Jehovah’s Witnesses Adjust Blood Transfusion Rules, Allow Personal Choice

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have announced a major adjustment to their longstanding blood transfusion policy, allowing individual members to decide according to personal conscience whether to accept or donate four major blood components.

The new position covers red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets derived from another person’s blood. The decision was announced by the organisation’s Governing Body on Friday, September 18, 2026, from its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York.

Under the revised policy, members can personally decide whether to accept medical treatment involving any of the four components. They can also decide whether to donate blood for the production of components or fractions intended for another person’s treatment.

The organisation stressed that its prohibition on whole-blood transfusions remains unchanged. The position is based on its interpretation of the biblical instruction to “abstain from blood.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses said decisions involving the four components are now matters of individual conscience, meaning local congregations are not to interfere with or judge members over such choices.

International spokesman Paul Gillies said the organisation continued to regard blood and life as sacred while recognising that decisions concerning the four components should be made personally by individual Witnesses.

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The adjustment follows a policy clarification announced in March 2026 concerning the use of a member’s own blood during medical procedures. That position also left the decision to individual conscience where blood is removed, stored and subsequently returned during treatment.

According to the organisation, the latest decision reflects its interpretation that the Bible does not specifically address whether members should accept the four primary blood components in medical treatment.

The organisation said its members seek professional medical care and do not practise faith healing. It also said healthcare professionals should discuss individual decisions concerning blood components directly with patients and respect those choices.

The medical uses of the components vary. Red blood cells can be used to replace blood lost through surgery or serious injury, while platelets help manage certain bleeding conditions. Plasma is used in several treatments involving bleeding and clotting disorders, while white blood cells have more specialised clinical applications.

The Associated Press reported that the revised policy permits members to receive products derived from donated blood while retaining the prohibition on whole-blood transfusions.

Jehovah’s Witnesses said the organisation has more than nine million members worldwide, with congregations in more than 200 countries and territories.

The September decision represents a significant change in the organisation’s approach to the four major blood components, with responsibility for accepting or donating them now placed on individual members.

The ban on whole-blood transfusions, however, remains in place.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Adjust Blood Transfusion Rules, Allow Personal Choice

Akpabio Links Okowa’s APC Defection to EFCC Investigation

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has alleged that former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) partly because of concerns over an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Akpabio made the allegation while discussing political developments in Delta State in an audio recording involving Sandra Duru, which was circulated publicly and reported by Nigerian media organisations.

According to reports quoting the recording, Akpabio said Okowa’s defection to the APC was influenced by fears surrounding the corruption allegations against him, rather than solely by political considerations.

The Senate President was also quoted as saying that Okowa was not involved in discussions surrounding the emergence of the current APC leadership, claiming that key decisions had already been taken before the former governor joined the party.

Akpabio further claimed that he played a role in helping Okowa secure the APC senatorial ticket for Delta North ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The allegation has emerged against the backdrop of the EFCC investigation into Okowa, which dates back to his tenure as Delta governor between 2015 and 2023.

Okowa was arrested and questioned by the EFCC in November 2024 over allegations involving the management of funds accruing to Delta State through the 13 per cent derivation allocation from the Federation Account.

The investigation has also focused on alleged investments and assets associated with the former governor, including interests linked to the UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project and properties in Asaba and Abuja.

Okowa has denied wrongdoing and previously said he was not afraid of being investigated, maintaining that funds belonging to Delta State were used appropriately during his administration.

The former governor’s political move to the APC did not bring the EFCC investigation to an end.

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The anti-graft agency has previously stated that Okowa’s defection to the APC would not stop its investigation. In a more recent development, Okowa visited the EFCC’s Lagos office in June 2026 amid the continuing investigation.

Reports at the time said the visit was connected with efforts to secure the release of his international passport to enable him to travel abroad for medical treatment. There was no indication that the visit amounted to a fresh arrest.

The EFCC has maintained that the investigation remains active. Its Director of Legal and Prosecution, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, was quoted as saying that the case was still undergoing investigation and that the commission would act based on its findings.

