Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
More than 2,000 Nigerian cattle grazers migrated to Cameroon and the Central African Republic between January 2009 and July this year due to the recurring conflicts between farmers and grazers in the North-East region. Dr Walia Hamman, the North-East Coordinator of the National Livestock Development Projects, toldnewsmen in Yola that no fewer than 2.3 million cattle, sheep and goats were lost to the two neighbouring countries.
He listed the most affected states as Taraba, Adamawa and Borno, saying that the 2007 livestock and grazers census showed that most of the affected pastoralists were Nigerians while only four and three per cent were from Chad and Niger Republics respectively. Hamman said the major flash point of the migration was in the Sardauna (Mambila) Local Government Area in Taraba where, in the years under review, no fewer than 1,200 pastoralists fled. He said the combined efforts by the federal and the affected states to get them back had failed. “Most of the pastoralists contacted refused to come back, alleging poor security of their lives and property.”
Bauchi
Residents of Tudun Salmanu in Bauchi have expressed dissatisfaction over the indiscriminate disposal of refuse and the lack of a designated dump site in the area. Some of the residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (newsmen) in Bauchi last Thursday, said that the development had resulted to the dumping of waste materials in undeveloped plots. Commenting on the situation, Malam Baba Adamu, a resident, said:“If you move round, you will see what I mean.
“We dump our household waste in people’s plots because we don’t have the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) containers to dispose waste.” Adamu said that the practice had been on for a while due to the lack of an alternative, leading to the littering of the environment with all sort of wastes.
In her contribution, a house wife, Mrs Maryam Abubakar, decried the behaviour of some members of the public, whom, she said, had imbibed the bad habit of dumping refuse indiscriminately. She attributed their action to laziness and ignorance and advised parents and guardians to instruct their children and wards to dump refuse in appropriate places.
FCT
The Bwari Area Council of the FCT has awarded scholarships to 1,649 students in the area in the 2011 academic year, the Chairman of the council, Mr Peter Yohanna, has announced.
Addressing a news conference in Bwari, near Abuja last Thursday, Yohanna said that the council spent about N17.6 million on the scholarship scheme.
He said that the council had also embarked on various projects to improve the quality of lives of people residing in the area. Yohanna said that enrollment in schools had improved remarkably in the 2011 academic year, assuring that the council would sustain the development. He said that public libraries, orphanages, health centres and many construction projects were also completed in the area in 2011.
Gombe
A member of the Gombe State House of Assembly,Mr. Lasare Lewi says he has spent over five million Naira in constructing three blocks of classrooms in his constituency. Lewi who is representing the Billiri West Constituency disclosed this to newsmen in Billiri.
He said the projects comprised two blocks of classrooms in Sabon Layi, one block of two classrooms in Baganje South and another block of two classrooms in Tanglang village. The PDP member said more blocks of classrooms would be constructed in the remaining three wards that made up his constituency in due course. “I was an Education Secretary of Billiri Local Government, so I know the problems of education in the area. “That was why when I was elected, I decided to intervene in the area of education, starting in three wards. “Later I will execute similar projects in the remaining wards which will cost almost the same amount,’’ he said.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State government is to convert four Junior secondary schools in Kazaure to senior category. Alhaji Sani Yahaya, Director in-charge of Education in the state, disclosed this during a stakeholders meeting between officials of the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the ministry of Education in Kazaure on Wednesday. Yahaya named the schools as Government Secondary Schools in Fuji, Karayal, Amaryawa and Gwiwa. He explained that a team from the state ministry of education would soon visit the schools to assess the infrastructure.
Kaduna
The Chief Executive Officer, Obita Visual Industry, Mr Adeniyi Ekine, says the industry will complement the Federal Government’s transformation agenda through art forms. Ekine told newsmen on Wednesday in Kaduna, that arrangements had been concluded to showcase a talent hunt reality television in February.
He said that the programme tagged,“Live in Peace,” would create awareness on the need to embrace peace. “The show will be transmitted on NTA, AIT and KSTV and will feature acts in dance, song and comedy.’’
Ekine said registration forms were on sale at the rate of N2,000 and N5,000 for single and group participants, respectively.
Lagos
The Lagos State Government said on Wednesday that it had begun an all-year-round drainage clearing and maintenance in the 20 local government areas and 37 local development areas. The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello announced the plan in a statement issued by Mr Fola Adeyemi, the Public Relations Officer of the ministry in Ikeja. Bello said the measure was aimed at checking flooding which usually accompanied heavy rains in the state. He said the clearing programme, to be carried out by the Office of Drainage Services of the ministry, would mainly entail de-silting of the channels to allow free flow of water, especially during the rainy season. The commissioner said that the government was implementing the programme to avoid the kind of flooding that accompanied the July 10, 2011 rainfall, which claimed lives and destroyed properties in the state. He said the programme was also a proactive response to experts‘ prediction of a heavy rainfall in the state during the year, adding that the government decided to begin the work in earnest to avert flooding. Bello identified some areas where drainages would be cleared as Adekunle Fajuyi Road, Ikeja, Works Road GRA, Ikeja, Kodesoh Road, Ikeja, Simpson and Sandgrouse streets on Lagos Island. Others are Lanre Awolokun Street, Shomolu, College Road, Ifako, Arowojobe Street, Oshodi, Agric/Oja Road Ikorodu, Gemini/Coker Surulere, Adeniji Adele Road (both Sides) on Lagos Island and Ogunmokun Street in Mushin.
