Senate seeks FG’s immediate intervention to slash data prices - Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

Senate seeks FG’s immediate intervention to slash data prices

Published

1 year ago

on

Senate seeks FG’s immediate intervention to slash data prices

The senate has called on the federal government to take urgent action to address the rising cost of data services in the country.

During Wednesday’s plenary, lawmakers debated a motion sponsored by Asuquo Ekpeyong, senator representing Cross River south, highlighting the financial strain caused by recent hike in data tariffs.

Ekpeyong warned that the surge in data costs was a major setback for young Nigerians who depend on the internet for their livelihoods.

He argued that many young people use digital platforms for freelancing, e-commerce, content creation, and software development, making affordable internet access crucial to their economic survival.

“Telecommunication providers in Nigeria have recently increased the cost of data services by as much as 200%. A move that has placed significant financial strain on millions of Nigerians, especially young people who rely on the internet for their livelihood,” he said.

READ ALSO:

“Young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the internet for various income-generating activities including freelancing and remote work, direct marketing and social media management, e-commerce, content creation on various platforms, online training, software development, web design, mobile app creation, content creation of various platforms, online education, etc.

“The senate notes that young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the internet for their livelihood, leaving them heavily dependent on mobile telecommunications companies for internet access, and that the sudden and substantial increase in data cost threatens their economic survival and limits access to critical digital services.

“The senate is further concerned that the reasons provided by telecom providers for the data price hike, including high operational costs of favourable exchanges, are untenable, and appears that instead of addressing the root causes of the high cost of doing business in Nigeria, the burden is being unfairly transferred to end-users.

“Senate is aware that the high cost of doing business in Nigeria is driven by multiple challenges, such as increased operational risk and insurance costs.

“The senate believes that urgent government intervention is required to ensure that affordable internet access remains available to all Nigerians, particularly to the young Nigerians who are at the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy.

“The senate accordingly resolves to urge the federal government to engage with telecommunication providers to review the recent increase in data costs and ensure the pricing remains fair and affordable for all Nigerians.”

The motion was seconded by Titus Zam, senator representing Benue north-west, and received the support of other lawmakers.

READ ALSO:

Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central, criticised not just the rising cost of data but also increases in telecom charges and Pay TV tariffs, accusing regulatory bodies of failing to protect Nigerians.

“If you buy airtime or data, within minutes, you are out of it. Nigerians are suffering so much, and we cannot turn a blind eye,” he said.

Sadiq Umar, senator representing Kwara North, warned that the price hike disproportionately affects young people, who form a significant part of Nigeria’s workforce.

“These service providers must make life easier for young Nigerians, not harder. The government needs to step in before this situation worsens,” he said.

Lawmakers urged the federal government to engage telecom providers to review and reduce the recent increase in data costs.

They also called on the ministry of communications, innovation, and digital economy to develop a policy framework for affordable internet access.

Lawmakers further recommended the creation of tech hubs across the country to provide free or subsidised internet for entrepreneurs, students, and innovators.

They also directed the senate committee on communications to investigate the factors driving high data costs and propose solutions to make the telecom sector more business-friendly.

Following the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a vote, and it was unanimously adopted.

Akpabio praised Ekpeyong for raising the issue, saying the intervention would support young entrepreneurs and ensure fair pricing in the digital economy.

“This motion, when implemented, will assist our young entrepreneurs, not only to remain in business but also to ensure that they have affordable pricing that allows them to generate profits,” he said.

Senate seeks FG’s immediate intervention to slash data prices

Loading

Related Topics:
Advertisement

metro

‘We’ll Marry Beautiful Ones, Kill the Rest’ – Terrorists Reject N155m Ransom for 176 Kwara Captives

Published

13 minutes ago

on

July 31, 2026

By

'We'll Marry Beautiful Ones, Kill the Rest' – Terrorists Reject N155m Ransom for 176 Kwara Captives
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu

‘We’ll Marry Beautiful Ones, Kill the Rest’ – Terrorists Reject N155m Ransom for 176 Kwara Captives

Nearly six months after 176 residents were abducted from Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, families of the captives have made a desperate appeal to the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government, and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts. The families alleged that terrorists rejected more than N155 million raised by the affected communities as ransom and have threatened to force some female captives into marriage while executing the remaining hostages. The attack occurred on February 3, 2026, when more than 100 heavily armed assailants launched a coordinated assault on the rural communities, leaving over 260 people dead, more than 30 houses burnt, and 176 residents abducted. The victims, most of whom are women, children, and nursing mothers, have remained in captivity despite months of negotiations and community efforts.

Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Dr. Abdul Ibrahim told BBC Hausa that community leaders and residents contributed more than N155 million through community donations, personal savings, and the sale of valuables in a desperate bid to secure the release of the captives. However, the terrorists allegedly refused to accept the money, leaving hundreds of families uncertain about the fate of their relatives. “We raised N155 million and took it to them, but they refused to accept it, saying it was not enough. We returned with the money and have not heard from our relatives since. We appeal to the Federal Government and the Kwara State Government to rescue them because there is nothing more we can do,” Ibrahim said. Ibrahim, who said he lost 10 relatives and still has 35 family members in captivity, added that repeated attempts to secure the release of the abductees through negotiations and public demonstrations had yielded no results. According to him, the kidnappers stated that the victims are from Kwara and Niger States and insisted that both governments should pool resources together. He alleged that the terrorists do not even want to talk to the families and have insisted on engaging only with government authorities.

READ ALSO:

Fresh concerns emerged that the abductors had allegedly threatened to marry the “beautiful” female captives while executing the remaining hostages if their demands were not met. Speaking in an interview monitored on the BBC Hausa Service, Ibrahim said the threat had deepened fears among relatives. “They said they would marry the beautiful ones and kill the rest,” Ibrahim said, adding that the terrorists had refused to soften their position despite months of negotiations. The Dan Sardaukin Kaiama, Suleiman Bukata, urged the Federal Government and security agencies to replicate the operation that recently secured the rescue of abductees in neighbouring Oyo State by extending similar efforts to Kaiama. Bukata said the successful rescue in Oyo had rekindled hope among families in Kaiama, stressing that the people deserved the same level of commitment from the authorities. “No Nigerian community should be left to face this kind of tragedy alone. If people could be rescued elsewhere, our people should not be forgotten,” he said.

However, there are conflicting accounts regarding the ransom payment. The National President of the Kaiama Development Association (KDA) stated that “No payment has been made, although negotiation is still ongoing.” For his part, the Village Head, Alhaji Salihu Umar Bio, confirmed the efforts of the community towards the donation but said the terrorists have insisted on engaging only with the government since the incident occurred on February 3, 2026. The lawmaker representing the area in the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, also appealed to the Federal Government to intensify efforts to rescue the captives, saying the prolonged wait had increased the suffering of the affected families.

The attack on Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities was reportedly triggered after residents rejected attempts by the armed group to establish an extremist religious presence in the area. Survivors said the attackers, dressed in military-style uniforms and riding motorcycles, killed scores of residents, burnt homes and abducted dozens before fleeing. The incident underscores the growing insecurity in parts of North-Central Nigeria, where armed groups have increasingly carried out mass killings, kidnappings for ransom, and attacks on rural communities, despite ongoing security operations. Over 2,700 people were initially displaced following the February 3 attack, with many remaining in temporary shelters in neighbouring communities.

‘We’ll Marry Beautiful Ones, Kill the Rest’ – Terrorists Reject N155m Ransom for 176 Kwara Captives

