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THE STATES
The General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye (left), with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, during the cleric’s courtesy visit to the Ooni’s Palace in Ile-ife, yesterday
Borno
Barely a week after Dalori village in Borno State was
attacked, Boko Haram insurgents in a convoy of 10 bicycles laden with explosives and petro-bomb also attacked Alomari and Malari communities, killing 10 people, including four women and torching two villages.
The insurgents, according to Tijani Ahmed of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), burst into the villages through the northern flanks that adjoin Mafa-Dikwa axis in Konduga Local Government Area of the state.
“We alerted the military on phone but before the soldiers reached the villages from Alau Dam military post, the gunmen fled after several houses were set ablaze, and abandoned the food items they snatched yesterday,” said Ahmed.
A military personnel, who was not authorized to speak on the twin incidents, also said: “The insurgents have resorted guerrilla warfare, without attacking any military post or base in the theatre war of Operation to Lafiya Dole. Before our troops reached the affected villages, ten kilometres from this post, the terrorists fled towards the Mafa-Dikwa axis on bicycles.”
Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved a 15-year-
old marriage between Azeez Yemisi and her husband, Kehinde for desertion and lack of care for her and the children.
Yemisi, 35, a resident of No. 10, Odo-Ado, Ado-Ekiti, told the court that she had been responsible for the upkeep of the children and the payment of the first child’s school fees.
The mother of three said her husband packed out of the house when he knew that she was pregnant for another man.
She claimed that she had remarried and likewise her husband, and therefore, urged the court to dissolve the marriage.
Kehinde, 45, a resident of No. 97, Idemo, Ado-Ekiti, said he deserted the house when his wife took in for another man.
FCT
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has
ruled out the possibility of reversing the Central Bank of Nigeria’s policy excluding some imported goods and services from the list of items valid for forex in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.
Saraki, while responding to a request by the Tomato Sub-Sectoral Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), seeking his intervention to lift the exemption by the CBN on certain imported goods, said based on the present economic realities, difficult decisions are necessary to be taken to overcome the challenges.
The Senate President, who addressed the tomato paste producers when they paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, said: “It is high time we start telling ourselves the home truth as a nation, we are where we are because of our refusal to take hard decisions.
“As a country, we have to chart a new way different from the past, and that path is going into manufacturing as we cannot continue to remain an import dependent country,” he said.
Kano
Executive Secretary, Kano State Scholarship Board, Prof.
Fatima Umar, said the State Government had approved N500 million for payment of outstanding scholarship to 1, 550 students studying in 11 foreign institutions.
Umar disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Kano.
She said the state government had also given an approval for settling the allowances of 91, 000 students currently studying in tertiary institutions in the country.
The executive secretary said the gesture was part of the government’s resolve to provide scholarship to Kano indigenes pursuing academic courses at home and abroad.
According to her, the present administration is committed to funding the professional courses of 108 Kano state indigenes currently pursuing professional courses at the Nigeria Law School.
Katsina
Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board has announced N700, 000
as the minimum deposit for each intending pilgrim from the state wishing to perform the 2016 hajj.
The Executive Director of the board, Alhaji Muhammad Abu Rimi, made the announcement in Katsina at the inauguration of committees for the distribution of hajj seats for the 34 Local Government Areas of the state.
He said that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) had allocated 4,463 seats to the state for the 2016 exercise like the previous year.
He said that the board would conduct ballot for hajj seats and registration of intending pilgrims across the 34 local government areas simultaneously on February 20.
Kwara
The Kwara State House of Assembly yesterday held a
valedictory session in honour of a departed member, Hon. Moses Afolayan who represented Oke-Ero constituency in Kwara South Senatorial District.
Afolayan died on January 30, 2016 at his residence in llorin following an illness.
Our correspondent reports that the valedictory session was attended by top government functionaries, former legislators and family members of the deceased.
The Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, declared the session open with a condolence message from the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The governor in his message read by the Speaker , described Afolayan’s demise as a colossal loss to the state.
Lagos
The Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology
(NIFST) has tasked manufacturers and governments on the need to use modern technology in packaging food items.
The National President of NIFST, Dr Chijioke Osuji, gave the charge in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Osuji said that the use of modern food packaging was inevitable for the country to advance in the value chain of the food business.
He said that it would enable packaging to be done properly, especially when it had to do with export.
“While within Nigeria, we may prefer unattractive unpackaged products just like our fore-fathers did, but a foreigner may not buy into it even while still within the country.
Ondo
The Ondo/Ekiti Command of the Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) generated N15.13 million in January 2016, up from N12.86 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2015.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Filibus Machu, made the disclosure in Akure when the Customs Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, Mr Eporwei Edike, visited the command.
Machu said that the command generated N193.12 million in 2015
“Our command generates revenue from duties paid on intercepted vehicles,’’ he said.
“I have observed since January 14 when I resumed in this command that all the officers are respectful.
Osun
An housewife, Mrs Mukaila Kafilat, has asked an Osogbo
Customary Court to dissolve her marriage to her husband, Mr Mukaila Olaoye over allegation that her husband had attempted to kill her.
