PCB GISTS, Onitsha (2026)

21/09/2026

US Refuses To Grant Visas To Iran UN Delegates

The United States has denied visas to some members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s delegation, including members of his communications team, ahead of this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to Iranian state media.

Pezeshkian himself has been cleared to attend the gathering and is expected to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency criticised the visa denials, describing the decision as a hostile action by the US government.

“In an unprecedented hostile move by the US government, [US President Donald] Trump has denied US visas to certain members of the president’s high-level delegation, including members of his communications team,” IRNA reported. The Mehr news agency also reported the visa denials, citing a spokesperson for the Iranian presidency.

The US State Department had earlier confirmed that Iran’s core delegation would be permitted to attend the UN General Assembly, although its members would face restrictions while in the country. The delegation is smaller than last year’s and will be subject to travel restrictions as well as limits on the purchase of luxury goods and certain other items.

Pezeshkian is expected to be the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is also part of the delegation, left Iran on Sunday evening for a stopover in Qatar before travelling to New York.

21/09/2026

NSCDC Release Names Of 37 Niger Miners Who D!ed In Custody

The names of 37 suspected illegal miners who di£d in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State have been released.

Below are the names of those who di£d in the NSCDC custody:

1. Ibrahim Sani
2. Fahad Sa’adu
3. Abdulsalam Ismail
4. Usman Aliyu
5. Abubakar Alhaji
6. Sani Nasir
7. Sanusi Khalid
8. Ahmad Aliyu
9. Safiyanu Abdullahi
10. Suleiman Dantala
11. Idris Haruna
12. Sani Yakubu
13. Safiyanu Abubakar
14. Abdullahi Abubakar
15. Abubakar Musa
16. Abdul Mudassir
17. Suleiman Lawal
18. Usman Abdullahi
19. Samuel Sambo
20. Ibrahim Musa
21. Yusuf Nasiru
22. Umar Lawal
23. Isyaku Amisu
24. Bissallah Adamu
25. Abdulbari Suleiman
26. Shafisu Lado
27. Usman Ahmad
28. Usman Ibrahim
29. Sani Isyaku
30. Musa Ibrahim
31. Idris Bashir
32. Kabiru Suleiman
33. Emmanuel Emeka
34. Mu’awiya AbdulKarim
35. Abdul Gafar Abubakar
36. Usman Haruna
37. Aro Salihu Soba

19/09/2026

Appeal Court Upholds NDC Registration, Overturns Lokoja Ruling

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced that it will participate in the 2027 general elections following a Court of Appeal judgment setting aside a Federal High Court ruling that ordered its deregistration.

The party’s National Leader, Seriake Dickson, disclosed this in a statement reacting to the appellate court’s decision in Abuja.

Dickson said the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment delivered by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja.

19/09/2026

Tinubu Orders Prosecution Of Officials Linked To De@ths Of 37 Miners In NSCDC Custody

President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into the d£aths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.

He directed that officials found culpable in the de@ths be arrested and prosecuted.

A statement issued on Friday, September 18, by Tinubu's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made it clear that the life of every Nigerian matters and that no citizen should di£ in government custody as a result of negligence, abuse, inhumane treatment or dereliction of duty.

18/09/2026

Survivors Narrate Last Moments Of Detained Illegal Miners Who Begged For Their Lives And Di£d For ‘Refusing To Pay 1500’

Some of the survivors who were detained in the same facility with the 37 suspected illegal miners who di£d in custody have recounted their experience.

On Thursday, September 17, thirty-seven suspected illegal miners who were arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were found dead in their cell, with many of them foaming from the mouth.

They had been arrested between September 15 and September 16 and had only spent some hours in the cell before they were found de@d.

In an interview with Zarar Bunu TV, some of the survivors narrated how the deceased gasped for air and banged on the door of their cell as they di£d slowly.

“Those who still had a vestige of life began crying out and banging hard on the door, but NSCDC personnel on duty remained unresponsive,” Dauda Shehu, one of the suspects told Zarar Bunu TV.

Shehu added: “We exhausted every means to stay alive, including drinking our urine and calling for help, but no one came to our aid. The inmates on the left and right began falling one after another.”

Shehu said trouble began when community leaders in Lokoto, a small village and residential settlement located in the Bosso Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, demanded N150,000 for each mining pit. However, many of the young "illegal" miners were unable to pay the money.

Shehu said: “We met with them at the palace. They demanded N150k for each mining pit, but we complained that diamonds were not abundant in the area, and, therefore, we could not raise the amount. A few of us paid, while some promised to pay.

“Sixty-six of us were put in one cell. Six people are currently on admission. They did not torture us, but there was excessive heat.

“We complained that the cell was too small to accommodate all of us, but they did not listen to us. We watched our colleagues di£, and even when we raised the alarm, they thought we were lying.

“We drank urine because we couldn’t access water due to heat. Some people di£d in the night while others di£d in the morning on Thursday,” he said.

Another survivor said they were drenched in sweat as they struggled to survive in the overcrowded cell.

“We shared, in turns, a small window for ventilation. Many of my friends and relatives have fallen,” he said.

