,
FORCE HEADQUARTERS,
ABUJA.
6TH APRIL 2025