Loading

Continue Reading

metro

42 Cows Die Mysteriously in FCT Community, Herder Collapses in Shock

Published

34 minutes ago

on

July 31, 2026

By

42 Cows Die Mysteriously in FCT Community, Herder Collapses in Shock

42 Cows Die Mysteriously in FCT Community, Herder Collapses in Shock

A 41-year-old cattle herder, Musa Lawal, reportedly collapsed and was hospitalised after discovering that 42 of his cows had died under mysterious circumstances in the Koroko community of Kwali Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The incident has prompted an investigation by security agencies amid fears that the animals may have grazed on chemically contaminated vegetation. The FCT Treasurer of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Yahuza Ibrahim, confirmed the incident to reporters on Thursday, explaining that the tragedy occurred on Tuesday at about 6:12 pm when two of Lawal’s sons took the cattle out to graze. According to Ibrahim, the animals were later found dead at different locations in the bush, raising suspicions that they may have consumed grass contaminated with chemicals. “Immediately we received the report, I alerted the MACBAN chairman, who directed me to proceed to the scene. We discovered that 42 cows had died. We suspect they may have eaten grass that had been sprayed with chemicals,” Ibrahim said.

Upon receiving news of the incident, Lawal rushed to the grazing area but collapsed after discovering the extent of his loss. He was immediately taken to the General Hospital in Kwali, where he was admitted and treated for shock before being discharged on Wednesday. The chairman of Kwali Area Council, Hon. Nuhu Daniel Kwali, accompanied by Fulani community leaders, later visited the family to sympathise with them over the loss. Confirming the incident, the council chairman described it as shocking and unfortunate. He stated that the council had directed relevant security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security operatives, to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the cattle deaths. The chairman also noted that the council was considering measures to support the affected herder and prevent any potential breakdown of peace between farmers and herders in the area.

READ ALSO:

The incident highlights the ongoing tensions in the FCT, where a chronic lack of grazing reserves has forced herders to use areas that may expose their cattle to risks, including farms that could be treated with chemicals. According to the MACBAN secretary in the FCT, Alhaji Ibrahim Ciroma, the lack of grazing land has led to crises between farmers and herders in some parts of the territory. He noted that farmers have taken over the only available grazing reserves in Kawu, Rubochi and Paiko-Kore, and that the government has not compensated the farmers to allow herders to use the land for grazing. Herders in several communities across the FCT often have to move their cows to the tops of hills to graze, but even these hills are being used by farmers to plant crops.

This incident comes amid broader farmer-herder tensions in the FCT. In April 2026, one person was killed and another severely injured in a farmers-herders clash in Fogbe village, Kwali Area Council, after herders allegedly invaded the village over claims that two of their cattle died from suspected food poisoning while grazing near the community. In September 2025, the body of a herder was found in a fadama (lowland farm) in Riwaza, near the Fogbe community in Kwali Area Council, after he went missing following a grazing trip. A study on conflict dynamics between farmers and herders in the FCT identified competition for land and water, inadequate grazing reserves, cattle rustling, and mutual distrust as key causative factors.

42 Cows Die Mysteriously in FCT Community, Herder Collapses in Shock

Loading

Continue Reading

metro

No Ransom, No Negotiation: President Reveals Intelligence Behind Oriire School Rescue

Published

42 minutes ago

on

July 31, 2026

By

139 Million Nigerians in Poverty Despite Three Years of Tinubu's Reforms – World Bank
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

No Ransom, No Negotiation: President Reveals Intelligence Behind Oriire School Rescue

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has publicly revealed the intelligence-driven strategy behind the successful rescue of 46 schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, confirming that security forces tracked and arrested the families of the kidnappers to pressure the terrorists into releasing their captives—without paying ransom or negotiating with criminals. The President made the disclosure on Thursday while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The visit was a thank-you mission to appreciate the Federal Government and the Armed Forces for securing the release of the victims after they spent 56 days in captivity.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the victims were rescued on July 10, Tinubu said the kidnappers presented two conditions for the release of the hostages: a demand for money and the release of detained members of their criminal gang who were already in custody. The Federal Government rejected both demands outright. “We refuse to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release from detention members of their criminal gangs that were already arrested. That was one of their conditions, outside of the money they were looking for. And we said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals. They committed murder, and we were ready to finish with their families, members of their own communities. They grew up somewhere,” the President stated. He emphasised that the government’s refusal to negotiate was aided by the military’s detailed knowledge of the forest terrain where the kidnappers were holed up. “We refused to pay ransom. We have the geography of the forest. We know what it is, and in answer to it, you’ve seen that from eight divisions, we are now moving to 12 divisions, to shorten the response time and give that response time the teeth needed to defeat terrorism and banditry,” he said.

