The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.), on Wednesday, directed troops engaged in counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations to shoot terrorists and bandits on sight without waiting for further authorisation, declaring that the Federal government would no longer tolerate hesitation in confronting armed criminals.

Musa gave the directive in Sokoto during the commissioning of security assets worth N27.6 billion procured by the Sokoto State Government to strengthen ongoing operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.

Addressing military personnel and other security operatives at the Giginya Memorial Stadium, the Defence Minister said soldiers deployed to operational theatres must act decisively whenever they encounter terrorists or bandits, warning that any operative who refuses to engage criminals under the guise of awaiting orders would be treated as an accomplice.

“Once you are deployed, do not wait for any order from anybody to shoot any bandit or any terrorist. Anybody who refuses to shoot or kill any bandit or terrorist in the name of waiting for an order, we will treat you like a bandit. This is a general order”, Musa said.

The minister stressed that the Armed Forces were determined to sustain the offensive against criminal groups threatening Nigeria’s peace and security, insisting that troops must seize every opportunity to neutralise terrorists before they inflict harm on innocent citizens.

His remarks came as the Sokoto State Government unveiled one of its biggest security intervention programmes, comprising armoured personnel carriers, tactical vehicles and 300 motorcycles to enhance security operations across vulnerable communities.

The equipment was commissioned in the presence of senior military officers, heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, government officials and residents.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu described the ₦27.6 billion investment as a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of security agencies to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

He said the procurement forms part of his administration’s broader strategy to restore peace, particularly in rural and border communities that have suffered repeated attacks by armed groups.

According to the governor, security remains the bedrock of development, noting that agriculture, commerce, investment and social progress cannot thrive in an environment plagued by fear and instability.

Aliyu added that the newly acquired armoured vehicles, tactical vehicles and motorcycles would improve rapid response, intelligence gathering, surveillance operations and troop mobility, especially in difficult terrains where criminal elements often operate.

The governor commended President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their sustained support in tackling insecurity, pledging that his administration would continue investing in initiatives that complement the Federal government’s security efforts.

He also praised Musa for his leadership and commitment to the fight against terrorism and banditry.

In recognition of the Defence Minister’s contributions to national security, the governor inaugurated a major road in the Sokoto metropolis and named it General Christopher Musa Road.

Responding, Musa lauded the Sokoto State Government for prioritising security, describing the investment as evidence of visionary leadership and a strong commitment to protecting lives and property.He said overcoming insecurity requires close collaboration among the federal, state and local governments, as well as active support from citizens through the provision of credible intelligence.

The Defence Minister noted that the newly commissioned security assets would improve operational effectiveness and boost the morale of troops and other security personnel deployed across Sokoto State and the wider North-West region.

He assured Nigerians that the Armed Forces remained fully committed to eliminating terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements threatening the country’s peace and stability.

The ceremony ended with the inspection and symbolic handover of the security assets to the relevant security agencies, with stakeholders describing the intervention as a significant boost to Sokoto State’s security architecture and Nigeria’s wider campaign against insecurity.

By ‘dayo Adedayo

There are days when a building is just a building.

Then there are days when it suddenly comes alive.

Yesterday 8th July, 2026, was one of those unforgettable days.

Within minutes of each other, we welcomed the TVC News team and the students of the Department of Transport Management, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, to the DAP Experience Centre, Lagos. They arrived as visitors, but unknowingly, they also arrived as history makers.

The first television station and the first tertiary institution to experience a place that, until now, has existed only in our dreams, our sweat, our prayers and our unwavering belief in Nigeria.

As I stood before them, I realised I was no longer introducing a building.

I was introducing a dream that had waited patiently for more than two decades to find its voice.

We began, not with bricks and mortar, but with an idea.

An idea that every line on this building must have a purpose. Every curve must tell a story. Every window must frame hope. Every pillar must carry conviction. Every staircase must remind us that greatness is never reached without climbing. Every room must whisper something about our people, our history, our struggles, our victories and the extraordinary beauty called Nigeria.

Architecture, to me, is frozen poetry.

If you listen carefully enough, every building speaks.

This one speaks of a nation too blessed to be ignored.

As we moved from one space to another, questions flowed freely. They wanted to know why the building looked the way it did. Why certain windows were positioned where they are. Why the walls rise and fall as they do. Why some spaces feel intimate while others open like an embrace.

Every answer carried them beyond architecture.

It carried them into purpose.

