The Benin Government Asked Nigeria For Fighter Jets and Ground Troops to Dislodge the Coup Plotters -Onanuga

Nigeria did not just go to the country; Nigeria was invited to step in and help.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy

PRESIDENT TINUBU WELCOMES THE RETURN OF 100 CATHOLIC STUDENTS, CHARGES SECURITY AGENCIES ON SAFE RETURN OF OTHERS

President Bola Tinubu has commended the security agencies for their tireless efforts in securing the freedom of the 100 students of Papiri Catholic School in Niger State.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga indicates that
while expressing his joy over the safe return of the students, President Tinubu equally charged the security agencies to ensure the swift release of the remaining 115 students and their teachers who are still held hostage.

President Tinubu assured the parents that both the federal and the Niger State governments are working closely to reunite all the abducted students with their families.

"I have been briefed on the safe return of 100 students from the Catholic School in Niger State. I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work in ensuring the safe return of the students to their families since the unfortunate incident on November 21.

"My directive to our security forces remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians across the country must be rescued and brought back home safely. We must account for all the victims. The Federal Government will continue to work with Niger State and other states to secure our schools and make the learning environment safer and more conducive for our young ones.

"From now on, our security agencies, working with the governors, must prevent future kidnappings. Our children should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists intent on disrupting their education and subjecting them and their parents to unspeakable trauma," President Tinubu said.

STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

President Tinubu commends Nigeria's Armed Forces for protecting democracy in Benin Republic

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the gallantry of Nigeria's military on Sunday for responding swiftly to the request by the Government of Benin Republic to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn today.

Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.

The Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Note Verbal, requested immediate Nigerian air support "in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population."

In the second request, the authorities in Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination.

The Benin government also requested Nigerian ground forces, "strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed Groups."

Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said all the requests have been fulfilled, with Nigerian ground forces now in Benin.

"Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu," he said.

Constitutional order was upended in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria's neighbour, when some soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced a coup on Sunday morning. The putschists seized the National TV and claimed they had toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended all democratic institutions.

It took some hours before the government's loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV.

In his remarks after the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu saluted the Nigerian armed forces for standing firm as a protector and defender of democracy.

“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government. Our armed forces acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining our democratic values and ideals since 1999. Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin."

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President

(Information and Strategy)

December 7, 2025

Attempted military coup reportedly fails in Benin Republic— President Tinubu’s aide, Onanuga

Tinubu Appoints New Boards for NADF, UBEC and Bank of Agriculture

President Bola Tinubu has approved new boards for three major federal institutions — the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). According to a statement by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, the July appointment of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as UBEC chairman remains unchanged, with additional zonal representatives appointed. For the Bank of Agriculture, Tinubu reaffirmed earlier appointments, including Muhammad Babangida as chairman and Ayo Sotinrin as managing director, alongside new executive and non-executive directors from all geopolitical zones. The NADF board was also fully constituted, with Bello Maccido named chairman and other members appointed to represent various zones, completing the agency’s leadership structure.

STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES GENERAL CHRISTOPHER MUSA AS THE NEW MINISTER OF DEFENCE

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence.

In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.

General Musa, 58, on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.

Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.

General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career. His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.

In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.

In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.

In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President,
(Information and Strategy)
December 2, 2025

PRESIDENT TINUBU SALUTES PROFESSOR JERRY GANA AT 80

President Bola Tinubu congratulates statesman, academician, and politician Professor Jerry Gana on his 80th birthday.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President Information & Strategy indicates that President Tinubu acknowledges Professor Gana's decades of active service in Nigeria's socio-political landscape. He served as a two-time Minister of Information and Culture/National Orientation under different administrations and as Director of Mass Mobilisation for Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) under the Ibrahim Babangida administration.

He was elected to the Senate in the aborted Second Republic.

President Tinubu describes Professor Gana as a fine gentleman, a prolific communicator, a mass mobiliser, and a passionate patriot blessed with the gift of oratory.

The President recalls the former Minister's mass mobilisation and sensitisation efforts for unity, peace, and national development, and commends his contributions to advancing Nigeria's values and ideals.

