Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has accused National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu of dismissing urgent alerts ahead of the deadly Benue attacks.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Ayodele claims he phoned Ribadu “about 130 times,” sent texts, hand-delivered letters—and even enlisted a military general—only to be rebuffed each time.

The cleric said his apocalyptic vision of the carnage was documented in his annual prophecy book, Warnings to the Nations, weeks before the tragedy struck.

He lamented, “When you put people who don’t respect God in power, these are some of the things that happen,” blaming Ribadu and other officials for the bloodshed.

Ayodele was particularly scathing, suggesting the NSA refused to see him because he thought he might ask for cash.

“Probably he thinks I want to collect money from him, and I wonder what he wants to give me that I don’t already have. I went to his office, but I was turned back. I went ahead to write a letter because God doesn’t want the death of innocent lives, but these people in power are something else.”

Further inflamed, he warned that Benue’s problem extends beyond the governor’s power and urged all leaders to respect divine counsel.

Ayodele said he even tasked a general to reach Ribadu with his warning—but was allegedly shut out once more.

In his final plea, the prophet implored authorities to “begin to respect God and listen to his warnings” to avoid further tragedy.

“The problem in Benue goes beyond the governor’s power, and that’s why I sent a letter to him and Nuhu Ribadu. I even called a general to reach out to Ribadu regarding the vision I saw about the Benue attack, but the NSA ignored it. Our governors and administrators need to begin to respect God and listen to his warnings in order to get things done rightly.”

The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, says his 650,000-barrel capacity refinery is “increasingly” relying on the United States for crude oil.

This came as findings showed that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is projected to import a total of 17.65 million barrels of crude oil between April and July 2025, beginning with about 3.65 million barrels already delivered in the past two months, amid ongoing allocations under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude policy.

Dangote informed the Technical Committee of the One-Stop Shop for the sale of crude and refined products in naira initiative that the refinery was still battling crude shortages, which had led it to resort to imports from the United States.

In a statement from the firm on Thursday, Dangote stated this when the Coordinator of the OSS Technical Committee, Mrs Maureen Ogbonna, led a delegation to the refinery, which she described as a breath of fresh air, impacting virtually every sector of the economy.

According to the statement, Dangote applauded the technical committee for its role in supporting the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s laudable naira-for-crude initiative.

He commended the positive impact of the naira-for-crude swap deal on the Nigerian economy, noting that it has led to a reduction in petroleum product prices, eased pressure on the dollar, and ensured the stability of the local currency, among others.

“However, he noted that due to a shortage of domestic crude oil, the refinery has increasingly relied on imports from the United States to meet its needs in recent months,” the statement read partly.

The PUNCH recalls that the refinery has been importing more cargoes of WTI in its bid to ramp up production. So far this year, US crude has accounted for a third of the purchases of the Dangote refinery, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. A large part of the American crude feeding Nigeria’s refinery is the WTI Midland grade, the data showed.

Dangote stressed the importance of bold investment in strategic sectors as a key to industrialisation, revealing that building the refinery required extensive infrastructure development, including a world-class, self-sufficient marine facility capable of accommodating the largest vessels globally. He assured the delegation of the refinery’s commitment to national development.

Speaking, the Coordinator of the OSS Technical Committee, Ogbonna, hailed the $20bn facility as a symbol of the industrial revolution, driving Nigeria’s economic emancipation.

“This refinery touches all our lives. There’s scarcely any sector unaffected. From pharmaceuticals to construction, food to plastics, this project is transformational. God has used the President of the Dangote Group to liberate Nigeria. I see this as the beginning of an industrial revolution,” she said.

She noted that, in line with Tinubu’s vision of achieving full domestic sufficiency in petroleum products and positioning Nigeria as a major global exporter, the committee was committed to eliminating regulatory, operational, and logistical barriers that hinder the smooth supply and sale of domestic crude oil and refined products in naira.

Reflecting on the scale of the facility, Ogbonna added, “It is truly mind-blowing that one man could envision and execute such a project. As we toured the refinery, we thought we had seen everything until we reached the laboratory. That lab alone is an institution. I don’t know of any institution in Nigeria or even globally that boasts such a laboratory for petrochemicals.”

Ogbonna urged Dangote to remain focused and undeterred by detractors, emphasising that the project is a global achievement, not a personal enterprise.

