Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

April 27, 2016

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mrs Uzamat-Yusuf and the Permanent Secretary, Youth and Social Development, Hakeem Muri Okunola, at a news conference by Lagos Commissioner for Youth and Sports to mark one year of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in office, in Lagos yesterday.

Bauchi

Bauchi State is to train 900 women across the 20 Local
Government Areas in new trades to make them self reliant.
Hajiya Asabe HAmma, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the State, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
According to her, the training would be in new “marketable trades” that would require small amounts as capital.
She said that the number of participants would be based on the size and population of each local government.
Hamma said that women development officers at the local government levels would be charged with the responsibility of selecting those to be trained.

Ekiti

A Muslim cleric, Malam Abdul’kareem Adeleke, said he
was optimistic that the current economic challenges facing the country would soon be over.
Adeleke, of the Central Mosque, Ikole, Ekiti State, spoke with newsmen after the Jumat prayers.
He appealed to Nigerians to endure the hardship and urged the rich to always support the poor in the society.
According to him, the rich have a duty to support government in alleviating poverty and to assist the needy with food, cash and other things that could improve their condition.
He cautioned the less privileged in the society against engaging in crime as means of survival saying God would not be pleased with such act.

FCT

A 55-year old farmer, Aminu Ma’aji has appeared in a Kado
Grade 1 Area Court for alleged mischief.
Ma’aji, who resides in Gwarimpa village, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of mischief.
The Prosecutor, Zeera Douglas, told the court that Peter Omobighe of Gwarimpa village, reported the matter at Gwarimpa Police Station on February 27.
Douglas said that the defendant deliberately removed the roof of Omobighe’s room, who is his tenant, without any reason to do so.
He said that rainfall destroyed all his property, which included mattress , kitchen cabinet, electronic cabinet, gas cooker, standing fan, two seater chairs, all valued N86,000.
The prosecutor added that the crime was punishable under Section 327 of the Penal Code.
The presiding officer, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, granted bail to the accused in the sum N50,000 with a surety in like sum.

Kano

The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has successfully resolved
14 out of the 22 cases it received in Kano State in March, the state Coordinator, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, has said.
Umar told newsmen in Kano that the council received eight criminal cases and 14 civil cases in the month under review.
The coordinator added that the 14 resolved cases comprised of five criminal and nine civil ones.
According to him, the 14 cases were resolved through arbitration while the remaining ones were still ongoing in court.
He also said that most of the civil cases were over inheritance, marriage, debt, land dispute among others.

Katsina

Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State has
inaugurated a response committee as part of its efforts toward preventing the prevalence of Lassa fever in the area.
The acting chairman of the council, Alhaji Abba Lawal, who inaugurated the committee, said its members were selected based on their proximity to the people.
“They would be able to quickly inform the authorities of any outbreak”, he said.
Lawal said the council, through its health, water and sanitation departments, had embarked on educating food vendors and individual families as well as other rural dwellers on the dangers of Lassa fever and the prevalence of other communicable diseases.
“Public lectures, interactive sessions and house-to-house mobilisations are being conducted to educate the people.
Kwara

The Kwara Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged
religious bodies to join hands with the government to move the nation forward.
Ahmed made the call at the 2016 Nigerian Baptist Convention in Ilorin.
Governor Ahmed, who was represented by his Deputy, Elder Peter Kisira, charged religious organisations to entrench good governance and play complementary roles to the government.
The governor said that the government was ready to partner any religious body or organisation to achieve all- round development of the state.

Lagos

Ato Arinze, a specialist in sculpture, has called on the Federal
Government to provide stiffer penalties for cross-border theft of art works.
Arinze told newsmen in Lagos that government’s intervention was necessary to curtail the nefarious act.
“Our artefacts are being stolen daily and it is crossing Nigerian borders without check.”
He advised artists in the country to properly document their works, so as to make the task of identifying them easier.
The artist added that most stolen art works taken across Nigeria’s borders were difficult to trace because of poor documentation by owners.

