Nation
THE STATES
Abuja
Mr Mohammed Adoke, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), has charged leaders and Muslims to seek Qur’anic knowledge.
He said that Qur’anic knowledge was necessary to enable the beneficiaries to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The AGF gave the advice on Saturday in Abuja at the 8th Executive Walimatul-Quran graduation and merit award presentation of Al-Habibiyah Academy.
Adoke told reporters at the graduation ceremony that seeking Qur’anic knowledge would guide positively the conduct of leaders in nation building.
Adamawa
Two infants, their mothers and seven other people have been confirmed dead in a ghastly motor accident on the Numan –Gombe road.
The Adamawa Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Habu Dauda, disclosed this to newsmen in Yola on Friday.
He said the accident occurred on Thursday at about 2 P.M. at Kwanan Bashokini in Lamurde local government area of the state.
He said the cause of the accident, which involved four commercial buses and one Opel car traveling from Yola to Gombe, was still being investigated.
Dauda said nine people, including the two infants and their mothers, died on the spot while the remaining two gave up on the way to hospital.
He disclosed that 27 wounded persons, 11 women and 16 men, were receiving treatment at the Numan General Hospital.
Bauchi
UNICEF has called on stakeholders to tackle the menace of child labour worldwide.
It is estimated that 150 million children, aged between five and 14 years, find themselves in the unfortunate position.
UNICEF said this in a statement in Bauchi on Friday ahead of Saturday’s 11th World Day against Child Labour.
It said child labour, is caused by poverty, compromised children’s education and safety.
“We know that progress against MDGs in education, poverty, gender and HIV and AIDS are being systematically undermined that no single policy will unilaterally end child labour.
“Evidence has shown that an effective, coherent response to child labour requires a mix of decent work employment measures and child sensitive social protection systems.
Kaduna
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, is to regularise its haphazard academic calendar, the new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, said.
Mustapha made the pledge while addressing the University Senate at its 427th regular meeting, held at the Senate Chambers in Zaria on Friday.
He expressed concern over the manner in which the calendar was being run in the institution, saying: “we shall work assiduously to regularise it.”
Mustapha appealed to the university community to put all hands on deck to take the institution to greater heights.
While describing his appointment as an act of God, he said his mission was to serve the university faithfully and to the best of his ability.
Kebbi
Some farmers in Kebbi have expressed anxiety over the delay in the sale of fertilisers for the current cropping season.
Only two weeks ago the state executive council approved the release of N3.3 billion for the purchase of 33,000 metric tonnes of the commodity for the 2010 farming season.
Mohammed Gula,a resident of Kalgo Local Government Area said the delay in the sale of fertiliser, seedlings and chemicals had forced some farmers to seek for the commodity in neighbouring states.
“The rainfall has commenced in earnest and the more we delay in the application of fertilisers we stand the chance of recording low harvest and the only option now is to purchase from elsewhere,” he said.
Kano
The Kano State Police Command has arrested four suspected armed robbers,who have been terrorising people within and outside the state.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), SP Baba Azare, gave the names of the hoodlums as Lawal Yahaya and Sani Umar,all of Kurnar Asabe quarters, Kano.
The rest,the release said,were John Sunday from Kaduna State, and Sani Yakubu of Sallare quarters,Kano.
He said that the suspects were arrested in Maiduguri, Borno, by detectives from the Kano State Command on June 9.
Investigation reveals that they masterminded and participated in a series of armed robberies in the recent past in the state,” the statement added.
It said some GSM handsets and a locally-made pistol were recovered from the robbers.
Katsina
Six persons sustained injuries while many buildings were destroyed during a heavy rainfall accompanied by windstorm in Funtua local government area of Katsina State.
Four pupils of Focus Nursery and Primary School sustained injuries while two others were injured at Sa’a Clinics where a roof was blown off.
Areas mostly affected are Tudun Wada, Unguwar Dandaji, Makera and Unguwar Dahiru.
Some victims, Malam Muhammadu Maibindiga, Malam Jailani Zakariya, Malam Rabi’u Hassan and Yahaya Haruna described the incident as “ the will of Allah.’’
They commended the efforts made by the council and the law enforcement agencies to mitigate their suffering and appealed for state government’s intervention.
They also prayed for God’s protection against a recurrence.
Kwara
The Kwara Government has awarded N30 million contract for the construction of a new cemetery and three other projects.
The projects include 16 units of boys’ quarters at the Judges’ Quarters being constructed in Ilorin, the fencing and painting of the office of the state’s Surveyor-General and the revision of the state’s local government maps.
The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr Adebayo Ishola, disclosed this in Ilorin on Friday.
He stressed that the need to provide a befitting and secured resting place for departed souls informed the construction of the new cemetery.
Lagos
No fewer than 150 residents of Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area in Lagos State, have benefited from an empowerment programme initiated by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Sarah Sosan.
Items such as grinding machines, sewing machines and crates of soft drinks were given to the beneficiaries.
Sosan told the beneficiaries in Lagos on Friday, that the gesture was a demonstration of government’s commitment to its economic empowerment programme.
She said the programme, the sixth in the series, was designed to reduce unemployment and bring the dividends of democracy to the grassroots.
“The essence of our empowerment programme is to touch the lives of the people, especially those at the grassroots.
Niger
No fewer than six persons were killed in an auto crash at Farin Doki Village on the Minna-Suleja road on Thursday night.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Minna, Mr Emmanuel Abe, said in a statement that the incident occured when a luxury bus and a Toyota Corolla car collided head on.
The statement said that six of the victims, including a woman died instantly at the scene of the accident while one person sustained injuries.