“We feel truly honoured to have been warmly received by the President of the Dangote Group and his team. My advice to him is: do not be discouraged by critics. He was never self-centred. Despite the obstacles, he was driven by a vision for Nigeria’s future, reaching far beyond Africa,” she added.

The statement concluded that the refinery was designed to process a wide range of crude types, including African and Middle Eastern grades as well as US Light Tight Oil. “The refinery can meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s domestic demand for petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation jet fuel, with a surplus available for export,” the company reiterated.

17.65m barrels imports

The PUNCH further gathered that the refinery is projected to receive a total of 17.65 million barrels of crude oil between April and July 2025, beginning with about 3.65 million barrels already delivered in the past two months.

The refinery has started receiving crude allocation of the planned nine million barrels in June and is awaiting another five million barrels in July, with the lion’s share of it being the grade West Texas Intermediate – Midland from the United States.

The crude import is part of the refinery’s push to reach a full operational capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and intensified efforts to secure a steady supply of crude oil, including sourcing from international markets. While the refinery has historically sourced crude from countries like Brazil, Angola, and Libya, imports from the US now dominate.

Findings by one of our correspondents, based on recent data obtained from the Tanker Position Report compiled by maritime tracking firm Blue Sea Maritime, showed that 21 oil vessels berthed at ports in Lagos between April 6 and May 28, 2025.

These ships delivered a total of 3,652,214 barrels of crude oil to the $20bn refinery, owned by Africa’s richest man, between April and May. It also plans to receive nine million barrels from the same source in June and five million barrels in July.

Data showed that imports from the US have surpassed allocations received from domestic crude producers in recent months. A breakdown showed that the refinery has moved from total dependence on Nigerian crude in December 2024 to importing 27.1m barrels of crude from the US in seven months. This is compared to 46.2 million barrels obtained from the government within the same period.

An analysis of the Tanker Position Report revealed that between April 6 and May 28, 2025, at least 22 vessels delivered a cumulative 3.01 million barrels of crude oil to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, mainly through the Lekki Deep Seaport.

Data showed that the crude imports began with 130,000 barrels received on April 1, followed by 135,909 barrels on April 5, and 270,250 barrels on April 6.

Additional shipments included 145,000 barrels on April 8, 294,076 barrels on April 9, 145,890 barrels on April 15, 145,890 barrels on April 19, 140,000 barrels on April 20, 136,124 barrels on April 23, and 140,000 barrels on April 30.

In May, the imports continued with 140,000 barrels received on May 3; 146,000 barrels on May 7; another 140,000 barrels on May 7; 125,000 barrels on May 15; and 125,200 barrels on May 21.

On May 23, the facility brought in two vessels conveying 273,454MT and 125,000MT, respectively. On May 24, 247,989 MT of crude oil handled by Agent WAPS arrived at 2:45 pm.

On the same day, a union peace ship carrying 273,454 barrels discharged crude at the refinery. 247,978 barrels berthed on May 27 and 125,000 barrels on May 28.

These shipments, which berthed at Lagos ports, further underscore the refinery’s growing reliance on imported crude amid concerns over inadequate domestic supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Meanwhile, a report by Energy in Africa said a key factor behind Dangote refinery’s preference for US crude lies in crude quality. The refinery is optimised to process light sweet crude, a type of oil with low sulfur content that is easier and cheaper to refine into high-value fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

While Nigeria does produce some light sweet grades such as Bonny Light and Qua Iboe, they are often more expensive on the spot market and subject to frequent supply disruptions and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure.

It said the refinery opted for WTI because strong domestic production, efficient logistics, and a reliable export supply chain often make it more competitively priced than comparable Nigerian grades.

“Feedstock predictability is critical. A facility of this scale cannot afford supply disruptions, even if the crude is sourced from right next door,” a senior analyst at Rystad Energy stated.

According to Randy Hurburun, senior refinery analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd, “WTI offers Dangote advantages over Nigerian crudes that result in improved yields of reformate and better gasoline blending capabilities.”

Also commenting on the situation, global oil markets expert Aleksandr Butov noted that, “The refinery’s reliance on US crude imports highlights Nigeria’s ongoing production challenges, despite repeated government assurances and the crude-for-naira exchange policy.”