Niger
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has urged the people to embrace the ongoing immunisation exercise by the government to eradicate poliomyelitis, saying that the vaccines were safe. Aliyu made the call in Minna during a stakeholders’ forum on eradication of Poliomyelitis in the state. He enjoined parents and guardians to ensure that their wards were immunised against the polio virus and to embrace routine immunisation in order not to continue to lose abundant human resources to the killer disease.
The governor also inaugurated the state committee on eradication of poliomyelitis to ensure that the state remained polio free.
Osun
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has said that the proceeds from the removal of oil subsidy would be used to promote the social wellbeing of Nigerians. Mrs Oluremi Wilson, the Director of the agency in Osun, said in Osogbo at a prayer session to mark the new year that appropriate social security would be extended to Nigerians. “If there is social security in place, many Nigerians will afford to live comfortably without the tendencies for banditry and other forms of social vices. “Now the railway system is gradually coming back to ease public transportation while waterways are being dredged to check perennial flooding,’’ she said. She observed that lack of “a holistic social security” had in the past largely been responsible for the suffering of ordinary Nigerians, saying the deregulation of the oil sector would address the problem.
Plateau
The Plateau Police Command recovered properties worth more than N100 million last year, Mr Emmanuel Ayeni, the Police Commissioner in the state, has said.
Ayeni told journalists in Jos on Thursday that 42 cars, estimated at N52.6 million, were recovered out of the 81 cars that were reported stolen. He said the Command also recovered N39.4 million from people who purchased stolen property.
Ayeni said that about N5 million worth of property was recovered at robbery scenes, while 117 assorted firearms and 558 ammunitions were recovered from riot scenes. He said that 72 persons were arrested and charged to court for various offences ranging from public disturbance to outright mayhem, adding that an unspecified number of people were being prosecuted.
Ayeni expressed happiness that the efforts of his men had not gone unnoticed or unrewarded, saying that“Four Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) were promoted to Superintendents; 13 Assistant Superintendents (ASP) to Deputy Superintendents, while 195 Inspectors were elevated to ASPs,’’ he said.
Nation
Zabbey Emerges Social Impact Man Of The Year 2025 …Reaffirms Commitment To Ogoni Transformation
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, has been named Social Impact Man of the Year 2025 by Daily Independent Newspapers.
The award was presented at the Independent Awards 2025 Silver Jubilee Edition held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, as part of activities marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary of editorial excellence.
Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Independent Newspapers, Steve Omanufeme, said the award recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and transformative impact in their respective fields. He explained that recipients emerged through a rigorous process involving public voting, editorial board scrutiny, and assessment by a panel of judges.
Omanufeme noted that Zabbey’s selection reflects his outstanding contributions to environmental restoration and community development in Ogoniland through the Ogoni cleanup project.
With over two decades of experience spanning research, advocacy, capacity development, and administration, Zabbey has, within three years of leading HYPREP, implemented people-focused initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and restoring degraded ecosystems.
Under his leadership, the project has reportedly created more than 7,000 direct jobs and facilitated the training of thousands of youths and women in high-demand skills, including mechatronics, cybersecurity, commercial diving, underwater welding, and data analytics.
HYPREP has also trained over 5,000 beneficiaries across 21 vocational skill areas, providing start-up kits to support entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
In the area of environmental sustainability, the agency has established 31 environmental clubs in secondary schools and trained 2,500 youths with International Maritime Organization (IMO) certification to support shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration efforts.
The project has recorded significant ecological milestones, including the cleanup of over 1,000 hectares of shoreline and restoration of 560 hectares of mangroves. This progress contributed to the designation of Ogoni mangrove wetlands as a Ramsar Site of international importance.
Beyond environmental remediation, HYPREP has expanded its social intervention programmes to include educational grants and scholarships for over 1,000 students, support for small and medium-scale enterprises, and skills training for persons living with special needs.
Infrastructure and healthcare development have also featured prominently, with ongoing projects such as the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, a Cottage Hospital, the Ogoni Power Project, and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration. The agency has further strengthened emergency healthcare delivery by donating five ambulances to medical facilities in the region.
Additionally, potable water has been provided to more than 40 communities, alongside the construction of wind-powered water systems in underserved areas.
Speaking on the award, Zabbey described it as a validation of HYPREP’s integrated approach to environmental restoration, healthcare improvement, and economic empowerment.
“We remain committed to delivering a cleanup that not only restores the environment but also improves livelihoods in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
HYPREP, in a statement, expressed appreciation to the management of Independent Newspapers for the recognition, the Federal Ministry of Environment for its oversight role, and the Ogoni communities for their continued support and collaboration.