It attributed the accident to bad weather and dangerous driving, calling on the public to check the Minna General Hospital mortuary for identification and collection of the corpses.
Osun
The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) International School, Ile-Ife, has donated N150,000 to an NGO for the care of the mentally ill.
The Principal of the school, Mrs Ronke Adeniyi, presented the money on behalf of the school to the Foundation for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Mentally Ill (CAREMI) on Friday in Ile-Ife.
Prof. Rogers Makanjuola, former OAU Vice Chancellor, established the foundation 10 years ago to assist patients with mental problems.
She appealed to corporate bodies, institutions and the rich to always extend hands of fellowship to the poor and physically-challenged members of society.
Sokoto
Alhaji Abdullahi Wali, the Sokoto State Head of the Civil Service, has warned that the government will soon wield the big stick to curb truancy among civil servants.
Wali issued the warning in Sokoto, on Friday, in an interview with newsmen after paying unscheduled visit to some Ministries, Departments and Parastatal Agencies (MDAs).
He said: “The recalcitrant behaviours of some civil servants are unbecoming and it will no longer be tolerated by the state government.”
“We have to make sure that the workers abide by the rules and regulations of the civil service. The service is being governed by these laws.”
Yobe
The Yobe Chapter of the Water and Sanitation Media Network (WATSANMN), has called on the state government to provide latrine facilities in schools to meet the UNICEF approved ratio of 50 pupils to one latrine.
A communiqué issued at the end of a training workshop for media practitioners, organised by the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme in Damaturu regretted that there were inadequate latrines in schools.
“There is need for Yobe Government to encourage the establishment of public toilets at motor parks, markets and strategic places,’’ the communique said.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has inducted and given orientation to 100 Ogoni youths for training on Creative Arts. The beneficiaries were drawn from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
The induction and orientation ceremony, which took place at the CRAB of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, was a prelude to the training proper, billed to commence next Tuesday.
As usual, HYPREP issued undertaking forms to the trainees, for them to complete and submit as a guarantee that they would subject themselves to the requirements of the programme as well as be of good behaviour throughout the four-month duration of the training.
HYPREP also announced that it would pay N150,000 to each of the beneficiaries monthly, as transport and feeding allowance, stressing, however, that only those who fully participate in the training would be entitled for the allowance.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, welcomed the trainees to the programme, saying, HYPREP’s projects are evolving and that one thing that is happening today is that the Project has gotten leadership right, by making promises and keeping those promises.
According to him, the Project had equally promised to move away from rudimentary skills acquisition to high impacts acquisition levels, which it has kept today by sponsoring the training on Creative Arts.
He noted that in planning its livelihood programmes for Ogoni youths, HYPREP has taken time out to look for skills that would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.
Zabbey, who was represented at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi said by packaging the Creative Arts training, it was expected that the Ogoni people would have their own version of Nollywood known as Ogoniwood just as Nigerians are familiar with Hollywood, Bollywood, Kannywood and Nollywood.
To achieve this goal, the Project Coordinator explained that it was the reason for choosing a reputable establishment like Halibiz Consult Limited, to partner with the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt, which he described as one of the most prestigious in the Niger Delta, for the training of the beneficiaries.
He also indicated that in doing this, HYPREP was desirous of going for talents that would help the Ogoni people grow in the film industry, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.
Zabbey equally enjoined the trainees to put in their best so that in the next three to five years, they would carve a niche for themselves and become forces to reckon with in the film industry.
On her part, HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP does what it says it will, stressing that the process of training Ogoni youths on specialised skills started three years ago.
According to her, the selection process for the training was rigorous and transparent, and was carried out by renowned actors actresses.
She disclosed that the training consists of three major aspects, which include acting, script writing and make-up, while Nollywood actors like Charles Nnoje, Ngezu J. Ngezu and award-winning make-up artist, Jude Odo would be on hand to drill and groom the beneficiaries.
Mrs Nzidee noted that the programme is a specialised training that does not have anything like starter packs but that it is purely a professional certification programme that would launch the beneficiaries into the Nollywood industry in Nigeria.
According to her, the Creative Arts training is one of the four specialised trainings organised by HYPREP to ensure that the Ogoni people are well positioned in vital industries like Aviation, Maritime, Creative Arts and Mechatronics.
She said the last of such trainings on Mechatronics would take place in the coming months, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so as to put the Ogoni people on the Nollywood map.
She further indicated that while Charles Nnoje and Ngezu J. Ngezu would take the beneficiaries on the practical aspects, Jude Odo would take them on the make-up aspects.
Also speaking, the External Relations Manager of Halibiz Consult Limited, Alabo Experience Douglas said his company gives much premium to standard and quality, and assured that the firm would give the trainees value for the money spent on the programme.
While charging the beneficiaries to be dedicated and punctual, he stressed the need for them to approach the programme with the mindset of being empty so that at the end of the day, they would benefit maximally.
On his part, the Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Ovunda Ihunwo said the CRAB is an acronym for Creative Review of Arts and Books, stressing that it was named by renowned playwright, Prof Ola Rotimi.
According to him, the CRAB had nurtured, groomed and produced Nollywood actors and actresses like Bobmanuel Udokwu, Ejike Asiegbu,Francis Duru, Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda, Julius Agwu, and a host of others, assuring the beneficiaries that they were on fertile environment to hone their talents.
He noted that symbolically, the crab is a nutritious seafood common in the Niger Delta, and reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to come empty for the training, as it were.
Ihunwo disclosed that the theory classes of the programme would run for three weeks while the fourth week would be for the master classes, and urged the trainees to avail themselves of the opportunity to make a difference by telling the Ogoni story, which he described as inexhaustible by themselves, in order to put Ogoni on the map.
A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.