Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Alhaji Umar Hassan, the vice chairman, Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa, is dead.
Aged 40, the deceased’s brother, Malam Musa Hassan, confirmed the death to newsmen in Mubi.
He said that Hassan died at the early hours of Friday in a car accident along Biu-Gombe road.
Three other officials of the council also sustained injuries in the accident.
A well-established transporter, Hassan, was a member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly between 1991 and 1993, representing Mubi Constituency.
The burial arrangement, as announced by the family, indicated that the deceased would be buried later in the day.
Hassan was survived by two wives and a child.
FCT
Alhaji Mohammed Yunusa, the Supervisory Councillor for Education, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says the welfare of teachers is his priority.
Yunusa, a trained teacher, told newsmen in Bwari that, “the welfare of teachers is a priority and not the infrastructure.”
“It is when a teacher is comfortable and happy that he will impact positive knowledge on the children.”
“ So, I am going to take the welfare of teachers seriously.”
He also promised to alleviate the burden of parents in the area through scholarship award to indigent students of the area.
Yunusa said his support would be in form of both payment of school fees and purchase of uniforms for students.
Kaduna
The Zazzau Emirate Development Association (ZEMDA) has appealed to security agents to brace up to the security challenges in Zaria and its environs.
The secretary of the association, Alhaji Sani Ibrahim, said in statement on Saturday, in Zaria, that the call became necessary in view of the killings in the area.
Our correspondent recalls that three people were recently killed by unknown persons.
They included Dr Musa Tukur, a deputy dean at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).
The association urged security operatives to do everything possible to trace the culprits and bring them to book.
It called on the public to give security agents maximum support and cooperation to enable them discharge their responsibilities diligently.
The association also advised ABU management to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of Tukur.
Katsina
The Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (UMYU) Katsina, has expelled four students for alleged examination misconduct.
Investigation by our correspondent also revealed that four other students were rusticated for one semester.
Two of those expelled, we learnt, were 100 level students in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences.
They were said to have committed the offence during the first semester of the 2009/2010 session.
The other expelled students, one each from the Faculties of Natural and Applied Sciences and Humanities, were said to have erred during the second semester of the 2008/2009 session.
It was learnt that the rusticated students, also from the same faculties, were found guilty of examination misconduct during the first semester of 2009/2010 and second semester of 2008/2009 academic sessions.
When contacted, Alhaji Mu’azu Isiaku, Head of Information and Public Relations Department, confirmed the expulsion and rustication.
In September 2009, the institution had sacked a Dean and demoted an examination officer for examination misconduct.
Kogi
The Kogi Government is partnering with the media in its efforts to reduce thuggery and violence in the state before, during and after the 2011 elections.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr Tom Ohikere, told newsmen on Tuesday, in Lokoja, that the arrangement would include campaigns and public enlightenment programmes against violence.
He said politicians from across different political parties would also be involved in the campaigns.
Ohikere reiterated government’s zero tolerance for crime, and warned politicians who had formed the habit of hiring youths to perpetrate political violence to retrace their steps.
He also appealed to parents to be alive to their responsibility by ensuring that their wards were not used as tools to forment trouble by unscrupulous elements.
He said government was currently carrying out various projects and programmes to improve the socio-economic well being of the people, and urged them to continue to make the atmosphere conducive.
Kwara
The Federal Government has promised to refund state governments money spent on the repair of federal roads in their territories.
The Minister of Works, Alhaji Mohammed Daggash, made the promise in Ilorin when he paid a courtesy visit on the Kwara Governor Bukola Saraki, in company of the Minister of State, Mr Chris Ogiemwonyi.
He said that the Federal Government had concluded arrangement to refund those investment by state governments provided such states followed due process in the award of contracts.
According to him, the Federal Government intends to give the necessary confidence that will facilitate continued collaboration between it and state governments.
The minister, who said he was on assessment tour of federal roads across the country, noted that all such roads that were in bad state would receive attention before the end of the year.
Daggash expressed satisfaction with the quality of work carried out by the Kwara government on all the roads rehabilitated on behalf of the Federal Government.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Works was at the verge of signing the contract for the construction of part of Oyo– Ogbomosho expressway.
Lagos
The Police in Lagos on Tuesday, arraigned a 37-year-old tanker driver, Ayuba Musa, for allegedly killing three people through dangerous driving.
Musa, who is facing a two-count charge of manslaughter and dangerous driving at a Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Chinalu Uwadione, however, insisted that the accused had a case to answer.
He alleged that the accused drove a tanker with registration no. XZ 155 KJA recklessly and killed three occupants of a car on March 30 on the Oworonshoki Bridge, Lagos.
According to him, a Peugeot 406 saloon car and a Mitsubishi truck were crushed by the tanker.
Uwadione named those killed as the driver of the car, Enock Onabamiji (49), Ganiu Saheed (39) and a man whose identity was unknown.
He said the accused had contravened the Lagos State Traffic Laws.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.A. Demi-Ajayi granted him bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties and adjourned till July 7 for further hearing.
Nasarawa
The National Population Commission (NPC), has urged Nigerians to take the task of immunising their wards seriously, to enable the children to escape from child-killer diseases.
The Chairman, Alhaji Sama’illa Makama, made the call on Tuesday, during a supervisory visit to birth registration centres in Wamba local government Area of Nasarawa State.
The NPC says its agency is collaborating with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) as well as UNICEF to pilot a programme of issuing birth certificates to children under the age of five, while being immunised.
Makama, who implored parents to immunise their wards, explained that the exercise was necessary for the good health of the children.
He stressed that parents often ignored immunisation, thereby exposing their children to diseases that could be avoided by immunisation.
He said: “Immunisation is very important; it prevents all kinds of diseases such as whooping cough, polio and chicken pox.”
He then also called on parents to take advantage of the pilot exercise to register the birth of children under the age of five in order to obtain a birth certificate, which he emphasised, was free.
Niger
Rep Bala Kuta (ANPP-Niger) on Friday said that those accusing Speaker Dimeji Bankole of corruption should prove his guilt rather than resort to media campaign in a bid to remove him.
Some members led by Rep Dino Melaye (PDP-Kogi) gave Bankole a seven-day ultimatum within which to resign for mismanaging more than N9 billion.
The group known as the’ “progressive” said that they had incriminating documents against Bankole.
Kuta told newsmen in Minna on Friday that the allegations against Bankole were baseless and lacked substance .
. They do not pose any threat to the seat of the Speaker contrary to their media outburst.
“ If they have prove of his guilt, let them tender the documents to us members of the House of Representatives, instead of resorting to media campaign against the Speaker”, he said.
“We have 360 member in the House of representatives, it is therefore impossible for a few group to hold the chairmanship position to themselves alone”, he said.
He urged the Speaker to ignore the call for him to step down and continue to give the House a purposeful leadership as he had done in the past.
Ogun
The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, has challenged his subjects to work toward transforming Ijebu-Ode town to an enviable status.
Our correspondent reports that Adetona made the appeal on Tuesday, while inaugurating an amenity ward constructed by a community group, “Oba Fuwaji,” at the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode.
He said government alone could not develop the town and urged the indigenes to make meaning contributions toward its development.
Adetona, who was delighted that the ward was inaugurated during his 50th coronation anniversary, said that Ijebuland would be more developed if others could follow what the group had done.
The leader of the group, Mr Giwa Mosuro, had earlier said the construction of the amenity ward was in fulfillment of its determination to contribute meaningfully to the healthcare delivery in the town.
He promised that the group would not relent in its efforts to contribute meaningfully to the development of the town, adding that the inauguration to commemorate the 50th coronation anniversary of the Awujale.
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.