In an earlier interview with Bloomberg, a spokesman for Dangote said the increased use of US oil reflects the refinery’s rising processing levels and a reduction of Nigerian crude that’s available to buy.

Earlier this year, the facility said it hoped to ramp up production with the target of hitting the 650,000 bpd mark by June this year. Officials said it planned to import more crude oil as supply and look beyond the shores of Nigeria for the feedstock.

The massive crude imports raise fresh questions about the crude allocation under the naira-for-crude oil agreement and concerns for the foreign exchange market due to scarce FX being used for crude oil imports.

The naira-for-crude deal between Dangote refinery and the government was recently revamped after the Federal Executive Council directed the full implementation of the suspended agreement with local refiners. The deal includes an initial volume of 350,000 barrels.

Recall that the first phase of the six-month deal involving the Federal Government, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and local refiners ended March 31, 2025. To restart the deal, the government said the initiative with local refineries is not a temporary measure, but a “key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining.”

The refinery has repeatedly acknowledged the naira-for-crude deal as the reason for the reduction in petrol prices, which translates to reduced costs at the pumps. It affirmed that the prices of petrol would remain affordable and stable despite the fluctuations in global crude oil prices.

The company, in a release signed by its Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, recently stated that the decision to maintain price stability reflects its unwavering commitment to supporting the Nigerian economy and alleviating the burden on consumers from the increase in fuel prices by maintaining price stability.

“We are immensely grateful to President Bola Tinubu for making this possible through the commendable naira-for-crude initiative, which has enabled us to consistently reduce the price of petroleum products for the benefit of all Nigerians,” it stated.

Sir, we didn’t need poetry. We needed presence. Precision. Protection

By Stephanie Shaakaa

I did not carry bread, tea, pap, water and toiletries into the Makurdi International Market Camp as only a journalist chasing a story, or as a lecturer with a title.

I did not only go as an observer, but also as a witness.

I also went because I could no longer look away. I also went as a daughter of the soil and a neighbour. My house is just a stone’s throw from the camp.

One of the IDP camps at North Bank has become an integral part of my daily routine. Every morning on my way to school, I stop there. They know me now not as a passerby, but as one of their own. Some of the mothers visit me every Saturday at home.

We sit, we talk, we share and sometimes we cry. What started as a small gesture has grown into a bond that will outlive displacement.

A quiet sisterhood carved out of resilience and shared humanity.

What humbles me most is how they carry their pain with such profound grace, remaining unshaken by the weight of their challenges, that it makes you pause. It makes you question why you even complain about the trivialities in your own life. In their laughter, in their strength, in their dignity, there is a lesson, one that the world desperately needs to learn.

These are no longer nameless faces on the margins of a tragedy. They are my people. And in the ruins of what was, we have built something enduring, something the world must see, must feel, must never forget. We have formed a bond that no circumstance can undo, a sisterhood that would remain even when they return to the ancestral homes they were forced to flee.

Inside the camp, hope hung thinner than the smoke that rose from makeshift kitchens. Children trailed behind me barefoot, not begging for food, but simply curious, curious that someone came who wasn’t handing them ration cards or preaching peace.

The first woman I met had no name to give. She simply said, “I’ve lost too many people to remember what to call myself.” Her eyes were rimmed red, not from tears, but from staring too long at the ground, hoping maybe it would open up and return her sons. “I lost four that night,” she told me. “They came after we had just returned from the farm. We hadn’t even made luam (Tiv name for Fufu).

There was a girl, Dooshima, barely 15, holding a screaming baby. The baby was her little sister, their mom had died in the attack. “She doesn’t stop crying,” she told me. “My mum asked us to run, leaving her behind. The baby was on my back when we ran. I turned to call my mother. I didn’t see her again.” Days later, they found her by the burnt barn. Her words were still. Her pain had fossilized. I said nothing, because what does one say when death is the most constant presence in a child’s life?

I met a boy named Terver. Eight years old. He looked like any other child, except he had no smile, no song, no mischief in his eyes. When I asked him where he came from, he said, “I don’t come from anywhere. I come from running.” He had lost both parents in the Yelewata massacre.

He said, “my Dad and Mom were burnt like charcoal I couldn’t differentiate which corpse was Mom’s or Dad’s.” He said it the way you describe the weather. Like it didn’t matter anymore.

