Nation
THE STATES
Jigawa
The Maigatari Local
Government Council of Jigawa State has recruited 60 casual staff as
environmental workers to enhance sanitation services in the area.
The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Isa Zakari, disclosed
this when the state Commissioner for Environment, Hajiya Hassana Adamu, visited
the council, in Maigatari.
Zakari said the workers were engaged to ensure prompt
clearing of drains and the evacuation of solid wastes dumped at various sites
in the area.
He said the council had also concluded arrangements to enact
a by-law to ban indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the area.
Responding, the commissioner urged the people to clear
culverts and drains to control flooding in the area.
Kano
The Kano State
Government has ordered the immediate closure of Triumph Publishing Company in
Kano, publishers of the Triumph group of newspapers.
Dr Umar Faruk, the Commissioner for Information, who
announced the closure while speaking to newsmen on Thursday, said the action
was necessary to facilitate some restructuring of the company.
Faruk said that the decision to close down the newspaper was
taken at Wednesday’s state executive council meeting, pointing out that the
government had ordered the payment of outstanding three months salary to the
members of staff of the company.
The commissioner said that freelance journalists, as well as
consultants, were to report to the office of the Head of Service of the state
to facilitate payments of their entitlements.
He said the newspaper staff would be posted to other
agencies and ministries.
Kaduna
The Nigeria Police
College, Kaduna has said that it found a robbery suspect among recruit
constables undergoing training in the college.
The Commandant of the college, Alhaji Sanusi Rufai, told
newsmen in Kaduna that the suspect was named by members of his gang after they
were arrested by the police in Abuja.
The commandant said details of the suspect’s identity were
forwarded to the college, which withdrew, arrested and transferred him to the
appropriate police unit for investigation.
Rufai said the suspect was among 25 recruits the college
disqualified for various inadequacies identified during training, pointing out
that some of the students were found to have presented forged school results
and others had criminal records, “while some were withdrawn based on health
grounds.
Rufai noted that the college would continue to screen “unfit
persons” out to ensure that only those with good knowledge and character were
allowed to train as policemen and women.
Katsina
Musawa Local
Government in Katsina State has begun the distribution of pesticides worth N2
million free of charge to farmers as assistance toward preventing crop damage
in the area.
Alhaji Sama’ila Kira, the Council’s Caretaker Committee
Chairman, said in Musawa, Katsina State, that the initiative was conceived due
to the financial difficulties faced by farmers and to serve as an encouragement
to smallholder farmers.
Represented by his deputy Alhaji Babangida Musa, his deputy,
Kira said the support would also enhance food security, noting that increased
harvest was expected considering the farmers’ huge investments.
He said that a committee had been constituted to ensure that
smallholder farmers who needed such support benefitted from the gesture, adding
that the council, has provided farming support to both rainy season and
irrigation farmers to reduce poverty and facilitate people’s engagement toward
ensuring food security.
Kogi
The Kogi State Government has warned people displaced by the
recent flood disaster in the state not to go back to their houses for now.
The government gave the warning in a statement signed by the
state’s Director of Information, Mr James Adedoyin, and issued in Lokoja on
Thursday.
The statement said the warning became necessary when
government observed that some victims in various camps had started leaving for
their homes, due to the noticeable decease in water level of the River Niger.
The release said some of the houses that had been under
water for several days might not be habitable as some of them were already
collapsing.
It said that in line with the promise made by the state’s
governor, Capt Idris Wada, government would conduct integrity test on buildings
that were submerged to ensure that they were safe for haibitation.
Kwara
State Government plans to spend N3.1 billion on
state-of-the-art aviation infrastructure to make the state the hub of aviation
services in West Africa.
Dr Abubakar Kanike, the Commissioner for Works and
Transport, made this known when the National Good Governance Tour team visited
the state-owned aviation college and cargo terminal in Ilorin.
He said the state government had spent N1.2 billion on the
establishment of a world-class aviation college, while N1.9 billion was spent
on the construction of the cargo terminal.
On the aviation college, Kanike said the state government
had provided modern facilities for Private Pilot Licence and Commercial Pilot
Licence training, noting that a lot was also spent on acquiring the
multi-engine qualification for the ICAO certified pilots.
Lagos
A total of 200 men of
the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
are currently undergoing training in arms bearing and physical drilling, The
Tide reports.
Mr Sunday Eromosele, a spokesman of the NSCDC, told NAN in
Lagos on Thursday that the trainees were expected to go through the general
rudiments of arms bearing, physical drilling and mental alertness.
According to the NSCDC spokesman, the training, taking place
at the NSCDC Camp in Badagry, became necessary in view of the security
challenges currently facing the country.
“The NSCDC Act of 2007 empowers the Corps to have Arms
Squads in all the state commands throughout the federation.
“The Lagos State Command has begun the first in the series
of such trainings, and it is being administered by the Nigerian Army,”
Eromosele said.