The President wishes Professor Gana a happy 80th birthday and prays that God Almighty will grant him many more years of good health and a sound mind.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC).

The committee, which Mr Joseph Tegbe chairs, will ensure the implementation of the administration's landmark tax reforms in line with the economic aspirations of the government and the people of Nigeria.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, will oversee the committee's work.

The Committee will undertake extensive consultations across the public and private sectors to ensure broad-based input into the implementation process.

Its chairman, Tegbe, is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCIT).

He has over 35 years of professional experience across the public and private sectors, having previously served as a Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa.

Mrs Sanyade Okoli, Special Adviser to the President on Finance and Economy, will serve as the Committee's Secretary. Members also include Ismaeel Ahmed, Rukaiya El Rufai, and others.

In establishing the Committee, President Tinubu emphasised that effective implementation of the Tax Acts is central to the nation's economic transformation agenda and critical to strengthening public finance management while safeguarding the legitimate expectations of investors and the productive sectors.

"These new Tax Acts reflect our administration's commitment to building a fair, transparent, and technology-driven tax system that supports economic growth while protecting the interests of citizens and businesses.

"The National Tax Policy Implementation Committee will ensure coherent, effective, and well-aligned implementation across all levels of government," the President stated.

The NTPIC's mandate emphasises broad stakeholder consultation through nationwide engagements with the private sector, professional bodies, and subnational governments, alongside public awareness campaigns to support effective implementation of the new tax laws.

It also prioritises strong inter-agency coordination by aligning the work of key revenue and regulatory institutions, harmonising existing frameworks with new statutes, and ensuring unified oversight and reporting throughout the transition process.

The Committee comprises experts drawn from tax administration, finance, law, the private sector, and civil society, ensuring a balanced and inclusive approach to policy execution.

The chairman expressed the team's readiness to work diligently in support of national development.

"We understand the strategic importance of these Tax Acts. Our committee will work closely with all stakeholders to support the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy in ensuring seamless implementation and building public trust in the tax system," he said.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, added:
"With the establishment of this Committee, Mr President has not only set the direction but also provided the authority and support required to reset not just the tax system but the entire fiscal policy framework of Government, to deliver significant economic growth for the benefit of all Nigerians."

The NTPIC is expected to enhance revenue mobilisation, minimise leakages, and reinforce accountability, thereby strengthening the government's fiscal sustainability and national development objectives.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
November 28, 2025

Security forces know the b@ndits and their hideouts but act cautiously to prevent civilian casualties” — Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga

Bayo Onanuga Slams Peter Obi: We Will Never Forget and Forgive His Support for Foreign Invasion

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently assigned to guard VIPs and directed that they be redeployed to core policing duties nationwide.
Key Highlights


Police personnel attached to VIPs will be reassigned to frontline policing roles.


VIPs who still require protection must now request armed security from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) instead of the police.


The decision was announced during a high-level security meeting in Abuja attended by service chiefs, the IGP, and the DSS DG.


Purpose of the Directive
The move aims to:


Increase police presence across communities.


Improve security in remote and underserved areas.


Better utilise police manpower at a time of rising security threats.


Additional Measures


Tinubu approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers.


The federal government will partner with state governments to upgrade police training schools nationwide.


According to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the directive is part of the administration’s strategy to strengthen security operations and ensure that the police focus squarely on their core mandate.

"Our Goal Is To Use Education To End Poverty", President Tinubu Tells Duke of Edinburgh.

President Bola Tinubu emphasized that his administration’s economic and institutional reforms aim to equip Nigerian youths with globally competitive skills to secure their future. Speaking during a meeting with the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, at the State House, Abuja, on Monday, Tinubu stated, “Our goal is to use education to drive down poverty.”

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that discussions also covered plans for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award events in Lagos.

Tinubu highlighted that Nigeria’s participation in the G-20 this week will focus on youth empowerment and economic growth, stressing that reforms prioritize demography, skills development, and opportunities for young people.