Further inside the camp, I found a woman with twins who gave birth in a makeshift pit latrine shack because the clinic was overcrowded and far. “I didn’t scream,” she told me. “I bit my hand to stop myself from making noise. I was scared they would hear me.” The twins lived. But for how long?

This was no ordinary attack. This was terror scripted and directed for maximum horror. They came at night, at about 10 pm, herded families into their homes, locked the doors from outside and set fire to everything. In one house, forty-five people burned to death, entire generations turned to ash.

In another house, twenty-eight people were charred beyond recognition. A mother lost her five children, burnt alive alongside her aging mother. Nothing was spared. No one.

At the teaching hospital, I met a man cradling a miracle. His six-month-old baby had just been pulled from rubble three days after the attack, alive. Dehydrated, bruised, but alive. “My wife and four other children were found in pieces,” he said, voice shaking. “Only this one survived. Maybe God still sees me. I don’t know.”

Every single family in Yelewata recorded multiple deaths. Some compounds had no survivors. They are still pulling bodies from the ruins. Some have no heads. Some, no legs.

Some, just piles of charcoal and bone. These are the people the federal government calls displaced. No, they are not displaced. They are erased.

Names of some dead ones released

The names tell the story of a people being wiped out while the world watches in silence. Fanen Chii. Doom Chii. Terzungwe Chii. Edeember Uke. Aondodoo Uke. Adohi Dooga. Mbanyiar Dooga. Ikyoche Dooga. Awanboi Dooga. Regina Dooga. Adoo Dooga. Aondofa Dooga. Mathew Iormba. Apam Iormba. Philomena Iormba. Akama Iormba. Ngodoo Iormba. Kumawues Iormba. Nensha Iormba. Victoria Tsegba. Ngodoo Tsegba. Mimidoo Tsegba.

Dorathy Tsegba. Msendoo Tsegba. Iorgyer Kyule. Ute Dooga. Shaadye Koornam. Sewuese Iorember. Dooshima Aondoana. Agbogo Aondoana. Erdoo Aondoana. Orsoja Ikpakyaa. Injinia Ikpakyaa. Chia Orshio. Uyina Orshio. Katie Orshio. Myuega Orshio. Usha Orshio. Philomena Orshio. Alia Orshio. Lydia Ajah. Terdoo Ajah. Iwuese Ajah. Orbuter Anya. Terzungwe Akpen. Aondohemba Akpen. Ushana Akpen. Shater Akpen. Mercy Akpen. Isaac Akpen. Doowuese Ugbah. Ngodoo Ugba. Manta Simon. Manta Laadi. Manta Iwuese. Doose Asoo. Aondosoo Asoo. Terlumun Fidelis. Yakov Shagwa. Margaret Shagwa. Erdoo Shagwa. Dooauur Shagwa. Sewuese Shagwa. Logo Ukô. Eunice Tyokuwa. Jude Aza. Kwaghhar Ordue. Doosuur Ordue. Terngu Nongotse. Msugh Nongotse. Dooshima Nongotse. Orlogbo Lamaaondo. Laadi Lamaaondo. Awan Shiôr. Aondohemba Ucha. Bonashe Uzer. Amaki Dende.

Angbiandoo Dende. Festus Amaki. Mbaufe Ubi. Matthew Uto. Doopinen Uto. Kumater Uto. Terhile Uto. Versuwe Zerkohol. Mbakeren Aondovihi. Monday Aondovihi. Erdoo Aondovihi. Joe Aondovihi. Mwarga Aondovihi. Felicia Gwabo. Mary Gwabo. Terhemba Gwabo. Jirgema Gwabo. Mercy Dende. Lubem Dende. Uwundu Iorhemen. Gabriel Fide. Aondoana Fide. Ukese Fide. Averter Fide. Mwaraorga Fide. Terkimbir Solomon. Amina Kongo. Terkula Kongo.

Aboi Asoo. Shater Amaki. Lumunga Gbem. Doose Ayom. Mama Mfanyi. Samson Uke. Aboi Korna. Aondoawase Lamaaondo. Ormbagba Utim. Mermber Lamaaondo. Doose Ordue. Torsaar Adam. Doose Adam. Nguyilan Adam. Terver Ucha. Agon Ucha. Aondohemba Ucha. Atuur Asom. Uvershigh Asom. Nongo Ulam. Aondoaver Ulam. Ayangealumun Azahan. Nguzugwen Torgeri. Washima Nyiyongu. Tarnum Zerhemba.

