The Federal Government has unveiled plans to adopt 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency telephone number, marking a major step towards creating a unified emergency response system across the country.

The move was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, following a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

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The development comes days after the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Shettima, approved the nationwide adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s official emergency number for use by all levels of government and emergency response agencies.

During the meeting, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for implementing the initiative and work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to strengthen coordination among emergency responders nationwide.

According to the statement, the Vice President also assured the NCC delegation of the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the project.

“He assured the delegation that the project would be sustained, noting that the required funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and the private sector.

“The Vice President also called for high-level engagement and commitment from emergency responders to drive the successful implementation of the 112 initiative,” the statement read.

Earlier, Olorunnimbe revealed that the NCC has already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres across the country but stressed the need for stronger collaboration from state governments and emergency agencies to ensure the facilities remain operational.

He said governors, the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services and NEMA must work together to guarantee that Nigerians in distress receive prompt emergency assistance whenever needed.

“Everyone is expected to buy into this initiative and recognise its importance. It is a patriotic duty to our country to ensure that anyone in distress can get the help they need in a very swift manner,” Olorunnimbe said.

The nationwide adoption of 112 is expected to streamline access to emergency services, improve response times and enhance coordination among security, medical and disaster management agencies across Nigeria.

The Federal Government has announced that another batch of stranded Nigerians will return home on Thursday as part of its ongoing evacuation exercise from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks and security concerns in the country.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fourth evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace, is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at 7:30 p.m.

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The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, who said the latest flight forms part of the government’s continued efforts to assist Nigerians willing to return home.

The ministry stated that the aircraft is carrying 284 passengers, comprising 272 adults and 12 infants. It added that two government officials are also on board to coordinate the evacuation exercise.

According to the statement, the total number of Nigerians expected to arrive in Lagos is 282 returnees.

“The expected time of arrival of the fourth evacuation flight from South Africa today, operated by Air Peace at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is 7:30 p.m.,” the statement read.

The latest flight is the fourth arranged by the Federal Government since it began evacuating Nigerians affected by the recent wave of xenophobic violence and related security challenges in South Africa.

The evacuation programme is aimed at providing safe passage for Nigerians who have expressed a willingness to return home amid growing fears over their safety and well-being.

Government officials are expected to receive the returnees upon arrival before they proceed with the necessary immigration, health, and documentation processes.

The Senate on Thursday passed a bill seeking to establish an independent agency that will oversee the recovery, preservation, management and disposal of assets linked to unlawful activities, in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework and improving transparency in the handling of recovered properties.

The upper chamber also approved the Legal Practitioners Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, after adopting reports presented by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters during plenary.

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The two bills—the Proceeds of Crime Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Legal Practitioners Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026—scaled third reading following the Senate’s consideration of recommendations submitted by the committee.

Presenting the reports, Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, said the Legal Practitioners Bill is designed to replace the existing Legal Practitioners Act with a modern legal framework capable of strengthening the regulation of Nigeria’s legal profession.

According to him, the proposed legislation seeks to enhance professional standards while ensuring the legal regulatory system reflects current realities.

Adegbonmire noted that the committee subjected the bill to extensive scrutiny because of its importance to the nation’s justice system.

He described the legal profession as the guardian of the rule of law, stressing that the framework governing it must inspire confidence among practitioners and the public.

Speaking on the Proceeds of Crime Act (Amendment) Bill, the senator said the legislation addresses long-standing concerns over the management of assets recovered from criminal activities by creating a dedicated agency to oversee the process.

He explained that the proposed agency would be responsible for recovering, preserving, managing and disposing of properties reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful activities, describing the initiative as a critical step in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture.

Following the consideration of the reports, the Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole, adopted the recommendations clause by clause and passed both bills through a voice vote.

Reacting to the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Act (Amendment) Bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the proposed agency would ensure that recovered assets are managed transparently for the benefit of Nigerians.

He added that the Senate acted in the public interest by concluding work on legislation expected to improve accountability in the management of recovered properties.

The development comes amid growing concerns over the custody, maintenance and disposal of assets recovered by anti-graft agencies, with stakeholders calling for a centralised framework to eliminate abuse, duplication of responsibilities and deterioration of seized properties.

Both bills will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for assent.