The continuing investigation is significant in assessing the context of Akpabio’s latest allegation, but the EFCC’s position does not establish that the investigation was the reason for Okowa’s defection.

Okowa joined the APC in April 2025, alongside his successor, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, several commissioners, local government chairpersons and other political leaders who previously belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

At the time, Okowa explained the decision in terms of Delta State’s relationship with the Federal Government.

He said the state needed to establish stronger links with the Federal Government in Abuja because of its contribution to the national economy and the resources available at the federal level.

The former governor had previously served as the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate alongside Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.

His subsequent move to the APC represented a significant political realignment in Delta State and brought him into the same party as Governor Oborevwori and other former PDP leaders in the state.

Okowa has since secured the APC ticket for the Delta North senatorial contest scheduled for the 2027 elections.

Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, has also become involved in the political arrangements surrounding Okowa’s new role within the APC.

The Senate President’s latest comments have nevertheless raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the former governor’s defection, particularly because the EFCC investigation remains unresolved.

However, no public evidence has established that Okowa joined the APC in order to stop or avoid prosecution by the EFCC. Akpabio’s statement is an allegation about the former governor’s motivation, while Okowa’s publicly stated reason for joining the APC centred on the political and developmental interests of Delta State.

The allegations also come as political parties and their leading figures intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with defections and alliances continuing to reshape party structures across the country.

For now, the established position is that the EFCC investigation involving Okowa remains ongoing, while the reason Akpabio has attributed to the former governor’s APC defection remains his own claim.

The outcome of the EFCC investigation and any future response from Okowa could provide further clarity on the issues surrounding the allegations.

Akpabio Links Okowa’s APC Defection to EFCC Investigation

Niger Miners’ Deaths: FG Suspends 21 NSCDC Officers, Releases Names

The Federal Government has suspended 21 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), including the Niger State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the Corps’ custody in Minna, Niger State.

The suspension followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for a full, transparent and unhindered investigation into the incident, which has triggered public concern over custodial conditions, treatment of detainees and accountability within security agencies.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the suspension of 20 additional officers on Saturday, September 19, bringing the total number of suspended NSCDC personnel connected with the incident to 21.

The officers suspended are:

1. Suberu Siyaka Aniviye – Niger State Commandant, NSCDC.
2. SC Usman Isah Ndamaka – Officer-in-Charge, Station Guard.
3. ASCI Hassan Mohammed – Station Guard.
4. CCA Bala Mohammed – Station Guard.
5. CSC Oluwadare Sunday – Arresting Officer/Officer-in-Charge, Investigation.
6. DCC Obafemi Elvis – Arresting Officer.
7. CSC Annas Shitto Lamino – Arresting Officer.
8. DCC Philip Ajayi – Head, Intelligence/Investigation.
9. ACC Barr. Stephen Tsado – Officer-in-Charge, Legal.
10. ASCI Alhassan Mohammed – Night Duty Officer.
11. IC Abdullahi Sale – Guard Duty.
12. IC Mohammed Sonfada – Guard Duty.
13. CAI Liman Abubakar – Guard Duty.
14. CAI Bala Usman – Guard Duty.
15. IC Mohammed Jiya – Guard Duty.
16. DSC Isah Suleiman – Guard Duty.
17. CAI Ahmed Wushishi – Guard Duty.
18. IC Sale Adamu – Guard Duty.
19. IC Haruna Mohammed – Guard Duty.
20. ASCI Aliyu Sallah – Guard Duty.
21. CAI Isah Sanusi – Guard Duty.

The suspensions are administrative measures pending the outcome of the investigation and do not in themselves establish criminal or disciplinary guilt.

The Federal Government has also constituted a 10-member independent committee to establish what happened, identify the deceased and investigate their arrest, detention and deaths.

The committee is expected to determine the cause and circumstances of the deaths and establish whether there was negligence, misconduct, complicity or other wrongdoing. It is also mandated to recommend appropriate action and compensation where applicable.