We are yet to gather the names from Tse-Ikyoon, Tse-Viambe, Tse-Hwar, Tse-Iortyer, Tse-Aguun, Mbagbanger, Tse-Ikyegh, Tse-Chule, and more villages where nothing remains but silence.

Tinubu visits as Benue displaced indigens rise to 900,000

Over 900,000 people are now displaced across Benue State. Children are growing up in camps with no access to proper food, education, or medical care. And in the face of this unspeakable tragedy, the federal response has been delayed, muted, perfunctory. It took yet another massacre over 200 people wiped in Yelewata for the President to visit.

And even when he came, he brought platitudes and prescriptions, not policies or presence. A committee here, a blood donation call there, a mention of ranching, and vague promises. But the blood had already dried by then. The soil had already soaked it in.

He called for peace. He asked why arrests had not been made. He suggested a committee of elders and said, “We will convert this tragedy into prosperity.” But Mr. President, have you ever stood beside a mother who just buried her five children in one grave? Have you seen a man cradle the only surviving piece of his family, a six-month-old baby with burns? You came to Benue, but you didn’t come to us. You came to speak, but you didn’t come to feel.

Sir, we didn’t need poetry. We needed presence. Precision. Protection

What Benue people expected to hear from President Tinubu

What we hoped the President would say was to name what is happening, terrorism. Genocide. Ethnic cleansing. We wanted him to say, “This is a war on the Nigerian farmers, and I will deploy all federal might to stop it.” We wanted him to say, “We are launching Operation Save Benue Now.” Instead, he told us to lead the way. As if a people hunted from their ancestral homes are the ones meant to blaze the trail for national security.

We wanted him to say, “Here is N100 billion for rebuilding, for restoring, for returning displaced people to their lands.” Instead, we heard talk of peace committees.

We wanted him to say, “I hear your cries, I see your graves, I feel your loss.” But the only thing we heard clearly was that peace is good for development.

But where is development without survival?

How does one talk of ranching while children burn?

How do we ask displaced farmers to return to ashes?

How do we ask them to form peace committees with hands still covered in the dirt of fresh graves?

Where is the plan for resettling displaced persons?

When will military bases be established in the vulnerable areas of Guma, Gwer-West, Logo, and Agatu?

Where is the justice for the thousands of lives lost?

Will the Federal Government declare the attackers as terrorists, or will we continue to downplay the horror?

These are questions we want answers to.

It was Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse, who told the hardest truth. Said he: “This is not herder-farmer clashes… It is a full-scale genocidal land-grabbing campaign. It is a total invasion.”

Yet the federal government continues to describe these horrors with vague terms like clashes, reprisals, skirmishes. No. This is calculated violence, ethnic cleansing by fire and fear.

The people didn’t want condolences. They wanted security. They didn’t want to hear about peace committees. They wanted military boots in their villages, now. They didn’t want to hear political poetry. They wanted justice loud, visible, swift.

As I left the camp that morning, a little girl stood before me with a stick she used like a microphone. She said, “Welcome to my news. I live here. My house is fire now. My mummy is black in the ground.” Then she smiled, and sent me on an errand; “Please, tell Abuja we want to go home”.

I turned away because I could not take it anymore. As I was about to walk out of the premises, a man grabbed my hand firmly, but not in hostility. His name was Agber. He had lost his wife and three daughters in the attack. “Please tell them,” he said. “Tell Abuja we are still human beings here. Tell them to stop sending words. We need action. We need to go home”. I promised I would. And that’s why I am writing this.

Let us never again say “herder-farmer clash.” This is not a clash. It is a calculated extermination, a total invasion, genocide and land grabbing and if Nigeria remains silent, it becomes complicit. These names are not just a list. They are an indictment. They are our history’s shame. But maybe, just maybe, if we write them loudly enough, if we say them with enough truth, if we remember them fiercely enough they won’t die a second death in silence.

Mr. President, this is your country. These are your people. Their bones are your burden. Their names are your legacy. Do not let them vanish again.