Kafilat told the court that, “I was sleeping one day when I felt hands around my neck and discovered my husband was trying to strangle me to death.
“But for the intervention of our neighbours, I would have been dead by now’’.
She told the court with tears streaming down her face.
She also accused her husband of lack of interest in her and that he does not love her any more , which is the reason he had stopped caring for her and their children.
Oyo
Wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has
advocated strict enforcement of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP), Act, 2015.
Mrs Ajimobi stated this in Ibadan at an event to commemorate the international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation.
The governor’s wife who was addressing a group of women in the state said that the law prohibits female genital mutilation and other unwholesome practices against women.
Mrs Ajimobi noted that it was the duty of everyone to ensure that the traditional harmful practice of genital mutilation stopped.
She explained that victims of the harmful practice suffered a great deal “socially, psychologically, physically emotionally and sexually’’.
Plateau
The Managing Director of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), Alhaji Mohammed Modibbo, says the new hike in electricity tariff is to address decades of neglect of critical infrastructure in the power supply chain.
Modibbo told newsmen in Jos that the new investors in the power sector inherited dilapidated infrastructure which must be replaced to enhance efficiency.
“Some transformers were even older than 50 years and certainly could not cope with even basic distribution.
“So the little upward review will help to mitigate negative cash flow that has bedevilled the sector,” he said.
Modibbo spoke against the backdrop of nationwide picketing of electricity formations by labour unions protesting the recent tariff hike that took off last week.
He said that increased power generation by the private firms was being hindered by the inability to pay their gas suppliers.
Sokoto
Lawmakers from the Sokoto State House of Assembly
yesterday visited their counterparts in Lagos State to know more about the Lagos Traffic Law.
Our correspondent reports that the delegates were led by Mr Sanni Yakubu, the Chairman, Sokoto State House of Assembly Committee on Works and Transportation.
Yakubu said the Sokoto Assembly was motivated by the successes of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Lagos State Traffic Law, to make the trip.
He said the legislators had a proposed traffic law before them and embarked on the journey to seek advice from their counterparts in Lagos.
According to him, the lawmakers decided to visit Lagos State, being the centre of excellence with viable traffic laws.
He said that Sokoto State could learn a lot from Lagos in the area of traffic control and management.
“We came to the Lagos State House of Assembly based on the laws before us on traffic management and control in Sokoto State.
The Standard Bearers (SB) Islamic Organisation has raised concerns over the growing rate of binge drinking among Nigerian youths, attributing the trend largely to the widespread availability of sachet alcohol.
The group’s position follows the recent move by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to enforce a ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and bottles below 200 millilitres.
In a statement jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Nurudeen AbdulRaheem, and National Secretary, Malam Qaasim Adegbuyi, the organisation declared its full support for NAFDAC’s decision, describing it as a timely and necessary public health intervention.
AbdulRaheem noted that sachet alcohol, often sold for as little as ?100, has made excessive drinking more accessible, particularly to young people and minors. According to him, the affordability and small packaging of such products have worsened binge drinking, youth addiction and community insecurity.
He explained that binge drinking involves consuming multiple alcoholic drinks within a short period, typically within two hours, a practice that can lead to severe physical and mental health complications as well as legal and social problems.
The SB National Coordinator cited global health data indicating that alcohol is responsible for more than three million deaths annually worldwide and remains a major contributor to road accidents, violence, liver disease and mental health disorders.
While acknowledging concerns from industry stakeholders over the economic implications of the ban, AbdulRaheem maintained that public health considerations must take precedence.
“Public health and the protection of young lives must come first,” he stated, adding that Islamic ethical values, like many societal norms, emphasise the protection of life, intellect and family stability.
The organisation urged NAFDAC and the Federal Government to remain resolute in implementing the policy while also providing transition support for businesses that may be affected by the ban.
According to the group, the enforcement of the ban represents a significant step toward promoting a safer and healthier society.
By Favour James
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has successfully concluded its Seafarers Training Programme for 100 Ogoni youths, positioning them for opportunities in the competitive global maritime industry.
The beneficiaries, who underwent four months of intensive training at Charkin Maritime Academy, Port Harcourt, received their certificates during a close-out ceremony held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The event was attended by top management staff of HYPREP, the HYPREP Project Support Lead and Representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, the Executive Director of Training and Strategic Planning of Charkin Maritime Academy, the Head of the Seafaring Department, the Principal Consultant of DCL Consulting Firm, and other dignitaries.
Addressing the graduates, HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, described the ceremony as a celebration of hard work, dedication, and the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of the young beneficiaries.
He said the graduation symbolises vision, resilience, and hope — hope translated into skills, certificates, and tangible opportunities for a better future for Ogoni youths.
According to him, the passing-out ceremony marks an important milestone in HYPREP’s mandate to restore livelihoods and promote sustainable development in Ogoniland. He urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the skills and certifications acquired.
“These skills and achievements should not end here but serve as a springboard for self-reliance, dignity of labour, and long-term economic empowerment for the good of Ogoniland and Nigeria,” he stated.
