Nation
THE STATES
The Benue State Chief Judge, Justice Iorhemen Hwande,
has restrained Gov Gabriel Suswam from appointing first class chiefs in the state.
Mr Benjamin Adanyi has dragged Suswam and eight others to court challenging the passage of Benue State Council of Chiefs and Traditional Councils Bill/Law by the Benue House of Assembly on April 7, 2015.
Joined in the matter were Tor Tiv, the Och’Idoma, the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the Benue House of Assembly.
Moving the motion on behalf of the applicant, Barr. T D Pepe had informed the court that the respondents had put machinery in place to implement the contents of a law that had not been properly or validly passed.
Pepe prayed the court to stop the respondents from appointing any person to the office of the 10 proposed first class chiefs in Benue pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice in the case.
FCT
The Advocacy for Economic Integrity, an NGO, has advised
the incoming government to provide security, stable political system, regular electricity supply and efficient transportation to boost the nation’s development.
The Director-General of the organisation, Mr Abdullahi Aremu, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Aremu said the programmes and projects would help to solve the myriad of problems facing the Nigerian entrepreneur.
According to him, when there is no guarantee of security of lives and properties, it becomes difficult to run a successful venture.
He also urged the incoming government to ensure speedy improvement in the nation’s transportation system.
Kaduna
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has urged the
incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration to ensure adequate protection of journalists and other media workers in the discharge of their duties.
The National President of the union, Malam Mohammed Garba, made the call in Kaduna on Monday as part of the activities marking the World Press Freedom Day 2015.
According to him, good governance can not be achieved when the press do not have unfeterred access to the process of governance.
Garba said it was important for government to allow the journalists to carry out their watchdog role in the society “if any positive impact is to be made in the fight against corruption”.
The theme for this year’s World Press Freedom Day is: “Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting Gender Equality and Media Safety in Digital Age.’’
Kwara
The Kwara State Anti-Thuggery Taskforce has said it had
arrested 22 suspected hoodlums at different locations in Adeta and Pakata areas of Ilorin, the state capital.
Alhaji Suleiman Abdulsalam, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Intelligence, made this known in an interview with newsmen in llorin.
He said some of the suspects were arrested at a shrine in Adeta in llorin, adding that some dangerous weapons and charms stained with fresh blood were recovered from them.
Abdulsalam told newsmen that a joint operation comprising the NDLEA, vigilante group and police tagged: ‘Operation Harmony’ on Friday also arrested 32 people at an Indian hemp joint in the outskirt of llorin.
According to him, all the suspects are being detained and interrogated by the security agents.
Lagos
The Lagos State Government has said that 140 convicted
sex offenders had been recorded in a Sex Offenders’ Register created by the state government to shame offenders and serve as deterrent.
Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice Mr Ade Ipaye, made the disclosure at the 2015 Ministerial Press Briefing in Ikeja.
He said that the state had recorded no fewer than 12, 120 rape cases and other sexual violence matters in the last four years, describing such acts as threats to dignity and humanity.
According to him, the government is doing its best to address the problem through the law and other means.
Giving other statistics, Ipaye said that it had sentenced 5,834 offenders to community service for various offences in the last four years.
Niger
The Niger State government has announced the termination
of the appointment of political appointees and dissolution of State Boards with effect from May 1.
A statement issued on Monday in Minna by Alhaji Saidu Kpaki, Secretary to the state government, said the measure was aimed at ensuring smooth transition and proper handing over to the new administration.
It urged the affected appointees, who are heads of establishment to hand over to the most senior civil servant in such establishments.
“Category of officers entitled to severance gratuity who have vehicle loans and have not served up to two years minimum to qualify for the severance are to return such vehicles.
“They should also return any operational vehicle in their care to the Transport Officer, Government House for proper documentation”, the statement said.
Ogun
The Ogun State Government has pledged to improve on its
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), so as to complete ongoing developmental projects across the state.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, stated this while briefing the participants of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) on the activities of the Ministry in Abeokuta.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ajibola Chokor, Adeosun said government was planning to extend its cashless policy to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in order to block leakages.
She said revenue consultants would be registered by the Ministry of Finance to monitor and create an enabling environment that would attract local and foreign investors.
Adeosun said the ministry had continued to formulate economic policies geared towards repositioning the state as well as improving on the existing process and systems to support the present administration
Osun
House of Assembly members-elect in Osun State have
been urged to shun partisanship and work together for the development of the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Adekunle Ogunmola, made the call on Monday while presenting certificate of return to them at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Osogbo.
He said that now that the elections were over, the next thing for the assembly members-elect to do was to ensure service to the people.
The REC, who described the in-coming lawmaker as members of the same family, said ‘’we are all members of the same family and we must ensure that we do our best to ensure good governance in the state.
In his speech, the Speaker of the house, Mr Najeem Salaam, who was also re-elected, described the next dispensation in the assembly as ‘’a new challenge’’ which required more commitment from the legislative arm of government.
Oyo
The Oyo State Government has restated its commitment to
maintaining and sustaining the existing peace and security of lives and property of the entire citizens of the state.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi stated this on Monday while receiving a delegation from the Institute for Security Service, Abuja ,at the Governor’s Office, Agodi ,Ibadan.
Ajimobi , who was represented by his Deputy, Moses Adeyemo, said that no state could develop without the provision of adequate security of lives and property.
He said the present administration would adopt a radical approach to the provision of security and economic development of the state.
The governor also called on governments at all levels to redouble their efforts toward creating a peaceful environment for the people.
Sokoto
Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has urged the
Federal Government to reposition the nation’s educational system to make it efficient, effective and competitive.
Wamakko made the call in Sokoto while receiving participants of Group 3, Course 37 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau.
“Such repositioning should be premised on facts and figures and not on sentiments; This should be the guiding principle while formulating and implementing plausible policies and programmes.
“Consequently, they will be made more sustainable, plausible and workable, hence, strengthen the nation’s education sector,” he said.
The governor said the state government had been providing substantial percentage of its annual budget to the education sector since 2007.
Zamfara
Residents of Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara
State have urged the Federal Government to reverse the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) because it had done more harm than good to Nigerians.
Some residents, who spoke with newsmen in Gusau, said the privitisation of the sector had not yielded the desired results.
Muhammad Mansur, a resident of Gidan Dawa, said that since the privitisation of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), the country had continued to experience power shortage.
Mansur said that there had not been any progress with the privatisation of the company, rather it had witnessed degeneration.
He said before the company was privatised, the distribution of light in the area was better than it is today.
Salisu Idris, a resident of Bakin Kasuwa area of Gusau, said that in spite of the shortage in the supply of power in the area, the company’s officers disconnect customers at will.
From Right: Nlc President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Deputy President, Comrade Peters Adeyemi and Secretary, May Day Organising Committee, Mr Benson Upah, at the 2015 May Day Symposium in Abuja on Thursday
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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