Fabian Apechihin

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has officially been sworn in for a second term in office, marking the continuation of his leadership in Anambra State.

The inauguration ceremony was held at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, drawing a large crowd of dignitaries from across the country and beyond.

Soludo arrived at the venue at about 11:18 a.m., accompanied by top government officials, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.

Other notable personalities in attendance included elder statesman Emeka Anyaoku and the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

The governor took the oath of allegiance at exactly 11:50 a.m., followed shortly by the oath of office, which lasted about five minutes.

He was joined by his wife, Nonye Soludo, who stood beside him throughout the ceremony.

Soludo then signed the official documents in the presence of the state’s Chief Judge at about 11:55 a.m., drawing applause from attendees.

The swearing-in marks the commencement of his second term in office, which is expected to run until 2030.

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has described as shocking and despicable the multiple suicide bombings in Maiduguri on Monday night.

Condemning the attacks as evil and unacceptable, the Forum, in a statement by its Chairman, Governor abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, said the incidents were a reckless waste of human lives, and tasked the security forces to degrade the capacity of the terrorists to carry out such attacks.

“Our condolences and sympathies are with the people and government of Borno State on this sad development. We stand in firm solidarity with them, and will continue to work with the Federal Government to totally defeat terrorists in any part of the country,” the Forum said.

“We condemn the Maiduguri cowardly attacks on civilians and government offices, and we reassure our security forces of our continued support for the operations to end this menace.”

Troops of the Nigerian Army have discovered and safely disposed of an improvised explosive device (IED) during a fighting patrol in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 6:35 a.m. on March 14 following intelligence reports on the movement of suspected Islamic State West Africa Province/Boko Haram terrorists around the Deyawa general area.

According to the sources, troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion Quick Reaction Force, supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and local hunters, conducted a fighting patrol to dominate the area and prevent possible terrorist activities.

During the patrol, the team discovered an improvised explosive device planted along the Deyawa main supply route.

An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attached to the patrol subsequently neutralised and safely disposed of the device in situ.

Military authorities said the patrol was part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations aimed at clearing explosives, securing major supply routes and denying insurgents freedom of movement across operational areas in the state.