25 decomposing bodies belonging to victims of a mass abduction that took place in four communities in Niger state have been recovered.

They were part of residents that were abducted by terrorists Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana in Borgu Local Government Area.

The bodies were recovered after the communities were reportedly alerted on Monday by the abductors to come and identify and retrieve the bodies.

The victims were said to be among about 500 worshippers abducted after Friday Jumm’at prayers on August 21, 2026.

25 bodies were recovered and later given a mass burial in a nearby bush.

The reported killings have heightened anxiety among families whose relatives remain in captivity, with residents saying they are increasingly uncertain about the fate of the remaining abductees.

A source said the abductors allegedly warned that more captives could be killed if their ransom demands were not met.

“They first asked each family to bring N10 million for each captive, but later reduced it to N5 million. There is no way we can afford it,” he said.

Ahead of the 2027 general election, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has urged authorities and policy makers to prioritize rights of citizens and respect for human dignity over and above the quest to win election and occupy leadership position,

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, made the call on Wednesday, as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Democracy.

Ojukwu said the day reminds us that democracy is not just about elections, but about the dignity, voice, and rights of every citizen.

He stated that democracy represents the freedom to speak, to choose, to participate, and to hold power accountable without fear; and called on all politicians, political parties and their supporters to exercise restraint and responsibility in public utterances.

He further stressed that democracy thrives on debate, not on hate speech, inciting statements, ethnic profiling, or threats.

A statement by Hajia Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Director Corporate Affairs and External Linkages at the Commission, quoted Ojukwu to have reiterated that words can build peace or destroy the nation, and urged the political class to make campaigns issue-based and shun any language capable of inciting violence or undermining national unity.

The Chief Human Rights Officer of the country noted that the Commission will continue to monitor hate speech and electoral violence. He called on every eligible Nigerian to rise above voter apathy and actively exercise their civic rights, adding that citizens should not stay away from the polls, sell votes, or believe that votes do not count as these emanate from voter apathy.

Chief Ojukwu lamented that democracy dies when citizens withdraw, and remain silent, he emphasized that the Permanent Voter’s Card remains the power of the people to choose desired leaders.

He therefore urged citizens to come out, vote, and make votes count, describing the choice of leaders as both a right and a duty to Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary who is also the President of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa (NNHRI-WA) called on the Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and all security agencies to ensure a level playing field for all.

He further stated that government must guarantee the safety of voters, journalists, observers, human rights defenders and the citizens at large.

“Anyone regardless of status or party affiliation, who attempts to make the polity unbearable, who sponsors violence, vote-buying, voter suppression, or attacks on democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 General Elections, must be promptly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law, adding that impunity remains the greatest threat to democracy.

In conclusion, Chief Ojukwu called for commitment to a democracy that delivers not just elections, but justice, equality, and human rights for all.

Anambra State Government has disclosed that Governor Charles Soludo’s administration is still repaying loans and other debts incurred by previous administrations, including those of former governors Peter Obi and Willie Obiano.

The Commissioner for Finance in the state, Izuchukwu Okafor, disclosed this during a podcast.

The podcast was moderated by Ejimofor Opara, a special assistant to Governor Soludo on new media.

In the podcast, Mr Opara questioned why details in the budget performance reports indicated that the Anambra State Government has been servicing loans despite claims it had not borrowed before.

In response, Mr Okafor reiterated that Mr Soludo’s administration had not borrowed from any commercial bank since taking office but had continued to service loans inherited from previous governments.

“It’s on record, you know, that this administration has not borrowed a kobo from any commercial bank since the inception of this administration,” he said.

The commissioner then explained that deductions were made from the state’s Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAC) funds every month to service loans obtained by previous administrations.

“Every month during our FAC meetings, and when you see the schedule of FAC, you will notice there were substantial, significant deductions from our own FAC because of loans previously borrowed by previous administrations,” he said.

Mr Okafor claimed some of the loans were obtained during the administrations of Mr Obi and the immediate past governor of the state, Willie Obiano.

“These loans were borrowed, you know, even during the time of Peter Obi and Willie Obiano, (and other) past governors,” he said.

The finance commissioner boasted that Mr Soludo’s administration had “significantly” reduced the state’s debt burden despite not borrowing any loans himself.

“We have been able to manage the debt, the state debt, very well, that we have brought it down by more than 83 per cent as of today. We’ve been able to repay back most of these loans,” he said.

He said the administration had also cleared several “legacy debts,” including unpaid contracts, gratuity arrears and pension arrears.

“But I will give you an example for our domestic debt. There’s what we call legacy debts, you know. That’s, the contracts that were not paid, the gratuity arrears, pension arrears, we’ve been able to clear all that,” he said.

The official also said the state’s domestic debt was “near-zero balance” at the moment.

What about external debts?
Mr Okafor claimed that, on the state’s external debts, some repayments were automatically deducted from federal allocations due to the state in accordance with the terms and conditions attached to the loans.

“Before they remit Anambra’s own allocation, they will deduct it as such, because most of them, World Bank loans and other loans, they committed.”

The commissioner also disclosed that the state had recently paid off one of its debts.

“This administration has been able to create more by paying off, you know, the backlog of numerous debts inherited from previous governments, starting from the time of Peter Obi,” he added.