He noted the introduction of a special education loan fund to ensure university students receive support to complete their studies, alongside broader reforms to enhance infrastructure, including fibre optics, security, and crime reduction initiatives. Tinubu also acknowledged humanitarian agencies for their role in supporting terrorism victims.

Finance Minister Wale Edun briefed attendees on the country’s median age of 17 and explained that policies are designed to expand youth participation, skill acquisition, and growth prospects. Prince Edward praised Nigeria’s reforms and highlighted the Lagos events, where 320 youths will be recognized for pursuing their passions, developing skills, and contributing to national development.

Also present were the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Richard Montgomery; the Duke’s Private Secretary, Alex Potts; the Award’s Secretary-General, Martin Houghton-Brown; and International Trustee Muhoho Kenyatta.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global program promoting non-formal education through schools, youth organizations, and community groups to develop skills, resilience, and service among young people.

President Tinubu Reappoints Buba Marwa as NDLEA Chairman.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for another five-year term.

The announcement was made on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

Marwa, first appointed by the late President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, previously served as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse between 2018 and 2020. His renewed tenure means he will lead the NDLEA until 2031.

An Adamawa-born retired military officer, Marwa is a former military governor of Lagos and Borno States and an alumnus of both the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he held several key roles, including brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, and academic registrar of the NDA. He also served as Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and later as Defence Adviser to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Marwa holds two postgraduate degrees: a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.

His time at the NDLEA has been marked by major successes, including the arrest of more than 73,000 drug traffickers and the seizure of over 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances.

The agency has also intensified nationwide campaigns against drug abuse under his leadership.

President Tinubu praised Marwa’s achievements, describing his reappointment as a vote of confidence and urging him to continue pursuing drug cartels and traffickers seeking to endanger Nigerians, especially the youth.

Alleged Genocide: Bayo Onanuga Reacts After Trump's Aide Said The USA Is Ready And Willing To Act.

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy has reacted to the statement that Trump's aide, Marco Rubio made about alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria.

The reaction of Bayo Onanuga was contained in a post that he shared on his official X handle on Saturday, November 1, 2025.

In the post that Marco Rubio shared on his official page, he claimed that several Christians are being slaughtered and the US government is ready and willing to act.

Here is what Marco Rubio wrote on his official X handle;

"The ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria by radical Islamists and Fulani ethnic militias is both tragic and unacceptable. As President Donald Trump said, the United State of America stands ready, willing and able to act".

However, Bayo Onanuga has now shared his thoughts after the post surfaced online. In a statement that he shared on his page, he said Christians are not being slaughtered in Nigeria.

He said both Christians and Muslims are being attacked in Nigeria. The presidential aide said what Nigeria needs from America is military support to fight the violent extremists in the country.

Here is what Bayo Onanuga wrote on his official X handle;

"Dear Secretary Rubio, there is no ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria. This is a gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation. What we do have are sporadic attacks on some villages by bandits and terrorists and the attacks are religiously insensitive. Christians, Muslims, churches and mosques are attacked randomly".

Tinubu Revises Pardon, Reduces Maryam Sanda’s Death Sentence to 12 Years

President Bola Tinubu has reversed the earlier presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. Instead, her death sentence has now been commuted to a 12-year prison term.

This adjustment was revealed in an updated official gazette released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

According to the document, Sanda has already served six years and eight months at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State. With the revised sentence, she has approximately five years and four months left to serve before completing her term. 

The change was made on compassionate grounds.

The updated list also includes over 80 other inmates whose sentences were similarly reduced to shorter prison terms.

Egbon Bayo Onanuga abusing me because i stated the position of Nigeria’s debt. He called me economic illiterate—-a presidential spokesperson ooooo

Tell Egbon Bayo to challenge me with facts not abuses.

Has Nigeria not borrowed 152 trillion under Tinubu?
@ruffydfire

Tinubu Nominates Dr Bernard Doro as Minister to Replace APC Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda.

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Dr Bernard Mohammed Doro from Plateau State as a new minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed that the president has transmitted Doro’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

According to Onanuga, Dr Doro’s nomination follows the election of Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in July.

