Nation
THE STATES
Gombe
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo has, announced N58 million
as donation to enable Christians in four Local Governments of Gombe South in Gombe State to celebrate Christmas. The areas make up the Gombe South Senatorial District of the State.
Dankwambo who announced the donation in Kattungo during his tour of senatorial districts in the state said party officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders in the area had also been given money to assist them during the Yuletide.
He said the recent North East Economic Summit, which the state hosted, had started yielding dividends as the Federal Government had declared intention to assist in implementing some of the summit’s recommendations.
Dankwambo said some foreign investors had declared interest in investing in the state, adding that when that was done; many job opportunities would be created in the state.
Jigawa
Partnership for the Transformation of Health Sector
(PATHS), an NGO, last Saturday, donated equipment worth N60 million to some health facilities in Jigawa State.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer in the State Ministry of Health Mallam Ali Mati, in Dutse said the equipment were distributed to 136 health facilities across the state.
The statement which quoted Dr Tafida Abubakar, the state Commissioner for Health, as saying that the gesture of the NGO was appreciated, said the items included midwifery kits and laboratory apparatuses.
According to the statement, the Department for International Development (DFID) had recently supported health facilities in the state with similar equipment worth N500 million stating that the donations had so far complemented the state government’s efforts at boosting the health sector.
Kaduna
The Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in Kaduna State has
impounded 150 unpainted commercial vehicles in three local government areas in the last two weeks, its spokesman, Malam Buhari Aliyu, has said.
He said that the arrests were made in Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Igabi Local Government Areas from December 9 to date adding that the exercise would continue in the remaining 20 local government areas in the state.
Aliyu disclosed that the offenders would be made to pay fine and paint the vehicles in the approved colours before release and urged commuters to help the agency in its job by refusing to board all unpainted buses and taxi cabs.
The spokesman appealed to other stakeholders to support the initiative meant to ensure compliance with existing laws and rid the sector of bad eggs.
Kano
The Kano State University of Science and Technology
(KUST), Wudil, will commence academic activities on January 6, 2014.
A statement signed by the Deputy Registrar, Information and Public Relations of the university, Alhaji Sabo Nayaya, in Kano on Saturday, indicates that the decision to commence lectures on January 6 was taken after its Senate reviewed the school’s academic calendar.
“The management of KUST, Wudil, wishes to inform its students that lectures will commence as from Monday, January 6, 2014,’’ it stated.
The statement urged all students of the institution to ensure strict compliance with the resumption date because lectures would commence as announced unfailingly.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government last Monday said it spent
N13.9 billion on capital projects at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (UMYU), Katsina, from 2007 to date.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ibrahim Shema on Higher Education, Alhaji Aliyu Haruna, made the disclosure at a news briefing in Katsina State.
He said some of the facilities constructed included lecture theatres, hostels, library, senate building and laboratories, aimed at enhancing teaching and learning in the institution.
Haruna added that the state government released N107.5 million quarterly to the university for overheads and Staff Development and Training, pointing out that N110 million was also released monthly for staff salaries.
The Director-General, Scholarship Trust Fund, Alhaji Shehu Muhammad, said N2.3 billion was spent by the government to support 181,984 students in the past seven years.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State School of Nursing and Midwifery has set
up a committee to verify certificates presented by applicants seeking admission into its 2013/2014 session.
The Principal of the school, Hajiya Saratu Makera, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday that only 50 vacant positions were advertised while more than 500 applications were received.
She said the school would prosecute any applicant found to have presented fake result adding that applicants who passed the screening will undergo oral interview.
“This is part of our quests to determine those academically and psychologically qualified. In previous admissions, some applicants presented fake results and this time, anyone who presented fake results would be handed over to the police’’, Makera stressed.
She said the National Council of Nursing and Midwifery had pegged the number of students to be admitted at 50 and said the school would appeal for permission to admit 70 students due to the high number of applications we have received.’’
Lagos
The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
(NUPENG) yesterday appealed to petroleum marketers to avoid hoarding of the products during the Yuletide.
The NUPENG Chairman, South-West chapter, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, who made the plea in an interview in Lagos said “we will play our own parts by ensuring that the products get to the filling stations’’.