The death toll from the latest massacre in Yelewata is over 200. Benue currently hosts more IDPs than any state outside Borno and Zamfara. Yet the camps receive little to no sustained federal funding. No resettlement policy exists. The killings continue with no solid plan in place.

Source: Vanguard

Billboard has released its list of the “75 Best R&B Artists of All Time,” crowning American singer Stevie Wonder as the best R&B Artist of All Time.

The ranking was determined by evaluating factors such as vocal prowess, body of work, career longevity, industry achievements, and cultural impact.

Stevie Wonder tops the list, followed closely by legendary artists Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, and Whitney Houston, who take the second, third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively.

The top 10 list also features James Brown, Prince, Mariah Carey, R. Kelly, and Marvin Gaye, rounding out the top tier of R&B greats.

Other notable artists on the list include Ray Charles, Usher, Sam Cooke, and The Weeknd, among others.

Source: The Nation

Terminally ill people in England and Wales are to be given the right to an assisted death in a historic societal shift that will transform end-of-life care.

After months of argument, MPs narrowly voted in favour of a private member’s bill introduced by Labour’s Kim Leadbeater, which could become law within four years.

Her bill, which passed by 314 to 291 votes, a majority of 23, was hailed by campaigners as “a day for the history books, where facts have prevailed over fear”.

The emotional debate in parliament was dominated by pleas from opponents of the bill for stricter safeguards against coercion by abusers, concern from disabled people and warnings about the fundamental change in the power of the state when granted new rights over life and death.

The prime minister, Keir Starmer, voted in favour of the bill, while MPs were given a free vote. It will head to the House of Lords and peers are not expected to block its progress, though opponents said they would continue to fight the bill there. Royal assent is widely expected by the end of the year.

It will give people with less than six months to live in England and Wales the right to an assisted death after approval from two doctors and a panel including a psychiatrist, social worker and senior lawyer.

Opening the debate, Leadbeater said now was the time to seize the moment, to “correct the profound injustices of the status quo and to offer a compassionate and safe choice to terminally ill people who want to make it”.

The Labour MP for Spen Valley said it was “not a choice between living and dying – it is a choice for terminally ill people about how they die”. She said rejecting the bill was “not a neutral act, it is a vote for the status quo … and it fills me with despair to think MPs could be here in another 10 years’ time hearing the same stories”.

Terminally ill people and families were in the public galleries watching the debate and at a rally in Parliament Square. Dame Esther Rantzen, terminally ill with lung cancer, whom Starmer promised he would make parliamentary time to debate the bill, said she had never quite believed it would come to pass.

“It won’t come in my lifetime, I won’t live long enough, but I am so relieved it will help future generations to look forward to a good death. I am astonished I have lived to see the moment,” she said.

Concerns were raised by disability activists, who held a protest outside parliament, and MPs opposed to the bill made passionate pleas that it would lead to people being coerced into ending their lives early.

The bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England, said it would be a service introduced amid multiple risks to the most vulnerable, including serious shortfalls in social and palliative care.

“It does not prevent terminally ill people who perceive themselves to be a burden to their families and friends from choosing assisted dying,” she said. “And it would mean that we became a society where the state fully funds a service for terminally ill people to end their own lives but shockingly only funds around one-third of palliative care.”

Opening the debate for those opposed to the bill, the former foreign secretary James Cleverly said he was an atheist but had rejected the bill because he believed the right safeguards were not in place.

“We were promised the gold standard, a judicially underpinned set of protections and safeguards,” he said, citing concerns from professional bodies including the Royal College of Psychiatrists. “I disagree with [Leadbeater’s] assessment that it is now or never, and it is this bill or no bill, and that to vote against this at third reading is a vote to maintain the status quo. None of those things are true.”

The cabinet was deeply split on the legislation. Cabinet ministers to join Starmer voting in favour included Rachel Reeves, Yvette Cooper, John Healey, Liz Kendall, Pat McFadden, Heidi Alexander, Ed Miliband, Steve Reed and Peter Kyle.

Among those opposed were Angela Rayner, Bridget Phillipson, Jonathan Reynolds, Wes Streeting, Shabana Mahmood and Darren Jones.

The Labour peer Charlie Falconer will take over shepherding the bill through the Lords, with backing from Conservative peers including Michael Forsyth and the former Scottish secretary Alister Jack.

