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The Big Story
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State Police Amendment Clears Two-Thirds Threshold as 24 Assemblies Approve
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Twenty-four of Nigeria’s 36 state houses of assembly have now approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which provides for a dual policing system. That meets the two-thirds threshold needed for the amendment to proceed, the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill said on Friday. Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff and chair of the group, said the amendment can now return to the National Assembly, which has already passed it in both chambers, for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent. He said the approval gives constitutional backing to the policing framework in the group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026. That bill is still under legislative drafting review at the Federal Ministry of Justice and is due back on or before 30 October, after which the group will give it final consideration before presenting it to the President. The statement does not set out how state police would be recruited, funded or overseen. [Premium Times]
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What Else Is Happening
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Taraba Attack Kills at Least 40, Police First Reported 10
At least 40 people were killed in a 23 October attack on Binnari village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area, Taraba State, Amnesty International Nigeria said, adding that more bodies were still being found. Police had first confirmed 10 deaths. Locals told Premium Times the attackers entered through a border community in Plateau State and burned homes, shops and motorcycles. Amnesty said statements condemning such attacks are not enough and called for an impartial investigation. [Premium Times]
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Tinubu Launches 2027 Campaign, Atiku Hits Back
President Bola Tinubu formally launched his 2027 campaign at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Kaduna on Saturday, telling supporters the opposition caused the hunger and poverty Nigerians face and that his government is working to end them. He said the petrol subsidy will not return. Atiku Abubakar, former vice president and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, called it a delusional, shameless attempt to dodge responsibility. [Premium Times]
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Ebola Response Widens to 53 Contacts
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified 53 primary contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT): 44 from the hospital that treated her and nine others, including her husband, driver and chef. None has tested positive. [Premium Times] Director-General Jide Idris said contacts get a temporary, unplanned NGN100,000 weekly stipend after complaining that quarantine kept them from work and family. [Premium Times] Health declarations are back for all international travellers. [Premium Times]
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CBN Approves JPMorgan Merchant Bank in Principle
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted JPMorgan approval in principle to set up JPMorgan Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited, with Adedapo Olagunju approved as managing director. This is only a first step. The bank cannot begin business until it meets the CBN’s requirements, including incorporation with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and receives a final licence. JPMorgan had earlier deposited NGN50 billion with the CBN as its application advanced. [Nairametrics]
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Makinde Launches “Reset” Movement in Lagos
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde used a video message at the launch of the Makinde-Daura Resetter Movement in Ikeja, Lagos, on Saturday to call for a reset of the economy, security architecture and education system. He questioned the value of rising foreign reserves when many Nigerians struggle to feed their families, likening it to a family head boasting about savings while the household goes hungry. Organisers plan to expand nationwide. [Premium Times]
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Market Watch
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The naira weakened sharply, with the official rate at NGN1,361.84 per dollar on 23 October, up 2.06% from NGN1,334.40 the day before. Since 31 December 2025 (NGN1,475.00) the rate is down 7.67%, so the naira remains stronger year to date. [CBN] Nairametrics called it the sharpest daily fall in 18 months. [Nairametrics]
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The NGX All-Share Index rose 0.92% to 247,222.27 on 23 October from 244,956.94 the day before, but fell 0.13% on the week from 247,539.73 on 16 October. Since 31 December 2025 (155,613.03) the index is up 58.87%. [NGX Group] Nairametrics reported market capitalisation back above NGN160 trillion. [Nairametrics]
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Daily petrol imports fell 30.1% in September to 10.2 million litres from 14.6 million, while use rose 7% to 44.4 million litres, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said. Domestic supply fell 20.6% too, leaving 5.7 million litres a day unmet. Stock cover, the days the petrol on hand would last, was 23.9, below the 30-day target. [Nairametrics]
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Quick Hits
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| → The Federal Government has commissioned six substations in Kano and Katsina, adding 640 megawatts of transmission capacity, the Ministry of Power said. Nairametrics notes this raises the grid’s capacity to carry power, not the amount generated, so supply still depends on generating plants and distribution. [Nairametrics] |
| → The Federal Government has released NGN38.93 billion to 166 public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, the Finance Ministry said. Universities got NGN28.5 billion, about 73%. The money is meant to help carry out the agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). [Nairametrics] |
| → The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it arrested a 34-year-old South African woman at Lagos airport on 7 October with 36.65kg of cocaine in her bags, and later a Lagos car dealer accused of receiving her. The agency announced both arrests on Sunday. [Premium Times] |
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On a Lighter Note
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Afrobeats star Zlatan Ibile and his partner, Davita, held their traditional wedding in Lagos on Saturday, with close friend Davido among the groomsmen. The couple announced the date on 8 October and share two sons. Zlatan’s first photos carried the caption “IT’S TIME TO MARRY.” [Pulse Nigeria]
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Why It Matters
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When something goes wrong, who comes, and who pays? This weekend’s news keeps returning to that. Twenty-four state assemblies have backed state police, which would put the job of keeping you safe closer to your state government. That matters most in places like Karim Lamido, where a single attack has just killed dozens. But a new police force still needs pay, training and rules, and the working group has not said how states will manage them. The Ebola response shows the same gap early. The health agency says states must provide the money and facilities for people in quarantine, though it has itself started paying them a weekly stipend it had not planned. For households, the pressure is closer to home. Petrol is arriving more slowly than it is used, and the naira fell sharply in a single day. A promise is easy to make at a rally. What counts is whether help reaches your street, and who is paid to make sure it does.
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Produced with AI assistance using open-source web content. Edited by Tomiwa Afolabi. Sources have not been independently verified by Frontier Brief Media. Readers are encouraged to consult original sources before acting on any information herein.
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