Morning recap: State police bill, Tinubu’s rescue order, minimum wage talks, other top stories

File: National Assembly complex

Top stories making the headlines in today’s morning recap are the update on the proposed State Police Bill, as well as President Bola Tinubu’s directive to security agencies to rescue kidnapped victims nationwide.

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Federal Government are yet to agree on when negotiations will begin on a new national minimum wage.

More so, in its latest report, the National Bureau of Statistics has disclosed that Nigeria’s headline inflation fell to 14.63 per cent in September 2026, down from 15.39 per cent in August.

The recap in full:

1. State Police Bill: Five Assemblies say yes, 31 yet to decide

The proposed constitutional amendment to establish State Police has suffered a setback, with only five of the 36 State Houses of Assembly having approved the bill as of Thursday, October 15, despite a 30-day deadline set by the National Assembly for the state legislatures to communicate their positions.

The Assemblies of Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara have passed the proposed amendment, which seeks to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system and provides a constitutional framework for the establishment and operation of state police services.

Read more here.

2. Tinubu orders rescue of kidnap victims, safe 2027 polls

President Bola Tinubu has directed heads of security agencies to rescue all abducted persons and ensure that no terrorist or bandit camp remains anywhere in Nigeria, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), said on Thursday.

Musa, who spoke to State House correspondents after a security meeting presided over by the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said Tinubu also asked the service chiefs and other security heads to guarantee a safe environment for Nigerians to vote in the elections scheduled for January.

• FG’s illusory fuel price relief
• 2027: APC plans nationwide rallies, starts with Kaduna October 24
• Tinubu must defend record before seeking re-election – Atiku

Read more here.

3. FG, NLC clash over minimum wage talks

The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress have disagreed over when negotiations for a new national minimum wage should begin, with organised labour challenging the government’s interpretation of the law and demanding that preparations commence immediately.

The disagreement followed an exchange of letters between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, and NLC President, Joe Ajaero, over the timetable for reviewing the N70,000 minimum wage signed into law in July 2024.

Read more here.

4. Inflation drops to 14.63% despite rising energy costs

Nigeria’s headline inflation fell to 14.63 per cent in September 2026, down from 15.39 per cent in August, despite energy costs rising 5.38 per cent during the month.

The latest Consumer Price Index report released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that inflation moderated by 0.76 percentage points, reaching its lowest year-on-year level in 2026, largely supported by declining food prices.

However, the report revealed contrasting price movements across major components of the economy, with energy costs rising sharply and core inflation accelerating despite the overall moderation in consumer prices.