The agency was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland and restore areas impacted by oil pollution.
Nation
Rivers State Judiciary Counters NBA National Position over Contempt Ruling, Says Judge Acted Within the Law
The Rivers State Judiciary has faulted the Nigerian Bar Association National over its March 26, 2026 press release condemning the jailing of a lawyer for contempt, insisting the trial judge acted lawfully to protect the court’s integrity.
In a rejoinder issued by Chief Registrar High Court,David D. Ihua-Maduenyi, Esq., the judiciary said it was necessary to “set the records straight” following reactions to the NBA’s statement on the contempt conviction of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin.
Titled: “JUDGES MUST NOT BULLY LAWYERS OR
ABUSE POWER TO PUNISH FOR CONTEMPT AS A TOOL
FOR INTIMIDATION OF LAWYERS”
RE: IN THE MATTER OF CONTEMPT OF COURT BY MRS.
LOVINAH UGBANA BENJAMIN
IN SUIT NO.
PHC/301/2016 CORAM C. NWOGU J., OF THE HIGH
COURT OF RIVERS STATE.
The state judiciary explained that case in question is Suit No. PHC/301/2016 before Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the Rivers State High Court, where Mrs. Benjamin served as defence counsel.
The statement read thus
“We are compelled to make this rejoinder regarding the
incident of the conviction for contempt and subsequent
unconditional discharge of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin,
Learned Counsel for the Defendants in the above suit by Hon.
Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the High Court of Rivers State in
order to set the records straight, and not allow the
misinformation, misconception and reactions arising from the
NBA National Press Release in the matter to fester as reality or
truth.”
In the suit under reference wherein the said Learned
Counsel appeared for the Defendants, the Learned Counsel
attempted to mislead the Court by her signed and filed final
written address, by knowingly and falsely presenting non-
existent facts and evidence of a witness. When confronted by the
Court, she admitted that what she stated in her final written
the address was not true and she was unapologetic.”
“The to uphold the dignity and integrity of the Court, which the
said Learned Counsel treated with clear and brazen contempt, the
Court after following due process, convicted her for contempt and
sentenced her to prison for 3 days only, instead of the 3 months
statutory term due to passionate plea from the Bar.”
“According to the statement the suggestion of the NBA National in paragraph 10 of the
Press Release under reference that “where a court considers
counsel’s conduct improper, the proper course is to invoke
recognised disciplinary mechanisms, including referring
counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
(LPDC), rather than resorting to summary punitive measures”,
is not an invariable rule because the act of the Defence Counsel
constitutes contempt in facie curiae which the Court can punish
instantly, hence the action of the Judge is not an abuse of power
or an act of intimidation.”
“Nevertheless, due to the numerous calls from respected
members of the Bar to the offices of the Chief Registrar and the
Honourable Chief Judge for the release of the said Learned
Counsel, and the intervention of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
delegation led by its Chairman, Mrs. Cordelia U. Eke to the Judge.
in his Chambers in the morning of 26/03/2026 where the
delegation upon learning the true facts of the incident, apologised
and pleaded for the release of the said Learned Counsel.
“The Judge
having accepted the apology signed a production warrant and
upon her production in court and oral application by Mrs. Cordelia
U. Eke, discharged her unconditionally that same morning.”
The statement further stated that It is therefore shocking to read later that day the NBA
National Press Release signed by its President and Secretary, Mazi
Afam Joseph Osigwe (SAN) and Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara respectively,
fiercely threatening and hastily advocated the following ultimata and
the immediate release of the affected
Counsel.
:That the Hon. Chief Judge of Rivers State
immediately investigate the circumstances
surrounding this incident and take
appropriate administrative action.
That appropriate disciplinary steps be taken
by the National Judicial Council, where
necessary.
That the remand of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana
Benjamin under the circumstances be
condemned and set aside”
“That all NBA branches in Port Harcourt and
its environs and all legal practitioners
boycott the proceedings before the Court of
Hon. Justice Nwogu for a period of 7 days if
Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin is not
released within 24 hours.
“It seems to us that it is either the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
leadership did not relate the true position to the NBA National or
if they did, the NBA National decided to speak daggers, not peace
to impugn the Judge as a villain.
“We find the position of the NBA National on this subject very
offensive and embarrassingly raising a feeling of acrimony against
the Judge in particular, and the High Court bench of Rivers State
in general. We categorically state that the Hon. Justice Chinwendu
Nwogu is one of our respected and respectful Judges with
unblemished integrity.
We view this Press Release as an isolated departure from the
enterprising and amiable leadership of the NBA National,
especially its President, whom we hold in high esteem and
admiration.”
“Whilst we appreciate the concern of the NBA National in
bringing attention to the event of 25th March 2026, we assure that
the Bench and the Bar in Rivers State remain veritable partners
in the administration of justice.
“We firmly restate that the Bench in Rivers State holds the Bar
in high esteem and this event would not disrupt the cordial
relationship between the Bench and the Bar.”
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