The panel is chaired by retired Department of State Services Deputy Director-General Jonathan Kure, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, serves as secretary.

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Other members include retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma, Professor Olayinka Buhari, representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government, Liman Sulaiman of the Miners Association of Nigeria, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, journalist Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper and public affairs analyst Dr George Agbakahi.

The committee has two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report to the Minister of Interior. It can visit relevant locations, access documents and facilities, receive memoranda from members of the public and co-opt experts where necessary.

The deaths occurred after NSCDC personnel carried out operations against suspected illegal mining around the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.

The NSCDC said scores of suspected illegal miners were arrested during the operation, with various exhibits recovered. The detainees were subsequently held at an NSCDC facility in Minna.

The number of people detained has, however, emerged as one of the issues requiring clarification.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained in NSCDC cells before 37 died. He said the detainees were held in three cells and that investigators were examining overcrowding and possible exposure to hazardous substances among the possible explanations for the deaths.

The governor stressed that the actual cause of death has not been established and called for urgent autopsies, medical examinations and forensic analysis.

He said medical, forensic and biological teams had been deployed to collect samples and examine evidence that could help determine what happened.

The state government is also examining whether people detained during the operation were all involved in illegal mining and whether some of those arrested were simply working around the affected areas.

The Nigeria Police Force has separately commenced an investigation into the deaths.

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Police authorities have secured the scene in an effort to preserve evidence and prevent the removal or alteration of material that could assist investigators. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, inspected the location alongside other officials as investigators began efforts to establish what happened.

The Federal Government has also deployed mining and technical experts to Niger State to assist with the investigation.

The experts are expected to establish whether activities at the mining sites, exposure to hazardous substances or other environmental and technical factors could have contributed to the deaths.

The NSCDC initially said the deaths could have been linked to a suspected disease outbreak, but the actual cause has not been established and medical and laboratory examinations are expected to provide further evidence.

Survivors, however, have given accounts raising concerns about the conditions inside the detention facility.

One survivor, Dauda Shehu, reportedly said a large number of detainees were packed into a poorly ventilated cell and began struggling to breathe.

The accounts have raised the possibility of suffocation linked to overcrowding, although this has not been established as the cause of death.

Governor Bago has also said investigators are examining possible exposure to poisonous or hazardous substances associated with mining activities as another line of inquiry.

The competing explanations have made the forensic investigation particularly important, with authorities expected to establish whether the deaths resulted from illness, suffocation, poisoning, environmental exposure or another cause.

The deaths sparked protests in Minna, with demonstrators gathering around the NSCDC headquarters and demanding answers.

Security personnel deployed to the area used tear gas to disperse protesters as the situation became tense. The unrest prompted the Niger State Government to impose a curfew in the state capital.

The incident comes amid intensified government efforts to tackle illegal mining in Nigeria, an activity authorities have linked to environmental degradation, destruction of farmland and other security concerns.

The Federal Government has maintained that the campaign against illegal mining will continue but that enforcement must be carried out lawfully and with respect for human dignity.

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who is a member of the Federal Government’s investigative committee, has rejected any payment or honorarium for his participation, describing his involvement as a national duty.

Adeyanju has also said he would personally bear expenses connected with his participation and vowed to oppose any attempt to compromise the investigation, suppress evidence or shield anyone found responsible.

With the 21 NSCDC officers suspended, the police preserving evidence, forensic examinations underway and technical experts deployed, investigators are expected to establish the identities of the deceased, the number of people detained, the conditions in which they were held, the medical attention they received and the precise events that preceded the deaths.

Until those investigations and medical examinations are completed, the definitive cause of death of the 37 miners remains unresolved.

The outcome of the inquiry could determine whether disciplinary measures, criminal proceedings or other sanctions are warranted against any individual or institution found to have violated the law or failed in its responsibilities.

Niger Miners’ Deaths: FG Suspends 21 NSCDC Officers, Releases Names