Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The 7 Division of the Nigerian Army yesterday reviewed
the curfew in Maiduguri to cover the period from 7pm to 6am daily.
A statement from Colonel Sani Usman said: “It is now to last from 7 pm to 6 am daily. All must comply with this directive. Anyone found flouting this directive will be arrested, dealt with decisively and prosecuted.”
Before the review, the curfew was taking effect from 9pm.
Though no reason was given for the review, sources said the measure may be related to rumours of impending attacks on Maiduguri.
Benue
Benue State Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani has
urged the Tiv people of the state not to panic over power shift to the Benue South Senatorial District of the state.
Chief Lawani who is aspiring for the governorship seat in the next election made the remark in Kwande local government area of the state during consultation with his Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders and traditional rulers at the weekend.
He noted that, in view of the close affinity between the various groups in the state and for the fact that the people have lived peacefully together for generations, it had become imperative to discard any form of suspicion about power shift to the Idoma speaking area.
“The fears, suspicion and doubts of the people over power shift to Benue south senatorial district are largely unfounded and baseless, as the ethnic groups in the state have lived peacefully together for generations. This is not by accident but by divine act.
“I want to assure that power shift will not affect the inalienable rights of the majority in the state. We will do everything to erase such fears by embracing all groups in the state,” he said.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State government has urged the Peoples Demo
cratic Party (PDP) in the state to focus on ways of ensuring a smooth transition in the state and how to record laudable achievements during the next administration instead of its “campaign of calumny against the present government”.
The Commissioner for Infor-mation and Civic Orientation, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, who gave the advice in Ado-Ekiti, said the PDP in the past couple of weeks has “been churning out lies as part of a sinister plan to generate public disaffection against the Fayemi’s administration”.
The commissioner cited instan-ces of false and misleading reports found to have originated from the PDP camp to include the allegation that the Fayemi administration recruited over 3,000 workers into the state civil service after the June 21 gubernatorial elections.
He said the allegation was far from the truth, adding that 500 mathematics and some core science subjects teachers were recruited in November, 2013, based on existing vacancies while 493 civil servants were recruited in February, 2014, to fill vacant positions.
“In any case, what is wrong in recruiting Ekiti indigenes into the state civil service if there are vacancies and budget provision to take care of such?” he said.
FCT
A female patient on admission in the same hospital with
the late Port Harcourt doctor Sam Enemuo, tested positive to the Ebola virus, bringing the confirmed cases to 16, Health Minister Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said in Abuja yesterday.
He was speaking at an emergency meeting of the National Health Council.
The minister said the doctor’s wife also showed symptoms of the disease and has since been quarantined.
“It is expected that a few more contacts will develop the disease especially in Rivers State before Nigeria sees the last case of Ebola,” he said.
“While it is encouraging that so far, all confirmed cases of the disease have their roots in the index case, Mr Patrick Sawyer, great vigilance is required particularly at our ports of entry to ensure that we do not have cases of Ebola from other sources other than Sawyer.”
Jigawa
Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido yesterday disowned
the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 election by the North West zonal stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday.
Lamido did not personally attend the zonal meeting in Kaduna, but he was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Muhammed Gumel, who led the state’s delegation that comprised party officials and others.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, which was attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said the zone decided to call on Jonathan to declare his re-election bid as he had achieved a lot for the North West and the country.
But Lamido yesterday said Jigawa State was not part of the endorsement as the communiqué was prepared even before the meeting was held.
The governor, who spoke in Dutse through the deputy governor, added that the president had also not fulfilled his campaign promises to Jigawa and therefore the state had no basis to support his re-election bid.
Kano
Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State has
concluded arrangements to formally declare for the presidency in 2015, a reliable source in Kano Government House has confirmed.
The source said Kwankwaso would formally declare his ambition this month.
Our correspondent gathered that the governor who has been at loggerheads with President Goodluck Jonathan is set to contest the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) so as to confront President Jonathan in the general elections.
Kwara
Intending pilgrims from Kwara State have been warned
against taking illicit drugs to the holy land.
Chairman of the state Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, Imam Uthman Olosun, told the intending pilgrims that death penalty awaits anyone caught for drug peddling.
He spoke at the enlightenment programme organised by the board where various agencies including the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), among others were invited to sensitize the intending pilgrims.
The chairman specifically warned pilgrims against going to Hajj with Tramadol tablets, saying the drug has been banned by the Saudi authorities.
Also speaking, Executive Secretary of the board, Hajia Fatimah Abolore Jimoh, said the intending pilgrims are expected to travel in five batches as soon as the inaugural flight takes off on September 6.
Lagos
Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi, widow of human rights activ
ist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to resign his position if he feels he cannot tackle insurgency in Nigeria.
Mrs Fawehinmi made the call in Lagos, at a press briefing organised by the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (GAFAMORG) to announce activities marking the fifth anniversary of the lawyer’s death. She said “the apparent helpless-ness of the president in the face of continuous bombing and the kidnap of school girls in Borno are enough to demand his resignation”.
“Look at the case of Chibok girls who were kidnapped; if they were the president’s daughters, wouldn’t he have acted? Look at how he acted when a relative of his in-law was kidnapped? He swung into action immediately and the person was found.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly yesterday de
nied reports of a fresh plan for another impeachment notice with additional allegations against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.
The House Committee Chair-man on Information, Mohammed Baba Ibaku, told newsmenthat the House had no such plan as reported yesterday.
”An impeachment notice is not told, it is done. If we are compiling fresh allegations against the governor, we will do so. It will not be the media that will urge us to do so with speculations. I don’t want to react to speculations, especially as there are no names mentioned in the report,” Ibaku said.
Osun
A lecturer with the Department of History and Interna
tional Studies in the Osun State University, Mr. Wale Farawe, died yesterday from injuries he sustained in an auto crash a fortnight ago.
The lecturer who was receiving treatment at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital in Osogbo had gone into comma after the crash which occurred during an excursion with students of the university’s Faculty of Humanities and Culture to the Ayinkunnugba waterfalls in Oke. A student, David Binuyo and the driver of the vehicle died in the crash.
Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad
Abubakar, yesterday harped on the importance of education and need for all well-meaning and wealthy Nigerians to complement the efforts of government in the funding of education.
He said the era was gone when funding of the sector and general infrastructural development of schools at all levels were left to government alone.
The Sultan, who made the call when members of the Federal Government College, Sokoto Old Boys Association, visited him, urged former students of schools at all levels to support their alama matar.
Former Minister of Health, Dr Idi Hong, displaying his form of intention to contest for Adamawa governorship bye election to his supporters, before presenting it to the Secretary, PDP Adamawa State Branch, Mr Tahir Shehu (left), in Yola, recently.
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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