Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Bank of Agriculture has dragged more than 200 farmers in Adamawa to court for allegedly defaulting in the repayment of loan given to them by the bank.
The Branch Manager of the bank, Hajiya Asabe Gurama, made this known in Yola on Thursday.
“It is true that we have taken some of our customers numbering over 200 to court for defaulting in the repayment of loan disbursed to them since 2004”, Asabe said.
Asabe explained that the outstanding loan was about N100 million, adding that the bank had no option than to take all necessary legal action to recover the loan.
She decried the lukewarm attitude of some farmers in repaying loan.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Aminu Saleh, has warned border communities in the state against any act of upheaval that will cause a breach of the peace.
Saleh issued the warning Thursday in Bauchi during a meeting with traditional rulers living along borders of Bauchi and Jigawa states.
He announced that the meeting was to enable them review resolutions earlier arrived at between the two states presided over by officials of the National Boundary Commission (NBC).
Saleh urged the rulers to embrace peace and dialogue for peaceful co-existence among the communities living along the border.
According to the deputy governor, doing so will pave way for the development of the areas.
FCT
A 43-year old trader, Felix Okafor, of Dagbanna village, has been sentenced to three weeks imprisonment by an Abuja Upper Area Court for causing grievous harm to his co-tenant.
The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Pascal Ujoko, told the court that the matter was reported on July 20 at the Jikwoyi Police Station by one Mrs Oteeto Ngozi of the same address.
Ujoko said that the convict sent his child on an errand but the child refused to go because his mother supported him. This action annoyed the convict, the prosecutor said.
He said the convict brought out a stick from the burning firewood to beat the child, but as he was chasing him, the convict unfortunately hit the complainant on her face, injuring her on the left eye.
Kaduna
A university teacher, Prof. Yahaya Bambale says the appointment of Local Government Interim Management Committees by some state governors in the country is a clear violation of the nation’s constitution.
Bambale, a Professor of Law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, told journalists in Zaria last Thursday that there was no such provision in the Nigerian Constitution.
“What is enshrined in the constitution is an elected chairman and a particular time is being specified for him after which another election is supposed to be conducted.
“But I think what some of the state governors are doing is that the same constitution gave them a leeway that where a leadership vacuum exists it could be filled before election is conducted.
Kano
Niger Republic Nationals resident in Kano, have donated assorted relief materials and money to the victims of the recent flood disaster at Fage in Kano Municipal Area Council.
The materials included 40 bags of rice, 20 bags of maize, 10 bags of salt, 30 mattresses, 30 bundles of roofing sheets, and N200,000 cash.
Presenting the items, the country’s consul in Kano,Hajiya Rabi Dodo, said that the gesture was aimed at assisting the victims, who, she described, as “our brothers and sisters”, to cushion the effects of the flood.
She said it was also aimed at sympathising with the victims, because “whatever affects the people of Nigeria affects us also, as we are from the same roots’’.
Kebbi
The Kebbi government has called on NAPEP to partner with the state for the expansion of its poverty reduction investment programme in rural areas.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, made the call in Birnin Kebbi last Wednesday when the NAPEP Director of Coordination and Programme, Mrs Godiya Yohanna, led a delegation of officials to visit him.
“We will fulfil any conditionalities with NAPEP for the expansion of the programme that will enhance the living conditions of our rural dwellers,” Aliyu said.
He said the first phase of the programme reduced the poverty level of many households in 2009, stressing that expansion of the programme would assist in the rapid development of the state.
Yohanna, on her part, said the launch of the second phase of the poverty reduction investment would benefit 1,000 households and that 60 per cent of the beneficiaries would be women.
Nasarawa
Nasarawa State Government says it has so far evacuated a total of 150 of its citizens from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following increasing threat posed by the Boko Haram.
Malam Mahmud Zubairu, the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Education, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on efforts the government was making to evacuate its citizens from Borno.
He said that there had been growing concerns by many people in the state “who are worried about the safety of their relations and friends in Maiduguri since the crisis in the state began’’.
Zubairu said the state governor had directed that all indigenes of the state still trapped in Maiduguri should be evacuated without further delay.
He said this was part of the government’s efforts to protect the lives and property of its citizens wherever they might be.
Ogun
Goveronor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has set up a six-member committee to review the cases of 2,000 workers whose appointments were recently terminated by the state government. The workers, employed at the twilight of the Gbenga Daniel administration, were sacked because the government claimed that their appointments did not follow due process.
The affected workers had staged a protest march to the Governor’s Office, the House of Assembly, the NUJ Secretariat and major streets in Abeokuta.
The state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had also intervened on their behalf, by appealing to the state government to reinstate them.
Plateau
The Special Task Force (STF) maintaining security in Plateau has debunked claims that members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect had invaded Jos.
“No Boko Haram member has invaded Jos or anywhere in Plateau; the rumours are simply baseless,” STF spokesman Charles Ekeocha said in Jos.
The STF was reacting to rumours that members of the sect were in Jos and could attack anytime.
Ekeocha, in a statement, advised the people to go about their normal activities as the STF and other security agencies were fully prepared to keep the peace.
Taraba
The Taraba Government has released N200 million for the payment of pensions and gratuities of retired civil servants in the 16 local government areas of the state.
Alhaji Marafa Bashir, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said 76 pensioners and relations of 136 dead pensioners would benefit.
Bashir explained that the money would be paid to all retired local government staff while the entitlements of the deceased pensioners would be paid to their next of kin on presentation of relevant documents.
He told newsmen that a list of another batch of beneficiaries was being compiled as government intended to set aside funds for the settlement of pension and gratuity of pensioners based on a time table.
Bashir described pension and gratuities as a social security that should not be denied the retirees, pointing out that the state government would continue to work round the clock to ensure immediate payment of such funds to pensioners.
Yobe
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said last Thursday it would create five zonal distribution centres in Yobe for easy distribution of relief materials to persons displaced by the Boko Haram crisis in Maiduguri. The North-East Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Aliyu Sambo, made the announcement in Damaturu while answering questions from newsmen.
According to him, the centres will be established in the Potiskum, Jakusko, Nangere Fika, Gashua and Nguru Local Government Areas.
“We learnt there are not less than 200 fleeing persons in each of these areas,” he said.
Sambo said that materials had been distributed to more than 250 displaced persons in Potiskum under the supervision of security personnel while the remaining four centres would soon receive materials for distribution.
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.