Should the bill pass the Lords, there will be no provision in place for a number of years. The government and NHS have four years to implement the bill, though Leadbeater has said she hoped it would be ready sooner. There are no answers, as yet, as to whether the NHS would provide the service or private providers, or whether it would be free at the point of use.

Terminally ill patients with a prognosis of six months will have be of sound mind to proceed, but MPs rejected an amendment that would have prevented anyone from accessing the service on the basis of feeling too much of a burden to loved ones. There will be criminal sanctions on any family member found to be coercing someone to choose to hasten their deaths.

Through the debate, proponents of the bill sought to argue that MPs could not allow the status quo to persist.

The Labour MP David Burton-Sampson said his Christian beliefs had meant he was initially against assisted dying but the exertions from constituents who described their loved ones dying in excruciating pain had persuaded him to support it.

“In my view, this bill has more controls than it had, the debate has been ongoing for many years, it has gone through hours of scrutiny … I believe in choice and while I believe assisted dying is not for me, it should be a choice for others,” he said.

Many speaking in support or against the bill told of some of the hardest moments of their lives, such as the Conservative MP Mark Garnier, who spoke of his mother’s drawn-out death from pancreatic cancer. He said she had endured more suffering and anguish compared with a constituent with the same disease who ended their life under assisted dying laws in Spain.

Labour’s Siobhain McDonagh’s voice broke with emotion describing her sister’s death from brain cancer, and her fears her life would have been shortened had such a law existed sooner.

From both Labour and the Conservatives there were warnings that the bill would herald a watershed moment that could not be undone. The mother of the house, the Labour MP Diane Abbott, said MPs should oppose the bill on behalf of the marginalised.

“I came to this house to be a voice for the voiceless. Who could be more voiceless than somebody who is in their sickbed and believes they are dying? I ask members in this debate to speak up for the voiceless one more time,” Abbott said.

Two MPs, the Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat and Labour’s Chi Onwurah, said they were deeply concerned about the fundamental shift in the role of the state, giving it the power to end life.

The Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft, who resigned a whip on Thursday night in protest at the government’s disability cuts, spoke against the bill citing her fears for disabled people, as many campaigners protested outside parliament.

“The vast majority of disabled people and their organisations oppose it,” she said. “They need the health and social care system fixing first. They want us as parliamentarians to assist them to live, not to die.”

Starmer, a strong supporter of the law change, had made his decision to vote at third reading some time ago, but No 10 declined to disclose it in advance on the prime minister’s insistence, conscious that making a firm commitment to do so might be too leading when the government was neutral.

Before the final vote on the bill, MPs passed several new amendments, including two from opponents of the bill. One would bar those who refuse food and water from being classified as having a terminal illness, though MPs concerned about anorexia said it may not prevent that slipping through the gap. The other would commission the health secretary to report on the state of palliative care.

Source: The Guardian

The Sokoto State Government claims that its recent decision to open dialogue with bandits is not a show of weakness.

In a statement responding to criticisms of its recent offer to negotiate with bandits who wish to drop their arms and give peace a chance, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Security, Col Ahmed Usman (Rtd), said the state’s priority is the safety and security of its citizens, and that negotiation is just one of many tools being deployed to address the worsening insecurity.

“Let it be clear — we are not negotiating because we are weak. We are doing this to prevent more innocent lives from being lost,” the official said.

According to him, the government is still working closely with security agencies and has not abandoned efforts to arrest and prosecute those responsible for attacks on communities.

“Dialogue doesn’t mean we’ve folded our arms. It means we are exploring every option. Force alone hasn’t solved this problem in years,” he added.

“We owe it to our people to try everything—dialogue, security operations, support for victims—anything that brings peace closer.”

In recent months, Sokoto has joined some North Western states ravaged by insecurity, as villagers abandon homes to seek refuge in towns and neighboring states.

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Days after a notorious bandit leader who had been declared wanted by security forces was seen in a viral video meeting traditional rulers, local government officials, representatives of the Nigerian Army, and top officials from Katsina and Zamfara states, at least one police officer killed and another injured following an ambush on its Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) patrol team by suspected armed bandits in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Sources told security analyst, Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on Thursday, June 19 at about 12:30 p.m. near Government Science Secondary School along the Kankara–Kafi Road, during a farm clearance operation by the police. 

According to police sources, he bandits suddenly opened fire on the patrol team, leading to a gun duel. 