Into vision.

Into the conviction that we, as Nigerians, have no other nation to call our own. We may admire the beauty of distant lands, but no country can ever inherit our responsibility to preserve the soul of Nigeria.

If we do not tell our story, somebody else will.

And when others tell your story, they often tell it from where they are standing, not from where you are.

That is why the DAP Experience Centre exists.

It exists so that a child from Maiduguri can discover the beauty of Brass.

So that a student from Abeokuta can marvel at the landscapes of Mambilla.

So that a visitor from London, New York or Tokyo can walk through one building and discover that Nigeria is not a headline, but a civilisation.

It exists so that Nigeria can introduce herself.

Not through stereotypes.

Not through breaking news.

But through her beauty, her resilience, her diversity, her creativity and the countless ordinary men and women whose lives have quietly built this remarkable nation.

Somewhere during the tour, my wristwatch informed me that I had walked almost 15,000 steps.

I smiled.

Dreams have never been measured in kilometres.

They are measured in footsteps.

Each step reminded me of every disappointment that refused to become defeat.

Every closed door that prepared me for a better entrance.

Every sleepless night.

Every prayer.

Every sacrifice.

Yesterday, those footsteps finally had an audience.

Then came the moment I shall never forget.

The students gathered together before leaving.

Without prompting.

Without rehearsal.

They stood proudly and sang the Olabisi Onabanjo University anthem.

Suddenly, the building became silent.

It was almost as though the walls themselves paused to listen.

The empty galleries, the waiting rooms, the corridors and the staircases received those young voices like a blessing from heaven.

For a brief moment, the Centre was no longer waiting to be commissioned.

It had already found its heartbeat.

I watched them walk away, and I confess, my heart was full.

Years from now, thousands of children will laugh here.

Researchers will discover here.

Artists will create here.

Families will make memories here.

Photographers will find inspiration here.

Visitors from every corner of the world will come to understand that Nigeria is far greater than the narrow stories often told about her.

But long after those countless footsteps have faded into history, I will always remember the first.

The first television cameras that came before the ribbon was cut.

The first university students who filled these spaces with curiosity, hope and youthful dreams.

The first school anthem that echoed through these walls.

One day, the ribbon will be cut.

Distinguished guests will arrive.

The cameras will flash.

Speeches will be delivered.

Applause will fill these halls.

The world will celebrate what they can see.

But I will quietly remember what they could not see.

The tears hidden behind determination.

The sleepless nights.

The countless setbacks.

The prayers whispered when no one was listening.

The faith that refused to surrender.

Because long before that day arrives, history has already chosen her own opening ceremony.

It was written in the curiosity of students.

It was captured through the lenses of television cameras.

It echoed in the anthem of a university.

And it was sealed by nearly 15,000 footsteps of one grateful Nigerian who simply dared to believe that his country deserved a home where her story could finally be told with pride.

Buildings are made with concrete.

Museums are filled with collections.

But institutions…

Institutions are built with dreams.

Yesterday, the DAP Experience Centre took its very first breath.

May generations yet unborn walk these halls and leave believing, as I have always believed, that there is no nation like Nigeria.

Welcome to the DAP Experience Centre.

Where Nigeria remembers.

Where Nigeria learns.

Where Nigeria inspires.

Where Nigeria lives forever.

Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

According to a Tuesday statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to thoroughly investigate the activities of PFIPC and all related matters.

The president ordered all ministries, departments and agencies of government to provide the ICPC, upon lawful request, with all relevant information, records and assistance required for the expeditious completion of the investigation.

He further directed that the investigation be concluded and a comprehensive report submitted to him within 30 days, emphasising that the integrity of the Presidency and the institutions of government must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity, and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service.

Reacting, Ibe said no fair probe could be conducted unless key personalities linked to the saga, including Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, are first suspended.

“It is flagrantly wrong for President Bola Tinubu to order the ICPC to investigate the so-called “fake” agency, Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and its “phantom” Director General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew without asking the key suspects, including his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to proceed on suspension pending the conclusion of the investigation,” Ibe said in a Facebook post.

He added, “Not suspending all those involved in the #GbajaGate scandal is akin to them being a judge in their own case.

“Their continued stay in office while the investigation is going on, gives them the opportunity to interfere with the investigation process.”

Gbajabiamila has threatened to institute a N10 billion lawsuit against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who has been parading himself as the Director-General of PFIPC, an agency the federal government insists does not exist.