Manny Ita
The Federal Government has announced the deployment of military retirees to secure ungoverned spaces and bolster rural safety, in a significant tactical shift to address the nation’s persistent security challenges,
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, confirmed the initiative today, January 29, 2026, noting that the move is designed to leverage the vast experience of veteran personnel in areas where active-duty forces are currently overstretched. This strategy follows a series of recent security incidents, including an ambush in Katsina that left three police officers dead on January 28, and a continued surge in banditry displacing communities in parts of Kano State.
The deployment coincides with a directive from the Federal High Court in Abuja, which has ordered the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to suspend its planned certification convocation scheduled for today. Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted the interim injunction following a legal challenge by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) regarding the Bureau’s authority to issue practice licenses. The court has directed the BPP to “show cause” by 12:00 PM today as to why the suspension should not be made permanent, effectively stalling a World Bank-funded program intended to graduate over 2,100 procurement professionals.
Amidst these security and legal developments, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) reported today that the national power grid has been “fully restored” following a partial collapse on Tuesday, January 27. The disturbance, which saw power generation drop to zero megawatts, was traced to a voltage fluctuation at the Gombe transmission substation. While the system is back online, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has renewed calls for a comprehensive audit of the energy sector, citing the “incessant grid failures and cost-reflective tariffs” as a major hindrance to the country’s 2026 economic growth projections.