“As a result of the exchange, Inspector Yahaya Bello, was fatally wounded and later confirmed dead at the General Hospital Kankara by a medical doctor. Another officer, ASP Sani Suleiman, attached to 27 PMF Katsina, sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the same hospital, where he is reported to be responding positively,” a source said. 

Read Also: Sokoto Government declares readiness to dialogue with bandits, as IPOB condemns FG’s linking of Kanu with #EndSARS 

Meanwhile, a civil society group, the Citizens for Equity and Justice Initiative (CEJI), has condemned the governors of Zamfara and Katsina states over a widely criticised peace meeting held with Ado Aleru, the notorious bandit leader.

The meeting, held Saturday in Bichi community, Danmusa LGA of Katsina, was attended by traditional rulers, local government officials, representatives of the Nigerian Army, and top officials from both states.

In widely circulated video footage, Aleru — who has a N5 million bounty on his head — was seen addressing the gathering, urging for peaceful coexistence between Fulani herders and farming communities.

Aleru has been linked to countless acts of terror and bloodshed in the north-west, with human rights organisations accusing him of orchestrating mass killings, mass kidnappings, and the displacement of thousands.
His reemergence, not in handcuffs but at the centre of state-sanctioned negotiations, has sparked outrage across the country.

CEJI, a non-partisan watchdog focused on justice and rule of law, said the presence of state officials and security personnel at a meeting where Aleru was not only welcomed but offered a platform to speak, was a complete betrayal of the Nigerian people and an affront to every citizen who has lost a loved one to bandit violence.

In a statement issued on Friday, Dr Abdulmumin Sarki, CEJI president, accused governors Dikko Radda of Katsina and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara of hypocrisy and political cowardice.

“These are the same governors who, while campaigning, condemned so-called peace deals with blood-stained warlords,” Sarki said.

“Now in power, they are doing precisely what they once derided — normalising criminals as stakeholders in the governance process, even as tens of thousands of citizens remain unaccounted for due to the very violence these men unleashed.”

The group referenced a 2023 report by Amnesty International which estimated that more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed and tens of thousands more displaced in the past two years alone as a result of banditry and communal violence in the northwest. In that context, CEJI described the peace parley as a “moral collapse of governance”.

“You do not negotiate with terrorists in the open, not when the blood of their victims is still drying, not when they remain armed, wanted, and unrepentant. It is a dangerous precedent that delegitimises state authority and emboldens violent actors,” Sarki added.

Governor Lawal of Zamfara had, in August 2023, publicly ruled out dialogue with bandits, describing such moves as “a failed strategy that has only given criminals more time to regroup and rearm.”

Similarly, Governor Radda had dismissed earlier peace talks under his predecessor as “a misguided approach that rewarded impunity.”

CEJI said both governors must be held to account for clearly contradicting their own policy positions and exposing the public to more insecurity.

“The Nigerian state cannot simultaneously claim to be fighting insecurity while its chief executives are sharing stages with those they should be arresting. This is a contradiction that weakens the rule of law and puts lives at risk,” Sarki said.

The group called on the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately investigate the circumstances under which Ado Aleru was allowed to surface freely and publicly despite his wanted status.

“It is unacceptable that a man declared wanted since 2020 was able to move around with such impunity, engage state actors, and issue statements without fear of arrest.
The implication is that there may be state complicity in shielding these actors, which is a grievous national security breach,” the statement added.

The group also urged the National Human Rights Commission and international partners to investigate the meeting as a possible violation of Nigeria’s obligations under international law.

“Negotiating with known perpetrators of crimes against humanity, in full view of the security agencies and the public, without any form of justice or accountability, is a breach of international norms and values,” CEJI stated.

It called on the governors to issue public explanations for their roles in the meeting and to clarify whether their administrations now officially recognise violent non-state actors as peace partners.

“If the governors of Katsina and Zamfara can legitimise a fugitive bandit in the name of peace, what will stop every other violent group from demanding the same treatment?” Sarki asked.

“That meeting undermines the rule of law. It tells victims there is no justice. It tells future terrorists that with enough weapons and violence, they too can get invited to state dinners.

“We strongly condemn that so-called peace meeting and urge the security agencies to investigate that highly provocative gathering.”

Watch the video below.