Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa Government plans to set up a communication hotline linking the office of the governor with traditional rulers and their communities to effectively combat violent crimes across the state.
Gov. Murtala Nyako unveiled the plan when he addressed traditional rulers who paid him Sallah homage at Government House, Yola.
Nyako said the hotline would also link first class traditional rulers with their district and ward heads so that any security threat could be reported immediately for prompt action.
He said that a hotline already existed between him and heads of security agencies in the state, noting that the hotline helped in frustrating the bandits who attacked banks and police stations in Gombi town last week in their attempt to rob the banks.
Bornu
Alhaji Sa’idu Pindar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the April general elections in Borno State, has died.
Pindar died in an auto crash on the Kano-Abuja expressway on Wednesday, family members said.
Malam Ibrahim Biu, a relative of the deceased, said in Maiduguri on Thursday that the politician died on his way to Abuja for an engagement.
Pindar, a one-time Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, was the running mate of Alhaji Mohammed Goni, the PDP governorship candidate in the state.
Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno described Pindar’s death as ‘’shocking and a great loss to the state’’.
Gombe
The Gombe State NLC is to commence strike on Thursday following its inability to reach agreements with the government on the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage.
This is contained in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) of NLC on Wednesday in Gombe.
The communique was signed by its chairman, Mr Ahmed Maisaka. According to the document, the council deliberated on the directive of the National Executive Council to proceed on an indefinite strike September 1, if an agreement is not reached on or before August 31.
The statement which expressed labour’s dismay on the inability of the state government to reach an amicable resolution on the minimum wage, stated that there was no going back on its action.
Kano
Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, senior counselor at Kano Emirate, has given the assurance that the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, will carry out all the Eid-el-Fitri durbar celebrations as is usually done.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sanusi, who is the “Wambai of Kano’’, urged the people to attend all the durbar celebration which usually lasts for three consecutive days.
He explained that the only amendment to the Durbar celebration’s calendar was the emir’s visit to the Government House which normally took place on the third day of the celebration.
The amendment, according to him, is that instead of the emir to visit the Government House, the governor would now pay a visit to the emir to congratulate him for the Eid-el-Fitri celebration.
Katsina
The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir, on Wednesday in Katsina, said that attacks on traditional and political leaders as being experienced in the country was not Islamic.
Kabir, who paid a traditional sallah homage to the Gov. Ibrahim Shema, said “attack on traditional and political leaders in some parts of the country after the last presidential polls was unIslamic and condemnable “.
He noted that politics was all about opinion which provided every one the right to choose, and urged youths in the country not to go on rampage because of elections.
The emir also condemned the act of rumour mongering which according him, was one of the causes of violence.
He noted that the door of his emirate council was open for people to offer useful advice rather than castigating leaders and spreading rumours which could lead to political violence.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Government has earmarked N155.6 million for the establishment of an onion processing factory in Aliero.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Sani Kanya, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday that the factory would process raw onions into bottles and tin containers.
He said the idea was to preserve onions for a longer period of time and reduce the loss suffered by onion producers, especially when there was no market for the commodity.
Kanya said the factory would also help in encouraging farmers to produce the commodity in higher commercial quantity.
He added that the factory would employ 65 workers in addition to some experts who would be deployed from the state ministry of agriculture.
Kwara
The Kwara Agricultural Development Project (KWADP) has hailed the federal government’s intervention in the agriculture sector, saying that it is yielding positive results.
Mr. Sunday Atanda, the Managing Director of the agency, made the observation while speaking in Ilorin on Thursday.
Atanda noted that the government’s investment in the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP) had catapulted Nigeria to become the world’s number one cassava producer, with about 42 million tonnes annually.
Acoording to him, the investment provides employment to rural dwellers and ensures food security.
Nasarawa
Gov. Umaru Al-makura of Nasarawa said on Thursday that his administration had no plan to retrench workers in view of the implementation of the new national minimum wage as was being speculated.
Al-makura stated this in Lafia while playing host to the leadership of organised labour in the state who paid him a Sallah homage.
He assured workers that efforts would be intensified toward improving their welfare, adding that “the N18,900 minimum wage is only a tip of the iceberg.”
Al-makura stressed the need to strengthen the existing relationship between the state government and the NLC and called on labour leaders to ensure that workers reciprocate government gesture through efficient service delivery.
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.