Korodo also advised motorists against panic buying, saying that there would be adequate supply of the products for sale to the general public.
“We have been assured by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that the products will be available in all the depots. “We have instructed our members to ensure 24 hours product distribution to customers,” the NUPENG chairman said.
He said that the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) had been directed to supply all filling stations with the products during the festive period.
Niger
The police in Niger State says three men of the Nigeria Air
Force had been arrested in connection with fracas at Tudun Wada Police Station in Minna.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the State, Mr Richard Oguche, who disclosed this in Minna on Saturday said, “the air force men stormed and attacked officers and men on duty injuring one of them on the head with jack-knife.
“This afternoon, six air force men went to Tudun Wada Police Station and attacked officers and men on duty with jack knives and belts. “The air force men were mobilised from the Minna Air Force Base by a serving officer in Kano”, he added.
Ogudu said trouble started on Friday night when police men on duty at Tudun Wada area apprehended the brother to the air force officer in question.
He said the brother was arrested and his motorcycle impounded for violating the law banning the use of motorcycles in Minna from 7p.m. to 7a.m.stating that the attack was checkmated by police officers and men on duty and three out of the six air force men arrested.
Ogun
The Ogun State House of Assembly last Monday passed the
State’s 2014 Appropriation Bill of N210.2 billion. The bill was passed after the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Olusola Bankole, read the committee’s report.
Bankole said the budget was increased by N81 million to enhance the revenue generation drive of some of the ministries that had the capacity to generate more than what was proposed in the budget.
He said the committee recommended that state commissioners for Finance and Budget should ensure that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) adhered strictly to the execution of their projects.
The Majority Leader, Mr Isreal Jolaoso, moved the motion for its third reading and was seconded by Mrs Elizabeth Anifowoshe.
The Speaker, Mr Suraj Adekunbi, after the passage of the bill, ordered that a clean copy be sent to Governor Ibikunle Amosun for assent.
Oyo
The General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Nigerian Army
Ibadan, Major.-General Ahmed Jibrin, says the Federal Government is working tirelessly to maintain peace in the country.
Jibrin who said this last Saturday while addressing participants at the division’s 2013 end of year West African Social Activities (WASA) in Ibadan State, said government was doing everything possible to support the security forces in the country to sustain peace.
“The situation in the country is tensed with kidnapping and other social vices but a lot of successes are as well attained. The fight is still on and we are working hard to win,” he said.
He said that WASA entailed setting aside a day, usually towards the end of the year, for officers and men with their families to engage in social cultural activities noting that the culture is part of the legacy the colonial masters left behind for the Nigerian Army.
Plateau
The Special Task Force (STF) on Security in Plateau State has
said it would deploy its personnel to search visitors at recreation centres in the state during Christmas and New Year festivities.
According to a press by the Media Coordinator, Capt Salisu Mustapha, in Jos on Saturday, the STF would carry out the task jointly with local security operatives.
It stated that the search was to ensure that firearms were not smuggled into the recreation centres.
According to the statement, vehicles are banned from entering the premises of recreation centres during the celebrations and called on religious bodies to also put security measures in place during the period.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Police Command has said it would mount 24-
hour surveillance of churches, banks, highways and other public places during the forthcoming Yuletide celebrations.
The Commissioner of Police, Shua’ibu Gambo, said in Sokoto on Sunday.
“For the forthcoming Christmas and New Year, we are working round the clock in this direction. “We have put all the officers and men in the 23 local governments and Area Commands on red alert,’’ he said.
“Additional personnel have been drafted to Sokoto State city and its environs from the various area commands and divisions to the various Churches, intra-city, inter-city routes and other public places. “Additional patrol vehicles and plain-clothes security personnel have also been drafted across the state,’’ he added.
Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sidi, representative of Minister of FCT, Mr Ahmed Inuwa, representative of Director, Development Control, Mr Adamu Garba and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Rep. Abegunde Ifedayo, at the inauguration of NEMA’s Emergency Response/Ambulance Bay on Airport Road in Abuja, last Monday.
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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