The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 General Election.   INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Friday when he received a delegation from the Canadian High Commission led by Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires to Nigeria, David Sproule, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The exercise will test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment while allowing the commission to identify and resolve potential operational challenges ahead of the elections. Amupitan said the mock accreditation is one of five strategic priorities adopted by INEC for the 2027 polls. The others are consolidating technological gains, deepening electoral inclusion, strengthening institutional capacity and technical support, and countering misinformation while protecting electoral integrity. He described the August 15 Osun State governorship election as an important benchmark for the commission’s preparations, noting that 3,556 of the state’s 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m. According to the INEC chairman, the Osun election also recorded strong BVAS performance, smooth result uploads to the IReV portal and proactive crisis management. INEC will require approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel to conduct the 2027 elections across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide. The commission has also established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) unit to explore responsible applications of AI in areas including data management, voter registration and results transmission. The unit will also work on safeguards against the misuse of AI. Amupitan said INEC would participate in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections in Ottawa, Canada, from September 9 to 11, 2026. The conference will examine responsible AI applications in elections and emerging threats such as deepfakes and disinformation. He also reaffirmed INEC’s independence and neutrality, saying the commission remained committed to democratic integrity. The Canadian delegation reaffirmed Canada’s support for Nigeria’s democratic and electoral processes, particularly voter participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.

Thirteen passengers abducted along the Ankpechi–Omutele axis of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State have been rescued after spending eight days in captivity.   The victims were among passengers travelling in an 18-seater commercial bus from Enugu State to Abuja when the vehicle was attacked on the night of August 13, 2026. According to Punch, five passengers were initially rescued, while security operatives continued searching for the remaining 13. The Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Peter Aondongu, confirmed on Friday that the 13 remaining victims were rescued during a night operation at Amla-Cho Forest in Otukpo Local Government Area. Aondongu said the operation, conducted around 2am on August 20, followed several days of search and rescue efforts involving police operatives and local security personnel. He said security operatives encountered the kidnappers during the operation, leading to a gun battle. One suspected kidnapper was reportedly neutralised, while an AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were recovered. The suspects reportedly fled under cover of darkness. The rescued passengers were said to be unharmed. Police took them to a medical facility for attention before arranging transportation to their respective destinations. The command said efforts were ongoing to track and arrest the fleeing suspects through intelligence-led operations. The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the personnel involved in the rescue and assured residents that security agencies would continue operations against criminal elements. Police also urged transport operators to maintain accurate passenger manifests for every journey, saying proper documentation could help security agencies identify and rescue victims more quickly during emergencies.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked a United States court to allow it to submit a confidential declaration explaining why it is withholding records linked to allegations concerning President Bola Tinubu.   The request was filed on August 20 at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The FBI said it could not disclose the full basis for withholding some of the information in public court filings. The agency is seeking permission to submit an ex parte, in camera declaration, meaning the document would be provided privately to the judge and kept from the public record. According to The PUNCH, the FBI said it had relied on several exemptions under the US Freedom of Information Act in response to requests for records relating to Tinubu from 1992 to 1993. The requests include one seeking Tinubu’s entire FBI file and another seeking FBI interview records connected to Case No. 245-IP-71386-UUUUUU during the 1992-1993 period. The FBI cited FOIA exemptions including 6, 7(C), 7(D), 7(E) and 7(F). It said releasing the withheld information could reveal law-enforcement investigative techniques and potentially endanger an individual’s life or physical safety. The agency told the court it could not publicly provide the full basis for its reliance on exemptions 7(E) and 7(F), prompting its request to submit the declaration under seal. The FBI said that, if approved, it would file the confidential declaration by August 28. The case was brought by American businessman Aaron Greenspan, founder of PlainSite. Between 2022 and 2023, Greenspan filed 12 FOIA requests with six US federal agencies seeking records relating to investigations into a Chicago heroin ring that operated in the early 1990s. Greenspan sought records concerning four people he said were connected to the investigation, including Tinubu, Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Adegboyega Akande and Abiodun Agbele. Several agencies initially issued what is known as a Glomar response, refusing to confirm or deny whether the requested records existed. Greenspan subsequently sued, challenging the agencies’ responses. In April 2025, Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration had improperly used the Glomar response and ordered the agencies to lift it. The judge found that the agencies had not established sufficient grounds to justify keeping secret the fact that Tinubu was a subject of a criminal investigation. The latest development follows a separate request by the US Department of Justice for an additional 10 days to respond to a court order concerning the release of records linked to the allegations involving Tinubu. Judge Howell granted only four additional days, setting August 21 as the deadline. Tinubu’s legal team had subsequently joined the DOJ’s request for the longer extension, but the judge declined it. The FBI’s latest application does not itself establish the substance of the withheld records or prove the allegations against Tinubu. It concerns the agency’s request to explain confidentially why portions of the records should remain undisclosed.