18/09/2026

Minister Of Interior Suspends Niger State NSCDC Commandant After 37 Illegal Miners D!ed In Custody

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye.

The suspension follows the alleged de@ths of suspected illegal miners in M.I. Wushishi/ Lukoto axis of Minna the state capital.

The incident, which reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, followed the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.

In the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found de@d, following a suspected outbreak of a disease. The corpses of the deceased suspects had since been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for further medical examination to establish the actual cause of de@th.

“It is an unfortunate incident, however, a full investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.

We run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives and we have worked to stay true to this,” the Minister declared via a statement released by his media aide, Babatunde Alao

He urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding to allow a transparent investigation process.

He further commiserated with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State and the families and relatives of the deceased.

18/09/2026

'I Don’t Tolerate Godfathers, And I Won’t Become One Either' — Abia governor Alex Otti

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said he will neither become a political godfather nor impose a successor on the state after completing his second term in office in 2031.

Otti made the declaration in Umuahia while receiving the former Social Democratic Party, SDP, governorship candidate, Mrs Ngozi Johnson Chukwunenye, and her supporters into the Labour Party, LP.
According to the governor, leadership succession should be based on merit and competence rather than a “sit-tight” culture.

He expressed confidence that whoever succeeds him would be better equipped to provide quality leadership for the people of Abia State.
“The most important thing you can give a people is good governance. And once people test good governance, it will be very difficult for them to allow you to take them back. So, if you are afraid that we will go back to Egypt, it will never happen. What I can assure you is that, by the time I’m done, the person who will succeed me will be better than me. I don’t want to be a godfather, and I don’t tolerate godfathers. We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, ‘Who is the best person for this job?’ Then all of us will agree, and we will campaign for him.“He will win, and we will take a back seat,” Otti said.

18/09/2026

Lagos State Dep Gov Pays Condolence Visit To Olu Jacobs’ Family

Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and his wife Oluremi on Thursday September 17, 2026 visited Dame Joke Silva and the family of the late Nollywood legend Olu Jacobs to offer their condolences.

Hamzat described the late Olu Jacobs as a true icon and pioneer whose work touched generations. He praised the actor’s lasting legacy in Nigerian entertainment and said his depth and talent were exceptional.
“We lost a true icon,” Hamzat wrote. He prayed for peaceful rest for Jacobs and strength for the family.

18/09/2026

Suspected Illegal Miners D!e In NSCDC Custody After Disease Break Out

Some illegal miners have d!ed in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.

A statement signed by the Niger State Commandant, Comdt. Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, said the victims were arrested between 15th and 16th September, 2026, but were found d3ad on 17th following a disease outbreak in the cell.

According to the statement, the corpses of the deceased suspects have since been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for further medical examination to establish the actual cause of d3ath.

“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, in its renewed efforts to rid the state of illegal mining activities, conducted a “burst operation” on 15th and 16th September, 2026, leading to the arrest of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of exhibits," the statement read.

"The operation yielded significant results, with scores of suspected illegal miners arrested and various exhibits recovered.”

The corps, however, called for calm, saying security agencies were working with appropriate authorities to establish the cause of the d3ath of the victims.

"While the Corps, in synergy with sister security agencies, is on top of the situation, the Command appeals to the general public and the families of the deceased to remain calm and desist from any actions that could lead to a breakdown of law and order.

“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Niger State Command, remains fully committed to the enforcement of human rights and subscribes to international human rights charters, while remaining steadfast in the enforcement of its core mandates, including the protection of lives and property, as well as critical national assets and infrastructure, for the benefit of the Commonwealth.

“May the souls of the deceased rest in peace," the statement added.

17/09/2026

Fiji Declares HIV A National Emergency As Cases Surge

Fiji has declared a national crisis amid an extraordinary rise in HIV cases, with health officials raising alarm about an epidemic that has emerged alongside an increase in injectable drug use.

The country’s health and medical services minister, Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, said in a statement on social media that an outbreak-level response was no longer sufficient to address what he described an “epidemic”.

“Today I am formally declaring a national health emergency in Fiji,” he said. “This decision recognises the seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent coordinated response our country now needs.”

The health minister said the government estimates that one in every 60 adults in Fiji is now living with HIV.

“Five years ago, the estimate was one in 167. In 2025, we recorded 2,060 new HIV diagnoses,” he said, adding that one in 50 pregnant women has HIV.

The emergency declaration followed on from a cabinet decision on September 9 and would require a coordinated response, he added.

Home to less than one million people, the Pacific nation is facing one of the sharpest increases in new HIV infections globally, according to UNAIDS, which said that new infections spiked 12-fold between 2010 and 2025.

The Fijian government will introduce a syringe and needle programme as part of its response to the national crisis.

The minister also urged people to come forward and get tested.

"No one should be ashamed, threatened, or excluded because of their HIV status," he said. "Stigma drives people away from the very services that can help them."

Of the 9,100 Fijians living with HIV in 2025, only 39% knew their HIV status and just 22% were accessing antiretroviral treatment, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS).

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