Nasarawa

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Lafia,
disbursed resettlement tools and equipment worth N1.5 million to 18 graduate trainees of vocational skills programme in Nasarawa State.
The Acting Director-General of NDE, Mr Kunle Obayan, who distributed the tools, said that the gesture was to enable the unemployed graduate trainees become self reliant and contribute their quota to national development.
Obayan, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Special Public Works, Mr Monday Dalyop, said that the Federal Government was planning to create employment opportunities for unskilled and unemployed Nigerians, hence the need for the gesture.
“NDE came into existence in 1986, saddled with the responsibilities of training people especially the youths and women in different skills acquisition programmes in the country.

Niger
The Niger State Police Command has arrested a suspected
robber, Gideon Ezechukwu, who allegedly uses the Hijab as camouflage during operations.
Police Public Relation Officer in the state, ASP Bala Elkanah, made this known during an interview with newsmen in Minna.
“On April 13, 2016 at about 6.00am one Gideon Ezechukwu of Dutsen Kura Gwari, Minna who dressed in women hijab was arrested by the police.
“The suspect was arrested while trying to escape with an allegedly stolen red colour Jincheng motorcycle (rubber rubber),’’ he said.
Plateau

The Plateau Government has closed down 62 poultry
farms and destroyed more than 190,000 birds affected by bird flu across the state, an official has confirmed.
Director, Veterinary Services, in the state’s Ministry of Agriculture,Dr Doris Bitrus, told newsmen in Jos that the disease had continued to spread.
She attributed that spread to the non-compensation of farmers, whose farms were affected by the disease in 2015.
“With compensation not coming, most farmers now prefer selling their sick birds to the marketers,” she said.
She explained that the disease was more prevalent in Jos South, Jos North, Jos East and Bassa Local Government Areas of the state.
According to her, government is working toward promoting more biosafety measures to check the spread of the disease.

Ogun

A 28-year-old man, Tunde Oduntan, who allegedly
punched off a commercial motorcyclist’s incisors, has been hauled up before an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court.
The court, however, granted the accused a bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of unlawful assault.
The prosecutor, Insp. Augustin Ozimini, told the court that the accused had on April 15 at about 3.20 p.m. beat up the commercial motorcyclist, Abu Joseph, and removed two of his teeth in the process with punches.

Yobe

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar,
said that the Federal Government’s intervention in the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons was to enable them to return to their communities.
Abubakar stated this at the handing over of relief materials to the IDPs in Damaturu.
Abubakar was represented by Air Commodore Paul Dimfwina, Commander 79 Composite Group Nigeria Air Force, Maiduguri.
He said that the donation was in fulfillment of a presidential mandate given to the Comptroller-General of Customs to transfer items seized by the Customs and legally forfeited to the government for the use of IDPs in various camps across the North-East.
Abubakar said that the intervention should be seen as laying foundation for full relocation of the displaced persons to their communities.

Nation

Kwara Community Residents Flee Over Persistent Bandits’ Attacks

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Omugo Community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have deserted their homes due to persistent bandit attacks.
The Tide’s source reports that the once lively community has turned into a ghost town with only a few domestic animals left.
Reports indicate that the recent bandits’ attack on the Omugo ECWA Church via Oro-Ago, led to the abduction of eight worshippers including the wife of the pastor in charge.
Three persons escaped out of the eight abductees with a N1billion ransom placed on the remaining victims in captivity. The community could only gather N1million which was rejected by the bandits.
Last week, the armed bandits invaded Oro-Ago community, killed one vigilante man identified as Baba Ibeji and injured his younger brother known as Ajere.
A Point of Sales, PoS, shop directly opposite the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Divisional office, was broken into by the bandits.
The gunmen also attacked the NSCDC office and sprayed bullets on the facility, though no casualty was recorded.
In earlier attacks on Oro-Ago environs, armed bandits ambushed a convoy between Oro-Ago and Oke-Ayan in Ilere district of Ifelodun Local Government Area and killed two local hunters on escort duty.
On Saturday, there was tension in Oro-Ago following a security alert that armed bandits were regrouping to launch fresh attacks on the community.
All security formations were, however, placed on ‘Red Alert’ to forestall the planned attack.

