By Onyeanya Immaculata

The Federal Government has imposed a ban on sand mining within a 10-kilometre radius of the River Niger to protect the First and Second Niger bridges.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the decision on Friday in Asaba, Delta State, noting that the ban was approved by the Federal Executive Council to safeguard critical national infrastructure.

He directed the Delta State Police Command to enforce the order and arrest violators.

Umahi spoke during the inauguration of the CCTV monitoring centre for the Second Niger Bridge, where he also disclosed that tolling on the bridge would commence only after the completion of all access and bypass roads on the Anambra and Delta sides.

He explained that although tolling infrastructure is in place, the government would delay implementation to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Security on the bridge, he added, would rely on technology rather than physical checkpoints.

“The tollgate is ready, but we won’t start tolling until the access and bypass roads are completed,” Umahi said, adding that security agencies would operate from the CCTV centre and respond to emergencies within five minutes.

The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, commended the Federal Government for completing the Second Niger Bridge, describing it as vital to socio-economic development.

Similarly, the Igwe of Obosi and Chairman of the Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers, Chidubem Iweka, said the bridge has eased traffic on the old Niger Bridge and urged the swift completion of access roads to enhance commuter safety.

By Patrick Idowu

The police have arrested a 19-year-old driver, Nsikak Okon, after he allegedly knocked down three police officers during a reckless driving incident in Edo State.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Friday via his official X handle while reacting to a viral video of the suspect’s arrest.

According to Hundeyin, Okon was driving a heavily tinted vehicle without number plates when he first encountered police officers on the road and sped past them recklessly.

He said the suspect later returned at high speed, narrowly missing an officer, before allegedly driving back again and deliberately knocking down three officers.

Hundeyin added that the suspect was apprehended shortly after the incident, with illicit drugs recovered from him. Investigations are ongoing.

By Patrick Idowu

Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inauguration of Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya, and later attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland.

In a statement on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, said Shettima would attend Doumbouya’s inauguration on Saturday, January 17, at the GLC Stadium, Nongo, Conakry.

According to Nkwocha, the visit underscores Nigeria’s leadership role in ECOWAS and its support for Guinea’s return to constitutional order after a four-year transition. He added that the trip would also help deepen bilateral economic ties, noting that Nigerian exports to Guinea recently rose to $3.29 million.

From Guinea, the Vice President will proceed to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, for the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, scheduled for January 19 to 23, 2026.

The forum, themed “A Spirit of Dialogue,” will focus on global cooperation, frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology, and sustainable economic development.

Shettima is expected to engage global leaders and investors on Nigeria’s economic reform agenda and investment opportunities before returning to the country.

The trip comes as Nigerians continue to await President Tinubu’s return from an overseas engagement that began last year.