Ogun
The Ogun State Bureau
of Local Government Pensions on Thursday said it had disbursed N1.6 billion as
monthly pensions to retired local government and primary school workers.
Alhaji Ade Momodu, Permanent Secretary of the bureau,
announced this during an oversight visit by members of the Ogun State House of
Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Momodu said that the money was paid between January and
September.
He said that pension was paid from the monthly allocation
the bureau received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC).
“The bureau has also paid N643.3 million as gratuities to
retired local government staff, as well as primary school teaching and non
teaching staff between January and September 2012.
Ondo
In an effort to
further prevent flooding in Ondo State, the state government has approved the
purchase of additional Amphibious Excavator for dredging of rivers and other
water ways.
The Director, Ecology, Ministry of Environment and Mineral
Resources, Mr Olumide Kinga told The Tide on Thursday in Akure that the
ministry was taking every precautionary step to tackle the challenge.
Kinga said that the ministry had in the past three years
undertaken enlightenment campaigns to educate the people on how to properly
dispose their refuse.
“We made them to know the danger in dumping refuse into
gutters, streams, rivers and other waterways, we told them such action will
block the free flow of water, causing flood and damages to lives and
properties.
Osun
The Director, Centre
for Distance Learning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Bode
Asubiojo, says the university would
close its study centres in compliance with the National University Commission’s
directive.
Asubiojo told The Tide on Thursday in Ile-Ife, that the
commission directed that such centres outside the main campus of the university
should be shut.
The professor of chemistry said: “ There is not going to be
study centres run by the university any more outside the main campus, what we
are presently doing is a mop up to pave way for e-learning programme.
“We are planning a programme whereby lectures will be
recorded and then super-imposed on key-points; we want to be doing distance
learning in a proper way that meet international standard.
Plateau
The Yakubu Gowon
Foundation (YGF) is organising a national essay competition for serving
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, Mr. Dan Tenshak, the Chief
Executive Officer of the foundation, has said.
Tenshak told our correspondent in Jos that the essay
competition was part of the activities to commemorate the 78th birthday of the
former Head of State, Dr Yakubu Gowon.
He said that the 2012 YGF essay competition, with the topic,
“Harnessing Our Diversity and Strength for National Development’’, would be
organised in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency and NYSC
directorate.
He stated that the competition was aimed at keeping the
mandate of upholding worthy values and legacies of leadership in the nation.
Taraba
Taraba State House of
Assembly on Thursday in Jalingo removed the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sani
Abubakar, from office.
The action followed the assembly’s adoption of the
recommendation of the seven-member Judicial Commission of inquiry set up by
Justice Josephine Tuktur, the acting Chief Judge of the state.
The commission, with Mr Usman Dangiri as Chairman, was set
up to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the deputy governor.
Dangiri, submitted the findings of the panel to the plenary
sitting of the assembly on Thursday, saying that the deputy governor was found
guilty of the three allegations against him.
The report said Abubakar used his office to divert MDG
projects to Yagai Academy, a private school, which belonged to him.
Similarly, the report stated that the deputy governor was
guilty of using his office to influence the posting of an officer and
interfering in the affairs of his Karim-Lamido Local Government .
Zamfara
The Zamfara State
Government is to plant 1.5 million mango seedlings under a special irrigation
farming programme aimed at facilitating rural economic development.
The Consultant for the programme, Alhaji Abdulkadir Nasir,
told our correspondent in Gusau on Thursday that 14 local government councils
would partner with the state government on the programme.
“The idea of involving the local government councils is to
ensure that the pilot programme is replicated in all the councils for maximum
impact across the state.“
He said the programme was designed by the state government
to build the productive capacity of the rural farmers, train them in planting
and rearing of economic trees.
According to him, the goal is to address extreme poverty
among the rural adding that the mango seedlings had been raised at various
nurseries in the state and would soon be distributed for planting.
The Head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Port Harcourt’s College of Health Sciences, Prof Gabriel Sunday Oladipo, has underscored the urgent need for Nigeria to develop a comprehensive forensic science infrastructure, warning that the nation’s ability to investigate and solve crime is being hampered by lack of scientific data and systems.
In his inaugural lecture titled, “Man: Fearfully Different, Wonderfully Made,” delivered as part of the 207th Inaugural Lecture Series of the university, Prof Oladipo highlighted that while no two individuals are exactly the same, the country currently lacks the robust systems needed to collect and manage biological and anthropometric data that could support criminal investigations.
He explained that the natural variations among humans — from fingerprints to physical measurements — form the foundation of personal identification in forensic work. These biological differences, he said, are essential for distinguishing one person from another, especially in the context of criminal investigations where clarity of identity can mean the difference between justice and impunity. Without this scientific foundation, he argued, law enforcement agencies lack a critical tool in the fight against crime.
