Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Adamawa State Police Command has said it arrested
an unspecified number of suspected Boko Haram members who were residing at the Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Yola, the state capital.
Those arrested are said to be among the insurgents that unleased terror on communities of Michika, Bazza, Madagaili, Gulak and other surrounding villages in the Northern part of the state.
The Police Public Relation Officer for the command, ASP Michael Haa, confirmed the arrest.
He said, “Yes we have people all over, whenever we see suspicious movement, we pick them for questioning.
“As at the moment, I can’t tell you their number, because we are still screening them to establish the reality of their presence there”.
Bauchi
Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has backed Presi
dent Goodluck Jonathan’s recent declaration of a deadline to finally stem insurgency by the middle of October.
The governor, who spoke in Abuja, described the target as attainable if only all well-meaning Nigerians would support the President in view of the ongoing stepping-up of the anti-insurgency infrastructure to stem increasing threats to the unity and stability of the country.
”If there is anytime our President deserves and direly needs our fervent prayers and unconditional support, it is now. The best all well-meaning Nigerians can do in the present circumstance is to rally round President Jonathan and support him in steering the ship of the Nigerian State successfully at this critical moment”, he said.
He condemned the recent bombing and attacks in Kano and Kaduna, describing them as cruel, callous and barbaric. He prayed that the blood of the innocent victims of the senseless killings would continue to haunt the perpetrators.
Borno
The National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA) has appealed to journalists to monitor the distribution of relief materials donated to the victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno.
In an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, the Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Alhaji Sani Sidi, noted that more than 50 trucks of such relief materials had been supplied by the Federal Government.
Sidi said that the monitoring would ensure fair distribution of the materials among the displaced persons.
“The task is to ensure that the items go only to those affected, those in need and those that have been displaced and those in camps.
“You will recall that President Goodluck Jonathan set up a presidential committee for the procurement and distribution of relief materials to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
FCT
A governorship aspirants of Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, in Rivers State, Senator Lee Maeba, has promised to reconcile Governor Rotimi Amaechi with former governor Peter Odili and the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, if he became governor of the state.
Senator Maeba also promised to float a N100 billion business support scheme to empower the people in the rural areas to boost their businesses and financial base.
Speaking in an interview in Abuja weekend, Senator Maeba, who was Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum, Upstream, said he would take it as a priority to reconcile politicians from Rivers State for the rapid development of the state.
He also said that himself, Governor Amaechi, Mr. Wike, the Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secundus, among others, were members of the Odili political family.
Kaduna
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Sanga
Local Government Area of Kaduna State has said over 300 natives were killed by terrorists in the communities within the area.
Its chairman, Reverend Fadan Amana, told Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, in a letter made available to journalists, that they had suffered series of death in the hands of the gunmen.
“We have suffered gruesome massacre as members of the Christian community in Sanga. CAN, Sanga council chapter, wishes to passionately appeal that, as a matter of urgency, you kindly use your good offices to arrest this ugly development, by ending these terrible attacks on our peace-loving and defenceless people.
Kogi
Kogi State Government in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme, UNDP, has committed N120 million for youth training in the state.
The Focal officer of the UNDP, Lokoja, Mr. Joseph
Osasona stated this at the opening ceremony of the three week first phase of the Youth Entrepreneurship and Youth in Agriculture camp holding at the NYSC orientation camp in Ashaya, Kabba-Bunu Local Government area of the state.
Osasona, who eulogised Governor Idris Wada’s efforts to make Kogi State re-enlisted into the UNDP projects after a long absence from the scheme, said 500 youths would be trained in the first phase in different vocational and artisans skills.
He said; “We appreciate Governor Idris Wada, who painstakingly spearheaded the visit to the Minister for National Planning, Abuja to solicit for the re- enlistment of Kogi State into the UNDP activities.
Lagos
Resident Doctors in Lagos, have petitioned the
State House of Assembly, seeking its intervention over alleged refusal of the state government to pay their August salary.
In a letter through the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, the resident doctors said they were not finding the alleged refusal of government to pay their August salary funny.
NMA letter which was read on the floor of the House by the Clerk, Ganiyu Abiru, called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to pay the doctors’ salary in the interest of industrial peace.
NMA had embarked on a nationwide industrial action which lasted for about two months before it was finally suspended in August.
Ogun
The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) has described the purported lone defection of former Governor Gbenga Daniel (OGD) from the Labour Party (LP) to the PDP as “a continuation of the deceit that OGD is known for”.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta yesterday by the State Publicity Secretary, Waliu Oladipupo, the party said, “Much as our hands are widely opened to receive defectors into our party, including OGD, we find his purported solo return as a less than clever attempt to hoodwink our people and deceive the national leaders of our party.
“We have reliable information that the kite being flied that most of his followers have vowed not to return with him to the PDP is part of a grand plot to deceive our leaders and use the resources of the PDP and its government to fund his followers in LP.
