The Qatari Ministry of Interior has dismissed claims that it introduced new visa restrictions on Nigerian passport holders.

A ministry official told BBC Pidgin on Wednesday that there are no such restrictions, contrary to viral social media reports.

The reports had alleged that Qatari authorities barred male applicants from entering the country unless they were travelling with family, while women and families were allegedly required to show proof of a five-star hotel booking and a return flight ticket before applying for a visa.

According to the BBC, Hayya, Qatar’s digital platform for e-visa services, clarified that the visa process remains unchanged.

“There has been no suspension or changes to the current procedures. If any updates are to be made, they will be announced on our official platforms,” Hayya said.

Qatar has witnessed a rise in Nigerian visitors in recent years, partly due to the visa restrictions and flight suspensions imposed by the United Arab Emirates during a diplomatic row with Nigeria between 2021 and 2024.

A federal high court in Abuja has refused bail to five suspects accused of killing more than 40 worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo state.

Delivering ruling on Wednesday, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, held that the charges are capital offences and therefore not bailable.

Nwite agreed with the Department of State Services (DSS) that the defendants belong to a terrorist organisation capable of intimidating witnesses and obstructing trial.

The judge said the weight of evidence against the suspects, coupled with the absence of credible sureties, reinforced the DSS’s argument that they posed a flight risk.

He ruled that granting bail would amount to “judicial risk” and ordered accelerated hearing, fixing October 19 for the next sitting.

The suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were arraigned on August 11 on a nine-count charge filed by the attorney-general of the federation.

They are accused of joining the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, plotting the June 2022 Owo attack, and detonating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) inside the church, killing at least 40 people and injuring over 100.

The federal government also alleged that the group held meetings in Kogi and Ondo to plan the assault, carried out with IEDs and AK-47 rifles.

The offences, according to prosecutors, contravene sections 25(1) and 42(a)(ii) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it cannot penalise politicians who have already begun campaigning ahead of the 2027 elections.

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, made the remark on Wednesday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ roundtable on premature campaigns.

Yakubu explained that while section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits campaigns earlier than 150 days before polling, the law prescribes no punishment for violators.

“Quite correctly, Nigerians expect INEC, as registrar and regulator of political parties, to act in the face of the brazen breach of the law. However, the major challenge for the commission is the law itself,” he said.

He noted that section 94(2) only sets a fine of up to ₦500,000 for campaigns held within 24 hours of election day, leaving a legal gap that politicians have exploited.

Yakubu said aspirants and their supporters have been holding rallies, unveiling billboards, and running media adverts across the country in breach of the law — acts that also undermine INEC’s monitoring of campaign finance.

The commission, he added, has invited lawmakers, party leaders, civil society groups and regulators to the forum to explore remedies.

“As the national assembly is currently reviewing our electoral laws, the leadership of the senate and house committees on electoral matters have been invited. I am confident they will give due consideration to actionable recommendations,” he said.

Abdullahi Zuru, INEC national commissioner and chairman of the Electoral Institute, described early campaigning as one of the most worrying trends in Nigeria’s democracy.

He said aspirants often use cultural festivals, religious gatherings, billboards, branded vehicles and even influencers on social media as cover for premature campaigns.

“When aspirants or parties compete to dominate visibility long before the official campaign period, it distorts fairness and inflates the cost of political competition,” Zuru said.

He warned that the practice distracts elected officials from governance, undermines public trust in elections, and weakens respect for the rule of law.

“We must refine the regulatory framework so that what constitutes premature campaigning is more clearly defined in today’s digital age,” he added.