Experts have noted that Nigeria’s forensic science capacity has historically lagged behind needs, with only a few forensic facilities available and many law enforcement agencies struggling to access or use scientific evidence effectively. One review of the state of forensic investigation in Nigeria found that outdated facilities and limited adoption of modern forensic methods have left many cases unsolved or poorly investigated, even as crime rates rise across the country.
In Lagos, efforts to improve forensic capabilities have focused on DNA analysis, with the Lagos State DNA Forensic Centre — the first of its kind in West Africa — providing critical support for criminal investigations and helping to identify human remains, link related cases, and assist with paternity testing. However, such initiatives are yet to be replicated at a national scale, leaving many regions without access to these vital scientific tools.
Prof Oladipo’s lecture went beyond academic theory to propose concrete actions. He called for the establishment of a National Institute of Forensic Science responsible for creating and managing a nationwide anthropometric and forensic data bank. This repository, he stressed, would significantly enhance Nigeria’s capacity to track crime, assist law enforcement agencies, and improve the administration of justice by providing reliable scientific evidence for investigative and legal processes.
He also highlighted the importance of strengthening research and training in forensic science. Many Nigerian universities currently lack the funding and infrastructure to offer complete undergraduate or postgraduate programs in areas such as forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, and crime scene investigation, a gap that forces aspiring experts to rely on collaborations with institutions abroad. By fostering a research-friendly environment and securing greater support from both government and private sectors, Nigerian institutions could produce homegrown experts capable of advancing forensic science in the country.
Awareness of forensic science’s role in criminal justice remains low among the general public and even among some security professionals. Studies have shown that a significant portion of Nigerians are unfamiliar with basic forensic concepts or the existence of tools such as DNA profiling and national forensic databases — tools that are common features of criminal justice systems in countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Prof Oladipo also urged regular training and retraining programs to keep forensic practitioners updated with evolving scientific methods. According to him, continuous professional development is critical in a field where technological advances — from biometric databases to digital forensic tools — are transforming how crimes are investigated and solved.
The lecture was attended by academics, students, and professionals drawn to the intersection of science, identity, and justice, all of whom heard the professor make a compelling case for scientific innovation and institutional reform as central to Nigeria’s effort to contain crime and strengthen its justice system.
The event not only showcased Prof Oladipo’s expertise in human anatomy and forensic psychology but also positioned forensic science as a strategic national priority — one that could bring clarity to investigations, support victims and their families, and ultimately enhance public safety across Nigeria.
The University of Port Harcourt Women Association (UPWA) on Thursday staged a vibrant and memorable edition of its Annual Inter-House Sports Competition at the University of Port Harcourt Sports Village, drawing an impressive turnout of pupils, parents, staff and invited guests.
The event, organised by the UPWA International Group of Schools, brought together children from the pre-nursery, nursery and secondary sections in a colourful celebration of youth athleticism, discipline and teamwork. The arena came alive with cheers and excitement as pupils, clad in their various house colours, marched in a ceremonial parade before proceeding to compete in a wide range of track and field events, relays, novelty races and other team-based activities designed to promote physical fitness and healthy competition.
Declaring the competition open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, commended UPWA for sustaining a tradition that continues to nurture young talents beyond the classroom. He noted that sports remain a critical component of holistic education, helping to build resilience, confidence, leadership skills and social interaction among children.
In her remarks, the President of UPWA, Professor Udeme Georgewill, expressed appreciation to parents, teachers and members of the organising committee for their dedication and sacrifice in ensuring the success of the programme despite prevailing economic challenges. She described the event as a reflection of unity and collective effort within the school community.
“This is the first time White House is emerging overall winner, and that shows remarkable improvement and great sportsmanship,” she said. “We all had fun. It is not easy putting an event like this together considering the economic situation, but we are grateful to the parents for being part of this journey. The excitement everywhere is truly heartwarming.”
The competition featured spirited participation from the various houses, including Purple House, San Chicago Red House and White House, with pupils demonstrating strength, speed, coordination and teamwork. Parents and supporters filled the stands, cheering enthusiastically and adding colour to the spectacle, while teachers ensured orderliness and safety throughout the proceedings.
Professor Georgewill emphasized that the true essence of sports lies not merely in winning trophies but in participation and personal growth. “Sports is not just about winning. It is an avenue for growth, discipline and opportunity. The fact that a child is able to participate is already a win. Losing this year does not mean you cannot win next year. Keep trying,” she encouraged, urging pupils to see both victory and defeat as stepping stones to greater achievements.
She further observed that while there are many competing interests in the Nigerian sports sector, consistent grassroots investment remains essential for discovering and nurturing future champions.
The colourful ceremony culminated in medal presentations, trophy awards and group photographs, with UPWA executives, including Vice President I, Professor Adedamola Onyeaso, joining the participating teams to celebrate the day’s achievements.
The annual inter-house sports competition continues to stand as one of UPWA’s flagship events, reinforcing its commitment to balanced education, character formation and the promotion of healthy lifestyles among its pupils.
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