Today's round-up: Legislature greenlights state police legislation, America slaps 12.5% duty on goods from Nigeria, plus more major headlines

Dramatic scenes unfolded in the House of Representatives on Thursday as the State Police bill was passed, despite a walkout by minority members who argued that the bill required further refinement and that the constitutional amendment process was flawed.

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The United States has imposed a tariff of 12.5 per cent on imports from Nigeria, citing the country's failure to effectively prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour, affecting imports from 60 economies.

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President Bola Tinubu has given his approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from its current structure to 12 divisions, a move aimed at strengthening the country's security architecture and improving the Army's operational effectiveness.

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The expansion plan also includes the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel to enhance the Army's capacity to respond to Nigeria's evolving security challenges, according to the Presidency.

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A walkout by minority members rocked the House of Representatives on Thursday as the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police across Nigeria was approved, with the bill securing the required two-thirds majority after consideration by the House.

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The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the establishment of state police services and for related matters,” has sparked controversy among lawmakers.

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The United States has taken a new trade measure targeting countries that have failed to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour, imposing a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria and 59 other economies.

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The Nigerian Army has declared Private Mohammed Yusuf Amutu wanted for allegedly selling military uniforms to terrorists and other criminal elements, with the soldier absconding from his unit in June.

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Amutu, who served at the Nigerian Army Ordnance Kits Factory, is accused of committing a serious offence that undermines the Army's efforts to combat terrorism and insecurity in the country.

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An Enugu Air aircraft carrying 63 passengers and five crew members veered off the runway and ran into the surrounding bush after landing at the Benin Airport in Edo State, prompting a safety investigation and forcing Air Peace to suspend all flights to and from the airport.

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The Embraer E170 aircraft, operating as Flight 4264 from Lagos to Benin with registration 5N-ENR, overran the end of Runway 05 at about 3:10 p.m. local time, causing panic among passengers and airport officials.