Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has presided over the signing of a $2 million supplementary lithium agreement between the state government and Diamond New Energy, following his recent visit to China.   The agreement was signed at the Nasarawa State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on Friday, August 14, 2026. Sule said the deal would help keep the company’s lithium processing factory operational while protecting jobs created by the investment. > “We are going to keep your factory functional, and we also have an interest as license owners in whatever you are doing in your company. More importantly, the people you have employed will remain employed,” the governor said. According to Channels Television, the governor said the state moved quickly to secure the relevant mining licence to ensure continued access to raw materials and prevent another party from obtaining the licence. The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Elayo, expressed appreciation to the investors and said the partnership could encourage further investment in Nasarawa. The signing was witnessed by officials from the state Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), Diamond New Energy and Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited. Sule also urged the company to maintain peaceful relations with host communities and contribute to their development. He disclosed that payments due to the state under the agreement would be made in foreign currency directly to Nasarawa Mining Company Limited, with the terms subject to periodic review. Agreement builds on 2024 mining deal NASIDA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Abdullahi said the state government had signed an exclusive mining cooperation agreement with the company in 2024. He said the partnership had contributed to the completion of what he described as the largest lithium processing refinery in West Africa. The supplementary agreement allows the continued supply of lithium materials from the state government’s mining block to serve as feedstock for the refinery. Abdullahi said the arrangement was expected to create further employment opportunities for young people and women in Nasarawa. He added that the state would receive $2 million immediately upon signing, with additional revenues expected under the agreement. A representative of Diamond New Energy, David Siong, said the company remained committed to expanding its operations in Nasarawa, including local processing of resources, job creation and supporting economic development in host communities. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Isaac Danladi, also presented copies of a deed of assignment transferring the mining rights and interests of Nasarawa Mining Company within 3.5 mining cadastral units in Endo, Nasarawa Local Government Area, to Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has raised concerns over the tense political atmosphere ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, warning that violence, intimidation and other electoral threats could undermine the poll.   Speaking at a press briefing in Osogbo on Friday, the organisation said it had monitored reports of politically motivated clashes, attacks and intimidation involving political actors and their supporters. The Situation Room also cited tensions involving motor parks and transport unions, allegations of political thuggery, deaths and arrests of political actors, as well as increasingly hostile rhetoric from political parties and their supporters. According to the observers, the situation is particularly worrying because the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has identified 385 election flashpoints across 13 local government areas as being at high risk of violence. The organisation also expressed concern over the delayed delivery of sensitive election materials. It said the materials arrived at about 8:30pm on Thursday, August 13, following the reprinting of ballot papers to accommodate the candidate of the Social Democratic Party. The Situation Room urged authorities to ensure adequate protection for election personnel, materials and facilities, particularly following the reported attack on an INEC distribution centre in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, where Permanent Voter Cards and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices were reportedly stolen. It further called on security agencies to act professionally and within the law, while urging the police to properly document cases of violence, electoral infractions and vote-buying, identify those responsible and share relevant information with INEC. The observers also urged political parties and their supporters to avoid actions capable of undermining the election, referring to allegations of political violence and rivalry involving the Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress. The organisation appealed to Osun residents to protect their democratic rights by rejecting intimidation, political thuggery and disinformation. The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said it would continue monitoring the security and electoral environment and document incidents that threaten the credibility, peacefulness and integrity of the electoral process.

President Bola Tinubu has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure a peaceful, transparent and credible governorship election in Osun State on Saturday, August 15, 2026.   In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu called on INEC to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and ensure the poll is conducted in an orderly, free and fair manner. The President described the election as an opportunity for INEC to demonstrate its readiness for the 2027 general elections. “INEC must use this last off-cycle election as a test case to demonstrate to Nigerians their full preparedness for the 2027 polls,” Tinubu said. Tinubu also directed the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs deployed for the election to provide adequate security at polling units and prevent any attempts to disrupt voting. He stressed that voters and electoral officials must be protected from intimidation and urged residents to participate peacefully. “Electoral officials and voters must be protected so they can perform their civic duties without fear or intimidation,” the President said. More than 25,000 security personnel have reportedly been deployed across Osun State ahead of the election. A total of 15 candidates are on the ballot as voters across the state’s 30 local government areas prepare to elect a governor for the next four years. The election is expected to be closely contested, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and other contenders in the race.

Gunmen have abducted 14 passengers travelling from Enugu State to Abuja along the Otukpo-Adoka road in Benue State, with five victims, including a four-year-old boy, later rescued by security operatives.   The attack occurred on Thursday night, August 13, 2026, along the Ankpechi-Omutele axis of Ohimini Local Government Area, when an 18-seater commercial bus was reportedly ambushed. A resident, Ochai, told PUNCH that the gunmen forced all the passengers into a nearby forest after stopping the vehicle. The Benue State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying its operatives launched a coordinated rescue operation early Friday. According to the police spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, the operation involved an exchange of gunfire with the suspected kidnappers and resulted in the rescue of five victims. One of those rescued sustained a gunshot injury during the operation and was taken to a medical facility in Otukpo for treatment. However, nine passengers remained in the custody of the suspected kidnappers as of Friday afternoon. Aondongu said security agencies were intensifying efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims, while cautioning that the operation was being conducted carefully to protect the abducted passengers. The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, assured the victims’ families that security agencies would continue the operation until the remaining passengers were rescued. He also urged residents in the affected communities to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the security agencies. The latest abduction adds to growing concerns over insecurity around Otukpo and Ohimini, where residents have reported recent cases of killings and kidnappings.