Prof. Zabbey noted that the seafaring programme is significant not only to the beneficiaries but also to HYPREP’s broader livelihood restoration strategy and the Federal Government’s blue economy agenda.
He explained that by equipping the youths with globally relevant maritime skills, HYPREP is opening alternative income opportunities while discouraging oil theft, artisanal refining, re-pollution, and other environmentally harmful practices. He added that the initiative aligns with the directives of the 2016 HYPREP Establishment Gazette and reinforces the Project’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.
Commending Charkin Maritime Academy as a dependable training partner, Zabbey described the institution as one of the foremost maritime training centres in the country.
“This partnership has delivered high-quality results today, and we intend to expand it as we intensify efforts to provide sustainable alternative livelihoods for the Ogoni people,” he said.
He expressed confidence in Ogoni youths as drivers of unity, peace, and progress, noting their resilience and commitment to peace in the area. He reaffirmed HYPREP’s commitment to supporting the aspirations of youths and women in Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator likened knowledge and certificates to fuel in a vehicle, stressing that they are meant to propel the graduates toward greater heights.
“We hear your voices calling for restoration, and today, environmental and livelihood restoration are gradually unfolding before your eyes, bringing renewed hope. We continue to lay brick upon brick, building pillars of Ogoni development, as evidenced by the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER), which is 93 per cent completed,” he added.
He emphasised that HYPREP’s approach integrates all projects and interventions toward achieving environmental sustainability and long-term development in Ogoniland.
Also speaking, the HYPREP Project Support Lead and Representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr. Ehioze Igbinomwahia, said the graduates had gained not only technical maritime skills but also discipline, resilience, and confidence to compete globally.
He described their graduation as the beginning of a new journey and noted that the UNEP Report emphasised that environmental restoration must be complemented by sustainable livelihoods, capacity building, and youth empowerment.
“Without empowering people, restoration cannot be complete. Programmes such as this maritime training represent practical steps toward creating employment pathways, dignity, and long-term community stability,” he said.
Engr. Igbinomwahia added that Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited remains committed to supporting environmental recovery, human capacity development, and sustainable economic opportunities in Ogoniland and the wider Niger Delta.
Highlighting the importance of discipline and safety, he urged the graduates to be ambassadors of professionalism and integrity.
“The sea you are about to enter is vast and sometimes challenging, but it is also full of opportunity. Let discipline guide your actions, let safety remain your constant companion, and let your character speak for you wherever you go,” he advised.
Similarly, the Executive Director of Training and Strategic Planning at Charkin Maritime Academy, Captain Joseph Awodeha, who represented the Chairman, Dr. Charles Wami, emphasised discipline and safety as critical to career success in the maritime sector.
The Head of the Seafaring Department, Captain Jonathan Hammond, urged the graduates to remain humble and disciplined, noting that such virtues are essential for career growth.
In his remarks, the Principal Consultant of DCL Consulting Firm, Barrister Dornu Baridan, commended the beneficiaries for successfully scaling through the
rigorous selection process and completing their training as seafarers.
The Nigerian Society of Engineers, Port Harcourt Branch, Rivers State, has elected 14 member executives to lead the organization for the 2025/2026 year. Engr. Belema Fubara Ekine, FNSE, is the 23rd chairman.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Engr. Ishmael A. Branch Secretariat, 3 Benard Carr Street (Waterworks Yard), Port Harcourt, attracted members of the engineering profession from within and outside the state.
Other elected executives include:
Engr. Samuel H. Kwelle, MNSE – Vice Chairman
Engr. Dr. Promise Jumbo, FNSE – General Secretary
Engr. Priye P. K. Lawson, MNSE – Assistant Secretary
Engr. Patrick O. Udegbunam, MNSE – Treasurer.
Others are Engr. Hilda D. Batubo, MNSE – Financial Secretary
Engr. Bowei M. Dauseighe, MNSE – Technical Secretary
Engr. Charles O. Okwakpam, MNSE – Assistant Technical Secretary
Engr. Agnes Komolafe, MNSE – Membership Secretary
Engr. Dike N. Livingstone, MNSE – Publicity Secretary
Also elected are Engr. Ayebaye Daniel Wanatoi, MNSE – Welfare Secretary
Engr. Oribiokpomari I. Comfort, MNSE – Internal Auditor
Engr. Dr. Idaeresoari Harriet Ateke, FNSE – Immediate Past Chairman
Engr Dr Hachimenum Amadi, FNSE (Ex-Officio)
In his a goodwill message, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Hon. Frederick Anabraba, urged the new executive to maintain high ethical standards and move the association forward.
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman, Engr. Belema Fubara Ekine, FNSE, promised an inclusive administration and teamwork, focusing on collaboration with stakeholders. He had begun building partnerships with Rivers State University and the University of Port Harcourt.
The highlight was the inauguration lecture, “Engineering Solution for Security, Energy Access and Sustainable Development,” delivered by Engr. Victor Bandele, Deputy Managing Director, Deepwater Assets, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited.
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