Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Unidentified gunmen have attacked the home of Alhaji Yakubu Lame, former Minister of Police Affairs in the late President Umaru Yar‘Adua’s administration, with explosives.
Lame was said to have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj at the time of the attack.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammed Barau, said on Monday in Bauchi that it occurred at about 7 p.m. on Sunday.
He said the suspects entered the former minister’s house on a motorcycle, dropped a bomb and ran off.
FCT
Minister of State for Defence Olusola Obada says the ministry and the U.S. Department of Defence are collaborating to establish more research sites on vaccines for the treatment of HIV and AIDS.
Obada disclosed this when she visited the ministry’s Emergency Plan Implementation Committee and Reference Laboratory in Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja.
She said the Federal Government would provide the required programmes that would improve the health of the masses.
Obada said the committee had 20 HIV and AIDS research sites and wanted to build some more depending on availability of funds.
Gombe
The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Mr David Albashi, who survived a fatal accident last Sunday, may be flown abroad for treatment.
A credible source at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gombe, where he is on admission, said on Monday that Albashi would have been flown abroad last Sunday, but for the fact that he was still under a ventilator, which was removed in the early hours of the day.
Many relatives, supporters, politicians and other public servants have been trooping to the centre to sympathise with him.
Kano
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has called on the people of the state to continue to live in peace with one another.
Bayero made the call while addressing thousands of Muslim faithfuls who gathered at his palace after the Eid-Fitr prayer in Kano last Tuesday.
He noted that no country could achieve any meaningful development in an atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty, stressing that what the nation needed most at this time was peace.
The Emir who also prayed for continued peace and development in the country, advised his subjects against rumour mongering and engaging in any act capable of breaching the peace.
Kebbi
The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammad Bashar has called for unity and understanding among Muslims in the country.
Alhaji Bashar, who is also the chairman of the State Council of Chiefs, made the appeal in his Sallah message to thousands of Muslims at the Eid-el Fitr praying ground in Birnin Kebbi.
He pointed out that peaceful coexistence was necessary for the rapid development of the country.
Gwandu emirate in Kebbi celebrated Sallah on Monday following the reported sighting of the moon at Bunza town and some local government areas in the state.
Lagos
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), has urged residents of state not to panic against the background of the flood disaster in Ibadan last Friday.
Mr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the General Manager of LASEMA, told newsmen in Ikeja, that the fear expressed by some residents over the incident was unnecessary.
He said that the state government was on the alert and was well equipped to manage any spillover effect from Ibadan.
“Some residents have been expressing fears that what happened in Ibadan is a warning that Lagos might soon experience that kind of disaster, as on July 10.
“They are saying that the Ibadan flooding signals an imminent one in Lagos, especially as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had predicted another heavy rain in the state.
Niger
Former Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida has urged Nigerians to shun violence and support governments at all levels.
In a Sallah message last Monday in Minna signed by his spokesman, Prince Kassim Afegbua, Babangida also urged Nigerians to live within the dictates of the law.
He said the Ramadan fast was a period of total commitment to the will of Allah and offering of supplications to the most high, noting that “this month has been most challenging to us as a country and as a people with one destiny“.
“As we celebrate the completion of the month of Ramadan, I wish to salute all Muslim faithful worldwide for their sense of tolerance, perseverance, understanding and commitment to the ideals of Allah during the period.
Ondo
Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has restated his administration’s commitment to the health needs and general well-being of the citizens.
The governor said this in Akure while declaring open the 2011 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the state chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
“We want a sound mind in a sound body; In pursuance of this, our administration adopted a multi-pronged approach to develop the healthcare delivery system that is comparable to any in the developed world.
“Today, health care delivery has been brought to the doorstep of the people; Each of the 203 wards in the state has a basic health centre while each of the 18 Local Government Areas has at least a comprehensive health centre and a general hospital.
Oyo
The Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has assured the people of Ibadan that the government will find lasting solutions to the problem of flood in the city.
Florence, who was accompanied by the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, gave the assurance while distributing relief materials to some flood victims in Ibadan last Monday.
She said that the government was taking necessary measures to ameliorate the sufferings of victims.
“Our visit today is to reassure the people that the government is on top of the situation.
“Though, the damage is too much, we will get over it with the support of everybody.”
“The state government officials, NEMA, SEMA and all other relevant agencies are working round the clock to ensure that we find lasting solution to the incident urgently,“ she said.
Plateau
As calm returns to Jos after Monday’s violence that claimed 10 lives, security has been beefed up in and around the city.
Our correspondent who went round some parts of the city last Tuesday, observed that fierce-looking personnel of the military Special Task Force (STF) were stationed in areas considered as flash points.
Mobile policemen were also in many other flash points while mobile vans coveying armed soldiers, policemen and officers of the local security outfit, “Operation Rainbow’’ were patrolling the city.
Encouraged by the tight security, residents appeared to move about freely, though many kept hoping that the peace in the morning would last throughout the day.
Sokoto
Friday’s explosion at the UN Secretariat in Abuja is an abominable act in Islam, especially in the blessed month of Ramadan, according to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III.
The Sultan said this in Sokoto last Tuesday in his Sallah message to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria.
“We, therefore, seriously condemn this act while commiserating with those who lost their property and condoling the families of those who lost their lives.
“We hereby call on the Muslims not to allow themselves to be used by our enemies in achieving their desired goals.
“We should not allow them to cause us to commit acts prohibited by our religion. We, therefore, call upon all those involved in this nefarious act, to fear God and desist from committing this grievous act,” he added.
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.