Born on January 23, 1969, in Kwall, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, Doro brings over two decades of multidisciplinary experience spanning clinical practice, pharmaceutical management, strategic leadership, and community development in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

He holds degrees in Pharmacy and Law, an MBA specializing in IT-driven business strategy, and a Master’s degree in Advanced Clinical Practice. He is also an Independent Prescriber and Advanced Clinical Practitioner with frontline NHS experience in urgent care, GP practices, and hospital settings.

Beyond his medical career, Dr Doro is recognized for leading youth mentorship and social impact initiatives across diaspora and local communities.

Clemency: You’ve brought shame, scrap NDLEA, EFCC, ICPC – APC chieftain to Tinubu.

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has called for the scrapping of some federal government agencies.

The agencies include the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

According Eze, these agencies have Iost their flavours to political Interferences, stressing that President Bola Tinubu’s presidential pardon of drug barons have further erodes public confidence in statutory Institutions.

The APC chieftain said as long as he remains a member of the ruling party it must be said categorically that Tinubu, by his action, has brought shame and reproach to the party.

Eze believes that no reasonable person would vote for the APC again as the President has made it unelectable in any election in this country.

Eze said that APC’s return to power in 2027 would mean that Nigerians approve of a regime that legitimizes illegality as a political strategy to sustain its odious reign beyond 2027.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Information and Strategy last week, said in a statement that out of the 175 beneficiaries of the Presidential pardon, 41 illegal miners, 28 drug traffickers and 22 murderers topped the list.

Notable among the 175 beneficiaries are Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists; Farouk Lawan, a former member of the house of representatives; Mamman Vatsa, a major general and poet executed in 1986 over alleged treason; and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for killing her husband in 2017.

Don’t let anyone take your life’ – Kemi Afolabi reacts to Tinubu’s presidential pardon for convicted murderer.

Popular Nigerian actress, Kemi Afolabi, has reacted to President Tinubu’s presidential pardon for convicted murderers and drug barons.

The Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu granted a presidential pardon to 175 criminals.

The beneficiaries according to a release by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on Media and Public Information have 28 drug traffickers, 41 illegal miners and 22 murderers topping the list.

The controversial presidential pardon has sparked diverse reactions from Nigerians, with many politicians, groups and Nigerian elite calling for the reverse.

Reacting to the presidential pardon for murders, actress Kemi Afolabi urged netizens to protect their lives by any means necessary.

Speaking on her Instagram story, she wrote: “Do not allow anyone to take your life, guard it with all your being. Be it in marriage, friendship, courtship or any kind of relationship”.

She gave the advice after the family of late Bilyaminu Ahmed condemned the pardon of Maryam Sandain, a convicted murderer.

Bilyaminu was murdered in 2017 by his wife, Maryam Sandain who was sentenced to death by hanging in January 2020.

"Finance Minister Wale Edun Recuperating in Abuja, No Plans for Replacement" — Presidency.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, is recovering at his Abuja residence after falling ill, senior Presidency sources confirmed on Sunday. 

Contrary to reports, officials insist his condition is not stroke-related and that President Bola Tinubu has no plans to replace him.

A senior government official told The PUNCH that while Edun’s illness is “a bit serious,” he remains in Nigeria under the care of local doctors. “He’s indisposed but not suffering from a stroke,” the source said, adding that Edun might seek treatment abroad only if necessary.

Earlier reports had claimed that Edun’s condition was “very serious” and that the President had begun discreet consultations to find a replacement. However, multiple Presidency insiders dismissed those claims, emphasizing that the minister is still in his home and being monitored closely.

Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga also confirmed Edun’s situation, stating: “Yes, he’s indisposed. Wale Edun is about 69 years old. He suddenly fell ill, but he’s in Nigeria and recuperating.”

In Edun’s absence, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, beginning Monday, October 13. The delegation will also include Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu departed Abuja for Rome, Italy, to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, which focuses on security issues in West Africa.

Edun, a seasoned economist and banker, was appointed Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on August 21, 2023.