According to security sources, the operation was driven by intelligence that led operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to track down and arrest several wives and children of the suspected kidnappers across different communities and cities nationwide. The family members were subsequently moved to Abuja, where they were interrogated in accordance with investigative procedures. Investigators believe the arrest of the terrorists’ family members reduced the likelihood that the abductors would harm the hostages, fearing possible consequences for their own relatives. Security sources further disclosed that video recordings of the interrogations were somehow leaked to the kidnappers, a development that reportedly unsettled the terrorists and made them more responsive to negotiations. “The kidnappers suddenly became more responsive. They abandoned their earlier hardline position and started making frequent contact instead of disappearing after making demands,” one source said. The terrorists thereafter proposed releasing the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in exchange for the freedom of their wives and guarantees of safe passage. However, security agencies rejected the proposal, insisting that the captives must first be released unconditionally. A source familiar with the operation disclosed that the final order to storm the camp was issued on Thursday night after fresh intelligence confirmed that the abducted schoolchildren and teachers were no longer being used as human shields. The assault was swift, well coordinated, and backed by overwhelming firepower, catching the terrorists off guard. During the operation, scores of terrorists were killed, while eight others were arrested.

READ ALSO:

In a related development, the Department of State Services has arraigned five men accused of complicity in the May 15 kidnapping and the subsequent killing of two victims. The five alleged members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) terrorist group were identified as Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa); and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar). In count one of the charge, Muhammad and Abbas were accused of ordering their foot soldiers within Ansaru, including Umar, Musa and Sani, to kidnap and kill people across the country in the event of their arrest, in order to compel the government to accede to their demands. In count two, the DSS alleged that the May 15 kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oriire and the killing of two of the victims were carried out in furtherance of that order. The five pleaded not guilty when each count on the charge sheet was read to them. Justice Salim Ibrahim granted the prosecution’s request to remand the defendants in DSS custody, ordering that they be given unhindered access to their lawyers and two members of their immediate families, and that they be accorded adequate medical attention. The case was adjourned till September 25 for the commencement of trial.

President Tinubu revealed that the lessons learned from the Oriire abduction prompted a review of the country’s security architecture, leading to his directive to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions. The expansion, which also includes the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, aims to shorten response time, decentralise operational decision-making, and strengthen border security and counter-insurgency operations. Under the new structure, the Army will operate 12 divisions strategically located across the country, with new divisions established in Makurdi (Benue State), Ilorin (Kwara State), Jalingo (Taraba State), and Benin City (Edo State). The implementation will be carried out in two phases, with the first phase expected to be completed by September 2026 and the second phase by December 2026. The President also announced plans to establish state police with safeguards against abuse and to enhance the capacity of forest guards to combat criminal elements operating in forests. “They are not just to chase antelopes and animals. We are going to have them chase the criminals and deal with them in various forests,” Tinubu said.

Oba Ladoja, speaking on behalf of the delegation, said the traditional rulers had confidence in the capability of Nigerian security agencies but remained apprehensive about the victims’ safe return. He expressed gratitude to the President and all stakeholders for their efforts in securing the rescue. The Olubadan also used the occasion to thank the Tinubu administration for ongoing and proposed federal road projects aimed at improving connectivity across Oyo State, including the dualisation of the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road, Ogbomoso-Ilorin Road, and the Badagry-Sokoto Highway passing through the Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun axis of the state.

The Oriire school attack occurred on May 15, 2026, when gunmen stormed three schools—Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School—in Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, abducting about 39 pupils and seven teachers. A mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded during the attack, and another teacher, Deacon John Olaleye, was later killed in captivity. The victims regained their freedom on July 10 after spending 56 days in captivity in an intelligence-led operation that resulted in the arrest of eight suspected kidnappers without the payment of ransom.

No Ransom, No Negotiation: President Reveals Intelligence Behind Oriire School Rescue

Loading

Continue Reading

Trending