“This is a repeat of what happened in 2011 when his body remained in the PDP but his heart and soul were with the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). He used the resources of the PDP-led government to fund the PPN.
Ondo
Six suspected kidnappers were amongst the 48 sus
pected criminals paraded by the Police in Ondo State yesterday.
The six suspects were said to have requested for N50 million ransom before they were arrested.
Parading the criminals, the state Police Commissioner, Isaac Eke, said in Akure that the kidnappers robbed one Adeniji Ayewamide in Idanre and later kidnapped him.
Eke said the victim was dragged into a Golf Volkswagen car and taken to the leader of the group, Basiru Ijimiga in Odigbo Ore.
Luck ran against the kidnappers on the fourth day when detectives from the state Criminal Investigation Department stormed their hideout.
Oyo
The Federal Government and the United Industrial De
velopment Organisation (UNIDO) will donate 51 units of ozone-friendly machines to Nigeria Association of Refrigerators and Air-conditioning Practitioners.
The Acting Director, Pollution and Environmental Health, Ministry of Environment, Mr Abdul-Kazeem Bayero, said this in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.
Bayero said 30 units of ozone-friendly low pressure foaming machines had been earlier distributed to the practitioners in Abuja and Ibadan.
He said the machines would enable ice machine manufacturers to meet markets demands in a friendly environment with low cost.
Strategic regulators and other stakeholders have expressed satisfaction with the pace, quality and magnitude of work carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
In their separate speeches at the 2025 4th quarter key regulators / asset owners meeting held in Port Harcourt, the strategic stakeholders commended HYPREP for the significant milestones achieved with excellent efficiency and transparency, demonstrating capacity and commitment to sustaining collaboration with development partners for the overall success of the Project.
The regulators particularly lauded HYPREP for the landmark success in the implementation of the land and shoreline remediation, mangrove restoration, provision of reticulated potable water, the various sustainable livelihood programmes, donation of ambulances to health facilities in Ogoni, the construction of Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, as well as the ongoing Ogoni Power Project, adding that their independent field reports have shown proofs of HYPREP driving even beyond its mandates.
The goodwill messages were made by representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Centre for Environment and Human Rights Development (CEHRD), Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA), Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN), Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), and Federal Ministry of Environment. Others are the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Rivers State Ministry of Power, the Rivers State University, the Rivers State Ministry of Water and Rural Development, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
Following the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit’s presentation on the status of HYPREP projects, participants offered feedback on areas of concern. They reassured HYPREP and the people of Ogoni of their continued support for the Project’s success. They also suggested that the quarterly review meeting be sustained as it enables them to report, evaluate and proffer solutions to areas of concern.
Participants also commended HYPREP for improved community and stakeholder engagement and for adding to what they saw the previous time. “We commend HYPREP for the quality work done at sites. The progress is phenomenal, because HYPREP is scoring good grades, above average,” Prof. Iyenemi Kakulu from Rivers State University said.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who was represented by Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, Director of Technical Services, commended the regulators and asset owners for their cooperation with the Project, and for making themselves available for fieldwork and the regular review meetings.
Prof Zabbey reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to best practice in waste management, particularly waste generation and disposal, calling on the Regulators for adequate logistics support, saying HYPREP’s priority is to focus on the core recommendations by UNEP, especially, remediation(soil, shoreline) mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, interventions in public health care services and sustainable livelihood for the people.
The Project Coordinator further highlighted the status of the Project, the successes achieved across all thematic areas, and assured that HYPREP will soon complete most of the ongoing projects and roll out others. He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of the Ogoni cleanup, ensure quality control, and foster effective collaboration.
Consequently, the quarterly key regulators/asset owners meeting is HYPREP’s strategic stakeholder management model, further underscoring the Project’s commitment to transparency, partnership for development, and accountability, all of which are harbingers of effective project delivery.
Speaking to newsmen, HYPREP Project Support Lead and representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Ehioze Igbinomwanhia, described his involvement with HYPREPas an encouraging and insightful experience, saying, the Project is implementing a wide range of projects across Ogoniland, spanning immediate remediation works as well as livelihood support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of affected communities.
Engr Igbinomwanhia emphasised that Renaissance Africa Energy remains fully committed to supporting the objectives of the Ogoni cleanup project, noting that the company has a long history of collaboration with HYPREP.
He added that the partnership has been characterised by continuous learning, adaptation and a willingness to respond to observations and recommendations aimed at improving outcomes.
He further emphasised the importance of safety in all project operations, particularly given the challenging terrain and operating conditions in Ogoniland.
He noted that safety is treated as a critical priority and that contractors are continually reminded to maintain high safety standards, stressing that lessons learnt from previous operational challenges like the collapse of the water tank in Gwara Community are being applied to strengthen safety practices and overall performance.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
