The Department of State Services will on Thursday, September 17, re-arraign five men accused of abducting pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15.

The suspects are also accused of complicity in the subsequent killing of two of the victims.

They will face a six-count amended charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, on behalf of the Federal Government.

The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.

The Federal Government alleges that the defendants belong to Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru, a terrorist organisation.

The re-arraignment was initially scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, but could not proceed after the first defendant, Muhammad, objected to the lawyers assigned to represent the group.

A Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had announced his appearance for all five defendants before the court.

Muhammad, speaking on behalf of the others, told the trial judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim, that they had previously been represented by a lawyer, Bala Dakum, and wanted him to continue handling their defence.

The objection triggered a dispute over the defendants’ constitutional right to choose their counsel.

Oyedepo urged the court to respect that right, stressing that the DSS was a law-abiding institution committed to justice rather than the persecution of the accused.

Justice Ibrahim subsequently adjourned the re-arraignment until Thursday, September 17.

The judge directed the defendants to contact their preferred lawyer and ensure his appearance in court.

He also ordered the DSS to grant the defendants access to the lawyer to allow them to prepare adequately for their defence.

The five men remain defendants in the case, and the allegations against them have not been proved in court.

The Federal Government has vowed to tackle Nigeria’s power challenges, with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, assuring Nigerians that the administration of President Bola Tinubu will deliver on its promise of improved electricity supply.

Tegbe gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja while commissioning a 3MW solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.

The project, delivered under Phase II of the Federal Government’s Energising Education Programme, is expected to provide more reliable electricity for teaching, research, laboratories, digital services and other critical activities at the university.

The intervention was implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency through the World Bank-funded Nigeria Electrification Project.

The facility comprises a 3.3MW solar array, 3MW AC output capacity and 2MWh battery storage designed to support critical loads beyond daylight hours. The project also includes 388 solar-powered streetlights to improve lighting and security across the campus.

Speaking at the commissioning, Tegbe said the project demonstrated how investment in electricity could directly support human capital development.

“There is perhaps no better place to demonstrate the practical value of Nigeria’s energy transition than a university,” the minister said.

He explained that universities required dependable power not only for classrooms, but also for research, laboratories, technology, administration and digital services.

Tegbe, who described the commissioning as the beginning rather than the end of the investment, said the government was also working to ensure that renewable energy facilities remained functional over the long term.

He said the newly established Renewable Asset Management Company would play a role in ensuring proper management and maintenance of renewable energy assets.

The minister also disclosed that efforts were underway to extend electricity coverage to other parts of the university, including student hostels, following requests from the institution’s Student Union Government and management.

He said the government would work towards ensuring that other areas of the university were covered within six months.

The Managing Director of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the Energising Education Programme had evolved from simply providing electricity infrastructure to supporting education, research and human capital development.

According to him, the programme has so far delivered renewable energy infrastructure to 22 federal universities and three affiliated teaching hospitals, deploying more than 100MW of clean energy nationwide.

Aliyu said the experience gained from the projects had shown the need to pay as much attention to maintenance and long-term performance as to construction.

“We have become very good at asking, ‘How do we build more?’ We must now become equally rigorous about asking, ‘How do we protect what we have already built? How do we make it perform? And how do we preserve its value?’” he said.

The Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project, Olufemi Akinyelure, said the impact of the project should be measured beyond the electricity generated.

He said reliable electricity would enable laboratories to function, support research and create better conditions for students and lecturers.

“Government may not be in the business of making profit, but it must always be in the business of making progress,” Akinyelure said.

The Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, described the project as a major investment in the institution’s academic mission.

Fawehinmi said the university could not effectively teach, conduct meaningful research, operate laboratories or sustain digital services without dependable electricity.

He assured the Federal Government and other partners that the university would properly utilise and maintain the facility.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the project underscored the need to connect government investment with sustainable outcomes.

Abaribe urged the university to take ownership of the facility and ensure that appropriate arrangements were made for its operation, maintenance and protection.

Beyond electricity generation, the project includes a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre designed to support practical learning and skills development in renewable energy technologies.

The programme also has a female STEM component aimed at giving students practical exposure to renewable energy and opportunities in the sector.

The project was delivered through collaboration among the Federal Government, REA, the Nigeria Electrification Project, the World Bank, Yakubu Gowon University and EMONE Energy Solutions.

With the facility now commissioned, the focus shifts to keeping it operational and ensuring that improved electricity translates into better learning, stronger research and greater opportunities for innovation at the university.

Former Deputy National Chairman South of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, has  called on residents of Oyo South Senatorial District to support the All Progressives Congress (APC)  candidate for the district, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, citing his outstanding legislative record and interventions across the district.

Arapaja made the call on Tuesday at a political engagement organised by the United Like-Minds Forum at the David Family International Christian Centre, Felele, Ibadan.
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‎The former deputy governor said the lawmaker’s interventions in legislative activities , infrastructure, education, water,  healthcare, empowerment and other areas in his constituency  demonstrated his commitment to improving the welfare of his people. He urged voters in Oyo South to consider Oseni’s record of service as they make their choice at the poll.
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‎Arapaja, who recently defected from the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to the APC, said Oseni’s interventions in his Ido/Ibarapa East Federal Constituency provided evidence of what he described as his commitment to the welfare of his constituents.

He specifically mentioned the lawmaker’s empowerment initiatives, including the distribution of N1m each to 100 youths Entrepreneurs as well as the provision of transformers, water, bridges  to communities across the federal constituency, saying the interventions had touched the lives of ordinary residents.
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‎“Hon. Remi Oseni’s performance demonstrates what is possible when elected representatives make the welfare of their constituents a priority. If he can do this as a House of Representatives member, he will do even more as a Senator,” Arapaja said.
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‎Arapaja urged the people of Oyo South to support Oseni’s bid to represent the district at the Senate, expressing confidence that his experience in the House and understanding of grassroots issues would be useful in the upper chamber.
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He also declared support for the APC governorship candidate in the state, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, whom he described as an experienced grassroots politician with an understanding of the political and developmental needs of Oyo State.
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Arapaja further called on Oyo residents to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term, citing ongoing federal infrastructure interventions in the state, particularly road projects being implemented and repairs through the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) whose House committee is chaired by Oseni.
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‎The former deputy governor  revisited the political discussions that preceded the 2023 governorship election, alleging that an understanding reached with sections of the Muslim community over the succession to Governor Seyi Makinde had not been honoured. He subsequently warned against what he described as an attempt to establish political dominance by an individual or group.
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‎“We all kicked against godfatherism in Oyo State. We cannot now allow anyone to turn himself into an emperor in Oyo State. The people must remain the ultimate owners of the state. Oyo State belongs to all of us, not to one man,” Arapaja said.

‎Responding, Oseni thanked the political leaders and supporters for their confidence in his senatorial ambition and pledged that, if elected, he would remain committed to people-centred representation. He said he would build on his existing interventions and ensure that the interests and welfare of the people of Oyo South remained central to his legislative responsibilities.
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‎The host of the programme, Pastor Ayodele Eleko, appreciated the political leaders, religious leaders and supporters who attended the engagement and urged APC members to remain united and committed ahead of the 2027 elections.