Nation

Acting Provost Dismisses Alleged Missing Equipment Claims at Rivers Health College

Published

3 days ago

March 30, 2026

The Tide

The Acting Provost of the Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology, Dr. (Mrs.) Peace Chigozirim Amadi has refuted claims circulating in the media suggesting that laboratory equipment went missing from the college.

In a recent statement, Dr. Amadi described the reports—particularly those attributed to certain publications—as false and misleading. She emphasized that all laboratory equipment at the college remain intact.

“I am here to set the record straight. No laboratory equipment disappeared from my college. Nothing is missing,” Dr. Amadi said, challenging anyone with contrary claims to provide evidence, including the names of the equipment and their supposed locations.

She further noted that the college recently underwent an accreditation exercise, during which significant investments were made in laboratory equipment. According to Dr. Amadi, these items are fully accounted for, and the college maintains a robust security system to protect its assets.

“Everything is intact. Nothing disappeared. The information being circulated is false and should be discarded,” she reiterated.

Beyond addressing the allegations, Dr. Amadi also called on media practitioners to exercise professionalism and verify stories before publication. “I want to plead with journalists to always verify their stories. Junk journalism does not help anyone. No matter the information you receive, it is important to hear the other side before publishing,” she said.

While social media posts have occasionally raised concerns about various issues in the region’s health education sector, including extortion and examination malpractice at related institutions, there is no independent evidence from credible news sources confirming that equipment went missing from Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology.

The college, a public tertiary institution based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is accredited to offer a variety of health-related programs, including Nursing, Midwifery, Laboratory Technology, and Environmental Health. It has consistently emphasized integrity, safety, and transparency in its operations.

Dr. Amadi’s statement seeks to reassure the public, students, and stakeholders that the college remains secure, well-managed, and free from the alleged equipment losses, while urging journalists to prioritize accuracy in reporting.

Nation

HYPREP Reaffirms Commitment to Safe Water Supply In Ogoni

Published

1 week ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

As the world commemorates World Water Day, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has reaffirmed its commitment to providing potable water across Ogoni communities, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on the Ogoni Environment.

In a statement issued by its Project Coordinator, Nenibarini Zabbey, on March 22, 2026, HYPREP noted that this year’s theme, “Water and Gender,” alongside the campaign slogan, “Where Water Flows, Equity Grows,” underscores its resolve to extend potable water supply beyond oil-impacted communities to all Ogoni communities.

Zabbey emphasized that access to clean water is a fundamental human right, adding that HYPREP remains committed to ensuring inclusive and equitable water access across the region.

He disclosed that the agency has successfully provided potable water to over 43 communities in Ogoni, while ongoing Phase 3 water projects are expected to benefit an additional 17 communities. He also highlighted steady progress on windmill-powered water projects in less populated areas, particularly in Khana Local Government Area.

According to him, the K-Dere Water Project, which is over 99 percent complete, will be commissioned in the coming weeks, even as work continues on other water schemes across Ogoni.

Zabbey further noted that HYPREP’s interventions are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

To ensure sustainability, he explained that the agency has adopted a joint management model involving host communities, the Rivers State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development, and the Rivers State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RSSTOWA). He added that Water Consumers’ Associations have been established in communities such as Nchia and Eleme, alongside training programmes conducted in collaboration with non-governmental organisations.

The Project Coordinator stressed the importance of community ownership and protection of water facilities, echoing the call by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, for residents to safeguard the infrastructure provided in their areas.

Zabbey expressed optimism that the ongoing efforts will significantly improve access to safe drinking water, reduce waterborne diseases, and enhance public health outcomes across Ogoni communities.